MATCH REPORTS FROM YESTERYEAR
RIDGE CUBS START WITH A BANG!
Robbie Carter’s Ridge Cubs U11 started the season with a comfortable seven wicket victory over Stokenchurch in damp and distinctly chilly conditions on Wednesday night at Meadow Styles.
This is the first ever cup adventure for a Ridge Cubs side and captain Joe Holmes looked in determined mood with a tight opening spell of swing bowling reminiscent, though more accurate, than Dad Jim. Tight fielding snared a run-out to open the wickets account and after that, all the Ridge bowlers tied down the opposition with miserly accuracy.
The three-year-old Cameron McIndoe produced an extraordinary spell of 2-0 from his two overs. Jack Pargetter sprayed one so far down the leg side that it endangered the inhabitants of Haw Lane but he recovered his line well to induce a catch and finish with 1-15 off three. Jai Angell impressed with his speed and guile, cleaning up one hapless victim to end with 1-7 and as Captain Joe continued to switch his bowlers around, Sam ‘Gilbo’ Gilbert got in on the wicket-taking act thanks to a superb one-handed flying catch from Theo Youens. Louie ‘Summo’ Summons showed what happens with a winter of practice, doubling his pace from last year and bowling a bouncer that the hapless batsman could only fend to Jai at short cover. The scene was then set for Joe Hick to deliver the coup de grace, taking the last two wickets to end with 2-2, including a super catch from Charlie Carter that was in no way reminiscent of father Robbie….. At all times, the athletic Josh Alexander was colossal behind the sticks, taking a fine catch and letting next to nothing passed him.
Stokenchurch 40 all out
Although on paper 40 wasn’t the most challenging of totals, it should be remembered that this was the Cubs first competitive game at non-Barrington rules – so it was with some trepidation that the opening pair of Jack Pargetter and Theo Youens strode to the crease. Fortunately, for the watching Ridge supporters, there were few alarms early on with both batsman deciding that hitting the ball miles but not to the boundary didn’t warrant running – perhaps some scope for running practice on a Friday night….
Thankfully, Jack decided enough was enough and hooked one out of the ground for a maximum. Despite a little wobble when Theo and Charlie both missed straight ones, Jack was leading the way home with a string of boundaries. Captain Joe played a super stroke to the fence before he was pinned in front but Summo came in to anchor the innings while Jack hit the winning runs on his way to 26 not out.
Bledlow Ridge 41-3 off 9.1ovs
The Ridge will now play at home to Marlow Town in the last 16, also from Division 2. If they win that, another home draw awaits in the last eight against either Chalfont St Giles, Great Kingshill or Penn & Tylers Green – so all to play for!
In other ties, Robbie’s chums from Burnham were defeated by High Wycombe, Gerrards Cross beat Farnham Royal and Chalfont St Giles beat Chesham Girls. Marlow Town had a bye to this round, as did a number of others – some results are not yet in.
Up The Bears\Cubs!!
Ridge Cubs U11s – Joe Holmes, Jai Angell, Joe Hick, Josh Alexander, Sam Gilbert, Charlie Carter, Theo Youens, Ben Hunter, Louie Summons, Jack Pargetter, Cameron McIndoe.
U10s are Champions!!!
On a night of high emotion, the top two sides in the league fought each other to a standstill - right up to the very last ball of the match!
The Ridge batted first and made a decent 244-7 against some accurate bowling. There was some debate over a number of the opposition bowling more than their individual allotted overs but at the beginning of the Burnham innings, the task was clear - limit them to under 245 to win the league.
Cap'n Jack and Henners opened up but some enterprising batting and running got the home side off to a good start. However, the bowlers themselves helped each other out with Henners taking a fine catch at slip off the Cap'n. Shaun, Doug and I decided to leave coach Robbie at this point since he looked like he'd self-combust, and we were in a better position to see some excellent fielding deliver wickets - a direct hit from Joe Holmes and a fab low down catch from Theo Youens pegging back the free-scoring Burnham batting.
Tight spells from Louis Summo, super Jai, three-year-old Cameron McIndoe, Big Ben Hunter and Joe H kept the pressure on, but all the while Burnham were inching nearer the Ridge total. Big Ben clung on to a great catch off Theo and with Josh throwing himself around behind the stumps, the Ridge still had a chance, particularly after another run-out from a super Cam Mac throw.
