With the prospect of a warm sunny day and 12 men arriving at Brook, Simon Woolfries won the toss and chose to bat. Openers Simon White and Paul Bradford raced to a commanding position during the first hour of play, dispatching the ball to all parts of the ground with some aggressive shots.
Bradford reached his fifty in some style, before the introduction of Nethula’s wily spin had him caught by Davenport and the Buccs were 110 for 1. An impressive start!
Nethula, Brook’s overseas player and New Zealand A “ tweaker”, started to turn the screw at his end, putting White under pressure with an array of googlies and quicker balls before finally dismissing him for a well fought 46.
Metcalfe and Harcourt managed to steady the ship and we were 124 for 2 at lunch.
After a lunch which consisted of no butter or cheese products, a disheartened Harcourt and Metcalfe exacted their revenge, and launched a brutal assault on the Brook bowling attack before Metcalfe was stumped off the spinner, Nethula.
Supported by some attractive and imaginative ground strokes from Leefe (20) and Bob “I’m at the wrong Brook” Palmer (23 no), Jim Harcourt managed to scramble to 101 not out, with some belligerent hitting including two sixes into the herb garden off the bowling of Nethula.
The Buccs declared on towering 291 for 6 with Nethula scooping 3 wickets for 66 from his 14 overs.
Nethula and Straker opened for Brook and raced to 22 from the first 2 overs, however the nagging line and length of Bob Palmer started to pressurize Nethula (16) and he gave his wicket away cheaply after being brilliantly caught by Simon Leefe at mid-off.
The wickets came thick and fast as Palmer ripped through Brook’s batting line-up supported by the sharp bowling of Rydon.
Three of Brook’s wickets fell in quick succession, before Archie Marsh was introduced into the attack with some excellent flight and guile. The 13 year old spinner managed to bag two wickets with impressive figures of 3 overs, 1 maiden, 2 for 5! It was left to Hack to clean up the tail end with a wicket maiden in his first over, Wallis being fabulously caught by son-in-law Will Metcalfe, and Brook were all out for 76 runs!
Bob Palmer truly was the man of the match for his devastating bowling spell finishing with figures of 6 for 28 off 9 overs and ensuring we were in the Dog and Pheasant for 6 o’clock!