Blustery unseasonable conditions were the order of the day at Compton Park for the return fixture against Rushden Thirds. This game was a landmark for Dave Patrick & Tony Bird two of the more senior players of the club who were celebrating the same milestone of reaching 200 league games for Cogenhoe, joining a rather select band of players. The Cooks won the toss and chose to bowl with a side showing three changes from the previous game and a new wicket keeper Ben Garratt standing in for regular stumper Russ Coleman.
For regular readers of this weekly report the next couple of paragraphs will be very familiar. The opposition bat, struggle against the opening bowlers, eventually gain a fifty plus opening partnership. The batsmen then consolidate with the bowlers keeping the situation in control until the final few overs, the opposition then dominate the bowlers to build a useful target . This game was no exception and was in fact a carbon copy of past recent games.
The final few overs were quite brutal with the batsmen taking advantage of the wind direction from the village end, a number of sixes boosted the score with 81 runs being scored from the last 8 overs. With 3 overs being lost from a brief rain interruption the adjusted total was calculated to be 197 in 37 overs. The team spirit in the field never flagged and the catch made by Ben, sprinting forty yards to claim a skier and Tony’s sharp slip catch were great examples of the skills shown in the field at the height of the gale.
It appeared that the Cooks fate would be determined by the batting performance of the top five. The cause was not helped when the first wicket went down with only one run in the book. Ben then joined Adam and the pair slowly at first, built a promising partnership which after passing the half century was broken, Adam trapped LBW.
Adam Lee-Brown joined Ben and just when a substantial stand seemed to be in the offing, Adam was cleaned bowled by spinner Rust. When Ben was deceived by the same bowler for an entertaining 43 the writing was on the wall for the Cooks. Skipper Mark who can usually be relied to swing his bat in a run chase was still carrying the side strain picked up last week which in effect meant that all hopes of a victory had disappeared. The game meandered to the
inevitable defeat as the Cooks finished 39 runs short of the amended target.
Though the Cooks have again fallen short the effort from the eleven players selected, was top draw and should be commended given the recent run of negative results. The pressure is now off the Cooks with relegation from Division 10 now being confirmed, so there is no reason why the Cooks cannot finish off their season on a positive note.