Ricky reunion results in rambunctious result

Reunions. Sometimes they can be a great thing; a chance to meet up with old friends you haven’t seen in years, ideally under alcohol circumstances. Sometimes, they don’t go so well; that ex-girlfriend who was stunning at 17 may be less so at 42. But, on the whole, they are a nice thing to do. And so, when Rickmansworth and former Isambard stalwart Mark Wembridge announced this would be his probable last match before leaving for Hong Kong, getting a few of his old team-mates together for the occasion sounded like a good plan. Question was, would the new-look old-look team perform like Barnstoneworth United, or like B*witched on The Big Reunion?

No fewer than four players from Mark’s past made their Rickmansworth debuts in this encounter. Paul Frost, who made his Isambard debut aged thirteen, is now a classy bat for Northampton Exiles. Dermot Steedman, whose Isambard achievements with bat and ball are engraved Ray’s honours boards in the Ricky pavilion. Adam Malin, son of Disco, the team’s first captain, like his father stalwart of a hundred Isambard matches. And Paul Bailey, left-arm spinner and sometime scourge of British Transport Police, playing his first match in four years. Ric Firth and Keith Williams, men well-known to both teams, were also in the frame for what would be a notable fixture.

And then Winchmore Hill, where we were to play, pulled out.

Undeterred, Williams got on the ‘phone and the internet, and sorted out a home game against Peshwa CC. After much concern about the weather, Saturday stayed miraculously fairly dry, and Sunday dawned…well, cold and overcast, but importantly not wet. The match would go ahead.

It was agreed that, instead of the planned 40-over game, we would play a T20 followed by a fifteen-over thrash (F15?) instead, on the basis that if it chucked down with rain at half-three as forecast, we would at least have got some cricket in. Rickmansworth batted first, with Wembridge and Williams opening. The latter swiftly decided that he should give way to some proper batsmen, and had a heave at a straight ball from the rotund Ravi. (Those present who thought he was the portliest player they had ever seen on a field had evidently not met Big Stu). Wembridge swiftly followed, hit wicket for 9 – the second Ricky opener to be dismissed thus in a fortnight.

At 13-2 from 4.1 overs, there was rebuilding to do. On most given Sundays, Rickmansworth would be into the tail by now, having more rabbits than Watership Down. However, today’s middle-order of Ric Firth and Paul Frost were more than capable of doing the job, putting 42 for the third wicket in five overs. Firth in particular relished the aerial route – arguably the most productive, with an outfield slower than a mentally-incapacitated tortoise in treacle. After Frost was caught and Dave Malin stumped, former Isambard skipper Dermot Steedman came to the crease. “Look for the quick singles” he advised Firth, before haring down the track next ball without warning. Firth was easily run out for 51, an innings which included five sixes.

In an attempt to make amends, Steedman sportingly toe-ended a wide delivery into middle stump to bring in Tom Watson and Andy Bird. Both played well against some tight bowling to post 121-6 from the 20 overs – considered a good achievement, given the slowness of pitch and outfield.

In response, Watson struck with his first ball, dismissing opener Panag for a golden duck. He and Firth bowled tightly before Bailey came on first change. In four remarkable overs, the left-armer took 4-16, as the Peshwa batsmen had little answer to his accurate spin. With the visitors 40-5 and skipper Lindsay keeping things tight at the other end, this was time to give some of the second-string bowlers a run out.

Or so we thought. For Peshwa’s No.7, Ashish, proceeded to launch into an assault on Rickmansworth’s bowling. Despite needing around eleven an over for several overs, he kept his side in touch. It was with a sigh of relief that Wembridge stumped him off Paul Frost’s bowling for 45. Returning to the attack after an ankle injury, Watson had the ironically-named Lucky caught by Bird in the deep, the Lancastrian not so much making a meal of the catch as an all-you-can-eat Indian (which he admitted to nearly regurgitating in the process).

All this left Peshwa needing fourteen from the last over, to be bowled by Firth. Mikhil dispatched the first ball into the hedge for six, followed by a four. But some tight bowling was rewarded when Firth removed his off stump with his fifth delivery. The field duly spread, for the last ball, from which the visitors could manage only a single, leaving Rickmansworth victorious by two runs.