Lansdown 15 August 2024
Captain Alex Wildman
Won by 137 Runs
SOA 256 for 4 dec (Junaid Aziz 62, Sam Hicks 60)
Lansdown 119 all out (Zak Wilton 3-40, Matt Todd 3-10, Dan Edwards 2-0)
The final match of the first week of the Western Tour brought SOA’s tourists to Lansdown CC on the western side of Bath. An early start at 11.30 was arranged by tour supremo Bish who lives only an hour from the ground, who was not playing in the match and who had not been present in the bar at The Marine in Sidmouth drinking baby guinesses at closing time the night before. The playing tourists subsequently made their various ways to the ground from Sidmouth slightly worse for wear, spending the 2 hour 30 minute drive hoping they would not be caught speeding and trying to forget what Ethan had been threatening to do to any unsuspecting llama unlucky enough to cross his path the night before...
Our wonderfully hospitable hosts kindly agreed to a negotiated toss and SOA’s batting first took away the pressure of late arrivals delaying the start of the match.
Junaid Aziz and Alex Basford opened up taking the score to 46 before Alex was caught for a positive 24 off only 26 balls. Sam Hicks drove beautifully for his 60, before both he and Juni saw their free scoring ending with stumpings allowing the llama wrestling Davie to combine well with the Pres and Frankie Crouch to take SOA to a very respectable 256 off 40 overs.
A quick turnaround between innings saw Zac Wilton and Ed Wildman open SOA’s bowling. Zac showed some good pace and control and ending up with 3 wickets. With Max Trotman batting well for LCC the host were ahead of the game until Ethan slowed the scoring down with tight off breaks. Trotman falling for a domineering 50 changed the course of the LCC innings and once the Pres took the wicket of the dangerous looking Choughule caught and bowled, after he had flicked him for 6 through the windscreen of a parked car, Matt Todd and Dan Edwards shared the final 5 wickets to see LCC all out for 119. Matt’s deceptively deceptive bowling saw him concede only 10 runs from 6.4 overs; Dan’s 2 wickets in 2 overs came without a run being scored off him.
Lansdown looked after us extremely well on the day and our thanks to them for hosting us for the first of what we hope will become a regular tour fixture. Bish and Pres-Elect Col spent the afternoon demolishing a cheese platter and port which the LCC committee decided they looked like they needed. After the match a barbeque was followed by a display of bowls by our umpire Gary Panons. Our thanks to Gary, and to Peter Andrews who scored for us, for marshalling us all so well on the day.