Perhaps you want to debate this controversial subject when you are having supper tonight. Or perhaps not. You decide, it's a free world.
Yesterday we had the privilege of welcoming Bourton Vale to the FoD on a muggy, but oddly breezy day. Skip won the toss and invited Vale to have a bat on another belter of a batting track. We were determined not to let Vale get off to the same storming start they enjoyed earlier in the season.
We didn't, and had them 4 for 3 inside 4 overs. The Don taking two with fine catches from Pritch and Tee Kay with Matt clean bowling the third. Happy days, but surely not representative of this pitch? Our fielding was sharp and our mood positive after Pritch took the fourth with the score on 31. This wicket saw The Judge take what may be the catch of the season. Using his new approach of walking in at gully he took a stormer that made Paul Collingwood look like an average middle order batsman who only scores runs intermittently but is slightly better than Rob Key. It was the crowning moment of a great display in this position.
Vale's middle order rallied well, riding a bit of luck but mainly hitting some below average bowling to the boundary a little too regularly they clawed back to 140, still for 4, with 17 overs left. A wicket for The Judge and another for Crabbie slowed progress a bit. Our heads did not drop throughout this, despite having to dive into the brambles a little too frequently to retrieve balls. The end came quickly as Vale went from 214 for 6 to 220 all out, Pritch picking up another couple of wickets and Crabbie knocked back the stumps of 10 and 11 in consecutive balls. Hat trick next week? Matt bowled through the pain barrier again, ending with 4 for 59. Further jug evasion from the Yorkshireman.
As we left the field I felt positive, 220 is only a par score at the Field of Dreams and we had won every game we had chased since the season opener at Oxford. We would have to bat well though as 221 would be our highest second innings score this season.
Faced with an intimidating target we needed to stay positive but refrain from recklessness; it is all about pace and momentum. Get your eye in and only then move on to the more ambitious, expansive areas.
I started with a ham and mustard sandwich, the forward defensive of the cricket tea; moved on to a slice of quiche (leg glance); a sausage roll (back foot drive); chicken tikka piece (cover drive); mini pasty (lofted hoik towards cow); ending with a slab of pavlova (reverse sweep for six). Incidentally on quizzing Jose on his return to the ground in the evening he mentioned that he always starts his tea with a ham sandwich. He then throws it in the bin as he doesn't like ham and feasts on pasties.
Anyway, after another stupendous tea courtesy of Dad Cook and some Cornish elves we started the chase.
The top three got in, got a few and then got out. Crabbie and Pritch didn't trouble the scorers and we were 86 for 5 in the 26th over. We were about to step on a banana skin. Yet again two new heroes stepped up, determined to 'be the man' that won the game for us. They cheekily skipped over the banana skin and powered us on to 202. Bernard and Cookie scored 116 runs at more than seven an over to transform the game. Bernard was unlucky to be bowled off his pads for a gritty 34, easily his best innings of the season so far.
Cookie played one of the best innings of the season from anyone in the side and capped it off with his maiden senior ton. A fantastic, mature, cultured innings that combined brutal front foot driving with cuts, pulls and even a few wanky dabs. It had it all and drew justifiable praise from everyone lucky enough to witness it. I am sure it will be the first of many, and hopefully not the last this season.
We won by only 2 wickets in the end as the self destruct gene re-emerged briefly. The Judge finished it in style with three boundaries from his first three balls.
Another 25 points combined with good results for us elsewhere means that we travel to Thame next Saturday knowing that a win guarantees us the title. We don't need any greater motivation than this and I cannot wait for the game to start..............
Twyford II V Didcot II
Didcot managed only 130 runs in their 47 overs Prasad contributing 31 and Conner 20 and at the end 16 not out by Sam Couldrick.
Twyford reached the target with the loss of 5 wickets. Dan Alderson pick of the bowling with good pace and bounce, unfortunate not to pick-up more wickets.
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