CATUS v EYMET CC – Friendly Sunday 28 August 2011

“Want a Match?” asked Catus. The opposition had dropped out at the last minute but Eymet’s new youngsters were up for it again. With the “seasonals” back in Blighty and Bish, Skipper Sam and The President drinking the spoils of their Top 3 finish in the Golf tourney, Vice Skips assembled a few old and bold to back up the young lads, and set off for Catus with their picturesque ground in the Lot.

The toss was promptly lost and Catus elected to bat. Allen and Philby began well and although Jaman was on form the other young chaps sprayed it short. Allen was offering chances but 3 difficult shouts went down. With the run-rate up to 5 an over The Cobra was brought on and soon had Allen caught for 41. Ali got in on the act and from 66-0 at the 15 over point Catus had slumped to 88-4 with the dangerous Sutton also gone. John Fabb came on and returned to bowling form but Robson was hitting out with a fair degree of luck. Wickets fell steadily though and the run-rate was kept under wraps.. Irfan sportingly turned out to bat for Catus and the locals were treated to sledging in Urdu as he joshed with his mates in the field. When John claimed him on the last ball Eymet were pleased to have kept the total to 141-7 after the early run-spree.

With a drying outfield this total should have been within Eymet’s grasp. Catus’s skipper began cannily by keeping his best bowlers back but Eymet failed to make hay. Sadly, Mike Gear was still out of touch and the Eymet fans groaned as Barnacle Bill had appeared again. Mike fell first at 21-1, cuing a cameo from Tom Hinds, which even enticed Billy to smack a 4 (all bookies to note he now has 9 this season). But Sutton and the wily swing of Kavanagh were now in tandem and wickets fell. When Billy fell to a “shooter” Eymet were reeling at 38-4 with 16 overs gone. The General was sent in to defend the battlements but decided to counter-attack. With Ali in form they added 42 in 7 overs to get things back on track. The General lost a bail at 80-5 but with a couple of handy bats to come Eymet were in a position to kick on. But the later bats had forgotten the pre-season pact that scoring at least 10 runs was the order of the day, and 4 batsmen fell cheaply to the part-time spin of Allen as they all failed to cope with his loopy stuff. Ali was still biffing the ball, but he was running out of time and partners, and soon became the 3rd “bail out” victim of the day as Sutton wrapped it up.

At drinks Catus celebrated a rare win over Eymet who had suffered their 5th successive defeat. Is it the summer heat or something more sinister as this seemed to happen last year? Meanwhile, this column has been made aware of a strange letter doing the rounds. This purports to be from Billy Rhodes’ solicitors, who are called Bish, Cobra and Fabio, and it relates to the Eymet betting scam. Now there are some dodgy businesses in the backstreets of the Bastide but one named after Eymet players is clearly absurd! Readers, there is a nutter on the loose, trying to undermine the club. He, or she, must be exposed ……………………………….

RESULT: CATUS WON BY 30 RUNS

CATUS 141 for 7 off 35 overs (R.Allen 41, M.Robson 27, A.Coombe 2-22, J.Fabb 2-24, Ali 2-35)

EYMET 111 All Out off 31 overs (Ali 39, R.Allen 4-10, M.Kavanagh 3-37, K.Sutton 2-29)

EYMET: M.Gear, B.Rhodes, T.Hinds, Jaman, Ali, G.Taylor, J.Fabb, D.Menon, Sultan, Irfan, A.Coombe.