Team: Adam Bailey, Joe Barnett†, Jamie Coleman, Jack Hadlow, Tom King, Tom Lopez, Kian Norton-Reeves, Craig Smith*, David Watts.
For the first time this season we didn’t have 10 players … we had 9. Clearly the organiser / manager is not doing his job properly.
Having got a bye in the Cup competition this week was a friendly against Belhus who not only had a full team but a couple of lads who were taller than the umpires. Nutrition is a wonderful thing.
Craig won the toss and chose to bowl. Tom K and Jamie started and bowled 6 tight overs between them. Craig and Jack were next up. Craig was pretty good although his ‘wicket’ was not allowed due to over-stepping. Unlike Jamie’s non-wicket Craig’s would have been not out in all forms of the game. Jack was less successful and the ball was clearly not coming out of his hand as he’d expect.
Tom L and Kian were next up. Tom got a wicket first ball and Kian with his last. In between they were pretty tight, although the batters started to swing from the hips as, with wickets, in hand, they accelerated. David bowled one over before Tom and Jamie came back finish off the final two. Only Jamie was able to keep the batters tied down conceding 5 singles. David and Tom did less well.
At the end of the first innings Belhus had 124 for 4, with A Williams having retired on 25. A competitive score that needed our batters to apply themselves.
Craig and Joe opened the batting and looked good. Craig scored a few singles whilst Joe did a cracking pull shot for 4. However the ball was going in the air from both of them. Craig went first – hitting a short, wide ball off the bottom of the bat to cover – out for 8. Tom followed soon after doing much the same thing (although he claimed he middled it) – out for 6.
After that there was a quick procession. Although we were up with the run rate wickets went quickly. Belhus had a good, tall quick bowler (Josh Reynolds). Like Craig he was definitely quicker than everyone else and someone to be treated with respect. We generally didn’t.
Adam went trying to smash Josh back over his head, David likewise. Kian was beaten for pace and out first ball. Tom K was also out first ball although the umpires weren’t sure if it was LBW, bowled or hit wicket. The scorer’s got it right and marked down LBW. Jamie was caught, Jack bowled.
Since we only had 9 players the Belhus coach had agreed to us bringing back the two lowest scoring batters for a second chance. Kian didn’t score any more but did last an over. Tom K played an interesting shot to a low wide ball and was caught by the keeper who dived forward and took a difficult chance. Tom K now had the dubious privilege of bagging a King Pair in the same innings: out twice first ball without scoring.
So, bowled out for 43 in 13 overs. 2 LBWs, 3 bowled, 5 caught. Apart from Tom L it looks like we can’t defend our wicket against good balls nor keep the ball down when we do hit it. More work for the next training session.
Next match? Another friendly this time away at Wickford.