One Brings Another

Unadorned, but resplendent, she sits in the golden summer light. She may have travelled a long way, but she arrived and now waits to record triumphs and adversity for years to come.  She has no name, but she is our new scorebox.  

Cricketers have a strange affinity for physical objects – anthropomorphism in action.  As we can all appreciate, lumps of willow in our hands can take a sudden turn against us – they contribute to our downfall or they rise up to the occasion and give us the emotional momentum to get us to the next milestone.  And in return, there is sorrow on our part when they leave us.  And so it was when Ned Campbell’s bat snapped in two; we knew his pain – the next one would never be the same.

Adam Howe’s bats seem plentiful – he breaks them with regular monotony – but they collectively have seen him to 685 runs by the end of June.  He may yet reach a 1000 in the season.  Adam’s runs, coupled with a definable team spirit have seen the Sunday XI rise to the top of their division.  As we said goodbye to James Gray and his indefatigable spirit for all that is cricket, we welcomed back Nick Smith – who defies all that is physical in his fielding.  Long shall be the memory of a sensational match against Stowmarket – a catch from a laying position, a running,  diving swallow at deep point and a sniper’s bullet of a run out.

Success flows down through the Club.  For the first time in our history – all three weekend sides triumphed; the 1^st XI at Long Melford thanks to a marvellous run chase by Howe and Ben de Carvalho; the 2^nd XI beating Mildenhall with Barry Lynn and Simon Barrett at their destructive best – and then Sunday with Smith’s exploits.

And then the U11s – into a sporting zone where no-one and no-team cannot be beaten – running through Bury St Edmunds, Long Melford and Stowupland in a week.  Monty, Macey, Jack, Arun, Louis, Kasper, Tobias, Anthony, Henry, Albie – take a bow!

The U15s continue too – in and around the constraints of the exam season – and lead their league with great wins against Woolpit, Chippenham and local rivals Bardwell in June.

Success brings success and that new scorebox may also have bought with her many more runs and wickets.  Let us hope she does not turn against us…