Romany CC vs Burnt Yates CC – Match Report

Match Summary:

Romany WIN (by 8 wickets)

Burnt Yates CC 155ao

Canham 40*

Hawkins 5-24

Smith S 3-13

Graham 2-43

Romany CC 156-2

Smith S 71

Read D 61*

Match Report:

This was a famous Romany victory! Burnt Yates bowled out for 155, Romany 156-2 (with one also retired). After the disappointment of the defeat to Druids at Goldsborough, Romany, (England-like…) bounced back.

When Burnt Yates batted, our opening bowlers, Sam Smith and George Holden bowled very well, against good BY batsmen, who never “got away”. Andrew Moore held a good head-high catch off Sam. who took 3 for 13 in a full 8 overs, the miserly runs off him accurately reflecting how well (Jimmy-Anderson-like) he bowled.

George  had no luck – a catch went down off him. After George’s 5 overs, new and very valuable Romany player Matt Graham came on – like Sam, he bowled a full 8 overs, very well, took his first two Romany wickets, (hopefully the first of many) and finished with 2-43.

At the top end, Andrew Moore was off form (no doubt due to a 27-mile charity walk the previous day…) but Rob Smith came on, bowled well and quickly without luck. After Matt Graham, Nick Hawkins came on – and it turned out to be “his day”, for the second successive year against these opponents. A hit-wicket, two clean bowled, a spectacular diving catch at mid-wicket by the brilliant Freddie Read, and a skyer nonchalantly caught in the deep by Freddie’s father Duncan, meant that your scribe ended up with 5-24, the match ball, and BY were gone.

When Romany batted, skipper Matt Knight opened with Sam Smith. Matt very unluckily played on against the opposition captain Martin Yeoman’s bowling, very early on, but that only let in Duncan Read. Duncan and Sam were untroubled. Duncan hit 3 very big sixes, one straight six being one of the biggest your scribe has seen from any Romany player, out of the ground into a neighbouring field. He retired, on 61, to let son Freddie have a bat.

Sam Smith went on to a splendid 71, was only out towards the very end, and Freddie Read was there on 21 not out with George Holden (who lasted about two overs without facing a single ball…) to finish off the win.

A good time had by all, and afterwards, most of us went back to Burnt Yates’ own ground with them for burgers and beer and raffle…

NH