The Cricket Season Opens Starts With A Win For Putney Cricket Club

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Sunday XI vs Bath 3rd XI

 

Our first game of the season and what a treat it was for all involved and watching. For those fortunate ones to be selected, our destination was Bath on what was to be a 15 hour round trip. On arrival at Paddington it was soon apparent that Chinny’s meet time of 8am was well observed by all bar Chinny and Bam Bam who after an extensive search, was located fast asleep on the train.

After a mercifully quite trip down we arrived in Bath and 15 mins later were at the ground, 2 hours early. It was therefore decided we should warm up by having a game of tag rugby and eating some very large Cornish pasties. I think it was at this point that Wendy started throwing little marsh mellow men at Chinny.

On winning the toss we elected to bat and started well with Chip and Dev putting on a stand of 80 odd before the first wicket fell. Without having the scorebook to hand I can tell you that Dev made his 50, however wickets thereafter fell frequently. Sadly the middle order never really got going, Gareth showing great technique but to very little effect and we were soon 130 odd for 7 after some very good bowling. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and against all odds Macca dug in, and with some graceful and very (agri)cultured shot section he saw out the last few over’s, Putney reaching 191 all out.

In reply Bath made a good job of things. Though Wendy and Lincs bowled well their number 3 would end up staying the course making it a very close game. At the other end the wickets would fall with Chin (4), and even Trollip! somehow getting in on the act. Special mention must be made of Brennan’s innings who on the back of a 150 was rightly confident of seeing Bath through to the win. Striding out Putney immediately decided that silence would be a far more effective weapon than all out verbal abuse. Only 3 balls later and with the sound of a rifle crack, he launched an Exocet Missile off Trollip bound for North Korea. Flying through the air like Halley's Comet there was nothing to stop it, however fortunately for us Macca was patrolling at mid on and with the speed of a peregrine falcon plucked the ball hawk like from the air, a truly remarkable example of athleticism and a real contender for catch of the season, a safe pair of hands if ever I saw.

With 30 runs and 3 wickets remaining it was a close finish but Pedro with only his second ball saw off their number 3 and effectively it was game over. A good win to start the season, this was celebrated in style at the local Indian where Chinny, Brooksey and Dev decided to man up with a Kashmiri special each, a decision they still regret to this day.

Macca

April 17, 2012