Medstead vs Wield, Sunday 18th May
Weather - Warm the calm before the storm!!
Match summary – Wield came second!!
Like all good road trips we started the long and winding road to Medstead with the joy of the open road, the excitement of undiscovered territories and promise of something new!!! What we found was same old same old!!!
Yorkie lost the toss and we were batting (no change there then).
A new look Robson less opening partnership of Ben & Toby rattled the score along to 5 before Toby once again missed a straight one (no change there then). Robson Snr arrived at the crease and blocked out the next 2 hours (No comment needed!!!), after last years new bionic hip op Robson Snr was feeling fresh and fit until the 3rd ball when he pulled about 3 different muscles and was unable to run for the rest of the innings (No change there then!!). A quick chat with Ben about no quick singles did the trick and Ben hit one to their best fielder and ran himself out (no change there then!!!!) Jack joined his father and the bickering started (no change there then). Jack was dropped on 0 but then preceded to look about 10 times better than the rest of us.
The partnership went past 50 with Jack playing some pleasing shots and his father playing some less pleasing shots!! Jack approached his maiden Wield 50 and knowing his father would have to buy a jug did the decent thing and threw his wicket away on 49. This 49 would have been at least 70 if only his father could run. A point that Jack did mention on the long road trip home!!!!
'Debbie' marched to the crease and then swiftly back again, having been adjudged LBW to the plumbest decision of the year, one that even
Robson Snr would have walked for!! (Maybe not!!!)
Guy looked rusty until he missed a full toss and this brought Wade to the wicket. In fine form after last weeks 47* Wade was swinging from the hip!!! Unfortunately there was a lot of swing and not a lot of ding!!! Heave after heave continued until the bowler finally got one straight and Wade trudged off. This left Robson Snr to crawl past 50 to not even a smattering of applause from his teammates or son (no change there then)
At tea Wield reached a reasonably respectable 167/6 with Yorkie still not having had a bat (no change there then!!!!!!)
Max was back behind the stumps so the first ball went for byes (no change there then) and Medstead were up and running. With an eye on the pub opening at 6 Medstead were in a hurry. Guy was unlucky but went for plenty as did Wade. Robin came on and the long hops increased (no change there then). Toby dropped a few (no change there then) and Medstead kept handing us wickets including Max catching Matt Rawlings (who is universally known as Max's bunny!!!!) Yorkie finally did something
(i.e. bowl) but it only increased the chances of us standing outside the pub until it opened. The rest of the innings was a blur of slogs, heaves and the usual Wield fielding (no change there then)
The winning runs came with Medstead 7 down but 15 overs to spare and the pub just open!!! We regrouped in the Castle of Comfort to discuss the long road trip ahead and contemplate there is no place like home.
Tony
