Somerset Stragglers 24 August 2023

Captain Nick Bishop

Lost by 3 Wickets

SOA 238 for 7 dec (Patrick Knightley 54, Isaac Cottrell 51, John De Bhal 31*)

Somerset Stragglers 239 for 7 (Nick Bishop 5 for 41)

Inevitably all good things come to an end and so too another successful Western Tour. With 60 players, officials, family and friends attending across the two weeks and with an unbeaten record going into the final fixture, we headed homeward via Taunton and another cracking fixture with Somerset Stragglers.

A negotiated toss saw SOA inserted on a slow, slightly low track and opener Isaac Cottrell settled in for another fine innings supported by Shiraz Husain (14) and Alex Wildman (11) helping the visitors to 72 for 2 from the first 12 overs.

Cumnor legend Pat Knightley, keen to impress the watching family, joined Cottrell at the crease and the pair added a quick 80-odd runs before the latter fell for a fine 51. Knightley continued to reach 54 and swift knocks from Bharat Ramanathan (27), John de Bhal (31 not out) and Valley of the Rocks hero Frankie Crouch (13) enabled skipper Nick Bishop to bring a close to the SOA innings on 238 for 7 from 46 overs.

Tea taken, Bishop took the new ball (again!!!!) with Crouch (again!!!) and promptly sent back Salt and Alexander with little on the board but Elstone (56) and Woodhall restored order for the home side and set about getting the Stragglers into position for a close finale.

Having removed himself from the attack, Bishop turned to Sam Herbert who soon dismissed Elstone to a fine running catch at long-on by Knightley, showing no adverse effects from the previous nights’ Roast Shoulder of Lamb, provided to a ‘limited invite only’ feast by P King Catering.

Craig Foster was unlucky to reap any reward from his nine overs so Bishop re-entered the attack straight after drinks with 106 needed by the hosts from the last 20 overs with 7 wickets in hand.

Immediate success came with Bishop bowling Cooper for 29 and then snapping up a sharp catch at mid-wicket off Cottrell to reduce the Stragglers to 137 for 7. The skipper then had Edmonds caught behind by ‘keeper Ramanathan and bagged his fifth victim by drawing Woodhall down the wicket to be stumped by the same for a well-crafted 53.

Stragglers now 182 for 7 with 7 overs left. Bishop, searching for wickets removed Knightley and himself from the attack and brought back Foster and Herbert. Youngster Matravers (54 not out) punished anything short, wide or over pitched and, with excellent support from his skipper Stevens (14 not out), clearly felt the win was still on.

Foster, unlucky in his first spell, thought he had some success at last as Matravers smashed a delivery straight at long-on, however, the catch was downed, worst still with the ball parried over the boundary for 6. More runs followed and, with 7 needed off the last over, Bishop brought himself back on in an attempt to secure the draw and the unbeaten tour record.

The first three balls saw only two runs scored. The fourth ball saw an adjacent LBW appeal turned down and a leg bye scrambled and, with a slight error of too much width offered, young Matravers took his chance and squirted the ball over and past backward point for four runs and a thoroughly well deserved victory with one ball remaining.

The unbeaten tour record had gone but another perfect game of ‘ebb and flow’ declaration cricket was surely the perfect end to two weeks in the West Country – long live the SOA!!!