ARDENCAPLE V MARRESS MATCH REPORT (07/06/08)

Another fantastic scorcher of a day on saturday and as the team began to turn up at the cross ready for the long journey, the phone began to ring. Within 1 hour we had lost 3 players with various excuses. The best being that of the Legend Tam Anderson as he explained that his house and the surrounding area had been secured by the local police and no one was getting in or out of the area.(what will someone come up with next week).
Enough of the background useless info and onto the more serious topic.
we arrived at Helensboro with only 8 men and were desperate to field first, luckily the skipper won the toss and sent them into bat.
It was going to be a long hard slog for the team and so it turned out to be one. We made slow progress into the match and just as the skipper was looking to make a change from the opening bowler (chatty) he took his first of 2 wickets. Chatty bowled 15 overs straight through and finished with great figures, at the other end James cooney was having an unusual off day and was quickly replaced by Josh conway. Once Josh got his line right he eventually took 3 wickets in another fine 15 over spell.
Mike Ingram eventually brought himself on to bowl and wrapped the opposition tail up with 4 quick wickets. The ever virsitile Craig Sharp also came onto bowl and claimed a wicket, this was after he had kept wicket for most of the game. During his spell behind the stumps, Craig showed why he is rated as high as the second best keeper in the club.
Eventually Helensboro were all out for 156. a score that was competetive but also achieveable. The only doubt was the lack of players.

After a top class tea(thanks Ardencaple) Sharp and Conway opened the batting, both started brightly until Conway was caught playing a familiar lack lustre shot and he was out for 12. In came the skipper Mike Ingram and he and Sharp battled away against some very good bowling. The two of them put on a stand of 81 before Sharp had a rare rush of blood and was stumped charging down the wicket at the bowler. He was out for an excellent 25. With the game in the balance the next batsman was Jamie doolan (Birthday Boy)and he made a quick 9 runs before being caught, the score was now 124 for 3 and the win was almost in sight.
Old timer ronnie G was in next and uncharacheristically he went for a big shot and played onto his stumps for 4. We are now 132 for 4 and a hint of desperation was starting to show. In came Vice Captain Derek Park and he tried to revert to his tried and tested method of batting, but sadly this was not his day and was clean bowled for 0. Now we were 134 for 5. Thankfully the ever calm Skipper was at the other end and he took matters into his own hands and dominated the bowling hitting 7 fours and 1 massive 6 ( possibly the biggest ever seen), but with only 6 runs needed to win Mike was suprisingly bowled for 66.
This left the last 2 batsman Chatty and Cooney to try and get us over the winning line. with the tension high, Cooney hit his first ball straight to the opposition Capt and somehow he dropped it (phew!)Cooney then defended for all his worth and then left it to chatty to go on to hit the winning runs and end a magnificent day of cricket for the Marress Men.

Next week we travel to Gatehouse of Fleet and looking at recent results we should be able to come back with the 25 points.