Given the dire weather warnings and overnight rain this was never going to be a high scoring game. We agreed to shorten the match to 30 overs per side and at the time of the toss there had been no significant rain for 2 hours. The ground was soggy but playable. We lost the toss and were put into bat. This signalled that the opposition had a good bowling attack and so it proved.
The wet track and outfield made the ball unpredictable and runs hit along the ground very difficult to come by. It was great to have Will back. He middled the ball nicely but conditions did for him. It was a similar story for most of the batsmen with the exception of Paolo (17 off 17) who played himself in with a 4 off his first ball! JT regaled us with his role as ‘battlefield surgeon’ patching the team up after many a batting massacre. He did just that and reprised this role scoring 13 runs with elegant stroke play aided and abetted by Sahab. When John had gone Sahab stayed on and got us to 97. Some fine muscular strokeplay saw him hit two boundaries and he remained undefeated on 22*.
After 10 overs we were 3 for 26 and after 20 we were 6 for 53. The last 5 batsmen put on 44 almost doubling the scoring rate. However, if this excitement wasn’t enough BarryE announced that his baby was on the way and he would have to leave.
We had a fragile total to defend with 10 men. We’ve done it before but with more runs on the board. The bowling and fielding were exemplary. The catch of the day was taken by Paolo at deep mid on. The ball was launched into the heavens, he got right under it as it swirled around and after what seemed like an age, he pouched it. However, if there was a runner up in this category JT ran like a gazelle to take a finely judged catch at cover shedding 30 years as he went for it.
The bowling was tight. Neville came into his own with 2 for 11 (economy 1.83), Vishnu 2 for 15 (economy 3) and Kevin 2 for 19 (economy 4.75). Sahab backed up his batting with 4.5 overs of economic quick stuff.
Our relentless bowling/fielding machine kept Laois behind the run rate for quite a lot of the match but Khan (29*) came in at number 5 and ultimately secured victory for them.
I would like to thank our support team. Jon (umpire), Gerard (scorer) and Brian (covid meister). Without their selfless participation we couldn’t play. They are part of our team but they also have to be impartial. The ultimate mark of their success is the lack of disputes that have resulted.
This was not a bad result. We defended a small total without one of our key players and remained in the game until the 27th of 30 overs. We have so much potential and it is just a question of the pieces coming together. We have 2 more matches and if we want to remain in Division 12 we need to win them.
Yesterday we lost a match and gained a baby. That’s a good result.
Written by Hubert Beaumont