First time skipper, Greg Willis, didn't have the smooth start he was looking for as his VC (your truly) had somehow made a 40 minute journey from east London to Oval, into an hour and 20, we were running behind and headed into shocking traffic. To add to the misery, there was 4 of us in the nippy Polo, meaning if we were not there 15 minutes before the scheduled time, the toss would be forfeited. Despite Cakey-Two-Eyes hiding in the changing room to delay the toss, the oppo leaned on the rules and enforced the forfeited toss. We were put into bat, and the lagging car arrived 5 minutes after.

Leo and Cake strutted out to bat. Leo attempted to 0 a ball that was definitely there to be hit, but put it right down the throat of gulley. JJ joined cake in the middle and let his intentions be known immediately, with a cracking shot through the covers first ball. The Aussie duo put on runs a blistering pace, with a notably big six from JJ. Putting all the rubbish in the bin, JJ raced to 39 off 34 and was undone by a "painfully slow ball". The Skipper, eager to get involved, missed a straight one.

Hanzi, a man reborn from last season, joined an anchoring Cake. Beautiful shots and well-timed aggression, saw Hanzi canter to 15 before being called for an ill-advised single, run out by direct hit.

Benny, couldn't get it off the square and bottom edged on onto the stumps. Romford joined Cake, now with 50* to his name, and played sensible, straight-bat shots before being bowled for 12. A firey cameo fro Iteshan, and a few useful runs in the tail (once they got back from a strangely timed Tesco run), coupled with a truly stellar inning from Alex Julienne, the plough battled on to post 188.
Not bad.

"We keep it tight and take our chances, that'll be a big total" wise words from the skip.
John took the new pink ball, and after a classic loosner took his first wicket choking the bat down leg, with a first league take from Yanni Beveas.
Bowling angry, John took another cheap wicket, nipping top of off. What happened next, you ask? "Blowing innit" as he bowled the next bat, leg stump, hooping around his legs.

Greg opened the other end, realised the need to implement the famous "plough squeeze" took himself off and gave Romford a go. Classic Romford, buzzing the ball past the bat, heavy edges and great lines. Oppo were scoring streaky runs, causing some excitement around their hive.
Willis decided it was time to take all pace off. The spin twins were on. JJ ragged some leggies, constantly causing trouble and making the set bat question his technique, eventually falling to a floated ball outside off, which went so high, it almost hit the powerlines above, but came back to earth in the welcoming hands on the skip. Benny bowled very tight, holding role-esque offies (read as doorknobs) that were difficult to get away, so much so, the pressure applied lead to an easy run out by Iteshan. The twins combined for 5 wickets, two for JJ and three for Benny, snuffing the "Invincibles" out for 137.

Two in two for the twos!

A great win for a great team!!

Up the Plough!!

-Benny

Match report produced by Benny Cobbett