The hardest time to bowl in games like this is at the end and that task fell to the Cap'n, Charlie Carter and Henners. The Cap'n made the initial breakthrough, inducing a catch to the safe hands of Jai Angell. He followed this next ball with a yorker (his words - full toss, my words!) that almost broke middle stump! Advantage to the Ridge. Charlie C then kept his nerve superbly, even pinning a batsman in the nether-regions with his quicker delivery!!
And so to the last over, bowled by Henners - first ball, smashed for four! But second and third, nice and straight - no runs. Fourth ball, smashed into the leg-side, a mad dash, two runs are scored. Fifth ball, a swing……and a miss!! No wicket but the Ridge suddenly in control - three needed to win off the last ball, two to tie. All the fielders back on the rope. Henners bowls, just outside leg stump, batsman swings, misses - delirium as Mr Grumpy Carter and his merry band leap into the air with the game won……
Not so! The umpire signals a wide down the leg side!! Yours truly has head in hands (as he's stood on the boundary behind the stumps) and it all gets rather too emotional on the sidelines as some suggest that perhaps this wasn't a great decision :-) But the decision stands, Henners has to bowl the last ball again, two to win, one to tie. Again, outside leg stump, smashed away to the boundary and it's Burnham players who run onto the pitch in delight…..
Little did they count on the speed and wiles of Big Ben Hunter, Cam Mac and Joe Holmes! Big Ben sprints around the perimeter and makes a diving stop, Cam gets the ball to Joe who hurls one in over the stumps where the celebrating batsmen have run one but thinking it had gone for four runs, not run another!! A quick question from the umpire inquiring if the ball had crossed the boundary but a resigned look when he realises it has not. The game is tied, the points shared!!
Any by the narrowest of margins (Net Run Rate, would you believe!), the Ridge U10s are CHAMPIONS!
Well done to the all boys who've represented the team this league season, well done to Mr Grumpy Robbie Carter, great umpiring our end from Ady, well done to Tina for putting up with Rob and a big thank you to all the parents who turned out last night and indeed, across the league campaign. The games themselves don't finish there as we have some more organised - and naturally, we have Friday cricket continuing through the hopefully warmer months. But it's fabulous to at last have a league success, the first I believe in all the Ridge clubs since 2003 and the very first since the reforming of the Ridge Juniors several years ago. Indeed, I played in the last Junior side to win a league campaign - back in 1983! Brings a tear to one's eye…. :-)
U13s off to winning start
Ridge Cubs 73ao
Taplow 64ao
Ridge Cubs win by 9 runs
So, first under thirteens game of the new season. How many under thirteens have we got available…? Errr, two…..maybe three…Oh………could that be a problem? Errrr….not really
So, the Ridge Cubs two (maybe three) Under 13s, six (maybe seven) U12 s and one U10, headed off to the picturesque Taplow CC. Errr, that’s only ten players….could that be a problem…….Errr…not really.
On the basis that a recently visiting international West Indian cricketer was not able to achieve the feat, we decide not to tell the boys about the case of champagne available if they could smash a window in the Taplow Club President’s overlooking home. Would they be able to do it if we did tell them? Errr……………….not really
The Cubs batted first on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning and although they would have been thinking of a total some way in excess of the 73 they managed, the outfield on one side in particular was very slow, so, maybe, with a solid performance in the field, they would make a game of it…..Did they bat as well as they could have done………….? Errr………………….not really
Loss of welsh wizard Efan early was a blow, bowled by a slower ball; Debutant Charlie looked comfortable and hit one fantastic boundary before falling LBW victim to a full length ball. The very next one accounted for a shocked Ben H. Finn (18), Tim (another ‘new boy’ with 15) and Connor steadied the ship a little, then the rest of the boys (Jude, Cameron, Sam and Ben E) ensured that they batted out the overs and picked up all the available singles and extras. Was 73 enough? Errr, not really…………………………………………………………….UNLESS YOU ARE A RIDGE CUB……………………!!!
