Midweek XI beat Dunchurch & Bilton B by 109 runs

What a difference a week can make in the Midweek League. Having lost by 90 odd runs to league leaders, Walcote, last week the Midweek XI rapidly returned to form to beat Dunchurch.

Dunchurch won the toss and put Willoughby in to bat on what looked like a sub-continent dust bowl from a distance. However, Fergus Deery had been doing some last minute pitch prep as the players arrived and it was a cracker of a wicket. A rabbit/foot-hole needed filling in and Fergus obliged slapping some wet loam down in a hurry to make good the potentially dangerous dip in the bowlers run up. Thanks Ferg!

Ian Button and Martin Nichols opened the Willoughby innings and Ian was bowled 2nd ball after playing across the line of a short and straight one that stayed a bit low. 0/1! Not the best start! But Martin and Ashley Rayner took the score to 50 before Martin was bowled for 16. Four runs later Ash was stumped for 33 off the bowling of (would you believe it?!) "Pistol Pete" Reynolds :) after stranding himself coming down the wicket and missing. We checked to see if he was laughing as he came off but he wasn't so banter was kept to a minimum... He later remarked that, "Getting out is NEVER funny!" But some of us would disagree with that sentiment, especially when Pistol Pete is bowling. But Pete was just getting warmed up against his former team-mates. 2 balls later he had Ben Hollis caught on the deep mid wicket boundary for 2 and the comedy potential was mounting! Sean Thornton and Richard Foxon pushed the score on to 84 before Sean was clean bowled for 10 by (you guessed it!) Pete Reynolds. Unlike his predecessors Sean did manage a wry smile as he passed skipper Simon Nicholls on his way out to the crease. 84/5 after 13 overs and Willoughby needed to get a move on!
Fortunately Richard Foxon was in sublime form again and no more wickets fell as he and born-again all rounder, Simon Nicholls, started to take apart the Dunchurch bowlers with regular boundaries and some good running. They doubled the score to 168 in just 7 overs and Si Nicholls finished 20 not out while Rich hit another great 69 not out including 2 6's and 9 4's off just 34 balls.

Hassan Nawaz opened the Willoughby bowling attack and bowled really well, only going for 16 runs off his 4 overs and was unlucky not to take a wicket. From the other end Ian Button, not a usual opening bowler, began well and in his 3rd over struck gold with a plumb LBW to dismiss one of the Dunchurch openers. Next ball and another plumb LBW! The umpire obviously didn't want to play next week!
Ian was on a hattrick and the field was brought in to put pressure on the new batsman but it wasn't to be. But last ball of the over the batsman skied it towards leg gully and Hassan Nawaz scrambled over from leg slip to take a clean catch. 3 in an over for the remarkable part-time spinner and John Gregson's reputation as "The" Willoughby spinner was in danger!
Simon Nicholls replaced Hassan from the pavilion end and had yet another LBW go in favour of the home side to dismiss the Dunchurch no.3 for a duck with his 2nd ball. John Gregson replaced Ian Button to continue the spin attack and was obviously feeling the pressure of the young pretender so decided to give him a lesson in spin bowling! 1st over wicket maiden! 2nd over wicket maiden! 3rd over a wicket and.... what?.... a 2 run wide! 4th over a maiden! A truly remarkable display of bowling from the Legend that is John Gregson.
"Ian Button! I take your 4 overs 3 wickets for 11 runs and I raise you to 4 overs 3 maidens 3 wickets and the only runs to come off of his entire spell? 2 wides!" Bowled! Stumped! Bowled! Fantastic stuff!
Si Nicholls chipped in for another wicket, bowling Liddel for 2 before Richard Foxon and Sean Thornton came on to bowl some more spin, under instructions from the Captain in the fading light, in the spirit of cricket. They both turned the ball a mile and were unlucky not to take a wicket although Pete Reynolds had the last word, padding up for 20 dot balls on the trot! Pete was out to prove a point and batted for 3 and 1/2 overs without scoring! Comedy gold!
A comfortable win for Willoughby in the end by over 100 runs and a useful warm up ahead of the Cup semi-final @ Rugby Cricket Club on Sunday.
The game was played in good humour and only slightly marred by the umpire having to warn an over-excited Richard Foxon several times that it is not appropriate to shout, "Oh yes! That's the one!" between releasing the ball and it reaching the batsman! Lol

Maybe we should bowl 4 spinners more often? :)