After four false starts, the weather gods, the team selection gods, the pitch booking gods and Mav’s fixture planning skills all aligned and TheBigBlash24™ finally got under way in perfect conditions at M&T.

Blades season opened in the field and Galpin took the first over. With just a single on the board it was first blood to the Albanians when Spacey sporting a new nickname for a new season [FFS it was Marsh, watch the game – Ed.] took a regulation catch to dismiss the number two. Blades tails were up, Grimes attempted stumping in the second over looking good value for an appeal from the scorebox, but the over ended with a big 6. A couple more boundaries across the next overs gave the impression M&T were settling in but the resistance didn’t last.
In the fourth over, Meering watched a tonk off of K-Pax all the way into his hands on the long on rope. 18 for 2. Galpin was joined by Afzal in the attack, both insisting runs would only be prised from their cold dead hands. The rate slowed, and then screeched to a halt as Janan announced his arrival on The Blades stage with a wicket maiden thanks to Khan’s catch at Deep Point. We had to wait a full two overs for the next wicket – KDog’s catch at third man off of unplayable paceman Janan – followed by Afzal opening his 2024 Victim Roll in the 9^th. 35-5 at the halfway point and Blades with very much the upper hand, wrist, elbow and half of the bicep.
Enter Meering, ever the Scrooge, to partner Afzal, and the scorers unplugged the 4 and 6 switches on the electronic scoreboard. The wicket button however was working overtime. Bazza flatpacked the furniture in the 13^th, then debutant Marsh-Collins did the same from the other end. 48-7 in the fourteenth and calls were being made to partners at home not to bother recording The One Show, it would all be over by then. Marsh-Collins took 2-5 in the 16^th with another lumberjacking of the stumps followed by a C&B to leave M&T on 56-9.
M&T found some resistance in the final two overs, besmirching the figures of Meering and M-C in the process, and ending the innings on a slightly more respectable, but still achievable, 77 for 9.

Blades got off to a reserved start as Grimes took just a single from the first over but – spoiler alert – any idea this might be a lengthy chase were dispelled with a four from the first ball of the second. Marsh and Grimes rushed the total along to 15-0 from three, ably assisted by Tras who chipped in with 4 wides. Next over saw Grimes’ first six of the evening, hitting another and losing a ball in the bushes along the way to his retirement on 28 in the 8^th with Blades on 60-0. Skipper Spacey joined Marsh to steer the innings towards its inevitable destination with a few more scheduled calls at Boundary Town on the way. Victory came in the 11^th with the Blades – partly due to a dropped catch on the final ball – ending the innings on 79 for 0 and the first 10-wicket Blades victory since 2013.

RESULT: BLADES WIN BY 10 WICKETS

Champagne moment contenders:
Marsh-Collins C&B
Marsh-Collins 2-5 over
Grimes 28*
Janan 2-1-4-2 on his debut

 
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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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An absolutely scorching day is lovely for a game of cricket but not so much for the 17 mile hike to pitch three of the Sporty. It was ten v ten but rumours of a player from each side having succumbed to exhaustion during the climb from the car park are as yet unconfirmed.

Galpin took on the skipper’s armband and valiantly lost the toss, Shirley putting us in to bat.
Hurst wasted no time getting off the mark with a two and a four in the first over, but when he was adjudged caught behind, that was it for him. Blades 6-1 after one over. Hamer K and Rhodes took on the opening attack but there was nothing being given away. Literally. Two maidens followed. Tras opening his account in the next over and the runs began to trickle, but at 12-1 after six, it was slow going. Rhodes took one in the stomach but replied in the following over with a smart four behind square leg. The eighth over closed with Hamer K clean bowled, the score 21-2. The arrival of Grimes and the change of bowling allowed for an upturn in the Blades batting fortunes. Runs began to flow a little easier, the boundary seemed a little closer and both batsmen were finding fours. If it weren’t for the scampering fielder in burgundy, there may have been more. There were near misses too, the occasional catch being offered, most notable Rhodes offering first slip a routine training catch, which he declined from a surprisingly recumbent position.
The fifty came up in the fifteenth over and Grimes retired on an excellent 27 in the same over. More bowling changes allowed for more extras but also the arrival of Whitear at the crease meant the cultured stroke play continued. Rhodes was bowled for a solid 23 in the 19^th over, leaving Khan to accompany Whitear in tonking 14 from the last over including a huge six. From a slow start the Blades closed on a respectable 105-3.

