Full Fixture Information

Result Descriptiom

A convincing 7-wicket win for the Meon.

Man of the Match

Oliver Atkinson, for 51 runs and 3 good catches.

Champagne Moment

Christopher Moor for a sharp catch behind the stumps.

Teddy Bear Moment

Rupert Smith, engrossed in the Rec's biodiversity at square leg rather than watching the game.

Full Match Report

Our endless golden summer is over. The mercury has dropped and rain has begun to wash over the Rec. The parched sun-browned grass of previous weeks has turned soggy and the rain has encouraged green to return to the parts not yet burned off. Biodiversity once more thrives in the outfield.

The weather forecast was not promising. Oli and Andrew kindly made the trek to the ground to put on the cover before Saturday's rain. By Sunday morning it was blown off. How much did it protect the pitch? Oliver's pre-game match report: 'like an April wicket, but not so much plasticine'. The game would reveal all!

Our oppo were the Strokemakers, aka 'Storke Makers' according to their shirts; that happy, chirpy, friendly travelling bunch we love to play each year. Their captain Zaheer and Andrew tossed. Andrew lost (as is his custom), and we were fielding. Just what we had wanted anyway, so a good outcome we hoped.

The outfield was a bit damp, but nothing too worrying, and the sky was clear. Andrew decided to reward Will Atkinson's rare appearance for us this season with a shot at opening the bowling from the Alpaca end. Will bowled well, and was unlucky that a few boundaries flew to various parts of the ground early on. But he was rewarded in his second over with a genuine edge snaffled well by Oli at first slip. 14-1 in the third over.

Aaron Rees, a year older than last week, opened from the Park Hill end. Perhaps the birthday celebrations weren't as low-key as Aaron would have us believe? Whatever the reason, Aaron didn?t have his best day at the crease and mixed a few of the jaffa's we've come to expect from him, with some deliveries of lesser quality. Nonetheless he was rewarded with a wicket in his second over (also a maiden, a skied catch which Josh claimed with an almighty bellow) and ended with the very respectable figures of 5-1-12-1.

Meanwhile Will grabbed another in his fourth, skied to short mid-wicket again and (surprisingly to some in the team) well-caught by yours truly (Tim Lawrence). Will finished with 6-0-30-2. He would say it should have been 26-2 if Rupert had not been so intent on studying the newly flourishing Rec biodiversity at square leg.

I replaced Aaron at the Park Hill end, and managed to keep a tight enough line and length to tie down Shoiab, one of their better bats who was threatening to break lose with some big shots. After opening with a maiden I snagged an LBW in my second and finished with 9-1-25-1. Matt Stickland took over from Will at the Alpaca end and sent down 6 overs in two spells, ending with 34-0. In between Sticko's overs, Josh pinged down 8 overs of tight spin, snagging 2 wickets in his second, including the dangerous Shoiab, smartly caught behind by Mooro from an excellent lifting delivery. Will took a good catch on the long-on boundary to give Josh his second, and the Strokemakers were reeling at 80-6 in the 23rd over.

I'm sure we had visions of bowling them all out for under the hundred, but the extremely chirpy and jovial Tippu was steadfast at his end and had other ideas, blocking good balls and whacking the odd one with a bit more width to the boundary. Rain or not, the outfield was still lightning fast and it was almost impossible to stop anything once it had pierced the ring.

And where, I hear you ask, was our erstwhile opening bowler Wayne Harfield? Had he been forgotten and discarded by a ruthless and uncaring captain? Perhaps earmarked to open the batting rather than the bowling? By no means! He was perhaps more the proverbial ace up the captain's sleeve. Wayne replaced yours truly at the Park Hill end and promptly bowled their number 8 (albeit in somewhat suspicious circumstances ? how close to the stumps was Mooro really standing!?) Jokes aside, it looked a clean case of well-bowled Wayne from where I stood, and the umpire agreed.

Commentary at fines after the game, alleged that Wayne should have had another the very next ball, when Zaheer dollied a catch up towards mid-off. Whether a younger and better man might have caught it is open to discussion, but suffice to say that by the time I worked out where it was going, it was well out of reach. Undeterred, Wayne persisted and had Zaheer caught at point by Oli who barged Josh out of the way to take the catch, making sure there was none of the confusion of previous weeks in the field.

The last wicket was frustrating. To be honest I think we relaxed a bit early, thinking we had this in the bag for under 120, but Tippu had other ideas and after 7 overs from Wayne (who by the way finished with the best figures of us all on 7-3-19-2), Captain Courageous came on and had their number 10 caught (again by Oliver to give him 3 catches for the game) in his first over. With only 10 players, that wrapped up the Strokemakers' innings at 151. Quite a bit more than we expected them to get, and given the dampness of the pitch and its propensity for the odd one to stop and pop, a total not without its challenge.

Tea was convened a little earlier than normal due to the lateness of the season, and while the Strokemakers enjoyed sandwiches, Sticko's legendary millionaire's shortbread, crisps, cake and buckets of tea, the East Meon crew got to surreptitiously enjoy the odd slice of pork pie (tut-tut Josh).

How would we go chasing 151 in the conditions? On occasions the Strokemakers have been known to turn up with one or two useful quicks to open the bowling. They would be a handful on today's pitch. Andrew shuffled the deck and plucked out Rupert Smith and Oliver to open, with Will to come in at 3 and he at 4. Oli and Rupert strode out to face the fray to a soundtrack of what can only have been a waddling of ducks traversing the skies over East Meon at that very moment.

There were no fast bowlers in the attack this season, but they opened from the Park Hill end with Mr Butt who bowled some very useful medium pace which Oli played respectfully. Rupert faced up to Mr Din from the Alpaca end. 'He's very stressed', said Oli to the umpire. But Mr Din very kindly dished up a couple of rank full-tosses which Rupert smacked gratefully to the boundary. Duck hat trick averted!

Despite some quite tight bowling and Tippu's ability to spin the ball both ways with accuracy, Rupert and Oli set about demolishing the target. On reaching his fifty with 2 sixes and a four, Oli had one swipe too many and was bowled by said Tippu for 51. Jug avoidance was the call at fines. The score was around 75, almost halfway there.

Will came in to join Rupert, who was looking solid and scoring with ease until he was bowled by their captain Zaheer for a good 23 with the score 83. Will and Andrew continued to score (largely in boundaries, including a lovely six from our captain), not in the least unsettled by a short break while a heavy shower dumped more water on the uncovered pitch.

Alas, not long after the resumption of play, Andrew was also bowled by a straight one, sneaking through a very tiny gap between bat and pad. He was undoubtedly disappointed with the 26 runs to his name, but by then the job was nearly done with 135 on the board. Josh and Will wrapped up the game with a couple of overs of farcical running. 7 and 30 not out respectively.

A good win for the Meon! But as Oliver kindly reminded Andrew, taking his season win-rate to 31%! Never mind, three more to go. Let?s make the best of them!