Catches do, actually, win matches

A mere two weeks after possibly the worst fielding performance in living memory, Sundowners produced a sparkling display in the field which was key to a last gasp victory against Enfield Invicta. A most significant aspect of this particular game, however, was that it marked the debut of the youngest ever Sundowner, Jack Reed (age seven years eight months and a bit).

Chief tosser, and today skipper, Smiler called correctly and elected to bat on a sunny afternoon at Southover.

Golds and I were chosen to open the batting. We had steadily moved the score onto 17 off six when the impressive pace man Silva removed Golds's off stump. On-loan Lionel Sean Stroud started off well enough, but was soon run out following an attack of ritual suicide.

McGowan then worryingly followed, caught for two.

Enter Smiler - a one-man Countryside Alliance: a broad church of opinions, all of them his own and most of them conflicting. Smiler and I took the steady approach to the job of setting a competitive target.

Your correspondent duly went past 50 for the third time this season despite, rather than because of, the constructive criticism coming from the other end.

The runs and the mutterings continued until the final ball, when, with the score on 158 for two, I creamed a half-volley straight to mid off and set off for a single (with Smiler's words "every run is vital!" ringing in my ears). Unfortunately Smiler had elected to stay in his crease moaning at umpire Golds about by poor strike rate rather than back up, and was duly run out.

This lightened his mood no end and he grumbled all through tea.

After the break it was smiles all round, as the best fielding performance of the season was about to take place. The tone was set by a combination of a stop by Jack Reed, who threw the ball to Stroud who, in turn, knocked the stumps down from fully 30 yards leaving the hapless Sood stewing his own juice, run out for a feckless four.

By now it was the Reed and Dom show, as Sundowners turned the screw. Dom clean bowled Cole for three, before Reed took a "straight forward", yet disputed, catch off Dom's outswinger to dismiss Matha. The same two then combined to polish off Patel, run out for 13.

By this stage Enfield were 29 for four off 15 overs, and things were looking good for us.

Enfield's middle order, however, had other ideas. Demant and Deane edged the score towards the 70 mark when the first of the afternoon's incredible catches struck.

Demant skied a hook of Ringo's bowling and, that man again, Dom set off like the hare at Walthamstow from mid wicket to the fine leg boundary to take a super catch at full pelt. For a man who has been known to head butt the ball for six in similar situations, he made it look easy!

Deane was next to go. This time it was Dave "the Cat" Cattell performing the catching acrobatics off Steve Golding's bowling. Standing at mid off he stood like a frightened rabbit as the ball soared into the afternoon sky. It was only as it began its descent that the Cat began to move, and only when it was five feet from his head, did he realise he was least a yard east of the ball. Falling to the west the Cat brought a roar from his fellow fielders, as he crashed to the ground clinging to the ball.

But Sawyer and Bilal swung the game back Enfield's way. Difficult times call for experienced heads. Once more enter Mr Herlihy. Enfield were now fast approaching our target of 158 and were 130 for six when Smiler bowled Sawyer for 23. Panic set in to Enfield when calmness was needed and McGowan duly, calmly, snaffled another boundary-bound catch to dismiss Bilal. It looked like it was going to be our day, nevertheless all Enfield needed to do was keep cool heads and knock off the 12 runs needed from two overs and with two wickets in hand - with the impressive-looking Silva at the crease.

He'd just hit a huge six when McGowan trundled in for the last ball of his seven overs. Silva smashed it hard and straight. Straight at Ringo Tailor. I reckon every one of us, Ringo included, thought it would be one run, possibly two. As the ball struck Ringo's hand I was ready with the customary: "Unlucky Ringo", but the words stuck in my throat as Ringo plucked the ball out of the air. With Enfield stalled on 147 for nine, Smiler wrapped up the game clean bowling Mehta for 13.

Winners
Everyone. Including the game of cricket.

Losers
No-one. Not today, except those who couldn't be with us!

© Andy Vernon 2002