Cotswold's Tour 2008
18th - 20th July
Tour Report
Another fine tour. One win, one loss and one tie. Two great nights and plenty of entertainment.
Against all the rules of what goes on tour stays on tour, for those who weren't there or too drunk to remember, this is roughly how I remember the weekend went (or at least the games):
Friday: RLB v John King XI @ Chedworth
On Friday morning, the Breakers made their way to Chedworth for the first fixture of the weekend against the John King XI, those with JB Sat Nav going the scenic route via Birmingham. Despite strict orders to stay fit, Mark A still managed to turn his ankle getting out of a taxi on the morning of the game.
A delayed start and heavy skies restricted the game to 35 overs. RLB batted first and despite the short boundaries, the openers were restricted by 12 fielders and a slow wicket. Chappo, playing for the oppo, helped things along for a while with some buffet bowling (and how the crowd cheered as the ball sailed over his head into the trees). JB and JS took the score to 26 without loss off 9 overs before Jon Southey fell lbw for 15. Will King toughed it out against some tight bowling and loose sledging and started to find the form that he has been seeking. Johnny Sausage then attempted a quick single that was so quick that Will didn't have time to leave his crease and John was soon hobbling back to the pavilion asking the ladies to rub his injured groin. Justin 'Elvis' Reynolds rocked upto the wicket and for a moment everywhere you looked there was a King. Not for long though. First one King, struggling to see over his collar, out from under his shades and between the side burns, was bowled and back at the Heartbreak Hotel, then the next King returned to sender after reaching a top score 36. This brought last week's South African heroes to the crease. Hopes were high that they could reprise their form but they only managed to demonstrate that their form is inversely propotionate to the form of t he National side. Mark holed out to square leg whilst Craig was square leg before. Your skipper tried to stay around to see the Breakers through to a respectable score but lost his head, a pint and his middle stump trying to hit Chappo over the top. There was just time for a quick-fire and unbeaten 13 from Mark Southey on his favourite tour ground before we were bowled out 2 overs short of the 35 for 134.
Tight bowling from Elvis, Mark, Craig and Mark kept the run rate down before King John started to tax the bowlers having failed in his appeal for the joke bowlers to be brought on. Although the score moved along, wickets fell regularly with Mark taking four and Emily two including Elvis Chapman bowled for 7. With about four overs to go, Will 'Motty' King remarked that this would be the first time that Breakers would win at Chedworth. No such luck. With six needed off the last over, Justin bowled excellantly to concede one off the first four balls before the fifth was pulled to the boundary for four. Two to win off the last ball and a scrambled run tied the game. Second tie this season and the second on tour (remember Ampney Crucis!).
So many champage moments: JB signalling Jon Southey one run short/Jon Southey running one short and thus effectively denying us the win (leave off the pies Jon)/ John Sanders catching a skier off Emily at mid wicket (he was supposed to be a mid on!)/ Justin catching John as we all waited for the collision/ and Chappo being bowled by Emily.
Breakers' Man of the Match: Mark Anderson for the best bowling figures of the match taking 4-31 off his short run up.
Saturday: RLB v Broken Stumps @ Stowell Park
The Broken Stumps' tour car arrived at the Fossebridge Inn on time with all 4 of the opposition. A few phone calls and some juggling kept the circus on the road and the match turned into a Breakers 10 v Broken Stumps/Breakers 11. On a windy but fine afternoon, Breakers were put into bat on another slow wicket and were soon in trouble. Pete Sanders showed us how twins like not to be out done by each other by running himself out, Bunny got out to a good catch by Will King, Mark didn't trouble the scorer and Justin went for 2. 16 for 4. At this point I was faced with the choice of either scoring some runs or asking for my players back. Luckily, the joke bowlers made an appearance (at one stage the bowling 'attack' had a combined age of 128!) and Chappo (18), the President (17), and I managed to take the score up to 118-7 before I holed out to Craig for 57. Tony Bunge, Emily and JB all played measured innings to get us to 133 off the full 35 overs. Craig showed how playing with a hangover focusses the mind and returned figures of 2-19, Mark 0-9 and Will 0-11.
The wicket was by now drying out and less helpful to the bowlers (sorry Craig!!). That didn't stop Tony Bunge getting a couple of early wickets including Will King. For the second time in two days John King got his head down and with Chad Simpson, it was not looking good. A couple of quick wickets from Chappo though pulled us back into it and when Emily bowled Chad, we had a chance with the score at 88-5. With 14 overs left we would however have to bowl them out. Only trouble was, they had half our bowlers including Mark Southey who decided he was also a batsmen that day, thumping 25no in as many balls, and despite the efforts of the Stowell Park 10, Broken Stumps/ Breakers reached 135 in 30 overs.
Champagne moment: toss up between Emily bowling Chad and Kim watching the whole game then saying that she thought John Sanders had already gone home looking at Pete as he walked past.
Two days into the tour and still in a no win situation.
Sunday: RLB v Bibury @ Bibury
After dragging Will King out of his bed at 11.45am, those breakers still standing kept their faith and followed the farm track across the fields after lunch at the Catherine Wheel to play Bibury who hired the local gunslinging professional John King to make up their numbers. Rather than go to church with the vicar and his wife, Mark Southey, who by now had all the kit, decided separately to visit all the other cricket grounds in the area, eventually arriving at the game just as Craig and Jon were walking out to bat. Playing with JB's bat with the 'uge ole', Craig played a perfect defensive shot to the wrong ball and can now join the Primary Club. John Southey was out to a great catch and at 18-2, it was all looking a bit too familiar. Will King and Justin then put on 62 before Justin was out for 27 having hit several shots down to a real cow corner. Will reached his fifty (again proving that hangovers aid performance) getting caught on the mid wicket boundary on a day that he could/should have got a ton, for 68. Chappo and your skip then put on 47 either side of the only rain break of the weekend to reach a respectable 187-4 with Chappo unluckily finishing on 47no.
Compared to the day before I had a cupboard full of bowlers. Which was just as well given the geriatric fielding display - Emily was the only breaker who wasn't throwing like a girl. After a couple of overs from Craig and Mark Southey, JB gave a top class performance of negative bowling whilst William Powell was the only bowler to find a consistent line and length all afternoon. John King continued where he left off the day before remaining unbeaten on 47 by the time the innings closed at 158-8. with almost everyone managing to pick up a wicket without really impressing. Anyone would have thought that they had all been up the night before drinking,
Champagne moment: Toss up between Craig's golden duck and Jon Southey's one handed catch off JB.