PLUMS consumed in twilight feast

Brought to you by roving reporter, President Baker

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Another confidence boosting victory for the Under 14s and this one produced under a leaden sky with a cold wind and constant drizzle and by the end, almost in pitch black light.

Batting first Keyworth were cruising along nicely at 37 for 1 after 7 overs when Sam Machin and Tom Newell decided to do an audition for ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in the middle of the pitch and the prolific scoring Newell departed.

From then on some loose wafted shots through mid off and mid on provided the Plumtree lads with plenty of catching practice, most of which they hung to and another candidate for ‘Strictly’, Harry Normington also departed.

But, thanks to some hurrying and scurrying and a little lower order cameo from Josh Coulthard (8) and Harry Stolworthy (9), a score to bowl with of 82 materialised – probably 20 runs under par.

Coach Leggy was unhappy at the interval – “you can tell they are on their school holidays, they are just not with it tonight” he was heard to utter but the inspirational legend must have said all the right words behind the closed doors of the dressing room for a different team emerged to bowl tight.

This was backed up by alert and enthusiastic fielding, accurate throwing and in Pete Hennessy a wicket keeper on the top of his game, which all combined to strangle the Plumtree batsmen’s scoring opportunities.

Ben Healey (2-1-4-0) and Isaac Brown (2-0-5-0) opened up, then Mackenzie Shepherd (4-0-17-0) and Newell (4-2-7-1) kept up the pressure before gradually the Plumtree players realised they were badly behind the run rate and switched to some lusty hitting.

For a while the game was in the balance until a superb piece of thinking by Normington changed the momentum of the game. Fielding at deep mid wicket, a big shot was looking all the way like a six when Normington realised he could catch the ball but he would carry it over the boundary so he did get his hands to the ball and flicked it to Healey who was in support and he held on to the catch. The Plums supporters were not amused !

With Stolworthy and leg spinner Toby Kitching now operating as the light was too bad to bring back any of Keyworth’s quicker bowlers, the visitors continued to chase for runs and wickets fell steadily.

Not for the first time this season the home players held on to the catches including an especially smart one by Joe Nice and in the last over Plumtree were all out for 78in an exciting finish.

By which time Paul Newell (the scorer) was wrapped up for the winter with his hood up and needing some light to see the book he was writing in!

Kitching finished with seasons best figures of 4-0-15-3 while Stolworthy produced the best ever figures by a current KCC junior with 4-0-27-6. This also propelled him to second in the top bowling performances in the whole of the Notts Youth League for 2011.

A thoroughly exciting and rewarding evening and a double season victory over our neighbours!