Ruddington Run Fest

A comprehensive defeat for the Stiffs at home to Rudd.

We had the usual pre-match selection merry-go-round with only 10 men available, but fortunately KCC legend Tommy had got the yips at golf, so pulled on the whites for old times sake.

With Alesandra away in Italy, Leggy had been back on his Samit Patel diet and was straining at the seams. Fortunately Dimps had used his contacts at Tweedies to source a new shirt for The Boss.

Ted won the toss and we bowled first to make use of a greenish track and new ball. Boom had been on a tree-hugging team building course during the week and emphasised the need to bowl tightly in the pre-match huddle. At 100-0 after 18 overs the message hadn't rubbed off on our seam attack!

With the remnants of the Keyworth Show still scarring the outfield, Liam ran in from the outer bullseye of the target golf, but sadly kept pitching on double three rather than treble twenty as the runs flowed. Cowlard trundled on from the tombola end was more wayward than usual. Leggy wouldn't have troubled the coconut shy as he went for 45 in his 4 overs.

Runs were leaking faster than a BP oil well, so Ted set about plugging the hole himself. Drurs took a sharp diving catch to make the first break through seeing off Tom Randall, son of ex-KCC legend Alan for 58. Billy bowled a tight spell down the hill conceding just 29 in his 7 overs and we'd got a bit of control back. Drurs undid the good work going for 20 in his 2 overs but bought a wicket. Liam struck a late blow but we were on the wrong end of a hiding at 252-4 at tea. Tommy and Duncan shared the fielding point for keeping the score below 300.

Tea by Dunc was a disorderly affair. Sandwiches were beautifully made, but a lack of milk and cakes was a schoolboy error. The tea urn had also not been turned on. Tommy lifted the mood... "Hey, Ted, is the cup of tea ready yet?"..... "No!"..... "OK, i'll have coffee then!". Ted didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

In reply we got off to a poor start against a good opening attack. Drurs lost his better-than-Bradman average LBW for 2, Paul Lay was caught for 0, and Ernie for 9. After 7 overs we were 23-3. Ted and Cowlard set about the recovery and put an entertaining 50 before AC missed a straight one on 26. Needing to leave in 20 minutes Leggy rushed to the crease, but had plenty of time to change bowled for 1. Liam went to a sharp catch for 4 and at 105-6 we were in big trouble.

Dimps had been enjoying his cricket so much that he'd bought a new blade, his first since Richard Hadlee gave him a cast off in the 1980's and knicked in the middle, but then the edge, caught behind for 7. Duncan hit a lovely cover drive before being plum LBW for 10.

Tommy had been warming up like Jack Hobbs on the boundary, but wasn't going to hang around in the middle with beer to be drunk. His first ball was duck hooked to the mid wicket boundary, but he re-loaded to play the shot of the day a glorious straight drive with a touch of draw back over the bowler's head. 12 off 6 balls was almost the highlight of the innings.

However, in between the clatter of wickets Ted had played beautifully, effortlessly cutting and flicking off his legs, hitting 17 boundaries before holing out for 89 in the penultimate over.

Billy was the best no.11 we've had for ages and sent the close field fleeing with a lovely lofted cover drive. We ended on 194, a decent effort for maximum batting points, but well beaten by a much better team in the end.