Peppard (A) - 11.7.10

The day started on a surprising note as Tranter didn’t lose the toss – Eagle did instead. Standing in as skipper, Eagle continued our fine tradition of calling incorrectly and on a hot sunny day with a baked brown outfield RUASCC were asked to have a bowl. In a team missing all the usual wicketkeepers (no Young Sam, Dip, Dersh or Chan) Wardy took the gloves and discovered a joy in fielding he never knew
existed!

And so the match began. Main, bowling tightly as ever, saw an edge dropped in the slips while Withers, from the Pavilion end, dragged a metaphorical sack of horse manure onto the square and started smearing it around the place. As each of the first four balls of his fifth over flew to the boundary the score passed 50 and the Peppard openers looked in complete control.

But with the score on 63-0 Withers was dragged round the back of the pavilion and shot twice in the head out of kindness, while Zia replaced him and found success immediately: bowling Dyer with his first ball then catching Hayden Junior with his third. And it wasn’t long before the score was 84-4 as the irresistible Zia, bowling off his longer run-up, ripped further into the top order.

In the other bowling change Koslicki replaced Main and started the longest spell of his life. Bowling at a decent pace his early overs were short on luck as more runs went through third man but he eventually made the breakthrough with a tasty Yorker as Peppard, with plenty of teenagers in the batting line-up, struggled past 100 with
six wickets already down.

With 30 overs gone Zia was replaced by guest Adam Finlay who had already impressed with his fielding. “He’s got a good arm, is that because he’s young?” asked one man who isn’t young. Finlay bagged a wicket in his second over as a mistimed drive flew over his head and into the safe hands of the onrushing Dr Eagle. “Yes!” he cried as his gallop took him almost to the other end of the pitch before he was able to stop.

Eagle soon followed this up with another catch at mid-off as Koslicki’s fine spell started to return the rewards it deserved. The arrival of Chard Senior helped to push the Peppard total up past 150 and he had helped himself to 30 before top-edging a full toss, caught safely by Ward running back towards fine-leg. Another wicket for
Koslicki meant he finished with 4-40 from his 11 overs.

Zia returned for the final over and with the very last ball of the innings a long-distance stumping from Ward, looking increasingly comfortable behind the stumps, gave him superb figures of 5-20 from ten overs. Peppard all out for 164 - the first time RUASCC have bowled out an opposition side this season.

Buoyed by another superb tea, Eagle and Ward set off in confident fashion and reached their second fifty partnership of the season thanks in part to some helpful full tosses from the young opening bowlers. With no one fielding deep on the leg side Ward was able to swing the bat, and Eagle’s impressive form continued as he outscored his partner in the early stages. Eagle eventually fell for 24 to an
outstanding slip catch but the foundations were already laid at 55-1.

Carpenter (4) wasn’t able to get going and his dismissal brought Zia in. With no intention of playing himself in, Zia clubbed some brutal boundaries in a rapid 19 before he skied one to backward point and was well caught by Hayden. Greenhalf, still defying a broken elbow, aimed some useful thrashes at the ball and RUASCC looked to be easing toward the winning target. Having needed 105 from the final twenty overs RUASCC were regularly hitting eight or nine an over with Ward, building on his good start, passing fifty with another boundary.

The end of Greenhalf’s cameo brought Finlay to the crease and he was involved in the game’s major point of controversy. A delivery from Chard seemed to clip the top of the bails, but there was some confusion as to whether or not the wicketkeeper had dislodged the bail with his glove instead. Umpire Tranter said “not out” and an argument ensued complete with finger-wagging and sweaty red faces. Play soon restarted although the incident was still being talked about after the game. Perhaps the most surprising thing for those watching from the pavilion was that Tranter was doing some umpiring.

Finlay had made 4 by the time he was properly bowled and Ken Stewart, batting hero of Britwell, brought his steady hand to proceedings. With three overs remaining, the match was finally settled by a beamer that missed everyone and disappeared for four. The result: a very welcome win by five wickets. Wardy, involved in every single ball of the match, ended unbeaten on 68.

So, was Wardy’s success due to the added focus of the wicketkeeping responsibilities? Or was it down to the net session before the game? Last time Wardy scored 68 was the first game of tour last year, and on that occasion he was on the outside of about four pints of lager. Whatever it is, let’s keep it going!

RUASCC Highlight: Zia’s first over. 63-0 became 63-2 in the first three balls.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Wardy.

Most Improved Tea Award: Peppard. Gone was the unidentifiable grey paste, here there were pizzas, cakes and fresh fruit. It was a very good effort indeed.

RUASCC Team: Ward (wkt), Eagle (Capt), Carpenter, Zia, Greenhalf, Finlay, Stewart, Main, Tranter, Koslicki, Withers