Rottingdean Over 40s | Sussex Martlets

Match Report

With a team within 10% of the target number, one arriving late and the same one having to leave early (one wonders how Joe Root would manage in similar circumstances!) , on winning the toss Rottingdean were asked to bat on a hard track and fast outfield. A brave decision but the 10 fielded well and apart from a couple of chances held Rottingdean to a reasonable total , bowling them out in36.4overs. The rules were, unlike last year, Golden Oldies 40 overs, batsmen retire at 40 , 8 overs per bowler. Pick of their batsmen was their no 3 who, what he lacked in classical technique, he made up for with a goodish eye for cow corner. The MM had positioned himself at mid on at the Sea End with a considerable hill to negotiate if the ball passed him which it did far too often for comfort, eventually moving to the road side of the pitch where if it passed him it was 4. Pick of the Martlets bowlers were Dave ‘I wish it could be’ Christmas with 3 cheap wickets at the end after an economical opening spell (3-22) ,Paul Lack with his mixture of 22,23 and 24 yarders (2-33) and Jeremy McGahan with 2-43, although he bowled better than his figures. Michael Loveday also picked up a wicket on his annual release from only batting and fielding.

After the usual excellent tea, with Neil (18) meeting a plane in the evening , he opened and got us off to a quick (but sadly short) start. After that we never really sustained a partnership with only Phil Savage (44 rtd – 10 4s) and Paul Lack (24) showing enough application and urgency to the task ahead, the worst culprit being the MM who batted poorly at the end.

With the reduced numbers, the traditional trip to the fish and chip shop was still made by 3 hungry souls who sat gazing out to sea on a pleasant evening, on an adjoining bench a couple had brought wine accompaniment for theirs , quite the civilised approach!