Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club

The first match of the new league season took place in Baltic conditions at St Seb’s.  Crows lost the toss and were sent out to freeze in the field by the PSR captain.  The PSR opening partnership lasted long enough for the seasons to change from a wintry white blizzard, through spring showers, to tentative rays of early summer sunshine.  It wasn’t until Crows’ fifth bowler came on that the first wicket arrived, with the umpires finger eventually rising as the batsman turned for a second leg bye.  Further wickets continued to tumble steadily with a final flurry of wickets for the excellent debutant paceman, James Sussex, helping to keep the total to a reasonable level.  Crows’ stand-in wicketkeeper, Som, put in an admirable performance for his first ever match with the gloves, taking two catches and conceding a solitary bye.  The highlight of the action though was from a bloody good rep, as Winchy caught a ball that was flying high over his head at gully using just three fingers.

The less said about Crows’ batting, the better.  A slow but solid start from the openers saw a vintage McQuitty blocking the shine off the ball.  A dogged knock from the skipper saw him decelerate nicely through his innings, as he valiantly tried to keep up one end.  Alas a succession of big hitters came in hit a boundary or two before sensibly heading back to the relative warmth of the clubhouse. Crows’ were still in it at the 25th over mark with 7 wickets in hand and the required run rate at only 5 an over.  Unfortunately, the Brummie Bradman capitulated in the 30th over and Crows lost all seven remaining wickets for only 24 runs as the game anti-climaxed.