Last Gasp Lays

Another last over thriller as the Stiffs finally beat old friends Caythorpe in a dramatic run chase.

Big Ted had an embarrassment of pre-match riches as we were in danger of turning up with 13 players, 3 umpires and 2 scorers. After an unsuccessful dalliance last season, Duncan Disorderly was looking forward to hooking up once again with the home side's young scorer. Ted nipped love's young dream in the bud turning our romeo back at Saxondale roundabout.

Pre-match preparations were varied: Mr Dearden caught up on year 9 German exams, while Kingy completed his Lucky 15 selections at Sandown Park.

A passing shower meant the toss took place in the safety of the pavilion and Ted gleefully chose to bowl in a match reduced to 36 overs.

It was like old times as Scooby paced out his run still pished from the night before, to bowl at Kingy, half cut from 3 pints of pre-match amber nectar. Barney had invested in a new bat during the close season hewn from the major oak and as usual started bludgeoning our attack to all parts. Cowlard almost got the breakthrough as an edge went through Ted's hands and unfortunately hit his shoulder rather than his soft belly and dropped to the floor. Kingy raced to 33 before AC got revenge with a clean bowled.

Then controversy. Caythorpe's young no.3 got a blatant nick behind off Scooby and refused to walk, a decision more unjustifiable than an MP's expense claim, and totally out of keeping with the fantastic spirit normally present between the two sides. This ultimately cost us 60 runs as we struggled to get a breakthrough as the board ticked over at an all to quick 6 an over.

Leggy struggled to run into the strong wind and played Jonesey back into form. Our fielding was not a patch on previous weeks, Drurs leading the parade of cart horses, while Leggy, One Gets Two and Butch spilled catches.

Meanwhile Kitch, happily recovered from a career threatening chipped fingernail, was more on target and broke the partnership. A few overs later Barry was getting twitchy in the archives as Kitch found himself with the chance of a second career hat trick, Phil taking a great catch at deep square leg, then Drurs one more straightforward at mid on. Freddie Truman kept out the hat trick ball.

Cowlard returned for a fine second spell taking 3 wickets and Caythorpe finally reached 205-7 off their 36 overs, a big score that could have been much worse. AC took 4-43 and Kitcho 3-56.

Tea was the usual fine feast: the highlights being cheese and beetroot sandwiches, coffee and walnut sponge, and Newcastle losing to Fulham.

Scooby and Drurs got us off to a rattling start racing to 40 in 8 overs. Sadly Tony went for 17 to another weak chip to mid wicket. Drurs was timing his on-drives perfectly getting Kingy gasping for breath chasing the ball all the way to the boundary. Then Dimps was literally hopping mad, misjudging the line of a pull of the legs, to cop a blow on his kneecap. The introduction of spin did for Drurs, leg before middling a ball onto his pads for 34. Private Stretton fell soon after for 10. After 22 overs we were 100-3.

Then a wonderful partnership from Boom Boom and Cowlard. Ted regularly flicked to mid wicket off his legs while Cowlard continued to play gun barrel straight. Ted was fully in the zone, falling out with the young wicketkeeper, demanding to know if he was standing up or back, the reply "I'm floating" resulted in some industrial language from the skipper. A storm was brewing off the field as well with the giant sightscreen blwoing over. Both bats moved into their 40's and we were down to needing 28 off 4. Then a flurry of wickets, all bowled, as AC 49, Ted 45 and Kitch 3 all tried to settle matters with extravagant blows.

We were fortunate to have depth in our batting and father and son Ernie and Paul had nerves of steel. Paul steered a couple of beautiful late cuts and a then few overthrows cut the target to 11 off 2 overs. Kingy set 4 mid wickets and 3 backward points to look to starve Evergreen Ern's run supply, only to see a majestic cover drive rattle to the boundary. The next over Paul edged the winning runs to cap a fantastic run chase and spark scenes of jubliation. We celebrated our 2nd win in 2 weeks, Ted his 2nd win in 2 years!!!!