Isambard 111 all out (30 overs) (D.Bywater 64, S.Treloar 29). Ardleigh Green 2nd XI 113-6 (33 overs) (D.Treloar 2-23, S.O'Brien 2-31). Ardleigh Green 2nd XI won by 4 wickets (40-over game).
What do you do when you know you're coming into a match with eight players? Well, you can ring the oppo beforehand, beg forgiveness, and ask if they can lend you three blokes for the match. Well, it worked, and it meant that Isambard visited Ardleigh Green for the last match of the season numerically equal to their hosts, if not equal on ability.
What you do when you're 1-3, with the top three batsmen falling for ducks, is another matter. Lest it be thought we gave the hosts' youthful contingent a chance up the order, it should be stated that our openers were Gardiner and Robinson. An embarrassment of Richies, so to speak. To answer the question, Simon Treloar and Dave Bywater rebuilt, putting on 41 for the fourth wicket before Trigger perished. After that, it was something of a procession of wickets, perhaps complete with samba band and majorettes, with the exception of Roxy. He and No.11 Paul Simmons put on a face-saving 35 for the last wicket, Simmons scoring a Keefy-esque 0 not out.
After tea, Isambard might have had some hope; openers Scott O'Brien and Dave Treloar took a brace apiece to leave the hosts 19-4. Tight change bowling from Bywater and Simon Treloar reduced them further to 65-6. However, an unbeaten 65 from Castle (early 1990s Orient midfielder Steve, perhaps) and a defiant 18 not out from Hurworth saw the hosts home, when Isambard realised they had pretty much run out of bowlers.
Ardleigh Green is a great and much-enjoyed end-of-season fixture, but next time we must try and turn up with a decent side. Please?
Allan Smithee
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