Zambuca Tigers | Sussex Martlets

Match Report

Whilst the Over 40s Manager was absent on Bluemantles duty (didn’t bat, didn’t bowl!), eeleven good men and true plus an umpire and scorer assembled at the small but perfectly formed Temple Grove to take on the Zambuca Tigers for a first fixture , after last years aborted attempt in September. Despite some problems with Satnav locating a ground adjacent to the A26, play was under way at slightly past 2pm with the Martlets fielding. A solid start of 30-0 after 6 overs was soon followed by a collapse as it became 62-5 , two wickets apiece for Tom Whyte and Jeremy McGahan. A change of bowling resulted in slow but steady recovery as the batters struggled against Alan Leeks and the steady accurate off-spin of Petworth tormentor, Ian Pinnock. This took the score to 103 before 2 more wickets fell. Watching this happen was no2 Jon ‘The Edge’ Edgell and he continued to do so until he became the 8th to fall at 136 for a patient 47, to return to life with Bono. He was clean bowled by the re-emergent Deepak from a couple of years in playing hibernation. Deepak also picked up the last wicket , caught by Christmas, not New Year! This left the total on 144 with the balance of 42 overs remaining for the Martlets to bat in the 80 over declaration match.

Late addition (much to the MMs delight), Mark Semmence opened up with Willy Boulter who returned swiftly for 0, adjudged LBW. Two stand followed with Stuart (I left the Aston at home) Ritchie (10) and the ‘Aussie Lip’ Dave Mann (13) who relished being in the middle having been banished to the boundary for most of the first innings. When Mark fell for 54 in what was the innings of the day at 103 (that number again!) we required 42 with 6 wickets remaining in loads of overs. Easy on paper but as we know, you don’t play cricket on paper! Despite captain Christmas scoring 29, with hindsight what was influential was the loss of the match ball, as its soft replacement proved hard to hit and bounced with increasingly lower amplitude. Combined with the Martlets belief that playing the sweep or off the back foot was the correct tactic (it wasn’t!), meant that we lost wickets until we needed 12 to win with 2 wickets remaining, McGahan bowled! Enter Tom Whyte, to be the hero but it wasn’t to be as he was also bowled with us 8 runs short.

A game that we should not have lost but we did. Thanks to Zambuca Tigers for organising the ground and tea , Jim Lock for umpiring and those who helped out the scorer by managing the rudimentary scoreboard. MOst retired up the road to the Crow And Gate (?) where by some miracle (WhatsApp) the absent 40s Manager found us after his exertions (?!) in the field at the Nevill for some socialising.