Sunday 13th June 2021
SCCC 268-5 (40 overs)
Wood Street CC 104 all out (32 overs)
Won by 164 runs
40 over match
Negotiated toss
Scorecard 

Hugh Greenway writes:

Bets were taken on how long it would take Keith, like the ancient mariner at the wedding, to regale any poor victim who would listen with tales of his acrobatic catch of yesteryear. Keith, however, wanted to settle another score; namely whether he or Gossy were the best batsmen in the club. Local boy and skipper for the day, Scottie, sensing an opportunity, sent both in to open after a negotiated toss to let their willows do the talking… and to give the rest of us some peace.

Pippa's golden duck Wood Street 2021Gossy opened briskly with a boundary off his first ball and continued at pace whilst Keith, after missing most of his first two overs, successfully farmed the strike for the next six in order to keep up. The pair passed 50 without loss before Keith was given out caught behind from an edge that was heard on the boundary but which he swears he didn’t touch. Unfortunately for Keith his nemesis Stu had taken over umpiring duties and gave what can only be described as a discursive judgement after extensive consultation. To rub salt into Keith’s wound Gossy continued to end unbeaten on an epic 129.

Toby Seeckts contributed a score [geddit] before missing a straight one bringing Pippa to the wicket at the less familiar position of number 4 only for Pippa to reprise Toby’s demise from his first ball. He claims this was his first golden duck ever. Hugs and Puppy managed a score between them before finally a batsman with the stature required joined Gossy at the crease. Mighty Dwighty carved, nurdled and cut his way to a swashbuckling 40 not out whilst Gossy continued accumulating giving the Cryptics a solid 268 to defend.

Dwight and Gossy at Wood Street 2021Stu opened the bowling and seemed to have left his leg side wide yorker at home for the day delivering a very tidy 1 for 10 off 8. The Grindrod family Daddy G and Ed bowled equally well taking 2-16 and 2-15 respectively and both would have done significantly better had not the office decided to work from home for the day; although Puppy was sporting a lovely new muzzle. The office’s lubric fingers handed the opportunity to the giant of the day, Dwighty, who strode to the crease like a colossus and bowled a hat trick in his first over! After this there was no stopping him and he overtook Gossy in the field not once but twice, although by this point Gossy was moving like someone had removed his batteries.

Scottie even brought Hugs on for a smorgasbord (we can’t call it an over) that included multiple extras, a stumping repealed off a triple bouncing no ball and a caught and bowled before bringing himself on to snaffle the last wicket.

But the hero of the day was the club captain Seeckts, who wasn’t even present. Poor Richard had fallen prey to a nasty bug, thereby demonstrating that he could still catch something and get (the) runs.

Jingle bells.