Bridestowe CC 2nd XI v Stoke Gabriel 2nd XI - 5th May 2018

Post date: May 26, 2018 9:57:30 AM

The one where we open the season in the usual fashion.

So a new season …first game at home…Suns out…ground looking fab.

…ok lets cut to the chase. I write this two weeks after the event, my memory isn’t what it used to be so the facts might get a bit squiffy. We got a bit dicked, so my interest isn’t what I suppose it should be…but here goes.

A first scan around the changing room and the glare of at least 4 new pairs of cricket boots amongst us. Jack Shaw having grown another foot in the off season unveils a new pair of size 11’s.

‘he was in size 9’s last year’ says his old man.

Jordan Lee is in having been bribed with beer by his bruv the previous night.

So all good to go!

LJ wins the toss. Result ! lets have a bowl at the buggers. The Briddy track is hard on top, but we know that its soft underneath so it will probably cut up and be a bit variable. ‘This lot were in the league above us last year so this could be a stern test’.

So LJ and Tim Shaw to open the bowling. One passes just outside leg stump. Out goes the umpires arms…’wide’. Are we really gonna do this? Every thing outside legs stump is a wide…rather boring.

Ok it’s the same for both sides so lets get on with it. Is the chunter from the old hands in the slips.

First 10 overs and they are on 22 fer none. Ball moving around a bit so fair play

Joppers comes on to bowl from the road end with his usual miserly line an length. Backed up by Kieran Lee with his pacey left arm from the grand stand end. Joppers breaks through in his 6th over.

Ok so like I said. I write this two weeks after the event. Apparently there was a run out somewhere in the proceedings…don’t remember that. But the book never lies!

So they are two down for 62.

Now the game gets a bit weird. And they meander along at not many an over. Anthony Jutson comes on to bowl, and bowls two excellent overs of line and length. Great work .

Hold on we are beginning to suspect that they might not have much more than these two to come.

Another wicket and then ‘bubbles’ rolls to the wicket. A couple of lusty blows and he departs for a quick 22.

Ebbs comes on for a bowl and snaffles a couple. Then the mist of my memory fades. They finish their overs on 108 for 8.

post script ( well it might not be a post script tbh coz I havent finished writing the report )…I am now finishing this off three weeks after the event as work got in the way and I couldn’t be arsed to finish the report so blow off the memory dust and letsget on with it….)

Now where were we… oh yeah they finished a rather tedious innings at 108 for 8

LJ provide the teas this week in his inimitable style of volume and chunkiness and over daintiness and style.

So to Briddy 2’s first foray with the bat in 2018…

The old reliables of Tim Shaw and Steve B amble to the crease.

Tim Shaw (batting legend of 2017) goes for naught trying to smear one off his stumps. Batstone nicks off to the keeper for 1. Ian Juts comes and goes for 15. Then Buzz and KayLeehang around for a bit. Well I say a bit … until we get to 44 !both departing relatively cheaply.

Ok … just remember I am making this up from a photo of the scorebook ! so the details are a bit marginal

Once Buzz (23) and KayLee are dismissed nowt much else happens. Jack (new shoes) Shaw comes and goes. Lee (blind man) Jutson goes for 1. Our secret weapon Jordan Lee paddles a few around then hits his first 4 in the league! …get in Rhyno! Steve b never hits those !

Then that’s about it …we drift accelerate to 74 all out in 20 overs.

He ho….at least we only have one collapse a year. The rest of the season should be gravy!

So we wrap up by not cleaning the pavilion (apparently) and over to HQ for a few pints! Great start to the season more pints of beer drunk than runs off the bat !

New shoes broken in…new lads blooded…bring on Whitchurch Wanderers/wayfarers/whatevers next week. ‘wheres their ground again?... errr just outside Tavy …make sure that you don’t get confused with the Tavi CC ground… Yeah as if I would do that ! ….

Will they get confused, will they get the correct ground, read the report posted last week ! You probably already know.