Flyford fight hard in idyllic setting but to no avail

There can be little argument that Overbury is a quintessential village cricket ground.

After an additional half hour trip around rural Worcestershire due to a road closure and no diversion signs, I hit the outskirts of the village and immediately recognised it from a Sunday match last season (which if memory serves, we lost!).  The village itself is unlike those I had passed through on the way and it seems to have been built to a plan using that wonderful golden Cotswold stone.  Past the sleepy church yard and the cricket ground is on the left.  Surrounded by mature trees and fields, if you had to describe an English village cricket setting to an American this would certainly fit the bill.

Though a little late I wasn’t the last to arrive but it looked like we had a full team.  Flyford skipper Mark Davy won the toss and elected to bat.

George Teal and returning friend of the club Joe Allsopp were to open.  George set about his task with the air of someone who has scored 250 runs so far this season but has yet to lose his wicket.  Retirement was agreed at 30 and George duly left the scene at 31 not out.  Joe Allsopp fared less well caught and bowled for a single. 

Matty Kirkham got a start but was caught and bowled for 5.  Andy Ward looked very promising and had moved onto 14 before being bowled.  He was assisted in the middle order by a very much needed 18 from skipper Mark Davy and a useful 10 from Steve Nullis.  Steve seems to have decided that in the interests of economy hitting the ball with only one hand on the bat does the job, and Mark has perfected the behind the back shot that is usually only seen at Wimbledon.

Your correspondent failed to trouble the scorer and was run out trying to push the score along.  The scorebook says that Pete Holpin likewise failed to register a run but my memory seems at odds with that.  Nurse, the dementia pills please!

Aaron Monk and Joey Chapmen stayed around long enough to see our 20 overs out registering 6 and 1 respectively.  So Flyford posted a target of 109, just shy of a run a ball for Overbury to chase.

My own thoughts at the break were that we were 20 runs short, and so it proved.  Aaron and Joey opened the bowling but found it hard to get the initial breakthrough we really needed.  Overbury’s openers were not giving much away and picking off anything that was not a good line and length.

Arron finished with no wicket for 23 from his 4 overs and Joey one for 19 from his 4 overs.

Change bowlers were Pete Holpin and Matty Kirkham and though Pete picked up two wickets for 26 in his 4 and Matty returned no wicket for 28 in his four it was impossible to Stop Overbury making steady progress.  Helped along by some untidy keeping.

By the time George Teal came on to bowl the match was all but out of Flyford’s reach.  That did not stop the Wunderkind picking up two wickets for 1 run in his one over.  How does he do it?

So as the tall oak cast a long shadow across the pitch we had to accept that there will be wins and there will be losses but if you are going to taste the bitter tang of defeat there are few better settings to do it in.

MoTM: George Teal (who else!) 31 not out and 2 for 1 from 1 over

Tit: Steve Nullis for hitting a shot standing admiring it as it stopped short of the boundary.

Champagne Moment: Steve Nullis again for his one handed shot for four.

Thanks for Coming: Luke Cooper faced two balls did not bowl.