Kicked out of the Peterborough Midweek League. Key players leaving the club. No club secretary. No club treasurer. Just six attendees at the club AGM. Welcome to 2022. Baston CC is a club on its knees.
Thankfully, chairman/chief groundman Lloyd has been working around the clock to get The Shrine ready for the new season. Skipper Hudson has been contacting everyone he has ever met to find out if they play cricket/want to play cricket/own a set of whites. Even Roffy has managed to get out of bed a few times to help at the field with preparation.
Moulton Harrox 2nd XI were the familiar visitors in the season’s curtain raiser, after playing them in the final game of the 2021 season, a game which Baston had won by 60 runs.
The oppositions team was shared in the WhatsApp group that morning. A much stronger side than had visited last season. Baston’s side was seemingly very weak, with just about 3 players you’d trust to bowl an over that wouldn’t go for at least 10. The side also looked very short of runs, with Roffe, Roberts and Digby being considered for top 6 positions. The verdict was that a short game was a good game, and we might be in the pub by 4 o’clock.
There was another new face expected, with unknown Will White designated as the umpire. This however was just a rebrand, as professional walking footballer Derek White rocked up for the toss. Captain Hudson won it and decided to have a bat.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom on the player front. The resurrection of John Lamin came into the side, sporting a typically fake beard. There were also two new faces transferred in, and they seemed to come with some pedigree: Smith from Bourne, and Hodgson from Graves Park. Just which Smith had Baston poached from Bourne, was it Dean? Owen? Aiden? No, this was Luke Smith, a wannabe northern farmer who had never previously played cricket sober. There was also a mix up on the paperwork with Hodgson. This was not former Graves Park skipper and all-round ace Martin. It was his older brother: Ginger Darren. The dynamic duo slotted in at the bottom of the order, with the skipper telling them there was no chance they wouldn’t get a bat.
The openers walked out to the middle. Slow, Dry and Cracking Up, Ant Morris opened with 21st century pirate Alex. Careful accumulation was the order of the day, and combined with a slow outfield, runs didn’t come easily. Perhaps bad news for the openers, but good news for the rest of the team, who all got turns practicing how to do a number 4 on the new scoreboard.
Ant showing good early form
At drinks, Baston were 52-1, as Al (13) got an inside edge onto his pad, which of course was given out LBW. Bino Jon (with his glasses on) was in at 3 but didn’t trouble the scorers as he nicked an unusual rising delivery to the keeper.
Captain Ben came out next and carried on his 2021 end of season form (despite not attending any nets) counter attacking and pushing the score along quickly.
At the other end, Morris (39) finally fell, missing a straight ball. Ant batted brilliantly for his 39, putting Baston in a good position. Andy Burrill scored a quickfire 14 before succumbing the same way to the old straight ball.
Roffe joined his captain at the crease, with 10 overs left, and Baston eyeing up 160/170. The Walking football ace in the middle soon put an end to this thought as Ben (30) was give out LBW to a ball brushing the pad down the leg side.
Roffe (0) - Good start to the season
Baston struggled to get the ball away from this point and ended 136/8. A good effort and a defendable score.
Ben’s main concern at tea was how he’d rotate his three bowlers. Who would make up the overs? Roffy sending down his left arm filth? Would Bino Jon even be able to turn his arm over anymore? Or would he have to try some of his own right arm erratic?
He needn’t have worried as Neil ‘Danny Zuko’ Baker tore through the Moulton top order, taking 3 wickets, and Buzz 1 to leave Moulton in tatters at 6/4.
Neil (3-17)
Buzz and Baker were hitting great areas, making the batsmen play, and giving away very little. After 12 overs Moulton were 11/4 and going nowhere fast. Even more expansive shots were seeing little reward with an excellent fielding display. Dynamic duo Darren and Luke were looking impenetrable on the leg sid; If one missed the ball, the other was there to clean it up, great to see from the debutants.
Neil (8 overs, 3-17) was tiring, which brought John ‘Lazarus’ Lamin into the attack. Lamin (1-8) dislodged stubborn keeper/skipper Ramsden for the first of Baston’s 3 LBWs, a real indication that some wanted to get home ASAP.
A change of ends for Buzzzzzz brought further rewards as he took four more wickets to bring the first Baston 5-fer of the season (12 overs, 5-8)
Buzz (5-8)
With one wicket required for an emphatic win, the ball was tossed to Bino Jon for a joust from the Barn end. It took him just 2 balls to wrap the game up, a textbook low full toss on leg stump which the batsman could only sweep into his own body/helmet/back of the bat and dropping onto the stump. Baston won by 101 runs!
All 10 wickets either bowled or LBW showing the value in targeting the stumps.
A tie for man of the match between Ant Morris for his excellent 39, and Buzz for his five wicket haul.
Special mention to Jonny behind the stumps, keeping in his first ever league game [citation needed]. He stopped almost everything and kept very well.
JWH
The boys (except Digby) went back to the pub for a few beers to celebrate an excellent win to get the season going.
Thank you to Baker Produce for sponsoring the game. Some of the best potatoes going.
Scorecard - https://baston.play-cricket.com/website/results/5175411