Sunday 3rd September 23
Wick welcomed our ground sharing compadres/noisy neighbours to the village green. Scheduled meet up at 12.30 for a 1pm start, Gutsy arrived at 12.45. We accepted he was neither late nor on time.
Sometimes even the most cold blooded mercenaries choose a side. Our (or is he?) own gun for hire showed his true colours as Kenny strode to the Green, like a cricketing loyalty reveal party, not in the pure traditional white of Wick but the corporate modern blue of the Vale. Guv, sensing the Wick hurt, over compensated by kindly loaning us Sam Sheppard. Game was on and Wick bowled first.
Vale CC - 164 all out (38.0): JP 64, R.Toutt 33, Steve Collins 3-35, Andy Ellis 2-15, Sam Sheppard 2-13 Wick CC - 162 all out (39.3): Sam Sheppard 56, Andy Ellis 30, Leo Kelly 27
Solid battle of bat and ball as Gutsy and Leo bowled the opening 10 overs with the Vale on 35-0. The breakthrough came via the dependable arm of Andy (2-15) who bowled Ben “the machine” Wade and followed it up with the squeaking wicket of R.Morgan thanks to a neat caught behind by Dicky. Vale batsmen JP (64 runs) and R.Toutt (33) decided wisely to circumnavigate the slow outfield and to deal only in sixes getting the Vale to 95-2 off 20 overs.
It was Steve (3-35), channelling peak Roland Lefebvre, that broke and ended the partnership with Owen, Gutsy and Carl taking fine catches. At the other end Sam (2-13) apologetically bowled some of his pals and Vale reached 144-7 at the 30 over mark. It would be the unlikely combination of Iestyn (2-19) and Carlos (1 for no runs! ) that would sweep up the tail, a tail that included one J.Iscariot; the artist formally known as Kenny. It was a blur of flat bats and reverse sweeps but Iestyn took the prime bounty and Vale ended on 164 all out.
At half time the talk was of Kelly’s Deli as Leo pulled out two baguettes, a potato salad, a set of kitchen knives and an ice hockey puck of a pork pie.
To the Wick innings, some tight bowling from A.Naseem (2-1) and I.Jose (1-17) left Wick on 18-3 from 10 overs as Steve, Chris and Neal got out. A solid partnership from Sam (56) and Andy (30) navigated Wick to 69-3 at the 20 over drinks break.
Enter the Sandman, he who couldn’t buy a wicket for Wick this season ended as the Vale 3rds top wicket-taker in the league and took two more scalps to make that chicken even sweeter. Yes, Sam and Dicky had the ignominy of being caught off a K.Thomas (2-19) delivery. Wick reached 30 overs with 124-5 on the board with Andy and Iestyn (13) at the crease. They both fell quickly leaving Leo and Owen to move ever closer to the target, Leo (27) was in fine form even running a three at one point and he pushed the Wick total to 159 just 6 short of victory before being bowled. Gutsy walked to the crease looked at Owen and must have thought Mr Village Cricket needs some proper village cricket so ran him out. Last batsmen Carlos, may be sensing the inevitable, ran himself out to complete the snatching of defeat from the jaws of victory and Wick finished on 162 just 3 runs shy of the win.
Epic contest and well done and thanks to the Vale team, it’s always great to play them. Vale cricket club are a great supporter of cricket at Wick and the club itself.
-Rob Dixon
