[Full set of images of Ratcliffe College vs. Emeriti]
Emeriti enjoyed their annual cricket fixture against the First XI at Ratcliffe College on Thursday.
Having elected to bat(!) Emeriti made a meal of some variable bowling and lost several quick wickets, prompting talk of early visits to the pub, 20-over matches and the sacking of our hard-working Captain. In truth, our batting was reckless at times and perhaps the England performance the night before had instilled ill-advised ideas of 60-ball hundreds.
Calm was restored when I put the camera down - my timing of images had a close correlation to the fall of wickets - and some determined batting began to put us in a more defendable position. Joe came to the crease at 60-odd for six and was eventually the last man to fall - a sensible and well-worked innings which saved our bacon.
When our ninth wicket fell in the 170s a tactical declaration was made (we only had ten men!) and we set about making the chase as hard for the boys as possible.
Fred started his spell, which resulted in a fabulous five-for, with an almost unplayable opening delivery which clean bowled their left-handed opener for a Diamond Duck, and the wickets continued to fall regularly. Ed, the boys' Head of Cricket, began to regret a flippant comment, early in the day, about giving us a good thrashing, as we continued to turn the screw and eventually bowled them out for 43.
