Runcton triumph after gale force ending

Harry Thompson wrote a very good book about playing cricket on all continents, entitled Penguins Stopped Play.

This Boyle Division One derby clash between North Runcton and Downham on Sunday was predicted to be comparable as gale force winds and torrential downpours were on the programme.

Two days before, the unbelievable happened and hail stones fell that were truly the size of golf balls and Sunday was forecast to hold more of the same.

As it happened, a few spots of rain fell, or rather blew horizontally, in the tea interval and the ground staff (aka the whole North Runcton team) flew out to cover the pitch.

Then the rain stopped but the wind blew hard and straight down the pitch.

Bowlers all drifted surreptitiously to the top end, staking their claim to bowl with the wind. Only captains and their closest friends made the sacrifice of bowling up hill and into the wind.

All the sixes were hit down wind and into the same field.

So how many overs were planned for today? It was unclear. Maybe it was 30, 29, or even 28.

When the Downham innings finished and the players were trooping off, the scorers sent them back again to complete another over. They didn't go. On a connected subject, the Runcton leg spinner Joe Mayes might feel justifiably aggrieved.

One scorebook had him down as taking five wickets, the other only three.

This would affect his career figures, probably his life plans and possibly his mental equilibrium.

This was Downham versus North Runcton, always a needle match. Would there be niggles, sledging, on field confrontation? No, that's on Saturday's.

Today was friendly and peaceful, the calm only broken by the beseeching note of Downham's conversations with the umpires, surely the most enthusiastic appeals this side of the Charities Commission.

Bad feelings run on Saturday's.

After going to church on Sunday mornings cricketers breathe sweetness and light.

By the afternoon the hangovers have started to wear off too.

Downham batted first. Sam Sharp apparently has a tight hold on the number 11 spot when he plays in the Saturday first team.

Here he looked a class act, smiting 42 including three consecutive boundaries.

Harrison Gregory was responsible as usual for one lost ball and a number of trips over the fence and into the field.

Finally. he was beautifully caught. by Jacob Lockhart, on the long-off boundary from a full-toss for 69.

At this stage it was 128 for 3 but he rest of the Downham innings began to drift away.

Everyone seemed to get out the same way, caught off the edge. It was a rush to the edge of the cliff.

Tea was taken (and very good it was too) at 168.

Runcton batted.

It is highly unusual to see an opening batsman play a late cut to his first ball.

To show it was no fluke, he did it again on his second ball. And his third! Did he have any other shot?

Yes, to his fourth ball he played a forward defensive.

The crowd sighed, disappointed. It had been worth the admission fee on its own.

A magnificent innings of 53 from Jack Major led North Runcton from a desultory desert towards a potential pinnacle; he hit the ball clean and high.

Nevertheless a win for Runcton looked unlikely with three overs to go and 30 runs required.

Ben Skipper guided his team home as if it was all part of the plan when he woke up that morning..........Maybe it was.