Sunday 7th August 2011: Buckhorn Weston CC v Sydenhurst Ramblers

‘Buckhorn Implode’

The weather was abysmal and didn’t look set to get any better.  Somehow the game started on time at 1pm and Adam had put the Ramblers in to bat.  George Ovenden and Oliver got to take the new cherry on a seamer-friendly wicket.  Oliver got the first breakthrough, getting the opener caught and bowled with his double-bouncer!  As per usual with this fixture, the Ramblers opener (Boxall) put most of the Buckhorn bowlers into the next field and raced past 50.  Buckhorn picked up wickets at the other end consistently and looked to dismiss the ramblers for a low total.  There was spin from one end through Esson and Adam B, with Esson finding the vital breakthrough of Boxall.  Buckhorn worked hard, but struggled to pick up the final couple of wickets.  Despite the tail of the ramblers order wagging, Buckhorn finished well and were set 157 to win.

After a satisfying tea, both sides set out to win the game.  The pitch was improving, but would still offer a lot of assistance to the bowling side.  Simon B and Simon Hasted opened the innings and looked very comfortable, playing the seamers around and running hard, as the soggy outfield wasn’t letting the ball run.  Simon B went past another half century as he looked to impose himself on the game; however disaster struck as a single was poorly judged and Simon B was run out for 63.  With the score at 103/1 with ages left in the game, Buckhorn looked set to cruise in.  This was not to be, as the rest of the order crumbled at the hands of the Rambler’s ‘Saeed Ajmal-esque’ off-spinner.  Buckhorn’s only hope of victory lay in Hasted, but he fell soon after Simon B for 50.  From then on in the Buckhorn innings capitulated and they were all out for 121, thereby losing 10 wickets for 18 runs.  The stats don’t do the batting side any favours, but nothing can be taken away from the Ramblers bowlers, who sniffed a chance and ran through the vulnerable Buckhorn line up.  Buckhorn can be proud, however, of Jemma B (Not Out at the close) and Dan Taylor who (batting at 10 and 11) stopped the rapid fall of wickets and proved solid resistance to the Ramblers, which is more than the 5 other batters that all made ducks.