Cavaliers Victorious!

How proud you would have been to see the way the field dived, swooped and stooped on every ball that came in their region. The banter was enthusiastic but friendly: typified by Will Costello's chief contribution to the match. Such lines as "beautiful bowling and your hair looks good too!" (Not said to me I might add).

Cranfield kindly inserted themselves (ahem) since they were a few fielders short. A very slow track required lots of patience for the batsmen and provided some assistance for the bowlers. Even though it was lacking in that sexy bounce and seam that a Roehampton May pitch of yore might offer. Their patience didn't last as they found themselves 1 down then 3, then 4 down for 40. P Patel managed to weigh in with a couple of wickets just as the skipper was signalling for the first bowling change (Consider this a note to other RCC skippers). Wickets continued to fall in clusters. In fact we had enjoyed the pressure of 2 hat trick balls and one that is still standing in Sakib next game. All the bowlers (Potter, Whitrow, Sakib, Pukar & James Appleby) ended up with two a piece. So well done all- and the field too. We bowled them all out for 135.

Still, given the difficulty that certain teams had with batting this weekend - and our healthy back catalogue of Sunday Caveliers cock ups in the low run chase - there was every chance we could blow a potential winning start to the season. Not a bit of it. The opening pair Clive Henderson and young Pete Alway guided us serenely to within spitting distance of the total. There were late cuts, perfectly timed drives, lofted flicks over a mid wicket and the odd occasion when Clive called through for a quick single (His body language told a story of regret on both occasions - the hand was firmly planted on hip in his ideosyncratic "I'm a little teapot" pose). Pete fell with one run to get have made 73 excellent runs. Clive H carried his bat for a very good 37.

Thanks to Jason for umpiring.

So the Cavaliers are off and running and so is the Roehampton season. May it be a good one for all.

MOM: Pete Alway
(report by Tom Whitrow)