Detail: 25-05-2022 - Battersea Ironsides T20

Result: L by 1 wkt
Blues vs BICC match report

[Blues 124/7 (Fyfe 50), BICC 125/9 in final over - Lost by 1 wicket]

As we head home to Wiltshire for a wedding I've told Ellie she needs to drive as I have some important work that needs doing. Deadlines Monday etc etc etc. A hastily compiled match report completed, a few wrong turns, feeling slightly car sick and more than the occasional 'are you really working?! Why do you keep chuckling!' and here we go.

10 days until our first 20/20 of the season and we had 14 Blues keen to play. Selection considerations were beginning to furrow my brow - cricket tickets are looked on well here, well done Mr Pike. The prospect of the semi-mythical figure that is Digby Walker spinning it sideways for the Blues, had the boys sticking a Yes down in droves. Obviously this was premature as 48 hours before kick off we were down to 8.

Battersea Ironsides, who confusingly play at Brentwood lane just off Wandsworth common, compiled a team of thoroughbreds, with at least 5 burly lads pushing 6 foot 4. All resplendent in matching kit and looking very keen indeed. In contrast, we had 3 ringers so a few quick introductions, half of us were in shorts and our most intimidating specimen Alex Keating was rocking baggy jeans and a hoody (that's England in May for you). Jenks won the toss and elected to bat, reckoning batting in the light was worth batting first on a slowish, slightly soggy pitch. Jack Ward, told he was opening, quickly downed a larger, part of his pre-match routine to combat any early jitters. Raised eyebrows from the oppo, even a few wry chuckles were heard.

Angus, a ringer keen to play again in the mid-week, already has a sunday side sadly, began well with Wardy. The pitch was slow, it was hard to bat, the ball didn't come onto the bat. Combined with an army of giants bowling a test match line. Add in 3 slips and a gully and it was an intimating prospect indeed. Early wickets fell. Close Junior stuck in at 4 looked very comfortable indeed. The ship was steadied, runs flowed. Jenks stuck with him and runs started to compile. An almost run out. A very close affair indeed. Close senior at square leg umpire. Close junior running and diving to make his ground. Finger stayed down, Christmas was not cancelled and the blues played on. Close junior playing catching practise middled it to gully - 'i forgot he was there' - very alpha indeed.

Jimmy Cruickshank (not a made up name) took to the crease holding a bat for the first time in 12 years. Jenks hit a few boundaries, got ahead of himself and got bowled advancing down the wicket to their left arm quick. Simon combined with Jimmy well. Then runs stopped flowing. Jimmy on a long duck, finally got a quick single after a few overs. Then BICC bought on a spinner. Out of nowhere Jimmy smashes it for 6 back over his head. Without even a big flourish, just pure timing. That's the handicap of 3 for you. A few more runs from Jimmy and Simon and then they both had to depart bringing Fyfos and Keats into close out the match. About 4 overs to go and without even getting his eye in Hamish goes ballistic. Hitting 34* of probably half that many balls, he tore apart their bowling.

Highlight obviously a huge 6 smashed right into the windscreen of a parked Toyota Prius. It had a few mums squawking and frantically running to the car park to check if their chelsea tractors had been harmed. Sighs of relief all round. Probably just an off duty Uber driver.

Bewildered glances from the fielders and more than a few audible 'i can't work out their batting order. They've definitely got it wrong'. Wrong is a matter of perspective. As we know the Duckworth-Lewis-Blues batting order algorithm defies understanding.

More runs from Keats and Fyfe and the Blues finished on 124-7 off 20 overs. Fyfe, on 50 odd not out after 2 games batting at 8 or lower may be a bookies favourite to bat higher up in the future.

Pink ball in hand, the Blues set about their work.

A Flintoff esque over from Keats. Firstly a caught behind chance well taken by Wardy, that just flicked the pad not the bat, so we were told. Next ball, their good lad absolutely middles it to Close Junior. They either stick or they don't. This did not. Then Jenks moves Pikey a touch to his left. The batsmen keen to get off strike tries to tuck a short ball round the corner. He mis times and it pops up to fall agonisingly short of a diving Pike. Dot ball. Next ball. takes the outside edge and flies to slip, Jenks dives forward but can't get his fingers underneath it. 2 crucial inches short of our first dismissal. Last ball, Keats takes matters into his own hands - smashes into all 3. Blues hollering all round. Close keen to get in on the action also struck early to add a handy wicket to his tally.

Fielding moment of the day from Sam Robinson. Their lads could clearly bat and one of their bats looked far too handy for comfort. After a superb opening 8 overs from the Battersea axis of Keats and Close, Pikey was brought on. Claimimg he couldn't see very well due to the lack of contacts, Pikey quickly made things happen. The lad flicked a full-ish leg side ball hard right at Sam Robinson standing at square leg. Casually, almost nonchalantly, Sam bent down and plucked it off his shoe laces. Jubilation all round, confusion from Sam. 'I thought it had bounced...?' No, it had not bounced. The lad had to depart and Sam superbly demonstrated why cricket is such an earth-shatteringly mental sport.

Second outstanding fielding moment of the day was Alex Pike charging after a well hit boundary going for 4. He caught up with the ball, flicked it behind his back to keep it in play, pirouetted and avoided collided with the Wendy house come dug-out, by neatly twisting in mid air and landing sitting down smiling. Close junior mopped up and tossed it to the bowler. Frustratingly, the world's most modest cricketer Pikey then indicated that he couldn't be sure it hadn't gone and gave it a 4. Bewilderment from the 10 other blues.

Unsure who to bring on in the face of their serious batting skills, Jenks sacrificed himself. Remarkably, bulging a wicket with a superb running catch from Pikey on the boundary, one more lad had to go. Their top order was falling apart. Pike kept the run rate down at one end, while Sam Robinson got the batsmen playing uppishly and got the fielders excited at the other. Sadly a few half-chances went down.

Shuffling the pack, Fyfey was called into the attack. A double wicket maiden followed. Both wickets transpiring by their batters trying to smash fyfe back over his head, only for them to be gobbled up by a running Jenks at long-on. Top Blues fielding a theme for the day it seems. A 3rd wicket from Hamish, this time re-arranging the furniture, and the Blues could sense a victory

Close junior (aka Barney) into the attack for some death bowling. Bowling a mix of spin and seam, the Barn-door deceived the bat and sent the bails flying. Nerves all round. BICC down to their 11th man, the skipper. 4 to win of the last over. 1 wicket left. 2 dots from Barney. 3rd ball, their skipper rocks back and slaps it between the fielders. Fyfe in full flow screams after it, diving and getting there just in time. Sadly the ball mysteriously slips its way beneath his stretched torso and tumbles over the rope for 4.

A BICC victory. A valiant Blues effort, that was far closer than BICC wanted or expected it to be. Showing yet again, that we can really punch above our weight when it matters. Sub #5 pints flowed and a return fixture was offered for July. Well done to all involved and top work for Jack Close for recruiting his brother, The Blues love a cricketing day out for all the family.

Over to Jack Ward to lead the boys into battle at the beautiful ground of Hampton Wick this Sunday. Go well all

Jenks

[updated 29 05 2022]