Crawley Down B-Lowe-n away!

Rob Nic writes:

Headliners cried off (again) so we needed an emergency fixture and boy did Frank find us a cracker. Picturesque village ground encircled with a variety of trees, old pavilion with changing rooms round the back but more importantly tables (and bar!) inside groaning with all kinds of home made goodies...

Toss won, oppo inserted - Beamers, somethings are written in stone. But not necessarily opening bowling - Lowe first but then R Rigby (shades of Strauss at Lords perchance). And it was good - Marlon testing the well-built oppo skipper who chanced his arm and fetched a few streaky boundaries and runs came quickly. The first changes soon came to the rescue though - A&E with a couple of wickets including one with the 'slower' (?!?) ball and particularly Siddo, with 1 for 19 off 8, both bowling remarkably parsimonious spells.

Catches went down but wickets fell regularly with Rigby senior and the skipper picking up a few but it was the return to the openers that sealed Crawley Down's fate. Marlon ended his first spell with the skipper's wicket, he ended the second spell with the rest in a blistering display of fast bowling.

The tea. Just like the good old days - sitting on the outfield in the sunshine stuffing our faces with homemade goodies including some particularly tasty brownies (and not in the Preach style either).

Bailey and Brett, that well known firm of solicitors, opened steadily but it was the arrival of Rigby B with a new bat to knock in which started the unseasonal fireworks. Biff, Bang and indeed Pow with 17 in one over alone took us closer to home and he finished with a brutal 61.

His cousin, sporting a dashing headband and cap combination (and for a few overs no box, such was his daring) continued the good work assisted in a match winning partnership by Siddo, who with 28 capped a fine all round display.

A few team mates fell by the wayside but the result was never in doubt (well, ok it was a little bit) and with Jonners on the boundary eager as a beaver with a new dam to build the winning runs were expertly edged through the slips to the joy of the capacity crowd (ie Jan).

We finished an absolutely spiffing day with more scrummy cakes and lashings of London Pride...

Crawley Down Inns

Beamers'