‘ENDERS FINISH ON A HIGH POINT… …

so high, in fact, that the steep drop on either side of the wicket meant that cover and mid-wicket could only see the tops of each other’s heads. It’s a beautiful spot though with views across the Weald and towards the Swale estuary with its unmarried windsurfers skipping lightlty over the waves and the gentle surf lapping at the gardens of Whitstable’s quaint old TV comedians and salt-caked supermodels. It’s always a popular fixture and Skipper/Manager Simmonds had assembled a team of thirteen plus WAGS. A combination of mainly alcohol-related setbacks reduced the starting line-up to nine but by the tenth over we were back up to full strength, in as much as any side containing eleven Weekenders fielders can be said to be strong.

The bowlers chipped away at the Boughton batting and with the ball swinging extravagantly in Sparkles’ hand the hosts did well to get to 131 off 32.4 overs. Chances were comically decked but others magnificently held including yet another stunna from Swift off his bootlaces at long-off and a couple of prime snaffles with the slippery gauntlets from Captain Flat.

Emerging opening batsman d’Inverno carved and slapped ten runs off the first over of the innings and the chase was on. Sadly it was called off again in the second over when Furby began to swing the second new ball of the day. Hajela and Gallagher went to big inswingers and the taciturn hop-picker looked like running through us. A Vickery drive disappeared into the ha-ha in front of the house from whence a more vigilant outfielder might have retrieved it. But the ball was given up for lost and the replacement didn’t swing at all. On this unusual episode the game turned and Morty and Marvel began to impose themselves.

Meanwhile the Weekenders WAGS’ attempt at a shopping expedition fell as abysmally short of a professional standard as the performances of their menfolk so often do. The toothsome threesome returned after an hour with no Prada carrier bags under their arms, no evidence of surgical enhancement having taken place and not so much as a potted pansy bought from the tea shop at Mount Ephraim House. Saddest of all, they appeared to walk both there and back. Half-sober and in flat shoes. The Enders somehow rose above this shocking humiliation and trotted home by five wickets with 14 overs to spare.

BOUGHTON 131 all out off 32.4 overs
Swift 5.4-3-8-1, Vickery 2-0-18-0, Cooper 7-0-18-1, Longfield 3-0-27-0, Douglas 7-2-27-5, Chiari 7-1-36-2, Harvey 1-0-2-1
Catches: Hajela 1, Swift 2, Gallagher 1, Simmonds*+2

WCC 137-5 off 21 OVERS
D’Inverno 10, Harvey 34, Gallagher 1, Hajela 0, Vickery 63*, Longfield 1, Chiari 14* DNB Cooper, Swift, Douglas, Simmonds

WCC WON BY FIVE WICKETS