Midweek team returns to winning form

Mid July the Fonthill midweek team manager had the luxury of eighteen players to choose from in selecting the side to take on Marnhull. Amazingly, over forty players have represented the Club in midweek fixtures so far this season, which reflects our policy of inclusion, and this line-up included two newcomers to the Club. The ground staff had prepared a pitch near the top of the square for the game against Wardour Dads, on which over three hundred runs had been scored, admittedly most of them not by us, and this was cut again, rolled flat and re-used. Rupert Murray was eager to take to the crease again after his long lay-off due to a variety of unfortunate injuries, but his innings was shorter than his walk-back to the pavilion. Ever positive, Murray now qualifies for membership of the Primary Club. Further wickets fell but runs flowed steadily particularly in the last four overs when Tom Mitchell (37 not out) and skipper Jolyon Medlock (9) set about the bowling to leave Fonthill with a respectable but not insurmountable total of 128 for 6.

Marnhull responded steadily and after 5 overs and 15 overs were almost exactly on a par with the home side in their run-rate, but Medlock manipulated his players shrewdly, for example by delegating the field-placement to former midweek maestro Murray. Worthy of particular mention were Jonny Sutcliffe with 4 for 11 (including an unrewarded hat-trick ball), and Medlock and Rawlinson for stifling the scoring, conceding only two runs off the last two overs. A good all-round fielding and bowling team effort restricted Marnhull to only 93 for 5 and so secured Fonthill’s third midweek victory of the season. The main difference was that Fonthill conceded fewer extras with the ball and scored faster at the end with the bat.

The two new members who made their débuts were Angus Jones with his four overs and Jeremy Quarrie with 18 runs and two stumpings as wicket keeper. The game was played and concluded in good spirit and finished with the customary repast of bread and cheese, in actually pretty good light after the gloomy drizzle that had beset the ground all day. Thanks as always to John Salisbury for maintaining the outfield and Dave Roberts for running the bar.