Napton CC v Hunningham CC

Mid-July and the first game of the season !!!!
A note for 22nd century local historians who may find this match report lining a kitchen draw in Great-Great Grandmama’s house in Napton:-
The reason for the late start to the season was the Covid 19 Pandemic. Look it up in your history books. You will be surprised, dumbfounded and find it hard to believe the effects it had on everyday life in 2020.

This game was originally scheduled to be held at Hunningham.
Apparently, the sudden relaxing of the ECB and Government guidelines, making the game possible, came too soon for Hunningham’s pitch-prep programme.
No such problems at Napton. The ground-prep team have been working on the track and outfield in readiness for the ‘Call to Arms’.
They need to be highly-commended.
As the changing rooms were unavailable, two large gazebos were erected for each team’s use.
In the glorious sunshine, the whole area looked immaculate.

Other preparations for this delayed start to the season were also put in place.
Graham studied the health and safety regulations from the ECB and produced a set of guidelines and protocols for Napton CC which was forwarded to all NCC players.

The dearth of cricket for NCC members led to an over-subscribed availability list for Captain Sam. He picked thirteen players and applied ‘squad rotation’ to give them all some time on the field.
This process will be repeated next week, including players who ‘stood-down’ voluntarily this Sunday.
Sam’s captaincy skills coming to the fore yet again.

So, all in all, Napton CC appears to be still in competent, safe hands.

And so, to the match.
Hunningham won the toss and elected to bat.
Mike E and James opened the bowling for Napton.
James first ball was an absolute corker that found the edge and went to hand. Unfortunately, it didn’t stick. It was a reprieve for the batsman that didn’t last long as a single in Mike’s second over saw him facing.
A fuller ball from Mike was knocked uppish for Ed to run in from Extra Cover to take the catch.
James was rewarded in his second over with a disturbance of the sticks that sent the visitor’s other opener back to the gazebo.
15-2 after 4 overs.
First-change bowler Greg made in-roads early on with a wicket-maiden followed shortly afterwards with a couple more, including Hunningham’s No 4 who was starting to run amok with a bucketful of fours and sixes. This batman’s term was ended with a splendid diving catch by Sam running in from the boundary.
At the halfway stage Hunningham were 94-5. Although at nearly five an over, one may expect the run-rate to drop with the tail-enders.

This was not the case and there was a lot of batting to come.
JP bowled well and took his first wicket of the season in a wicket-maiden via a well-taken catch by Max.
JP followed this up later in his spell beating the bat completely to clean bowl the batsman.
Sam came on late and JP took a catch to get him into the bowling stats.
2 run-outs in the last over ended the visitor’s innings.
Their No 6 batsman, J. King, being top scorer on 44 not out.
190-10 after 40 overs.

Wickets:-
Greg Tuckley 8 overs 1 maiden 3-33
John ‘JP’ Eadon 8 overs 1 maiden 2-40
Sam Sensecall 4 overs 1-13
Mike Eadon 7 overs 1-28
James Pelter 5 overs 1-30
2 run-outs

After do-it-yourself-teas, Mike N and Tom took to the wicket.
With less than five-per-over required the task ahead was very gettable.

Although Tom got to grips with the bowling, until caught on the boundary, Napton’s other batters lost their wickets cheaply.
Hunningham’s J. King’s 6-18 sealed Napton’s fate.
120-10 after 33.3 overs.

Tom Hancock 48 runs 9 boundaries
Mike Eadon 15 runs 2 boundaries
Nick Brown 15 runs 2 boundaries
Sam Sensecall 10 runs 2 boundaries

Not quite the result hoped for but al least Napton CC was playing cricket again.