A Special Cricketing Operation

By William Blease

Following an impressive victory away to Linton Park last Saturday the 1st XI drove onwards pushing their winning campaign deeper into the garden of England, this week reaching the gates of Marden. Upon arrival it was obvious that the team were stepping foot on what was up until now unoccupied territory. A state-of-the-art pavilion looked out onto a seemingly perfect wicket with an outfield that more closely resembled a billiard table; clearly there could be no excuses for miss-fields on this day!

Having taken a bird’s eye view of the Wicket from the Pavilion’s balcony, General Norman took decisive action and announced that upon winning the toss the Outwood boys would bat first; And so, they did. The opening pair of Mark Lane and Ben Cleaver duly reaffirmed the decision to bat first, quickly asserting themselves in the middle, making full use of a quick outfield and trustworthy wicket. Despite the occasional dubious call from Lane at the non-striker’s end (a fault which he has assured others does not lie with him) both batsmen played with fluency, frequently piercing the offside field as the opening ten overs ticked along at 6 runs per over.

After a well-made 22 by B. Cleaver, Ashley made his way out to the middle with a new spring in his step having recently revitalised his career as a number 3 having battled through a torrid run of form that would have seen many a lesser soul turn their back on the game altogether. By the time Lane and Middleton departed, each making 62 and 64 respectively, Outwood had well and truly imposed their dominance on the innings. As the now ragged Marden bowlers looked to amend their figures in the final overs, the Outwood engine room found an extra gear as Russell-Watts dealt a final crushing blow to the beleaguered Marden XI, hitting a quick fire 56 off 39 deliveries in swashbuckling fashion.
With a target of 260 to defend, the battery of Outwood seam bowlers took to the field and warmed up; buoyed by the first innings performance and eager to join proceedings from what looked to be a comfortable score to defend. The bowling quartet of Blease, Tunstall, Norman, and Russell-Watts were soon met by a fierce resistance of hard hitting and swinging from the hip. This bold tactic of shock and awe by the Marden batsmen reaped some early rewards as they attempted to chase down a record target. Tight bowling, supported by athletic fielding soaked up much of the early pressure, however the game was far from over. Skipper Norman began to turn his gaze West, seeking out a hero who could guide the team to victory. Who could he turn to?

Raised along the rugged cliffs of the Cornish coastline and fed on a diet of pasties and clotted cream, Outwood’s Adam Kendall, who can often be found lurking at third man, had up until now remained patient, biding his time for his opportunity to impose his skill set upon the KCVL. An old ball in hand and bowling into a ferocious head wind, conditions were more akin to those of his homeland down in the Southwest than the idyllic, rolling fields of the peaceful Kent countryside. Flight and guile ensued, the Marden batsmen seemingly mesmerised by each delivery they faced and evidently looked unsure exactly how to stand up to Outwood’s mystery seam bowler. Two overs into his spell Kendall had picked up three wickets and the Marden lower order soon began to trickle to and from the pavilion with monotonous regularity. Any other resistance from the opposition tail was quickly quashed as Kendall wrapped up the innings with figures of 4 for 36 from 7 overs, backed up by some smart catches from Lawrence and Louis. The Marden XI defeated, all out for 146. Yet another swift and decisive victory for the Wood which has become a habit of late for this juggernaut of a team. Next week sees a return to the OCG and an eagerly anticipated fixture against the current number 2 team in the division, Cudham Wyse. UTW!