A Game at Last!

The first match for nearly a month saw the 13s travel to Mapperley Top, to face Gedling Colliery, on Tuesday night. Yes there has been a break in the rain this week, although it might not seem like it!

A familiar feel with Normington, Steiner and Healey back from their jollies to team up with Nice, Newell, Coulthard, Stolworthy, Hennessy, Brown, Blacklock and Kitching. Legge in the middle.Tuckwell in another remotely operated scorebox and plenty of spectators.

Normington won the toss and elected to bat and left with sound advice ringing in the ears. Be aggressive... but don't get out. Look for quick singles... but don't give you're wicket away. Keep the scoreboard ticking...but see off the straight ball. Don't get out but we want lots of runs etc etc.

Nice (2) succumbed to an excellent catch in the covers during the 2nd over as a tight line and length restricted the total to 13-1 off 4. 14 off the next 2, thanks to some hard running and hitting by Normington and strong offside work from Newell, saw the score catapult.

With the pair motoring nicely, Newell (9) played round a straight one. 33 - 2 off 8.

Healey played patiently and had to be on his toes with Normington pushing for runs at every opportunity. The partnership reached 16 before the skipper (22) was bowled by the spinner. 49-2 off 14.

Coulthard immediately spread the field with some majestic stroke play. One lofty shot over mid on was then dwarfed by a monster, that nearly carried for 6 on a long leg side boundary. Doing exactly as instructed Coulthard (14) fell for his top score of the year - caught excellently at fly slip. On another day it would have gone for 4 Josh!

Stolworthy strode to the crease with Gedling change bowlers certainly on top. 60-3 with 18 balls to go. 8 runs followed by 6 runs left a total of 80 a possibility, with the final over to play. The pair unleashed some carnage - 3 boundaries, 2 wides and a no ball contributing to an excellent haul of 19 and a final total of 93-4 off 20. Healey (19*) and Stolworthy (9*)

Steiner (3-1-3-0) opened up in a determined fashion, arrowing his left armers into the burly openers. Brown (3-0-12-1) was in miserly fashion at the other end with Nice taking an exceptional diving catch at cover point, to take him joint top of the wickets taken charts with Mills. 16-1 off 6

Sensing the need to accelerate, Gedling set after the bowling. Kitching got his first wicket for the 13s - the number 3 walking 4 strips to the right before flapping one straight to Healey in the covers - before remonstrating with the home umpire for not giving a wide, if only you'd have left it... 36-2 off 9

Unfortunately this led to an even burlier youth. The two at the crease certainly wouldn't win any awards for footwork, but raw power saw boundary after boundary being dispatched.

With the opener retiring on 35* after an excellent knock, clubber II entered the picture. Healey was brought on to reduce the flow of runs, and did so, but, Gedling cantered home with 3 overs to spare. 95 for 2 off 17

A good practice in fine surrounds.