HALLE-blooming-LUJAH!!

Right, to clear up last week's headline. The song is "knock on wood" by Amii Stewart, not Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. For those born after 1979, here is a link to the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ztZ7WFo3nw

this week's song is... "i need a hero" by Bonnie Tyler (1986), or "Superman" by Black Lace (1983), i really could go on :-)

this weeks opponents were Barkby, the only team in the league below us in the table, and Karl had no hesitation in asking them to bat first. A big shout out needs to go to Matt Sharpe who fielded for us for 90 minutes whilst waiting for Johnny to turn up, and did a good job for us as well.
it was a little bit of a weird game. Their openers never came after us or tried to put us under pressure, and were very content to see off the opening pair of Nick and Matt, who both bowled tidy spells. Matt did have a very good shout for a caught behind turned, with the snick being so slight, even our self-admittedly hard of hearing coach 60 yards away heard it!
Wickets were slow to come, and it took 3rd change Liam to produce a beaut of a ball to jump and turn to take the edge, with Will taking a good catch behind the stumps.
Hayden was bowling a good spell from the other end, and soon started racking the wckets up. Bowling the other opener, getting a good diving catch out of Ash, as well as a well taken skier by Ash not long after, and getting his 4th by ripping the stumps out again not long later. Definitely a performance that deserved a five-for, but then acting like an old man afterwards soon changed my mind about that!
In there somewhere Rich took a wicket, but thanks to a fluent late knock from the Barkby skipper, they finished on 194-6.

My words to Karl were at tea-time was that it was a 250 wicket. By far the best track we've had down there this season. So that meant it was pressure on to the batsmen. Matt was out quickly, edging behind, but then there was a nice little partnership. Jono and Johnny steadily got our score moving, with Jono scoring a nice 32 before being caught at point. Johnny was looking comfortable and runs were starting to flow with him and Rich at the crease until Johnny was caught at gully driving outside off stump. Nick came and went quickly, but smashing a big six and a few fours first to boost the run rate, and was followed by Hayden. Hayden again showed his attacking intent, smashing a few fours and a straight six before being caught out at cow corner.
At this stage, the result was definitely in our hands. Rich was ticking through quite nicely, picking up plenty of boundaries along the way, but the potential turning point was the 5 remaining overs of their opening quickie. Ash was bowled by a good fast yorker'ish length ball, and Will snicked one behind. debatable if he would have been given, but Will walked anyway, bringing the dangerous (not in the way you'd hope) Tom Mugg in.
Tom did well, leaving a couple....and hooking one onto his chin.
the following over turned out to be the last of the match. With every fielder out on the boundary, Rich took a single first ball. The field came in to crowd Tom who blocked the second ball. Third ball was smashed over mid-on for four, and a single was scampered off the fourth. Fifth ball was superbly edged over cover by Rich for another boundary, bringing the scores level. The next ball was hit straight to cover who decided to then hurl the ball at the bowlers end stumps, and Rich and Tom scampered through to win the game.

A good effort from everyone today. not the strongest side we had put out, but we all did our bit. My MOM was Hayden for a good all round performance, but i dont know who the vote went to. And now, off to the beach. Good luck next week boys!