Sunday 1st August
SCCC 174 for 9 (35 overs)
Blackheath 178 for 5 (25 overs)
Blackheath won by 5 wickets
35 over match due to threat of rain (which duly arrived)
Toss ‘negotiated’
Scorecard
David Grindrod writes:
After giving the oppo a good hiding last year we arrived confident at Blackheath, one of our favourite spots. We also arrived a lot heavier and older (nee experienced) than last year, to be greeted by a much younger and fitter looking Blackheath. Having been invited, or was it instructed, to bat we were underway in a 35 over game, throughout which the ground was surrounded by threatening dark clouds.
With a top five that included two stalwarts awaiting operations to allow them to run, a rare failure from Scottie, Keith walking and Toby finding things a lot more difficult than last year, we sauntered to 64 off the first 20 overs. Gossy eventually got going, scoring 29, outlasting Toby(10). Keith (14) and Scottie(4) made way for Seeckts Snr and Bridges, crippled but with Seeckts Jnr as his runner. Bridges immediately forgot he shouldn’t run: not because he had a runner, but because he actually couldn’t run! Setting off for what would be his first run he pulled up rather quickly, the reason for his retirement in 2019 pretty obvious to all. It was great to have him back for one last hurrah. Toby, his runner, almost spoilt his dad’s tea-time speech. Called through for what should have been an easy first run he gave a great impression of Bambi on Ice before making his ground and thus ensure Bridges has never had a duck for the Cryptics in 27 completed innings, a record.
In need of some acceleration, Bridges decided it was a lot less painful to clout some boundaries, perishing by the sword for 24. Seeckts Snr and Dwighty managed one boundary each before they holed out, leaving us on 112 for 6 with just 7 overs remaining.
Time for some longer handle which lead to 62 off the last 7, from first Will Hicks (30), then Jonny Wright (17) and Grinders Snr. Jonny was caught off the last ball, denying Uncle Stu a go in front of three generations of his fan club, and meaning all 9 Cryptics perished to catches. Wonder if that has happened before, PAJA? Certainly not likely when we are in the field.
At tea Paul was presented his Pink and Black Blazer for services to the Cryptics, kitten* slaughtering (*the name for young bunnies apparently) and not ever having got a duck (just). It just about fitted him.
As part of his blazer presentation speech the skipper let it be known that Uncle Stu has a rather poor record of actually hitting the stumps, before tossing him the ball to open the bowling. And guess what happened! Blackheath’s opener was sent back to the pavilion bowled for a duck. Unfortunately for Stu it was in the second over bowled by Jonny Wright. To make things worse, that brought in Vickers, who promptly started smashing Stu, and all other bowlers, all over the park. Grinders made things worse by castling the other opener, which brought in skipper Harrison, who also joined in the onslaught. This was either payback for last year or down to the threat of rain. Hicks and Scottie had a go but also suffered. Vickers timed his innings to perfection, departing for 98 just before it started raining, going for one more enormous six to go with the several others he succeeded in hitting. Scottie claimed him and the number 6 quickly after. By now it was raining, but we stayed out to suffer the last rites, which include a 14 year old ramping and switch hitting them to a comprehensive win and bringing our run of five successive victories to an end.
We go again next week.
