Streat and Westmeston Over 40s

Match report – Streat and Westmeston 2025

With David Christmas afflicted by family difficulties (our thoughts are with you David!) the gorgeous match at Streat for the Over 40’s was passed on to a familiar bunch of reprobates.  The over 40’s are a tight crew who tour together and take the whole concept seriously!

As a new match manager with a poor rained-off rate this year, Rob D was perhaps right in sending a last-minute message to query the match being on.  More concerning was Degsy’s message that he and Brooks would be ‘cutting it fine’! I thought more ‘rolling up late’ but waited regardless for the team to assemble.  The reassuring bounding of long, grey locks moving toward the pavilion signalled Jeremy’s arrival.  Rock, scissors, paper to decide which of three keepers would craft their trade. The choice at the toss was taken out of our hands as the opposition decided to bat with an eye on putting a perceived lack of quality in the martlets ranks to the sword.

Alan Leeks (0-21 from 2) started proceedings with a tidy first followed by an expensive second.  The skipper (0-32 from 6) trundled down the hill and despite Tom’s Whyte’s mutterings, managed a decent spell with the occasional loose ball.  But it was Brooksey (1-36 from 8) with some controlled bowling who took the first wicket and kept the score in check. Tom Whyte (1-24 from 7) also showed his class with the ball as the fielders aimed to avoid being chastised in another scathing match report. As the ever-eager Alan pulled up grabbing a hamstring, Steve decided to go and make a work phone call – he says it was work but there was a little too much happiness for my liking.

The result was a dodgeball style 2 man swing in the field that made scoring easier but Jeremy McGahan (1-30 from 7) showed why he is the Martlets premier bowler with great accuracy.  There might have been another wicket too if Phil had managed to pouch a matrix style one-hander at slip that was in longer than it was out. And let’s just leave Brooksey’s boundary fielding out of the match report on the grounds ‘he knows not what he does’! Several rain delays seemed to enthuse the fielding team as the changeroom became a dutch-oven and the hint of a drug-test was quickly hushed by Degsy.

Rob Denton (0-45 from 5) was mesmerising with his harlem grobetrotting run up but took some stick as we managed to retire 3 batsmen.

So after 35 overs, 3 for 193 seemed a fair total making for an interesting 2^nd half and the excellent match tea was devoured with great enthusiasm.

Opening for the Martlets was the ever-reliable Willy Boulter with Degsy in his new role as a proper batsman after a dubious shoulder strain. Being the great actor that he is, Degsy stylishly stroked some glorious boundaries in playing the lead role while Willy looked like he was struggling to pick a quality young leg spinner who opened the bowling for Streat.  The ensuing lbw ended Willy’s match more pleasantly for him than last year where he had a trip to A&E with a broken arm.

Big Stu Ritchie entered the fray with some classy shot play and careful defence of the leggy but the singles dried up.  Unexplainably, Degsy then reproduced his Michael Flatly impersonation from last week, riverdancing down the wicket to some pied-piper that only he could hear. A glorious swipe that was no where near connecting saw him out stumped twice in a week and once again downgraded to a minor role in the production. A S&W fielder was overheard saying ‘he’s by far their best batter’ – smoke and mirrors misdirection! Stuart followed too soon afterwards bowled in more regulation fashion by the leggy who now had 3 martlets scalps.

This brought on the partnership of the match for the martlets as Steve Lovell and the evergreen Phil Savage patiently went about the business of rebuilding the innings. Keeper-batsmen have become ever present in modern day cricket and these two embodied why the strategy works by reading the spinners, respecting good deliveries and punishing the loose ones.  Steve retired to the felicitations of all but 3 for 143 became effectively 7 for 157 with Phil’s dismissal caught and bowled, Rob lbw to the leggy and Alan retiring hurt with his dodgy hammy after humouring us all with his unusual running style.   Still some work to do but no need to panic.

Brooksey was unusually focused with the bat although his calling was sketchy at best but the skipper struck some pressure relieving boundaries in a quick-fire 27 to see the Martlets home in the 33^rd over.

And so with another classic encounter at the wonderful Streat and Westmeston venue wrapped up, all that was left to do was to adjourn to the White Horse and tell stories about how great we used to be.

Dave Mann

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