- The Twenty Minuters vs The Pilgrims
- Dundonald Park
- 3rd September 2005
- Toss: Twenty Minuters
- Result: won by 5 wickets
- Man of the Match: R.T.C.Groom
| The Pilgrims innings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B Shipley | LBW | Mansell-Jones | 11 | ||
| B Pratt | LBW | C Stevens | 12 | ||
| B Murray | Retired | 48 | |||
| M Croix | C & B | C Stevens | 4 | ||
| J Bain | Bowled | Curtis | 15 | ||
| J Kingsland | c Nicholas | C Stevens | 12 | ||
| D Turner | Bowled | C Stevens | 16 | ||
| P Campbell | Retired | 5 | |||
| R Irens* | c Groom | Green | 4 | ||
| J Pheasant | not out | 35 | |||
| A Amel | not out | 1 | |||
| 163 | |||||
| Extras | (5b, 1lb, 23w, 1nb) | 30 | |||
| Total (for 9 after 35 overs) | 193 | ||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Mansell-Jones | 7 | 1 | 31 | 1 | (1 w) |
| A R B Curtis | 4 | 0 | 35 | 1 | (14 w) |
| C Stevens | 7 | 0 | 36 | 4 | (4 w, 1 nb) |
| A Stevens | 6 | 1 | 21 | 0 | (2 w) |
| H Nicholas | 7 | 2 | 25 | 0 | (1 w) |
| J Greayer | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | (1 w) |
| D Green | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| The Twenty Minuters innings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R T C Groom* | Bowled | Croiy | 62 | ||
| M Maxwell-Scott | C & B | Pheasant | 3 | ||
| D Green | Bowled | Amel | 14 | ||
| H Nicholas | not out | 61 | |||
| A Stevens | Caught | Irens | 7 | ||
| C Stevens | Bowled | Pheasant | 41 | ||
| J Walker | not out | 0 | |||
| 188 | |||||
| DNB: J Greayer, ARB Curtis, J Felwick+, P Mansell-Jones | |||||
| Extras | (4b, 1lb, 3w, 1nb) | 9 | |||
| Total (for 5 after 32.3 overs) | 197 | ||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amel | 7 | 1 | 22 | 1 | (2 w) |
| Pheasant | 7 | 1 | 34 | 2 | (1 nb) |
| Murray | 5 | 0 | 44 | 0 | (1 w) |
| Croiy | 7 | 1 | 24 | 1 | |
| Irens | 3 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| Turner | 3 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
Match Report
The final Twentyminuters match of the season saw something unexpected happen, namely a successful run chase. Readers are allowed a moment to recover from this, get back on their chairs, straighten their ties etc before reading how this miracle came to pass.
An unusually large crowd had turned up at Dundonald Park, the legendary Bapaume. Sadly, this was not to watch the savage ballet that is the Twentyminuters on song, but was because of some sort of ghastly community 'fayre'. The sound of small children splatting the rat or rummaging in bran tubs somewhat distracted the players from the task in hand, namely drinking canned lager. Oh, and playing a bit of cricket.
With the weather fine but there being only a brownish tinge to the green pitch, Skip won the toss and inserted the Pilgrims.
A ferocious attack of the yips from Curtis threatened to put the Pilgrims out of reach early doors. His 14 wides were each in their own way more amusing than the last. However, a fine spell of pace bowling from new signing Mansell-Jones at the wine shop end kept the score down. Reward came in the shape of an LBW decision, Shipley back in the hutch with only 11 to his name.
A demoralised Curtis was taken off and replaced by C Stevens, the Freddie Flintoff of the 20s outfit. He soon removed Pratt, the other opener, on his way to splendid figures of 4-36 off seven overs.
Murray, the Pilgrims' number three, took several decades to get off the mark but demonstrated what could be achieved when an innings is built carefully. His retirement on scoring 50 was clearly an indication of the quality of the man, although the discovery later that he had only scored 48 was clearly an indication of the quality of the scoring.
A tight spell of bowling from another new cap, Nicholas, kept things tight but a couple of useful middle order contributions and a savage 35 from number 10 Pheasant brought the Pilgrims score to a competitive 193.
Tea was another Greayer special and lined the stomach nicely for further cans of strong and less strong lager. Skipper Groom joined Maxwell Scott at the top of the innings, with a jug of ale on the line courtesy of whoever was dismissed first. Unsurprisingly, Maxwell Scott's attempts to get a move on resulted in tragedy and he was on his way for a poor 3.
For Skip, it was the day everything came together. After a steady start, an array of shots were unleashed on the Pilgrims attack. The assault on the bowlers' figures continued to and beyond the half-century mark. Green at the other end provided excellent support, although working the often-underrated edges and toe of his bat more than he might have liked.
Green's departure for a brave 14 brought Nicholas to the crease. It quickly became apparent that he knew what he was doing. Playing the ball deftly and very late or violently and at about the normal time, he took up the mantle following Groom's departure for a career defining 62.
The cheap dismissal of A Stevens brought C Stevens to the crease and he wasted no time in getting stuck in to the bowling. His dismissal with scores level saw the arrival of Walker at the crease, padless as he had got bored with waiting to bat and decided he wasn't to feature with the willow. Thankfully, The sickening sound of leather on shin was avoided and Nicholas finished things off. Somewhere along the line he had breezed past 50, but by that point everyone was pretty much hoovered and had missed it.
The 20s had successfully chased down a score, blooded some youngsters and discovered a splendidly like-minded and affable oppo in the Pilgrims. There was also ample tan time.
Roll on 2006.
