Farley Hill (A) - 13.6.10

Owing to my absence from the starting XI, this week’s match report appears courtesy of opening batsman, fixtures secretary, scientist, nobleman and horse-whisperer Dr Andrew Eagle.

Picture a man at a roulette wheel who has placed four bets on red and they’ve all come up black; he has one chip left for his fifth turn. His heart tells him to stay on red, his bladder tells him to try black for a change, and his mind tells him he should have listened harder in those Maths classes. Now picture Eagle and Ward being told to get the pads on and you know that Trant has defied the odds (32 to 1) and lost the bloody toss again!

At 2.05 pm on a sun-warmed, pine-fringed oval RUASCC took to the crease. At 2.30 pm four men (Ward, Dersh, Dip & Carpenter) were already back under the veranda pondering the attractions of tea and listening to Wardie’s tales of last night’s hot tub action (and not a delicates wash in sight).

The score stood at 34 for 4 and Eagle had already retreated to his emergency position of forward defensive and the odd nurdle behind (enough to pass his
7000 runs for the club). At the other end arch nemesis “Pinkie” Shaw (no I don’t know either) was bowling his nagging line and length, and even Victor had a spring (and a sizeable Cuban heel) in his step.

Meanwhile, Chan had a new bat and was damned if he was going to knock it in carefully. Named a “B52” and looking as if it had last been used by the GWR, the bat was soon in action as Chan pulled and swung at anything remotely playable. Eagle was energised by this and started to play more positively and some shots even took a frontal trajectory, as the pair scampered singles and twos. The possibility of a RUASCC embarrassment passed; the sun shone; the drinks came and came again as Chan scattered the field with glorious shots, mostly to the leg side, whilst Eagle late-cut and nurdled away.

As the partnership hit 125, Chan, hitherto not a man in a hurry between the stumps, called manically for a quick single, Eagle hesitated too long and either way a wicket would have fallen; sadly Chan out for a brilliant 80. Sam took up the gauntlet that Chan had stuffed into the face of Farley Hill CC and continued to thrash boundaries from the now tiring bowling. Meanwhile, Eagle had at last got his fifty, and as if to celebrate danced down the wicket to Pinkie and hit a high and long six into the woods; having only taken two hours to work out that was the way to play him! Minutes later he was caught for 60, and after a few more from Sam, Trant declared on 211 for 7.

In reply, the bearded openers of FH set off at a steady pace, Streak especially impressive in his searing cuts and leg glances; there were a lot of leg glances. Jagesh’s first spell did not last long and at the other end Zia was doing his party trick of bowling from a long run up and figures of 9 runs off 8 overs suggest he should pull that particular rabbit from the hat more often. Bruce then came on and looked on good form, and this was underlined by the first wicket.

Jagesh had replaced Zia at the other end and Withers (back from playing football – yes, incredible I know) replaced Zia on the field. Another wicket came and the opposition needed 119 from the last 20 overs. Any ideas of a win were swept aside when Jagesh took two in two balls (and ended with 4 for 50), and from then on the weaker than usual Farley batting side put up the closed sign. They showed little interest of re-opening when Tranter offered the wares and delicacies (left-overs, off-cuts, seconds, shop soils) of Carpenter, Dersh, Wardie and Chan. Even Trant, finding a line and length that had been a stranger at Greys Green, could not shift the wily old pair of batsmen at the end. So a draw, some fifty runs short with five wickets standing, was the outcome.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Chan – one of his greatest knocks, and all too welcome.

Farley Hill Man of the Match: Pinkie Shaw with figures of 21-6-80-3.

RUASCC Highlight: numerous high class shots from Chan; Eagle’s rare and towering six?

RUASCC Team: Ward, Eagle, Carpenter, Dersh, Dip, Chan, Griffiths (wkt), Zia, Main, Tranter (capt), Jagesh