April showers !!....

I'm now so lazy that we borrow match reports from opposition sites...but LP don't really count as they are soulmates and I'm sure won't mind !


Hail to the new season or just, hail, the weather?

By the Field Correspondent

Hail to the 2012 season, hail to a 4^th season of cricket in Little Paxton with the prospect of matches against some familiar faces – none more so than Little Staughton Village Cricket Club – our erstwhile barometer of performance and most importantly enjoyment.

The 15^th April maybe the earliest start to the season so far and for those who stayed indoors yesterday you will understand why various faces were pulled at erstwhile correspondent when explaining that cricket started for the club this weekend (or is that how British Airways cabin crew normally look?)

Team wise Paxton assembled a motley crew – again – a mixture of guile, experience, enthusiasm – with a very slight dash of youth.  LSVCC lined up with two County players and their full throttle of main players – more later!

Paxton decided to call in their overseas player – straight from Heathrow – Senhor Huttly – a little tested player with a dodgy tan and still looking like a caravan was in tow…

Still at least the Amazonian rainforest that surrounded the car park had been cleared – although now the way was clear for any cricket ball of note to strike the parked cars.  Senhor Huttly noted all the decent (i.e. safe) car parking spots were well and truly taken.

LSVCC were already 10 overs into their innings with two interruptions for foul weather (never!) when reporting begins… also note there is no scorebook to recite from at this time!! – with 44 on the board and no wickets down.  Finding Ollie and Jody still waiting to bat did not augre well!  Mysteriously the home side tracked the late arrival with the promise of beer and, just to detain further, ensured that Adrian T was out and therefore available to catch up on even more matters.

Burkey enquired whether Paxton were going to be upto full strength some time this decade at which point the full force of the British spring unleashed itself as a bitter rainstorm drove across the pitch again.

LSVCC were busy accumulating runs despite the precious wicket of Ollie – derived from a belter of a ball from James O – which didn’t play ball.  However Jody took early doors in the sixes stakes and pummelled a well deserved half century.  As the innings reached a frenetic conclusion Chris B chipped in with a few wickets courtesy of some outlandish stumpings from Dave Perry (to make up for the outlandish futile dives for catches!).  Andy King popped up to take a well deserved wicket as LSVCC finished on 174 off 30 overs.

Tea coincided with an almighty downpour as hail prevailed.  Pork pies and delicious home make cakes didn’t distract.

LPCC opened with Mike K and Burkey.  The LSVCC bowlers struggled to find any footing but agreed to play on.  Mike K slowly but surely took the bowling apart and, together with Chris B, who played some terrific ground strokes, (Mike was busy pummelling the ball beyond the hedges!) took Paxton comfortably towards the total.  A result looked assured as Mike reached his second century for the club and correctly gave way to spend time with his boys – who had fortunately survived an aerial assault from Chris!

However Paxton had other ideas and, in rapid succession, JP, Dave P, Tim and Andy K departed – mostly as a result of the mud patch that the wicket had turned into.  James O got one that rolled on the ground and so it remained that El Senhor and Lee were left to chase down what now looked a daunting score. 

Lee tickled a no ball that should have provided an extra run – he tells me that the direct hit was unbelievable – unfortunately he was viewing from outside the crease!

With 4 to win – Mike donned the pads again and, on cue, the hail returned with a vengeance.  With 3 to win off the last over LSVCC captain James H agreed to continue and somehow LPCC won through.

Well played Mike – a great innings and without any doubt the only innings that put us within touching distance – thanks for the jug – it only took Dave Perry several hours to sort out what we needed (only jesting Dave)

A great game, in frankly, awful conditions – as usual our hosts were terrific – their county players, by the way, were 11 and they both the undoing of our side – but they bowled beautifully and will go on to credit the game of cricket – well played Olly and Ed.

A start – and as always – a very friendly side to play.

The league starts next week – you will remember this weekend with fondness!!!!!