Stiffs Down Dale To Go Top

High excitement as the Stiffs won on the road at Stanton-by-Dale with another all round team effort in a match played in fine spirit.

The biggest challenge of the day was finding the ground itself with a spot of orienteering required to navigate the footpaths, stiles and ditches en route. Skipper Cowlard put his back out falling into a ditch while Ernie was up to his neck in trouble after stepping in a rabbit hole.

After being on the wrong end of conditions last week we were boosted by winning the toss and bowling first on a damp pitch. The Stanton postage stamp was made somewhat larger by the very wet outfield.

AC and Boss Hogg were licking their lips with the new ball seaming. Stanton's Bruce Forsyth look-a-like was struggling to pierce the field while his partner was soon back in the hutch playing on to Leggy. The first runs off the bat were a calamity. A square cut held up just short of the boundary. JR and Strongy collided and performed a Torvill and Dean Bolero routine; Charlie mistook Jonny's call to chuck it in and flicked the ball up, only for it bounce off JR's bonce and over the boundary board for a Brucie bonus to the opposition.

This was just a minor hiccup as we sliced through the Stanton top order. Cowlard took a fine one handed catch off his own bowling and then introduced Top Man Burton. The no.4 soon top edged a slog to cow corner. Drurs made a brave call to take the high ball with DG eyeing up a spot of pre-season rugger training, fortunately Drurs caught a safe mark. Murali then produced his mystery ball to bowl Brucie round his legs.

Then a suicidal run out. The young paper boy was sold down the river as Davey G swooped to hurl in a direct hit. At 29-5 the home side were in disarray. Then followed the best partnership of the match. Leggy had bowled his first 11.1 overs for 23 runs, but with the line in sight developed the yips and went for 16 off his last 5 balls.

DG was brought on to throw up some F and G, though by his own admission it was f****** garbage rather than flight and guile. With the original ball lost in the undergrowth and the hundred up we were wobbling. Cowlard had seen enough of the spin twins and brought on himself and Strongy. Charlie made an immediate breakthrough getting the home side's big hitter to chip a catch to wicket. Cowlard repeated the dose with an unplayable leg stump yorker.

The ICC spirit of cricket big-wigs were on red alert as the burly no.9 strode to the wicket with a bat that had edges at least two inches thick. Cowlard thought he had two bats stuck together, while others thought he'd brought his Dyson to the ground by mistake. Fortunately it was too heavy too lift and Murali nipped in through his defences. Leggy just about caught the last man turning a straight forward up and under into a manoeuvre that resembled a Jim Furyk golf swing.

Cowlard was once again miserly taking 2-17 off 12, Leggy 1-39 off 12, and Murali 3-43 off 10. Ground fielding throughout was again excellent with Cowlard scooping the fielding point for some great diving stops.

139 all out could have been less but also more at one stage. Tea rated 6/10. Beef and horseradish was a notable plus point, a lack of shubbery or fruit a concern.

Drurs and Ernie were delighted to see the wicket and outfield had dried out for the reply. But less happy to see a shiny ball being used. It was a miracle of biblical proportions that the match ball had been found in the interval, especially as Cowlard found the original in the field on the return hike home!

Ernie played on early but Dougie and Drurs made the most of the short boundaries and generous fielding positions to put on 54, before Doug left for a smart 31. DG in at 4 played with much restraint not tempted by the short boundaries. The Stanton change bowlers were far tighter than the openers and Drurs set about sending the travelling support to sleep. We were always well ahead of the rate and with another 50 partnership on the board the line was in sight. Dave eventually ran out of patience and smacked a full toss straight to deep extra for a gritty 20. 15 were needed of the 35th over for maximum batting points. Murali smacked a boundary and then we got 5 from a head high wide that raced to the rope. Matt tried to smash the final ball for 6 only to fall inches short of the cow corner boundary.

With the scores level, Matt was still dreaming of what could have been as Drurs called for a long single and Top Man was run out. A leg bye next ball saw us home for the loss of just 4 wickets, Drurs carrying his bat for 60.

19 points and with Caythorpe slipping up at Long Whatton, we're top of the table!

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