A friendly battle

In a game only taking place because Willow Herbs 2's and Rayleigh Fairview 3's had scratched leaving no opportunity for other fixtures to be arranged Punchers Piglets took on Bolts Babes in a game that pitted father against son, colt against coach, friends against each other and Skippy against the world.

Batting first Tommy Puncher and Alfie Atkins soon found the middle of their bats and with good running began compiling a strong opening partnership until when well set on 34, Puncher plumbed the wrong line to a Frankie Boland delivery and fell to a stunning low one handed catch by Dave Leadbetter who had been waiting in the slips since May for an edge to come his way.

Alfie Atkins continued to build his innings until he fell to what was either a well disguised slower ball or perhaps more probably a loosener from his father Paul to another catch from Dave Leadbetter, who by this time was pressing his case for an elevation to the 3's as a specialist gully fielder, given the sizeable gap that the 3's have there.

George Sleight fell in the same fashion 3 balls later and Bev then took the wicket of Joe Barwick who had looked surprisingly comfortable in his unaccustomed role at number 3 in the order to become Bev's 500th wicket for the club.

Jo Wilkinson feathered a Ted Ivory delivery into Steve Rooke gloves and walked off without an appeal necessary to great applause and then Andy Livett held the remainder of the innings together as wickets fell around him, 1 for Andrew Pauling, 1 for Bobby Granger and 2 to runouts: one by Steve Rooke from an Owen Elsom throw from point and the other by Bobby Granger.

Punchers Piglets totalled 161-9 from 40 overs with 34 from both Puncher and Atkins; 11 from Skippy and an unbeaten 29 from the Marvel, who checked several times that this game was going into the official statistical record of the club before doggedly applying himself to another red-inker.

Bev finished with 3-16 and Dave Leadbetter 3 catches plus a dropped dolly at midwicket!

Bolts Babes had on paper a weaker batting line up and looked well up against it when Steve Rooke continued his recent spate of boom or bust when bowled by George Smith for 2. When Ithias Adama fell to Anish Vara for 2, this brought Owen Elsom to the crease for his first innings of the season in his first home game looking for 1 run to complete 100 runs for the club amassed over 41 games. Complete this significant milestone he did with a push through point for 2, as nobody else was aware of this it went utterly unnoticed but undeterred Elsom continued his innings clubbing largely to leg.

With both Dave Leadbetter and Elsom well set they both fell to a rampant George Sleight who sent them back to the hutch for 25 and 26 respectively. Keeping largely apace with the required run rate Martin Rooke carried the innings forward accompanied by entertaining cameos from Andrew Pauling with 10 and Frankie Boland with 9 but it was not until he was joined by Paul Atkins that hopes of a 4's victory were truly anticipated.

However after Rooke fell for 33 to Alfie Atkins the innings petered out and Bev was bowled by his son in a tit for tat exchange off the innings final ball for an entertaining 20, Alfie Atkins being the pick of the bowlers with 4-22.

A victory by ten runs for the 3's over the 4's capped a remarkable game with some fine cricket played by both sides:some unexpected performances particularly with the bat; and a friendly yet competitive vibe throughout that can only buoy the players in next week's games against East Hanningfield for the 3's and Hornchurch Athletic for the 4's and for several of the other players who may feature should availability make a 5's game possible. Indeed as the Chairman is prone to note, cricket was indeed the winner for these lovely fellas along with their lovely families.