An outstanding individual batting
performance by Paul Harris and a good team bowling performance
proved too much for White Waltham at Oak Meadow. After
chasing the ball around an airport sized field in the
heat on Saturday, Saints were greated again by a blisteringly
hot day, albeit on a regular sized field this time!
Having informed the away skipper of the rules that are
posted on our website, the home skipper won the toss
and put White Waltham into the field in the heat of
tha day.
Waltham quickly lost opener Thomas for a duck, bringing
Harris to the crease, fresh from a golden duck the day
before. The score moved on quickly with the help of
a plethora of wides, with Connor and Harris both playing
watchfully to start with.Waltham reached 36 and with
Harris starting to bludgeon the boundary regularly,
things looked good, but White Waltham's Beard took 3
wickets all by LBW in a short space of time to leave
the saints on 51 for 4.
This brought Gearing to the crease and hopes of a strong
partnership were looking good as Gearing stroked a couple
of doubles before inexplicably spooning a shot straight
to mid-off! At 62-5, Saints were looking decidedly shaky,
but handy contributions from Kiani, Rob Cox and Skipper
Burge complimented the powerful stroke play of Harris,
who fell eventually for an accomplished 78. Saints were
eventually out for a respectable 172 feeling they should
have made a few more.
With team behind them Saints
felt it was important to make an early breakthrough
so on came Gearing to open the bowling who proceded
to try to involve people in the pub car park with his
first two deliveries. He had obviously been watching
Harmison though because he lulled the batsman into a
false sense of security before clean bowling him with
an unplayable delivery. He quickly picked up a second
and the game was really on. With Rimmer bowling with
sizzling pace from the other end, saints' tails were
up and so was the size of the oblongata! Rimmer was
quickly taken off, uncomfortable bowling full pace to
some of White Waltham's promising colts, but this only
proved to the detriment of White Waltham as Railton
caused all sorts of problems.
The away skipper, a centurion last year, decided that
now was the time to channel his aggression and focus
it on the cricket ball, but had not reckoned on the
demon accuracy of railton. He danced down the pitch
looking to smash the ball out of the park and was clean
bowled, but may have spotted a buzzard in the process.
Saints rotated the bowling
regularly with everyone chipping in some tidy overs.
Wickets fell steadily until a strong 7th wicket partnership.
Rimmer was brought back into the attack and bowled some
unplayable deliveries before cleaning up the tail, with
the help of Harris from the other end.
This was an excellent team
effort, played, by most, in great spirits. |