Following last week’s win against Chevening, the Ramblas headed to Hadlow keen to pick up where they left off. And with such an idyllic setting, the visitors were ready for battle.
Despite the glorious surroundings on offer, Ramblas skipper Michael Cooper had a few selection headaches but the return of Matt Rudgyard, Steven Fitch & Geoff Parrett to the fold meant that the Ramblas could take the field, albeit a man light.
After an uncontested toss the Ramblas bowled first, with Cooper sticking with his destructive opening combo of Mark Loughlin and Doug Danks. And as is the case seemingly every week, Loughlin’s pace was searing from ball one, with a couple of edges flying past the slip cordon.
D. Danks made the initial breakthrough as the Hadlow opener Harrison attempted a leg side flick, but the extra pace of the delivery saw the ball crash into the stumps.
And Loughlin’s efforts were rewarded on the last ball of his first spell, when an edge from Horne was sharply taken by the ‘keeper Rudgyard.
Celebrations as Mark claims his first wicket of the day.
Thomas replaced Loughlin and was amongst the wickets early doors when Martin’s attempted drive down the ground saw him caught at mid-on by Parrett.
Thomas’s initial four over spell was up there with the very best he’s bowled for the Ramblas, with some late swing giving the batsmen no room for error. The bowler claimed his second wicket when a late inswinger bamboozled Millen and saw his middle and leg stumps uprooted.
D. Danks ended his spell with another wicket, taking his tally to 15 for the season, clean bowling Sargeant for 3 thanks to some last minute field changes from Rambas vice-skipper Thomas.
After the drinks break, Cooper made a double change in the bowling attack, replacing D. Danks and Thomas with Parrett and Fitch respectively. Fitch snagged a wicket in his first over, when a delivery kept low and clean bowled Nation for one. Fitch clean bowled A. Leeson in his next over with a delightful ball that moved back in off the seam.
Stitch marshalls his field before celebrating his first wicket
While wickets were tumbling, Hadlow’s number six, Batchelor, was hitting the ball to all parts. Parrett in particular bore the brunt of Batchelor’s clean hitting, despite bowling a tidy four over spell.
Sensing a need to change things up, Ed Gibbs and Loughlin came into the attack. A few loose balls aside Gibbs bowled well but was another victim of Batchelor’s bludgeoning.
Loughlin finally prised Batchelor from the crease, when he mistimed a drive and was well caught by Parrett at deep mid-on. Batchelor’s 56 ball 97 had put the hosts firmly in the driving seat.
Parrett with the catch. Never in doubt…
With the danger man departed, the Ramblas knew that they had to knock of the last two wickets quickly to keep the score from getting away from them. Cooper brought Thomas back into the attack and the in form bowler didn’t disappoint, clean bowling Lusher with a peach of a delivery.
Thommo celebrates his third wicket of the day
Thomas wrapped up the innings after a fantastic catch from Cooper to dismiss O. Leeson. A delivery just outside the off stump, saw the batsman drive the ball into the covers only to see Cooper snatch the ball out of the air one handed to the surprise/delight of his team mates.
The hosts were all out for 201 but the visitors had performed with credit in the field. Honourable mentions to Gibbs, whose constant running in the field helped keep pressure on the batsmen, and Dave Brewer, who once again put his body on the line to help the Ramblas cause.
Ed once again being kept busy in the field
After tea, and more importantly cold drinks, were consumed, the Ramblas looked to prepare for a tough chase ahead. And with the side shorn of a few key batsmen, changes were made atop the batting order as Loughlin and Cooper made their way to the crease.
Loughlin lost in thought
The pair were watchful in the initial overs, keen not to give the hosts an early breakthrough. Alas, it wasn’t to be as Loughlin chased a wide one and nicked off to the ‘keeper for two.
Cooper joined him back in the hutch shortly afterwards, outfoxed by a slower delivery and was clean bowled for two.
A. Danks and Gibbs were in at three and four and attempted to dig in and lay some groundwork for the chase. But that dream was soon dashed when A. Danks became the third Ramblas out for two, clean bowled playing around a straight one.
Al’s rough start to the season continues
Matt Rudgyard joined Gibbs at the crease and theirs was another partnership that just wasn’t meant to be. After drilling the ball towards the cow corner boundary, the pair, believing they heard calls that the ball had gone over the boundary rope, halted their second run for a quick debrief.
But the cries and pleadings of the Ramblas on the sidelines alerted them that this wasn’t the case and following some impressive levels of dilly-dallying, Gibbs was eventually run out.
In the pantheon of Ramblas run outs, this one will go down as both the most spectacular and most ridiculous run out of the lot.
With the opening attack seen off, albeit incredibly unsuccessfully, the change in bowlers saw a slight upsurge in the runs column. Rudgyard hit three delightful boundaries to get himself in rhythm but his over excitement saw him miss a straight one and was bowled for 14.
Matt in good touch early on
Parrett and Thomas were the next pair tasked with pushing us past our lowest ever score, but Parrett’s troubled season with the bat continued when he was caught at slip for four.
With the score 35-6, D. Danks was the next cab off the rank and together with Thomas dragged to scoreboard to something resembling a total. The pair both played some delightful shots, including some exquisite cover drives, and kept the fielders honest with some sharp running. The duo doubled the score before Thomas was out LBW for a well earned ten.
Cometh the hour, cometh the men
Fitch joined D. Danks at the crease and the pair helped get the score to 89 before Fitch was clean bowled by Martin for five. Dave Brewer bravely padded up to help see if D. Danks could at to his tally.
Sadly D. Danks was out first ball of the next over, clean bowled by Sargeant for a fantastic, and career best 23 as the Ramblas were all out for 89.
While the margin of defeat may look heavy, the Ramblas performed with credit in the field despite the reduced numbers and it was a delight to see the bowlers get in amongst the runs.
Ramblas MVP: Despite the figures not necessarily showing it, all the bowlers performed well. But for snaffling six of the wickets between them and putting on a 36 run partnership that gave the innings an air of respectability, this week’s co-MVPs are Doug Danks & Chris Thomas.
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