A comfortable victory over a useful Cramer side proved that the venturers can be capable cricketers when we put our minds to it. The team seemed in upbeat mood which may have resulted from the generous helpings of tequila in the huntsman the previous weekend, or the abundance of new ladies that certain team members had managed to attract. The team was tricked into turning up half an hour early because Duncan didn’t want to start the game with 9 men as usual. Only James Dutton had read the web page and realised the game didn’t start as early as Duncan stated in his email. This promptness allowed us to practice some fielding and focus our minds on the challenge ahead, rather than having latecomers run onto the pitch looking flustered in the middle of the third over. Duncan Lee managed to win the toss and elected to bat. He then shamelessly promoted himself up the batting order to open with Will. After 3 overs we had reached 27 with both players finding the boundary with ease. Will was bowled in the fourth over by a ball that nipped back off the pitch from the useful bowler up the hill. The wicket brought Mark to the crease for only his second innings all season. He looked tentative at first but a couple of boundaries got him underway. A 50 partnership followed during which both batsmen hit sixes, Marks was especially big, clearing the rope at square leg by 20 yards. Mark was then bowled bringing Luke into the game. Duncan completed his fifty with an array of boundaries through the covers off a fast bowler who tried to bowl too short. Duncan then retired (it had been agreed that you retired at 50 before the match) which brought Kevin to the crease. He rotated the strike well to Luke who was enjoying the bowling and hit the ball very hard over, past and sometimes through the fielders. When Kevin departed run out by a direct hit, Betty only had a couple of overs left to make an impact. He became the fourth venturers’ batsman to hit a 6, charging down the wicket to the fast bowler, who was still bowling too short, and smashing it over long off. Luke continued until the end finishing on 39 not out. A total score of 161 for the loss of 3 wickets was very pleasing and the team felt this was enough to win the game.

This large total inspired the venturers as we produced our best fielding performance of the season (if not the decade!). Rob Branston and Duncan Rance opened the bowling and bowled very tidily and didn’t let the batsman get away to a good start. Rob got the breakthrough with a ball that nipped back off the pitch and trapped its recipient on the pad, Rob appealed and the umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger. James and Will replaced Rob and Duncan and bowled just as accurately. By the time John came on to bowl, replacing Will, Cramer needed 12 an over. Kevin replaced James at the other end and picked up 2 wickets. The number of direct hits from throws in the outfield passed double figures, and culminated in a well deserved wicket. James Dutton chased a ball towards the boundary and managed to kick it back into play straight to Duncan Rance who threw the stumps down from the boundary. With just an over to go and Cramer requiring 40 runs for victory the captain turned to Betty to see us home. He managed to pick up a wicket with a wide ball down leg-side from which Owain brilliantly stumped the batsman. The next ball was much better and removed the batsman bails. There was one ball left and Betty was on a hat-trick, so the field came in and crowded the batsman. Even the square leg umpire volunteered for a position at third slip. Betty then fired the hat-trick ball wide outside off-stump, deciding that he didn’t want to buy a jug of beer for the team. Betty later said in the pub that he modelled himself on Ian Botham, and couldn’t be kept out of the action for long. Everybody else knew that the only similarity Betty shared with Botham was the amount of beer they both drunk after the game. Cramer finished on 130 for the loss of 6 wickets, 30 behind the Venturers. Not for the first time this season the game proved that a good total batting first and belief that we could actually win a game, improves the fielding and bowling enormously.