Guildford CityGuildford City vs Frimley Green Cricket ClubFGCC

After a demoralising defeat the previous week FGCC bounced back with a solid display against a young and eager Guildford City side in a game noted for a number of 'firsts'. One of these was before the game started, as FGCC were treated to a pre-game curry by our hospitable and friendly hosts before proceedings got underway for the afternoon.

Losing the toss and being invited to bowl first on another gorgeous summer's afternoon with plenty of green in the pitch, and for the first time in the club's history bowling with a pink ball which came through with a bit of extra zip, GCCC openers Khan and Kieran played themselves in only for the ever-reliable Nick to clean bowl the pair of them, the latter with a ball that hit and subsequently cracked middle stump. Although the scoring rate for GCCC in this 35-over game was maintained at just over 4 an over throughout (thanks in part to a lightning fast outfield, but also a couple of spilled chances), FGCC took wickets at regular intervals, and special mention to some safe hands by Ants out at Cow Corner along with a tumbling Suresh who snagged the impressive Afzan off Anu's bowling when well-set on 44. However on a pitch that got ever drier as the game progressed it was the Captain who took the plaudits. Combining with vice-captain Mark who had an excellent day behind the stumps (and not a bye conceded), Jim managed to extract some decent turn out of the pitch with the pink ball, tossing it up and forcing two stumpings and a running catch to short leg by the keeper, as well as a brace of caught-and-bowleds for himself. After just shy of 100 games of trying (although it should have happened well before now, of which the guilty-cough-party-cough-Greavsie is acutely aware) Jim finally got his first 5-fer for the club, and his first in all cricket for 27 years.

Facing a target of 157 to win, FGCC openers Tim and Mark started positively, putting on 54 for the first wicket before Mark was plumb LBW to De Villiers, With Anu falling for 11 Tim pushed on, playing a measured, controlled innings of stoical defense and crisp drives to bring up his 50 before departing. This left Ants and Suresh needing 60 to win off 15 overs - a task they easily achieved with a combination of power-hitting and nurdling respectively. Their 64 run partnership came off only 62 balls, meaning that a padded-up Greaves and Lloyd were free to relax (and even have a nap) in the sunshine whilst FGCC cantered home with 5 overs to spare.