No doubt due to some administrative error, the Sky cameras found themselves at Lord’s on Sunday 2 July rather than at Brook. The loss was entirely theirs.
Brook won the toss and, very sensibly, elected to bat: the glorious conditions making for a batsman’s paradise. However, they did not bank on having to face messrs Rydon and Milne (JrJr) with the new ball. Milne dismissed one of the openers with his first ball, and Rydon soon took care of the other, neither troubling the scorers. Brook’s three and four, undeterred by the loss of early wickets, adopted a Bazball approach, and they were soon flying.
Persuaded to stay on for one more over, Rydon got the breakthrough the Buccaneers badly needed – the number four snicking off and T. Fletcher leaping like a salmon to take an outstanding catch. A. Marsh bowled with characteristic guile and finesse, and S. Moules steamed in up the hill and made life difficult for the middle order – each finishing with three wickets, Moules at a miserly economy of just 1.57. A special mention must go to Marsh who, not to be outdone by Fletcher, dived to his left at full stretch to take a catch off his own bowling that rivals his brother’s the week before.
The Buccaneers took to the crease needing 117 to win in their allotted 40 overs, but Brook’s two opening bowlers (and their minor counties’ spinner) were to cause some problems. A combination of good bowling, a ball keeping low, and some hot-headed over-aggression saw the Buccaneers lose wickets at regular intervals in an attempt to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
S. Leefe anchored the innings at number three in the face of men coming and going around him, and it took R. Rydon to steady the ship and bring some calm back to proceedings as he has done so often in his decades-long Buccaneers career.
The wisdom and experience of that partnership took the game away from Brook, with Fletcher finishing things off with his usual grace. The Buccaneers won by four wickets.
Brook innings
West bowled Rydon 0
Jackman c. A. Marsh b. C. Milne 0
Williams c. Fletcher b. Moules 51
Holder c. Fletcher b. Rydon 17
Anderson c. Rydon b. A Marsh 6
Botha bowled Moules 18
Clarke c&b A. Marsh 9
Owen lbw S. Leefe 5
Randall bowled Moules 2
Martin bowled A. Marsh 1
Thompkins not out 0
Total: 116 all out Overs: 25.3
Bowling:
Rydon: 5-2-24-2
C. Milne: 5-1-33-1
A. Marsh: 6-1-38-3
Moules: 7-2-11-3
Papasavvas: 2-0-6-0
S. Leefe: 0.3-0-0-1
Buccaneers Innings
J. Marsh bowled Holder 14
J. Milne bowled Williams 5
S. Leefe not out 43*
Hugo bowled Williams 6
E. Kalidasan caught Martin b. Clarke 6
S. Moules bowled West 11
R. Rydon c&b Clarke 20
T. Fletcher not out 8*
C. Milne
A. Marsh
P. Papasavvas
Total: 120-6 Overs: 32