Manager: Chris Tooley
Captain: Nigel Keess
Umpire: Tony Smith
Stoics won by 90 runs
Stoics 229 all out (Moore 96, Edwards 39, Keess 33) (48,5 overs)
CUCC Crusaders 139 all out (Bridgewater 4-45, Keess 3-22) (41.3 overs)
On a glorious summer's day seemingly transplanted from August, a slightly depleted Stoics contingent recovered from a difficult start and shortage of players to record a comfortable victory against an ordinary Crusaders team surprisingly boasting nine of their expected first choice XI.
The manager assembled an XI with ease some days in advance only to find himself unfit to play and two players travelling from Wolverhampton failing to appear - apparently they were under the impression that the fixture was the following day! This caused the stand-in captain, having won the toss and confidently elected to bat, some heartache as the manager's replacement promptly announced that he had to leave at 1530 and the score was quickly 24-3 with the star batsman already dismissed and preparing to top up his Australian tan.
The foundations for a recovery were laid by Tom Edwards (39) in conjunction with Joe Moore and cemented during a partnership of 95 by solid play from Nigel Keess (33) in support of a fine and increasingly dominant and destructive innings from Moore (96). An all out total of 229 in 48.5 overs was achieved with some assistance from a friend of our guest Crusader and the groundsman, both roped in minutes before they were due at the crease.
The Crusaders innings was dominated by Ed Hyde (71) who guested for Stiocs in the corresponding fixture in 2010. In true stoic manner the 9 Stoics fielders stuck to their task in support of some steady and consistent sharpish medium pace from Tom Grundy(2-35) and the nagging accuracy of slow left armer Simon Bridgewater (16.3-4-45-4).The captain used his guile and experience both to open the bowling and to create some disarray in the middle order (9-2-22-3) especially when removing the dangerous Hyde caught at slip with the remaining 6 fielders all placed on the boundary.The innings subsided to 139 all out with 9 of the remaining overs of the last hour unused.
Some pleasant local beer in the garden at The Red Bull with the oppo. rounded off an enjoyable start to the Stoics season of which our late President for Life would have approved.
Nigel Keess