Baggies 2nd XI v Purley 2s
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- Last Updated on Monday, 15 August 2011 22:36
- Written by Geoff Young
Manchester City, circa 2001. West Ham United, 2003. Newcastle United, 2009. Bagshot 2nd XI, 2011. Too good to go down?
The first three thought so and did. As for Bagshot, well, we will just have to wait and see. But after two straight defeats to sides around us and with the top two still to play, it is, to quote a certain premiership manager, "squeaky bum time".
This one was a tough one to take. With 'our best side on paper this season' (that always spells trouble!) we fell 3 runs short with poor old Si Farrant bowled in the last over of the game with only an inside edge for four separating us from 20 points and almost certain safety.
Purley certainly made the most of what they had. At 8-3 and then 20-4 they looked like QPRs back four on the opening day of the premiership season.
But a rallying partnership between Lincoln (49) and 14 year old Jeffrey (56) took them into that uncomfortable run chase' zone of 170+. Indeed it could have been worse had they not lost the last three wickets in 5 balls for no runs. At least Simon has a hat-trick ball to look forward to next saturday having snaffled numbers 10 and 11 to give him figures of 4-64.
The words Young and Dawson have often been followed by the words 'hundred run partnership', but this season has been a different story. I must say that the sight of Deano (6'4") donning a lid to two opening spinners (one of which was about 4',11") is a strange one, and one that neither of us is used to as yet.
He fell for just 1, playing on to one that kept a little low. We could hear from the middle the sound of fury unleashed as the bat was flung across the dressing room and certain x-rated expletives were let loose (as a Charterhouse boy though, the pronunciation was spot on and the diction perfect). Good to know that the public school system still has the highest of standards.
Young, whose form peaked around the first saturday in May, went for 20, Bushy soon followed and it was left to Taz and Cave to rebuild. The 18 year old Cave looks destined for 1st XI cricket (especially as the 1s returned grumpy and disillusioned from Chesham just after 5 o clock), and he did himself no favours in that department with his second 50 on the bounce. However, he got out at just the wrong time having watched Taz fall to the young leg spinner who then claimed Passfield with his very next ball to the resounding cry from the pavilion of 'never play back at Bagshot!!". Especially to a 13 year old leg spinner. Quite literally a schoolboy error. Skilton biffed a couple but again got out when he looked set to see us home. Skipper DJ looks more accomplished as a batsman this year (which probably says more about his bowling than it does his batting) and he pushed and worked the ball around the way the proper batsmen should have done whilst all around him wickets tumbled. Purley were getting equally as nervous and a 5 run bye courtesy of a helmet behind the keeper and boundary 4 overthrow that almost gave the captain a coronary meant we required 4 from the last over. DJ cut a ball to third man but only for a single. The next ball was straight and low and Si swished, missed and was bowled.
Much credit should go to Purley who stuck at their tasks manfully. We let them get too many runs and then, for a second week we batted poorly, every batter leaving the responsibility of scoring runs to someone else. Cave aside, we all knew who to blame. Ourselves.
So with three games to go next weeks trip to Windsor (who got a 25 pointer against Marlow), is another one of those 'much needed wins'.
Obviously Arsenal are too good to go down this season. Aren't they...?
