WATH 163-6
Cooper 48*
Barnard 38

OUGHTIBRIDGE 106
Hopkins 6-13

Skipper Whitehurst won the toss, and after listening to Barney moan all April, he decided to bat first. It had lobbed it down for most of the week, so it certainly was a bizarre decision with a lush outfield and plenty of wet grass sods. It was a fair old effort from Dean and Ant to even get the game on, such was the verocity of Mother Nature's bad attitude.

Barlow and Whitehurst opened and Whitehurst immediately was calling for the inhaler after a slowly run three to the scoreboard. The far boundary was at least 8 miles away, and the skipper chalked rack on hitting anything on that side. We started well with a few boundaries, before Barlow received a pretty good leg cutter from Khan and was dismissed fresh air behind wicket. Whitehurst soon followed, flailing at a wide one off the same bowler. Toad and Barney began to rebuild, with the loss of two quick wickets stopping them scoring at their usual 2.3 runs per over. It was down at 2.15 today. But they did well, and batted for a crucial period before Toad was trapped LBW off the bowing of the impressive Starkes. The off spinner didn't give us much to hit, and was rewarded with another LBW - this time of Little Barney. Barney had used his feet to shimmy down the pitch but was adjudged to have been trapped on the crease. Maybe the other crease. Meanwhile Cooper had used his brain getting accustomed to the conditions. In fact, as we all know that is an utter lie. Cooper's first ball from Scholey was an ugly looking hoick that brought him a couple of runs - although as much as it pains me to say it, he did play well. We moved from 100 to 150 in just 57 balls (look at me bringing the stats), so he must have done something right. Plater came and went (like Plater's do) before Dipper lobbed his first ball to mid wicket (like Plater's do) for a terrible minus 20 in Fantasy Cricket. Thommo got William running, and the Big Red Slogger finished on 48 not out, after planting a few onto the bowling green. We would have taken that at the Breakfast Table.

Oughtibridge began their innings facing a revised score due to the Duckworth Lewis random number generator. Shifty was a little wayward, but we'll let him off after he carried the attack last weekend - so it was Young Thommo who struck the first blow, as Gupta chopped on to one of his 43mph inswingers. Rich made a double change, introducing the spin click in the 11th over. The visitors were a little behind the rate, but Ilyas and Starkes rotated the strike reasonably well and shared a 50 partnership. With the rate climbing to over 5 an over - a difficult task on our ground, we felt that a breakthrough would change the game. This came in the form of an 80mph grenade from Samit, who trapped ilyas LBW. The opener had become rather fidgetty as he had started to play the weather rather than the bowlers - an easy trap to fall into, as we once did at Darfield when we got smashed all over after rushing through 20 overs to finish a complete game. Think we lost by about 80. Waste of time that was. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. The game. Taylor entered the fray at number 4, playing sensibly with Starkes - and at 80-2 the game could have gone either way.

Enter Wanger.

In a moment of madness that would prove to be magic, Whitehurst removed his number one big cheese from the attack. He threw the ball to Kirk from Coronation Street, and the rest is history. Hopkins' first ball was a beauty. It fizzed out of his hand, drfited slightly away, before pitching and spitting to turn between bat and pad. No it didn't. Shawn lobbed a 14mph wide full toss that Taylor hit like a shell straight to the none concentrating Barlow at deep cover. Immersed in a conversation with the mules stood on the boundary behind him, Blunky broke his sentence to take the catch. It was a game changing moment. Two overs later, the jig was up for Oughtibridge as Starkes was stumped by Mason off Hopkins to put the icing on the cake. The mudhole was there, and we stomped it dry. Wanger continued to lob up his pies, and to his credit, he ended up with career best figures for the First Team.

Afterwards, we even sang our song.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Cooper set us a defendable total, but HOPKINS produced the match winning spell.

MOUSE OF THE DAY: Can't think of one. We all did well to a man. If in doubt, give it PLATER.

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SELECTED QUOTES:

"Toad turned into nasty man after you left"

"Glad you've still got the shell suit on Mase, don't sell out"

"Nimind S63, he was stood in S64 then"

"Straight red for Albus that, it could lead to a 3 week ban"

"Lad"

"How have Anston gone on?"

"I've said I'll play Sunday Team if they're desperate. Which is a massive mistake, because they're always desperate"

"No butter on the scones, that's how it should be done"

"There's nobody in the side who hasn't seen my fresh cream trick - we need new blood"

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Think that's it.