FIRST 5 WICKET HAUL FOR CALLUM

The 3rd X1 visited Greenwood Park on Saturday and with ten minutes before the scheduled start there was much confusion as to whether the game was going ahead ………????

Not a single home side player had turned up, the ropes were affixed around the square and the ground was just not ready to host cricket.

As the home side players started to appear one by one, it become clear that cricket would take place but in a strange set of circumstances ……

Eventually the toss took place and the home side inserted the visitors on what politely could best be described as a slow low surface.

To add to the farcical nature of the start to the day, Pett stood at the non strikers end as Palmer prepared to face the first ball of the match, only to realise he hadn’t put his contact lenses in thus he had to depart and ask Max Delyfer to open the innings.

Unfortunately Max fell early for 6 so Pett re-joined Mike Palmer at the wicket and the pair set about trying to lay a foundation to the innings.

Both played nicely using their experience in the knowledge that a score of 120 plus could well be competitive or 150 plus a winning score.

The pair had put on 60 in 20 overs when just before drinks Palmer was plum in front lbw to another low ball and Pett soon followed bowled missing a juicy full toss leaving the visitors on 81-3 at drinks.

Thereafter the rest of the batters with the exception of Tom Kerr failed to adapt to the surface and the visitors were dismissed for a par score of 136 leaving the bowlers to step up and save the day for the very average performance of the batsmen.

Dinith opened the bowling alongside Matt Rathbone and with 5 wides being signalled from the first ball of the innings things were not looking great.

However much to his credit Dinith then got on the money and started to test the home side batters and was rewarded with a wicket from the last ball of the first over.

A 35 run partnership then ensued putting the home side in a strong position with 100 needed with 9 wickets in hand.

A second wicket for Dinith broke the partnership and now Tom Kerr had started to apply pressure and add to the wickets column at the other end.

Dinith finished his 9 over spell with figures of 2-22 to be replaced by Callum Lloyd who immediately put the ball in the right area for the surface he was bowling on.

Llloyd dismissed the home side skipper in his second over and then continued to flourish bowling very well giving the home side batsman no freebies.

Drinks were taken at 67-5 literally leaving things 50/50 in the balance with both sides in with a chance of victory.

However Lloyd soon changed that dismissing the home sides danger man lbw with the very fist ball after drinks.

He then followed up with another lbw before a remarkable catch by the Doctor gave him his fourth victim.

Lloyd then stepped up for his final over with one more wicket needed for first five for at senior level which duly arrived in amazing style via a tumbling catch taken exceptionally well by Samitha at short third man.

It was great to see Lloyd rewarded with his first five-wicket haul and the celebrations reflected the pleasure felt by the whole side at Cullum’s achievement.

When Rathbone returned to take the final wicket dismissing the home side for 82 a hard thought 52 run victory had been achieved.

Next week the side return to the school for a top v bottom clash with Abbots Langley 2nd X1.