Galpin wasted no time taking on the Shirley openers. After allowing them only a single run in the first over, he then bowled the number two for a duck. This correspondent was busy tweeting the good news to our follower, and therefore missed the legendary spread-eagle celebration. The second over didn’t go quite so well as Meering was hit for two fours, but he soon had his revenge and bowled the number 3 in the fourth over with the score at 22-2. So a brisk start for Shirley meant they were ahead of the Blades total at the same point, but level on the overall rate and with two early wickets down. Game on.
Unfortunately that’s where the Blades fightback stalled. The Shirley batsmen were finding shots and fours amongst the Blades attack where there weren’t necessarily that many bad balls. At the halfway point they had trundled on to 64-2, ahead of the rate now and with settled batsmen. But settled batsmen retire and by the end of the next over, both were back in the pavilion and two fresh batsmen at the crease scored a little slower. Hamer B and Whitear took a wicket each with the score at 85 and murmurs among the capacity crowd were that this could be where the Blades turned the screw. In the fifteenth Hamer K stretched to a high catching chance, brought it down but despite two bites it evaded his grasp and denied Hamer B a second wicket and the Hamers a family dismissal.
Richardson bowled his first over since 2014 but Shirley quickly rattled off the three runs they needed. Their batting had been just too strong, picking up ones and fours and never slipping behind the rate despite the fall of wickets, and they ran out worthy winners with 106-4

RESULT: SHIRLEY WIN BY 6 WICKETS

Champagne moment contenders:

Grimes unbeaten 27
The return of Richardson to the bowling attack
Rhodes solid 23
Whitear’s first runs since 2017

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With the workaday season of 20-over Wednesday nights done and dusted, attention turned to the one-off 40-over 12-a-side match at the ever-picturesque Crawley Crows CC. Stand-in skipper Humphrey won the toss for Blades and elected to field.
Galpin and Humphrey were on the spot from the start, keeping the openers restricted to just 12-0 from the first four, and amongst those overs were several tricky half-chances, the most spectacular of which being a diving attempted catch which eluded Webber at Silly mid off by millimetres. The breakthrough came in the sixth though as Humphrey bowled the number 2 and 3 for a 2-wicket maiden. The long grass and bowler’s pitch meant the batsmen were struggling to get much away. An occasional four amongst the dots and ones kept the score tickling along but Blades were on top in these early stages. Meering and Kumar took over the attack from the 9^th over and it took only two overs for the next strike – a slower one from Kumar was handed back to him by the opener for a routine C&B, and then it was Meering who bowled number 4 next over. 37-4 and the timed element of the innings was starting to look academic. Crawley were still finding boundaries non-existent and singles a rarity; the Blades attack were offering little and when they did get it away, the Baggy Blues were sharp in the field.
The 17^th saw a welcome return to the Blades bowling to TV’s Terry – fitting a day’s cricket into his hectic new lifestyle of Celebrity Strictly GoggleBake appearances and opening pavilions and the like –  but it was Meering who bagged the fifth wicket courtesy of an alert catch from Marsh at first slip. Crawley has registered 70-5 by the 20^th over break.
After the drinks though, following a caught behind wicket for Himphrey Jr, the Crawley number 8 decided he was having no more of this, and promptly set about thwunking deliveries into the trees like he was a ball manufacturer determined to lose a few and drum up some business. Umpires’ arms were tiring with all the fours and sixes being signalled, Terry and Hamer B in particular having their bowling figures savaged. K-Pup bagged a second wicket thanks to a catch in the Covers by Farmer who elected not to use his hands but to trap the ball between his ribs instead. Farmer then followed the fielding heroics by coming on to bowl. Remarkable figures of 3-0 from his first two overs including the wicket of the big-hitting number 8 for 46. Thanks to that knock, Crawley had motored to 142-10, the score doubling in just nine overs. The middlest scoring batsman returned and, along with an enthusiastic club member who had never played before but wanted to bat to assist her hip-op rehab (handing her crutch to the umpire on arrival at the crease), added a handful more. Hamer B gained his reward for the number 8’s bombardment by claiming the last wicket, and his first ever, in the 32^nd over to close the innings on 149 all out.

