18/8/07 - Oxford 3 V 2nd XI

There was a strong wind blowing from the motorworks end with much hint of rain and a truly vile forecast as Benny won the toss and inserted them. Bowling with the wind at his back, Lee worked up a fair head of steam finding the softish track to his liking.

If cover had managed to cling on to the slash that Lawton-Smith offered to Jim’s first ball all sorts of things might have happened as it turned out that this was to be the only bat to stand between us and a rout. But it sped past him at ankle height – a terrifically hard chance.

Benny himself opened the catching account, taking a leg-side catch off Jim before Lee began to hit form. Bowling with good pace and control of length he saw the keeper hurtle through the air to take a one-handed catch low down in front of slip, George produce a professional slip catch, two-handed to his left, and Ian stand underneath a steepler that was being blown in all directions but did not elude him.

From the other end Jim bowled into the wind with much variation including producing a well directed in-ducker that completely confused Lawton-Smith and, conceivably, also the umpire. (If umpires can ever be confused.)

But Lee had not finished. Benny posted two gullies and finally trapped Lawton-Smith as George clung on to another. His fifty had contained some adventure but also some well struck blows. Not to be outdone, second gully Steve held  the next one and Haines wrapped up the tail – where the last bat was clearly in need of windscreen wipers.

We had them out for 144 in only 38 overs. Game on. But rain was already coming down. We took an early tea during which it got steadily worse. And that was that.

Lee’s six wickets that came his way were well deserved reward for sticking to it on a horrible day. He finished as fresh (or quite possibly fresher) than the Daisy that had been planted at mid-wicket for the afternoon.