On a blustery august day the Kilve 1st XI undertook their longest journey if the 2011 season, the 90 minute drive to Leigh-on-Mendip.
Greeted with a drying track and a very wet and long outfield, skipper Gary ‘The turbo’s knackered again’ Stone won his first toss in half a dozen matches and elected to have a knock, due to the fact their was only going to be one new ball.
Openers Cris ‘Crispin not Christopher’ Taylor and Pete ‘Pebbles’ Stone found the track played very well from the off, giving good carry through to the keeper.
Taylor didn’t really impose himself as usual and was bowled playing across the line for 10 before Andy ‘new boots’ Rock joined Stone at the crease.
The pair soon lived up to their surnames, as they proved immoveable for the next 25 overs with the ball being dispatched to all areas of the ground including a flurry of boundaries, a miracle considering the combination of soft outfield and long grass.
Rock fell agonisingly short of his half ton, a thick outside edge looping up to point being his downfall while his score was sat on 49.
Stone (62) was the next to fall, bowled whilst almost dislocating his spine attempting a big heave!
This gave fresh bats G. Stone and Glen ‘Barn Dance’ Manchip the chance to push the score towards 200, a daunting chase in such conditions.
They didn’t hang around long however as is so often the way. Stone fell first on 10 and Manchip on 14 whilst trying to up the scoring rate.
‘Mullet Man’ and wearer of non-gravity boots in a normal gravity environment Jay Darrell was next in but he found it tough going and departed for a single, leaving James ‘Badger’ Payne and Chris ‘Loverboy’ James to take the attack to the bowlers. Payne fell for 8 off a thick edge before Martin ‘Jessie’ James was run out for 7 and C. James fell on 17, leaving final pair Dean ‘Strawberry Blonde’ Marchent and Quinton ‘Gonzo’ Button to see the overs out.
They tried in vain to push the score above 200, but fell two runs short after Button had top edged a riser into his face! After the initial concern (about 5 seconds!) the batsman was laughed at, patched up and picked up before managing to play his customary innings of attempting to pull everything to square leg.
After tea, skipper Stone opted to open with spin to keep everything tight, so both he and Manchip had the first trundle.
Both of them bowled magnificently and were very lucky not to take early wickets, although this wasn’t down to them rather the fact the umpire turned down two shouts for leg before that were plumber than plumb. Middle stump on the back foot – ‘that’s going down leg’. Hmmm, I’m not quite sure about that, or words to that effect!
Manchip was first to make the break through, although he had Marchent to thank for taking a fantastic catch at square leg to dismiss Lambert for 27. After the two previous LBW shouts, it’s fair to say Manchip was chuffed!
Stone picked up the next wicket, accounting for Vassali for 4 before Manchip took his second and final wicket catching Cox off his own bowling for 13.
Both Stone and Manchip bowled excellent 12 over spells and finished with 3 wickets between them while going for a lowly 25 runs-apiece. Top bowling lads!
Darrell replaced Stone and although he had previously been in a big sulk, the chance to turn his arm soon had him smiling again as he found both swing and bounce, with the Leigh-on-Mendip batsmen playing and missing at deliveries that were just to good.
‘Badger Senior’ Martin James took over from Manchip and started exactly where Glen had left off, bowling extremely tight and creating pressure.
It soon paid off, and he accounted for B.Gould (8), Willis (5) and D.Worley expertly snagged at first slip by ‘Mullet Man’ for 1, while Darrell himself snagged the wicket of O.Gould for 5 to end his 6 over spell (6-2-1-10).
Opportunist bowler Marchent was given the chance to turn his arm over, and although Manchip was shocked to see Payne standing up to him, Payne knew he was no blunderbuss and so it proved. Marchent bowled 5 very tidy overs, taking the wicket of Davies for an unlucky 13 to leave the Leigh-on-Mendip score sat on 94-8 after the full 45 overs.
It was a great team effort once again by the players with wickets and runs spread throughout the team. Kilve now require just 13 points off the final game of the season to achieve promotion, with an outside chance of winning the league. Game on!
