Quorn (A) match report

Juggling. That was the word in the skipper's head all week. How to juggle around a batting line up that actually included both Dan Tomlinson and Tristan Gretton in the same team, setting aside the rumour that they were in fact the same people. How to juggle a bowling attack that included Spencer, Davies and Louis Kemp. The third member of the triumvirate made this dilemma easier by contracting Covid and so had to isolate in London. And how to juggle a catch in the gully off the first over from James Spencer - ideally holding on to it as well.

The toss was lost as is tradition and Ashby were sent into bat. Whether this was a cunning plan by the Quorn captain, knowing that James Spencer had been promoted to the opening berth and was still not at the ground at 12.44pm is unclear but he and Simon Moore strode to the wicket in time for the 1pm start. 10 overs later and with 43 runs on the board without loss, Ashby were very well placed. But then the problems started. Having looked so assured, Spencer rashly played/didn't rashly enough (delete as you see appropriate) a drive that spooned up to mid off and when Tomlinson fell not long after it brought Tristan Gretton to the wicket with Simon Moore. They briefly steadied things with Tristan moving quickly along to 21 before going back to pull a ball over the neighbouring trees, got caught by one that stayed extremely low and when the circumspect Moore went not long after Ashby found themselves 78 for 4. When the youngsters in Archy Wearmouth and Fin Kemp also fell before Ashby had reached the three figures things were looking bleak as Quorn's bowlers stuck to a tidy line. Vice Captain Smithson and skipper Knox however showed their decades and decades of experience by putting on 33 runs for the 8th wicket and with Knox adjudged run out off the final ball of the innings, Ashby had for the third time this year posted 144 runs in their 40 overs.

The previous two times had resulted in 25 points for the Ashby men and so a confident team strode into the middle, mindful that they needed to bowl well and hold their catches. Opening bat, come opening bowler, come Ashby Hastings MVP James Spencer stuck to his side of the equation but clearly the sanitizer at Quorn is more slippy than most and the skipper, who had been juggling things for Ashby all week, didn't hold onto that gully chance. However, it wasn't long until James Spencer struck with a catch to keeper Archy Wearmouth, all be it with a little juggle of his own. Harry Shelton-Smith struck in the 10th over and with only 23 runs on the board Ashby were putting on the squeeze. Spencer bowled 8 overs straight and when the captain decided to end his spell there and turn to the spin of Tristan Gretton there was wide spread disbelief within the Ashby team and how well Spencer took the decision.

With Michael Davies and Tristan then bowling in tandem Quorn realised their time was nigh. Between Tristan mixing up his deliveries with the odd one that turned and Mike softening up the batsmen with a beamer followed by a yorker, Quorn inched their way towards 100 runs. Tristan took a fine caught and bowled, that if he had missed it would have probably ended his chances of fathering children and Harry Shelton-Smith took the 9th wicket with another fine delivery before it was left to Fin Kemp to overtake the more pedestrian James Spencer and run out the final Quorn batsman with a total of 107 on the board, securing a 37 run victory and 25 points for the Ashby men.