4th XI suffer another defeat

On winning the toss in this must win fixture Mo elected to bat, surmising that a better shift with the bat had to happen considering how bad it was last week. Unfortunately the imaginary picket line of railway workers at the entrance prevented any member of the batsmen's union gaining entry to the site and that was not to be.

Zain & Kabir settled to the early pace attack but Kabir unfortunately played on to his stumps to make it 10 for 1. Mo then joined Zain and both looked comfortable in a 39 run 2nd wicket partnership moving the innings forward. It was at this point that the NE Cheshire Captain indulged in an incident of the grossest skulldudgery!! He brought the spinners on after only 8 overs!! It was if a mental faculty mind destroying ray gun had been wheeled on to the pitch as 'batsman' after 'batsman' found ways of getting themselves out. There seems little point in recounting how they did it - it just was not very good cricket on our part. Mo Tayyab offered a little resistance at 7 with 24 but it was overall a pathetic effort and the innings died a natural death at 110 all out in 32 overs.

The bowlers had thankfully crossed the picket line and made it difficult for the NE Cheshire openers but with no scoreboard pressure they were patient enough to wait for the bad ball. Mo induced an edge for a caught behind and Mo T bowled the other opener to leave them 58 for 2 with the tiniest ember of hope glowing in the darkness but Westerby (37*) & Bridge (24*) saw them through easily enough, albeit with a few play and misses to an easy 8 wicket victory. All done by 5.00pm. FFS.

An embarrassingly bad defeat truth be said.