The  Blades innings opened much as Crawley’s had, Marsh and Hamer digging in and picking off ones and fours when they could against a swift pace attack. The pair had seen off the openers and reached 27-0 from eight when Marsh was caught and bowled for 9. Webber replaced him but was bowled shortly after, then Hamer was run out by some margin. A quick came0 from Farmer followed and suddenly it was 38-4. Regrouping and stability were needed. Humphrey joined Grimes at the middle and the fightback was beginning, but Blades were still only a handful of runs ahead of the Crawley score over-by-over. Humphrey slammed a four into the bushes but then was adjudged LBW despite his front foot being planted about an inch shy of the bowling crease, and with Humphrey Jr joining Farmer in the Doughnut Club, Blades were suddenly 61-6 in the 18^th over.
Meering and Grimes were both living dangerously, the change of bowler and pace meaning they each offered high looping chances but both fell safe. A direct hit by Grimes on the bowler’s stumps had Meering yards out of his crease but with no Crawley hand involved, he was Not Out. The next over saw an almighty six from Grimes and Blades were 78-6 at the break – eight runs and one wicket further into their journey than Crawley had been at the same point. But whereas Crawley’s innings from there became a tsunami of boundaries and wickets, Blades’ innings was a masterclass in batting by Grimes. Meering offered faultless support at the opposite end, singles were dashed and boundaries were chunted where possible, and in the 26^th over the pavilion rose to acknowledge Grimes’ fifty. And still the Jake and Bazza Show continued, the next over bringing up the fifty partnership and Blades could sense the target gradually approaching from the horizon. Despite the best efforts of the Blades academy making up the numbers in the field and stopping a few fours, the remaining runs were chalked up with no drama. Meering hit the winning four in the 34^th over, closing the innings on 153-6. Meering ended on an excellent 20 not out to go with his 2-21 but the plaudits, whatever plaudits are, go to Grimes whose magnificent 72 not out was the sixth best all-time Blades innings and the highest since at least 2010 when the current online records began.

RESULT: BLADES WIN BY 5 WICKETS

Champagne moment contenders:
Grimes 72 not out
Farmer’s figures of 3-2-1-3
Hamer B takes his first Blades wicket

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On the hottest day of the year since, oh I don’t know, last week some time, it was to North Walls in burning sunshine to play 18 overs on the driest pitch since records began. Lowe was triumphant in the tossery and elected to bat. Hamer and Hurst, aided by E X Tras scoring two for every wide and no ball, kept the score ticking over but fours were at a premium on a boundary so far out that the Boom Town Shuttle Buses from the station were offering a service between the square and the rope. There were some fours though, each one met by a mighty cheer from the pavilion. 23-0 after six was a fair return from a strong opening attack. In the seventh, Hurst offered a high c&b that hovered in the air for longer than many of this correspondent’s innings over the years, but it was dropped. Next over the breakthrough came though as Hamer offered an even higher one to mid on but this time, no mistake. Hurst was in belligerent mood, taking on the bowling and Farmer joined in. Both Blades were hitting big shots, Farmer’s swept four the pick of the bunch, but he was caught and bowled next ball for 10. Webber’s cameo 8 included a ball that needed to be rescued from the bushes. When Hurst was clean bowled for an excellent 14, Grimes took over, batting like he had somewhere to be and like he wanted the ball to be there first. It was four after four as he hammered 28 in just four overs, retiring with the score on 91-4 after 16 overs.
Meering to the middle with Tubb to see out the final two overs. “See out the over Bazza” the Newport Express called from behind the scorebook with three balls to go. Meering was bowled next ball. Galpin went in and was clean bowled, leaving Lowe to put his pads back on and face the final ball.  “See out the over” several wags offered. Reader, he didn’t; LBW was the decision, the hat trick was complete and the final score, even with the mini-collapse at the end was 94-7.

