After our middle practice and a week or two to reflect the match against Wiltshire at Malmesbury CC was eagerly awaited. On arrival, what a picturesque town and ground with the Abbey in the background, the outfield was found to be parched. Clearly they have had less rain than in West Devon. There were differences on what to do, bat or bowl. We won the toss and batted. Things didn't go to plan.
Peter Taylor was out miss timing and top edging a pull or was it  a hook, Ali Chilcott was bowled as was Samuel Wyatt-Haines, David Ackford slightly confusingly was given out LBW and before we knew it we were 68-4. Ollie Higgs and Ollie Sale soon followed 77-6 before Theo Thomson and Billy Searle batted to orders and put on 50 for the 7th wicket, before Searle tried to sweep and was bowled. Thomson followed, for a top score of 32, as did Jack Williams and finally Harry Choules was run out with nearly five overs to go! What is going on?
One end did keep low and players were told to get forward. Some of the shot selection given the pitch, the bowling and match situation was disappointingly questionable. 146 all out.
Nevertheless we had the score on the board and the pitch was not going to get any easier.  Interestingly Wiltshire would have batted first. After a quick warm up and chat players knew they had to bowl straight and not concede any extras. Fight, compete until the last ball. Ollie Sale and Gillam Crouch opened and in Sale's first over he pitch the ball up and clean bowled Gillespie. The early introduction of Theo Thomson saw him bowl Alsop fourth ball but by now the score had raced onto 35. Samuel Wyatt-Haines first ball swung and Harry Choules dived full length and took a brilliant one handed catch in front of the slips. 35-3. Game on. Two balls later we thought we had another caught behind but didn't. Unfortunately extras started to mount and take there toll. Wiltshire then had a partnership before Jack Williams took a wicket in his first over and another in his second. By now the runs required were not great and the Wiltshire coach was heard to say, just block it out and let the extras win the match for us! Brothwood was not listening, had other thaughts and hit the winning boundary. Wiltshire 148-6. Extras 38 and if you add the runs scored off the extra balls, 50! I'm lost for words..

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