Roehampton 2s put in a team performance to beat Old Tiffinians 2s by 27 runs

Alongside some of Winston Churchill’s great quotes - “jaw, jaw is better than war, war”, and (“Sir you are drunk!”) “Madam you are ugly. But I shall be sober in the morning!” are a couple of favourites of mine: “The price of greatness is responsibility.” and top of them all - “It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required.”

On Saturday the RCC 2s did what was required and managed to walk away with a solid win against a talented Old Tiffs side, even when Old Tiffs looked like they had the game sewn up with RCC stuttering on 115 for 8.

Electing to bat first on a green, damp, uneven surface with cloud cover above is one of those decisions that can come to haunt a skipper if wickets are lost early. With the 2s sitting at 101 for 1 midway through their innings, it seemed that particular mine-field had been negotiated… So, how did we fall to the depths of 115 for 8? Search me… Poor batting, allied to an Old Tiffs bowler who decided to use his head (and the conditions) to do the work for him. (Previously, the attack had mainly consisted of bowlers screaming in and trying to bang the ball in short on a slow wicket).

It took an innings of responsibility from Stuart Turner (32 not out) to bat through the procession that was going on at the other end. He calmly guided the team to a half-decent score of 149 for 9, with a few mighty blows and smart singles off the final balls of the over.

In the weekly search for 20 points, looking good isn’t nearly as important as winning ugly. The 2s bowled in much better areas than Old Tiffs through the notable efforts of Chad Potter (1 for 17), Ashley Naumann (3 for 14) and Daryn Williams (4 for 27), and fought back to do what was required. It took a final Herculean effort from Turner to prise out the last stubborn Old Tiffs batter holding up proceedings, and ensure a memorable victory for RCC 2s by 27 runs.

Champagne moment – either a scintillating pickup, throw and clean run-out that shattered the stumps from Martin Crozier. Or, 2 strangled appeals from the Old Tiffs fielders for ‘box-before-wicket’ against Marc Moderegger and Turner; leaving both with watery eyes and doubled-up supporting their bruised middle stump area. You decide… I know which made the 2s watching from the boundary giggle the most. (Teammates can be cruel sometimes…) [Sometimes? - Ed]

Man of the match – Stuart Turner.
(report by Hemish Gunasekara)