A rate of five an over was respectable against a decent league side on a pitch the size of Moeen Ali’s beard but anything under six always looks vulnerable to an in-form batsman or two. We didn’t have to wait long though for the breakthrough as Grimes caught the number one behind in the second, a wicket maiden which saw Knowle on 5-1. The number two gave it what we all in the business Some Welly after that, and the number three joined in. 30-1 after five was ahead of the rate and Knowle were cruising. A stumping in the seventh from Meering in a spell of 1-17 gave Blades some hope. Knowle were slowing, 62-2 after 11 was just ahead of the rate but Blades were reining them back. Until the 12^th went for sixteen and suddenly they needed just 17 from six overs.
Farmer bowled their number four next over and Grimes, now out in the field after Meering had taken over the gloves, caught one off Farmer in the 15^th, but that was to prove to be the final over. Yet another huge four coasted them to victory. Tubb’s 1-11 and Farmer’s 2-11 had been excellent resistance but Knowle knew were the gaps and the boundary were and were just that bit too good, ending on 95-4 with three overs to spare.

RESULT: KNOWLE WIN BY 6 WICKETS

Champagne moment contenders:
Lowe calling “see out the over” before a hat-trick
Grimes 28* two catches and a stumping
Tubb’s wicket maiden

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The weather gods were kind to The Blades this week as the frankly stupid and unnecessary 30+ temperatures earlier in the week mellowed down nearer to 20, and it was a slightly cloudy Wednesday night at Riverside. The Blades side saw the return of Adamson S and the debut of Adamson F, meaning there were two parent/child combos in the side. Khan was also a debutant.
Blades won the toss and elected to bat. Hamer K and Adamson S, the two parents of the side, opened and the Brookfield front line gave little away. It wasn’t until the 4^th that we saw a boundary, with the score at 11-0. Brookfield changed their attack after four but the second string proved just as hard to get away. The dry, yellowing pitch had fours in it but there was little on offer from the bowlers. The opening stand made 33 from the first eight overs before Adamson was bowled after a fine four to Deep fine leg.

It’s around here that this correspondent lost track of the over count for a bit. Although the runs started to come from Brookfield’s bowling rotation, wickets were falling too. Hamer was unlucky to see a huge shot fall five yards short of the rope and directly into the hands of Deep Midwicket. Fay was hitting big but was caught for 15. Khan looked good value but a slower one did for him on 8. The fifth fell in the 14^th (over count back on course) with Blades on 64 as Kumar was caught, and Brookfield brought their frontline bowlers back on. Lowe survived a huge LBW call in the 15^th before a lengthy delay in the 16^th when Rhodes pulled a hamstring and had to be carried from the pitch. Lowe was bowled next over, Blades were now on 78-6, effectively 7 with Rhodes’ retirement. Meering contributed 5, and the two Academy players Hamer B and Adamson F offered cameos as Blades stuttered to a total of 87-8.

On a night of debutants and returnees, we also had the pleasure of Patel joining us to watch, and given the injury to Rhodes, act as substitute fielder for the Brookfield innings. Afzal and Adamson S opened the bowling and, unexpectedly, Brookfield set about the chase early. A four every over combined with sharp running that kept singles coming saw them canter to 26-0 off 4. The no2 went for 20 next over when Afzal caught him LBW, then Kumar bowled a maiden. But the charge started again afresh and at the halfway point 64 of the required 88 had been scored.  The no1 retired for 25 in the 11^th, then Adamson S took a catch off Fay H but the runs kept coming and it was 79-2 after 13. Nine needed from seven overs. Meering and Adamson turned the screw, Adamson with a maiden and Meering with a wicket – a catch by Adamson. Three overs had gone gained 4 runs for 1 wicket. 83-3 after 16 then; was an impossible victory on the cards?

Well, no. Brookfield took the runs they needed in the 17^th and despite a late rally by The Blades, ended on 88-3.

RESULT: BROOKFIELD WIN BY 7 WICKETS

Champagne moment contenders:
Two parent/child pairings in the Blades side
Patel returning to Blades action
Adamson F taking a catch on his debut

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A Wednesday night, not a cloud in the sky, 11 Blades present; the sort of night when you’d even think 24 overs a side was on the cards.

When a coin was eventually found, Blades won the toss and elected to bat. Wythe and Hamer H faced the quick opening pair on a pitch that had a few surprise bounces in it but both had their eyes in early and made steady progress to 34 before Hamer was caught off one that popped up and at him, glancing a glove on its way to the keeper. Hall took over batting responsibilities in a Blades innings that was being built mainly on ones and twos. Wythe in particular was playing masterclass strokes but kept finding the fielder before finally hitting a four in the 11^th over.

