The season opener

The season opener was finally here! On a sunny but chilly Saturday with the ground looking stunning thanks to the hard work put in over the winter by all the volunteers Chearsley faced local friends (rivals) Brill.

George won the agreed toss and Chearsley were batting. Chearsley got off to a slow start with M Goodchild falling for a second ball duck in the first over. Ross (back from his long weekend away in Australia) and Tomlinson started to build a steady partnership of 87 until Tomlinson edged to gully for 29. Two overs later Ross was bowled trying to hit the ball into Winchendon. This brought the second big partnership of the game of McRae who batted steadily and a free-flowing Biggs who put on 90 taking the score to 180 before Biggs was bowled for 40 off 28 balls! McRae soon reached his 50 and retired. Chearsley continued to keep the scoreboard ticking along and the innings finished 214-6.

Seasoned old timer Eddie Holland (6-0-20-1) opened down the hill alongside new signing Pandu Rao (5-0-21-0), who both bowled well, keeping things tight and beating the bat regularly. Two more new recruits came into the attack. A Rehman (8-0-35-1) and S Sarwar (8-0-42-2) also bowled well, not getting a huge amount of luck as the ball continued to fall a yard either side of the fielders. With Brill needing 75 off the last 10 overs, it was looking like it could be a close finish. Skipper Miller (7-0-37-1) and Tomlinson (6-0-41-2) tried to keep things tight but with Brills batters targeting the short boundary Chearsley were left having to defend 15 off the last over. Miller kept his composure after being hit for 6 runs off the first two balls of the over to see the game home with Chearsley winning by 3 runs!

A good start to the year for the 1s with some of the cobwebs blown out, we look to continue to improve and face East & West Hendred next Saturday.