The next hour’s performance was absolutely brilliant to watch. Steady, accurate bowling; enthusiastic and tidy fielding. Encouraging each other; backing each other up. High fives and tens all round . Two for ten off four overs for Efan, One for eight of four from Finn and one for 12 off four from Tim, ably supported by Connor, Sam and Cameron on the bowling front, Ben E and Jude on the fielding front and Ben H behind the sticks, ensuring that the run out opportunities were capitalised upon. The full, eleven Taplow team dismissed for 64 and a thrilling win for the Cubs. Should they fear anyone after this performance? Errrr……………………………not really…!
Well done to Gorgeous George for getting them in the right frame of mind with his warm up and team talks. All this, whilst in the middle of exams. Could the boys have a better mentor? Errr…..no!
Big Mac
Valiant effort but U10s just pipped
Ridge Cubs U10s – 265
Chenies & Latimer U10s – 273
Ridge Cubs U10s lost by eight runs
On a beautiful Sunday morning, the U10s opened their season at the charming setting of Chenies and Latimer amidst brimming enthusiasm on the part of the kids and brimming headaches on the part of those parents who had attended the previous evening’s Bledlow Ridge ball.
Chenies only had eight ‘men’, which proved to work to their advantage on the bowling front, but our boys gave a fantastic account of themselves with the bat and in the field.
Batting first, Cap’n Jack and Jay Z strode confidently to the wicket and got the Cubs off to a tidy start, carefully guarding their wickets (you lose six runs if out remember) and pinching runs with aplomb. Jack capped their partnership with a smart four past square leg.
Next up were Mr CC himself (Charlie Carter) and Freddie, hiding somewhere under his gear. Some excellent bowling by Rahul from Chenies kept the scoring down but the boys continued to do well in terms of staying in, so protecting their score. CC also hit one glorious four towards the end of their four overs, even though Chenies tried to run him out from it! At the other end, there were a few errant deliveries, totting up the wides
The Sebmeister and Whealie Bin Brandon provided the Ridge third pairing and were up against some positively rapid and, at times, vicious bowling from Chenies version of Steve Harmison. Although they were bowled a couple of times they stood tall (well tallish) and bravely fended off the assault and kept the scoreboard firmly in credit.
Digger Barny and Wee Billy Wicky had to await a wicket keeper change over and thus was revealed Harmy’s ‘little’ brother to hurl down some more rapid stuff for the Chenies boys. DB and WBW did fantastically to limit the damage and even scampered a few singles, pads around his ears in Billy’s case!
Glory Hunter and BamBam Cam brought up the Ridge rear with some fantastic shot play and running between the wickets, throwing the Chenies team into chaos with their leg-byes and quick singles and overthrows. No wickets either and thus the Ridge Cubs posted a highly respectable total of 265.
The now buzzing (and in the Ridge case, recovering) onlookers cheered every run, every catch and every run-out as the Cubs fought valiantly in the field. There were great throws for run outs from Glory and CC. Capn Jack and Jay Z (when he eventually reached the wicket) bowled tidily and economically with Jay taking a steepling caught and bowled early on. Wee Billy Wicky was brilliant behind the stumps, hurling himself at everything and mostly getting something in the way. Digger, Whealie Bin, Freddie and the Sebmeister all bowled some great stuff, intermingled with some wild ones and BamBam hurled a few mean Malingas at the Chenies boys and just failed to cling on to a tricky one over his head at square leg.
Alas, Chenies reached their total in the last over in a thrilling finish and held on to their wickets to record a finishing score of 273.
The fielding was brilliant, lots of solid long barriers on show and the throwing exemplary. Everyone gave of their best and that is all we can ask every week. The bowlers all need to practice their actions and their projection of the ball between Friday sessions if they can. At the end of the match, the Chenies coach remarked that “on runs actually scored, Ridge were comfortably ahead”, so a few wides fewer has to be the target for the next game. Good fun though and well do the Ridge Cubs for giving it their all.
U12s go marching on
Ridge Bears 103-4 (Morris 32no, F McIndoe 30no)
High Wycombe 96-4 (Dryden 1-14, F McIndoe 1-13, Roddick 1-24)
Ridge Bears win by seven runs
The neighbours knew something good had happened when the chorus of 'We are the Ridge Boys, the mighty, mighty Ridge Boys' reverberated around Virginia Gardens around 9:30pm Tuesday night. But even they couldn't have imagined that Gorgeous George (Mk I) had led his U12 Bears to victory at the home of Bucks cricket in a nail-biter that went down to the wire.
