The beautifully quaint and picturesque town of Ripley was a more than fitting scene to open, what we all hoped would be, a glorious 2022 season for the mighty Woodpeckers. The first team sheet of the season was sprinkled with some new fresh faces, a considerable amount of youth but also a great backbone of Woodpecker experience, taking on a strong Ripley team with 5 first teamers .The Woodpeckers vs Ripley has over 70 years of history and Ashley Giles’s father Mike made an appearance . The pitch was the usual lush bowler friendly start to the season
As I am led to believe is accustomed with Woodpecker life we put Ripley into bat, with 40 over per side agreed. The trusty and ever reliable Spinach launched his first two deliveries down the track without direction and straight at the batters quivering head. BagPuss, brought on to partner Spinach from the off, continued with this theme -At this point it looked like we could have two of our strike bowlers thrown out of the game before it had even started. Apologies were quick to follow but the was this a sign of what was to come?
Luckily for the team both Spinach and the Cat’s early season nerves quickly disappeared with both finding their range. Spinach, unfortunate not to take a wicket bowled a tidy spell and it was Cat that benefitted from that early pressure. Coming on for his second over Cat clean bowled both Panting and Khan to the joy of the Peckers. Zee Baron slightly irked exclaimed “this only leaves eight for me” . However, to their credit Ripley recovered well with a third wicket partnership of 65 between 1st teamers Russell and Vinder. New boy Traaaaash replaced the wheezing Cat (2 wickets for 22 runs). Traaaaash brought some additional pace, and induced Vinder to spoon one to mid-off, where Snax doing his best Michael Jackson moonwalk impression, shuffled back to take a great catch . The hard hitting Russell rattled off 3 quick boundaries to make it 9 in his 41, and at 94-3 in the last over before drinks, Peckers looked in big trouble on this sticky wicket. Traash finally got the luck he deserved. with Kwakka, in his first game as clubman, moving sharply to his right at cover to take a great catch on the run and removing the danger man making the Orange Squash tasted a lot sweeter .
Top L-R Tiggy, Groundskeeper Smiggel, Trash, Bagpuss, Beearon, Cous, Lamby, Spinach, Avocado.
Front Kwakka, Marmalade, Pobsy, T-Bone, Snax, Dabbler
Groundskeeper on to partner Traaaassh, beat the bat regularly which should have been rewarded with a wicket, if it were not for Traaaassh dropping a hard, if I do say so myself, chance at gully. 95% of Peckers wouldn’t have got near it . Traaaash took the reward Groundskeeper so duly deserved by bowling Taylor and leaving Ripley 120-5, and completing an excellent spell of fast bowling 3-40. I had suggested the everyone bowls an over rule with 1 medical exemption, so turned to the more ‘occasionals’.
To this call up stepped Cousin le Davide, who came with wife T-Bone and seemingly turned up to play a round of golf and proceeded to bowl the filthiest two over spell surely ever seen on the Ripley bowling green, bowling some wides that would have been luckily to hit a fairway let alone a cricket wicket. A knee high full toss was struck very hard by 1st 11 captain Geaves where Kwakka leapt to his right like a salmon moving upstream, to cling onto a stunning two-handed catch inches off the turf. The gasps could be heard all around the ground, and you will be hard pressed to find a better catch all season mark my words. Cous then bowled Butler with a knee high full toss, finishing with figures of 2 overs-8 runs-2 wickets, provided a spell that will go down as one of the dirtiest and entertaining in village cricket history.
Snax bowled steadily and the right honourable Neil Von Runkel and Kwakka were brought into the attack and the Beearon bowled with guile and wisdom that was far too advanced for the youthful Ripley lower order, finally removing the stubborn Talbot for 23 and starting the season with delicious figures of 4 overs 1 for 7. Kwakka when asked by Lamby what he was bowling -he described ‘A shit version of Henners’ .He carried on the Easter theme of 2s claiming two wickets- the 1st was comedy gold a hideous swipe off a full toss that somehow dribbled off the inside edge into the off stump at a snail’s pace, and the bail somehow fell off. Ripley had lost the last 6 wickets for 25 ,finishing their innings with a total of 145 all out from 34.5 overs bowled. Lamby kept very tidily on a shooting wicket and wasn’t afraid to tenderise the ‘leg of Lamb’ to make a stop
A delightful tea, comprising of a wide selection of sandwiches, cakes and biscuits washed down with various ales, beers and summer fruits was enjoyed in the early April sunshine. However, the crowing jewel to our late afternoon cricket tea was made by Marmalade, the lovely mother of our dear Groundskeeper. A splendid quiche was provided along with the best rhubarb cake you are ever likely to have the pleasure of trying. Thanks also to Horse and his foals who distributed delicious Easter Eggs from their basket.
With tea duly devoured, it didn’t take long for the famed batting collapse as Cous and then Kwakka fell within the first over of our innings both bowled by the express pace of 1st 11 captain Geaves, Kwakka unluckily off his pads . George became the 3rd bowler of the day to take 2 wickets in an over -surely this must be a record? Following on from this ghastly start Lamby and Dabbler showed some real fight and decent little partnership to steady the ship. Dabbler nurdled his way to a respectable 20 and looked on for a far bigger score, until his wicket was snatched away from him due to a blinding catch in the slips with Khan grasping on to the ball with one hand like his life depended on it. Traaaash hobbled out to join Lamby at the crease, with his 25-year-old body not being able to cope with bowling 8 overs it seemed after a rather enjoyable winter hibernation period. Lamby looking all class with some glorious cover drives , Traaaash meanwhile did not hang around dealing solely in boundaries for a brisk 26 before spooning and dross full toss straight to midwicket.
Lamby was undone by the dreaded pea roller from a half-track delivery, Kwakka reluctantly raised his paw. The Cat and Groundskeeper scored briskly until he was bowled for 16. Cat followed his mate quickly also bowled trying an ill-judged hoik for 6.The Woodpeckers on the verge of complete collapse at 110-7 with Spinach joining Pobsy at the crease and by god were we in need of a captains innings….
Pobsy and Spinach had clear roles while at the crease. Pobsy, the experienced campaigner was charged with nurdling the ball around and gathering as many runs as possible, while Spinach had the more attritional role and resembled the great Rahul Dravid, who was adeptly nicknamed ‘The Wall’. The skip and Spinach looked to be guiding us home with a patient and well worked partnership of 31 before Ripley’s very part time off break bowler Panting decided to tempt Spinach’s mental resolve. It was too much for him as he was dropped once and then swatted a garbage ball straight to mid-on. With 10 runs needed and 2 wickets remaining his brought to the crease the mighty Snax . Pobsy (25*) carried on as he had previously done and played with incredible composure getting us within 4 of the win, but it was Snax who had the final say , a glorious pull shot, that Ricky Ponting would have been proud of, was clattered to the fence giving us a brilliant 2 wicket victory. Full scorecards here -Thanks Cous https://woodpeckers.play-cricket.com/website/results/5416272
We had some delicious ales, as we savoured the first victory of the season. Thanks to all the Peckers and supporters who made it such a glorious start, a great team effort with everyone making a great contribution. ‘Two’ is the legendary catch cry of our Life President Brian who I am pleased to report is feeling a bit better this week, so it was apt that ‘2’ was the theme of the day. Three bowlers took two wickets in an over, our first 2 wickets went 2nd ball and the top Pecker scorers were Trash 26, Pobsy 25*, Lamby 22 and Dabbler 20 .
