Bagshot 3's V Sonning 3's

Bagshot 3's 213-5 - 46 overs
Sonning 3's 158-4 - 44 overs

With rain having fallen the previous day and forecast to arrive soon after the start, having lost the toss, Sonning put us in to bat. Paul Kelly and Matthew Funnell opened up, and it was soon apparent the wicket was a tad slow and low. However PK suffered from the mole ball, which seemed to burrow under his bat as he was bowled for nought. Matthew (under instruction not to return or get out in the first 10 overs or face the wrath of Growler) was blocking admirably and joined by mini-spud James White. It continued to be slow and low and runs were hard to come by as the bowlers kept a decent line and length for the conditions. Having survived 10 overs and the score just below 20, Matthew ventured out of his shell a little and played some lovely shots before getting carried away and coming down the wicket, missed it and sadly his dad at square leg gave him the finger or was it two (am I allowed to write that? Oh well, add dreaded before finger and add giving him out please). Not best pleased was dad having seen son bat really well and get himself in. We then had two mini's at the crease each trying to accelerate (mini's... beep beep..... get it?? I'm in holiday mode and losing it, sorry.). Mini growler unfortunately could not continue his recent fine form and only made 7 before being caught trying to pull the ball to the boundary. Growler elderly and Mini-spud started slowly but increased the tempo until the thunder, lightening and rain took us all off the field. Rather than lose overs, the captains agreed to take an early tea. This was a sumptuous affair with fruit on sticks, homemade chocolate cake on a stand, homemade sandwiches, freshly cooked sausages, etc kindly prepared by Mr and mainly Mrs ACAI Rice. So full up was I that I had to waddle out to the middle again to resume after the rain had departed and welcome sun arrived. ACAI had to sneak back to the club before tea to steal some sawdust (DON'T TELL THE CHAIRMAN), and Deadly Hedley nipped down to Longacres to deprive some poor rabbit of the last bag of sawdust. The splendid tea must have hypnotised the bowling too, as they let me help myself to some usual heaving the ball for six in my arc somewhere between backward square leg to mid wicket/wide long on... Mini- spud kept me company, batting properly and accumulating runs as you are supposed to if you are a proper batsman and the run rate increased from about 2 to a much more meaningful 6 or 7. It was great to be batting with the young maestro as he got to his first senior 50. I said he would score a fifty this season for the 3rd XI and he has worked really hard to do it. Well done James White. With a declaration required mini spud eventually was out for 55 leaving the rain main Matt Alexander to face 2 balls, two swings, two misses and stumped over and out. 213-5 off 46 overs.

We turned round straight away, and James was first out of the changing room and keen to bowl, so he and Jack opened up once again. Both bowled well as Sonning made a slow start much as we had done in the first innings. With the wizened Wazir starting to find his feat (he was the league's leading run scorer), it was a touch of brilliance from Monty Lynch which broke the partnership as he raced to save a two, threw and ACAI Rice took off the bails to send him back to the pavilion. The Sonning skipper came in at 3 and started cautiously as we introduced Adam Hendries (no joy today but back to bowling well), PK (no joy either). It was Deadley who got the second wicket in a tight spell with Paul Kelly taking a gut shot and clinging rather gamely as he fell backwards. With the opposition not really doing much to raise the tempo, Monty Lynch plied them with some slow grenades to try to entice them out of the shell. It did a bit as he took two wickets, one taken by Mini Growler and the more important one of the Sonning skipper had had edged past 50 and was looking to try to score some batting points as Mini Spud made amends for an earlier drop by taking a sound catch at mid wicket.. This of course then put them back in the their shell again for some reason although they had wickets in hand, and although we tried every option including Matt Alexander (an unexpected 4 overs for just 11 runs!), bomb thrower Barrie and young Matthew Funnell, nothing was going to entice them to take a risk as the game meandered to a draw on a wicket that did not as it dried out offer much to the bowlers.
MOM: Definitely James White. I told him to get me a fifty, and he has. Now get me a few more while I am on holiday please. Feel free to go on further too! Seriously, very good innings for a young cricketer in adult cricket. Great to have you in the team.
Another highlight was the Sonning bolwe who popped on the pitch and asked if Barrie was Monty's brother, as they both bowled slowly, have hair issues, and are of similar stature, and according to the bowler run in the same way too! Which is odd as I have yet to see Barrie run this season...
Special thanks to Barrie (umpiring) and playing, Iain umpiring and depriving rabbits of a bed for the night, Mr & Mrs Rice for a splendid tea which rates highly on the 3's teas board (not cheese board, although we did have cheese and biccies a few weeks ago).
Everyone who helped out as always.
8 unbeaten, let's get some revenge on Kew please next week.

Growler