The first and second change bowlers both kept coming in at pace but Hall and Wythe were up to the challenge, building a partnership of 51 when Hall retired in the 16^th with the score at 84-1. Grimes to the middle then and promptly tonked a four. Then two more in the next over as he batted like he had somewhere to be. Wythe retired in the 18^th, followed by Grimes in the 19th having scored 25 including six (yes, six) fours.

Three retirements would surely be a Blades record if this correspondent could be bothered to look through the scorecards. Afzal and Meering saw out the remainder of the innings and Blades finished on a very respectable 128-1

Afzal took the first over and bowled a maiden but that pressure was short lived as the opening pair picked off both Lowe and Afzal, the fifth over seeing two boundaries off Afzal. When did that last happen? The number two retired in the 7^th with the score at 43-0, bang on the required rate.

Meering and Kumar joined the attack and had the same luck. NOC moved on to 64-0 after ten overs, exactly half the Blades score at the halfway point. The game couldn’t have been more evenly poised. That was 87-0 after 14, before out of nowhere Meering was hit for five fours in the 15^th, and the number three retired. (Three retirements – where did I see that happen before?)

That mammoth fifteenth over hauled NOC to 108-0. 21 needed from five overs and the way the fours were raining down, NOC were already logging on to opentopbus.com. Wythe, however, was having none of it. In the sixteenth, a NOC wicket finally fell as Hall took the catch of Wythe, and the next ball Wythe splayed the stumps. 2 for 2 in the over. Was a Blades fightback on the cards? Grimes took a catch behind the stumps off Saad in the 17^th and NOC had scored 6-3 in two overs. Wythe wasn’t finished, bowling another in the 18^th, then Saad did the same in the 19^th. NOC had gone from 108-0 to 120-5 but that 15^th over still loomed over the match and with one over left, it was nine to win and still anyone’s game.

A wide, some frantic running, and it came down to 3 to win or 2 to draw off the last ball. Lowe and Wythe debated long and reset the field. Wythe delivered…… the batsman connected and set off…. but there wasn’t enough on it. Blades kept them to a single and a blistering finish saw Blades claim it by a single run after an astonishing turnaround in the last few overs. NOC closed on 127-5. Wythe finished with 3-16 to go with his 25 not out in a man of the match performance

RESULT: BLADES WIN BY 1 RUN

Champagne moment contenders:
Lowe going to the middle for the toss without a coin
Grimes retires on 25 including six fours
Wythe 3-16 including 2 in 2 balls

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A Wednesday night, a week before the summer solstice. No rain for three days. A warm sunny day that lightly clouded over at about 5.50pm. The day after a famous England Test victory. If you were designing an evening on a drawing board that was perfect for cricket, this is what you’d come up with. Your plan wouldn’t include Afzal withdrawing due to illness at the last minute and Academy product Hamer B having a twisted ankle, but seldom do all the cricketing planets align. Thus it was 10 Blades, including new signing Harry Singh that batted first.

Pitch one at the Sporty has a boundary so wide even Jonny Bairstow would struggle to reach it and the Blades openers were forced  to run every single one of their 7 from the first three overs. With Hamer K bowled in the fourth and Marsh run out in the fifth, Blades were looking to do this the hard way. Even more so in the sixth when a mix up was Rhodes run out and Farmer caught, the latter surprised to see Singh joining him on the trudge back to the pavilion, having injured an ankle that needed the services of A&E.  12 for 4, effectively for 5, after six overs wasn’t in the blueprint. Kumar twunked the first four of the night before being caught in the eighth over.

Cue Galpin and Hurst steadying the ship and stopping the collapse, but despite some fine stroke play, finding runs hard to come by. The eleventh over saw a classic ChamMo contender – Galpin set off for a straightforward single and was a yard shy of grounding his bat when Hurst, still in his crease, turned him back. A charge back to the striker’s end saw Galpin safely home, having run 43.5 yards for no score.
Galpin was bowled in the 13^th for  total of 4 that deserved more, and Meering joined Hurst at the crease. The pair set about what I’ll generously call a widely shared out bowling attack which allowed Tras to get amongst it too. In the sixteenth, the reason for Hurst’s reluctance to run became apparent when he called for Rhodes to cover his Dashing Duties, having sustained an injury. It rained fours in the latter overs before Hurst became the second Retired Hurt of the match – a first for the Blades, and Hamer B joined Meering at the crease to demonstrate his batting ability.

