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And so the final Saturday came upon us the day after the annual awards night, this year held in the club house at North Holmwood, with some ropey looking individuals turning out in the sunshine. Skipper, for the day, Darren Jordan looked forlorn as the troops assembled all gasping for lucozade from a smiling all knowing Mick Cook behind the bar. We'll bat was the opinion. Off to Leigh and a few familiar faces from battles over the years. A run down of the season told of huge scores on the flat looking wicket and yes we lost the toss and had to field. No volunteers to open the bowling! Wyo and little brother Alex were chosen by the skipper and what a good choice that was! Mr Cleal, playing his last game of the season, bowled beautifully without beamers or full tosses, whilst little bruv Alex put in some good overs too.
Runs were at a premium on a surface that kept very low and so the skipper introduced Messrs Guest and Tyers to up the run rate. Tour successes seemed a long way off as the person most in danger from wet weathers 'leg spin' was the keeper Des Jones. Still Guesty was inducing some false strokes and picked up 3 wickets all caught with a variety of offerings, off cutters off spin half volleys and half trackers!!! ( I write the last 3 sentences to enhance Guesty and Rob's opinion that I've spent the whole season 'mugging them off' when in fact I've been the holder of all that is true heheheheheheheheh. OK Guesty bowled very well, Rob has bowled better and this was not his day). The skipper decided he'd have a go when Guesty had bowled out and replaced Mr Tyers with Ollie 'hopalong' Wall. How inspired was that with the likes of Elliott Lines jr and Homewood jr snr! Ollie found a good length after his first over and was rewarded with 4 wickets aided by a good catch and one that rolled. Anyway the skipper's pre match prediction that Leigh would get between 170 and 180 was spot on.

Tea was lovely, home made cakes are always welcome.

And so the reply started, I'll have to be quick as it only lasted 19.1 overs! Andy Homewood and Ian Page opened and Wingy decided anything in his arc was going and so it did, a long long way! Pagey tamely lobbed one back for a single and the privilege of collecting the subs at the end of the game whilst Wingy marched on being joined by Robin Lines. After many lusty blows in very few overs Mr Homewood was adjudged stumped for 37 by the skipper who was obviously still suffering from the night before excesses! The Chairman strode out to join junior and struggled at the start with the low bounce but soon got in to his stride. Robin by this point was murdering all comers and dispatched boundary after boundary. As the score rattled along Elliott joined in the hit-a-thon and the target got smaller and smaller. Lines ended with 86 and Elliott 52 both unbeaten. Perhaps one of the noticeable differences in the 2 sides was the lengths the bowlers used on a wicket that was very low, Holmwood bowled a slightly shorter length adding the doubt of bounce to each delivery whilst Leigh bowled fuller.

NORTH HOLMWOOD 180 for 2 BEAT LEIGH 179 all out