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Doctors beat Budleigh Docs This Summer has
kept going, Indian-style, into late September and beyond. And so it was appropriate that an
additional fixture, conceived in April on the Sub-Continent, came about. Finding a venue
for this game had proved a problem, most clubs having shut down, but our
friends at Crowcombe came up trumps, and Dr Rick Mejzner arrived punctually
with his team of likely lads from Budleigh Salterton, all clad in their
sponsored sky-blue outfits, just in case floodlights were necessary, but they
weren’t. Captain Sam Powell
having won the toss, inserted us and himself, and was soon scoring freely on
the dry and true wicket. In Budleigh
they play a form of cricket without lbw’s, we were told; so there was not
much appealing went on. Having lost
both Phil Barker (from Bicester - do you remember him ?) and Georgie Adcock
in quick time, at the other end, he then found a partner in our senior
batsman Graham Ferguson with whom he must have put on 100 runs, as they
retired on 53 and 50 respectively.
Presumably dwelling on his daughter’s `blob’, Rob Adcock managed just
a single before being castled by the speed-merchant from the Budleigh fish ‘n
chip shop who bowled quite tidily with much venom. John Ogle played a watchful game against
this fellow, taking singles in the gaps, plus a sudden 6 over wide
mid-wicket, until cruelly run out by a majestic throw for a grafted 27, some
of which he shared with son Hugh.
After Keith Powell was out for 5 to the accurate spin of Rick’s son
Max Mejzner, Hugh hit 3 forcing boundaries before also being bowled for 19 by
his school-mate, Max. After Matt Bere
was uncharacteristically skittled for 0 by the menacing Daz, Dickie Budd took
to his task with a fine 4 and then a 6 in the region of long-on, and was
still there at the close, on 16. For the visitors , Max M. produced the best
figures with 4-35 off 6, and the Docs ended their 30 overs on 192. Tea, provided by Mrs Hunt (mother of Ed) was superb. No doubt affected
by the tea, Budleigh began only cautiously, and after 6 overs, they were 33-3
thanks to the skill of Matt Bere (3-20), Sedge Seymour (1-23), and some
amazingly athletic fielding by Keith Powell, whose son Sam had given him
almost the whole of the uphill half of the pitch to defend, while on the
downhill Pavilion side we cheered him on.
Georgie Adcock took 2 wickets for 17 in a tidy spell, and her father
Rob ran someone out with an incredible pick-up and direct hit from deep
mid-on which earned huge applause.
Dickie Budd bowled well for 0-12, and Hugh Ogle took 2-13 off 3; the
skipper turned the screw with 2-23 for a further 3. For the visitors
J. Wastenage (`I don’t normally play cricket’) hit 61, Tom Oxland 22, and
Rick Mejzner 21. For a time it looked they were in with a chance, but failed
to use their last 7 overs, and ended 40 short. 358 runs had been scored in a most
memorable and enjoyable encounter. The
refreshments afterwards at the Rising Sun were excellent, and our guests
stated they would much like to come again next year. And so the Season drew to a close, on a
high and warm note. |
