The game against Harlow vets on Sunday was a real head scratcher.

How did we lose ?

We bowled beautifully from the off and limited scoring opportunities to an absolute minimum. The vets got off to their usual steady and cautious start and reached 40 after 21 overs. Although the runs were kept down through good fielding and tight bowling, chances simply did not present themselves.

The captain then sent for the twirlers to open the game up, but it still didn’t open up. The vets continued to play as if they had all been on a Geoff Boycott course of intensive training to play the perfect block.

Jim and Nick bowled in tandem and really gave the ball some air. In fact Jim sent some tempters so high that he should have obtained temporary permission from Stanstead air traffic control. The chances did eventually come and Levsy grabbed two nice catches to tighten Rosaneri’s stranglehold on the game.

Nick ended up with a nice 3 wicket haul and Big Mike Freeman picked up his first wicket for the club by clean bowling the Vet’s star batsman.

Mat Freeman came back for a second spell to snaffle a wicket and return test match like figures.

Tea was an enjoyable affair and Rosaneri were perhaps were guilty of thinking that the game was won by limiting the Vet’s to 123 for 5.

The innings got off to a steady start, but Bloater managed to middle a forward defensive prod to mid on to start the rot. Wickets then tumbled at an alarming rate to leave the Pinks in all sorts of bother.

Slight resistance came in the middle order, but bad luck and good fielding sealed Rosaneri’s fete.

We never got close to the total and senior club cricketers must take a look at themselves for batting well below par.

We can certainly be pleased with the bowling, but the batting was simply awful.