Day One - All day game against Ewel Castle
Someone ‘up there’ must love his/her cricket because, yet again, the weather, the surroundings and the teams were set fair for an enthralling contest. Our usual and much valued guests had arrived the previous evening after a long journey from London. They have a younger yet no less skilled team than last year and they prepared to field against the Abbotsholme team after Abbotsholme had won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch that was thought to have few demons apart a bit of low bounce at one end.
Despite the accurate bowling from the visitors Abbotsholme progressed with few worries to 104 for 4 at lunch, losing Michael Wells to a shocker of a decision and the skipper Will Hudson one short of his half-century! Jake Pryszlak and Will Mills looked untroubled as they tucked in to an excellent lunch! A matter of overs after the interval Abbotsholme were all out for 113 and the opposition sensed victory, with 40-odd overs to reach the target.
Up stepped the opening combination of Jake Pryszlak and Henry James who, with their mixture of speed and slow guile, made us all realise that batting was not easy and that playing on the front foot was the only way to combat the spin. Aided by the variation of Alex Marren the visitors were skittled out for 70. There was clear evidence of some very good batsmen in the Ewel Castle side and their most assured looking batsman was out played-on to his stumps. The Abbotsholme side can sympathise with the visitors as this has been the type of bad luck that they have experienced this season.
Due to the earlier than predicted end to the game we held an impromptu 10/10 match in which everyone had to bowl one over. Ewel Castle won this encounter, so with one victory apiece, honours could be said to be even. The weather had been on our side and aided by two willing teams and an excellent lunch the day could not have been better.