2009

EYMET v. SHAPWICK and ASHCOTT
Sunday 13 September

With skipper Horlock granted leave and sunning himself on a Maltese beach, Terry Bishop was granted the honour of leading Eymet for the first time in 26 years.

Having lost the toss, he set Marcus Swift and Nigel Jones to work with the new ball. And work they did. Despite this, the Eymet "drop-fest" continued as both openers were given reprieves in the first four overs. Messrs. Crosier and Edwards began to put bat to ball and with a fast, dry outfield boundaries ran for them (even if Crosier didn't move at all, having generously been allowed to start with a runner). Forty runs were on the board by the ten-over stage. Vince Morgan and Simon Palmer were called into the attack and both found pace off the wicket. Vince made the breakthrough bowling Crosier for 24 and Simon soon followed suit. Tearing in like a latter-day Eldine Baptiste, Vince then roughed up Edwards (29) before tempting him into an ill-advised drive. Next over he bowled their nominally best bat off his pads. At the other end Simon, our own Shane Bond, shattered a stump as if it were a mere matchstick.

Fearing a rout, and scared that F1-fan President Clin get to the ground with the sandwiches in time for tea, Bish called off the dogs and replaced them with the more stately pace of himself and Martin "Warney" Smith. But they too caused the batsmen problems. With some sensible hitting from the late order Shapwick and Ashcott wobbled to 116 off their allotted 35 overs. A good 50 runs short of a decent total.

Simon and Sam Harrell were charged with making Eymet's reply and charge they did! Simon hammered Hayes for three consecutive boundaries. However he tried it once too often and was caught in the covers for 15 after 4 overs. Nigel joined Sam for a productive partnership that yielded more than 50. Sam, with his hockey player's eye, timed a couple of exquisite leg-side boundaries. They took the total to almost 80 before Sam played over one for 36. In strode Marcus, the Butcher of Bretou. He informed Nigel that he "wasn't hanging about as Bish had promised him a beer." With the left-right batting combination, the Shapwick attack allowed its previously tight line to drift. Martin cut and drove with abandon. Particularly memorable was a slog-sweep that landed on the football pitch. In fewer than 20 balls he had helped himself to 32 not out and the game was in the bag with 14 overs to spare.
I don't know if Marcus got that beer but the rest of us enjoyed the beers supplied by our sponsor, L'Epicerie Anglaise, the English Shop in rue du Temple, Eymet.

Also noteworthy was the return of Tim "The Tiger" Smith. He had a quiet day but, if his son is reading this, he did distinguish himself with an athletic dive in the covers.

RESULT:

SHAPWICK and ASHCOTT 116 for 7 off 35 overs (V.Morgan 3-21, S.Palmer 2- 14, M.Smith 2-27)

EYMET 117 for 2 off 20.3 overs (S.Harrell 36, M.Swift 32*,N.Jones 30*) Report by Nigel Jones