Sunday 26th June 2022
They say what goes on tour, stays on tour but truthfully Saturday was bit of a blur and the details very hazy but the levels of debauchery will either live long in the minds of the residents of Ross-on-Wye or no-one will have noticed our presence. The Wick CC jolly boys outing was in the classic mode of peak early with excited afternoon drinking, ruin other people’s night out and then stumble home to spoon with a teammate. We will claim to have drunk Ross-on-Wye dry of Bwty Bach ale and entertained their masses with our singing, but most importantly we had a bloody good time.
The cricket was on the Sunday and Wick, batting first after being offered the toss, performed excellently considering the hang-overs. We scored an epic 271 on a lovely batting track with Math retiring with a great century and Russ doing the same with a half century. Colin and Dicky chipped in with 30-odd a piece to set a formidable total.
For the interval an old favourite returned, the cricket tea, and a mighty good one too! The Wick lads wisely chose to take the team photo before tucking into their own body weight in sausage rolls and cheese sarnies, all the while serenaded by the sound of a brass band drifting from a neighbouring field …. bliss.
The bowling story was of one man and one man only, of course that was Kenny who had travelled up on the Sunday for the game. He got four wickets, including one with his very first ball, one of those ‘I was there’ moments.
Ross-on-Wye were four down early and had skipper Rob pondering how he would get all of his troops a bowl before our opponents had been ‘skittled’ … he needn’t have worried. 200 runs later, the Ross-on-Wye identical twin batsmen had made sure the hangover would hang on long into the afternoon, peppering Neal ‘the magnet’ Wostear and punishing what was actually quite a disciplined bowling effort by our lads. Both twins got centuries and pushed the game as a contest right to the end but they fell just short on 250, giving Wick the win. Amal and Rob chipped in with one wicket a piece.
Huge thanks to Ross-on-Wye cricket club who were amazing, welcoming hosts. They have a lovely ground and club house and play in just the right spirit. Top marks also to tour secretary Westy (Ed Sheeran) for organising … we will be back, if they’ll have us!
-Rob Dixon
