The seconds 2017 season kicked off with an away game against Crispin’s & Rylands fourths. With the home side usual ground being unavailable until 1st May this game was switched to Harlestone. Early season unavailability meant a mix of experience and youth filled the team sheet with Sam Tipler and Alex Bushell making their club senior débuts.
Skipper Mark lost the toss and C&R chose to bat on a well prepared wicket. Early season optimism soon evaporated as the Cooks soon lost three precious top order batsmen. Skipper Mark joined Dan Harris who were beginning to repair some of the earlier damage, when Mark needlessly ran himself out, when looking very comfortable at the crease. The innings then folded understandably given the lack of experienced batting. A target of only 69 had been posted but any cricket watcher knows that sometimes the unexpected can happen.
A quick turnaround given the truncated Cooks innings, allowed the bowlers to immediately put the hosts under pressure. It only took one ball from Tony Bird albeit a full toss, to snare an opener. The Bird father & son combination began to control proceedings with wickets falling at regular intervals. Tea was taken after the agreed 16 overs with the score at 41 for 4, the last wicket before tea being a run out from a superb pick up and throw from Adam Longley. The game was now very much in the balance.
After tea more dramatic twists followed, Tony removed the remaining opener and soon after Mark claimed wickets in successive balls to leave the hosts teetering on 43-7. Unfortunately for the Cooks Tony had completed his spell soon followed by Mark. Though the replacement bowling did their utmost the last two experienced opposition batsmen kept their cool and ensured they gained a narrow 3 wicket victory.
The Cooks forced to field a depleted team who had no right to push C & P so close, given that they had the luxury to pick players from their third team. The team stuck together and took all the opportunities in the field that came their way, the three youngsters in the team hopefully benefiting from the experience. This game was a perfect example of the game never being over until the “fat gully sings”.