A combination of a huge pitch, some accurate bowling and a pandemic of injuries had kept the scoring down though and despite Meering and Hurst both in double figures the Blades totalled a below-par 69-6.

So, a mountain to climb but Blades reached base camp in the first over as Hamer K caught the opener for 2 off the bowling of Kumar. The batsmen set about Hamer B, finding the boundary with big shots, and even Kumar was hit for 10 in his third over. Swashes were being buckled in the middle, and buckles swashed into the bargain and after just five overs, Shirley had rushed to 35-1, halfway to their target. Rhodes came in for the same treatment and the number two retired in the sixth, to be followed by the number three by way of a huge straight six. Shirley had motored to 60-1 after eight, neediNg ten to win from twelve overs.

Right on cue, Galpin stepped up and bowled a maiden. Shirley had promoted their own Academy product up the order and her batting, along with the batsmen at the other end leaving her a generous share of the strike, brought the scoring rate right down but with wickets and overs in their hands, it was only a matter of time. Galpin’s third over was also a maiden but the slow accumulation of runs was completed with a huge four in the fifteenth and the inevitable Shirley win came with a total of 71-1.

RESULT: BLADES LOSE BY 9 WICKETS

Champagne moment contenders:
Galpin running two on his won for no score
Meering’s hard low four
Galpin’s first over maiden

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In an alternative Universe, this week would have seen the start of the football World Cup in glorious sunshine and this November would be dark, cloudy and threatening drizzle. Yet in this crazy post-truth world, the World Cup is going to be in November in blazing temperatures and The Blades rocked up to this match at a North Walls ground blanketed in semi-gloom. An unprecedented 10 Blades were on site before the 6pm start and fielded first in this 18-over race against the light.

Fay H and Farmer comprised the opening attack, bowling on a green pitch that suggested little in terms of bounce. The option to give 2 runs for wides and extras helped the score tick along as well as the over rate, although a clearly very classy Knowle batting line up needed little assistance as they started off at 6 an over. The number two in particular decided boundaries was the way to score, helping himself to four of them on the 6^th and 7^th before retiring with the score at 55-0 from 7 overs. The rate fell back after that. Kaur and Meering joined the attack and in the 12^th came the breakthrough in bizarre fashion. The batsman, running a hopeful single of a shot that broke the toe off his bat, was found out of his ground when the fielding throw to Meering missed his hand but deflected off him onto the stumps. They all count, and finally one was back in the hutch at 81-1 in the 12th. Cue ten minutes of mayhem as Kaur clean bowled two in the 13^th and Meering took another from the other end in the 14^th. Suddenly it was 85-4 and the Knowle lower order were scrambling for their pads. Knowle returned to their previous form in the 15^th – eight from it including a four – but wait, who was the yellow-capped eleventh Blade arriving? Afzal was brought straight on for the 16^th over and splayed the furniture with his first delivery, using the post-wicket celebratory huddle to bid his team mates Good Evening. 95-5 then, and game was, contrary to earlier expectations, on. Or at the very least, leaning a tad less towards off. Hamer B assumed the responsibility for the 17^th and was unlucky to be the victim of some late-innings run-chasing. A run out in the final over saw a 6^th wicket fall but overall a decent club side had built a solid total of 127 for 6.

So a challenging target for the gallant Blades, in fact a victory would be the highest domestic second innings total for 24 years, but thoughts were of nothing but waving the willow, punishing the pill, and Seeing What Happened. Marsh and Webber strode to the middle and What Happened was Marsh striding back to the pavilion to the sound of tumbling timber after the first ball. These things happen though, and thanks to a wide, Blades were 2-1 after the first over. These things happened again in the second when Farmer was caught LBW, and then happened again again as Fay H joined Marsh in the Primary club. Oh, and then in the third too when Webber was caught, swiftly followed by Hurst who – in the unluckiest and bizzarest dismissal of the night – was out of his ground when Kaur’s drive hit the bowler’s end stumps, and he was on his way back without facing a ball. Five for five, the sort of score that would have brackets if it was on the videprinter. Hamer K was next to the middle and his 21 partnership with Kaur at least meant Knowle’s open top bus was put back in the garage for a while. Kaur was caught in the 6^th with the score at 26-6 and Meering took his place, sharing a 23 partnership with Hamer K.
Hamer K was eventually bowled for 17 in the tenth over, his skipper’s innings bringing much-needed respect to the Blade scorecard. Rhodes was next in, and saw the fifty up for the Albanian massive before he was caught next over. Brief cameos from Afzal and Hamer B followed but the chubby lass had been warbling for a while. It was all over in the fourteenth, and in an evening crammed full of Unbelievable Jeff moments, the lad E X Tras came out top scorer with 18 in the Blades total of 56 all out.

