Glorious sunshine, a match played in the right spirit and a home win made for the perfect Sunday at Ramblas HQ.
For the second week running, the best laid plans of the Fitch-ture secretary were ripped up, as the Ramblas were called on to host Tatsfield due to the latter’s pitch not being quite ready – but thanks to the sterling work of the inimitable Stuart Dilley (and others), conditions were set fair for what turned out to be a fine all-round performance by the hosts.
While the name and appearance of the Ramblas captain may have changed, Matt Rudgyard has so far retained the uncanny knack of losing the toss – on this occasion seeing his side put into bat.
Seth Clifford and Jonny Stocks were tasked with opening up and batted well until the pitch displayed one of its demons, the former bowled by a short one that stayed very low. Tom Howgego entered the fray and helped build on that solid platform, adding impetus where he could, while J. Stocks continued on his merry way to a record-equalling 18th Ramblas half century. Bravo, Stocksy.
Mark Loughlin, Laurie Stocks and Matt Rudgyard came and went with varying degrees of success (and rancour with the umpires’ decisions), before more late hitting from James Dilley and some solid blocks from Michael Cooper saw the hosts home to a decent (if slightly unspectacular)-looking 179/6.
Tea (and the odd hop-flavoured beverage) safely consumed and stretches of ailing/ageing bodies completed, the Ramblas headed out to defend a chaseable target and the short boundary, with Chris Thomas and Dilley giving their skipper the start Rudgyard would have been dreaming of the night before.
Dilley was in imperious form, offering shape and pace as he took three wickets, while Thomas (recovering from a taste of his own ball-dropping medicine from last week) snaffled his first of the season thanks to a worldie of a one-handed catch at mid-on by Howgego.
With the openers’ work done and the ten-man visitors staring down the barrel, Rudgyard shuffled his pack, with Duane Hall and Steve Fitch continuing where their team-mates left off. Hall took a wicket thanks to another cracking catch, this time by J. Stocks who held on well to one that came down with snow on it, while Fitch bowled some lovely stuff and an early contender for ball of the season with one that pitched on middle and went past the batter’s outside edge.
The Tatsfield team were determined to give as good as they got and continued to punch back where they could, with some lusty boundaries and sharp running. However, the patented ‘cheeky change-up’ before drinks paid dividends, with Cooper (who seemed intent on challenging for catch of the season with a couple of great one-handed attempts) taking the first of his three wickets before refreshments were taken.
Wickets two and three for Cooper came in successive balls, but the hat-trick ball was safely seen off, before Clifford wrapped up the game, with the visitors (who will be welcomed back at any time) still 60-odd short of their total.
Ramblas MVP: Shouts galore this week, as everyone played their part, but in honour of the Swiss Eurovision win last night, we’re staying on the fence and calling it a joint nod to Jonny Stocks and Michael Cooper for their efforts with bat and ball respectively.