Detail: 11-08-2022 - Roehampton T20

Result: W by 3 wkts
Blues CC vs Roehampton CC - T20

Offering to match manage a Thursday evening T20 in Putney with the promise of GBP12 pitchers, I thought the Bluesmen would be frothing at the bit. Alas, with social calendars filled with holidays and work events, we ventured into Putney heath with three debutants, and Henry Bernard turning out for his annual appearance.

Fielding first, Chellis and Vez opened up the bowling with some mixed results. Chellis found some nice rhythm and beat the outside edge with regularity throughout his opening spell. I'm sure Tom would like to forget about his opening couple, so will leave it there.

Having seen the run-rate fly into the teens, the competitive Aussie put his hand up to bowl some cutters to try and dry up the run rate. Bowling a tidy set, he got dispatched for 14. Brando muttered, "I'm pissed off now, going to bowl some seam up".

James Leworthy, having promised to arrive before 6, turned up at 6:20 to field at fine leg with spikes in hand, was instructed his got the next over. A regular blues wicket taker Jimmy got the batsman caught of a leading edge to the safe and reliable hands of debutant number 1, Alex Price.

The run rate slowed for all of the next 3 balls, but the blues fielders stuck at it. Alex Price came on to bowl some lovely inswingers to try and force another wicket. Trying to rotate the strike, a calamity in the middle, and Tom Vez calmly under armed the ball to Alex Price to run out the non-striker and increase pressure on Roehampton. (Can't quite call it scoreboard pressure when your 90-2 off 8 overs).

Simon Richards, increasing the myth that he is becoming a bowling all-rounder, chuntered up the slope and pace off seemed to be working. The Blues stayed lively in the field with Henry Bernard patrolling the long boundary and having to regularly chase down balls in the deep.

Chellis and James Leworthy came back on to finish the innings strong. Jimmy bowling a filthy slower ball that looped to the batsman but deceived the almighty heave and bowled him. Excellent bowling all round.

Special mention to Chellis for an economy rate of 7.50 in hugely high scoring T20. Going to struggle to get a bat this year with figures like that.

At half time, the skipper joked that 250 seemed par, and the target of 209 was easily gettable. Little did he know that Ben Farmer (debutant number 2) absolutely lived up to his LMS average and his claim of being a gun batter.

Ben and Sam Robbo opened the batting, with the Bluesman having the honourable task of facing first ball. Having seen of the first couple Robbo proceeded to crunch ball three through the covers for a glorious four, he continued in this vein with a few more boundaries to finish on 16 off 13 balls (SR: 123).

Ben Farmer knowing Jenks has clearly talked him up, said he was a nervous man in the middle, but looked anything but. He sent the Roehampton opening bowlers all round the ground for a variety of 4s and 6s, with a couple of highlights including a delightful on drive for four, followed by back-to-back-to-back 6s in an over.

Brando came in and sensibly knocked the ball around to allow Ben to continue the demolition. All of a sudden, the Blues needed 90 off the last 10 overs. Could we really chase 209 in T20?

Unfortunately, Ben chopped on in the 12th over, 77 of 41 balls for a SR of 187, things Harry Tawney could only dream about.

Tim Battersby, debutant number 3, came in at 4 and played some excellent late cuts behind square to keep the run rate ticking over. Tim and Brando kept running hard and finding the boundary with ease. Unfortunately, after a couple of huge 6s Brando got bowled. Finishing with a vital 37 runs. Tim followed him shortly after, being bowled from a good ball.

Henry Bernard came in for unfortunately a short stint at the crease, 3 balls later he was back out. Cricket is a cruel sport.

The skipper came in needing 35 of 29, all of a sudden, the Blues seemed favourites, but the debutants haven't seen Jack bat, and didn't realise how horribly out of form he was.

Luckily bat found ball more often than not and a couple of boundaries later from Jack and Tom Vez, the Blues only needed 20 of the last 2 overs.

Simon Richards came in trying to dispel the rumours of a bowling all-rounder clipped the ball of his legs for 4 runs and a couple of hard ran 2s later the blues needed 10 to win of the last over.

With light fading, the first ball got dispatched to the boundary, and the second nicked past the keeper for 4 more, all of a sudden it was only 1 of 4. Dot ball next and pressure building Jack guided the ball behind square and the Blues one with 2 balls remaining.

A huge chase of 209 was complete.

The boys continued the night with some cheap pitchers from the clubhouse and a couple of Guinness games later, the boys ventured down to Putney for a couple more.

With only 4 boys left and the night still young, James Leworthy and Howe decided the infamous Fez was a good idea. Fortunately, the bouncer said we couldn't come in with our kit, and Leworthy remarked, "we just chased down 209, we can do what we want". Luckily, we couldn't and the evening was finished just before the Fez.

Allez, The Blues.

[updated 18 11 2022]