The match ended in defeat for Bilbo Bastin, Samwise Gleadow et al in soaking wet conditions under skies that felt more like Mordor than what would be expected in August. It was a game that turned on a very unfortunate accident that broke skipper Atkin’s nose.
The Bank of England 4th XI hosted us on their third and rather small pitch at their lovely Roehampton ground. Smithy’s last minute withdrawal for work left us with only ten for this timed game. On a grey but dry, at that stage, afternoon Webley tossed up and opted to bat. BoE opened with two teenagers to comments of ‘we are playing bloody kids’ from our supposedly powerful middle order. The young offie who opened bowled very well and the skipper was lucky to survive a couple of early edges behind. However, the seamer from the other end bowled to short and Bastin and Atkin soon had Pacific racing along as they brought up a hundred partnership. There were comments of they’ll get a hundred each and Tempany will be too savage on the poor youngsters.
The game changed when Atking running to the non-strikers end for a second was hit by the ball thrown in from deep mid-on on one bounce. His nose was broken fairly high up and there was a lot of blood lost. The game stopped and the BoE ground’s first aid lass attended to the skip before he was taken to the hospital by Hill who was thought to have the necessary time as we hadn’t lost a wicket.
Unfortunately the incident appeared to scramble our middle order’s brains. Webley failed to play forward on a pitch which had already made clear that was necessary, Tempany edged behind, Bastin was unlucky to play on from a grubber, Rademaker was triggered despite hitting the ball and Pritchard having seen off the change bowlers heaved at a straight one from the returning opening seamer and was bowled. This left Gleadow and Patel as the last pairing as Hill was not yet back. They added 26 in good style with Gleadow getting a career best 20* before Patel was plumb as can be to the offie.
Tea was taken and met with allround approval. Unfortunately it did last quite long enough for Hill to get back in time to bat, literally a couple of minutes too late, and so Pacific had to declare.
There had been the odd shower during Pacific’s innings but the BoE innings was dominated by heavy rain. The B of E started well with a solid top order not needing to unduly hurry although Rees bowled very well and bravely as he slipped continuosly. After a rain storm and antics with the covers delayed play for twenty minutes the game resumed. Acting skipper Tempany replaced Rees and soon delivered some brutish bouncers one of which unseated their other opener. However there were also a few too many short and wide which were put away. Hill narrowly failed to avoid falling over a very short boundary when attempting to take a catch after another short one.
The next major rain flurry saw play continue and many a head high beamer. Inbetween the beamers there were some fantastic catches off Gleadow’s bowling. Tempany loping run and dive on the cover boundary and Bastin’s right handed one low catch behind are candidates for best of season. At 110/7 Pacific looked to be back on top but Goodwin survived when not given out caught behind when flicking one down the leg side (in fairness to the umpire not an easy one to get right). He was eventually run out superbly by Pritchard at point to make in 145/8 but Eddols edged his first ball over gully’s head and then drove twice through the covers off Gleadow to deflate Pacific and the winning runs came in the next over with a couple of overs to spare.
A great match in atrocious weather and the game was the winner. Hopefully the skipper will recover quickly from a very nasty injury. A big thank you to Hill who drove the skip to hospital and ended up not batting as a result.
Stat's Corner: Jon Webley's 3 months so far are all in the top ten for runs in club history (May 354 runs (2nd), June 267 runs (=8th), July 307 runs (4th)). Gleadow bowled throughout the innings. Bastin passed 500 runs for the season.
