Penn Street vs Widmer End

PSCC lost to Widmer End St Margaret’s CC by 63 runs

Widmer End 151-10 (J. Talmer 59*, B. Hobbs 3-20)

Penn Street 88-10 (J. Fryer 35, J. Wyatt 4-11)

After the success of Saturday’s game against Knotty Green Penn Street travelled to take on Widmer End St Margaret’s CC with a great deal of optimism. Even captain Sam Martin losing the toss did not dampen spirits, as the outcome was the one that he said he wanted anyway i.e. Penn Street were to field first.

The game started off in wonderful style, with Jamie Fryer’s fifth ball causing the opener to play on before a run had been scored. Things continued to go very well, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Ben Cross from the other end picked up two quick wickets, the first courtesy of a sharp catch by Ben Marlow at short cover and Widmer End were lucky to get away with one or two half chances, a sharp one that Alistair Cossins did well to get a hand to at slip and two others which somehow flew just over the head of the tallest man on the field at point.

When it was time to introduce some change bowling, Ben Hobbs struck swiftly with two further catches being well taken, but at the other end the Widmer end run rate was boosted by the captain’s strange decision to introduce the club secretary at first change.

The aforementioned secretary proceeded to serve up a buffet of pies and other tasty treats that the batsmen tucked into heartily before one of them took pity upon the labouring bowler and chipped a piece of slow flirty nonsense straight to extra cover, where Ben Marlow took another good catch, this time on the run – an event summed up by the captain immediately afterwards as “Nice wicket, but I’m still taking you off”.

Notwithstanding the club secretary’s best efforts to bring Widmer End back into the game, drinks were taken at 89-6 and this rapidly became 93-8 as Jeremy Knox snared two quick victims, the first courtesy of a catch apparently taken by Sam Martin’s left nipple.

Unfortunately for Penn Street, though, Widmer End’s numbers 7 and 10 then proceeded to put on a significant partnership for the ninth wicket, which was only broken when the number 10 batsmen was so surprised by the club secretary being given another bowl that he forgot to move his feet out of the way of a perfectly straight delivery.

He was replaced at the crease by a number 11 batsmen who appear determined to make Goody look like Virat Kohli but who still somehow managed to hit the club secretary for six over square leg.

The number seven batsmen went on to a very well deserved half-century and was left unbeaten at the end after the captain decided to recall Hobbs to finish off the innings. Nonetheless, the last two wickets had dragged Widmer End up to a potentially testing score of 151.

Over the course of tea we were greeted to the sight of Jamie Fryer attempting to eat pasta without any cutlery. It is probably fair to say that no player other than Jamie actually recovered from this as the batting display which followed is probably best not described here in case it damages some of the more delicate readers. Suffice to say that only two batsmen made double figures, Steve Smith with a doggedly determined 10 scored in a mere 14 overs and Jamie himself, who hit a wonderful, career-best, 35 off 34 balls, no doubt due to the fact that he was of course the only person who couldn’t see him eating. Somehow, Penn Street managed to make the innings eke out for over 30 overs despite only scoring 88 runs, with Asif Teja left stranded not out at the end and therefore possibly the only batsman who can’t be blamed for anything.

There were many positives to take from this game, some excellent bowling by at least six of the seven bowlers used and a very good fielding display with few misfields committed by people not who are not also club officers and with only two chances going down. Here’s hoping that we got the annual bad Sunday performance out of the way early on and that the season as a whole will now result in far more thumping victories like Saturday’s than performances like this one.