Bedouins v Open GI (at Ombersley) – Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Beds lost by 21 runs

The guy in the trophy shop used to say “Back again?” when handed the Open GI shield for engraving every year, with “Bedouins” appearing on it as winners year after year.  Now his business has suddenly dropped off, as Open GI have won it two years on the trot.

At Ombersley, the Beds were just relieved to be playing the re-arranged fixture (previously rained off), which seemed under threat again as the forecasters anticipated gloom and doom as far as weather was concerned.  We got the “gloom” all right, but none of the doom, as it stayed dry all evening.

On an unusually grassy Ombersley wicket, the Bedouins skipper chose to field first, even though the Beds were three men light at the start.  The numbers gradually increased as the early overs went by, prompting calls from the boundary, as additional players trooped out one by one, for a recount of the numbers actually turning out.

Open GI fielded some pretty classy batsmen, two reaching the 30 retirement score and another hitting a rapid 22 not out, as the score rattled along to 122 for 6 in 20 overs.  Once again it was Pankaj Mishra, becoming our regularly effective “death” bowler, who did best with the ball, taking 3 for 11 in 3 overs; there were also two wickets for Josh Lemm.

The light quickly faded as the Beds began the run chase – in fact, at the close the players needed some vocal encouragement from the pavilion to find their way back to it!  Only Jono Hill made any impression with the bat.  He completed a good match for him, with 30 not out (including the customary six-hit out of the ground) to add to his three catches and no byes.

Bedouins managed only 101 for 6 in their 20 overs, to lose by 21 runs but, as always, Open GI’s post-match hospitality was second to none.

Open GI 122 for 6 (Mishra 3 for 11; Lemm 2 for 22)

Bedouins 101 for 6 (Hill 30 not out; Branch 14; Howells 11)

Bedouins v Beacon CC at Womborne – Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Beds lost by 17 runs

Another new fixture for the Bedouins, alongside the Staffs/Worcester Canal at Wombourne, where a straight hit for six would, at the appropriate end, always deposit the ball in the canal.  A fact that the Beds bowlers discovered all too soon in the Beacon innings.  It was one of those “He hasn’t played for a year” moments, when the batsman in question opened the innings and retired soon after, with three sixes in his 31.

There were another three sixes in the number four batsman’s 34, and three other double-figure scores, leaving the Beds rather licking their wounds in a 20-over total of 142 for 3.  That was almost literally true for Spratters, who took an almighty blow on his leg from the star batsman’s straight hit; another inch or two lower or, perish the thought, higher, and it would have been nasty.

It was a tough total for the Beds to chase, but the home side did the decent thing and held back the full force of their bowling, still leaving them with a win by 17 runs.  In the Beds’ total of 125, Jono Hill hit two sixes and five boundaries in his 36 not out.  Skipper John Branch made it easy on his somewhat creaky legs by hitting seven boundaries and a six in his 39.

Beacon had confessed, prior to the game, that they were fielding their professional.  But they kept him hidden away in the field until Austin Gregory found out just where he was.  A big hit to the mid-wicket boundary was fielded just inside the rope and, as Austin called for a second run, the throw came back, hardly rising above stump height all the way until it smacked into the keeper’s gloves an inch or two over the bails, leaving Austin stranded and muttering, as he made his way back to the pavilion.

In truth, Beacon were probably a bit strong for the Beds, but they were a friendly bunch – and the food was good!  We could be inviting them back to Enville next season.

Beacon 142 for 3 (Bywater 1 for 15; Spratley 1 for 16; Lemm 1 for 29)

Bedouins 125 (Branch 39; Hill 36 not out)

Bedouins v Enville Over 40s at Enville – Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Bedouins won by 6 runs

Every time the Bedouins play the Enville Over 40s, the opposition appears to get younger.  Is that just a product of the Beds getting older – or, perish the thought, could it be that Enville are introducing the odd “under-40” and the odd “proper” player?

Whatever the truth of that conundrum, the fact is that the Bedouins had to work hard to overcome the Over 40s at Enville.  Batting first on a perfect summer evening, when the ground looked as if it was ripe for heavy scoring, the Beds could muster only 92 for 7 in their 20 overs.

Opening the batting with the beloved skipper, Pankaj Mishra looked in fine form with three early boundaries.  But he was then unluckily run out for 14 and, with Paul Lippitt finding it difficult to get the “Lippitt dab” working as he top-scored with 24, the later batsmen also found runs hard to come by.  Double-figure scores came from John Howells, Lee Bywater and Austin Gregory, but 92 for 7 looked somewhat below par.

For Enville Over 40s, opener Tonks lived up to his name, as he made a quick-fire 17 before being caught by Bywater for 17 off the accurate bowling of Austin Gregory (2 for 13 in 4 overs).  There was a wicket apiece for Spratters and Bywater, but it looked as if the “oldies” would prevail when the final two overs arrived with just 11 runs needed.

