GATEHOUSE OF FLEET V MARRESS (14-06-08)

ANOTHER FINE SUNNY DAY AND SUPRISINGLY THE MARRESS MEN SET OFF ON THEIR LONG JOURNEY WITH A FULL TEAM (A SIGHT MORE RARE THAN ROBBIE FERGUSONS WALLET).
THE TEAM WAS IN A CONFIDENT MOOD AS WE WERE NOW TRYING TO EQUAL A CLUB RECORD SET IN 1963. COULD WE GET A FIFTH WIN IN A ROW? LOOKING AT THE PREVIOUS RESULTS A VICTORY WAS EXPECTED AS GATEHOUSE SEEMED TO BE STRUGGLING TO PUT BIG TOTALS ON THE BOARD.
ON ARRIVAL THE GROUND LOOKED A PICTURE AND WE WERE WARMLY WELCOMED BY THE OPPOSITION.
DURING THE TEAM MEETING (OUTSIDE THE GREASY SPOON)EVERYONE HOPED THAT WE FIELDED FIRST AS THE WICKET HAD A REPUTATION OF BEING BETTER IN THE SECOND INNINGS, THE SKIPPER SECRETLY WANTED TO BAT FIRST SO AS TO GIVE EVERYONE SOME BATTING PRACTISE AND HOPEFULLY SET A BIG TOTAL.
WELL NO MATTER HOW MUCH PRE-PLANNING GOES ON IT ALL HINGES ON THE COIN TOSS, AND NO SUPRISE WE LOST THE TOSS AND THEY ELECTED TO BAT.

SKIPPER MIKE INGRAM OPENED THE BOWLING WITH JOSH CONWAY AND CHATANIYA MUDUNURI AND THE TEAM SET ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. BOTH BOWLERS WERE STEADY, BUT NOTHING WAS REALLY HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY AT JC'S END AS JOSH WAS BOWLING A LINE CONSISTENTLY OUTSIDE THE LINE BUT NEVER REALLY THREATENING THE BATSMAN. WITH THE BOUNDARY IN CLOSE AND THE OUTFIELD LIKE A BOWLING GREEN THE BALL RACED PAST FIELDERS WITH EASE.
WITH THE OPPOSITION ON 19 THE SKIPPER MADE A CHANGE OF BOWLING ATTACK AND BROUGHT ON JAMES COONEY FOR JOSH CONWAY.
THE NEXT OVER CHATTY MADE THE BREAKTHROUGH AND THEN QUICKLY TOOK A SECOND WICKET.
AT THE OTHER END JAMES COONEY STARTED WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE HIS BEST EVER BOWLING FIGURES, HE STEADILY WITTLED OUT 6 MORE WICKETS AND FINISHED WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 14 OVERS FOR 36 RUNS. THIS WAS A PERSONAL BEST AND SECURELY CEMENTS HIM AS THE TOP WICKET TAKER THIS SEASON. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW PLAYER KETAN KITKAT HE CLEANED UP THE INNINGS WITH A FINE DELIVERY AND WE HAD THEM IN THE HOUSE (HUT) FOR 100.
AFTER A FINE TEA WITH THE OPPOSITION AND A FEW MICE ETC THE BIG QUESTION AS ALWAYS WAS COULD WE KEEP OUR CONCENTRATION AND SEE THE JOB THROUGH.
THE OPENING PAIR WERE DAVID INGRAM AND JAMES COONEY. WELL IT WAS N'T LONG BEFORE ONE OF THE RECOGNISED BATSMAN WAS OUT. JAMES COONEY LEAVING A DELIVERY THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE PAST HIS LEG STUMP, ONLY FOR COONEY TO STICK HIS LEG IN THE WAY OF IT AND DEFLECT IT ONTO HIS STUMPES AND HE WAS BOWLED FOR 0. THIS INTODUCED THE OLD YIN MIKE INGRAM, COULD FATHER AND SON SEE THE TEAM OVER THE WINNING LINE. AFTER A FEW QUICK BLOWS TO THE BOUNDARY MIKE (SUFFERING FROM A HEADACHE)WAS BOWLED FOR A MISELY 14 RUNS AND WITH THE SCORE ONLY ON 28 FOR 2 THIS WAS NOW GOING TO BE A TOUGH CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY AS WHENEVER MIKE HAS BEEN BOWLED EARLY IN THE INNINGS THE TEAM VERY RARELY WINS.
THE NEXT BATSMAN IN WAS THE IMPROVING JAMIE DOOLAN, HE AND DAVID BATTED SENSIBLY AND TOOK NO CHANCES, WITH JAMIE ON 5 HE MADE HIS FIRST ATTACKING SHOT OF THE DAY AND WAS CLEAN BOWLED(MAYBE THIS IS A LESSON JAMIE WILL LEARN FROM AND KEEP ON DEFENDING), THE SCORE WAS NOW 43 FOR 3 AND STILL ALONG WAY FROM VICTORY.
WHEN THE GOING IS GETTING TOUGH WHO BETTER TO BRING TO THE CREASE THAN THE VERY OLD YIN(DAVY JONES)RONNIE GILLILAND. WITH A COMBINATION OF YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE THE 2 BATSMAN GOT ON TOP OF BOWLING AND WITH DAVID BEING THE DOMINATOR HE BEGAN TO HIT THE BALL ALL AROUND THE GROUND AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE OLD YIN THEY MOVED THE SCORE ONTO 97 BEFORE ONCE AGAIN OLD (DAVEY JONES) FAILED TO BRING THE SHIP ALL THE WAY INTO THE DOCK AND WAS CAUGHT GOING FOR THE WINNING RUNS FOR A VERY IMPORTANT 11 RUNS.
THIS BROUGHT YOUNG JOSH CONWAY TO THE CREASE WHO QUICKLY GOT THE WINING RUNS AND THE GAME WAS WON.
A FANTASTIC MATURE KNOCK BY DAVID INGRAM SAW US WIN THIS GAME WITH AN UNBEATEN 45.
ANOTHER WIN AND THE CLUB RECORD WAS EQUALLED. TO BEAT THE RECORD WE NOW HAVE A TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH WITH THE ALPS AND THE WINNERS OF THIS MATCH WILL LIKELY WIN THE LEAGUE.A BIG CROWD IS EXPECTED AT THIS MATCH NEXT SUNDAY, SO EARLY ARRIVAL IS RECCOMMENDED IF YOU WANT THE BEST SEATS.