Brighton Beamers Cricket Club

You have to feel sorry for Nigel. The man responsible for carving a sublime wicket out of a stud marked municipal park, who’s been a guiding hand in turning a casual side formed around the time of ours into a lottery-funded council-granted multiple-teamed league-playing youth-squadded club, seems utterly unable to muster a troop capable of beating the Beamers. As his chances have gone, today he never came close. Winning the toss he elected to bat. On the customary fine track and awful outfield that is the modern Rec a total of 200 plus was there for the taking and nothing less required to make the Beamers so much as break into a sweat. Instead the Palmers scratched around, failing to cope with balls sent their way with pace and guile, our bowlers sharing wickets around evenly. The newcomers were amongst the action. The Aussie Matt, fitting perfectly into the classical mould (or is that mold?) of Beamers seamers opened and snared Palmers 1st XI skipper no less, still recoiling from a helmet bashing Cave bouncer delivered moments before. The Vicar of Dobley, having arrived a little late and completed introductions to all including of course God, came on 3rd change. Mutterings in the field that the G-force seemed strong with his left arm round proved accurate as he tucked one behind the legs to dismiss Nigel. Off what seemed like an interminable 43 overs Palmers could but muster 163 for 7. The chase was straightforward. A steady opening stand showcasing the Little Master and Grand Arthur crescendoed to its half century. Smithers went in at the fall of Dave, who'd obviously shot his load with successive boundaries the previous over, and played a sublime 34. Matt, promoted to keep up momentum, followed Pete with the tally in the mid 70's. The new Greg with bowling? No. Talk on the boundary of Aussie Beamers of course brought out dewey eyed reminiscence, but this wasn't a display of Flintian rectitude. Instead we were treated to a brutish display of mainly backfoot driving amongst them a steepling six, dismantling of any flicker of Palmers' hope that the game was there to be drawn. A little wobble when Smithy was out with Garner’s swiftish dismissal and the new all rounder Frank’s golden one was never really going to threaten and the target reached in 34 overs with 5 in hand. Arthur 24; Bailey 20; Smith 34; Henderson 61 n.o. Palmers Innings: Beamers Innings: