Waverley send Horsley packing

A grey and blustery day greeted Waverley's arrival at Horsley, surprisingly welcome conditions given the rain that had been threatening for most of the week. Waverley's eleven consisted of James Wright ("Mongo"), Russ Golding ("Raoul"), Simon Brewer ("KV"), Adrian Day ("Mog"), Marcus Carmichael ("MC"), Sam Tempest ("Troy"), Matt Du Gay ("Doogs"), Jamie Harris ("DJ Teabag"), Adam Carmichael ("AC"), Peter Brewer ("Mr B") and David Stockwell ("Stockrates").

Batting first in this 40 over game, the visitors got off to a good start with both Mongo and Raoul taking the fight to the Horsley bowlers. A mix of good running and brutal hitting had the Waverley run rate ticking along at a healthy lick, before an unusual set of circumstances broke the first partnership. A shout for a catch behind off Raoul was turned down but one over later, Raoul walked back to the pavilion after a conversation with Mongo. The consensus had been that the ball had probably flicked Russ's glove on the way through to the keeper and he therefore retired out. Partnership broken, Mongo and KV kept pressing the accelerator which saw Waverley 120-1 at the halfway stage. Mongo soon passed his 50 but holed out too long on. KV took up the mantel with gusto and he too passed the half-century mark. In tandem with Mog, the score was approaching the 200 mark by the time KV was triggered LBW. MC flung the willow in an attempt to add runs at the end of the innings but got a thin edge behind to the keeper in the final over. Troy and Mog negotiated the remaining deliveries without incident, Waverley posting a total of 219-4 from their 40 overs.

After the best tea of the season so far (an excellent selection of sandwiches, very reasonably priced) the home side got their reply under way. Overseas player Asmat Ullah was the danger man from the word go and was quick to pounce on anything too short or too full. He was helped by Waverley's generosity in the field as he was dropped several times. Grumpy quick Teabag bagged the first wicket with a thin edge behind juggled caught by KV. From the other end, Doogs bowled well for no reward and had the batsmen tied up in knots at times. AC replaced Teabag and continued his record of never having taken a wicket at Horsley, with several aerial chances not going to hand or not sticking.

With Doogs bowled out and Ullah passing his hundred, Troy was introduced into the attack to wrest control of the game back in Waverley's favour. He duly obliged with a wicket. A brief spell from Raoul got the key wicket of Ullah, the opener dancing down the track and being stumped by KV. Mr B, on for Troy, kept turning the screw on a Horsley side that were now behind the run rate. He generated a run out (AC throwing down the stumps at the bowler's end) and knocked over the leg stump with a full toss cunningly flighted delivery in the space of two balls. Stockrates, replacing Raoul, then got in on the act with three wickets for himself in the final few overs (including a hat trick chance, the batsman managing to dig out a yorker-length delivery). Horsley gave it their best shot but the flurry of wickets towards the end of the innings had given them too much to do as they fell thirteen runs short of victory.

With the Pink T-shirt currently in absentia, the Man of the Match Hat was jointly awarded to KV and Stockrates for their efforts with bat and ball respectively. The *Anchor Hat was awarded to the team as a whole as a result of some dubious efforts in the field. The Supporter's Egyptian Hieroglyph Pink T-shirt was to Stockrates for his rendition of Bambi on Ice whilst fielding.

This week sees the return of the World According to Teabag. With the team understandably on a high after triumphing over Horsley, Teabag obviously thought a little bit of perspective was needed. "We're all going to die, to be fair" certainly killed Waverley's jovial atmosphere stone dead...