Recap

Bures v CWCCC 

4 JUNE 2023

The Stu P Show.

On Sunday on a blazing summers day (finally) Bures-Ball cricket (our name for our fast, exciting style of cricket clearly stolen by the  Stokes/McCullum axis) returned to the recreation ground with Bures’s first home challenge of the season against an under-par Chapel and Wakes Colne side.

With the toss won, Stu Peters and Benji Wheeler opened up, Stu immediately dispatching the openers into the nettles and racing into the forties while Benji was playing himself in, teasing single figures. They combined for a commanding 143 first wicket partnership. Benji finally fell after an accomplished 43, Stu finished with a classy, magnificent and chanceless 103 retired.

As of CWCCC hadn’t already had enough, Olly Tozer marched out purposefully to the crease and walloped a swashbuckling 53, generously retiring himself as the par score headed towards an excess of 350.

Tom, 1, and Rupert MR ,12, were dismissed without troubling the scorers too much,

Richard, 15, played and missed a bit, before Luke soon got into his flow with some fine hitting ending with 50*. Luke was joined by Dale who exhibited a cameo to end the carnage, unbeaten on 42. The final score a huge 334.

Charlie E and Will Fisher took the new ball and after their tight 12 overs for 28 (CE 0-11, WF 2-17) they effectively put the game out of reach of CWCCC.

As the opposition curiously tucked in for a wannabe draw (in an overs game, right?) the question was – how do we get them out?

Rupert Melville-Ross 0-7 on his return to the Mighty B after 30 years, showed he still had the class to duff anyone up not paying attention. Dale turned the ball past the bat, and Richard’s pace popped up a couple of simple catches. Benji bowled with incredible skill to deviate the ball massively to claim two bowled wickets and Luke’s steady line and length bagged him a couple of LBW’s. We were nearly there.

Had Charlie snaffled a slip chance earlier on, the ball landing about as easily into his midriff as possible, proceedings might have taken a quicker turn. Instead, we were treated to the Bures, “Oh My Village Days” moment of comedic cricketing brilliance.

Stu, intent on copying Charlie, and obviously exhausted after his earlier heroics, somehow managed to not catch a simple slip chance. What I mean is that the ball lobbed straight past him, waist-height, and even though he made a curious attempt at a dive, Stu somehow failed even to put a paw to it. Realising he’d made an almighty dogs-arse, Stu proceeded to roll about like a footballer, only to be struck directly on the body by the returning ball Luke had hurled in from the boundary.

Play was briefly suspended while Bures players, en masse, held their sides.

Wearing a couple of bruises, Stu dusted himself off for the final over and it took him just two balls to finish them off for 109, a winning margin of 224.

A wonderful day for Bures and for centurion Stu P, congratulations!

A nearly faultless performance all-round. Teas were completely gobbled up, the pitch behaved well, and the outfield was as good as we’ve seen it for ages. Thanks to Luke for winning the toss, while the skipper was waiting for the sausage rolls to come out of the oven, and to Charlie for scoring and remembering to ‘rope’ the pitch.

Onwards for the mighty B!