Enjoyable Jurassic test match!
Branscombe, Devon, 9/20/2020
Match drawn
Strongroom: 111-1 & 104-8
Branscombe Ravens: 102-5 & 62-8
View the Scorecard
While descending down tightly hedged lanes and into Branscombe it was difficult to believe that a cricket ground would be found in this small village, nestled in the folded hills and gullies of the east Devon jurassic coastline. But sure enough, there it was, a small, flat area of land, suitable for cricket. It was a lovely sight, enveloped in forested hills and under a warm, blue sky.
The ground featured very short square boundaries, and somewhat longer straight ones. Both captains agreed to adhere to the local request for a mini Test match of two innings of 15 overs. Each innings would require every fielder to bowl at least one over.
In our first innings, openers Gwyn (25*) and Gower J (30*) had to retire at 25, so this was a decent start. The pitch was somewhat slow and uneven in bounce, but the short boundaries balanced out these vagaries. Andy Orme (14) had a rare batting opportunity, at number three, and enjoyed himself with three slams to the boundary. Andrew Jones and Vinay then took us to 111 off our 15 overs - though we had no sense how sufficient a total this was, on this ground and in this format. Branscombe Ravens rotated their bowlers in one-over spells, which made for an interesting batting experience.
In Branscombe’s first innings they totalled 102-5, so it was quite even at the halfway stage. Of note here was the sight of Andrew Jones coming off a longish run, and two diving catches from myself, both off Mario.
Our second innings had a somewhat turgid start, and finally came to rest at 104-8. David Gower completed a nice cameo of 23, with two neatly positioned sixes onto the grassy knoll at square leg. Gwyn slammed a somewhat grumpy 26* as he came in at number 9 to speed up proceedings. This left Branscombe requiring a highly chaseable 114 to win.
As it was, Branscombe’s chase fell 52 short, as the pressure of batting last proved too much to sustain. We bowled and fielded pretty well.
Gwyn was awarded the tourist trophy (well, kind of, as I forgot to bring it) for his excellent batsmanship, and overall this had proved to be a highly enjoyable tour, amidst a summer of corona anxiety. A few of us headed down for a pint in the village where we spotted Jeremy Clarkson’s sizeable frame wedged in behind the wheel of a sizeable Range Rover, negotiating his way through the tight lanes. Before the drive back to the big smoke we nipped down to the beach to find Riaz patiently waiting for the AA, in what was a glorious late summer evening.
Written By: J.Gower
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