Gore Court arrived at the BAE Club without an umpire, and so for the third game running Frindsbury had the choice of whether to bat or field.Earlier rain combined with a green pitch persuaded Mike Blown to insert the opposition in the hope that there would be some help for the bowlers.And so it proved, as the Gore Court openers struggled to cope with the uneven bounce and strong cross-wind. As the drinks break approached they had compiled 62 runs without loss, and it wasn’t until the last ball of the 23rd over that Harry Horsfall (5-0-19-1) made the breakthrough by getting Geoff Fernand to nick one to Rob Peters behind the stumps for a patient 6.
Louis Newell and skipper Tim Nutting looked to be the main danger-men, so when opener Newell finally managed to get an edge on one of Paul Winchester’s away-cutters Peters gratefully pouched the chance.Winchester was also responsible for the removal of Nutting, who inexplicably guided Dave Tomlin’s first ball straight to him at fine leg.This was the first time that Winchester (10-4-24-1) and Tomlin (6-2-15-3) had bowled in tandem all season, and they were simply awesome, with Winchester beating the bat on numerous occasions and Tomlin bamboozling a succession of batsmen with his wizardry.The unfortunate Tomlin took two nasty blows to the same finger, but carried on despite the pain.Winchester not only bowled brilliantly but also produced a nifty sliding stop on the boundary that defied the years.
Thereafter Gore Court never looked likely to post a substantial total, as the bowlers all kept things tight.Mike Blown (7-3-14-0) was as accurate with the ball as Kevin Costner was with his bow and arrow in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Shahab Raza (8-0-23-4) mopped up the tail by keeping it simple and bowling a tidy line and length as the lower order tried to accelerate (I say tidy, but should perhaps mention that at one point - having taken two wickets in successive balls - his hat-trick ball was actually a wide).
After 46 overs the visitors had compiled 143-9, and Frindsbury looked to be in the driving seat.
Of the top five Frindsbury batters, only Sunny Singh really got to grips with the Gore Court bowling.James Newell in particular caused problems until Singh destroyed his analysis by hitting him into the same field twice (well, obviously not hitting him into the field).At 55-4 things had looked a little shaky but skipper Mike Blown (20 not out) and Singh steered/blasted the side home.Sunny’s innings was brutal even by his standards, and Gore Court had no answer to him.
By the start of the 29th over Frindsbury needed just 10 for victory, and Sunny was on strike.The first ball went for 4 and the next was despatched onto the clubhouse patio.Sunny finished unbeaten on 78, and Gore Court shook their heads in disbelief at what they had witnessed.
So three wins a row for the 3rd XI, and spirits are high ahead of next week’s trip to high-flying St Lawrence and High Court.