Captain Shaun Dryden lost the toss yet again and the Bears were asked to bat on what looked like a belting wicket (we have to be nice to the ex-Ridge groundsman!). Things didn't go exactly according to plan as Mini Rodders was undone by one that nipped back, bringing the four-and-a-half year old Finn McIndoe to the crease to join the Welsh Wizard, Efan Morris. While young Finn got his eye in, the Wizard began his now customary assault of the Wycombe bowlers. He doesn't like to hang about, our Efan (pronounced Evan if you're his parents, or F if you're his coach) - time and again, the ball disappeared to the boundary fence, including one that almost ended in the River Wye. Even Shaky (no 'E') telling him to calm down didn't appear to faze him as next ball was smashed again, though this time at a poor fielder who really didn't want to stop it but did all the same and was left wringing his hands for the next ten minutes.
With the best view of the carnage being dealt at the other end, Finn decided that he fancied some of that too and began his own brutalising of the Wycombe attack, though mixed with some style and a little guile as wristy flicks guided the ball behind square for four before a lash over mid-on brought four more.
The Wizard wanted to stay there all night (and we wanted him to as well!) but he reached his 32 all too quickly and had to retire - another super knock from the boy from the Valleys (well, Cadmore End) that took his season average to over 100. Obviously watching his coach swot the bowling on Saturday left a bit of a mark :-) This brought the Skip to the wicket and he opened his account with a nice square cut for four - but having left some wide stuff alone, he decided to chase one and chopped one back onto his stumps.
Eoin 'Eoister' Neale came to the crease to join Finn Mac and immediately joined in the boundary fest by crunching one down towards the river for four. Young Finn, meanwhile, was now in total control of the bowling and guided a lovely shot through mid-wicket to take the Ridge score over 80 and his own score to 30, where he duly retired with a big smile, a kiss from Mum and an exasperated phone call from Big Mac who'd missed the magic moment due to work commitments (allegedly!).
Miles Kingman's batting, along with older brother Aidan, is probably worthy of its own 'most-improved' award category and he and Eoister rotated the strike nicely as the Bears moved into the 90's. Both departed late on in the search for quick runs and it was left to Connor Turnernator and Gorgeous George Mk II (Wardrop) to see the Bears over the 100 mark as they hit and ran their way to not out scores.
103 was a decent score in the face of some accurate bowling. We'd run well and hit plenty of boundaries. There was some room for improvement in terms of where to hit the ball but on the whole, we'd all have taken 103-4 before the start.
With the wise words of Gorgeous and Jamma ringing in their ears, the young Bears took to the field to defend their total and got off to a fine start as Captain Shaun bowled full and fast, giving nothing to hit, and Gorgeous George (Mk II) did likewise, his unusual bowling style yielding just four runs of his first two overs.
The Skip strayed too far outside off stump and was lapped for four through extra cover but got his revenge a few balls later. After beating the bat twice, he was too quick for Lewey who was clean bowled for 8.
With their tails up, the Bears brought leading wicket-taker 'Swansea' Sam Goulden into the attack. Adjusting his radar after a bit of a wide start, Swansea was miserly, bowling full, straight and giving nothing to hit as he went for just three in his first two overs. Wycombe were getting frustrated and the pressure told when Finn Mac started his spell by inducing a top edge from Zach which was expertly caught above his head at point by Mini Rodders.
Wycombe were floundering halfway through at 35-2 but hit the accelerator pedal full-on after that. Tight bowling lines from the Wizard helped keep the score at bay but as the overs past, Wycombe were keeping up with the seven-an-over run rate and it was only the super fielding of the Ridge boys, particularly from the likes of the Eoister and two-year-old Cam McIndoe (on debut), the incredible dexterity behind the timbers from the Turnernator and some desperate stops from Gorgeous George and Ben Eyles that was stopping the home side romping to victory.
With the tension mounting, it was some of that aforementioned fielding that yielded the next wicket as Gorgeous and the Turnernator combined to run out James for 14. However, that didn't stop the Wycombe juggernaut who reached 79-3 before Mini Rodders brought one back down the slope and onto leg stump to bowl Wycombe's top scorer Ekins for 18.
