Masham v Spennithorne

Match Report/Information

Another week, another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. When the opposition manages a paltry 110 off 20 overs on a sublime, inert pitch, you'd hope that a score so far below par would be attainable. Apparently not. It wasn't without a fight that Masham managed to lose this match but it was mostly with themsleves.

Things started brightly enough, Masham put Spennithorne into bat and after a tidy start by Smart and Falshaw the visitors had managed only 3 from 5 overs losing Monk in the process to a stunning catch from Isaac Jones at mid-off. An observer would be forgiven for thinking that this signalled and about-turn in Masham's recent bowling and fielding maladies. But it hadn't. Masham continued the season's fielding form and the way Broadley pulled his hands away from a ball off his own bowling that went for a straight boundary, you'd think it was filled with gelignite or, at the very least, coated in bubonic plague. Masham's fielders continued to turn ones into twos for the grateful Spennithorne batsmen. Jones had set the standard with his early prowess but no one seemed to
have been watching. Mawer scored some runs but you've probably heard all about it by now. Monk played an intelligent innings and finished with a brisk 29 not out from 32 balls.

So, Nelson to win. Smart once again asked for an improved second-half and with the side bolstered by the return of party-planner Tim Howard, this was a game to win. Together with Sturdy the openers made a solid start but Mawer's juvenile chirp from behind the stumps beat self-styled fisherman Sturdy at his own game and talked
the Swayze lookalike into playing an ordinary shot straight back to the grateful Davison. A little bit of niggle followed but it is better to let the cricket do the talking and as Mawer could rather more eloquently have put it, "look in the book". Smith followed with a run-a-ball 13 before being Davison's second victim which brought Falshaw to the crease on a pair. Two balls later and he's now on a triple. Hill marked his return to Wednesday cricket with a boundary before also being bowled by Davison. Isaac Jones capped an excellent match for him with a chanceless 25 not out, Smart was out LBW to VGN and Christian scampered a single before being run out off the last ball. Masham were 11 runs short. Eleven runs easily conceeded in the field.

Still, it was a good game of cricket on a glorious evening and despite brain-numbingly ordinary banter from you-know-who and a great game being talked with little substance to back it up from his sparring partner, one that was played in good spirits. Davison's 4-30 comfortably exclipsed Mawer's 50 for Man of the Match.

Next week it'll be some other glutton for punishment trying to raise a team as captain Smart heads-off to a rehab centre where, I understand, he will watch hour after hour of quality fielding, runs being saved, people running like they want to actually get to the ball before it crosses the boundary and committed running between the wickets. I
understand he's hoping to be back the following week fit and well. With Tanfield failing to field a team this week, this match was a crucial missed opportunity and Smart seems to be the only one seeing the second division beckoning.

FOR SALE: pair of size 13 bowling boots, available at season's end
WANTED: One pack of committment and a dose of enthusiam; good price paid or can part-ex for some disillusionment and cynicism.