The Ramblas made it two wins from two in a well-contested match-up against the familiar and friendly faces of Chevening Amblers.
In chilly conditions, the Ramblas were put in to bowl and started steadily – Mark Loughlin particularly miserly with the ball and unlucky not to get amongst the wickets. That brotherly car journey back might’ve been an interesting one…
Despite a few fielding wobbles, the Ramblas persisted and the breakthrough came courtesy of Geoff Parrett who induced the first dismissal hit wicket and continued his exquisite form from last week’s win by quickly following that up with his second of the day courtesy of a fine one-handed leap by M. Loughlin.
That double success saw the celebratory Haribo come out amongst the fielders, with Steve Fitch soon ensuring the visitors were again digging in for sugary goodness; snaffling the well-set opener with one that jagged back and then having JP Aubin-Parvu – the man with the luscious locks and boundless enthusiasm of a Golden Retriever – to thank for a smart catch to back up his own fine bowling spell.
Michael Cooper then continued the Noah’s Ark theme of wickets coming in pairs, as he rattled the timbers twice in quick succession, before he and Fitch both added to their tallies – the former the beneficiary of the safe hands of M. Loughlin for his 107th catch in a Ramblas shirt. And off the final ball of the hosts’ innings, J. Loughlin made amends with a catch of his own (his fourth in the field for the Ramblas) off the bowling of Chris Thomas, as the hosts closed on 177/9.
Nursing a few mental scars from failed chases in the second half of last season, the Ramblas knew that they couldn’t take anything for granted.
That view was certainly hardened as skipper Matt Rudgyard went in the first over, but Jonny Stocks and James Dilley were in no mood for such talk, as they formed a fine 96-run partnership to break the back of the chase and settle those Ramblas nerves before Dilley departed for a swift 58 – his first half-century for the club.
You can’t talk about Ramblas half-centuries, though, and not mention J. Stocks. Already comfortably the club’s leading 50 maker, his calm assuredness saw him pass the milestone for the 22nd time to take the visitors within 22 runs of their target, before M. Loughlin and Aubin-Parvu finished things off with 11 balls remaining and securing a well-earned three-wicket win.
As has been the case since the Ramblas first visit in 2011 to the delights of Chipstead, the hosts were as welcoming as ever and contributed to a good contest that could have gone either way. The Ramblas look forward to hosting the return later in the season.
And as for the Ramblas, that’s two good wins in a row with contributions again from across the board. Onwards to Teleston & Mereworth.
Ramblas MVP: Having copped out last week, you’d think he wouldn’t do it again this week… but with the bowling efforts of Geoff Parrett, Michael Cooper and Steve Fitch as worthy of note and as important in securing the win as the innings of Jonny Stocks, James Dilley and Mark Loughlin, there’s barely any names not mentioned…