Sunday XI v The Jesters - 31st August 2014

For the second day running a low scoring match ensued at Bray. Despite the low scoring 1st team game on Saturday skipper Armstrong had no hesitation in electing to bat against The Jesters, one of M & B's stronger Sunday fixtures. The late additions of Cam Jacobsen and James Coyne certainly made it an easy decision. A 40-4 after 11 overs with all of M&B's top four gone, Armstrong was having second thoughts. Jacobsen would be disappointed with his dismissal guiding a full toss to cover as would Will Cunliffe, those rigid stance was to blame. Coynie played by the sword and died by it, swotting 2 4's in his short stay. Armstrong's nerves were eased though by a fifth wicket stand of 57 between colt Ben Ward and improving player, Amit Giri. Ward took around 7 overs to get off the mark but soon hit his straps via his normal DNA, pulls, sweeps and cover drives. Giri though was fluent from the off, albeit he was off the mark with a couple of streaky cuts through the slip regions for fours. That said he played many fine shots, surprisingly on the off side though - drives and cuts - to continue his fine Sunday form. Further support was providing by promising colt Jai Chopra who helped add 30 for the eight wicket. Jesters' seamer Chak had the last laugh though as he cleaned up the tail in his second spell to end with outstanding figures of 5.3 overs 2 maidens 5wickets for 11 runs. 148 all out in 33.3 overs was still a disappointing effort by the home team, both in terms of runs and the fact that they still had 6.3 overs of the ir allocation left. That said from 20/3 and 40/4 148 was not the end of the world, courtesy of Ward's 24 and Mr Giri's exceptional 60, which kept M & B in the game.

Defending such a small total meant M & B needed early wickets, so 30- 0 after 10 overs was not what the doctor ordered. A slow death appeared to be on the cards. The form man Mr Giri though at last made the initial breakthrough courtesy of a fine catch by skipper, Armstrong. The second breakthrough followed shortly afte,r fellow opener, veteran Short, was dismissed for a sketchy 20, again to that man Giri. The opening bowlers Giri, 8/1/28/2 and Sunday star performer Arul "Gunbarul" Appavoo 8/1/25/1 both finished with fine figures to keep M & B in the game and pass the baton to the first change bowlers Atif "waffle" Amin and Jai Chopra. Amin responded with probably his finest spell for many years producing unbelievable figures of 8/4/9/1 ! Bowling a full away swinging length to a ring field with the keeper, Brian Dixon, standing up to the stumps. Chopra kept the batsmen in check conceding only 38 from his eight overs. It will be interesting to see the progression of Chopra in the coming years. This left Jesters at 103 for 4 with 8 overs remaining and Armstrong and Sunday veteran, Chris Butler, the task of trying to defend 46. Alas the task proved too taxing albeit it took the Jesters until the penultimate ball, when a friendly full toss from Armstrong was despatched to the boundary by opposing skipper, Adnan Mohammed, to get The Jesters over the line for the loss of 7 wickets. With a top score of only 33 the wicket proved as difficult for the opposing batsmen as it had been for the home team. That said the batsmanship was not of the highest order on both sides with 160 probably being a par score, but that's not to down grade the fine bowling and fielding performance from the home side. Armstrong's 2 wickets took his season total to 50, the first time he has reached that total for many years.