News
Aldenham vs Tring III
By Tricky Dickie D
First win of the season,guys,
one to savour
On yet another April scorcher. . . are we in for a
wet May? . . . stand-in Saturday skipper Chasler elected to bat/lost
the toss/got us inserted (not sure which) and resident email joker
Burrows L and the team accountant took on the Tring attack slow and
steady like. Letts S was the modicum of defence and precision,
facing 12 dot balls, tipping a single, then another 12 and another
single before sadly holing out and never getting going. Burrows,
though, carried on from his not out 73 from the previous weekend to
add 21 against a tight opening onslaught from Tring. Michelin Munroe
chuffed at his 93 again from the previous weekend saw his stumps fly
on only his fifth ball by one that was well pitched up - his excuse
being he had NOT gone to bed with a hangover the night before. Nick
Hale followed soon afterwards, and it was left to Colonel Bazeley to
biff the bowlers about, slamming a fine 59 no holds barred, to lift
the spirits of an Aldenham side that at one stage was reeling at 36
for 4. Million-dollar man Richard Kirby, on his debut after a
four-year layoff, stuck around for several overs for an obdurate 10
– a great effort after so long away and a good test of his new
bionics – and the team then relied first on Chewett – 35 not out -
and then Chasler (who knocked 28 off 12 balls and three hefty belts
for six) to pull up the declaration at a healthy 187 for 6 – not the
90 all out or less we’d all been predicting only an hour earlier but
were too afraid to say.
Following a truly sumptuous tea from the Letts household - you’ve raised the bar again, Jo – a pigged-out Aldenham lurched back on to the field but then set the bar themselves with two great seam bowling performances and some good back-up in the field. Chassler coming down from the Social Club end and struck in his first over, thanks to a cheek meets ground scooping catch from Dickie Doo at square leg. From then on there was no stopping Chassler who picked up a beaut when he got Tring’s no 3 – or was it 4 – shouldering arms only to see the ball swing in late to take his off-stump – a perfect wicket for an inswing bowler. Sen Bala toiled away at the other end, took a bit of time to find his length. One over he was regularly being hoiked over the far boundary, the next he hit his length, had the same batsman in all sorts of trouble and eventually got a catch snaffled at gulley by, yes, that man again – Chassler, who eventually went on to claim 5 for 23 off seven miserly overs including one gobbled up by Nick Hale’s stomach at slip/gulley. Chewett too was back in the action taking over at the top end to pick up 3 for 20 off three overs, interspersed by a fine leg-side catch by stand-in keep Michelin Munroe off Tricky Dickie. Tring were bundled out for a paltry 96, but not before a certain Mike Ward, guesting for the oppo, sent a screaming sliced drive through slips for four. Bowled by Chewett moments later, Wardy was later heard to say something along the lines of: ‘Yes, enjoyed that, Chris, good to be part of your wicket. Proper cricket . . .’
First win of the season,guys, one to savour.