Men against boys this afternoon at The Warren as, in a resounding ten wicket reverse for Elstow IIs, the visitors Stony Stratford VIs turned this old sporting cliche on its head. The talented tyros of the North Bucks outfit outshone their older counterparts and underpinned a comprehensive victory in a result which leaves the home side looking nervously over their shoulder, wedged in among the strugglers at the foot of the division.
The first thing Stony got right was winning a crucial toss on a drying wicket. They then delighted in Elstow’s top order self capitulation, before the two second change bowlers; Ben Arnold and George Collins got amongst the middle order to leave a reasonable looking 60-3 from 18 overs to a miserable looking 108 all out from 30 overs. Off-spinner Arnold, short in stature but not in ability or self-belief tied down one end taking 2-18. Meanwhile his pacier collegue started by claiming the prized wicket of Pete Burraway, who’d made a very disciplined 47 by this stage and ended with a very respectable 4-18 from four overs.
Any chance Elstow might have had of saving face and indeed the match faded with the dropped-catch off the first ball of the Stony innings. Skipper Nigel Ryalls failed to cling on to James Partridge’s tentative prod off Rob Tebbutt to short extra-cover. Chance gone and with it what remained of Elstow’s fading confidence. All the bowlers plugged gamely away, but despite their best efforts, on a by now benign surface, the away team’s openers filled their boots and reached their target within 16 overs. Ben Ford expertly made 57 not out, his placement through cover-point and a huge six over deep mid-wicket the highlights of his half century while Partridge’s 43 featured some jack-a-nack-a-nory big hitting mixed in with patient accumulation. An early end to this match, Elstow IIs hope their season hasn’t reached a similar conclusion….
MoM: Grandma Wisson. A superlative effort in rushing to get help the teas served on time and to the punters’ satisfaction. the sprightly 85 year old then sagely opined, with the Stony Stratford score at 88-0 off 14 overs; “we could do with a wicket here….”
DoD: Michael Dickson. On the subject of wisdom; to paraphrase Oscar Wilde: If running your captain out is a misfortune, to then run yourself out is just carelessness. Or words to that effect.
