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[Buzz]

Just seen the score card from that Epsom game  Joe, bonkers with Andy scoring 160.

[jamielsn15]

Played on a 'pitch' (field) on saturday that will be reported to the league.

so much loose dried grass all over that they needed a bailer in and you couldn't tell where the strip started and the outfield ended.  Unseen holes in the outfield due to the mass of unraked grass and the boundary backed onto dense shrubs and hedges - lost 8 balls!

Unsurprisingly batting was an absolute lottery - I scored 22 off about 60 balls, hit three times on the chest, shoulder and grill off a length.  Three batsman were bowled by grubbers.  Hated almost every minute of batting, save for a lovely flick of my legs for a one-bounce four and hitting the gobby opening bowler into the next field.

We were all out for 101 and thought we were done for - as the home side at least they play on it regularly.   Luckily, save for their Aussie opener hitting 40-odd, we held some great catches and our opening bowler took 6-40 and we skittled them for 86.

Great win.  Did I enjoy it?  Absolutely not!

[felix]

Had an enjoyable friendly yesterday, alongside @RoCo Da Pixie, against Shackleford.  My criminally under-used medium paced left arm dobbers (6 wickets at 4 apiece this season!) lopped off the tail with 3-11, and we chased down 130-odd on a slightly tricky pitch.  I had a rare appearance at number 7, but managed to share a 60-odd 7th wicket partnership to dig us out of a hole and get us over the line, ended up 28 not out.  Shackleford has one of those grounds whose pitch aligns with the setting sun, and this is something they use to their advantage; as soon as the sun came out late in our chase, they brought on their specialist lob bowler who flighted it perfectly out of the sun, all I could do was poke blindly at the ball as my retinas burned out.  I managed to scramble to the other end, at which point the sun promptly disappeared behind a cloud and my partner dispatched his next ball for 6. Quite surreal really. 

[calcurtis98]

Had an enjoyable game yesterday, playing for our third team. Been out of form with the ball so was looking to get some confidence back, had 5-0-14-1 which I was pleased with no wides either. Then asked if I could bat up the order with no pressure on me, so I ended up going in at number 4 and being at the crease after 9 overs. Usually I bat 8/9/10 and am pressured by the score line and spinners and haven't scored more than 11 batting there all season. I went and scored 34 yesterday before the drinks break caused a lapse in concentration and top edged one trying to flick it down leg. Me and the other opening batsman put on a 64 partnership and he went on to scored 78 and we won! Chasing down 170 for 6.

[MD2812]

Just seen the score card from that Epsom game  Joe, bonkers with Andy scoring 160.

Was a very good knock! Only offering 1/4 chance when in mid 80s.

Would've been more but he was out of steam.

Sadly we had a understrength bowling attack, not the first time this season we've had oppo 2 down for less than 10 (they were 41-4 after 20) and yet been set close to 300 thanks to a lower order century.

[uknsaunders]

Ended up losing the toss and batting first, pitch was a bit soft from the rain but looked like it should have some zip to it. It didnt, was the most difficult wicket I have played on for a long time.

I think I can give you a run for your money on the difficult pitch front. We turned up yesterday a wet grassy deck with some added loam/grass cuttings placed in mounds in certain areas of the pitch, then rolled. It was cracking up in places so they filled it in before it rained apparently. They kindly rolled it before the start to bring some more moisture up while we were batting! and then rolled it at tea to flatten the divots. The outfield was pretty long as well. Very very village. Now if you have played a fair amount of cricket or are old enough to remember a typical wet sticky dog then you know how to play on it. ie. very soft hands, drop your hands when it pops, wait for the slow short one and drive under your eyes. My first 3 colleagues looked like they had been put on another planet. Universal grumble of "how on earth do you bat on this", as another ball pops off a length or they are through the shot barely after it's pitched. Track started wet and was popping, starting to dry and was stopping, then the divots caused some irregular bounce. If you could hit the ball, going along the ground was pretty difficult with the long outfield. Does make me wonder whether some of the youngsters of today are a little bit spoilt by nice hard decks they play on where they can hit through the line off a length, and thanks to a fast outfield push it for 4. It was a good education for them, whether they enjoyed it or not! We won, unsurprisingly defending 124 in 35 overs by bowling the oppo out for 89 in 32. Had the novelty of bowling a delivery on a good length pitching middle and leg and watching it turn off the pitch to 3rd slip! Just thankful the oppo had no bowlers of genuine pace or decent spinners! Not the most dangerous pitch I have played on but certainly one of the most interesting!

