After a freak bout of weather, that the experts were calling ‘rain’, caused the Ramblas previous game to be cancelled, the team travelled to OD Cuaco with the weather back to its old self. Namely, baking hot without a cloud/breeze in sight.

Although weather wasn’t going to prove an issue, getting an XI out for the game was certainly giving the skipper, Michael Cooper, plenty of restless nights. With twenty players unavailable, Cooper was frantically going through his contact list and scorecards of yesteryear to find players who might be able to help out. Luckily, Jeff Brown and Haydn Evans answered the call, as did longtime friend of Ed Gibbs, Daniel Lobo.

However, that still left the Ramblas three players shy of a full side. But Ramblas photographer/first aider/over by over commentator Lucy Brewer stepped up to the plate and managed to complete the line up. First she found Lee Zhao due to her connections in the Foreign Office and then picked up Iain Gordon and Dominic Sear from the same Facebook group that Matt Rudgyard was plucked from last year.

So with a team assembled, Cooper won the toss and elected to bowl. While that may not have been what the conditions called for, the relative patchwork nature of the team meant the skipper was keen to make sure everyone got a go.

Opening the bowling for the Ramblas were Mark Loughlin and Chris Thomas, who both bowled well but a quick outfield and quality batsmen meant that the runs flowed.

 

 

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Mark steams in / the slip cordon poised for action

With the heat showing no signs of abating, Cooper replaced the opening bowlers with Gibbs and Zhao hoping to make a breakthrough. Gibbs picked up where he left off a few weeks ago with some delightful bowling that somehow didn’t garner a wicket.

And after some initial rustiness, Zhao found his rhythm and was unlucky not to pick up a wicket when Cooper couldn’t hold onto a tough chance at backward square leg.

After a four over burst, Gibbs was replaced by Ramblas rookie Gordon after the first drinks break. And he made the breakthrough in his first over dismissing the host’s opener for 33 thanks to a sharp catch from Loughlin at mid-off.

 

 

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The Ramblas enjoy a drinks break & then pose to celebrate Iain’s wicket

Gordon and Zhao bowled well in tandem and were backed up magnificently in the field, including a fantastic one handed diving effort from Sear that would have wrapped up the catch of the year award had it stuck.

Gibbs replaced Zhao and, much like his first spell, failed to get any rewards despite bowling beautifully.

 

 

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Lee and Ed trying to make the breakthrough

Thanks to hard work in the field, the Ramblas had managed to keep the hosts somewhat in check but the visitors were dealt a hammer blow when Thomas, attempting to take a catch of Gordon’s bowling, tore the webbing between his thumb and index finger and had to head to A&E.

With half of his death bowling attack now halfway to the hospital, Cooper brought himself on to replace Gordon, and Loughlin to replace Gibbs. Loughlin got the wicket he deserved when he trapped Murrell LBW for 65.

This brought in the host’s captain to the crease who took a liking to Cooper’s bowling and dispatched him to all parts. OD Cuaco’s opener Loader reached a deserved half century before he and the skipper took 23 runs off the final over from Cooper to take the score to 309-2.

The innings now mercifully over, if only to stop Cooper becoming the second Rambla to concede a hundred runs with the ball, both teams headed to the pavilion to enjoy a delightful tea laid on by the hosts.

Brown and Rudgyard were the men tasked with opening the batting for the Ramblas and hopefully building a platform for the difficult run chase. And Rudgyard looked in good touch early doors hitting a crunching boundary over extra cover before being dismissed by a cracking catch at mid-off for five.

The wicket brought Sear to the crease and he immediately showed his poise with the kind of footwork and timing that some England players could do with. And after racing to sixteen thanks to some delightful boundaries, he was caught behind playing at one he knew he didn’t need to.

Dom showing his prowess with the willow

Lobo was the next man in and, having not played cricket in twenty years, looked a little rusty in the first couple of balls he faced. That didn’t stop him smashing the ball over outfield for his first, and alas only, boundary of the day. Lobo was caught at cover an over later as he attempted another lusty blow.

 

 

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Dan salutes the crowd / Jeff looks to dig in

Three wickets soon became four when Brown was dismissed for eleven, stumped by a sharp turning delivery. Evans was the next cab off the rank and notched up his first run for the Ramblas thanks to a dab down to the third man region.

Sadly Evans could only add another run to his tally before he was bowled by Bennett for two. Gibbs came in and hit a quick fire four before being bowled by Bennett.

Haydn nurdling the ball down to fine leg

With wickets tumbling around him, Loughlin looked to take the attack to the bowlers and hit a couple of boundaries in partnership with Gorden as the pair took the score to 60 before Gordon was clean bowled by Bennett for a duck.

Loughlin then departed shortly after for fourteen when he was clean bowled by East for 14. This brought the captain in as he and Zhao made sure the hosts had to work that bit harder for their victory.

Cooper got off the mark first ball with a delightful driven boundary and some sharp running between the pair kept the scoreboard ticking over.

And after a somewhat fallow season with the bat, Cooper looked a man possessed, dispatching the ball to the deep mid-wicket boundary as he helped push the score past the hundred mark.

The skipper channelling his inner Botham

The pair took their partnership to 54 runs, and the total to 120, before Cooper was clean bowled by Bennett for a career high 30.

Although the size of the defeat looks heavy on paper, it was a truly monumental effort from everyone on and off the field to even get a game on in the first place.

And it’s a huge thank you to Haydn, Jeff, Dan, Lee, Iain and Dom for coming to the rescue. And also cheers to Dom’s dad who stepped into the scorer’s chair with ours in A&E.

The Ramblas return to home comforts next week as they take on Locksbottom for the first time since 2016.

Ramblas MVP: Kudos to Lucy Brewer for her amazing efforts in getting a side out during her birthday weekend. And honourable mentions to Lee Zhao, Ed Gibbs & Mark Loughlin for their all round efforts. But for putting himself in firing line in the death overs and for top scoring in the match with a near run a ball 30, this week’s MVP is Michael Cooper.