ROUKEN GLEN V MARRESS (28-06-08)

WITH MARRESS SITTING 2ND IN THE LEAGUE AND ROUKEN GLEN IN 4TH, IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE LIKELY THAT ROUKEN GLEN WOULD WANT THE GAME TO GO AHEAD AT ALL COST.
SETTING OFF FROM IRVINE WITH THE RAIN LASHING DOWN, IT SEEMED ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE THAT WE WOULD BE PLAYING ANY CRICKET TODAY. AS WE DROVE CLOSER TO THE GROUND THE CLOUDS BEGAN TO OPEN AND IT WAS IF WE WERE IN ANOTHER WORLD, THE SUN WAS ALMOST SHINING AND THERE WAS NO RAIN. THE GROUND HAD OBVIOUSLY HAD RAIN ON IT AT SOME POINT(THE PUDDLES ON THE PITCH GAVE THIS AWAY) YET THE WICKET WAS FINE.
AFTER A DELAYED START THE SKIPPERS TOSSED THE COIN AND MIKE INGRAM FOR MARRESS WON IT. THE TEAM HAD TALKED ABOUT BATTING PRIOR TO THE TOSS AS WE APPEARED TO HAVE A VERY STRONG BATTING LINE UP. NORMALLY THE SKIPPER WOULD ALWAYS OPT TO FIELD FIRST,BUT ON THIS OCCASION HE DECIDED TO BAT(TURNED OUT TO BE A BIG MISTAKE).
MARRESS OPENED WITH SHARP AND MUDUNURI AND IT WAS SOON REALISED WHY ROUKEN GLEN HAD BEEN STEADILY PROGRESSING UP THE LEAGUE, THEY HAD POSSIBLY 2 OF THE BEST BOWLERS IN THE LEAGUE. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE MARRESS WERE IN TROUBLE AND LOSING WICKETS FOR VERY FEW RUNS. WICKET AFTER WICKET FELL AND EVEN THE ADDITION OF TOP BATSMAN ROBBIE STEWART COULDN'T DO MUCH AGAINST THE ROUKEN GLEN ATTACK AND EVENTUALLY WE WERE ALL OUT FOR A PATHETIC 61 RUNS.

A QUICK TURN AROUND AND WE SET OUT TO TRY AND GET A QUICK BREAKTHROUGH AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE WE GOT OUR FIRST WICKET. OPENING BOWLERS CONWAY AND MUDUNURI BOWLED A GOOD LINE AND AT ONE STAGE WE HAD THE OPOSITION 54 FOR 7 AND WERE STILL IN WITH A SLIM CHANCE OF POSSIBLE VICTORY. SADLY WE COULD NOT GET ANOTHER BREAKTHROUGH AND THEY STUMBLED OVER THE WINNING LINE.
ON REFLECTION THE WINNING OF THE TOSS WAS VITAL AND A LESSON WAS LEARNT (DO NOT BAT FIRST) AS WE SEEM TO BE A BETTER TEAM WHEN CHASING A SCORE.

THIS DEFEAT HAS BLOWING THE LEAGUE WIDE OPEN FOR WHAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE A 5 HORSE RACE FOR THE SECOND SPOT.

WE WELCOME THE VISIT OF WINDYEDGE NEXT WEEK, DEFEAT IS UNTHINKABLE AND A MASSIVE EFFORT IS NEEDED BY ALL.

I WILL BE LOOKING FOR A GOOD TURNOUT AT TRAINING THIS WEEK AND ANY ONE WHO FAILS TO TURN UP MAY BE DROPPED FOR THIS IMPORTANT MATCH.