decent in defeat......

I probably write match reports for victories more promptly than for defeats......
Anyway this was a defeat to a very strong Northampton Saints U3 who won the league last year and seemed to have county or district players all through their eleven. The key point is that even though we lost, the wheels never can off, we played some decent cricket, batted well for 20 overs and a few fielding horrors aside we kept going.
I bang on about length being key at this level of cricket and probably all of the bowlers bowled too short although George Leahy, Ben Meacham, Tom Hilton, Harvey Cooke and Harry BS all bowled well against some very decent batsmen. Ben Parker got knocked about a bit but bowled well, gave the ball plenty of flight and would have taken some wickets had his good bowling been backed up by better fielding. Saints got to 157-6 off their 20 overs and it was good to see the lads keep going and they were rewarded by getting a couple of their better players out.
We were up against it having lost early wickets but Ben M (18) and Tom (33 not out) - yet to be out this season - displayed some real determination and good technique to stabilise things and then there was some good batting late on from Vincent Keadell (13 not out including one massive six into the car park) and Philip Thomson (8 not out). As we aimed to do we batted out our 20 overs reaching 92 for 5.
Sometimes in sport you just have to say that you are beaten by a better side (most sides had to concede that last season to the mighty Canaries) and Saints were too strong for us. However 1/ we kept going and gave them a decent match and 2/ the lesson for next time is that we could have saved 30 runs in the field with a bit more zip and precision and then it might have been closer still. Man of the match went to Ben Meacham for a very decent all round display, some wise vice-captaincy and for always being a thoroughly nice, well mannered fella. I have eaten the Haribos but will get a bag to him next time - or maybe I will turn all nutritionalist and get him some dried bananas instead?
On to next week once the monsoon season is done with.........