The second bank holiday of the season saw the Ramblas play their first home game of the season in once again chilly conditions as they took on new opponents Global Cricket Club.
Unlike the first two games of the season, Ramblas skipper Michael Cooper had a selection nightmare with fifteen players being unavailable. Luckily the Ramblas ringers network is extensive so Cooper was able to call up Haydn Evans, David Gambie and Graeme Moir to pull together a full side.
In a turn of events that left no Ramblas surprised, Cooper lost the toss and the hosts were asked to field first. Once again Cooper opened the bowling with Mark Loughlin and Doug Danks. And once again D. Danks made the early breakthrough, clean bowling Ahmad for 14.
Loughlin’s opening spell was once again fruitless and with D. Danks getting a bit of tap in his last over, Cooper introduced a double change with Chris Thomas replacing Loughlin and Steve Fitch replacing D. Danks.
Mark running in / Doug celebrates his wicket
Thomas showed no sign of rustiness as he got his line and length spot on early doors. He picked up his first wicket of the new season when he trapped Tanzir LBW for 11. While the umpire was initially unmoved, such was the vociferous appeal from Thomas that the umpire had no choice to raise the finger.
Fitch picked up another wicket thanks to a sharp catch from Thomas at mid-wicket to get rid of the dangerous opener Masood for 34. Thomas then picked up his second wicket of the day when Maninder was caught by Loughlin at mid-off for a duck. The visitors were 69-4 after 14 overs and the Ramblas were keen to keep the pressure on.
Alas, this was as good as it got as Global CC’s number six Kashif smashed the ball to all parts. Cooper and Moir replaced Thomas and Fitch respectively but they too got the treatment as the visitors capitalised off Kashif’s big hitting ability.
Cooper was then replaced by Loughlin who finally nabbed his first wicket of the season when he clean bowled Rizzy for 18. But as long as Kashif was at the crease the runs were piling up and in an effort to wrestle back momentum, Cooper made another double change. His cause was helped when Kashif retired on 105 with the score past 250.
Thommo perfectly summing up the first innings
Fitch and Moir were brought into the attack and Moir made a breakthrough in his first over when he clean bowled Ali for 22. Moir then picked up his second wicket in his next over when he clean bowled Adil for 14.
The eighth wicket fell thanks to a fantastic catch on the boundary by Moir to dismiss Abzal off the bowling of Fitch. Evans came on to bowl the penultimate over but he was unable to pick up the final wicket of the match.
The last wicket fell on the final ball of the over when Khan was run out trying a third run despite the ball already being in the bowlers hands. That the visitors only had 318 runs to play with showed how crucial that extra run would have been…
The innings was finally over and the Ramblas piled into the pavilion for warmth and to tuck into the first home tea of the season. Harriss and Alex Danks opened the batting knowing that if 319 was going to be chased they didn’t have much time to get their eye in.
A. Danks unfurled a delightful flick to the mid-wicket boundary before he was clean bowled for 5. Gambie came in at three and along with Harriss slowly built a platform for the hosts to build on. Harriss was in fine touch hitting a number of delightful boundaries through the covers.
The pair saw the Ramblas to 90-1 at drinks and they had built a good platform to kick on. Sadly though, Gambie fell two overs after drinks when he was clean bowled for 18 by a bowl that kept low.
Cooper was the next man in and was off the mark thanks to a bottom edge that raced past the ‘keeper for four. While many umpires would’ve given that as a bye, which it very much wasn’t, the Ramblas’ professional umpire knew better. The Ramblas’ skipper was bowled two balls later when a another delivery kept low and shot through under his bat.
Incontrovertible proof that is definitely wasn’t a bye
Harriss reached his well deserved fifty with a well run two but was out next ball when he was undone by a slower ball and was caught at long off. This precipitated a mini collapse when Evans was caught at mid-wicket for a duck and Rudgyard was dismissed for a quick fire 9 that included two excellent boundaries.
Ash salutes his 50 / a scorer’s work is never done
Loughlin and Moir were the next men in and the duo rotated the strike well early in the partnership. And as the batsmen got used to the conditions, they opened their arms and dispatched any bad ball to the boundary with aplomb.
As the game neared the end, some shithousery from the visitors centurion saw him pretend to mis-field several times, one of which resulted in Moir having to dive to make us ground.
Loughlin and Moir reached their fifty partnership that took the score to 175 before Moir was caught in the covers chasing a wide one for an excellent 36. D. Danks and Loughlin chipped away at the scoreboard as the Ramblas finished their 40 overs on 190-7.
Doug getting his eye in & in action
The first home game of the season saw the Ramblas fall to a 128 run defeat against a strong side (despite their claims during the week) and once again the batsman put on a good total.
So it’s on to Chelsfield next week, where the Ramblas are determined to kick start their season with a win.
Ramblas MVP: It may not have been the most sparkling of Ramblas performances but an honourable mention goes to everyone who stuck it out on a cold, grey day. But for his bowling figures of 2-40, the only bowler to go for less than a run a ball, and for a well crafted 50, this week’s co-MVP’s are Chris Thomas & Ash Harriss.