Tea Worst Drink of the Day

This week we played host to Scarcroft a team only one point behind us and one that we never seem to do really well against, we got thumped both times we played them last season. A couple of changes from the team that played in the high scoring thriller against Rufforth last week. Skipper Paul Hebden , Ben White and Sean Nesbitt returning. This meant the Bramley’s and Hew Oeppen standing down.

The weather had tried its best to ruin the fixture having rained from the early hours until around 10 o’clock. The covers had done their job and the ground was perfect. Scarcroft have a reputation of always been late in arriving for matches and it was no surprise that their captain was not here when it came to the toss. As a result another member of the team went out to the middle with Paul. As with tradition Paul lost the toss but surprisingly Scarcroft chose to bat.

Conventional wisdom says if there is moisture around you always bowl, well though the wicket was dry the air was damp and very humid. The outfield was still a bit damp and would only get quicker as it dried out during the day. Plus the seamers should really benefit with these conditions.

Dan White and Steve Winspear opened the bowling and for the 4th time this season Steve claimed a wicket in his first over. This is a great habit to get into. His trouble so far this year has been not been able to build on that fantastic start. During the closed season Steve hurt his back, slipping picking up a particularly heavy spring roll on a wet floor, and seemed to be struggling to get confidence back and finding the rhythm he had last season.

The fall of the first wicket brought Scarcrofts new overseas player to the crease, Larry Audain, a short West Indian from St Kitts. Though small of stature and unfamiliar to English conditions he started to settle in after a few overs. He took a liking to Dan's bowling and hit him for on huge six into the field behind the pavilion. This knocked Dan off his line and length and Sean Nesbitt replaced him an over later.

Just when it seemed Audain was going to take the game away from us Steve produced another peach of a ball to bowl him for 22. When Sean trapped Waqur Rafiq, the opening bat / wicket keeper, 3 overs later the tide was turning in our favour. They say one wickets brings another and this was the case as two more followed in consecutive overs.

Scarcroft were now 70 for 5 and wobbling badly but a 6th wicket partnership of 48 between Adnan Khan and Akash Ali saw them fight back. But it was Winny's day and Khan sent an easy chance to Dan White for Steve to claim his fourth wicket.

The wheels then fell off the Scarcroft batting, Dan Ward came on from the pavilion end and two wickets in two balls signalled an early end to their innings. His first was thanks to a absolutely amazing catch by Billy Thompson, fielding at cover Billy dived full length to take a well struck shot in both hands. Amazing reflexes and he still hung on to it when he landed. It must be on of the best catches I have ever seen at the Swan Croft.

The early close was confirmed when Steve returned for his final over and claimed the remaining 2 wickets with his first two balls. He is now on a hat-trick ball when he next bowls. Scarcroft all out for 129 inside 24 overs and Steve Winspear 6 for 46.

As it was only 2.30pm and the teas had not been delivered it was decided that we would start the Milford reply and if still playing break for tea at 3.45pm.

So it was Stuart Morley and Dan White who quickly padded up and started our chase. I always hate watching innings when we are going after low totals. You know it should be easy but always never seems that way.

Scarcroft were well up for the challenge but Stuart & Dan played magnificently. Keeping calm they picked up the odd single and put away the bad ball. True they rode their luck early on but by the 10th over we were 38 and the runs were starting to flow. The spring had gone from the Scarcroft attack and the odd fielding mistake was starting to appear. By the 15th over it was starting to look easy, singles were there for the taking and the score was steadily building up. Just before the tea interval Dan & Stuart put on their second 50 opening partnership. When 3.45pm arrived we were sitting pretty on 63 without loss.

Teas today were provided by the Jackson family and very nice they were. There was plenty to go round as many of the Scarcroft players were observing Ramadan so not eating. So after a nice 20 minute tea break we headed back out to finish off the job. Easy.

Well actually no, often you find a drinks break during an innings brings a wicket, well the tea interval in ours brought 4 in the space of 6 overs. Ducks for Alex Ward, Ben White and Sean Nesbitt followed the dismissal of Stuart Morley for 14.

This changed the whole complexion of the game and now Scarcroft smelt the chance of what a one time seemed a very unlikely victory. Thankfully Dan White was still at the other end and all he needed was for someone to stay in with him. Matty Paul proved to be that person. Stoutly defending he allowed Dan the time to score another 50 and get us closer and closer to the target.

By the 35th over the score was over 100 and the job looked done, sadly Matty could stay there the claim the not out he richly deserved. He was caught off perhaps the only rash shot of his innings. Wear that snail with pride Matty. (Are you Morley in disguise ?????)

Skipper Paul Hebden came in at seven and once he had launched Imran Aziz over the groundsmen hut the Scarcroft resistance crumbled. He finished the match with a couple of fours and a 5 wicket win was ours. It looks easy on paper, or computer screen, but there were moments when I thought we had lost it.

Another fantastic innings from Dan White held the Milford batting together, if he had gone I think we may well have lost the game. A really mature performance, a completely different innings to his 145 of last week. But my man of the match was Steve Winspear who returned to the form he showed last year when he fell just one short of claiming 50 league wickets for the season.

"He played a cut so late as to be positively posthumous" - John Arlott