Stiffs Wilt at Wilsons

The Stiffs slipped up away at old rivals Wilsons. Selection was again a revolving door: Team Elliott were at a wedding, Cowlard was celebrating his 40th (pint) in Ireland, while DG was taking the first team cymbals. Fortunately we welcomed back Rocky Rainsford and new signing Fraser Stretton.

Leggy was licking his lips after winning the toss. The pitch was full of weeds and looked a seamers' paradise, but this turned out to be fools' gold.

Mike Smith found good bounce with the new ball but struggled to keep it up. Meanwhile at the start of his run up he struggled to keep it down, a schoolboy error of eating lunch 10 minutes before the start meant an early call for a pile of sawdust.

Leggy bowled a tidy opening spell without breaking through. New boy Fraser took over and looked more rusty than the railings on the adjoining football pitch as his first two balls were head high beamers! Fraser then bowled 4 sharp overs showing much promise for the future. Barrie replaced Mike and beat the bat several times in a luckless spell of 0-29 off 8 overs. At drinks Wilsons were 80-0 and well placed to push on.

Leggy wisely decided to take the pace off the ball and turned to spin twins Beeton and Bayford. The Adonis was a handful throughout his spell and made the first breakthrough, Ernie snaffling a thin edge. A second soon followed as beautifully flighted delivery lured the no.3 down the pitch and bowled him through the gate.

At the other end Dougie was more erratic, mixing up flight with filth, in fact your reporter had seen custard with more consistency. Nevertheless this was wicket taking bowling. Ernie took a stumping and JR took a catch at cow corner having dropped an easier one two balls before. At 115-5 with 10 overs left we were back on top. However Wilsons' no.7 had other ideas smashing a run a ball unbeaten 47. 60 runs came off the last 6 overs and dented some promising figures: Doug finished with 2-39 0ff 7 and JB 3-46 off 12.

Leggy took responsibility for the penultimate over and was immediately smashed for a massive six that landed in the centre circle of the next football pitch - Tuckers organised a 4 x 100m relay team to return the ball.

At the break 193-6 was a decent score. Tea was a major improvement on recent years, doughnuts proving more scarce than petrol at a Shell filling station.

In reply Drurs enjoyed the quick pitch cracking 5 boundaries in a quick 23 before playing on leaden-footed. Ernie survived a blow to the chest and looked well set until bowled for 18. Our middle order were all more careless than an MI5 officer with an intelligence report, Bayford (8), Stretton (6) and Rainsford (0) all caught in the ring when looking well set.

Tuckers was struggling to pick up the ball, turning his back on a full toss and copping a painful blow on his calf, and asked for one of the Holme Pierrepont mobile homes to be moved from his eyeline. After a big boundary to mid on, he soon went for 7, and JR followed form a duck. At 89-7 we were in a big hole.

Then an amazing partnership of 58 between Boss Hogg and Mike Smith. Leggy played the shot of the day, a cut through backward point, while Mike played a huge shot at every ball, so much so that he put his back out and needed a runner. Leggy used all his captaincy nous and called on JB to do the running!! With the home side getting a bit twitchy, Mike was finally out for a fine 32. Leggy remained unbeaten on 20 as JB and then young Chris Soar were clean bowled.

151 all out and not one of our finest batting displays with extras top scoring on 33!

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