Stiffs Hit For Six

In control until 5.30pm the Stiffs were blitzed by an amazing innings at home to old friends Clifton.

With undated 20p coins going for a mint on eBay, what price for Cowlard's double headed coin? Another lost toss, but for a change we had the chance to bat on a beautiful Summer's day.

Drurs and Dougie set off as if trying to bat for two days to save a Test. Nursing a post stag-do hangover, Dougie was seeing even more stars when ducking into a pull shot and copping a blow on the helmet. After a fine boundary Doug was then c&b for 9. Beakey once again batted fluently but on 16 kept his eye on an incoming Ryanair flight rather than the ball and lost his off bail.

Ted joined Drurs and after a steady start the pair upped the rate in a partnership of 92. Drurs reached a 1,000 runs for the season hit straight to fielders, while Boom Boom was finding his range with trademark leg side lofts. At 154-2 with 7 overs to go the slog was well and truly on. Ted was knackered, couldn't make a second run, and was run out for 52. Drurs followed three balls later bowled to an ugly slog for 66.

This let in Cowlard for a cameo knock with shots hit to places where you couldn't set a field. Kitch chipped a quick 6 and Liam was caught off the back of his bat for 1. AC was left on 31 not out as we reached 198-6 at the break.

Tea was an Italian feast from the Legge's: tonno pasta and the arancio e barbabietole sorpresa were the highlights for many, Cadbury's mini rolls for others.

In reply Cowlard bowled another dangerous but luckless opening spell, edges and miss hits going everywhere but to hand. Kitch meanwhile took the more direct route hitting the top of off for the first wicket.

Liam had been modelling his approach to bowling on darts' superstar Peter 'One Dart' Manley. And for the second week running 'One Ball' Elliott took a wicket with his first ball, Ted taking a great catch running backwards. Liam needed only two more balls to get another wicket, a fine caught and bowled. Boss Hogg trundled in down the hill and bowled the second dangerous Fairhall brother and at 60-4 we were well on top. Leggy took advantage of bowling at the paper boy in at no.6 to post figures of 9-2-27-1.

What we hadn't bargained for was the innings of this and many another season from Clifton's no.5. Our bowling went to all parts as he scored an unbeaten 113 out of the remaining 139 runs with some amazingly clean hitting. Kitch (2-56) was clonked twice onto the Ashley Road roofs, Cowlard (1-45) into the Vicarage, and Liam (2-47) one bounce into the car park. Poor JB started off with a maiden and then joined in the carnage with 20 from his next over. Leggy unfortunately dropped a sharp chance in the 70's, but otherwise this was a chanceless knock.


Watching legends Baker and Hepburn could hardly believe what they were seeing. With Rocket and Iggy also watching from the sidelines, Cowlard looked to be lining up a 'bloodgate' replacement to his bowling attack, but the claret dripping from Leggy's mouth turned out to be ketchup left over from tea.

AC and Kitch nipped in with consolation wickets but the game was up in the 40th over. We were made to feel even better when the Clifton lads revealed their no.5 had scored less than 80 runs in total for the rest of the season!