It was an absolute scorcher as the Ramblas headed to Willett Way to take on Petts Wood in another derby encounter. The visitors were looking for their fourth consecutive win, as well as a rare double over Petts Wood but knew that is was going to be a tough day in the heat.
With Rehan Qureshi, John Loughlin, Ajit Kulkarni and Ben Sheridan missing from last week’s win over Ex-Blues, Jason Christensen returned to the Ramblas lineup alongside Duane Hall, Al Murray and Ben Butcher.
After the two captains agreed on a timed game, Cooper won the toss and elected to bowl first, conscious of a bowler heavy line up and wanted to make sure all three results were in their hands.
James Dilley and Chris Thomas opened the bowling, with the former was conjuring memories of Courtney Walsh in his pomp with his pace (and occassionally short pitched deliveries). The two bagged a wicket apiece in consectutive overs, courtesy of two spectacular catches.
First up was Christensen who took a fanastic catch on the move at backward square leg to dismiss Patel off the bowling of Thomas. Dilley was the next recipent when Murray took a sparkling reaction catch, again at backward square leg, to get rid of Wijesinghe.
With two new batsmen at the crease and the Ramblas full of confidence, Dilley saw a delivery spit up off a good length. The ball saw Petts Wood’s captain leave the field, with players and umpires assuming that he was collecting his helmet.
However, after the captain’s conferred, it became apparent that the hosts did not have a helmet between them and Pett’s Woods captain refused to return unless Dilley was taken out of the attack. Dilley, ever the team man, finished his over by bowling spin and willingly ended his spell.
Butcher came into the attack in place of Dilley and after a loose first over, was back to his very best. And after an excellent four over burst, Thomas was replaced by Parrett.
The new bowlers bowled superbly in tandem, with Butcher picking up the third wicket of the innings, bowling Wells with a fizzing delivery that flicked off the off stump bail. Petts Wood rebuilt their innings but Butcher put the brakes on when he trapped Mertia lbw for 28.
Parrett, carrying on his excellent form with the ball, nabbed his first wicket of the day with a sharp caught and bowled effort to leave the home team five wickets down. Five wickets became six when Sheridan took a great running catch off the bowling of Parrett.
Butcher and Parrett were replaced by Hall and Murray respectively and while Murray struggled with his rhythm early, Hall was send the ball down beautifully. As Murray found his line and length, chances started to come, and after going for a very risky single, Cook was run out after a simple pick up and throw to the keeper from Sheridan.
Hall was rewarded for his efforts with the ball when Meaton advanced down the track and was stumped by Rudgyard. Murray was replaced by Thomas who backed up the good work by Hall, as the pair restricted the runs and put the pressure on Petts Wood.
But with the hosts seemingly choosing to eat up overs rather than wrack up some late runs, the game lost some momentum. Knowing that they had to grab the last wicket to give themselves time to chase down the total, it was once again Sheridan who provided another sharp piece of fielding to run out Bill. The hosts were all out for 175 and the players sought some respite in the shade between innings.
With energy levels recharged, the Ramblas headed out to bat. Cooper and Sheridan were given the task of setting the tone in the run chase. Cooper got the team off the mark, driving the ball through point. Alas that was as good as it got for the visitor’s skipper as he was clean bowled off an inside edge the next over for 3.
Christensen strode to the crease and was in an attacking mood from the get go. Alongside Sheridan, the pair plundered boundaries and ran smartly to keep the Ramblas up with the run rate. The pair put on 66 runs for the second wicket, with Sheridan claiming his fourth fifty of a remarkable season with the bat. The partnership ended when Christensen was caught at mid on for 13.
Following his curtailed bowling spell, Dilley was promoted to four. He did not let his skipper down, announcing his arrival at the crease with a brutal cover drive that raced to the boundary.
Sheridan and Dilley took the Ramblas to 77-2 at the drinks break. With twenty overs left, the Ramblas required 99 runs to seal victory.
Sadly for Dilley, he couldn’t build on his efforts before drinks, falling victim to a delivery that stayed low to send the bails flying. Rudgyard was in at five and after crashing a boundary through the covers, was clean bowled for 4 attempting a cut.
Laurie Stocks was the next cab off the ranks and batted sensibly in partnership with Sheridan as the two chiselled away at the remaining runs. Ten overs were left in the game and the Ramblas needed 45 runs for victory.
The duo kept plugging away but the partnership when Sheridan was bowled for an epic 91. A rare loose shot from Sheridan saw him dismissed, but his Herculean effort in the heat saw him put the Ramblas in a winning position. Murray came to the crease and chipped away at the total, leaving 22 runs needed off the remaining six overs.
There was still plenty of fight in Petts Wood, with Meaton snaffling two wickets in an over to bring them right back into the contest. Laurie’s knock finally came to an end on 22, clean bowled with a ball that came back to clip the top of off. Parrett’s stay was a short one, out as he attempted to dispatch the ball down the ground but was caught at mid on.
With seven wickets down and fifteen runs needed off five overs, Butcher came to the crease. But just as Butcher arrived, Murray departed, clean bowled for 4.
Hall was the next man in, and he and Butcher steadied the ship and with four overs remaining, the Ramblas needed just twelve runs. Twelve runs needed became eight, when Butcher smashed the ball the the extra cover boundary. A quickly run single off a wide, saw Hall take strike with six runs now needed.
A shortish delivery from the bowler was brutally dispatched to the square leg boundary by Hall. The final two runs required came from consecutive no balls as the Ramblas sealed their sixth win of the season.
In such energy sapping conditions, the Ramblas performed heroically with both bat and ball. They now head to Hildenborough looking to claim a club record five straight win.
Ramblas MVP: Hats off to the bowlers who bowled well as a unit in the heat. But for his two run outs and a catch in the field, to go with his 91, this week’s MVP has to be Luke Sheridan.