First win of the season for the Sunday Team!

After the washout of games on Saturday, we were happy to be able to get the game on at Horton on Sunday. The outfield was drying quickly in the warm breeze and the pitch looked fine. We had selected a young team to match up against Geddington's young team, who no doubt were looking for revenge over Horton after we won last year's encounter. Losing the toss, we were asked to bat first and so Messrs Orton and Bennett-Sulsh went out to open the innings. The lads soon got into their stride with both players picking up boundaries off anything loose and running plenty of singles to keep the score ticking. Whilst we would have bowled first had we won the toss, we were very happy with the score at 66-0 off 13 overs before Geddington made the first breakthrough in the next over with the score on 73. Lewis hit another powerful shot to midwicket but a slight mid-pitch hesitation cost him as he was very well run out by Hanna McDade for a career best of 37. George Leahy joined Harry and the pair enjoyed a decent partnership of 27 in the next 4 overs until George was bowled for 10. Harry was pressing on and into the 30s now as Jake Monk went out for a bat in his first senior game. Jake showed great composure and a good technique in handling the bowling, he would go on to score an excellent 25 before being bowled. Meanwhile Harry had reached an impressive maiden senior 50 which contained 9 boundaries and promptly retired. Finn Herrington went out to bat with us keen to move the score on to post something in excess of 200 and immediately took the attack to the bowlers. Finn was out for a hard hitting 32 with the score on 203 so skipper Alan joined Ish in the middle for the last couple of overs. Ish was unluckily bowled off his body for 1 so Mitch Boffin joined Alan and together they managed to score 16 off the last two overs to post a decent total of 221. First job done.

With 9 players keen to bowl it was always going to be a bit of a juggling act to get everyone a decent bowl. We opened with Finn Herrington and George Leahy (also playing his first adult game) and enjoyed an early wicket when Finn had opener McDade well caught for 0 by Mitch Boffin. George was getting some away swing and troubled the batsmen with some good balls that moved in the air. He got his reward by bowling Geddington's no.3 for 10. This left Geddington 30-2 off 10 overs and time for a bowling change. Finlay Moffat came on as did Vincent Keadell to bowl some tidy legspin in his first senior game. Spin at both ends worked well with both bowlers bowling some excellent deliveries to challenge the batsman. With Finlay taking two wickets in succession, we were ready to celebrate the hat trick at the bar afterwards but it wasn't to be. One wicket from a sharp catch in the gully by John Jesu and then Finlay bowling Geddington's keeper for a golden duck. Finlay finished with 2-21 from his 6 overs and Vincent gaining some valuable experience with his 4 overs. We then followed up with Harry Bennett-Sulsh and his seam at one end whilst John Jesu plied his offspin from the other. No wickets were taken but we kept the run rate down and the pressure firmly on Geddington. Jake Monk had a brief spell with his promising leg cutters before Mitchell and Lewis took on the job of closing out the game with the last few overs. No further wickets with batsman Temple being shelled a couple of times at slip off Lewis by our most senior player....! Geddington only really had 3 batters who scored runs, skipper Nathan Brown retiring after a patient 50, Evan Downhill for a breezy 22 and then Ben McDade with a hard hitting 52. They ended up with 155-4 off their 40 overs which meant we secured a comfortable victory against a Geddington side who played in the right spirit for a Sunday friendly.

It had been an excellent all round bowling, batting and fielding performance and all the lads can be really proud of themselves, especially our three senior debutants who all aquitted themselves really well. Also another maiden senior Sunday 50 notched up for one of our impressive juniors, Harry.

Many thanks to Rob Boffin who helped out on the day and umpired both innings of the game.

That makes it one win from two but with two scores of 200+ in our first two games, the signs are very good. Our next game is away at Bugbrooke on 23rd May where I expect us to have a harder test.

Alan Pitt
Sunday XI Captain