Strollers fail to hold Ferme
The particularities of the Ferme Park ground were in sharp focus this week as the Strollers were unable to defend what appeared to be a winning target of almost 250 runs against the London Utopers.
The game couldn’t have been a more stark contrast to the season opener in Walthamstow. With the outfield dry, fast and cut short, and the boundaries shorter still, runs came thick and fast as the ball sped to the rope/fence/hosepipe/trees on innumerable occasions.

All looked so promising at the outset as, after Utopers had won the toss (Skipper’s record now 0 for 2) and asked the Strollers to bat. Dwyer, who in a short space of time has established himself as a leading Strollers batsman, carted the opposition attack to all parts of the ground. His 54, out of an opening partnership of 78 with K***** S****, was composed of 13 fours and just two singles (must make you feel sick after last week, Adam Harper), before he holed out to long on.

S**** was struggling at the other end, not just for runs but also with the excesses of the night before. At one point one of the openers (not Dwyer) had to pause play as he 'started to taste cocaine running down the back of his throat and I couldn’t breathe'. A truly appalling swipe saw S**** dismissed for 23, while Fildes chipped straight to short midwicket for an unexpected duck.

At the other end Poole continued his excellent early season form, and put together an excellent partnership with George Brown before yet another ‘unfortunate run-out incident’ saw Brown return to the pavilion for a promising 22.

Marshall played round a straight one, Horwood had his second successive three-ball innings, although this time for 10 runs, before Poole’s innings came to a halt with a century almost in sight, on 78. Indigo couldn’t add to the tally but Richardson and Betts put on a feisty 20-run partnership to get the Strollers to 246 for 8 off the allotted 35 overs.

Seven an over seemed a more than defendable target, and the Strollers were confident during the tea break. Fildes opened the bowling after a splendid tea, where he made at least four ‘official visits’ to the table, and possibly more unofficial visits besides. Gillies, on debut, took the uphill end.

It soon became clear that the target was eminently achievable. Anything loose was despatched to the boundary, and the Utopers were going along at six or seven per over without any difficulty. Gillies had little luck, beating the outside edge with regularity as the ball swung from leg to off, and seeing a catchable chance spilled at gully. Further dropped catches later in the game did the Strollers’ chances no good at all. Fildes then struck, as the ball was steered to mid off where Horwood juggled the ball several times before taking the catch.

But this brought to the wicket the oppositions’ number three, who from the word go was seeing it like a football and hitting it like a golf ball. Straight deliveries were smashed for four. Loose deliveries went the same way, at frightening speed. Uppish strikes went into space, or straight over the boundaries.
Only S**** really trouble the batsmen, taking two wickets, both victims bowled, but it was a dispiriting afternoon for the Strollers as the target was reached with more than five overs to spare.

That victory had not been too far from the Strollers’ grasp became clear when the number three retired, having reached 124, retired. The next in could hardly hold his bat. We were surely only a skied catch taken or a miss to a straight ball away from having a chance. This time, it was not to be.

Clive Horwood
01.06.04

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