8/9/07 - 2nd XI V Thame 2

Neither Hugh, spraying the ball around with abandon, nor Toukeer, making his debut appearance in the 2s and bowling with both accuracy and variety, were able to separate the opening pair. It was natural, therefore, that the captain should, for what is reputed to be the last ever time, call on JIM.

JIM took the ball and immediately encouraged one opener to slash straight into Hugh’s hands at cover and trapped the other with a ball that was either lbw or caught behind or stumped or, quite possibly, all three and so certainly no less comprehensive than Nondies and then Blondies have expected from him over the years.

JIM then spilled a rather simple catch at mid-off causing a cruel jibe about his wish to secure all ten and then saw George accept a firm hit at extra cover to deliver his third wicket. We appeared to be through them. For a time George, masquerading as almost unplayable, with Benny taking a sharp catch standing up, helped to pin them back.

The opening stand of 76, however, had laid the kind of foundation that all sorts of snicks, edges and lucky hits across the line can prosper on so that Thame reached a more than respectable 191-7 without anyone batting well.

Steve survived a couple of perilous lbw shouts before steering a longhop into square leg’s hands but at long, long last and too late in the season Tim set out to send JIM home with the memory of an exhibition of proper opening batting. A flier touched Alex’s gloves, to bring Benny in. As usual he looked as safe as houses, but was nonetheless comprehensively castled, but Tim kept serenely and chancelessly on.

Aviral came to the wicket deciding that today he would to play the hardman as opposed to the softie getting out to bad shots. In almost no time he rattled up a 60 with any number of well hit shots before being well caught at long on.

For once Hugh failed to get himself out in his first over, selfishly spoiling expectation of seeing JIM come in to score the winning run by hitting his first two fours since early May. All the time Tim had patiently and determinedly anchored the innings with a chanceless and match winning 55*.

And so we ended with a well deserved 30 points. Drawing on his first post match fag, JIM reflected on a cricketing career with the Nondies/Blondies which started when he, perhaps, had rather more hair and, for all this writer knows, was even sharper off the wicket and even quicker between the stumps than he is today. He set off home with a large number of people reminding him that he can always change his mind.

The Ratt’s side has had a mixed season not without moments of considerable prowess but, fatally, including some games where we did not perform as well as we might.