22 required from two overs and the Skip brought himself back on for his last hurrah. Again, full and straight from Shaun, yielding just four singles with the field pushed back to the rope, meaning Gorgeous George (Mk II) had the pressure of bowling at the death. The nerves were definitely jangling as the first ball was smashed for four over mid-wicket but with some minor adjustments to the field, Gorgeous kept his nerve and the Ridge boys crept over the line to win by seven runs.
A magnificent effort all round. Wycombe were undoubtedly the best side we've played but we raised our own game accordingly. Where we were sloppy against Wooburn, we were completely the opposite here. The Ridge Bears stay top of the league, having played three, won three and look forward to the next challenges at home to unbeaten Little Marlow and away at Wendover in June, before meeting pre-season favourites Holmer Green in July.
Wooburn Narkovians 94-6
Ridge Bears 95-4
Ridge Bears win by 6 wickets
The Ridge Bears U12s piled the pressure on the Polish and Scottish contingent
by continuing the winning ways at Meadow Styles on Wednesday. Without a club
defeat in any competitive fixture so far, Captain Shaun Dryden continued the
trend and led his merry men to a six-wicket win against a game Wooburn side who
put a stern resistance as befitting the top two sides in the division.
A fine bunch of fellows, Wooburn were primed and ready before many of the young Ridge Bears had even arrived - and when Cap'n Shaun won the toss and decided to bowl, he presumably forgot that most of his team weren't even there!
Undeterred and aided by the fielding skills of 12th man Ben Eyles, Miles 'The' Kingman, Top Gear Forrest, the wiles of newly-padded Ben Hillary and the late coming Connor Turnerator, the young Ridge Bears opened up with Cap'n Shaun and Ben 'Mini' Rodders against the undefeated Wooburn batsmen. With the Skipper unable to find his line, Rodders began to make inroads with the first straight ball of the match that proved too much for Sear, who was dismissed for one. Continuing the trend, Shaun forgot the art of bowling straight but Rodders did not, dismissing the unfortunate Townsend without scoring.
16-2 became 24-3 as 'Swansea' Sam Goulden got in on the act. An atrocious piece of fielding yielded four of his first ball and when he tossed up a pie full toss followed by a wide, we feared the worst. Little did we realise this was a cunning ploy as his next ball was full, straight and too good for the dangerous Ellis who was clean bowled for seven.
The bowling switched around with the three-year-old Finn McIndoe, Eoin Neale and the Welsh Wizard Efan Morris coming into the attack but Cooper and Buckle kept the Ridge Bears at bay. It required more magic from Swansea Sam to break the partnership, sneaking one through the defences of Annis to make the score 28-4.
Buckle and Cooper moved the score along briskly as the Ridge Bears erred in line and length and it took the wiles of the Turnerator to break them up, a super delivery swinging away and clipping off stump of Buckle to make it 48-5.
There then followed a tremendous stand between Cooper and Dearsley that started to take the game away from the Ridge Bears. Rodders, Shaun, Finn, Gorgeous George Mk II and Connor struggled for supremacy with ball over bat as Dearsley in particular took a liking to the Ridge bowling. Overall, the Ridge fielding was good but Eoin 'Eoister' Neale might want to forget the moment he made one into five by throwing the ball from 20 yards inside the boundary over into Lord Keeping's fields rather than towards the stumps!
Luckily, Swansea Sam returned with a late salvo to trap Cooper LBW for 5 and
Wooburn finished on 94-6 from their 20 overs, a noble effort.
The Welsh Wizard and Mini Rodders started the Ridge reply and besides chasing a
few wide ones, looked into little trouble early on but Rodders paid for not
having Mini-gear on as he couldn't make up the ground when Efan called a quick
single and was run out without scoring.
Three-year-old Finn joined Efan at the crease and they were treated to a succession of wides and no balls as the Wooburn bowlers struggled somewhat in the sweltering Ridge metropolis. By this stage, Wooburn legend Paul Cooper had turned up and proceeding to drown the home support in wine and mirth, leading to some amusing exchange of names and remembering of forlorn hairlines on the sidelines! Back to the cricket, Efan got bogged down and was bowled by Moss leaving the score 56-2. This shortly became 65-3 as Finn became a rare 'hit-wicket' statistic, smashing the bat into his stumps rather than the ball. This was just after he had appeared to hit the ball for six, only to become a victim of the short-sighted Jamma umpiring, who deemed the stought blow only worthy of a four.....
