Darley Home

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It was Derby day for Stonewall and the gang this week as Darley visited the Blubberhouses home of cricket, only Stonewall was nowhere to be seen.

Rumours of bans, visits to the zoo and retirement were rife in the homeside changing room before the game had even began. Tichie the stand in captain won the toss and had no hesitation sticking Darley into bat on a very soggy wicket with more rain forecast throughout the day, two o'clock came and went with no sign of Academic Andy or Wilkie but luckily the rain had Blubbs back off the field before a ball was bowled, Spilnter and Sherman were convinced that was it for the day.

Finally Acadenic Andy appeared at the changing room window closely followed by Wilkie who looked like he been in an argument with a Buck-A-Roo game, Dicko reckoned it was something more sinister and told everyone to keep their distance. It was almost twenty past two before Blubbs were back on the field and play commenced with Sherman sliding in from the Woodyard End accompanied by Swing skating in at the other.

Darley got off to a slow start, nurdling the odd single here and there but looking solid in defence despite good acurate bowling from the opening pair, four overs in and Blubbs run of bad look seemed to continue when Bird spooned up a crisp bag to Tichie at mid-on, unfortunateley Tichie was still trying to remember if he'd put daffodils of daisy's in Mrs Browns window box and spilled the catch over his head, Bird called for the single but quick thinking Tichie recovered the ball, launching it at Hebb who whipped off the bails leaving Furness stranded two yards short of the crease and Blubbs had the breakthrough.

Another thirty four runs were steadily added to the total before Sherman picked up his first wicket of the day bowling Sands for sixteen and Darley were two down with only forty one on the board.

Swing soon made it forty two for three when Angry scooped up a fine catch at first slip removing Platt for none and Tichies team were on top with three of the top four back in the hut.

Darley managed to reach fifty five before the wickets started to tumble, Arnie snapped up a catch at point giving Sherman number two and number three came one ball later when Vass missed a low straight one on the stumps and went leg before.

Swing removed Bird for thirty one and with the score still on fifty five and Blubbs were looking to finish the Darley innings off and finish it quick but Darley had different plans, Sherman and Swing finished off their allotted over's and Tichie called on Splinter and Potter to remove the final four wickets.

Roberts started to become a problem for Tichie, quickly moving the score along at the expense of Potter and Splinter helping Darley past the hundred mark and the homesides heads were dropping, Potters was scraping along the floor and no words of widom from father figure Tichie could lift him out of his rut.

Finally the partnership came to an end when Splinter clattered Haytons stumps and Darley were one hundred and eight for seven, surely the end was nigh, well it wasn't, more grief for Tichie unable to remove Roberts who was now in full swing hitting the ball all round the park.

Tichie brought himself into the attack but no luck with the ball saw him turning to Academic in desperation, the desperation paid off, Mariner put one straight into Angrys hands and Darley were down to the last two wickets with eight overs still to play.

Darley reached one hundred and eighty before losing wicket number nine, Roberts finally miss-hitting one to long on where Sherman was there to cling onto the catch, two balls later and Blubbs had secured at least one point from the day when Taylor tried to drive Academy over cover but only succeeded it finding Piewalker who took a fielding point winning catch in the deep, Blubbs looking for one eighty one for victory and more importantly six points.

No Stonewall meant Angry had a new opening partner this week in the form of Academic Andy who was playing his final game for Blubbs and things got off to a good start, Angry attacking from the off, Academic was looking on top form too smashing a text book cover drive for four, so good in fact that Angry not wanting to be overshadowed called for a quick single next ball then stood watching Academy charge down the track whilst he stood his ground leaving the Graduation Gormet stranded with no chance of making his ground and Blubbs were twenty for one.

Potter was forced back into the number three spot again with Cookie now out of the equation and things were looking good as he and Angry continued to pile on the runs notching Blubbs ever closer to the one eighty target, Angry soon reached another half century for the season and it looked like a six pointer was on the cards.

Potter finally fell to a wide away swinger outside off stump, nicking one into the hands of the Darley keeper, at ninety two for two Blubbs were still in the driving seat with only another seventy nine required for victory.

Wilkie was the new man in and got off to a twitchy start, playing and missing his first few deliveries before settling down into things and quickly moving onto nineteen, nineteen was all he was going to get today when more chaotic calling from Angry left him stranded in no-mans land and Angry picked up his second wicket of the day and it was one twenty eight for three with still another thirty three required for victory.

Angry was starting to regret the run out when he saw the next batsman walking down the steps, Sherman was in five, no-one really knew why he was five but Splinter and Arnie reckoned it was because his brother Tichie was captain, Sherman wasn't looking to hang around and swiped aimlessly at his first delivery and almost holed out without scoring a run on his second ball, Angry was fuming with him and told him to calm down, Sherman as usual didn't listen.

Blubbs were looking at four an over from the last eight when Angry decided to step it up a gear, it started raining boundaries and the home straight was in sight as Angry notched up his second century of the season, finishing the game in style smashing six over mid-wicket, earning Tichie a one hundred percent win rate and Stonewall wondering if he'll get in the team for next weeks clash with Glasshouses, watch this space.  

Points Awarded Blubberhouses:6 Darley:0

Fielding Points: Piewalker, Angry.

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