Kirkby Malzeard Away

Penultimate game of the season and Blubbs made the trip to struggling Kirby Malzeard for the first time since 2005. Another damp day and a very sticky wicket and Sherman knew what he was going to do on winning the toss, after losing it Blubberhouses found themselves all out together and Kirkby were batting.

The return of Hebb and Mad Frankie meant no game for Bob this week and Thack was playing his seventeenth home game of the season.

Winton opened up the attack down the hill from the Bowling Green End and Mad Frankie trundled up the hill from the Village End.

Kirby's intent was made clear from the start as Briscombe smashed the big man out of the park in successive deliveries and with only four over on the board the score was well into the twenties.

Kirkby’s plans seemed to be working well as the score reached thirty, that was until Briscombe missed a straight one on the stumps and Winton had wicket number one.

The homeside continued their onslaught of the Blubberhouses attack and Mad Frankie was starting to wish he'd stayed in France as Harford-Cross took over from where Briscombe left off.

Thirteen overs into the game and Winton had two in the bag and both the Kirkby openers were back in the hut, Harford-Cross skittled for seventeen with forty seven on the board, Frankie was starting to wonder what he needed to do to get a wicket, Sherman reassured him saying he shouldn't have gone away on holiday.

Tichie was brought into the attack in the sixteenth over, replacing Frankie and four balls into his spell produced the goods, removing Brownlee with a Dolly Mixture delivery which somehow found its way onto the stumps and Malzeard were forty nine for three and Winton was rubbing his hands.

Tichie was in the "mix" again in his second over when Bell failed to put away a half tracker, only managing to lob up a simple catch to Bubba at short leg and Malzeard were fifty four for four.

Another pie, another wicket and Tichie had three, ex-son-in-law Bubba snapping up another catch and the hosts were five down with still fifty four on the board.

Winton finished off his twelve over spell not picking up any more scalps for the day and Sherman decided he was having a go from the top end, two fruitless overs saw Angry questioning the decision which brought on a double change with Bubba taking up residence at the top end supported by Gobby from the village end.

The change brought the wicket and "Hebb the Cat" got in on the action snaffling up a regulation catch behind the sticks and Malzeard crumbled to eighty three for six with still seventeen over to go.

Another nick, another catch for Hebb and Gobby was in on the wickets removing Neesam for nought and at eighty nine for seven Kirby looked like being skittled for less than a ton.

Gobby finished up his five spell and Sherman decided he was having another go from the village end, quickly removing Neesam for eleven when a leading edge found Frankie at mid-on.

Clippy was sweating one ball later when Sherman clattered the woodwork and Kirby were one fifteen for eight, hatrick ball again and another trophy was on the cards as Kirkby slumped to one fifteen for nine.

Pickles managed to fend off the next ball and after some deliberation Piewalker replaced Bubba at the Bowling Green End.

The Kirkby innings was finally put to bed in the thirty ninth over, Piewalker picking up the wicket of Smalley for thirty four when the "Gulley Generals" luck finally ran out and a miss-judged cut left the gate open and over went the stumps, Blubbs needing one eighteen for victory to keep the fourth place in sight.

Winton got the run chase under way much the same as Kirby started their innings, crashing Armer for fifteen off two overs and Blubbs had a comfortable start under their belt, Angry content to prop up his bat at the non-strikers end.

Eight overs in and disaster struck, Wintons calculator ran out of batteries and in the ninth over Angry found himself on strike for the first ball of an over, sadly Angry didn't spot the "wrong-un" from Armer leaving an off-break which clattered the furniture and Blubbs were forty for one.

Bubba was meant to be at the crease at three but earlier events in the car park saw Gobby batting up a place at three, Bubba left consoling his lip on the sidelines.

More hitting from Winton quickly saw the score pass the fifty mark but a rush of blood from Mr Tan finally saw his demise at the third attempt when Neesam finally held onto a catch and the visitors found themselves worryingly on sixty three for two still fifty five short of victory.

Sixty three for two was soon to sixty three for three when a mis-timed drive from Gobby found its way safely to mid-on and Duck King Dicko was making his way to the middle.

Tense moments followed as Dicko played and missed Armers "Arm Ball", "I hope he doesn't give that out" said Angry as the ball wrapped the Wharfedale wannabe's pads. Next ball and Bungles prediction came true, Dicko failing to survive another leg before appeal, notching up a hatrick of ducks and Dicko was left with one week to go hoping not to have to bat.

Bungle was next to depart, Bell lobbed up a fizzing pie, Bungle swished at the fourball delivery totally missing the ball, Briscombe whipped off the bails and in a moment of confusion up went the finger and Blubbs were five down with an upset on the cards, Bubba decided now was the time to bat.

Frankie took to the crease at seven, Sherman hoping he'd get one good innings out of him for the season, three runs later and Frankies season was over as an imaginary swinging "straight" delivery rattled the sticks and it was seventy three for six.

Tichie joined Bubba at the crease with still forty five needed for victory, steady batting slowly moved the score up towards the hundred mark, another emotional shot from Buuba and it was ninety nine for seven as Bubba holed out to mid-wicket and Blubbs were in the proverbial.

The writing was soon on the wall three runs later when Sherman was trapped in front of the sticks for two quickly followed by Tichie for twleve with an appeal by Briscombe which was slowly backed up by the rest of the team and with one wicket remaining the sixteen remaining runs were a long way off.

Kirkby finally picked up the five point victory when Piewalker top edged Brownlee to short leg and it was game over leaving Winton wondering how many runs he actually need to score to secure a vistory for the club.

Points:Kirkby Malzeard: 5, Blubberhouses: 1

Fielding Points:

Fact of the day: "Hit the hut" is a phrase made famous by the fast food outlet Pizza Hut, someone must have left the oven on in the away changing room at Kirby this week as the whole team was very keen to get back in there!

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