Game Of Two Halves

The Stiffs were on the wrong end of conditions losing by three wickets away to bogey side Wilsons.

Plenty of team changes as Ted was dropped to the Firsts, Dale was away, and The Adonis had fallen off a ladder. Duncan Disorderly returned, along with Drurs who was back from a week on the East coast checking up on Leggy's new business empire. Clearly all the years Boss Hogg had spent modelling Tweedies' shirts and giving dietary tips to Samit Patel were being put to good use.

There was much concern at the pre-match pitch inspection. After heavy rain on Friday, the designated track had more furrows than the brows of batsman on both sides. We swapped to an adjoining pitch, marginally better, but still literally taking a stud judging by the imprints made from football boots all the way down a line on off stump.

Cowlard lost the toss and it was no surprise to see us batting. Scooby and Drurs scratched around against the trampoline bounce, but it was about as much fun as trying to return an Andy Roddick serve. Scoobs tried to cut loose but a lofted drive got held up in the wind and he was caught for 6. Beakey got the ball of the day to be bowled for 1 and Leggy was caught soon after for 3; we were in a spot of bother at 40-3 after 20 overs.

Cowlard joined Drurs for a partnership of 53 with the pitch starting to dry out and the ball getting softer. Drurs vigil was finally ended on 31, but AC was much more fluent with some lovely clips off his legs. However, with a week's holiday to pay for, Cowlard did the sensible thing and holed out on 49 to save further expense.

One Brings Two added 9, then Kitch lofted a couple of mighty sixes in a quickfire 15. Duncan Disorderly, Greeny, Nugget and Chris See-Soar added 5 betwwen them as we limped over the line for 141.

Tea was a reasonable effort, samosas the spicy highlight.

In reply the Wilsons openers found it equally heavy going. Scooby bowled tightly and Kitch picked up a couple of early wickets, one a fantastic diving catch from Butch behind the stumps.

Wilsons young no.3 and Mark Owen look-a-like, had plenty of shots and the chat to match. We hoped it would only take a minute to get him out, but everything changed when Cowlard came on, relighting his fire, as his opening over went for 14. Scooby returned to send him back for good on 36, on the way to miserly figures of 1-10 off his 12 overs.

Kitch nipped in with another couple to end on 4-22 off his allotment. Both Liam and Boss Hogg bowled well picking up a wicket each, and at 100-7 we were very much in the hunt.

The trouble was the pitch had now dried out completely and Wilsons 8 and 9 batted very well making 20 each as we struggled to make another breakthrough, and the winning runs came in the 41st over.