There are certain things that are required for a good day’s cricket…

– A lovely country setting
– Blue skies
– A sumptuous tea prepared by buxom milfs
– An excellent local hostelry serving flagons of foaming ale (preferably served by a buxom milf)
– Two teams of similar capabilities

Firle is a fantastic setting and the weather seems to have turned a corner from deluge to sunshine and showers. The Ram at Firle is a very nice pub, although the Harveys is no longer cheap as chips (and neither are the chips).

Things didn’t start too promisingly, when the toss was dispensed with as the opposition didn’t have a “very strong side” so asked to bowl first, they had 9 men and an 8 year old boy. But the Mighty Greys are a resolute bunch and will always make the best of a bad lot so off we went to put them to the sword.

Biff and Jerry yet again started well, racking up 64 before Jerry was bowled, (by a bloke this week) for 39. Biff survived a caught behind appeal that everyone except him and Richie P, at umpire, heard and went on to score 62.

Next up Alex.

Next up Alan, who after playing himself in started to hits some lovely looking shots and going on to score a well-earned 32. Tel and Ben saw us to tea both not out, for 14 and 12 respectively, with TMG’s on 196 off 39 overs, one of which was a 14 baller bowled by the afore mentioned 8 year old boy.

Tea was a meagre affair; salad sandwich anyone?

Bring on the Greys’ bowlers, now Dave and Rob are pretty good openers, and Dave can push through the odd sharp one, but today they were made to look like Lillee and Thomson in their pomp, when the opening batsman is backing away you know they’re in trouble, and smelling blood Rob bowled Firle’s No. 2 and 3 in his first over both of them retreating towards square leg. At the other end Dave was bowling at the Firle no.1 Stevens who was determined to get forward and get over everything, mind you he didn’t get over the rip snorting bouncer Double D gave him, ooh, grazed helmet! Dave went on to nick a couple of wickets and the openers came off with Firle 4 for 4.
So the baton passed to E-O and Part-er-ridge, Richie saw off Stevens getting him caught behind, and run out (by an ecstatic Ben), as he made no attempt to make his ground but instead claimed the moral high ground by walking and instructing the scorer that he HAD been caught.
This was pretty much game over, the Firle no.8, Chapman, hit a couple of nice shots, but succumbed for their highest score of 6. Rob took a sharp low catch at second slip, earning him yet another PSM, and helping Richie on his way to 4 wickets; the last of these was the 8 year old who received Richie’s arm ball and retired to his father’s car in tears whilst his dad went looking for Mr P to give him a clump.

Firle were all out for 13 and frankly weren’t good enough, a shame as it is a perfect setting and the weather was lovely.