Best Team Win at Bracebridge

Away to Bracebridge Heath is always a fixture that is circled on my calendar. A chance to play away at the league's leading side is a great opportunity to test yourself both in terms of your technical ability but also your mental strength. How would Jake Benson and his band of merry men fare with the earlier start time of 11am?

On an absolute deck we were inserted as the Heath seemed to have one eye on the £3 per pint Stolen Fridays night they were looking forward to. Pierce Morley Barnes and Richard Bishop opened the innings and once again the ‘Little and Large’ duo managed to make headway in the early overs. Bish was the first to depart caught behind for 11 with the score on 30. David Spokes strode to the crease to join Pierce and they put on a further 19 before Pierce was once again adjudged to be LBW. With Pierce gone for 22 the Lindum had two new First Teamers at the crease in Spokes and George Butler against the best bowling attack in the league. We were then treated to a display of batting that pleased me to my core. Butler and Spokes dug in against a difficult attack and nudged and nurdled their way to a 41 run partnership. Butler fell for eight, undone by a slower ball with the score on 90 before Spokes left the scene for 17 with the score on 97. It was then Will Taylor and Grant Watkins’ turn to frustrate the thirsty home attack as they worked and bludgeoned the ball around the NHS outfield for a 52 run partnership. A special mention here for these two, Will has developed into a very solid First Team batsman who understands his game. It’s far from pretty at times but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this was another priceless innings from Taylor. Grant is like a fine win. Actually don’t mention wine near him but you know what I mean. He is now at a stage of his cricket career where he fully understands his game. He is far more selective with his shot making than in his reckless youth and has developed into a key contributor for us this season. Grant was out for 38 with the score on 149 and that brought Ben Rolfs to the crease. Rolfsy scores effectively all around the ground including one mid air square cut that was a sight to behold. Will went for a hard fought 35 with the the total on 190-6. A procession of Lindum batsman then fell as we closed the innings 210 all out. That was a solid effort and if we were to have a bit of luck, hold our chances and field like demons who knows what might happen....

After tea, or was it lunch, we went out to field. We bowled well to begin with as Elliott Dalton and James Dewhurst had the openers in some difficulties. They bowled well without reward as it took an incredible run out to break the opening partnership. Whapplington was run out following some excellent work from Will Taylor on the boundary - throwing on the run and off balance to Richard Bishop, catching on the run and throwing down one stump off balance. Incredible scenes 47-1. Rolfs soon had Brett Houston LBW without scoring to leave the Heath wobbling at 48-2. The wobble didn’t last long as Joseph Price hit his first ball for Rolfs straight back over the diminutive Australians head for six. To be honest with that statement of intent the hope inside of me on the sidelines ebbed away pretty quickly. The players on the pitch though showed no signs of giving up as they plugged away to the great credit of the club. Skipper Benson rung the bowling changes but despite playing some streaky shots Price never looked in huge trouble and he closed the innings 105 not out with Paul Cook at the other end 73 not out. A loss by eight wickets.

Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say when you’ve been beaten by a better side. That’s what happened last Saturday. It’s a funny old game as we could have bowled first, got them all out for 350 been bowled out for 99 and earned more points than we did with this performance. Yet this showing was very encouraging for multiple reasons and if we can carry over this type of discipline to games against the lesser lights then good results are just around the corner.

Report by James Kempton