Having won the toss and with the prospect of a record-breaking
fifth century in one season in sight, captain Blair Travis sent the Strollers
out to bat first against opponents Bledlow.
Travis and Isa Pandor opened the batting. Bledlow’s opening
left-arm pace bowler was in very tidy form and posed an obvious threat with
multiple deliveries picking up a bit of swing and narrowly avoiding the outside
edge, until one eventually picked up Pandor, who departed for a duck.
James Dela Rue was in next but, after starting well with a
couple boundaries, departed soon after for 11 runs. Strollers No 4 Steve Rogers
also had a quick entry and exit for six runs.
Having controversially turned up to the Strollers game in a
South Africa jersey only weeks after Australia lost to South Africa in the World
Test Championship Lord’s, the Strollers’ newest youngster, Will Bennett, shook
off hostile pre-game comments from Australian Jack Le Serve and walked out to the
crease with confidence.
A nice partnership had started building between No 1 and No
5 until Bennett was eventually caught behind for 17. Glen Oliver was the next
to head to the crease. His stay was short-lived with a pull shot falling short
of clearing the legside boundary and seeing him dismissed for four.
Wicketkeeper Hugh Martindale walked out next and batted
excellently with three boundaries in his 19 – the second-highest score of the
day. Opener Travis was close to making history but unfortunately fell nine runs
short of his target and departed
for 91.
Le Serve headed in with five overs to go and scored a quick
17 including one maximum. At the other end fresh off an unbeaten 50, Jake Helsby
came to the crease with four overs left and far too much confidence – only to
be dismissed off his fourth ball trying to play a routine baseball swing at a
slow and straight ball that found its destination on middle stump.
Helsby was replaced by Alastair Macaulay who, on his way
out to the wicket, switched bats with the departing Helsby to prove that the
bat was in fact capable of making contact with a cricket ball – and he was
right. Macaulay quickly added to the total with an excellent drive through mid-off
which found its way to the long boundary.
Le Serve was dismissed, which brought Strollers legend Simon
Brodbeck to the crease, but before he could get into his groove, Macaulay was
bowled at the other end which saw the Strollers innings finish on 209.
Dela Rue opened the bowling and off his fourth ball he
either saved a boundary from a powerfully struck straight drive or dropped an
absolute sitter depending on whether you ask him or anyone else in the team.
His five-over spell was unlucky not to pick up a wicket, but certainly kept the
run rate down, which made the run chase look harder and harder for Bledlow to
achieve.
Opening from the other end, Helsby picked up a wicket with his
second ball, which saw Bledlow’s opener dismissed for a duck. Helsby’s caught
and bowled made it two wickets in two overs. Helsby’s two wickets could easily have
been four, but two dropped catches by Le Serve at square leg said otherwise.
The second bowling partnership of Pandor and Bennett was
perhaps the most iconic moment in the game, and more or less sealed the win for
the Strollers. From one end, Pandor began his spell with two consecutive double-wicket
maidens and finished with figures of 4-7 off his five overs. From the other end, Bennett (aka Will
Steyn) chose not to ease off the accelerator and charged in off a full 31-pace
run-up (approximately 28 steps longer than the Strollers average run-up) and claimed
two wickets.
Rogers and Macaulay completed the job, picking up one
wicket each to see Bledlow all out for 65 runs. Overall, a convincing 144-run victory
for the Strollers at the Pinkney Green fortress.
Capt: Blair Travis. Wkt: Hugh Martindale.
Match reporter: Jake Helsby. Match fees: Alastair Macaulay.
