Detail: 03-07-2022 - Putney

Result: W by a few wkts
Match Report - Blues vs. Putney CC - 3rd July 2022

Twas a fine Sunday after many a pint the night before. Early to the ground and eager to bat first in order to rest the hangover a little more, I found myself on the pitch with the oppo captain searing for a coin to toss. Glenn? Nope, I have a credit card though... Smithy (I think) nope, but I can download an app... Along come the youngest lad there on the day with a bag of them, we were saved. Sadly for the young lad, that was the only bag he had for the day. No wickets nor runs - although I did have a message from a member of the Putney CC at 3am telling me they were still at the club doing something that involved chopping and bags so perhaps I am wrong... Anyways, I lost the toss and we were fielding.

Quite the opening set from Glenn and relatively new Blue, Charles - unfortunately, no wickets to speak off as Putney's opening pair had set in nicely. Late call up and late to arrive, Rory was next with ball in hand. Steaming, not 'in' but literally steaming from a large day prior watching tennis, first ball was rather short and rather wide. I caught a glance from Rory as he walked back to his mark which I could assume was the look of 'I wished I stayed in bed' - turns out it was only a loosener and soon after he was back to his usual self. Pairing up with the extra fiery Rory I bought myself on from the other end. A few very flamboyant flashes outside off from the Putney opener and a few flying edges, resulting in 4 runs, it would be an understatement to say I was frustrated with the lack of respect from the opening batsman. Que a little defensive shot rolling back to me and the inner Australian took over as fired the ball back in the direction of the stumps (and or batsman). He may have been in his crease. It may have hit him. It may not have seemed necessary, but he departed in the next over (by a brilliant in swinging yorker might I add) so the imitation tactics worked - we had our first. From there the wickets began to flow. Rory took his first, Nick was into the attack and was lethal in his second over.

Now Nick's first wicket-taking delivery was nothing special, full of a length, not swinging, perhaps slipping out of the hand, but... The catch that followed was potentially the best moment I have witnessed in shot time as a Blue. The batsman, 4 foot tall and built like a brick shithouse, hit the ball cleaner and harder than I have ever seen. Sam Robinson, also 4 feet tall but many stone short of a brick shithouse, was in the firing line. Without a chance to think, let alone move, Sam through hands (arms) at the direction of the ball and somehow it stuck. Sam looked down and then up with the look of astonishment plastered over his face as the ball was in hand and the Blues had their 3rd.

Nick continued to fire and soon had his 2nd followed by 3rd and 4th, in consecutive balls might I add. "Nick" I said. "I had full intentions of dragging you after this over, however, if someone took me off with a chance of a 5 fa, I'd be fuming. So I'll give you one more" Sadly the 5 fa didn't come off but eager to rotate the bowlers, Nick, with one over left in the bank, was left wondering "what if?" Putney set 216 for the win and the chase was on...

Walking off the ground at the tea break, young Hamish Fyfe was less than impressed to find out he was opening, however, that didn't stop him and new Blue Tommy from strolling out a few moments later. Hamish offered up first ball, as any respectable Blue opener would, but Tommy rose to the challenge and played some of the finest shots and even finer leaves I've seen in my time playing for the Blues - sadly, it wasn't to last as he departed from the crease in the 3rd over. Sam was in at 3. Still high on adrenalin from his catch earlier in the day, Sam took to the openers like a duck to water. Sam and Hamish wore down the openers ball by ball over by over. 10 overs later they were still grinding it out, there didn't seem to be much intention to score, however, we looked to be on to bat the 40 overs so I'll take it. Soon after the runs began to flow, new Blue Jack was at the crease and showed off with two spectacular cover drives both running for 4 before walking back to the sheds. Fitz followed and the runs were really on - Fitz, who had shared his dislike for running 3's just before walked out to bat, was seeing the ball well and was hitting boundary after boundary. Fyfe, who quite clearly has great hearing, was doing the same. Fitz was out for a very quick 28 and Jenks was in. Fyfe and Jenks continued the run chase and with Rory frantically shouting numbers at me, as he tried to get his head around the scorebook, we looked to be very well on. The panic set in however as Fyfe was bowled, for a very impressive 70, and I was in. "Doing much?" I asked. "They are bowling fucking pies mate, go well" he replied. I strutted to the crease with a chuckle and a bucket of confidence, both quickly fading as the first ball I faced turned 3 feet and I top-edged it falling just shy of the fielder. The confidence faded that little bit further as Jenks skyed one the very next ball, it wasn't my confidence that faded though, it was the confidence of the man under it as he dropped the catch and the run chase was still on. 30 from 3 needed. 21 from 2. 9 from 1. Running hard and fast the win was in sight.

It was down to the wire. 4 runs. 2 balls. Jenks at the striker's end. 2nd changer bowler with ball in hand. Full ball on the legs. Punched through mid-wicked. 4 runs. The game was ours. Jenks stood in the middle on the pitch, having scored 60 without a clap as the scorer was too overwhelmed by the run-chase to have counted what Jenks was on, both arms in the air screaming in celebration, give him some tats and red hair and some may have mistaken him as Stokes in Headingly.

Grinning from ear to ear we took to the Putney Clubhouse for some refreshments and "awards" in the form of cinnamon whisky shots. A few pints later and feeling rather smug with the first win under my belt as match manager. That soon changed though as I walked to the door to a "congratulations" for winning and a "sorry" that you didn't play that well from Mads. At least they have cheap pints though, she continued.

Allez les Blues!

[updated 18 11 2022]