Ley Hill vs Monks Risborough (Evening Knockout), 24th June 2003

Nick Lee

The 1st XI journeyed back to Monks Risborough for a chance of avenging the losing-draw-that-really-should-have-been-a-win game the previous Saturday.

Ley Hill won the toss and batted, with the reassuring presence of veteran Rennard (right) – back in the team after a weekend of exploits under canvas – alongside pinch hitter Ottaway.  Rennard soon opened his account with a couple of deft flicks, both signalled as leg byes by the Monks umpire (oh dear we thought).  Ottaway was not so assured, falling for his second second ball duck in four days to Brocklebank.  His dismissal was greeted sympathetically by Liam O’Neill yelling “Get back to number 11” from the boundary.

Monks continued where they had left off on Saturday, with unthreatening but arrow-straight bowling proving difficult to get away.  Only Rennard was able to master the bowling, with a succession of Hill batsmen coming and going with just a few runs to their name.  One of these was Mark Curtis, who defied the laws of physics by running slower than Andy Rennard (but somehow not walking) and being run out as a result.

Eventually, Liam O’Neill made his bandy-legged way to the crease and treated everyone to his Dermot Reeve impressions in charging down the wicket to all bowlers on his way to a valuable 14.  The innings ended with Gary “Third Mitchell” Helm scoring his first run of the season and Keith Strickland batting resolutely for a draw.

Would 82 runs be enough, especially with Monks missing their star batsman?  Hill got off to a great start with O’Neill (left) dismissing Cheek LBW.  After compiling a tortuous 36 the previous Saturday, Cheek got a score more commensurate with his ability: a golden duck.  No matter that the ball wasn’t going to hit the stumps, the eye-bulging appeal from madman O’Neill persuaded the visibly-shocked umpire to lift his finger.  Tight bowling from O’Neill and high-intensity fielding allowed Lown to cash in with his special looping lollypops, dismissing four dumbfounded Monks batsmen.  The pick of these was Doyle who complained that the ball that dismissed him LBW had hit him on the hip, when in fact it had hit him on the pad as he went back and knelt in front of his stumps.

Monks were five wickets down for just 34 and under huge pressure from the voluble Ley Hill fielders when change bowlers Thompson and Ottaway (right) were brought into the fray.  Ottaway cranked up the tempo by sending down some testing short stuff which was dealt with by the Monks batsmen with a retreat to square leg.  In fact the only time that contact was made, Lown - clearly busy topping up his Coppertone™ tan at long on - did an unmistakeable impression of Tim Kaye and allowed the ball to hit him on the chest before it dribbled over the boundary.

By now it was pretty much all over bar the shouting, and excellent catches by Rennard, Curtis and Shakoor wrapped up the Monks innings for just 64, marking a Ley Hill win by 18 runs.

Ley Hill - 82 all out (Rennard 23)
Monks Risborough - 64 all out  (Lown 4-17, Thompson 3-12)
Ley Hill win by 18 runs

Man of the match: Rennard for top-scoring in the entire match (with 23) and all of the bowlers for a faultless performance.
Clown of the Match: Doyle for complaining about the most plum LBW ever seen.
 

Click here for the scorecard