Sunday 1s vs Reigate Priory Pilgrims
Author: Ze German
Match Report |
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The new Putney Sunday’s Spirit of Inclusivity, a mystery allergy and a lovely pair of JUGS! -------------------------- We arrived at Reigate Priory Pilgrims CC to find a beautiful quintessentially English cricket ground and pavilion and quintessentially English summer weather to boot. We donned our whites, fleeces, jumpers, hats and thermals and started play. The skipper (Leon), who was sporting a rather fetching red lycra onesie under his whites, lost the toss and decided to not bat! The King and the Assassin opened the bowling. Smith, bowling at close to 85 mph, looked menacing but was ineffective, Orr, bowling at close to 58 mph looked ineffective but wasn’t! He started picking up wickets and soon we had the oppo on 3 for not too many. A change of bowling heralded a batting recovery as the Dawson clan (Phil, Jenny and Sally), Hogarth and Ajay labored to make an impression. Having said that, Ajay’s ‘bambi on ice’ run up made quite an impression as did the two wickets he picked up. Another highlight was Leon’s confusion when Ajay was hit for a towering 6. The ball sailed over a hedge causing the skipper to lose brain function when confronted with a gate! ‘WHAT DEE EYEE DEE NOOYEE’ he shouted in his best NI brogue. Luckily 13-year-old Jenny Dawson was on hand to show him how to open the gate and fetch the ball…. Jenny then came on to bowl. It didn’t start well as her hands had literally frozen. After several wides, Dad Phil jumped in to assist. He tenderly rubbed Jenny’s hands in his own and then allowed her to snuggle up to him, hands up jumper to get the feeling back. This fatherly ploy worked a treat. Jenny immediately improved and bowled a tight spell. On the downside the other bowlers, invoking the new Putney Sunday Spirit of Inclusivity demanded that it was only fair that Phil rubbed their hands too and let them snuggle him before they bowled. More overs were bowled (mainly by skipper Leon), before the 40 were up….Reigate achieving a respectable 228-8. The skipper got his inaugural 5-fer with a smartly taken C&B. Well done Leon, surely a MoM performance and one jug in the bag! Tea was nice! Then we batted….the line up had changed as Sethi, WK for the day (1 catch, 1 drop), decided he could not open, due to ‘an allergy’! This meant that Wibbs and Parshev strolled out to begin our chase. Wibbs was magnificent! Smashing the ball to all parts. Parshev wasn’t and didn’t and came back to the warmth of the pavilion with 3 to his name! Enter ‘The Hoff’….. For a short time Alex and Wibbs made the target look gettable, crunching boundaries…(although their running left a lot to be desired), before Wibbs tried one big shot too many and holed out! Hogarth to the crease at 54-2. What followed the finest display of batting you will ever see on a Sunday cricket field! But only from Alex! His movements were balletic, his timing exquisite, his power undeniable (well he has been working out a lot…maybe its just me but does anyone else think he has beefed up? He is looking trim…right? Or maybe it’s just me. No… he has definitely piled some muscle on!?). Alex was playing like a pro, Hogarth wasn’t but held up one end… held up the scoring, that is! Umpire Wibbs eventually gave him out in an act of mercy. But not before Alex had reached a wonderful ton and the pair had added 109 to the score (Alex 104, Hogarth 23!). Both landmarks celebrated with a manly handshake with not a hug in sight (James and Barry take note). A PAIR OF JUGS IN THE BAG Surprisingly, Hogarth’s departure heralded a batting collapse as Alex fell soon after. New batsmen tried to up the rate but failed. The King crowned a woeful day with a golden and Phil Dawson, in the Spirit of Inclusivity thought it only right and proper to join him with another duck. Batsman came and went. Even ‘5-fer skipper’ Orr couldn’t get us to the total required despite an excellent 20 not out (surely that is MoM material…right? He got a catch too…must be enough to get MoM?). We retired to the bar to find a lovely pair of jugs waiting for us. We supped on their liquidy goodness whilst congratulating Leon and Alex for their achievements. In my opinion we don’t see enough jugs in the Putney bar on a Sunday! But what of Sethi and his allergy…..he refused to bat due to the mysterious illness which is still undiagnosed…. Some say he was allergic to the 15 pints he drank on Saturday, some say he was allergic to the sub zero temperatures… and some say he was allergic the Spirit of Inclusivity! We may never know! Whatever it was it helped him claim the ‘thanks for coming, Champ’ award, despite stiff competition from a ‘Saturdays’ contingent who excelled at underachievement! MoM went to Leon…. No wait… Despite the skipper protestations (bellowing in a Paisley-esque fashion) that he deserved it…. The team plumped for Alex’s stunning Ton. Dick du jour went to Phil for a misfield off his daughters bowling…although Leon’s gate confusion seemed to get a lot of votes (but the Reverend loudly overruled them)! Leon did get the new TBFKAC..etc etc Champagne moment award for his C&B 5-fer! Congrats to all and a special mention for both Jenny and Sally Dawson for helping out and pretending not to hear the swearing and crude remarks about the bar maids jugs! We decided against joining the B team for a drink at the clubhouse but will no doubt catch up with all or some of them in one of the many Sunday teams soon…… |
Date | Time | Team | Opposition | Location | Putney | Opposition | Result | Scores | Points | Toss |
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29/04/2018 | 1.30pm | Sunday 1st | Reigate Priory Pilgrims | A | 207/7 | 228/8 | L | 0 |