Singh and Willis put game beyond Baldies

Submitted by The Guest Scribbler

Again the weather was perfect, on this relaxed afternoon we looked up from inspecting the wicket to see the Baldies ambling towards the pavilion, the green fir tree tops against a background of a clear blue sky.

The Nutters were inserted, Willis and Singh given first go at the bowling. The Baldies bowling was very good indeed. Both batsmen had to show considerable technique and concentration to keep their wickets intact. Peters and Lee were the opening bowlers, no similarity with the gentle easy listening duo, and a staple from the early seventies. Progress was steady, the batting pair tucking away the very occasional lose ball. Willis rode his luck in his twenties, his team mates watching unbothered?

15 overs in the score was 80 for no loss, when the bowling was changed The nippy left arm of Saysal Tanvir and the wily slow right arm of Pat Mc Gahan kept up the pressure. The pair went on, first Willis went to 50 and then Singh. By now, pretty well all the team were padded up, eager to bat and bored of throw downs, particularly Jonty, champing at the bit, aiming mighty air shots. The 150 partnership came up, an impressive effort from the pair. The ruthless skipper, looked up from what he was doing, and dispatched his umpirial emissary to the middle. Jonty delivered the message to the batsmen that it was time to make way. Immediately the selfless Willis (70) played on to stumps via his pad. With Raggy (92) swinging freely at one end there followed a quick succession of would be hitters. At tea The Nutters closed 209 for 7.
Both teams tucked into Jonty’s excellent fare, of cakes and deeply filled baps.

After last week Chippy, still nursing the bruises and walking awkwardly, had decided that keeping wicket was a young man’s game (a job for Scotty) and he would open the bowling; Jonty his partner at the other end. Chippy, easy action, near his best, struck early bowling Tidbold. Young Will Ross (20), guesting for the Baldies, showed his class, driving Chippy through mid wicket and straight, before getting a beauty from the Chipster, coming back up the hill to dislodge the bails. Chipster decided that was enough and took residence at slip for the rest of the game. The lithe Will Morris replaced the less lithe Jonty and was soon was on a Hatrick, Scotty taking his first victim as keeper and Jez catching the next man at short cover. The Baldies were in the mire at 33-4, alas Morris could n’t complete the job. The pacey Keano should have had a wicket first ball but Willis, still digesting Jonty’s excellent tea, was caught dozing at point and he grassed a chance he would have taken 99 times out of 100, this would become a theme for the innings.

The Baldies batters Lee and Nunn started to re-build the innings, this is where the wheels came off in the field, the ball popping up in the air and being put down, Jezza had his share of mishaps but it’s the unfortunate Willis, that the ball seemed to follow and despite his best efforts he could n’t hang on. The score moved on quickly, then Lee hoisted another mighty blow high into the sky, it appeared to be heading somewhere south of the Killicks, but then the ball stalled and its was apparent that it was coming down just inside the boundary, with the Willis directly beneath. Everybody held their breath, except Chippy who muttered Ker-ching, and there was a sigh of relief as the big man held on to the steepler.

With Nunn and Lee out, Mc Gahan and Tanvir continued the pursuit of victory, and with 60 required at about 5 an over it was still possible. Mc Gahan was caught in the deep, immediately after being dropped by the bowler. Tanvir continued to play his shots, the returning Jonty took the penultimate wicket before Scotty ended the innings with a stumping off Catterall, his first, after rather sportingly giving the batsmen a chance to regain his ground. The Baldies were finally all out for 157, with 7 overs to go. For those interested the six count was less than the previous week.

Both teams retired to the pub, and enjoyed a pleasant evening where they were joined by Mike Neilson’s family and Buzz, briefly, on his way home from visiting. Willis was late to the pub as he had to go home to get some more cash for his fines.