Grizzly at Risley

The Stiffs took a mixture of the young and the old to Risley for the final game of the season.

Leggy won the toss, and his decision to field, with just eight men present, matched Ricky Ponting's decision to omit Nathan Hauritz for the last Ashes test.

The eight men went to mow and were soon on the wrong end of a run fest. Billy and Leggy opened up and bowled well but there were spaces galore. Leggy's bowling resources were stretched further than one of his Tweedie's shirts, such that Drurs was brought on first change for his first proper bowl of the season. The Chairman surprised even himself by pitching 28 of his 30 deliveries somewhere on the wicket. Drurs and Boom Boom behind the stumps were soon chuntering and giving double-teapot poses after a couple of plum LBW's were turned down. Dimps at mid off chuckled to himself at the theatrics, safe in the knowledge that he too would have kept his finger firmly in his pocket.

JB (5-0-33-1) trundled in up the hill and made the first breakthrough, Leggy taking a simple catch at cover point. And young Ben Healey showed how far the under 12's have progressed with a steady spell at the other end (4-0-32-0). But, the gaps in the field seemed to widen, not helped by our arthritic fielders who wouldn't have been out of place in the adjoining Treetops Rest Home for retired cover points. Risley raced to 130-1 off 20 overs.

Reinforcements arrived over the horizon in the shape of Evergreen Ernie. Ern donned the keeper's mits to allow Ted to bowl his gentle swingers. Then Paul Lay turned up after the football final whistle and we suddenly looked like a team in the field. Drurs came back for a second spell and ran through the middle order taking 5 wickets in 5 overs with four clean bowled's to end with figures of 5-39 off 10 overs. Kitcho brought up the full complement with a couple of overs to go with news of his first century of the season, but sadly this was on the golf course! Leggy nipped in with a final wicket and at tea we had pulled the home side back to 250-7.

Tea was well above the usual away standard, with the pickle and onion varieties of cheese sandwiches the highlight.

In reply Drurs and Ern set off at a rare old gallop as the young opening attack served up a succession of long hops. We reached 100 in the 17th over without alarm. Drurs needed to leave early and decided to hit out or get out. With the clock ticking, the more he tried, the more edges that fell to ground, until bowled from one ugly smear too many for 72. Ernie fell a couple of overs later for 43 and we were then on the back foot.

Paul Lay (1), Billy (7) and young Ben (2) and Chris See-Soar (0) fell looking to push for quick runs and it was left to Boom Boom (27) and Kitch (25) to get us to maximum batting points. Dimps and Leggy fell cheaply and we ended up on 199 all out.

A heavy defeat in the end, but a fun day out.