Put in to bat on what looked like a sporting wicket with plenty of grass and some suspicious looking filled in patches didn't inspire much confidence. Two early wickets and the doom mongers were muttering about how we can't win away from home. At 56 for 7 with the ball cutting and seaming around corners combined with low and slow bounce it looked like we would do well to make it past the 68 we rolled Thame over for earlier this season.
It is not often that the skip gets in to bat with time to play himself in, let alone with 27 overs left. He was due a knock after about 4 years in the wilderness. With a sense of timing normally reserved for passing comets (they only come past once or twice every century) he dug deep, relishing the attritional nature and lack of pressure to score quickly. Joined by The Caretaker as the ninth wicket fell at 85 they put on 41 in an unbroken partnership that gave us a a total to bowl at. It was The Caretakers best innings this season and the skips best for more than 15 years.
Tea passed without incident or enjoyment; I mean who runs out of milk so that 3 cups of tea have to be shared? Pathetic.
Thame rarely appear to be 'up for it' and yesterday they looked even less interested than normal. Half their team stayed in the pavilion watching the golf. No supporting from the boundary from this lot.
This lack of interest and dysfunctional behaviour is pure gold for us. Early wickets from Morne and Northern Gravy had Thame reeling and out of the game at 11 for 4. This rapidly turned in to 19 for 7. Morne bowled slow medium pace cutters and was unplayable ending with 3 for 8 from 10 overs. Matt simply bowled full and straight and let the ball do the talking as he ended with 6 for 19.
We didn't drop a catch either. Nice.
Only two of Thame's side offered any sort of resistance with the unfortunate Richard Carr spooning a slow full toss straight to midwicket from Cookie. His departure ended any hope Thame had of pulling off an unlikely win as they were all out for 80.
Perhaps we needed a game like this to put some fire back in our belly. Results elsewhere went our way and finishing second is back in our hands now.
Next week we travel to Tiddington and need to be ravenously hungry for the 25 points. We must fight for every run and wicket like our very lives depend on it.
Nothing less than 100% effort is acceptable. I am looking for proof from every player that they want to win this league. No more excuses.
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