Strollers lost by eight wickets
Strollers 124-8
(20 overs; Pittams 38no, Oliver 27no, Travis 16)
HM Treasury 127-2
(15.4 overs; Oliver 1-7, Wall 1-11)
The first question on everyone's lips was: Would we at last have 11 players on the pitch? The answer was, of course, no. Still, 10 was better than previous weeks. Thanks to Tom Kirk for turning out for his first match in 15 years.
Skipper Rob Wall won the toss and elected to bat. John Low and Mike Pittams strode out and tackled the opening bowlers in different ways – Mike by heaving at every delivery and John by intelligent use of the late dab to third man to get Mike back on strike. Mike retired on 27. John was eventually bowled with the score on 40 having run a good proportion of them.
Blair Travis and Alastair Macaulay were the new bats, the latter cruelly deprived of an innings on Sunday. Alastair was nearly the victim of Blair's idiosyncratic calling ("yes" doesn't always mean yes) but was soon back on the bench having swung too often and was caught. Keith Shannon wasn't so lucky and was run out and diplomatically took the blame. Other opinions are available.
Blair was bowled for 16 and responsibility for pushing the score along fell to Glen Oliver who wasted no time in reaching 27, helped by having Brad Trebilcock at the other end to make ones into twos.
The bowling by the Treasury was appropriately parsimonious throughout, and the Strollers innings slowed to a trickle. Wall came in at the end and hit a boundary first ball and then was seemingly out obstructing the field or retired himself (it is unclear). It allowed Pittams to return for the last over and managed a few lusty blows (they could be his middle names). The innings closed on a sub-par 124.
The Treasury side got off to a good start despite the best efforts of Oliver and Travis, who opened the bowling. Blair unleashed his medium pace persona and was unlucky not to take a wicket. Glen had a sharp chance dropped behind but did have one of the openers well caught by Wall running back at mid-on.
Rob got a wicket with his first ball but that was really the extent of any further success. Mike, Alastair, Tom and John turned their arms over but the batters took a liking to all. Three of them reached their 25 and retired and the runs were knocked off in the 16th over. Edited "highlights" were shared thanks to Kevin Patterson's Go-Pro. Hopefully no-one was offended by the language after the drop behind.
The final midweek match of the season may have ended in ignominious defeat but spirits were revived in the Red Lion where Strollers tucked into a few lagers and the mozzies tucked into a few Strollers.
Capt: Rob Wall. Wkt: Kevin Patterson.
Match fees: Aidan Selby. Match reporter: Alastair Macaulay.