Question - What’s Big & White & Lays On Its Back In The Middle of the Wicket ?

We travelled around the Leeds ring road this week in more hope than expectation, to play Old Leos. A team we have never traditionally done well against despite them been one of our only two wins this season when they visited the Swan Croft.

The weather was warm but some very dark clouds threatened when we got there. Old Leos were still clearing up piles of grass cuttings from the outfield. Rain in the last two days had delayed them getting the pitch ready, so it looked a bit of a mess.

They had cleared up the cuttings by the start time but the outfield would be slow and soft. Milford skipper Jonathan Mills won the toss and after careful scrutinization of the opposition team sheet decided to put them in.

Steve Winspear and Loz White opened the bowling and right from the off made it difficult for the Leos batsmen. Steve finding a much better rhythm than last week which produced a good line & length from the off. Loz’s good recent form continued when he trapped Chris Huby LBW with the score on just 19. Steve’s hard work finally produced a reward when he had Huby’s replacement Stuart Cobbett caught by Greg Handley for just 18.

Jonathan Mills then brought on the old pairing of Adam ‘Elmer’ Gee and veteran John Cain and almost immediately we had Old Leos in trouble. Their batting was wobbling at 61 – 5 as both Adam & John claimed wickets, but crucially opener Chris Butt was still at the crease. For the second week running Milford spilled what would turn out to be match defining catches when Butt was dropped twice when in the twenties.

Chris Butt went on the make an unbeaten 102, together with no 7 Raj Gatura he pushed the Leos score up towards 200. Gatura hit three sixes in a whirlwind 29 until Loz White caught him in the deep going for a fourth. Leos skipper Tim Carter replaced him and soon found the boundary fence. By the time he was caught behind by stand in keeper Dan White the score was over 200 and Chris Butt was just about to cap a great day by reaching his well deserved century off the last over of the innings. Leos closed on 228 for 7, so Milford would have to top last weeks best score of the season to pick up the win.

Up the hill to the clubhouse for tea, alas the teas at Leos are a shadow of the famous ones they used to serve when we first joined the league. Full joints of meat and mountains of potatoes used to be the order of the day, now some manki butties and melted bought chocolate rolls were all on offer. There weren’t even proper cups for the tea, Styrofoam ones been used instead.

So back down to the ground for our innings and by now the earlier grey clouds had rolled away and a lovely summers evening was in prospect. Right from the off Milford were in trouble, Greg Handley failing to deal with his second delivery which got a bit high on him. His opening partner Jonathan Mills was soon back in the shed alongside him when he was hit on the pad right in front of his wicket to a straight one. There would be no hat trick of fifties for Jonathan today.

Dan White and Pete Batty tried to spark a Milford fight back but once again Dan played a loose short when starting to look well in. Pete was joined by Andrew Jarvis and together put a 59 run stand for the 4th wicket. The slow outfield hampered our run chase making boundaries difficult and Andy found it hard to run anything other than a single. If we were going to win this then it looked like big shots would have to be the order of the day.

With this thought probably in his mind, Pete holed out to Will Marshall for a Milford best of the day 33. His departure signalled the comedy moment of the season so far. New batsmen Steve Winspear allowed himself to be run out when Andy Jarvis some how tripped himself up with his own bat in the middle of the wicket when running a quick signal. Steve heroically sacrificed his wicket, twice running past the stranded Jarvis, who was on his back with his legs in the air looking like a bemused tortoise. To the Leos fielders credit they remembered to remove the bails rather then watch the clown show taking place in the middle of the square.

Eventually the crane arrived to lift Jarv back to his feet and the innings continued. The Leos fielders must have hoped for some more slapstick moments as they allowed Andy another life when they dropped a simple catch off him. Alas Jarv couldn’t top his earlier antics so Leos skipper Tim Carter took a simple catch off his own bowling to finally send Andy back to the changing room.

The Milford tail then crumbled, as it has most of the season, with only Loz White showing any resistance. If he continues with this form for the rest of the season he will probably pass eldest son Dan in the 1st team batting averages….

So all out in the 35th over for just 116 runs. It looks like our survival will be dependant on how we perform against fellow strugglers Thorner, Kippax & Hillam in the last three games of the season. At the moment our form doesn’t bode well