Eoister Neale joined the Skip at the crease but departed swiftly, undone by the fifth bounce of what was surely a no-ball and this meant Gorgeous George Mk II had to step into the breach, having arrived 20 minutes after his father for RGS reasons. With aplomb, Cap'n Shaun and Gorgeous George (Mk II) saw the Ridge Bears home with 3.4 overs to spare, Shaun making 14 not out.
Despite some of the sloppiness in all aspects, the young Ridge Bears did well. Swansea Sam finished with 3-16 to leave him leading wicket-taker. Mini Rodders bowled a miserly 2-8, with CT Turnerator 1-9. This leaves 1st team captain Brezza and 2nd team skipper Doog McIndoe under pressure as the race for 'first Captain who doesn't win buys the entire club and mailing list a drink' gathers momentum!
Under 13s get in the act to continue Ridge winning ways
Bledlow Ridge U13s 123-4
Taplow U13s 86-6
Bledlow Ridge U13s win by 37 runs
The Ridge U13s continued the club's fine start to the season with a smashing away win at a picturesque Taplow ground on Sunday morning.
The day started badly with Jammer unable to start his car, leaving Gorgeous George and Shaky stuck up the club with no keys to get any kit out. George was struggling with his back while Shaky was suffering from ending Saturday's league game rather earlier than expected, thus having got stuck into his favourite red wine tipple perhaps ahead of when he should have! Still, a sobering drive to Taplow through some beautiful countryside followed and when the two coaches turned up, the Ridge were already eight strong, which was more than the opposition had mustered by that stage. Fuelled by a rugby-style Welsh breakfast, four of the team were positively buzzing with excitement and when a duo of Forrest's arrived, we were almost up to our full complement of Ridgites. Just two to come - Gorgeous George Mk II (Wardrop) left it as late as ever by turning up five minutes before the start of play - and Jammer texted to say he'd started his car, picked up some helmets and was on his way.
So it was with some dismay that Captain Shaun Dryden lost the toss and got asked to bat on a decent enough surface but under overcast skies that allowed the new ball to swing. We managed to borrow some helmets off our generous oppo and Welsh Wizard Efan Morris and Ben 'The' Forrest strode out to face the opening salvo. It soon became clear that the bacon sarnies consumed in the Morris household before play needed plenty of running off as the Wizard engaged some maniacal quick singles! Push and run was the early order of the day and the scoreboard began to tick along quickly as the Taplow fielding buckled under the pressure of continuous calls of ‘Yes, run’! Once the contents of said breakfast had presumably subsided, the effervescing Efan got bored of running and started to stroke the ball the boundary instead and quickly shot up to 30 where he duly retired from the field. An excellent effort from the Welsh Wizard. Meanwhile, The Forrest was also into his stride, shrugging off a dropped caught and bowled chance and moving into double figures himself before falling to a quicker delivery from the home Skipper and losing his middle stump.
Mini Rodders strode to the crease, buried under a helmet rather too large for him and got off the mark with a nice pull but he couldn't repeat his Under 12 heroics, playing round a straight one and when Eoin 'Eoister' Neale tried the same shot with the same result next ball, the Ridge boys were in danger of undoing their good early work.
Fortunately, Captain Shaun and four-year-old Finn McIndoe were still digesting the Morris breakfast and looked full of beans as they repaired the damage. After a cagey opening, Shaun began to assault the bowling like his hero Justin Bieber assaults our ears, with three coming from a slash over gully and four stroked through extra cover. Meanwhile, Finn splattered a delivery back over the bowler's head for four and looked under little pressure as his made his way to 19, before the returning opening bowler clipped his leg stump with a super delivery that swung a long way.
Gorgeous George Mk II made his way to the crease on debut to accompany the Skipper, who continued with his Bieber-like sweeps and off-side cuts while George produced some astonishing leg-side timing, guiding a ball from middle and off stump past fine leg for four runs!
Shaun reached a super 31 to retire with a broad smile and a flick of the hair, bringing Aidan Kingman into bat. You could sense that Ralph feared the worst but he needn't have worried, cometh the hour, cometh the Kingman as a most textbook cover-drive took Aidan off the mark in style.
George and Aidan remained unbeaten and the Ridge boys finished 123-4 off their 20 overs, a defendable score in the conditions.
