On a blistering hot day, the Ramblas travelled down to Dormansland in Surrey to take on Dormansland CC, keen to continue their winning ways following last week’s victory against Hildenborough.
As has been the case for this season, finding an XI to take to the game was a challenge. Haydn Evans, fresh from his shielding exile, returned to make his season debut.
Rehan Qureshi also returned to the lineup, looking to carry on his form from the season opener. With two players still needed, NatWest Blue regular Simon Triggs and Luke Sheridan answered the SOS and the Ramblas had once again pulled an XI out of the bag.
Michael Cooper won the toss and elected to bat first, keen to stay in the shade as long as physically possible. In order to prevent fatigue, it was agreed that batsmen would retire on fifty and able to return if required.
Triggs and Qureshi opened the batting and while the former was more cautious, Qureshi was his usual aggressive self. The pair kept the scoreboard ticking over nicely as both opened their arms, regularly dispatching the ball to the boundary.
After reaching his 50 off just 33 balls, Qureshi retired to rapturous applause from his teammates. Drew Smith replaced him and built on the platform already set. Together the new pair took the score to 90 before Triggs was out for 29, caught at mid-wicket after mis-timing his shot.
Rudgyard was the man in at four, but his tenure at the crease was short lived when he was caught thanks to an excellent catch on the run by the fielder at square leg for one. Jason Christensen was the next man in and as with last week was off the mark with a boundary first ball.
Smith was the next man to go, caught at square leg for 13 in a dismissal similar to Rudgyards earlier as the Ramblas got to drinks at 20 overs 115-3.
After the elongated drinks break, Evans and Christensen looked to kick on. Evans showed no signs of rustiness as he notched up his first run of the season. Dormansland brought on a sub fielder into the attack and were immediately rewarded with a wicket when Christensen was clean bowled for a brisk 35.
Evans departed shortly after and the visitors were in a bit of bother at 150-5. The new pair at the crease were Sheridan and Mark Loughlin and after some iffy running soon got into a rhythm.
The duo found the boundary rope several times as they took the attack to the bowlers. After getting the score to 184, Loughlin was bowled for a 14 ball 25.
Doug Danks was in at nine and supported Sheridan as he continued to motor along before he was bowled for a duck. Sheridan creamed two maximums before he was bowled for 25 off the last ball of the innings.
The Ramblas ended their innings on 208-8 and had given themselves a decent total to defend. Packed lunches were scoffed as the visitors sought fuel before heading out to bowl.
Cooper deviated from his normal attack, with James Dilley partnering Danks as the Ramblas looked for early wickets. Sadly wickets were not forthcoming as the pair struggled with their line and length and Dormanslands openers punished every loose ball.
Dilley and Danks were replaced by Cooper and Loughlin and while the former was given the treatment early doors, the latter was at his very best. The pair combined for Loughlin’s first wicket of the day, when Cooper took a stunning one handed catch at first slip to dismiss Bailey for 20.
After reaching his fifty, Eastlake retired not out, but that wouldn’t be the last we saw of him. Cooper then claimed the second wicket of the day when he clean bowled Porter for a duck. Loughlin then trapped Nickols LBW for 31 and both set batsmen had now departed.
The Ramblas skipper then picked up two wickets in his next over, thanks to some more excellent fielding. First Cooper dismissed Rowland for nought with the help of a brilliant one handed catch at slip from Qureshi and he then claimed the scalp of Murray after a loose shot from the host’s skipper saw Christensen take a simple catch at square leg.
It wasn’t all going Cooper’s way though, a heat induced brain fade saw him concede five penalty runs after rolling the ball onto the ‘keeper’s helmet. The skipper bounced back, getting his fourth wicket thanks to a delightful diving catch in the covers from Sheridan.
From 87-0 after 10 overs, the Ramblas clawed it back to 144-7 after 20.
Danks replaced Loughlin but his second spell once again proved fruitless and Loughlin was brought back for a one over burst. And one over was enough for him to make the breakthrough, clean bowling Taylor for 30.
After a brief cameo from Sheridan with the ball, Dilley returned to the attack as the hosts continued to creep towards the target. With the score on 194-8 in the 29th over, Dilley picked up his first wicket of the day when he bowled Kinsville-Henye for 16.
The fall of the ninth wicket saw Dormansland’s opener Eastlake return to the crease, with Loughlin and Quereshi tasked with finding the final wicket. Alas, despite their best efforts, the hosts knocked off the remaining runs as the Ramblas fell to a one wicket defeat.
In what was a compelling game of cricket, the Ramblas just couldn’t pip 12 man Dormansland to victory. But another great fight back in the field shows the spirit in this Ramblas side.
Ramblas MVP: Everyone. It might be a cop out but considering the heat, everyone contributed to what was a fantastic game of cricket.