King Dethrones Twos

The Stiffs came up short against a strong Caythorpe side led by KCC legend Kingy.

It was just like old times during the warm up, Drurs completing a couple of laps of the outfield, whilst Kingy polished off a couple of Fosters' and a Silk Cut.

Ted correctly called tails and took the new ball. After six wickets the previous week, Cowlard was rewarded by bowling into a stiff wind! Kingy was in his usual bludgeoning mood apparently batting with a railway sleeper, and most of the KCC attack were avoiding eye contact with the captain, or picking up mystery injuries, as the new cherry rattled to all parts. The onlooking Sheriff Hallam put his own injury worries behind him, sprinting to cow corner to move his car, parked bang in range of one of Shaun's slogs.

The faster we bowled the quicker the ball seemed to disappear to the rope and beyond, landing in the perimeter stream most overs, leading to more ball changes than during a Wimbledon fortnight. Skipper Ted proved a dab hand with the telescopic ball retriever, but the wise owls noted that he gets plenty of practice on the golf course.

Things were getting out of hand at 70 without loss until Murali Burton made a breakthrough, an edge from Kingy spinning like a catherine wheel, but safely pouched by the Adonis at slip. Matt bowled a fine spell, striking again as Tuckers took a fine diving catch at mid off, and finished with magic figures of 2 for just 22 off 12 overs.

At the other end Cowlard and then Big Ted bowled without luck, the ball regularly looping just out of reach: Jonny Rogers felt like Shilts waving at Andreas Brehme's deflected free kick. We weren't helped by an injury to Caythorpe's veteran no.4. Rather than provide a like-for-like runner, Kingy summoned up one of this teenage whippets, which proved to be like swapping a shirehorse for Shergar! Caythorpe's other opener reached a solid half century before lofting Ted to deep mid on, Liam taking a confident catch.

With plenty of wickets in hand the middle order had license to unleash some long handle. Our fielding improved throughout the innings and both Jonty Hogg and JR made some fine diving stops, but couldn't prevent the home side posting a fine score of 209-4 at the break. Tuckers just shaded JR and Boss Hogg for the Sticky Palmer fielding point. Ted took 2-48 off 10 overs, while the rest of the bowling figures are still being added up!

Tea was well above average with a high cake to sandwich ratio. Among the many home made highlights, the coconut macaroons just shaded the old-skool fairy cakes.

Ted and Evergreen Ern' looked in fine form in reply putting on 43 for the first wicket until Ernie played across a straight one for 16. Top Man was in more need of runs than Flintoff and sadly miscued a trade mark on-drive for a duck. Then Ted was strangled caught by the keeper off a leg side edge. At 63-3 we were in a pickle. Drurs and One-Gets-Two set about reparing the damage. Paul again looked in fine form crashing four fours in a brisk 22, before being suckered by a rank long hop, unable to decide whether to clout it for 4 or 6, succeeding in only spooning it to short fine leg.

Cowlard had been making bold claims about playing straighter this year than Boycott. So it was no surprise that he fell LBW for 2 trying to put a straight half volley through square leg. AC looked back at Drurs shaking his head, mumbling that the ball was missing leg. Drurs later confirmed that this was indeed true, and that the ball was also missing off, but sadly not middle stump about half way up! Tuckers fancied lamping the young off spinner over the pavilion, but fell fowl of too much playground catching practice looping an easy catch to cover for 2.

At 113-6 it became damage limitation in the search for as many points as possible. Drurs and Liam put on an unbeaten 70, but with the boundary ropes well policed, we always looked unlikely to get near the target. Drurs had sent most of the crowd to sleep, including Ernie on the scorers' bench, who was too engrossed with stories of WG Grace to note Drurs' half century! In the final over we reached another batting point, to end on 183-6, Liam making a fine 17, with Glassback also unbeaten on 59.

No disgrace against one of the strongest teams we've played in recent years and 5 points could prove vital in the end of season shake-up