“Mr Mackay” gave away just two runs and took 1 wicket in the 19th over, but it was that man Pankaj Mishra who finally swung it the Beds’ way, taking two catches off his own bowling in the last over for two runs, leaving the Beds triumphant by 6 runs.

Bedouins 92 for 7 (Lippitt 24, Mishra 14, Howells 14)

Enville Over 40s 86 for 7 (Gregory 2 for 13; Mishra 2 for 2; Bywater 1 for 12; Spratley 1 for 17)

Photos from the match are available here.

Bedouins v Kinlet at Enville – Sunday, 13 July 2014

Beds lose by 67 runs

Adrian Susman returned hotfoot (in fact hot-everything) from holiday in Morocco for the Beds’ annual Sunday meeting with our friends from Kinlet – not quite true, as he was due to come home anyway, but it sounds good.  He was back in time to complete a rare Bedouins hat-trick in a four-wicket haul and to top-score, but not to be part of a winning side.  The Beds lost heavily.

After welcoming another new recruit, former Enville stalwart John Howells, the Beds took the field in front of a large crowd – mostly, it has to be said, attending a christening party in the pavilion but spilling out on to the ground in the warm July conditions.  A few well-dressed children were unwise enough to continue frolicking in front of the sightscreen, but soon disappeared when Mr Mackay Bywater put on his best Winson Green manner and asked them to move.

Kinlet took full advantage of an unusually fast Enville outfield to hit 195 for 7 in their 35 overs (the match reduced from 40 overs for the benefit of those wanting the game finished in time to watch the World Cup final).  There was a 50 (retired) and 23 not out from the Allsopps, senior and junior, and 42 from Andrew Mooney.  For the Bedouins, as well as 4 for 32 from Adrian Susman, there were two wickets for Mike George and one for David Pearson, who once again made the lengthy round trip to turn out for the Bedouins on a Sunday afternoon.

In the Bedouins innings, there were double-figure contributions from the first six batsmen (17 from John Howells that included one or two strokes to remind some of us of his silky skills as a batsman), but none of them was able to get on top of the bowling or to go on to a decent enough score.  The home side’s 128 for 7 left the Bedouins 67 runs short at the close.

Which just left enough time for everyone to enjoy food kindly provided by the two Claires plus Lee’s mum before retiring to a nearby TV screen.

Bedouins v Pedmore Over 40s at Pedmore – Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Bedouins win by 5 wickets

The return fixture against Pedmore Over 40s (one or two of them would have needed a few biological tests to check their qualification to be regarded as “over 40”), was on the lovely Pedmore ground on a perfect summer evening.

Pedmore rattled up 123 for 5 in their 20 overs, with a couple of star batsmen helping the score along considerably.  The Beds were hampered when Spratters discovered during the first over that he had, after all, still got a muscle, which he proceeded to pull, leaving the Beds one bowler short.  The skipper had to bowl a couple of overs at the end, which, although expensive, at least yielded two wickets.  Most economical of the bowlers was Josh Lemm, with 1 for 15 in his 4 overs.

John Branch made his customary 30 at the top of the Beds order, and Pankraj made 26.  But it was Jono Hill who really got the Beds innings on the right track with a 30 (retired) which included one hit for 6 which went like a tracer bullet and disappeared into the nearby churchyard, never to be seen again

Just like the game in early season at Enville, this one went right down to the wire.  The last ball arrived with the Beds needing 2 to win.  Tony Hancock and Josh Lemm scampered for a single, as the ball was rightly called “wide”, giving the Beds a 5-wicket win.

Pedmore 123 for 5 (Branch 2 for 28; Pankraj 1 for 2; Lemm 1 for 15; Bywater 1 for 21)

Bedouins 124 for 5 (Branch 31 not out; Hill 30 not out; Pankraj 26)

Bedouins v Pedmore House (Austin’s Army) – Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Bedouins won by 7 wickets

Austin brought his Pedmore House team to Enville for the annual fixture, and it turned out to be a close contest, which the Beds just managed to win.

Pedmore House batted first and, with skipper Gregory retiring on 30, and Ian Woodhouse (yes, that Ian Woodhouse) making 18 before being cruelly run out by Michael George, the visitors managed a 20-over score of 82 for 4.  There was a wicket each for George, Krishna and Pankraj.

In reply, the Beds had the benefit of another retirement score (30) from skipper John Branch and 15 from Paul Lippitt.  It was left to Lee Bywater and Tony Hancock to guide the home side to a winning 83 for 3, with the latter hitting the winning boundary with a few balls of the final over to spare.

For some, the highlight of the evening was Austin’s barbecue, which proved a more than adequate substitute for the usual fish and chips.

