Match Report
Sunday 26 May –v- Multiplex at Sparrows Den
Grenfell were unable to entertain us, due to problems with their strip, so we found ourselves revisiting the scene of an appalling career-ending injury to Andy Paul, for a bureau fixture with Multiplex at Sparrows Den. The skips return from vacation, brought with it the inevitable disorganisation over meet times etc.., with Bill himself still casually attired in bathrobe twenty minutes from the alleged departure time; apparently it was Mark’s fault because he was meant to be there at 12.30 to pick Billy up. The weather was doing its utmost to surpass last week’s chill and a relentless drizzle was seemingly threatening any prospect of starting play. Eventually we moved off from the Queens Head for the short trip to West Wickham. Our opposition proved to be as motley a crew as we are, turning up in dribs and drabs, but after what seemed an age Bill managed to blow the toss and we found ourselves installed on a damp uncut piece of slightly short grass that was masquerading as the wicket. The game got under way, with Bigarse and Baldyman looking relatively at home, though finding the art of timing the ball difficult. Multiplex had in their opening bowler, someone who obviously had all the components in his tool-bag, but not the craft with which to use them. Using a continual barrage of short pitched balls, he never posed a serious threat to the stumps, but finally broke the opening partnership, removing John. Tubby Clark was equal to the challenge thrown down, implementing the pull and hook shot to good effect and even finding time to entertain us with a piece of chin music. Steve was as sound and resolute as ever, holding his end up for 44 important runs. From a somewhat unsteady 44-3 he shared 55 runs with Danglers that established a stranglehold on the game that we never looked like relinquishing. The damp conditions made fluent run scoring increasingly difficult and our final total of 153-7 owed much to a late scoring flurry from Jim, which strongly favoured the aerial route. Once located in the darkness of the changing rooms, the tea was a plethora of fine home cooked fare; the only disappointment being the lack of pies.
Conditions improved markedly after the recess, with the arrival of some sunshine, heralding a splendid stint of fast bowling from Moysey. Our fairly modest score soon began to look very daunting as Daz concocted a selection of romulan cloakers and half-stump skidders to put us firmly in control. The Multiplex demise was completed by a brace of wickets apiece for Spud and Jim, to add to Darren’s 6-16.Bill tried his best to open up the game, by moving himself to various catching positions and collecting four points for a refusal at each. Matters were closed, with Multiplex bowing out at 84-10 from 36 tortuous overs and we were able to retire to the more amenable surrounds of the Keston Mark. The annual Sumo championship held in the shower room was comfortably won by the agile Whale who easily disposed of a somewhat rotund Konishiki Clark, with a display of classic slapping and pushing. Ian Clark was desperately stuffing crisps in his face as we arrived, to make up for the food Tubby had stolen at tea-time and had seemingly stolen during the previous thirty years of his life. After Bill had toured the oppo in his normal social manner, finding only the opening bowler able to understand a word he said, we bade farewell and returned to the Queens.
