Barbados Tour XI vs Harrison College
Putney's tourists played a tough game in chasing down 70 to win in a 20/20 game vs the students if Harrison College.
They were training hard before the game. Our prematch for many was deep sea fishing with its attendant sickness and boozing.
GP lost the toss and the youths batted first on a baked hard pitch (into which large bits of bark had been rolled). He opened the bowling (2-8) himself but it was Hensh (1-14) who made the breakthrough. His first ball was a half tracker hit straight to Ash at midwicket. Down it went - a shame as Ash works hard at his fielding and press gangs a member of the oppo in giving him catching practise before each game. Quite why they do as they are told..... Mike, encouraged by bad balls getting wickets, tried another half tracker and this time Ash clung on.
We took wickets regularly thereafter. And catches too! Jason held a stinger low at second slip (why two slips in a 20/20?) and Magnum (2-18) a hard caught and bowled. It was now the turn of the spin twins. Ian (2-17) bowled with zip and earned a double wicket maiden (the team's first maiden of the tour) and James (3-5), seeing the turn, dialled down the speed and upped the flight.
32-3 off nine turned into 70 all out in 17.2 overs. GP was dismayed by their poor batting but maybe the pressure just got to them. Would we do better?
First up was JP, who struggled to lay bat on their brisk 15 year old opener before being LBW 6th ball. Devon was out first ball and the fourth former took fine figures of 4-2-2-2. We were up against it now. Jase (3) slipped into Boycott mode with 2 scoring shots off his 25 balls and Wendy (1) scuffed a long hop back to the bowler, having been badly dropped at long on his previous ball. GP (4) got one that bounced as it left him and we were looking sick at 26-5 off 11.
But all this time Woody (23 off 35balls) was moving it along nicely, very strong square of the wicket to the quicker bowlers and straight to their spinners and hitting the first two fours of the day (lush, wet outfield). He was starved of the strike, at one point getting only 6 balls in 6 overs. He took us to 53-6 before being stumped and it was up to TinTin (29* off 27) to see us home, often taking "two steps" to the spinners and hitting straight.
He brought the game to a fitting conclusion by lifting an off spinner into the pavillion at long on for a "walk off" six. The book will show it was men versus boys, a four wicket win with an over left, but those there will know it was a really tight game.
Doug
September 28, 2011
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