Cricket  , eh ,  bloody hell……..

WHAT A GAME ;  This has to go down as one of TMG’s best victories  in all the years I’ve been playing . A true team performance  which was also dominated by a certain large bottomed  individual  who managed to make outstanding  contribution  with both  bat and ball despite having knee surgery  on the morning  of  the  game (I may have misheard this).

Twineham  set off at a right old rate despite good bowling from QB  (6-20-1) and Robbie H (4-32-0) who’s  figures belied the amount of times they beat the bat with Simon being particularly  brutal to anything over pitched .For a period TMG’s looked their age in the field until QB produced a lifter to remove the dangerous  Simon well poached by Duncan in the gully ; his first catch for TMG’s (I may have misheard this) Twineham  continued going at a decent rate moving on to 71 off 12 overs but the change to DD and HR did the trick .HR bowling with great pace and accuracy dropped  one short , Pearce cut it to my left and I dived clutching it as it went behind me to take even if I say so myself a top, top catch . The word “Stokesian ‘ was used as well as those deathly words ” that’s you writing the match report ” This coupled with the retirement  of the other opener with a hamstring pull put the brakes on the Twineham  innings and with  TMG’s rejuvenated  the tide began  to turn. DD finished with a tight 5-24  ‘ EO , bowling like everything made sense ,  bowled 10 overs unchanged taking 3-38 and with HR ( 7-16-1) the runs dried up .93-4 led to 113-5 to 123-6 . Enter the Dominator who took 8-4 , including a beauty of a slower ball , off 6 and a half overs as  the wickets  tumbled ; 139-7,-8,-9 and then 149 all out.

In the field inspired by Jerry’s  catch and his effortless  banter (Dom ” I thought he might catch that but its gone with  the  wind  ” Me ” frankly my dear  i don’t GIVE a damn “) DD followed some early Red Arrow auditions  with 2 catches , Rob H took a nonchalant  1 hander at square  leg. Dom nearly took a stunner at slip which flicked his outstretched  hand and nearly landed in Dunc’s grateful  hands which  would have  been  his maiden TMG’s catch ( i  may have mis…).This was quite an achievement  as at one point he’d  appeared to have broken his  collarbone. 
  Behind  the stumps Alex was having his own private party catching one down the leg side off  EO’s 1st ball , nearly  taking a stunner next ball down the other leg side and then catching their skipper off a regulation edge which “apparently ” he didn’t edge . Cue much muntering  and chuntering  which I’m far too polite  to recount here ; obviously  Dom was involved..

So with Twineham  all out for 149 TMG’s  had 1 hour 15 minutes  and 20 overs to make 150 for victory . I decided to set our stall out early by cover driving the 3rd  ball of our reply which resulted in a splattering  of stumps and 0-1 which quickly became 0-2 when Dunc was caught behind. Biff  and DD steadied the ship with Biff(12) playing a great “high” cut and DD driving beautifully  including one lovely 4 up to the  playground. Runs were still hard to come by against a very good attack which offered no four balls and when Biff went DD’s groin soon followed.  33-3 became 43-4 with HR nicking one  , nodding to the umpire and walking towards  the pavilion  ( their slip ” that’s how you do it Skip ! ” ) became 56-5 when Tel was caught close in became 61-6 when ,in pain ,  DD was bowled for an admirable  33. With Alex going for 9 we were now 78-7 with only 15 of the last 20 overs left . ” Squeaky bum time ” to quote AF again but with Dom we had not only a bum but the biggest bum ; a bum , to quote a certain Mr B Levy ” Broader than Broadway “.

QB came to join him and they proceeded  to muster a magnificent  partnership with Dom batting masterfully  for 59 including 2 6’s off consecutive  balls and an all run 4 off a deft yet powerful leg glance and with  QB fully contributing  with 18 the stand out being a lovely 4  which I have no memory  of ( it was all getting  too much ) but it was mos def  lovely. Suddenly the game seemed so much easier as they  chancelessly  knocked off the 72 needed in 12 or so overs with a 3 to long on from Dom providing the winning runs.

The game of the season so far and the game of many a season in my opinion ended with some lovely Harvey’s  at the Royal  Oak  and confirmation  that EO had indeed worn his banana  skin  both before and after the game and left his shorts on Alex’s  helmet ….I may have misheard…….DFWTMG

DFWTMG