Penn Street vs Little Missenden Misfits

Penn Street CC beat Little Missenden Misfits CC by 139 runs

Penn Street CC 282-8 declared (Alistair Cossins 141, Rob Sutherland 47: J. Essex 4-38, M. Hallam 3-63)

Little Missenden Misfits CC 143 all out (B. DaCosta 45: Matthew Hewlett 5-14, Jamie Fryer 3-39)

On a morning where puddles surrounded the pitch on all the roads, it had literally lashed it down from the early hours. Thankfully some members of the club had aided in putting the cover on the pitch on the Friday evening. Thanks to this the game was able to take place on the Sunday and an amazing game ensued as a result. So, thank you to those members.

I was the designated captain of the day. In fact the game was my first ever attempt at captaining a side, so why not switch things up from the normal 40/40 format and offer the opposition side a timed game? Why make things simple when you can confuse everyone including yourself? It may have had something to do with the whiskey tasting the night before. Anyhow we continue.

Being put in to bat first with half the team yet to show is standard practice I feel. Not so much when your top order is not there. Philip Hewlett was making the journey from Abbington and had been held up. Steve Smith was padded up and ready to go as Philip and Rob Sutherland listed across the outfield. “Phil, I need you to open, pad up” - the response was that of shock and disbelief.

Unfortunately, Steve Smith fell on his sword second ball to an in ducker by their opening bowler. This brought Rob Sutherland to the crease. Phil battled hard against their opening bowlers, blocking most balls and hitting well to pinch the occasional single and boundary. Philip eventually fell for seven, bringing Alistair Cossins to the crease.

Rob Sutherland’s natural ability and skill helped him dig in against the attack of fast direct bowling. Alistair was hitting well too, more brutally than Rob and managing to reach his half century off thirty-six balls. Rob had been at the crease for an hour and a half when the dreaded drinks break happened. Why does this always happen? Unfortunately, Rob fell to the first ball after drinks. Leaving him on 47 and bringing Nick Richardson to the crease.

Nick looked up for the fight having gotten off the mark immediately, with some heavy strokes through the offside. Unfortunately, this four-ball cameo came to an end when he missed the straight one. Moments before this the next intended batsmen Farooq Hussian, uttered the following to me “ahh mate I can’t hold it anymore I have got to go to the toilet, you can go in next”, sure enough this then brought me to the crease.

I ended up playing second fiddle to Alistair who decided at this point he didn’t like his family very much. Pelting each ball directly at them, cries from the pleading family did not deter Alistair as he carried on carting the buffet bowling into the same spot, going from hitting 2 sixes this season to hitting 14. Alistair was well past his hundred by this point, leaving me at the non-striker’s end simply admiring each shot more than the last. Alister ended up hitting 141, falling to dancing down the wicket and getting stumped. An amazing innings which was hugely pivotal to the game. This brought the now relieved Farooq to the crease.

Farooq unfortunately didn’t stick around for long even though he did middle a few for singles before falling quickly for two. This brought in Jeremy Knox, who by this point had swung his bat in frustration at least twenty times on the side watching pies being blocked in the middle. I decided to greet him by running two twice and then running a three, so before Jeremy hit a ball, he had already ran seven in one over. Jeremy in his usual style smacked everything that came his way hitting sixes and fours for fun. 

This is when I tried to join the party, I slogged one straight down the throat of deep mid-on. Leaving me walking off with a cool twenty-six by my name in the scorebook. This brought Jonny Barnett to the crease. Jonny fell quickly without troubling the scorer. Alex Woest was next to the crease. Alex and Jeremy smacked the few remaining balls of the innings bringing our team’s total up to an amazing 282, Jeremy scoring 21 (off nine balls) and Alex scoring 12 (off five balls).

This left Penn Street two and half hours to win the game. What followed was an amazing team effort with moments of individual brilliance. During the second innings we welcomed Tilly Cossins to score under the watchful eye of our resident scorer Cally Sutherland. Tilly did a fantastic job leaving a neat, easy to follow score card. Thank you, Tilly!

Jamie Fryer opened the affair from the Pub End and Alex from the Wood End. Both spells were hostile and quick, with Jamie picking up the first wicket in the fifth over cleaning up one of the opening batsmen. Alex bowled some amazing overs, screaming at the top of his lungs nearly every other ball as he constantly rapped the batsmen on the pads. I was stood at slip, and I was scared. God knows how the batsmen felt. Alex was unfortunate to not pick up any wickets from his opening spell, but his toil had its effect on the batsmen.

Jonny came on in place of Jamie and Jeremy came in for Alex. Little Missenden Misfits (LMM) number three batsmen had an eye for Jonny’s bowling and carted a few to the boundary. Jonny was unlucky on a few occasions as this batsman did give a few chances, but none were capitalised on as the fielders were too deep. I then decided to come on in place of Jonny. This brought the next wicket as LMM number three spooned up a ball straight to Jonny at extra cover.

Both Jeremy and I were bowling a straight line as very early signs were coming from the opposition that they may need to bat out for a draw. A maiden from Jeremy then led to a wicket maiden, sending the bails flying off a vicious top of middle delivery. I followed up the other end by bowling two maidens and a wicket maiden, LBW to a slow ball that was literally volleyed off the base of middle stump. Jamie also took a great catch from a ball coming straight out the sun and this reduced LMM to four down.

Then it was drinks. I thought it might be worth bringing on Philip to change up the pace. Philip held an end up, quickly getting through three overs as I was able to reap the rewards from the other end.

The moment came that I thought never would, after bowling two batsmen I had finally got my first five-fer for the club, I am immensely grateful to my team and everyone that has backed me along the way. Thank you all.

Philip gave way to Jonny at the Wood End who bowled amazingly only giving two runs away off three overs. The opposition were digging in for dear life now sitting at seven down. Jonny gave way to Jeremy who picked up where he left off. Bowling a tight aggressive line. This led to the moment of the game. Yes, we have had a five for and a batsmen hit 141 but I assure you this was THE moment. A draw looked inevitable by this point with less than ten overs left for batsmen number six and number eight to survive.

Jeremy charged in, LMM batsmen no. six couldn’t help himself as he swiped at this ball, top edging it. Rob had spent the entire afternoon in this odd 5^th slip/gully hybrid position that he wasn’t even told to stand at. When this ball rocked towards his right, in slow motion I witnessed his right arm swing up past his head in an eleven o’clock position. A dive followed in this direction. A position that could have been painted onto the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. One handed, Rob plucked this ball out of the air. Credit to Jeremy for the bowling but this individual wicket caught by Rob blew the game right open. Rob had single-handedly (quite literally) dismissed LMM’s last chance at getting a result, leaving PSCC to get two wickets to win the game

Jamie came on the next over and bowled two regulation top of off deliveries wining the game for us. An amazing way to end the day. Well played everyone.