SCORECARD

Doomed at Doms
Old Mo 137-8. Old Doms 138-6.
Fitmen lost by 4 wickets.

So, here we are again!

A beautiful spring day welcomed the travelling Fitmen to Bromsgrove’s lower pitch and a dry fortnight leading up to the match meant it was ‘game on’.

Despite the sun and dry conditions, the pitches are all still just a downpour away from unplayable - maybe another fair week will set us up nicely for the season ahead.

The previous day the first innings on this pitch garnered just 114 allowing the fielding side to undertake (with difficulty) a run chase win. A look at the pitch gave hints of what might come along and a relieved skipper lost the toss (tails in Bromsgrove always fails).

Doms invited the Fitmen to have a bat and away we went. The book opened for ‘the time of the first wicket’ of the season to fall……………… The answer was ‘ball 1’ and a few twitches from the top order as they saw a length ball kick up and flick the outside edge of Tom’s new bat. This heralded an indecent haste to walk back to the pavilion with the Skipper/Ump still considering how he could turn down the appeal.

It was going to be one of those days and pretty much proved to be so. A decent batting line up generally ‘got in’ only to struggle to score ….ever aware of the rogue ball round the next corner.

Boundaries were at a premium with a slow and lush outfield.

The scorecard never lies though and shows 6 Fitmen scoring double figures – but none getting beyond twenty tells a tale.

Mr T and Si played carefully and took the score to 30 before T was found out by the uphill youth for 14. Si grafted and survived a played on (bails not dislodged) which promptly brought down the red mist. Having survived the ‘knock on’ he changed his persona from Tavare to Gayle as he felt getting after the bowler was the best route……….

New boy Taz decided attack was the best (only?) form of defence but fell to a ‘popper’ and spooned to mid-off. Next up was Tuckerrrturge who set a new record for caution with a strike rate of 22 for his 10…………despite the pre-match bravado threatening to knock up a fast 50 to get back to the clubhouse for the Liverpool victory.

Half way showed a miserly 50 odd, but at drinks the skipper gave instructions to the incumbent pair to stay at the crease until 30 overs. Get near 100 at 30 and a target of 150 would be competitive. Tragically he forgot to add that they needed to score some runs as well.
In the closing 10 overs the strike rate could only go up. Sharif and Skippperrrr looked promising and the first 6 of the match for the grunter hinted at an acceleration towards that magical 150. But both fell for 15 (32 and 80 strike rate respectively). Tom H on debut belted a couple for his 9, then the Welsh Wizard showed the way with a top scoring 17 at a rate of 130 (though Skipperrrrr reckons he donated one of his boundaries to the Celtic International).

Ash showed the top order how to do it with a strike rate of the day at 200 (well, 2 runs off the only ball he faced) but at tea the visitors felt they were 20 or so runs short.

Samosas were the star of the tea (no sauce) and Staropramen and Thatcher’s the hydration of choice. Confusion as the ‘draft Guinness’ turned out to be a can and an agitator. Apparently the barmaid put her tongue on it to demonstrate the efficacy…………..oohh errr.
Second half would probably require early wickets to give hope…..and some came.

*Pick of the bowlers were Ash (as always tight and mean) giving less than 3 an over in his 5 over spell and tin-legged Skipperrr picking up 3 wickets at a shade over 3. Nothing much wrong with the rest of the bowling either but we hadn’t given ourselves enough runs to bowl at. The home side ended up comfortable winners using just 31 of the allotted 40 overs to overhaul the target. Final word to T who provided the coup de grace with his leg side chukka.

*Entire Doms innings was guesswork as your intrepid reporter had pulled by then and was being chauffeured home at the time. But it’s probably about correct.