Griffin vs Horningsham

Sunday 7 June 2009

The Griffin - always good company, but tricky customers with it. Our home advantage is blunted, as they know our artificial pitch’s eccentricities better than we do, having practiced on it more often. Although like any self-respecting pub team they can usually be relied on to show up hungover, they also have some cunning bowlers, and dangerous big-hitters quite capable of biffing a quick 50 as a pick-me-up.

Robert, captain for the day, maintained Horningsham’s hot streak this season by losing the toss. The Griffin’s captain elected to bat first, after a rapid head-count indicated fielding would leave significant gaps in the field.

Angus got a wicket third ball of the match, with what he described as the finest delivery of his life. The rest of his 4 overs weren’t bad either, including as they did his 12th, 27th , and joint-40th finest balls. Bobby put in a storming 6-over spell in his new role spearheading the attack, each over faster than the last, though admittedly from a low base. Nick’s subtle mix of yorkers and beamers confounded the batsmen and kept the scorer busy. Griffin danger men Toren and Hamilton were starting to look ominous, despatching the ball to the long grass. A brilliant bowling change saw to that. Ollie, bowling tweakers rather than thundering in off his long run-up and looking rather the more dangerous for it, snaffled them both, thanks to some sharp catching, particularly Bill’s calm low take at mid-off from Ollie’s first ball. When he bowled, Bill was parsimony personified, but the runs soon started flowing again. Griffin’s captain for the day Laurie was taking his responsibilities seriously and top-scoring for his team. An immaculate straight driven boundary from young J. Arbury suggested the Griffin had found another batting danger-man, before he performed the even more impressive, and unlucky, feat of kicking one of Robert’s undisguised leg-side long-hops onto his stumps. Frank from the Bath Arms proved he was too modest about his bowling prowess in an accomplished spell, capped with a scalp when Ollie snagged a blinder to remove Andy Nunns, playing for the Griffin today.

An hour-long rain-break (and early tea) suggested the need to move the game along. Under leaden skies, assassin Sam duely obliged by cleaning up two wickets in two consecutive balls in one virtually unplayable over, before we enjoyed a rare sighting of Paul bowling, and Connor Hawthorne rounded off an impressively enthusiastic and athletic fielding performance with the final wicket.

Everyone had a twirl bar Roy, gamely deputising behind the stumps for David, who generously umpired the entire match as part of his rehab from his recent operation. Eight different bowlers ended up with a digit in their bottom columns (quiet at the back, please), which would surely be a club record, were we to keep such records. At any rate, it must be better than 8 indifferent bowlers achieving the same feat.

With Horningsham chasing 150, on an outfield slowed by rain, Sam had a go at opening the batting instead of the bowling. He was soon run out, betraying his inexperience in the art of the ‘No!’. Sam would do well to study the simultaneous back-of-the-neck-and-outstretched palm presentation technique of veteran opener Paul, who’d called him for the non-existent run.

Paul and Ollie not only recovered from this wobbly start, but proceeded to share a century partnership that was a study in contrasting styles and obscure antonyms. Paul was reckful, feckful, petuous. Ollie, concerted, nerved, committal. Eschewing the dot ball, Ollie, sailed past 50 before falling to a stunning boundary catch by Liam Nunns (the Nunns showed swerving loyalty to Horningsham in this fixture) attempting a 12th four.

Soon after, within a boundary of a career high score, Paul nicked one behind and fell to another excellent catch. After Frank fell cheaply, and Nick was unluckily run out backing up when the bowler, evading a mighty straight drive, diverted the ball onto the stumps, a spectacular Horningsham collapse seemed not only possible, but on the cards. The Griffin were mayed, we looked domitable.

But this was Bobby’s day. Shunning running between the wickets, he stood and delivered as the sun returned, smashing 7 fours in a rapid-fire 34 that took us close enough to the finishing post to make victory, like a deep-frozen paper bag, unscrewupable, even for us. Hard to choose between Bobby and Ollie for Man of the Match award, but as we don’t have one, why choose?

If we don’t manage to take the Griffin up on their suggestion of scheduling one of their Monday evening practices as a 20/20 return fixture, this may have been the last time we’ve had the pleasure of playing with their star player and top bloke Rob Toren before he returns home to New Zealand later this summer. We’ll miss him, and wish him all the best in his new venture farming apples and tourists.

RS