Despite the appalling weather that has descended upon the country for most of 2018, a combination of a heatwave and hard work from our hosts’ groundsman ensured the Ramblas could get the season started on time.
With a squad bolstered thanks to last season travails, skipper Cooper’s task of assembling an XI was a simple one, which is rarely the case for the Ramblas.
It pays not to disturb Thommo during his pre-match warm-ups…
Thanks to an uncontested toss, the Ramblas chose to bowl first, with bowlers being allowed to bowl nine overs. This quirky rule would certainly test the mental faculties of both captain and vice-captain throughout the innings.
Cooper went for his tried and tested combo of Loughlin and Doug Danks to opening the bowling and it only took D. Danks three balls before he opened his account for the season, clean bowling Williams for a duck after the opener chopped on chasing a wide delivery.
Al and Drew celebrate Doug’s first wicket
While Loughlin’s opening salvo was tight and making the batsmen’s lives uncomfortable, D. Danks’ radar was a little off, offering up more loose balls than the Ramblas faithful are used to. That said, it still didn’t stop him taking his second wicket of the day thanks to a sharp catch from Thomas at square leg.
Skipper Cooper then brought on Thomas and Parrett in place of Loughlin and D. Danks respectively and both showed little sign of rustiness considering neither of them had been near a cricket ball since the end of last season. And the bowlers were backed up in the field admirably on what was a large outfield. Smith in particular was a busy man, making more stops than a London bus.
Drew once again making a stop in the field
Parrett was on especially fine form, cramping the batsmen for room and maintaining a fine line and length. And he got his deserved wicket on the cusp of drinks, clean bowling the dangerous Lakmal for 32.
As the Ramblas returned after drinks, they knew that they had to keep the free-scoring Barnes under control. And with Thomas feeling the effects of the sun/lack of match practice, Cooper brought himself into the attack.
In tandem with Parrett, the pair managed to stifle the batsmen and slow the run rate down. Parrett reeled off his nine overs on the bounce, finishing with figures of 9-2-37-1 in a fantastic spell of spin bowling.
Cooper was unlucky not to pick up a wicket after Stocks dropped a dolly at mid-off, but his tight spell of 0-24 from six overs helped keep the scoreboard under control.
Cooper makes a stop in the field as Parrett stays focused on the game…
Parrett and Cooper were replaced by the opening pair of D. Danks and Loughlin and both looked sharp in their second spells, with Loughlin somehow going wicketless.
With D. Danks bowled out one end, Thomas returned to the fore and grabbed the fourth and final wicket of the game, clean bowling Cudham’s skipper for 25.
The hosts finished their innings on 209-4, thanks in large part to an excellent century, and the Ramblas knew they had to be at their best to chase the target down.
After tucking into a bountiful tea, the Ramblas got themselves ready for a run chase. As with the bowling, Cooper opted to keep faith in his usual opening pair of Stocks and A. Danks to kick off the innings.
Alas, the chase got off to the worst possible start when A. Danks was clean bowled after three balls, the victim off a wickedly late in-swinger from Cudham’s left-arm seamer.
Ford was the next man in and he and Stocks were watchful as they navigated the host’s strong opening attack. Some sharp running and the occasional boundary helped keep the scoreboard ticking along until Ford was clean bowled by Fensom for 15.
Stocks looking composed in the middle
The wicket brought Smith to the crease, but he was back in the hutch in the blink of an eye, out for a third ball duck after mistiming his shot and being caught in the covers. The Ramblas had gone from 42-1 to 42-3 in the space of two overs.
In at five was Rudgyard, who looked in good touch from the off as he and Stocks attempted to rebuild. The pair were aided by some wayward bowling as they helped lift the run rate. But a slight loss of focus from Rudgyard saw him miss a straight one and was bowled for six.
Matt in motion before disaster struck
Green, the next cab off the rank at six, looked a touch tentative at first but once he got his eye in there was no holding him back. A couple of sumptuous drives and a pair of glorious maximums had the Ramblas faithful cheering from the sidelines and saw Green score a new personal best of 25 before he was out caught and bowled thanks to an excellent catch by the bowler.
As Stocks stayed strong at one end, Cooper became his sixth batting partner of the innings. The latter took the score past the hundred mark thanks to a cracking drive that raced over the long-off boundary. However, his innings was short-lived as he was clean bowled attempting to up the run rate.
Al brings a touch of spring to the sidelines
Parrett’s time at the crease only lasted two balls as he was trapped LBW, before Loughlin entered the fray with the Ramblas’ chances of winning fading fast.
And the hopes were all but extinguished when Stocks was bowled for 40, with Loughlin departing in the same manner for 11. D. Danks was the last man out, another batsman to be clean bowled, departing for one as the Ramblas finished their innings all out for 127.
Mark brings his big hitting to the crease
Although an 82-run defeat may not look great, it was a fantastic effort across for the board against a decent outfit in Cudham Wyse. A good start to the season and plenty to build on for the summer ahead.
Ramblas MVP: An honourable mention to both Dave Green for his swashbuckling 25 and Johnny Stocks for his hard earned 40. But for his excellent bowling spell of 1-37 off nine overs that restricted the hosts to a chaseable total, the winner of the first MVP of the 2018 season is Geoff Parrett.