Hot day, sizzling game of cricket
Budleigh Salterton, Devon, 6/7/2015
Budleigh Salterton won by 8 runs
Budleigh Salterton: 222 [R.Craze 59]
Strongroom: 214-9 [R.Woolhouse 53, Marley 4-27]
View the Scorecard
This turned out to be a beautiful day, and also produced a brilliant game - albeit in a losing cause. This was our first visit to Budleigh Salterton CC. They turned out to be a very hospitable club, situated a stone's throw from the Jurassic coast.
It was a searingly hot day, and after losing the toss we found ourselves bowling first. Asif hit his rhythm nicely once again, and Vinay worked up good pace on this rewarding surface. The left-hander Craze (59) was very accomplished technically, and looked like we’d struggle to get him out until Joe Rahman eventually snared him, during what was a really good spell. After 30 overs Budleigh were 180-5, and we all felt a big total was threatening - perhaps even somewhere around 280-300, with wickets in hand. However, this next 10 overs was where Strongroom, under some pressure, produced a really good and characterful spell of cricket, to the extent that Budleigh only managed to score a further 42 runs. There were some stand-out moments - Dave Gower took a brilliant, running catch off his younger brother’s bowling, Grant ‘Raging Potato’ Dixon bowled someone with a well-disguised slower ball, Jon Gower picked up three wickets and there was some really spirited fielding throughout - particularly by messrs D.Gower and Jules.
A really top class ‘sit-down’ tea - featuring hot, cooked chips! And of course, the obligatory devon scones with clotted cream and jam. That’s it m’luvver!
So, we were chasing 223 to win in our final game of the tour, in tremendous, hot, bright conditions, complete with a warm sea breeze. Rich Woolhouse (53) played a corker of an innings, and again underlined his canny ability to craft out 50s. He started out defensively, but then suddenly belted four 4s in one over, with pulls, cuts and drives of brutish power. After Rich was out, the Gower brothers both ticked the score along nicely, but then wickets fell, and it was the turn of Jules (25) and Harry (31) to demonstrate their class and touch - you won’t come across many more attractive batsmen at the crease.
However, with 100 required off 10 overs, it looked a tough ask. But then wickets fell, and we looked out of it once again. Then Dave P and Asif clonked it around, and we started to make big noise from the boundary as every run took us closer. Asif and Dave P needed 15 off the last two overs, but Craze was just too good, and we lost by just 8 runs, in what was a noisy and climactic finish.
Yes we lost three out of three on this tour, but actually, it was the most enjoyable Devon tour I have been on yet. Rich Woolhouse won the tourist award for his brace of 50s. Asif, Vinay and Harry all capped off excellent tour debuts, and Adrian Horne, as always...kept us chuckling at every available opportunity.
Written By: J.Gower
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