Britwell Salome (A) – 3.7.11

RUASCC 164-8
Tranter 32 not out, Eagle 27

Britwell 168-5
Withers 3-67, Baker 1-28

RUASCC lost by 5 wickets

The Britwell fixture is one we always look forward to so it was something of a surprise to see Andy scrambling around for players during the week leading up to the game - many thanks to Zia’s brother Waqar and Andy Scarr for joining in the fun. On what felt like the first warm Sunday of the season Captain Carpenter lost the toss and was asked to bat first on a track with variable (low) bounce and a rather striking slope to contend with.

Eagle and Carpenter made steady progress for the first half hour before Carpo got bored with steady and hit four quick boundaries to get things moving along. Unfortunately he then tried to cut a ball that dipped back a mile and bowled him for 25. Number three Baker looked comfortable immediately and he added 21 in a 25-run partnership before using his feet beautifully to miss a straight one.

RUASCC looked to have been coasting at 72-1 but in true RUASCC fashion collapsed to 113-7 against fairly innocuous bowling, losing six wickets in 12 overs including the farcical run out that saw Eagle and Chan having an argument at the non-striker’s end while the wicketkeeper was almost too embarrassed to take the bails off 22 yards away. It was eventually decided that Eagle had to go, and when the distressed opener reached the pavilion he kept walking straight out of the ground. “He’s gone to buy a gun,” said Dr Ashman authoritatively.

Zia (4) spooned his second ball straight up in the air before Waqar (8) Chan (12) and Scarr (1) were all bowled, meaning that with an hour left to bat we had to rely on Pensioner Ken Stewart and Richard Tranter to get us out of the mess.

Tranter cracked a couple of boundaries to keep the score moving while Stewart did well to contain his natural attacking impulse to score seven runs in 13 overs. Then, just after Tranter had belted a perfect straight drive for another four, Stewart was mercifully given out LBW. With ten minutes remaining Tranter clobbered a six over mid-on to take the score past 150 then added a run a ball with Dr Ashman to finish unbeaten on a 21st century high score of 32. RUASCC 164-8.

Britwell need 165 runs to win

Baker and Withers opened the bowling and Britwell, who we were reliably informed didn’t have many batsmen, cruised along to 33-0 with a few early boundaries. In the eighth over Withers found his line and length and drew an edge which Chan put down behind the stumps – fortunately the next ball did exactly the same thing and this time Channy clung onto a much tougher chance diving to his right.

The next two overs were both wicket-maidens as Baker’s off-cutter did for the other opener and Withers tormented the new batsman with five outswingers before the straight one pegged back his off-stump. A short while later an unusually rampant Withers took his third wicket to leave Britwell 56-4.

But then, not for the first time this season, we let the batsmen back into the game. Neither Zia nor his brother Waqar could find a breakthrough as Britwell jogged along at four runs per over. A full-blooded sweep almost brought a remarkable catch by Withers diving to his left at leg-slip but otherwise there were no chances offered before eventually Waqar trapped Clarke LBW for 33 with 35 runs still needed in six overs.

Withers returned at the death but didn’t pose any threat at all with a ball that now resembled a sweet potato - one over went for 15 as Lawrence passed fifty and took all the tension out of the game. Needing just eight from the last two overs they scored them all in six balls off Withers, whose figures took a bit of a pounding.

So RUASCC’s win-loss record for 2011 is now 2-4, and we keep up their proud record of letting an opposition batsman score a fifty in every game this season (except Farley Hill where Ditchburn retired on 48 not out). More on that particular phenomenon in due course.

RUASCC Highlight: The couple of overs during which Withers and Baker reduced Britwell from 33-0 to 33-3. Everything was going so well for a little while.

RUASCC Man of the Match: For top-scoring with 32 not out and at least giving us a total to fail to defend – Richard Tranter.

RUASCC Team: Eagle, Carpenter (capt), Baker, Zia, Malde (wkt), Waqar, Scarr, Stewart, Tranter, Ashman, Withers