Bugger me, a Win!

For which I claim full credit

Lymington won the toss and elected to bat – textbook. The Winton Oval (The home of cricket™), as an uncovered pitch can be changeable to bat on. If there has been rain it can be slow and sticky and a bit of a sod to bat on. However, if there has been a lot of sun in the preceding days it can get hard and true and be a good batting pitch. It had indeed been sunny, so that, combined with its small boundaries and the fact that the council had given the outfield a haircut in the recent past meant it should be a high scoring game. Lymington did indeed getting a decent score of 214. The question on peoples mind at the changeover was exactly how decent was it? Their captain, who opened, scored 105 and carried his bat – a true captains innings. Winton only managed to take 5 wickets though, one of them in the last over, with so many wickets in hand could Lymington have pushed harder? Although I suspect Chris Tollerfield (their captain) was torn between pushing on the scoring and worrying that his batting line up might all fall apart if he had gone. As a bowling unit Winton did well, in parts it looked like it was hard work with runs flowing but overall they stuck at it, cutting out the to regular bad balls that we have bowled in the past, to keep the score down.

So, could Winton chase the target down? As we have said, it looked like a high scoring pitch so it was do able, but we needed someone to actually do it. Or more than one, which our team has struggled with this season. Lymington started off well. One of their bowlers – Trevor Phillips – looking particularly dangerous. Although it is fair to describe him as more towards the ‘veteran’ end of the experience spectrum, his experience held him in good stead, with bowling that was accurate, fast enough and moved just enough to be a danger. Any regular reader to this blog will know that I know more or less sod all about cricket really. However, this is a situation in which I feel able to comment, with openers facing a moving ball just outside the off stump. I was watching this thinking ‘nah, just leave it’ plenty of opportunities to get runs elsewhere. Both the No. 2 and 3 bats went down in short order though. Nicking off chasing outside off stump. Callum Syndeham did better, mainly scoring off the bowler at the other end. He did get one rare bad ball of off Phillips though, too short that he cracked through midwicket. The next ball was spot on though, but he still tried to swing at it, with the ball smacking into the top of off. A lively 31 scored. He was batting well though and I can’t help feeling he could have gotten a far higher score with a bit of patience and better shot selection.

So, bats 4 and 5 were in, could they steady the ship and see it home? Well yes, without too many problems. Both scoring at faster than a run a ball, Sargon Worsdale getting 63 and Murali Vemuri scoring 45. By the time they both fell (in fairly quick succession) the game was more or less safe. The winning runs coming with the father and son team of the Tekelis at the crease together, which is always lovely. Trevor Phillips, although on the losing side, turned in impressive bowling figures of 8/1/26/5.

The more observant reader may know be pondering the question of just how I can claim credit for this win when I wasn’t even playing – fair question. Well, the story goes back to the fact that a couple of weeks ago my boy agreed to start playing for the 2s rather than the development side. The 2s game this week had been cancelled (opponents pulled), so on Friday evening I asked if he wanted to play for the Development Team (instead of me). He said no, I think because he didn’t want to bump me from the team. So the next morning I asked again to which he said that he would like to play but didn’t think it was fair for him to take my place. I agreed with him that yes, playing cricket on Saturdays is something that I enjoy, but him being happy is something I enjoy even more so him playing instead of me would make me happy, so he then agreed to play. He then said ‘I love you dad’ and gave me a big hug. OK, he is a teenage boy so that last bit didn’t happen. Indeed whenever I try and give him a hug now he says ‘get off, that’s weird, leave me alone’. However, he did say thank you and I think I saw a flicker of appreciation in his eyes, so that’s enough he me. So I can claim credit for the win based on this, as Worsdale junior is a definite upgrade on Worsdale senior, with his runs being central to the victory. 

 

A picture not of the Winton Team Captain, not raising a flag of victory over the pavilion at the Winton Oval

Game Scorecard

Elsewhere, Winton 3s continued their progress at the top of the table. Following them  Bournemouth 4s also won with their top order batters in tip top form, Victoria Pack knocking a century in fine style, 130 from 105 balls and carrying her bat. In the important clash between third and forth Parley 3s overcame Mudeford 2s to put them in pole position for third, the last promotion place being theirs to lose. Mudeford and Godshill still have an outside chance, needing to win their last two games and hoping for a slip up.