Post date: Jun 26, 2017 8:59:03 PM
Saturday 24th June
Cornwood were entertained at Millaton on a day completely different from the previous week. Grey, drizzly and wet. Tim Shaw started the ball rolling by suggesting ( well to be honest ….Moaning) that the match should have been called off on Friday.
Cornwood who are in the bottom three in the league spent the first 5 minutes introducing themselves to eachother. They obviously were a team cobbled together so the signs were looking good for Briddy.
LJ again defied his usual form by winning the toss, and on a day when the snakes were likely to be in the Millaton Strip ( wet top and dry underneath) Cornwood were duly inserted. Briddy took to the field in the drizzle and with Tim Shaw continuing to voice that the match should be called off.
LJ (9.2.25.2) induced a nick in the very first over that was not taken by his brother Ian ‘Teflon’ Jutson behind the stumps….more of the same later! LJ and Tim Shaw (9.1.40.1) bowled some good tight lines early on to limit Cornwood to very few scoring opportunities. Limping through to 15 off the first 10. Dale Harris (7.0.35.0) continued the good work as first change. E Vallance (6.0.21.2) took a stunning caught and bowled to remove Cornwood’s #3 bat that looked threatening during his short time at the crease. By 3 wickets down it was patent that Cornwood were just meandering along, helped by dear old Teflon who managed another two nicks.
Steve ‘jazz hands’ (7.1.23.2) was brought into the attack in the absence of Briddys front line twirler ‘Joppers’ A full toss off his first ball realised a wicket straight away. Followed by a second wicket in his second over from what purported to be a fizzing spitting cobra of a ball. C Holiday (7.1.16.1) bowled a nice tight spell. The skipper finally turned to himself and T Shaw to try and mop up the tail only to be met with a bit of slap from D Tracey (42*). At the tea somehow Cornwood had scrambled to 160…. A surprising total and one that was probably 40 runs more than they deserved.
After a lovely Tea served up by the Jutsons and which definitely ticked the ‘volume’ catering box, Briddy went into the run chase with an air of confidence…..soon to be shattered!
I won't name names, but in a shocking display of batting Briddy capitulated to 49 for 7 with Cornwood fired up and looking for a crushing win. However cometh the moment cometh the man!
The god like LJ batting with Jack Shaw with his stoic defence managed to shuffle the score to 68 for the 8th wicket. Still looking a sick total Kev Yates joined the skip and managed to move the score to 104 before Kev fell LBW shuffling across. With the last pair at the crease and Cornwood starting to run out of bowling options LJ (73*) and Dale ‘Bomber’ Harris (29*) brought home an outstanding win.
A brilliant skippers knock and great support from Dale saw Briddy win against the odds. Great game of cricket!!
Cornwood understandably naffed off home rather despondent, and the team retired to the White Hart for some celebrations ( including Chips – thanks C Ewen!!).
Next week ….I have no idea, somebody else to play somewhere I guess. Looking forward to it!!
Saturday 17th June
The mighty twos travelled to Whitchurch to face the top of the league team that had not conceded more than 100 runs to any opposition in the league and had allegedly prepped a 300 run batting strip on which they intended to crush lowly Briddy. On a blazing hot day LJ shocked the team by taking some advice regarding the toss, listened to it and actually called correctly. On a blazing hot day with little or no breeze the decision was simple. Put them in the field and hope to keep them out there.
The openers Steve ‘jazz hands’ Batstone and Tim Shaw made a good start with Tim in particular laying into the bowling with gusto. Regular boundaries kept the score rolling along swiftly. First bowling change came with little effect on the scoring rate until Tim (43) managed to smash one back for a sharp caught and bowled to the first change bowler. Neilo Griffiths (10) played a swift cameo notable for a particularly powerful drive through mid off but unluckily fell to another caught and bowled, only taken by the bowler after it bounced off his hand, thigh, belly and just about every other part of his anatomy before being clutched. Batstone (20) was next to go but with the score already well through 100 before the 20th over Whitchurch were under the pump, and starting to melt in the heat. Chasing the ball around and placing fielders at positions the ball had just been hit and getting grumpy with eachother want helping their mood. Ian Jutson (38) started to really accelerate the scoring. Jack ‘the Phantom’ Barwell (3) fell cheaply falling once again to the curse of his new bat, but by now Briddy were well on track for a big score. K Lee (53) and C Holiday (40) really started to get a lick on with the ball going to all parts of the ground, one over going for 28 runs. Whitchurch were in melt down wilting in the heat and starting to really nag at eachother. LJ (4*) and T Boother (11*) finished the allotted overs pushing the score to a rather monumental 240.
The lunch interval saw the ‘Phantom’ laying into as many pints of Thatchers as he had scored runs. Fortunately not into double figures. That would follow the match though!
Taking to the field with the opening pair of T Shaw ( 5.1.23.1) & LJ (6.1.15.1) who both bowled some good lines. LJ knocked off one of the Whitchurch openers for a duck. The second wicket falling with the score still only at 13. C Marais started to make a bit of nuisance of himself making a reasonably efficient 39 but as soon as he was snared by ‘Bomber’ Harris (9.1.28.2) Whitchurch started to fall way off the rate. Tom Boother (9.1.18.3)bowled a top spell to rip the heart out of the oppo who by now had degenerated into sniping and growling at eachother – no need for sledging from Briddy !
C Holiday (4.1.9.0) and J ‘drunk phantom’ Barkwell (4.1.12.0) bowled well but by now Whitchurch were simply dobbing the ball back, making no attempt to win the match but rather stop Briddy taking the last available points. Enter ‘Joppers’ (2.3 overs 1.6.3) who simply polished them off with a hat trick. Whitchurch bowled out for….well we don’t care !!
A resounding victory and one that catapults Briddy right to the top part of the league.