Captains Log – Weekend of the 10th/11th May 2008

After a wet start to the 2008 season the weekend finally saw the start of the Old Blandfordians campaign with both the Saturday and the Sunday teams in action.
The Saturday side got its season off the ground with a home game against Wimborne and Colehill 4ths. With the captain, Bob Scott, winning the toss the visitors were asked to bat first. This decision soon seemed to be the right one as Dave Lockyer had a caught and bowled in the second over dismissing their opening bat for 4. Although his opening bowling partner, Tom Waters found conditions tough, Dave was able to continue to bowl a good line and length and was rewarded with two more quick wickets, the first bowled and the second superbly caught at slip by Mike Webber. This left the visitors 31 for 3 off the first ten overs.
After the initial opening burst the captain began to rotate his bowlers but it wasn’t until the 28th over that the return of Tom for one over saw the breakthrough he was after. Martin Webber taking the catch at square leg.
Debutant keeper Matt Wareham soon proved to be an exciting signing as he took a sharp catch and stumping off the bowling of Ian Milne. Ian followed this up by taking two more wickets bowling two of Wimbornes middle order batsman. The visitors innings was concluded with a wicket apiece for Bob and Dave as the opposition were bowled out for 141.
The OBs reply did not start as Captain Bob had hopped as Martin Webber was bowled off the third ball of the innings for 0. Sam Filkins soon followed for the same score in the third over. Matt Wareham and Frank Webber steadied the ship putting on a partnership of 43 before Matt was caught off a leading edge for 26. Frank bravely battled on before he himself was bowled for 19. With only these two batsmen reaching double figures wickets fell at regular intervals and the home side were eventually bowled out in the 30th over for 81.
The following day saw the Sunday side start its campaign in Division 1 with another home game, this time against Henstridge. Simon Joyce started things off with his now accustomed accurate bowling and was rewarded with a wicket in his first over with Steve White taking a fine catch at gully. This saw the introduction of Henstridge’s overseas South African player Nick Tatham. Although not chanceless, Nick played with a mixture of aggression and class and along with the opener Jamie Dike they proceeded to put on 190 for the second wicket. It was an early indication of the class of batsman the OBs can expect to encounter in this higher division.
In what seemed like a roll back to years gone by, the spin twins of Andy Joyce and Ian Milne were chosen to bowl in tandem for the first time in many a year. With Andy bowling with skill and control at one end Ian bowled their Captain for 70 at the other.
With a few overs to go Simon Freak was brought back and finally had Tatham caught on the boundry by Simon Joyce for a superb 151. Henstridge closed their innings on 284 for 4 with Chris Ascott taking the other wicket.
In reply the Old Blandfordians found the going tough with a number of batsman making starts without going on to make large scores. It wasn’t until the 7th wicket that any partnership of note was put together when Steve White (30) and Tony Coubrough (15) put on 50.
With the score on 114 for 9 Ian joined Martin Tuck in the middle for the final wicket. In an attempt to secure as many team points as possible the final pair nudged the score along to 154 before Ian was bowled which ensured that Henstridge won the game by 130 runs.