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OVERS v UNDERS

The day had finally come!!!! It has been over a decade since I started playing
cricket for CCC and a little under a decade that we had been playing the great
inter-club rivalry for bragging rights between the young and old for another
year. Old has won out more often but youth has had its day and were the current
holders. It was time for the oldies to restore both pride and the status quo.

My plan was simple. Bowl first so the cunning kids could not bat out a draw like
last year, bowl them out cheaply and then knock of the runs. Their side was
over-stuffed with bowling and fielding talent but short of real quality and
experience in the batting. This was our best chance to beat them.

Well my first hiccup came when I picked up my secret weapon, my father in-law
thought he was just a simple drunk, oh no chief this is supposed to be my secret
weaponso there he was leaning on a fence and drinking mouthwash, why
mouth wash?? Not to worry I thought its only half 11, plenty of time. So I get to
the ground and decide to do the toss early so we can all prepare meticulously for
the expected victory.

My second hiccup came when I lost the toss, again (no I havent won one all
season)! And we where put in to bat.

My third hiccup came when I got back from doing the toss to find my secret
weapon passed out on the bench and not responding to my stern words. Never
mind I thought, at least its sunny. The UNDERS skipper James then came to me
and said we need a batsman so process of elimination left Gidders, whos son
wasnt playing trying his hand at youth.or wanting to bat and not field!

Greg Spence and Martin Campling started at 1 and 2 facing a deftly attack from
Tom Spence and Keighley. Keighley was the more probing and accurate and
drew a shot from Spence senior that some how ended up in Rajs hands after he
took a great catch. Keighley then followed up with a great in swinging yorker to
remove the dangerous Bradders for 15; quite probably the best ball he will bowl
all season.

Andrew came to the fold and he and Martin started to build a good platform until
young Aidan Davies came on to bowl, at which point Davies senior said not to
worry he has been crap recently Aidan brought the wicket of Andrew after
another fine catch from Raj and then followed up with the wicket of his father
after a good catch from Sam Campling, whose dad was ready for the next ball
being convinced Sam would drop it!!

Patrick and myself came and went without troubling the scoreboard. But in
between the greatest of moment happenedCampling junior brought about a top
edge from Campling senior to the delight of not just the juniors but not so
secretly everyone else in the ground.

Scotty and Kev Davies picked up the pace and started to punish the youth attack.
Kev was bowled by Raj for17 after following the skippers orders of pushing on,
Phinn got a real beauty from Raj that left him all confused, though that wasnt
hard as he had just woken up from his nap! AJ came in with 1 over to go and
charged the bowler first ball, defended and continued to run without telling
anyone and was evidently run out.

At the end of the OVERS innings, posting a strong 188 all out we felt confident.

It was a great bowling effort by the lads who did themselves extremely proud,
pick of the bowlers where T. Keighley with 2 for 28 and Raj with 2-24.

BOWLER OVERS MDNS RUNS WICKETS
T.Spence 5- 0 -29- 0
T.Keighley 7 -2 -28- 2
F.Davies 5 -2 -12- 0
Raj 8 -1 -24- 2
J.Ford 4 -0- 16- 1
A.Davies 4- 0- 23- 2
S.Campling 3- 0 -29 -1
B.Murch 3 -0 -18- 1

A massive thanks to Lady Spence for whipping us up a lush tea

So we took to the fieldhere it was time to execute the plan. I opened form the top
end and Phinn came charging in from the Chawleigh end (after his nap)

Gidders and Fenton opened the batting for the Unders and after some very tight
bowling, Fenton feeling the scoreboard pressure decided to take a run that wasnt
quite available was run out though he would have been safe had his bat been
grounded. The skipper weeks came in and was soon pushed into a drive at which
Andrew took an amazing sharp catch close in. James Ford came to the fray with
Phinn and I continuing to bowl tight lines and offering very little in terms of scoring
opportunities.

Phinn grunting away and shouting in excitement at every near wicket finally got his
break through trapping James in front LBW. Raj came in to bat for his first innings
for Chulmleigh but in his third ball received a real beauty from Phinn that would have
beaten many a batsmen to take out his leg stump.

Young Aidan Davies came out to join Dave who so far had kept us out and was
ticking along slowly. Aidan must have decided he wasnt going to let us settle and
showed his intent straight away with some real nice shots. Dave and Aidan had
started to build a nice little partnership. Phinn was replaced by Kev Davies who also
bowled a nice tight line and offered very little.

Time for a breakthrough I thought so after a little word in Kevs ear, he moved in
about 5 paces, I ran in knowing this was my last over and last chance to remove the
battling Gidders, so after a couple of quick ones I just stepped wider on my crease and
offered up a nice, full slower ball to which Gidders, after battling well and making 14,
chipped to Kev at mid on who took a great catch diving forwardahhh perfection. Its
great when its works but not so great when it goes wrong so we have to celebrate the
successes we get

AJ replaced me at the Pavilion end, he and Kev continued to bowl tightly,
building pressure which made Tom Spence think he could take a second run to
me after chasing one from gully, well lets just say he was wrong after great work
from Martin to whip the bails off. AJ continued to bowl well taking to quick
wickets, those of young Mr. Parsons and Mr. Keighley without troubling the
score. Kev removed Sam Campling after we gave Martin an over to try, then we
made him put the gloves back on!

Patrick and Rodney had a go at getting out their own sons respectively but in the
end AJ came back and once again to two quick wickets to finish them off. All but
Aiden who was resolute in his batting playing some great shots and finishing
with the top score of 20, the 2
nd
top score was that of wides totaling 16!!

A good bowling performance by the oldies that really put them under pressure
from early on and always meant that it was going to be very hard for them to
salvage anything from the game

However the Unders did play a very good game with the best bowling and
fielding performance we have yet seen from them and they can hold their
heads high and be proud to know that we would happily have anyone of
them in the senior side batting, bowling and fielding along with the rest of
my merry men.

BOWLER OVERS MDNS RUNS WICKETS
D.Parcell 6 -1 -18- 2
P.Semenya 5- 0 -14 -2
K.Davies 4 -1 -6 -1
A.Jacobs 2.3 -0 -4 -4
M.Campling 1- 0 -6 -0
P.Dickson 1 -0 -10 -0
R.Davies 1- 0 -5 -0

All in all a wonderful day in which both teams had fun and played very well. See
you next year for another epic tussle which will no doubt be a much closer affair
than this one, as we expect the Unders to bat much better in future

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