On an unseasonably hot bank holiday Sunday, the Thorpe family were in full attendance at Eridge Park as Lee and Leighton made their first appearances of the season and Groundsman Mark was also in the XI. With cousins Sam Martin and Ashley Goldsmith also in the side, it was a family-affair as Poo made his first appearance of the season having assisted is son Jake in putting together another top-rate tea.

Oli Spoor made his first Eridge appearance since 2008 at Hurst Green when he was a teenager! For reference, Eridge lost that day by 32 runs - failing to chase down 122. The Eridge XI that day was:
Mick Pooley 12
Alan Ellis 6
Mike Severn 11
Ed Harris 14
Andy Hansen 15
Richard Vander 8
David Ellis 0
Paul Fowling 9
Tom Parminter 0
Oli Spoor 2
Luke Forbes 1*

Anyway, back to the present day and there was a pre-match buzz around the final day of the Premier League with West Ham (Ash) and Tottenham (Lee and Leighton) battling to avoid the drop and the goal updates were a constant backdrop to the match.

Will the mercury touching 31c, Minty won the toss in a 35-over game and elected to bowl first. No, that's not a typo!

With Pooj still putting the finishing touches to his tea, Dave opened the bowling and Southborough made a steady start. Pooj returned in time to share the new ball and he proceeded to settle into a metronomic line and length which southpaw Berendt in particular was struggling to get off the square.

Eventually, in the 10th over, Jake made the breakthrough as Berendt lost patience and was bowled by one that came back in at him from Pooj. Dave was chuntering that he went unrewarded for a fine 5-over burst, before he was replaced by Minty who predictably struck straight away as #3 Roberts slapped a back-foot punch into the stomach of a diving Lee Thorpe at cover-point and somehow he wedged the ball between his arm and his tummy to take a great catch on the dive.

With bowling resources looking worryingly thin, a third left-armer was called for in the shape of Ash Goldsmith whose lack of pace seemed to surprise the Southborough batters. It was Minty who struck next as opener Henley mis-timed a drive back to the bowler and he made no mistake. Carter and Young put together a useful stand but runs were at a premium from Minty's end and Ash was grateful to Spoor and the excellent Leighton Thorpe for some fine fielding to frustrate the batters.

Young had got to 29 when he made the mistake of taking on Jake at mid-on. He had one stump to hit and he nailed it - leaving the batter yards short of his ground.

Minty then clean-bowled Carter with a good full ball as he finished with 3-15 from his 7. Ash then got in on the act - his first with a ball which Poo said he shouldn't celebrate as youngster Roche chipped to Fasey at cover. However, a better ball later in the over turned and flicked Henley's off bail and Goldsmith finished with 2-44.

It was then down to the bits and pieces bowlers to scramble together 7 overs. The reluctant Ben Fasey started well as Mulpage chipped to Spoor who took an easy catch that his excellent fielding deserved. However, he and Sam Martin then lost their lines completely with wides and no balls being sent down one after the other. At about 3:45 Poo asked Jake if he had turned the urn on - Ash quick to quip that he turned it on at the start of Ben's over and it's now boiled dry!

Daisy did have the last laugh though as the luckless Edwards was given out bowled as he swung and missed a full ball which looked like it had more chance of landing on the moon than that stumps, but it was the latter in the end!

Leighton was then given a trundle from the Castle End and his first ball was a good line and length and beat the bat - probably the best ball for about a dozen overs! He got a deserved wicket in his 2nd over as leftie Edwards took a swing and missed and Poo whipped off the bails. Southborough all out for 138 - helped by a generous helping of 25 no balls!

The Pooley tea was enjoyed by everyone with a fine mixture of sarnies, sausage rolls and cakes - even if it was a bit too hot to enjoy it fully!

With the footy kick-off time approaching, messrs Goldsmith and Lee Thorpe were peeled away from Sky Sports as Minty sent them out to open the Eridge response.

35 years ago, the pair both played for Southborough Colts and they were facing young left-armer Edwards who opened with good accuracy from the A26 end. After a cautious start, with just 15 coming off the first 7 overs, Goldsmith got things moving in the 8th over with a brace of boundaries.

Lee also whipped Williams away over mid-wicket but he was undone by young leg-spinner Henley - out stumped trying to heave him leg-side to end a decent opening stand of 41.

Ben Fasey wandered in at 3 - keen to avoid a repeat of last week's golden duck. Stand in umpire Hugo Brown was tempted to film the first ball - but not wanting to tempt fate, he kept his camera in his pocket and Ben was off the mark immediately.

Runs were easier to come by against the change bowlers and Ben was dealing in boundaries as he surged to 20 in no time, before mis-timing a pull and falling victim to Mulpage. New man Oli Spoor survived a beauty first ball from the young seamer but he was soon off the mark and quickly upping the scoring rate.

Henley and Mulpage were both victims of Spoor's big hitting and he even managed some sort of periscope boundary when new bowler Ewards bowled a high full toss that he just about reached!

Goldsmith was starting to worry about Spoor overtaking him, but in the 23rd over, he struck 3 consecutive boundaries off Roche to end on 59* and take Eridge across the winning line. Sadly for him, with the Thorpes celebrating, it was obvious that Spurs had won, rendering West Ham's win over Leeds redundant!

A few cold beers helped ease the pain before everyone mopped up the rest of Jake's great tea. Eridge won 2, lost 2 - on to Bells Yew Green next week.

Eridge Cricket Club

Eridge Cricket Club

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