A cloudy, damp, overcast day saw Temple Cloud’s ten fine gentlemen make the journey to East Huntpill’s picturesque cricket ground on the Somerset Levels.
Temple looked to return to winning ways, after having last week’s match rained off frustratingly at the half-way stage.
East Huntspill batted first, on a green pitch, hoping to exploit any gaps in the field. Temple battled hard in the field for each other, with Roy Adidas Gardner and Jon Doel opening the bowling, aiming to swing and seam the ball around. Doel knocked back the off stump of Kev Butt for four, in his second over, whilst Gardner bowled eight tight overs at the other end for no reward. Alex Comer, Rich and Ian Appleyard, then Tom Haydon, all tried their hand at bowling as wickets were few and far between. Comer eventually tempted Bev Gowan into a lofted shot caught by Haydon and Doel came back on for a second spell to clean bowl captain, Kevin Watts, for 37 to finish with figures of 2-35. East Huntspill finished on a satisfactory 189-3 at tea.
Haydon and Comer opened the batting for Temple looking good from the start. Their running between the wickets and calling, or lack of it, proved laughable at times, but somehow they remained at the crease for the duration of the game. A run out or two looked a certainty but never arrived, as watching spectators chuckled to themselves. Both players passed their fifties with ease and started to increase the run rate as the game went on. Several fours and sixes were smashed to all parts as a weak East Huntspill bowling attack was put to the sword. Comer finished on 90 not out and Haydon 84 not out as Temple won easily in the 24th over. This consolidates their position of fifth in the table as they look to win their final two fixtures of the season.
Thanks must go to Chairman ‘Father’ and Steve Curtis for helping out enthusiastically in the field, also to Rich Appleyard for selecting the team whilst on holiday. Next week the Second XI have no fixture and take a well deserved August rest, and then take the trip to Burnham-on-Sea on 2nd September.
Jon Doel