Visitors toil in the heat

With the weather warming up nicely, a visit to Bagshot also provides a welcome chance to take on refreshments at the adjacent pub before the game. Enjoying their beer, wine, rainbow salads and a latté before the game were Jaedyn Bartosh-Short (“Netball World Champion”), Marcus Carmichael (“MC”), Jamie Harris (“DJ Teabag”), Simon Brewer (“KV”), Gary Thorogood (“Gazza”), Adrian Day (“Mog”), Adam Carmichael (“AC”), Ali Mortiboys (“Yale”), Laura Brewer (“Loz”), Scott Upward (“Scotty”) and Peter Brewer (“Mr B”).

As Waverley tradition dictates, Mog lost the toss and was asked to bowl first in this 40 over game. Bagshot’s youthful openers were clearly in a hurry, running singles hard from the very first over and putting pressure on Waverley’s fielders. This was reflected in the early run rate, which was ticking along at about six an over when Yale took the first wicket, the catch snaffled by Waverley’s resident Netball World Champion. Waverley’s fielding was pretty good throughout the innings, but the track was flat and the runs continued to flow, with Balcombe in particular making hay. Mog shuffled his bowling pack, with Teabag and Mr B brought into the attack. However, it took until the twenty-third over for the second wicket to fall – a good catch from Mog giving Teabag a well-deserved notch in the wicket column. This was followed a few overs later by a wicket for Mr B, KV completing the stumping. However, Balcombe remained at the crease throughout and completed a chanceless century off the bowling of AC, before immediately retiring out. Gaz and AC completed the innings and both bowled well, although the only further wicket to fall went AC’s way (courtesy of another catch from Mog). Despite the run rate falling away towards the end of the innings, Waverley were nevertheless posted a challenging 250 to win from their 40 overs.

The main event during tea (which was by far the most excellent tea of the season so far) was “lockgate”, with Yale somehow managing to lock the changing room door with a broken key. With the back door to the changing room also bolted from the inside (on Mr B’s instructions), access was eventually gained after the door was forced. With the fun and games over, the Netball World Champion and MC commenced Waverley’s run chase. However, things got off to a fairly inauspicious start as Floater ripped through the top order. In addition to the prize wicket for the Netball World Champion (26), he dismissed MC, Teabag and Gazza cheaply. With KV triggered trapped LBW for 14, the visitors found themselves 50-5 in the eleventh over and staring down the barrel of a three figure defeat.

However, a captain’s innings from Mog brought respectability to the Waverley score and his partnership with AC added 50 runs for the sixth wicket, before AC was out chasing a wide one for 15. The lower order continued to be a fruitful source of runs, with Mog and Yale adding a further 67 runs for the seventh wicket and Mog passing a richly deserved half-century. There was even an outside chance that Waverley might achieve the unthinkable, with about nine an over needed going into the final ten overs of the game. However, a flurry of late wickets robbed the away side of momentum as Yale (33), Loz (0) and Mog (61) were dismissed in the space of four overs. Scotty and Mr B saw out the remaining overs to ensure that Waverley weren’t bowled out, as Bagshot ultimately triumphed by 58 runs.

Mog exercised his power as skipper to name himself Man of the Match, although in truth it was deserved. Mr B was awarded the *Anchor Hat as he was deemed responsible for instructing Yale to lock the changing room door. Finally, Loz was awarded the Pink T-shirt for skipping out of the way of the ball whilst fielding; proof, if any way needed, that Waverley is an equal opportunities club…