Southwick Wanderers Cricket Club

Beeding and Bramber vs SWCC

SWCC Innings

On a very windy afternoon Wanderers prevailed over a Beeding and Bramber side still smarting from the mauling they received last year at Jamie’s hands, although not with the same comfort margin. A good, if low-scoring game.

Wanderers were put in (I’m assuming you lost the toss, Jamie), and despite the swirling wind moving the ball alarmingly (particularly irritatingly causing the bails to dislodge frequently – I know, I had to keep picking them up), runs came fairly quickly for Jamie and ‘Woody’ Higgs until Jamie played one onto his stumps – bowled for 10. Palpable relief from the fielders who remembered only too well the abuse they had had to endure last time they encountered him. Spare us a thought lads, we have to play with him (so to speak) every week!

Morgan came in at three, fresh from his exploits against Hammerwood, and for a time it looked as if he would repeat them, hitting three fours in his 14 before he was undone by one that didn’t lift as he expected and he was bowled. 25 – 2 and things not entirely going as we would like. Darren in next and mindful of the swing and uneven bounce, played himself in carefully. ‘Woody’ was next to be fooled by the low bounce, bowled for a patient 11. 34 – 3. Tony Preston joined Darren and the two played with lots of concentration, the score moving slowly to 68, before Tony was trapped LBW by the grey-haired Littlejohns (nothing wrong with grey hair – Ed) who bowled very accurately and in fact took 5 – 10 off 12.4 overs. ‘Chuckles’ strode to the crease, then strode back again, not having ‘troubled the scorer’. Not sure how I could have sugared that pill, ‘Chuckles’. Sorry. Roll on the next match. Alan in next, but was unable to stem the flow, and was well caught for 2. Gemma stayed with Darren for a bit before perishing for our second duck, swiftly joined by Charlie with our third. With wickets tumbling at the other end, Darren played possibly his best knock for Wanderers, his 45 being all but half of our small total. He was finally caught and it was left to Luke and Dave Field to eke out another couple of runs before Luke was bowled by the wretched Littlejohns, leaving us with the uninspiring total of 96.

Beeding and Bramber Innings

After tea, however, it became clear that the total was not as bad as had seemed as their batsmen struggled against our opening attack of Luke and Morgan. They quickly collapsed to 10 – 4, Luke getting 3 and Morgan the fourth. King briefly rallied the score before being bowled by Luke for 15. Luke finished with 5 – 6 (yes, you read right), off 7.1 overs. He came off to be replaced by Dave F, and Morgan (3 – 17 off 8 fast overs) was replaced by Darren. With a score of 40 – 6 it looked all up for them, but Plassing and Patel had other ideas, and suddenly we noticed their score creeping up past 60, and then to 70. ‘Chuckles’ took a good juggled (to say the least) catch off Dave Field, and we were back in amongst them. Tony Preston (he writes), stuck out a hand in the slips, and an incredulous Edwards was on his way back to the pavilion, caught off another fast delivery from Morgan, brought back for Darren, who had induced a top edge that Luke gratefully pouched to dismiss Martin. Luke came back for Dave, and with the score on 73, bowled a rare bad ball (actually a rank long-hop), Patel’s eyes lit up and he launched his bat at it, but was several seconds too early. It dropped tamely onto the stumps and Patel was forced to trudge back to the pavilion, the last man out, to secure us a slightly unlikely victory. It must be said that our bowling and fielding was excellent, full credit to bowlers and fielders alike. Full credit also, to Darren for his excellent 45.