AKA Under’s Menom Form as Peck run out!

There have been many famous sporting rivalries throughout history, Ali vs Frazier, Senna vs Prost, El Classico,  Borg v McEnroe to name a few. None however were as hotly anticipated as the match on Sunday 3rd August, where Drummond’s under 25 team met Andy Peck’s old timers. No one was going to miss this one! (except Dizzy, who decided to play golf…)

The Toss
Drummo called the toss correctly and elected to bat on a hot and sunny day. After waiting to see who would turn up and realising he’d only picked bowlers, the line up was decided.

As is common  place before gladiatorial battles, this one began with an arts and crafts session in designing the kits,  the under’s tried to come up with shit puns whilst the overs attempted to remember their own names. Once all the glitter and pritstick had been used up the players emerged in fetching yellow and pink shirts, the pre-match photo resembling a battenburg cake (Or Mr. Blobby) more than two cricket teams.

The Two Teams

After the pre match pleasantries were out the way it was time for the match and what a match it was….

First innings – Unders

Drummo’s unders sent in the auditors with club captain Martin Coston and Ciaran O’Kane. Much like an abacus, the unders were counting on them…
Andy Peck chose to open with Mahanth and Chris Day with an aggressive field.
Whilst Coston looked to build a strong partnership, O’Kane had other ideas, calling for a non existent single, with Mahanth hitting the stumps, Coston was back in the pavilion.

George ‘Angry George’ Sanderson was the next man in and with a flurry of boundaries reaching a quick 29,in typical fashion wasn’t looking to hang around. Unfortunately for Sanderson his partner, O’Kane, didn’t want him to stick around either and dutifully made him his second victim. With expletives coming as quick as the boundaries did, Sanderson too had to take his place on the sidelines.

A duck for Avi followed as Hitesh knocked over the timbers, and after quick knocks for Menon and Ladva the unders found themselves in trouble.

With the under 25s batting order  collapsing faster than a sabotaged baked alaska , the youths looked to their skipper to hang around as if the wicket was the lion and lamb bar on a Saturday evening.
Drummond obliged and with a captain’s innings, supported well by Owen Peck, hauled the under 25s over 200 with one over to go.

With Jimmy and Stretch occupying the last wicket, Bumble was tasked with bowling the last over. Due to his pace  bumble had actually started his over the previous Sunday to ensure all 6 could be bowled before the bad light stopped play, 16 was taken from the 40th over despite Stretch lapping the skipper down the wicket and the unders went to tea having posted 222.
222-a double Nelson. 222-third of the devil. 222 – a sight club captain Coston had become used to – a row of ducks.

With the match in the balance  the  teams went to tea.
A massive thanks had to go to Julie and Lisa who put on a banquet fit for such a  battle of titans.

Second Innings

Once the players had had their fill and Alex day had got through another 4 beers, it was time for the Overs to re-apply the deep heat, strap up the joints and start the run chase.

Chris Day and Ian Coston opened for the old timers and despite the nine man slip cordon the first ball came off the edge of Coston’s bat and straight through the pink wall for four. Needless to say, Angry George’s reaction was calm, measured, polite and encouraging.

Following a strong opening partnership Coston Snr. was sent back by Tom Leonard with O’Kane taking the catch behind. Chris Day  (with split loyalties of a son in each team) followed, bowled by the younger Coston.

With Bob newton and Sree getting hold of the game, hope was fading for the under. Following his guard of honour to the wicket Newton was  finding the boundary with ease , brandishing his bat like a renaissance artist’s brush (though I doubt Michel Angelo won his value matt paint in a raffle) The end for Newton came as quickly as it had started however when he appeared unable to turn down Coston’s offer of ‘a fiver to stick in the trees’ off Menon’s bowling. Martin’s money was safe and Bob was back on the sidelines.
Over 25s captain Andy Peck, came out to face, looking to match his opposite skipper’s innings. Peck’s hopes were however dashed early, when looking for a single off Peck junior’s bowling.  Om Menon picked up and threw a sensational direct hit at the non-strikers.
Contrary to what his forearm says, Pecky was walking alone. Back to the pavilion. ( Kiran would be very confused by this – Ed.)

As Menon and Coston twirled away, searching for the ever more likely ‘bat-pad’ bringing the game back in favour of the Unders, Callum Flintoff was brought on to devastating effect. First taking the wicket  of S.Dye and then sending danger man Tommy Scotter back without troubling the scorers for a duck .
Yes that’s a Duck for Scotter, Duck. Nice animal that the Duck. One of my favourites. DUCK. QUACK. DUCK!

Tom Scotter

Mahanth was the next Flintoff victim with M. Coston taking a smart catch at slip and whilst there were many good bowling performances on the day, Flintoff eclipsed them all. An eclipse that could not come soon enough for Hitesh however…

With the sun setting low over Milton, Drummond brought Menon back to flight the ball into the glare. While the burning retinas provided sweet relief for all those who had been at Sawston to witness Bumble in Lycra, Hitesh struggled a great deal more, hacking wildly outside off stump for where he guessed the ball would be, he too fell to Flintoff, caught Ladva.

As Flintoff, channeling his namesake, tore through the Overs’ middle order, out strode Stephen ‘Bumble’ Denman to a frosty reception. After an early boundary and a couple of streaky runs off the edge, (though he presumably thought they were byes)  what came next took all of Milton by surprise. Off a good length Flintoff ball that had troubled so many before him, Bumble launched a ‘Lion and Lamb maximum‘™ soaring back over the young bowler over the trees into the foliage. After a short pause for  supporters to be brought round with smelling salts, play resumed.

A few overs later and the ball took another hammering off Denmans bat, only to nestle straight into the gloves of O’Kane. To the sole shock of the  batsman, the umpires finger was raised and Denman had to depart with the sound of the ‘edge’ still reverberating around the Sycamores.

It looked to be an early night for the Overs, especially when A.Day strode out in pyjamas, only to spoon the ball up to the cover fielder for a duck, Opposition skipper Drummond however raised an objection, claiming he has first rights on spooning.

Hope was reignited got the overs as Peck returned for a second life to join Rig (trademark smile and floppy hat included) for the final push. With ten needed off the last over, the skipper threw the ball to Marco Coston and set his men out on the boundary. True to his theme song, Coston obliged in’going for 8 an over’. In doing so wrapping up the game and starting the Under 25s celebrations.

Whilst the young team celebrated, lining up for the victory photo (once Bumble had stopped setting his phone to zoom in on Stetch’s groin) all that was left to wrap up proceedings was the presentation.

As Peck handed over the famous trophy to Jimmy Drummond, refusing to acknowledge the 2 jug bet prior to the match, Milton again showed the high standards of fielding they set as the trophy ended up in pieces on the floor. Dropped.
With a makeshift fix on the cup the under could now find out what victory tastes like. Turns out it’s a mix of fosters, dust and silver (I think you’re being generous if you think its silver… –Ed.) polish……

Report by Will Day, Edited by Stephen (Bumble) Denman