RESULT: BLADES LOSE BY 71 RUNS

Champagne moment contenders:
Afzal arriving during the 15^th over, taking a wicket with the first ball of the 16^th
The pavilion cheering the Ten Up in the 4^th over
The lad Tras finally showing his class and top scoring for The Blades

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There have been a few firsts this season, and this week was no exception. This fixture was the first time The Blades had played at the VT Sports Ground, next door to The Mackoy Stadium and home to still reigning Wessex League champions Sholing FC who, to this correspondent’s disappointment, weren’t training tonight so there was no chance for fangirling and autograph hunting – and also the first time we had a debutant donning the gloves. And although not exactly a first, the pre-match warm up was something that hadn’t been seen for a good ten years.

With both sides fielding ten, this was a sixteen-over clash and Blades were first to wave the willow. Hall and Grimes opened, but that became Grimes and Webber before a run was scored when Hall was caught. Indeed, only one run was added to what was technically the “total” when that became Grimes and Hurst. Webber’s NO call was overruled and he found himself Run Out without facing and Blades on 1-2. Not a great first over. Grimes hit two fours into the bushes from consecutive balls in the next over and although there was some tight bowling from Quilter, runs were beginning to come, Blades advancing to 25 when Grimes was caught on the rope in the sixth. Hurst and Humphrey kept the scoreboard ticking along with some big boundary shots and by the time Hirst retired his batting masterclass in the 8^th over, Blades were on 45-3.
Fay’s cameo of 11 included a huge six, then Sharman and Rhodes both came and went but the scoreboard was still moving along to 82-6 from 13, a total which would have been higher but for some excellent fielding from Quilter. The fourteenth was a 2 wicket maiden which saw Meering caught and Humphrey bowled, and Hurst returning to the crease to join Davies for the last wicket stand. And what a stand it was as 20 were added on the last two overs, including 12 for Davies alone in the last before being caught on the penultimate ball. An innings which had started in less than glorious fashion garnered a respectable and defendable 103-9.

Fay and Humphrey opened the bowling and were giving very little away as Quilter made a slow start. A simple catch for Hurst in the second meant that Quilter were 17-1 after four overs. Virtually all the runs were coming from the number two batsmen and he set about Fay in the fifth to bring them up to 31-1 from five but Blades were relieve see that also brought his retirement. The change of Meering and Davies also bowled well but were up against cultured batsmen who could pick off any half chance.  At the halfway point Quilter were 52-1: Exactly half the runs required already chalked off and only one wicket down. The tenth saw the next breakthrough as Humphrey took a clean catch in front of the media centre and in the same over Rhodes saw a diving catch chance in the covers that he had no right to reach. But reach he very nearly did, only to see the ball evade his grasp at the last moment.

The number four retired in the 11^th – two retirees shows the ability of the batting line up. Meering was the pick of the bowlers with his three overs going for only 12 before – ouchie – he dislocated a finger. But within an over, his calm self-repairs saw the finger back in place and taped, and Meering back on the boundary fielding and returning the ball to the keeper’s gloves like it ain’t no thang.
With three overs remaining, twenty were needed for a Quilter win – a run a ball. Finely poised for a photo finish. Sadly though, these all came in the fourteenth as Quilter sprinted over the line and a fine match that, in all honesty, was probably going to be edged by Quilter, drew to a premature close with a six that went over the fence onto the hallowed Sholing FC turf. Quilter ended on 105-3.

Result: BLADES LOSE BY 7 WICKETS

Champagne moment contenders:
Davies explosive final over and six
Hurst’s 29 not out
Meering fixing his own dislocated finger and going back out to field on the boundary

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