Hit or Miss CC (22/05/2022)

Result: DRAW

 

Christopher Douglas

 

The Weekenders are often at their best on paper and so it proved last Sunday. The hard, flat pitch took a cruel toll on the joints of our seasoned attack: the home side tucked in to the tune of 244 off 31 overs. But for Orwell's heroic 10-over shift it could have been much worse. As it was, 7 sixes disappeared into the broad-bean field beyond the shorter boundary, and of the 31 fours struck, most followed in the same direction on the bounce into the leguminous jungle.

 

WCC is a broad church and the club's rich diversity was reflected in our different ways of finding the ball. Some searched with dogged persistence, some got lucky instantly and for others it was just too far below their salary grade. Fascinating as the ball-hunt was to anthropologists, it slowed the over rate to 12.4, and Hit or Miss's 31-over innings lasted two and a half hours.

 

Our batting was brisk and businesslike, with Husaini and Hogben reeling off some vintage strokes. Our guest Simon Steele (borrowed from Ballinger) made himself very welcome indeed with bat as well as ball in hand - and even said he might play again. There was a buccaneering knock in the pre-war amateur style from Brockis before McCallum and Douglas block-swished the last 9 overs for the draw.

 

A  highlight of the day was the surprise return of the skipper. The Lobster Shack may never recover from his absence earlier this month but the landlord of the Hit or Miss pub was delighted as the rest of us to welcome him back. Everyone seemed much happier after a post-match pint or two of Badger and some of Dunne's duty-free fags from Dubai - a more than satisfying smoke @ 8 quid for 200. 

 

Hit or Miss 244-3 (31 overs)

S.Kearns 110 not out,  I. Crampsie 59, P. Plested 31

Orwell 10–1-40-0, Shimoga 6-0-49-0, Douglas 0.1-0-4-0, Steele 6.5–0-59-1, Dunne 6–0-42-1, H.Husaini 2-0-41-1 

Extras: 15

Catches: Shimoga x2 

Stumpings: Brockis

Run outs: ? + Shimoga 

 

WCC 136 for 6 (38 overs)

Shimoga 0, Husaini 16, Steele 17, Brockis 47, Hogben 23, Twigg 7, McCallum 16 not out Douglas 5 not out

DNB:Orwell, Dunne, d’Inverno

Extras: 8

Fryer 3-21, Swales 1-18, Whitby 1-20