Following last week’s strong performance in a narrow defeat to Battersea Eagles, the Ramblas headed into Sunday confident that a second win was just around the corner. There were naturally obstacles before the game, it is the Ramblas after all, with original opponents Bromley Town pulling out. A call out to the cricket fraternity was answered by Snodland Community and a new fixture was in the diary.
Michael Cooper was enjoying a relatively easy week in terms of selection, until the Sheridan brothers had to miss out due to car issues. A Facebook appeal saw Snodland CC player Nathan Waller, and ex-Snodland player Marcus Rodrigues make up the numbers at the eleventh hour.
Despite meterological experts predicting endless rain, the weather held up its end of the bargain and it was game on. Cooper once again lost the toss but in a break from the normal routine was asked to bat first.
Neil Missen and new boy Rodrigues were asked to open the batting in tricky conditions. Snodland’s opening attack kept runs at a premium but some good shots from Missen kept the scoreboard ticking over. Sadly Missen’s time at the crease ended in the fifth over when he played onto his stumps for 3.
John Loughlin was the man in at first drop but he could only manage a single before he was clean bowled the following over. Jason Christenen was the next man in and after seeing off the opening bowlers, took the attack to the hosts with some crunching boundaries back over the bowler’s head. The change in bowling also saw Rodrigues open his arms and strike a few boundaries to brighten up the scorebook.
The pair took the score to 54-2 after fourteen overs before Christensen had to retire hurt with a leg injury for an exciting 20. With drinks taken, it was a chance for the Ramblas think tank to talk tactics. Waller was promoted to five in order to help the Ramblas kick on and the decision looked inspired when he smashed his first ball for six. The Ramblas newbie carried on the big hitting with a further three sixes to go with four fours before he mistimed a shot and was caught at mid-wicket. However, his 26 ball cameo yielded 51 runs and helped take the score to 116-3 in the twenty second over.
Matt Rudgyard was in at six and looked in great touch early doors, hitting the ball cleanly and running sharply. Rudgyard and Rodrigues built on the good work of Waller as the pair kept the pressure on Snodland. The pair saw the Ramblas through the end of the innings as the visitors finished on 152-3 off their 30 overs. A strong total but the Ramblas knew that there was still work to be done in the field.
Following a quick turnaround between innings, the visitors headed onto the field. Cooper elected to open the bowling with Mark Loughlin and Chris Thomas, and the pair did not let their skipper down. They only conceded six runs combined in their six overs, with Thomas picking up the first wicket of the game to dismiss A. Mitchell thanks to a sharp catch by M. Loughlin at cover.
Thomas and M. Loughlin were replaced by Cooper and Andy Brown respectively. While Brown was miserly with his bowling, Cooper struggled with his rhythm early but soon found his feet. The Ramblas skipper picked up the second wicket of the day when L. Hewitt attempted a big shot over the bowler’s head but could only find Christensen who took a simple catch at long off.
Brown picked up his first first wicket for the club the next over, clean bowling Edmonds with a leg stump yorker. Snodland were 25-3 off eleven overs and the hosts were under pressure. Parrett came on in place of Cooper and his first over kept the hosts on the back foot. His second over was looser, conceding three boundaries before claiming the fourth wicket with a nonchalant catch off his own bowling.
The wicket brought Suki to the crease and he announced his arrival with a massive six, as he plundered eleven runs off Brown’s final over. He then hit Parrett for an even bigger six that had the Ramblas starting to worry, but the Ramblas king of spin had other ideas. After bowling a dot ball, Suki went big the next ball but a mistimed slog saw him caught at deep mid-wicket for 17. With Suki headed back to the pavilion, the visitors breathed a collective sigh of relief but knew the game was far from over.
With Brown bowled out, Cooper came back into the attack but after being hit for eighteen runs, promptly left it. Loughlin replaced Cooper and made another key breakthrough, dismantling the Snodland skipper Medhurst’s stumps for 31. Parrett picked up his third wicket of the day when he bowled B. Hewitt for 6.
The Ramblas opening attack returned to finish off the innings. Loughlin claimed a wicket in his fifth over when Z. Mitchell was caught at mid-on by Brown for 2. Thomas picked up the final two wickets in successive deliveries, firstly trapping N. Mitchell LBW and then bowling Dumas as the Ramblas won by 32 runs.
It was another fantastic game of cricket, backed up by another excellent all round performance from the Ramblas, as look to make it two in two against Wrotham St George next week.
Ramblas MVP: Honourable mentions to Chris Thomas for his figures of 3-13 and Jason Christensen & Matt Rudgyard for their unbeaten efforts. But for his 26 ball 51 against his home team that helped build an imposing total, this week’s MVP is Nathan Waller.