They coached us too well

Sunday saw the annual fixture against the club's coaches. Each side was a finely blended selection of youth (eleven players across both teams under the age of 15, some even under 11 and young Chloe Wilson making her senior debut) experience (Bullock rolling back the years with his metal keeping gloves) and first team prowess.

Cublington won the toss and the skipper, with visions of hours sunbathing on the side lines, elected to bat. KGS and the Howitzer got things off to a flying start putting up 100 for the first wicket before Alec popped one up for Ben P-W to catch off Matthew Sparke. James Lorrimore took a while to find his line but when he did he cleaned up Ollie Fairhurst for a jug-avoiding 43. Kit then skipped a long way past one from Ryan Bullock to be stumped by one of the few balls to stick in Stumpy Bullock's gloves. Jack Gotzheim fell to a good catch by Ryan off James Lorrimore. James Taylor proved that lightning can strike twice to be stumped by Stumpy ('who are you and what have you done with Steve Bullock?'). Harry Gadsby and Tim Taylor were the not out batsmen.

The Coaches XI set off chasing 239 as if they had a party to go to, crashing 120 off the first 14 overs. Stuart Bridgen and Jack Rodnight opened the batting with Jack the sleeping partner in the relationship. The Coaches clapped Stuart's 50 with the score on 53. Bridgen eventually fell to a great high catch on the boundary off a Gadsby full toss proving that it's not just the good balls that take wickets. It must be said that Gadsby (T) bowled a lot of full tosses, perhaps in a misguided attempt to leave the wicket unused, rather like Stumpy Bullock's gloves (you'll be able to take those back to the shop, said Tim). AP-W and Charlie Perkin batted well together, punishing anything loose (and there was a lot that was loose) before Ollie got one to take AP-W's edge. 'Was miles away from it'. said AP-W. 'We were picking splinters out of the ball' was the umpire's rapid return. Perkin continued to play the anchor role but, apart from a brief flurry by Sparke, the lower order was a touch short on fire power. Jack and Harry Gotzheim, Charlie Crisp and Chloe Wilson all made their senior debuts for Cublington, all performing very creditably with the ball. Harry Gotzheim was the pick of the attack with extraordinary figures of four overs, two maidens, three wickets for six runs.

A lot of fun in the sun. Let's do it again next year.