For the first time since 2006, Blades had a Monday fixture and on what felt like the hottest day of the year, eleven baggy blues gathered at the Sporty.

OMCC batted first and from the off, Galpin and Meering were taking no prisoners. A measly total of 3-0 was all they allowed the batsmen from the first three overs, one a maiden for Galpin. Cue an almighty swing from the number two who was growing impatient and was very lucky not to play on. A couple more dots, then he DID connect for the first boundary of the evening. Both batsmen were starting to swing, eager to get the total ticking over, and in the sixth it was one such swing by the number one, chasing one from Meering outside off, which lofted the ball into the dependable gloves of Grimes. “It was frustration,” the batsman confirmed to his team mates as he trudged back to the pavilion with the score on 12-1. Next over the other opener was clean bowled by Galpin and very much advantage Blades. The early dismissals turned out to be a poisoned chalice in disguise as the number four stepped in and gave an exhibition display of stroke play, hammering boundaries whenever he chose.  This also coincided with a viral attack of The Wides to pandemic its way through the Blades attack, along with a side order of No Balls, and the OMCC total began to tick over at an alarming rate. A run out chasing a single that wasn’t there pegged them back briefly but 49-3 at the halfway was beginning to look more respectable. Hamer B added to his wicket of the week before when Hurst watched a catch safely into his hands but the rate was still increasing, occasional sixes now adding to the fours. Two overs later, a yorker from Hamer B was somehow dug out of the batsman’s feet and sped for four at fine leg, a sign of the fortunes not working for Blades. In the 17^th over Marsh was sharp in the field to gather at the fence and send in a return for a run out. The fifth wicket was down but for 128 by the end of the over. Hurst came on for a couple of overs at the end and gained 1-10 thanks to a diving catch from Whitear. Taking six wickets was a creditable performance by the Blades but those extras, 24 in total, combined with some big hitting had motored OMCC to a formidable 149-6.

Hurst opened the innings with Hamer K and set his stall out early doors with a four from the first ball. Eight runs from the first over was just the start Blades needed, and both men hit their stride from the start with some big shots. But OMCC know the Sporty pitches, and with fielders all round the fence defending a big target, the ones were more frequent than the fours. The boundaries were coming, although not as often as the stroke play deserved. The scoreboard was ticking along but at 25-0 after five, Blades were already behind the sizeable rate. In the next over, Hurst retired on twenty five, the fact that only two fours were in the total spoke more about OMCC’s fielding than Hurst’s batting. Grimes joined Hamer in the middle but not for long as Hamer retired too in the 13^th with the score on 64-0. Grimes and new partner Khan continued as the H&H combo had begun. The foundation gave them the freedom to be aggressive, Grimes hitting two fours and a six off the next over, Khan with a  four and a six in the next. 102-0 after 16 meant 48 needed from the last four overs, and with OMCC early bowlers returning with pace, that was looking like a stretch too far. Khan and then Grimes retired – the first time Blades had ever notched up a quadruple retirement – and it was down to Marsh and Webber to battle towards the target. Twenty runs in the last two overs shows how hard they chased but the OMCC score always looked out of reach. Despite finishing with all ten wickets intact for the first time since 2013, and genuinely at times having had the win in their sights if not their grasp, Blades brave efforts fell just 13 short, the innings closing on an impressive but insufficient 136-0

RESULT: OMCC BY 13 RUNS

Champagne moment contenders:
Hurst, Hamer K, Grimes and Khan all retiring
Whitear’s diving catch
Hurst’s opening four attacking the total from the first ball
Hamer B’s second wicket of the season

 
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