On to this week’s game and we were pleased to welcome Frimley Green to a decidedly Autumnal Abbeyfield, well you can’t expect sunshine on the August Bank Holiday weekend can you! Wearing double sweaters, Captain Daz who hadn’t lost a toss for four weeks (he hadn’t played a game in four weeks either) actually won the toss courtesy of the opposition skipper calling incorrectly and decided that we would have a bat. The plan being to shelter inside the pavilion and hope for some late afternoon sun when we would be fielding!

Dustin and Clive opened the innings and they got us off to a flying start posting 27 runs in the first four overs. However all good things come to an end and by the end of the sixth over Dustin had been bowled playing so early to a straight ball that he was half way back to the changing room by the time it had hit the wicket and I was caught at point for a four ball duck! Anyone got the ‘on a pair’ shirt?

The loss of two quick wickets had meant that Paul was pressed into action a lot earlier than he had expected, but it didn’t seem to bother him, scoring 25 of the first ten balls he faced including two huge sixes! Clive had also started positively and had reached 12 when he gloved a short-pitched delivery that cleared the keeper, but was caught by a well-positioned leg slip. Martyn James kept Paul company for five overs without scoring a run before he also headed back to the warmth of the pavilion having been bowled for a duck. Clearly Martyn also had his eye on the coveted on a pair shirt!

With the score on 83 for 4, Martyn was replaced by his brother Antony, who soon caused concern when he collapsed in the crease as if he had been hit by a sniper’s bullet. Not the first member of the James family to hit the ground for no apparent reason, eh Colin? Antony quickly realised that such behaviour would make him a candidate for the muppet shirt, so quickly got to his feet and got himself off the mark.

The 100 came up in the 20th over and it wasn’t long after, that Paul’s tenth boundary saw him reach a chanceless fifty. However, having reached the milestone, Paul survived a confident shout for a catch at the wicket and then offered two catches in consecutive overs that the fielders were unable to cling onto.

In the meantime, Antony was playing some good shots at the other end and soon passed his previous highest score for the Club of 20, which he had achieved earlier this season. Both batsman were now in their stride and the boundaries were coming with increasing regularity. Antony was clearly enjoying himself as he took thirteen off one over before playing the shot of the day when he upper cut a no-ball that was above waist high over point for his first ever six!

Another boundary saw Paul record his second century of the season and not long after the hundred partnership was reached. Yet another milestone was achieved when Antony scored his first fifty for the Club, the first member of the James family to record a half-century since Dad Colin celebrated his birthday a few years ago!

The 200 was passed for only the third time this season in the 33rd over and the innings closed on 218 for the loss of four wickets, with Paul 119 not out and Antony unbeaten on 58. The pair shared an unbroken stand of 135, which set a new Club record for the fifth wicket.

There was no improvement in the weather as we took to the field after tea. Caps and sunglasses had been dispensed with and replaced by long sleeved jerseys. Six runs per over were required and Frimley Green looked to attack from the start with both our opening bowlers conceding early boundaries. However it was not long before Andrew made the first breakthrough clean bowling the opener for nine and then following it up with a second wicket a couple of overs later courtesy of a straight forward catch by ‘Gloves’ Childs behind the stumps.

Some attractive stroke play saw 99 runs added for the third wicket in quick time, but eventually the partnership was broken when Paul was called into the attack and Gloves took his second catch. A couple of overs later Andrew took his third wicket and the game began to swing in our direction. To push home the advantage, the Skipper made an inspired bowling change and brought himself on. He struck in his first over, bowling the opening bat for 58 and then picked up two more wickets in his next two overs, one of which was a catch off of his own bowling – well done Daz!

Sandwiched in between the Skipper’s last two wickets was a marvellous piece of fielding which saw yours truly swoop like a hawk onto a ball played into leg-side and in one movement I gathered the ball and threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end running the batsman out. Shades of Freddie and Ponting at the Oval last week did someone say? Not sure about that, but at least I’d finally made a contribution to the game!

With Frimley Green at 154 for 8, vice captain David ‘Dustin’ Johnson was called into the attack for his first bowl of the season and would you believe it he took a wicket with his very first ball. Neither the batsman nor any of us were expecting Dustin’s legendary straight ball!

With in excess of ten an over needed for victory, Captain Daz felt confident enough to give our other opening batsman a bowl. Clive proceeded to unleash his slow left arm spinners (?) on the unsuspecting batsman and very nearly took a wicket, now that would have had us all reaching for the record books!

The Frimley Green innings closed in near darkness at 187 for 9, which meant that we had won by 31 runs and recorded our third victory in four games!

After much debate and taking into account that we had been victorious with some excellent contributions, Paul’s hundred, Antony’s fifty, Andrew and Darren taking 3 wickets each to name a few, it was decided not to award the muppet shirt this week. Phew, looks like we got away with it Martyn, we can fight over the ‘On a Pair shirt instead!

CC