Week 17

Fitzhead – Home

With the fear in getting a verbal lashing from Carl, I did not ask him for a match report from Saturday’s game. Even though the players enjoyed the read – see week 16 - Carl did expect some editing before it went on the social networks. I did edit it for the written press however!

So Saturday, a full 80 overs of umpiring, that was five hours worth, and if Fitzhead held their catches I am sure it would have been about three hours of adjudicating! Well, thankfully the visitors dropped loads of catches, which enabled Stowey to amass 231 (this is not a typo), yes 231 in 40 overs; Lee Rich ran out his captain in the last over trying to gat a not out and playing for his average!!!

Matt Coombes was the star with the batting scoring 97, which included plenty off four’s and sixes! One six he hit off their spinner was quite amusing; in fact I think the bowler went for a few boundaries that particular over. In handing his jumper to me at the start of the over he realised that he lost his lucky charm, and after he was despatched for 20+ runs, he found it, mumbling to myself “I told you it was lucky!”

It was unfortunate for Matt to get so close to three figures, to be fair he was going for another big shot and got the faintest of edges to the wicketkeeper. I was gutted to give him out caught behind, knowing he was so close to a ton. To be fair afterwards he said he would off walked if I missed it – questioning my ability to umpire Matt?

Another decision I have to give this week was a run out, my first of the season; in fact I gave two, like buses eh? Poor Mark Sortwell, picked the best fielder in the side to run two to, well, he wasn’t even the frame. I don’t mind easy decisions like that to give. LBW’s I hate. You have to think off at least four things before you can come to a decision and when the ball hits the pad the rest is just guess work.

When the Fitzhead opening bowler, (left arm over) appealed, which I subsequently said “not out”, he had the nerve to question my decision (which he has every right to), but not I aggressive manor. “Which of those three stumps was that missing?” he asked. When I replied that the ball pitched outside leg stump and therefore you cannot be out LBW, he shook his head, trudged back to his marker and ran in a bit quicker. The next over the same thing happened, he went to appeal, said not out to him self, went left arm round and after the over asked to change ends!

Lee Rich come of age during the Fitzhead run chase, taking six wickets (his first “Michelle”) and took them at the right time of the innings. Three quick wickets in his opening spell, then another three important wickets when the Fitzhead batsmen showed a lot of fire and was slowly taking the game away from Stowey.

So Stowey won, still mathematically possible not to be bottom, and there was two jugs back the club after. Happy days indeed. Next Brompton, last game of the season, and Brompton need to win to become champions. Looking forward to a drink with Roy after.

Thatchers’ time.