On a glorious bank holiday in Sevenoaks, the Ramblas claimed their 12th of the season in a 49 run victory despite a spirited performance from the seven men of Brasted Invicta.
Missing from the previous week’s win over Wrotham St George were Dave Brewer & Drew Smith and returning to the side were Pete Ford, Ed Gibbs & travelling man Ian Dacre.
While most weekdays are spent trying to get his own side out, Captain Cooper had the unusual task of assisting the opposition in putting a team together. Alas, both team captains had no luck and Brasted could only muster seven players.
Both captains agreed that the visitors would bat first and lend the hosts fielders to keep things balanced.
In what my have been a flight of fancy or heat induced madness, the Ramblas skipper opted to open the batting with himself and Dacre.
The unlikely open pair head to the crease.
The pair started brightly with some quick running between the wickets. However some air shots and hits straight to the fielders saw the run rate drop and Dacre, feeling the need to kick on, was promptly bowled attempted a heave to the leg side.
Sam Ford came to the crease, bad back and all, and looked comfortable from ball one. Sadly his strike partner was not in such form and struggled to pierce the infield.
The pair, although mostly S. Ford it must be said, continued to chip away at the scoreboard with Ford piercing the infield with some ferocious boundaries.
Ford was ably assisted in some of those boundaries thanks to some uncharacteristically loose fielding from his brother Pete Ford, which did not go unnoticed by the away supporters…
No hiding place for Pete Ford after a misfield…
S. Ford and Cooper reached the drinks break with the score on 48-1 off 18 overs. And shortly after the resumption of play, Cooper’s torturous existence as an opener was finally over when he tamely chipped the ball to Louglin at mid off for five.
The old “good drinks carrier, bad drinks carrier” routine…
Matt Rudgyard was the next man in and, keen to make up for missing out on batting last week, looked in good touch early doors. However, after missing a straight one, he was bowled for just two, and in a moment of Thommo/Matt Prior-esque madness did some aggressive rearranging of the visitors dressing room.
In at five was the explosive Geoff Parrett and in tandem with S. Ford upped the ante and the runs started to stack up with reassuring regularity for the Ramblas. And S. Ford brought up his much deserved fifty with a crunching hook for a boundary, retiring in the process to ensure his back injury didn’t flare up.
S.Ford looking imperious with the bat.
S. Ford’s retirement brought in Alex Danks and he combined with Parrett to keep the pressure on the hosts. Despite the heat, the pair were running hard converting ones into twos and, if Parrett’s fitness allowed it, twos into threes. And with Parrett at the crease, boundaries are never far away, and the Ramblas showman hit three in an over to get the Ramblas over the century mark.
The pair continued to pile on the runs, although in the penultimate over, after struggling to get bat on ball, an exasperated Parrett hurled his bat in air in frustration. The outburst came as a surprise to many, but for those who had seen him on the golf course it was classic Geoff…
The final over brought it’s fair share of drama, with A. Danks being caught in the deep for an excellent 24 ball 31. Parrett was then dismissed on the second to last ball for hard fought 34.
And on the last ball, the remaining pair of Johnny Stocks & Pete Ford embarked on a suicidal second run, all that was needed by substitute fielder Cooper was to walk to the bails and run out his comrades. Alas, a moment of hubris from Cooper saw him attempt a run out only to comfortably miss the stumps as the Ramblas finished on 146 in their 35 overs.
The hosts laid on a sumptuous feast for the teams and as many players sought the blessed relief of the shade, the visitors got themselves ready to defend 146.
Even though they only had seven players, the Ramblas knew the game was far from over. Especially when their skipper, Stuart Young has previous for putting a Ramblas bowling attack to the sword.
The Ramblas head out to battle.
Cooper elected to go with his trusted opening bowling lieutenants Mark Loughlin and Doug Danks. The former was his usual express self and Brasted’s opening batsmen couldn’t get him away.
With Loughlin offering no chances, the batsmen, unwisely, chose to take on D. Danks. And this foolhardy approach saw the demise of two Brasted batsmen in the space of two overs. Both Fisher and Ellis were bowled by the beard to the feared, who took his wicket tally for the season to 26.
S. Ford acknowledging the Ramblas supporters.
After Loughlin’s five over burst proved frugal, if wicketless, the Ramblas pace man made way for Pete Ford and he combined well with D. Danks to keep the hosts in check.
Brasted skipper Stuart Young was still at the crease and was marshaling the strike expertly and thanks to some brutal boundaries kept the hosts in the hunt for an unlikely victory. And with his father at the crease with him, the pair were frustrating the visitors.
P. Ford with some of his trademark spin-fast.
The breakthrough finally came when B. Young had a momentary brain fade and picked out Loughlin at mid-wicket off the bowling of P. Ford for a gritty four. His crestfallen look as he apologised to his skipper showed just how important the wicket was.
With D. Danks bowled out, Cooper turned to Ed Gibbs to support P. Ford with the ball and, a few loose balls aside, the new bowler caused the batsmen a few problems.
Skipper Young taking the fight to the Ramblas.
S. Young brought up a fantastic fifty as he continued Brasted’s fight back against the Ramblas. Sadly for the hosts, he departed shortly after thanks to superb catch at deep backward square leg from Dacre off the bowling of P. Ford. Even if the fielder did do his best to step over the boundary rope…
While it would have been easy for the host to fold after the dismissal of S. Young they refused to give up. Callan was accumulating the runs slowly but surely as the Ramblas lead was getting smaller and smaller.
Parrett keeping the team’s spirits up in the field.
Stocks replaced P. Ford and, along with Gibbs, was given the role of mopping up the tail and both saw appeals from the umpires turned down. Gibbs saw a clear caught behind off the glove not given and Stocks, despite a vociferous appeal from the bowler, saw an LBW shout not called.
Gibbs finally made the breakthrough when Campbell drilled the ball to Cooper at mid-off who took a sharp catch to dismiss the batsman.
And Stocks claimed the final wicket of the match when his third LBW appeal finally melted the umpire’s cool exterior and Carter was out for a duck.
Handshakes after a hard fought contest.
The hosts were finally bowled out for 97 as the Ramblas notched up their 12th win of a season that keeps exceeding expectations.
But a massive amount of credit must go to the hosts, who despite only having seven players put on a hell of a performance to make sure the Ramblas had to be at their best to leave Sevenoaks with the win.
The Ramblas now head to Chislehurst for the season finale, tune in next week to see if they can end the season on a high!
Ramblas MVP: A special shout out to Mark Loughlin & Geoff Parrett who spent 60 overs on the field in hot conditions. With the ball, D. Danks bowled superbly and with the bat, Parrett & A. Danks put on a key partnership. But for an unbeaten fifty and two key wickets, the week’s MVP’s are brothers Sam & Peter Ford.