Full Fixture Information

Result Descriptiom

Won by 20 runs

Man of the Match

Al Lacy - top bowling on debut

Champagne Moment

Tim Clay - fancy run out from behind the stumps

Teddy Bear Moment

Jeff Wheeler - dropping their opener and being carried off the pitch

Full Match Report

We last played the Hatters back in 2014 when needing two wickets in the last over the Hungarian had one caught on the boundary and one stumped by the Kiwi.

According to the match report there was an LBW we don?t talk about, I remember it, but with Ben Hooper banished to Wiltshire it was to be hoped that there would be no further incidents.

It?s nice to see from the match report that were at least six players from that match still playing for the Meon 12 years later; three Atkinsons, two Wheelers and me, with Hollis returning next week, Dampers now presiding over the club, Sam busy on the Whatsapp, it?s only really MOTM that day, big Dave G, and Russell in New Zealand who aren?t on the radar? Russell has a good excuse, not sure about Mr Greetham???

Anyway, on to the weekend?s match; I?d spent a lot of time on whatsapp with the cousin-in-law as he told me his woes of finding a team, down to 9 with a nine yr old, up to 12 at one point, back to 10, could I play for him as they would need my bowling (you know a side?s in trouble when that?s their reason for asking me to play for them), but as it was 11 Mad Hatters arrived, four of them rounded up from Beaulieu just in time, and one of the finest prospects seen for a while, 7 yr old Kit, who charged from fine leg to fine leg with unquenchable enthusiasm.

A 35-over a side game was agreed, I won the toss (EMCC?s 100% record continued ? the opposition can insert jokes about tossers) and decided we?d bat.

Tim Clay making his season?s debut opened up with Ali Wheeler, far from them needing my bowling, their openers bowled a fine spell, Tim, as his wont, smiting one ball for four before having his off-stump pegged back in the 3rd over trying to hit it into the Beaver enclosure.

Jimmy came in and did what Jimmy did, although not before being dropped on nought in the gully, to what would have been a great catch. He offered one further chance, blasting the ball through mid-on before being caught at slip for 88 (161-2). Ali W had already reached a fifty and decided to retire to polish his average and let others have a go, and so Lakh joined me at the crease. I didn?t last long and neither did Lakh, but Jeff Wheeler and Josh Haslett (17) and then George Atkinson (12no) kept the scoreboard ticking along. Jeff was unlucky to pull his hamstring sprinting back for a second and hobbled off the pitch 27no.

East Meon reached 234 after their 35 overs - another great score.

There was just time to remember what it?s all about really, Kit Richardson, aged 7 was allowed one over, not for the scorebook, but as a reward for his excellent fielding. Steaming in from the Playground end, with a shortened pitch, his first ball cleaned up Aaron much to the delight of both sides, Wayne clipped him for four before he was stumped, and Kit finished with the fine figures of 2-4 ? I?m not sure anyone will want to face him in 12 years time.

Tea was good, Al Lacy delivering a very fine carrot cake which meant, however he bowled, he?d definitely be invited back again. And out we went to see how we?d fare in the field.

It was not a pretty sight. As is usual (and great) there was good support on the boundary, the Vice Captain, along with Sticko and Dave Rees patrolled the boundary and it?s likely that had this been a ticketed event there would have been a queue at the Box Office asking for their money back.

It?s difficult to know if we bowled badly, or if they batted well, but we were certainly very unthreatening ? Aaron may like it to be noted that in his third over their opener gloved one to first slip where Jeff allowed it in and then out, although the keeper Tim couldn?t have done a better job of putting him off.
But after 10 overs it was 77-0 and time to try something else.

Al Lacy, a long time Thursday night regular was making his debut for the Sunday side. Could he bring some of that nagging, hard to hit, line bowling to the Sunday side, could he bowl more than two overs in a row? How would he cope with proper red-ball cricket.

It was never in doubt.

Like Melv in his dotage, Al siddled up to the crease, delivered a ball that was slow, straight, nagging, drifting away, on a perfect length and suddenly control was back. His second ball was lolloped back to George at Mid-On who fluffed his lines, but otherwise the scoring that had been close to 8 an over was back and being reined in.

With George replacing Wayne at the bottom end, finally, in the 19th over their opener (63) miscued Al and was caught by a hobbling Josh running back at mid-off ? 126-1.

Two overs later Al bowled their number three for six and finished a fine spell of 7-0-33-2.

At some point Jeff, attempting to catch a ball that was thrown back in from the field jumped a little higher than a man with a bust hamstring should jump and collapsed for good. We then persuaded Kit to come and field for us which upped the urgency in the field, although possibly even a 7 yr old has only enough battery for one innings of fine leg to fine leg ? but it was very kind of him.

James had replaced George and added further control bowling a fine spell 8-1-28-0 (or a half-bob if you?re being unkind). In the 24th over the opener guided the ball to third slip kind of area, called for a single and Tim ran across turned threw and ran out the number four, who may or may not have faced a ball, but certainly hadn?t wanted the run and had come a long way to be run out for a duck.

Still their opener (remember, the one who was dropped by Jeff in the 3rd over) carried on.

Josh came on and was tonked for two overs, the required run rate hovered around 7 an over. Josh came off. George came back on and finally bowled their opener for a very fine 96.

208-4, 27 needed off the last two overs, Josh came back on for a tight penultimate over, before George wrapped things up with a wicket as Wayne at gully juggled and jiggled his way to possibly his first catch for the village (certainly not at the first time of asking).

And so we?d won by 20 odd runs.

Lakh, who?d been picked primarily for his batting, glared at the Captain, but it?s all part of the plan, make him angry for Westbourne, allow him to rip the ball through the orchids next Sunday.

Fines were an indoor affair as the much threatened-rain made an appearance. Not sure what Kit made of them, but his first 50p fine will be something to treasure along with his two wickets.

As usual, the captain came off worst, despite winning 5 tosses in a row and presiding over 5 wins out of 6, I?m very nervous for what happens when we don?t win.

Man of the Match went to Al Lacy on debut ? for a serious bit of bowling. No one likes coming on at 77-0 in the 11th over, but boy did we need his bowling. Champagne moment to Tim?s run out (with notable mention of Wayne?s catch) and Teddy Bear to Jeff for the dropped catch and then being carried off the pitch.