8/12/2019 Match Report Tipton St John Home

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Sunday 6 th JulyChulmleigh, 182 for 9 (46 overs), Rodders 48, Danny 41, Alford 4-42Tipton St John, 17 for 7 (40 overs), Tolley 52, Alford 33, Tom Spence 3-26

Draws come in all shapes and sizes. Last weeks hung its head sheepishly and sloped off to a corner

where it hoped it would not be seen . This weeks bounced up and down, eager for everyonesattention, right to the very end of the party. We had a keenly fought match which neither sidedeserved to lose, but neither side was quite good enough to win. The threatened rain held off allafternoon , Sues tea magnificent . There were plenty of runs, wickets and opportunities for everyoneto shine, though not all of us took them.

Chulmleighs top order, asked to bat on a slow dampish pitch that required some early tenacity, allfound ways to get themselves out when reasonably set. Gidders struck his third ball into the sheepfield for six but failed to capitalise. His dozen became par for the next hour. Buzz was untroubleduntil bowled. Bradheimann was caught clumsily at point, done by the lack of pace. Fenton wascomposed and elegant then chipped a full toss back to the bowler. James seemed to be bowled by a

straight one. Aidans dark glasses prevented him from seeing exactly where his feet need to bewhen the wicket keeper collects the ball. Rodders (48) and Danny lead a rescue act from 72 for 6,nudging singles into gaps and punishing the occasional loose ball. Unusually, there was grip, turnand a little bounce for Tiptons gentle spinners. Within grasp of a hard earned half century, Rodderswas caught at mid off. Phin the mercurial was dropped with ice still on the ball but added anothercrucial 39 runs against the clock, running daring doubles. Danny, occasionally hitting the ball wherehe actually wanted it to go, made a defiant 41. Tea was taken at 182 for 9 off 46 overs. Alford, adeceptive medium-pacer, took 4 for 42.

Determined to bowl enough overs to maximise taking 10 wickets and keep our opponentsinterested, fielders sprinted into position. It is the first time I have fielded at slip and been out of

breath within 10 minutes. Tom2

got us bang into the game. Gritty Northern paceman, Mr Keighleywas a handful in the corridor of uncertainty, Mr Spence thoughtful as any undergraduate should bebut also more incisive. Early wickets opened up the game; 68 for 5 after the first hour, a calmlytaken run out and three wickets for Tom S (3-26). I reflected on the irony of an earlier neighbouringcomplaint about noise from the bowling machine as the sound of John Cains lathe rasped aroundthe otherwise peaceful surroundings. Tipton Rock Phil Tolley was joined by Alford and through adispiriting sequence of several overs, one bonus boundary and at least a single was taken off everyover, reducing the target to just 46 in ten overs. Catches evaded our grasp, none easy.Bradheimann limped like James Donald at the River Kwai, disapproving of the madness around him.Then, in his second over, Rope-A-Dope Aidan Davies grilled his own George Foreman, bowling thedanger man Tolley for 52 after three consecutive wides. Deceptively dangerous Alford was then

triggered on the front foot for 33 including most of those gifted boundaries; all outcomes nowpossible. Kev Davies seemed to outdo Corporal Jones with blurted outbur sts from the supportersbench. Both sides groped manfully towards victory with neither having quite the cojones to get overthe line. Tipton finished six short when hands were shaken, Tom Keighley bowling the squeaky bumfinal over with admirable calm. Well as our seamers acquitted themselves, Chulmleigh were undoneby the lack of a quality spinner in conditions that suited. That search needs to go on. I am not surethe strain of bowling 20 overs in the first 70 minutes is sustainable. One further positive after thekilling fields of the previous Sunday was that the only injuries were to pride not body and Buzz wasable to return home without being lifted by several team mates onto the Ducati.