Cap'n Bieber and Gorgeous George Mk II opened the reply for the Ridge, and Shaun soon had the Taplow openers in a pickle, playing and missing at swinging deliveries outside of off stump. At the other end, Gorgeous had the occasional wobble of line but generally bowled a good length to keep the runs down to a minimum. The most noticeable aspect, however, was the difference in the quality of fielding - whereas Taplow had allowed the Ridge to build up a score with some slackness in the field, the Ridge Boys were tremendous, particularly the younger contingent of Tom 'Top Gear' Forrest and 'Swansea' Sam Goulden, as well as diving stops galore from Ben Hillary behind the timbers. Not to be outdone by the young tikes, 'The' Forrest (Ben) began the wickets with a pick up and direct hit from mid-wicket to run out the Taplow opener. Coming on to bowl, he then continued his own fielding masterclass by running back and taking a super catch off his own delivery for wicket number two.
Ben ‘Mini’ Rodders came into the attack and bowled his customary miserly spell to leave Taplow floundering somewhat behind the run-rate. However, their Captain began to rectify the situation, striking some lusty boundaries as the bowlers began to err a little on line and length and this forced Cap’n Shaun to move the bowling around, with Finn, Efan, Gorgeous George and himself having mini-spells.
The long-awaited breakthrough came, however, from another inspired piece of fielding, this time from the Skip. Dashing in from cover point, he picked up and threw down the stumps side-on to run-out the Taplow captain and from there on in, the Ridge boys looked odds-on favourites.
The Forrest took another wicket (2-13), the Skip holding on to a good catch at extra cover, then Shaun (1-10) got his own wicket, LBW (admittedly given by his own Dad…..). It just needed a grand finale and it got one from Swansea Sam Goulden (1-1), who bowled full, straight and with far too much guile to clean up the next batsman in the final over leaving Taplow at 85-6.
Taplow’s coach was full of praise for the young Ridge Bears, especially in the fielding department. Gorgeous George’s (Mk I) fielding practice is evidently paying off and even though U13s manager Jammer had to leave early for the VKO, he was a proud young man as the U13s got off the mark with a super victory.
U12s dispatch Farnham Common as a Roddick finally makes the pitch
13th May 2012
BRCC U12s 155-8 (20 overs)
Farnham Common U12 86-7 (20 overs)
Ridge Bears won by 69 runs
The Ridge U12s got off to the perfect start in their inaugural season with a comprehensive victory over Farnham Common.
Things looked grim early on when Captain Shaun Dryden led his men into bat, only to find themselves staring down the barrel at 10-4. But cometh the hour, cometh the diddy man as Ben 'Mini' Rodders and Eoin 'Eoister' Neale set about the Farnham bowling with relish. With style and guile (and slogging), Rodders demoralised the oppo bowling who couldn't quite believe someone so small could hit the ball so hard! Meanwhile, the Eoister was demonstrating what he'd learned in an extended net session Friday night - that it was better to stay in the middle and score runs than throw your wicket away and sulk! Rodders retired for a super 30 but that only brought the Welsh Wizard Efan Morris to the crease - and in the words of his captain, he 'absolutely biffed it'! With carnage raining cricket balls down on Ben's newly cut lawn, the Ridge boys finished on 155-4, a super effort. In addition to Rodders 30, the Welsh Wizard finished unbeaten on 27 with the Eoister not out for a cultured 24.
After a stern team talk from Head Coach Gorgeous George, the Skip made up for his batting woes by removing the Farnham opener's middle stump with the first ball of the innings! Inspired, the Ridge made further inroads through the six-year-old Finn McIndoe before Wales once again came to the fore in the shape of 'Swansea' Sam Goulden. The 2011 U10s 'Most Improved Player' showed that he keeps on improving by inducing a catch to the Skip (who held him aloft in glee) before removing the next batsmen's off peg with a super delivery.
It was more about survival now for a game Farnham side but they had no answer to Tom 'Top Gear' Forrest or the Welsh Wizard Efan, who each claimed a wicket. With the last ball of the innings, Captain Shaun repeated his first ball trick of knocking over the timbers to leave Farnham finishing on 86-7.
Like proud fathers (Heaven help us!), George and JamJar began a victory dance on the sidelines as the youngsters made it a memorable weekend all round for the Ridge Bears.