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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On a glorious afternoon at the legendary cradle of cricket the might of the Rioteers took on the Brigands.\u00a0\u00a0 VC Bickford was again in charge and successfully called the coin toss and elected to field, no doubt in the hope that the Rioteers could follow the successful run chase of the week before at Bramshaw.<\/p>\n
Rioteers opening bowlers were the seasoned Williams and the extremely seasoned Hall.\u00a0 Both started right on the money and the Brigands openers were beaten on numerous occasions.\u00a0 Hall then produced a beauty that nipped back and made of mess of the opener’s stumps.\u00a0 Brigands then progressed steadily until Williams produced a rare half volley then was dispatched back past Bickford at short mid off…. or was it?\u00a0 Like an aged Salmon desperately straining up river to reach the spawning grounds one last time\u00a0Bickford flew to his right and plucked the ball\u00a0\u00a0out of thin air.<\/p>\n
Brigands then progressed steadily with the openers being replaced by Wood and Harrison “one boot” Hill.\u00a0 With Hill bowling a tight line the Brigands looked to get after Wood.\u00a0 But that was their mistake as their No.3 blasted a ball (“going like a tracer bullet” to quote Wood) through midwicket where Hawthorne stuck his right hand out and snared a catch to rival Bickford’s early effort.\u00a0\u00a0 Brigands then continued to accumulate steadily.\u00a0 Other highlights for the Rioteers included a sharp stumping by Brazier S and by his own assessment three tidy and unlucky overs by Brazier R.\u00a0 Needham also bowled a tidy spell and Harrison Hill despite the borrowed shoes again bowled very well snaring one wicket and\u00a0being unlucky with other shouts.\u00a0 Brigands declared\u00a0with their total at 201-5.<\/p>\n
Tea was again excellent with the homemade Strawberry cake being a particular highlight.<\/p>\n
Rioteers opened with skipper Bickford and Brazier S.\u00a0 Bickford departed relatively early and was replaced by Needham.\u00a0 An excellent partnership then developed with both players passing 50 and the 100 partnership.\u00a0 Needham then departed for 51, an excellent maiden Rioteers fifty.\u00a0 He was replaced by Stafford who unfortunately got a good one first up.\u00a0 He was replaced by Hawthorne who calmly stroked the hat trick ball to the cover boundary.\u00a0 Another good partnership developed until with about 30 required Hawthorne managed to miss a straight one and was bowled for 27.\u00a0 Wood then strode to the wicket and progressed at a run rate of\u00a02 per ball (out second ball for 4).\u00a0 He was then replaced \u00a0by Williams who played a beautifully paced cameo of 20 not out and in conjunction with Simon Brazier’s excellent 81 not out saw Rioteers to another fantastic victory on the first ball of the final over.<\/p>\n
The team then repaired to the Bat and Ball pub to celebrate another Rioteers victory.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On a glorious afternoon at the legendary cradle of cricket the might of the Rioteers took on the Brigands.\u00a0\u00a0 VC Bickford was again in charge and successfully called the coin toss and elected to field, no doubt in the hope that the Rioteers could follow the successful run chase of the week before at Bramshaw. … <\/p>\n