[trypewriter]

Played on a few of those - always entertaining  - and surprisingly enjoyable.

[uknsaunders]

Played on a few of those - always entertaining  - and surprisingly enjoyable.

Our skipper won "bottler of the day award" for hiding down at 6 instead of opening like he does on most flat decks! Sent me in again to do his dirty work but he only got 3 overs to bat at the end. Serves him right 

[mohawks94]

Unlike most of my side I actually relished the opportunity to play on a sticky wicket, something I haven't done for a few years and a decent way to test myself and my adaptability! Took a few balls, and being dropped on 0 popping it back to the bowler, to remember how to bat on it! Hardest I have had to work for runs for a long time despite being in really good touch at the moment!

[TangoWhiskey]

We had a great day in a Saturday friendly against Ruislip Victoria, good, clean, hard fought game and an even better bunch of lads to boot, would love to play them more often.

Same can't be said about the bunch from Chearsley CC who pulled out of our Sunday game at nearly 8pm Saturday with an email meaning it was too late to find a replacement. Has left a very bad taste in the mouth and knowing our fixture secretary I can't imagine our paths will ever cross again. Very disappointing conduct.   

[uknsaunders]

We had a great day in a Saturday friendly against Ruislip Victoria, good, clean, hard fought game and an even better bunch of lads to boot, would love to play them more often.

Same can't be said about the bunch from Chearsley CC who pulled out of our Sunday game at nearly 8pm Saturday with an email meaning it was too late to find a replacement. Has left a very bad taste in the mouth and knowing our fixture secretary I can't imagine our paths will ever cross again. Very disappointing conduct.

Agree, I think good etiquette is to let the oppo know as early as possible you are having problems. I typically try not to let it drag on much after Thursday lunchtime if I'm missing 3 or 4 and know the chances of scraping up a couple of bodies is low. Normally I drop the oppo an email first, telling them our situation and explaining we will do our best to fulfil the fixture but I would advise them to start looking around. If they find something, I ask for a heads up first just to make sure we absolutely cannot get a team together, before letting them take up the other fixture. If they absolutely cannot get another game, I would offer to bring out 6/7/8 on the condition they lend us 1 or 2 players to make it 9 v 9 or something similar. At least then everyone is still getting a game. It also keeps the oppo on side when you ask for a fixture the following season, if you have cried off.

Unless a Sunday team is so badly organised they don't know a number of people couldn't play or they had a load of dropouts, there should be no way a cry off should happen that late.

[Seniorplayer]

Playing the team that's 3rd in the division tomorrow we are 2nd whoever wins could go top don't know if we will have 11 players on Saturday.
Also if the forcast is correct heavy storms during  tonight and possible flash flooding for parts of  Worcestershire.
Nice day tomorrow though.

[tim2000s]

Had a good mid-table clash in LMS on Wednesday evening. We had only 7 players and won the toss, so elected to bat first. We made 199 off our 20 overs and I had a good smash at the end, when the oppo captain had said bowl outside the off stump to his bowlers, I took an off stump guard and proceeded to swing through the line for a couple of straight sixes. That was a lot of fun.

We then had to bowl to a plan in the field, as with only two fielders on one side, there was a lot of space. The offside plan worked reasonably well, and we bowled them all out and kept a big enough margin of victory to get the bonus points. I took three wickets, which was pleasing.

A good win for us after a season where we've underperformed!

[ProCricketer1982]

Our club now puts out two civil seri e sides in the national cup. Both won. 1's had a low scoring game on a wet wicket and 2's won their game. Third semi final in a row, hope to make it 3 finals and then 3 wins in a row. Would be great to meet the 2's in the final

[TangoWhiskey]

We had a T20 semi final last night and got pumped. It was not fun. They racked up 209 and we could only muster 140 odd in reply. I was run out backing up at the non strikers end by a deflected straight drive.