Pedmore House 82 for 4 (George 1 for 18; Balthu 1 for 16; Pankraj 1 for 7)

Bedouins 83 for 3 (Branch 30 not out; Bywater 14 not out)

Bedouins v Fossils at Birlingham – Sunday, 15 June 2014

Beds lost by 9 wickets

A new Sunday fixture for the Beds.  The venue was the beautiful Birlingham CC ground, in the heart of the Worcestershire stockbroker belt.  The hosts turned out to be very welcoming, and considerably more accomplished (and, in some cases, younger) than we had anticipated.

The Bedouins developed a nasty case of the “dropsies” for this game, spillling catch after catch as Fossils made an untroubled progress to a win by 9 wickets.  The Beds had made a slow start to their innings, with just 10 runs on the board after 5 overs.  But John Branch and Lee Bywater finally got to grips with the tight bowling, before the latter went for 17.  New recruit Pankraj Mishra made a useful 19 but, in spite of the skipper’s 45 (including 7 boundaries), the final total of 122 all out was unlikely to be enough.

And so it proved, as the home side made 123 for 1, in the 34th over.

We enjoyed the warm welcome at Birlingham, and the Fossiles are certainly anxious to renew the fixture next season, possibly on a home-and-away basis.

Bedouins 122 (Branch 45; Bywater 17; Pankraj 19)

Fossils 123 for 1

Bedouins v Kinlet at Moffatt School – Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Beds win by 2 wickets

After two games lost to rain, the Bedouins recorded a rare 20-over win against Kinlet at the Moffatt School ground, out in the beautiful Shropshire countrywide, where sheep were grazing not quite so safely, with a short boundary on one side of the wicket, producing a few sixes during the game and putting the sheep in imminent danger.

The home side hit 105 for 6 in their 20 overs, with Mike George leading the way for the bowlers, with 2 for 5 in his 2 overs.  Krishna Balthu made a welcome first appearance for the Beds, taking 1 for 10 in a couple of hostile overs at the end of the Kinlet innings.

The Beds made a poor start to their innings – 14 for 3 after 3 overs.  But then Jono Hill got going, hitting two sixes on his way to 30 not out.  Austin Gregory also batted well to reach the retirement point, and Krishna Balthu hit hard and often in the later overs to make 21 not out and lead the Beds to a two-wicket victory.

Champagne moment was awarded to Josh Lemm, who was on the point of receiving his first ball, when he declared “I’ve forgotten something” and dashed back to the pavilion.  To his credit he took the banter well, when he emerged a little later having put all his “equipment” in place and was accorded an ovation on his return to the wicket.

Kinlet 102 for 6 (George 2 for 5; Balthu 1 for 10; Susman 1 for 7)

Bedouins 108 for 8 (Hill 30 not out; Gregory 28 not out; Balthu 21 not out)

Bedouins v Chancers at Enville – Wednesday, 21 May 2014

Beds lost by 18 runs

Bedouins came down to earth with a bump in their second game of the season, losing by 18 runs to the Chancers.

The visitors batted first and, with a solid batting performance, maintained a good scoring rate to finish on 117 for 3.  Pick of the Beds bowlers were Spratters (1 for 16), Paul Moran (1 for 10) and Josh Lemm (1 for 18).

In the Beds reply, Andy Hill and Neil Smith were both out early, followed by Adrian Susman.  So it was left to Lee Bywater and Paul Lippitt to get the innings going.  But both had to retire on 30, and the next few batsmen could not quite keep the run rate high enough to challenge the Chancers total.

Beds finished on 99 for 4.

Chancers 117 for 3 (Spratley 1 for 16; Moran 1 for 10′ Lemm 1 for 18)

Bedouins 99 for 4 (Bywater 30 not out; Lippitt 31 not out))

Bedouins v Pedmore Over 40s – Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Beds win by 2 Wickets

The Beds kicked off their 2014 season with a new fixture against Pedmore Over 40s and enjoyed a thrilling finish with a two-wicket win on the last ball of the match.

Pedmore batted first and found Spratters in accurate bowling mode, his three overs costing just 4 runs and including 2 wickets.  Josh Lemm marked his arrival on the Bedouins scene with three accurate overs for 15 runs, and there were good bowling performances, too, from Adrian Susman (2 for 14), Malcolm McConnell (1 for 16) and Lee Bywater (1 for 12).

Pedmore’s closing score was 96 for 6, which looked pretty challenging as the Beds lost their first two wickets with no runs on the board.  However, Adrian Susman and skipper Lee Bywater both reached the 30 retirement point to calm things down a bit.  Both returned later, but Bywater was soon dismissed without adding any runs to his total, leaving Susman to join Josh Lemm (8 not out) and hit the winning run off the last ball of the 20th over.

All together a good opening performance and a reminder of the joys of playing Bedouins cricket.

Pedmore: 96 for 6 (Spratley 2 for 4; Susman 2 for 14; MacConnell 1 for 16; Bywater 1 for 12)

Bedouins: 97 for 8 (Susman 35 not out; Bywater 30)