After a disappointing loss to league leaders Garsington the previous week, the first team slipped to defeat against Faringdon at Marsh on Saturday after a below-par display.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Faringdon lost a wicket early and the signs looked good for Marsh, but that was about all the joy the home side experienced as the oppo tucked into some wayward bowling and took advantage of our very average fielding display. Other than Platts (12.5.13.2), Gibbons usual reliable bowling line-up took some tap from Oglesby (88no) and Clark (46), who batted well on a good Marsh batting wicket, with the visitors totting up 220-6 from 45. As tea was consumed courtesy of Mrs V (lovely samosas by the way), Marsh were in sombre mood after their display in the first half of the match, but with a strong batting line up and a good pitch, the match was still very much winnable.
Ollie went early and Jules (30) and skipper Carlos (17) looked comfortable, but as wickets fell the innings dwindled along with Gibbons chances of getting back to winning ways. Joe (26) played some classy shots square of the wicket, Matty (27) provided his usual middle order hitting and Stanley (23no) provided the home crowd with some excellent batting towards the end…a future all-rounder me thinks! Gibbon finished 51 short, with many of the Gibbon batsmen falling to the visitors part-time bowlers!
A very average display to say the least. The only highlight for some team members (apart from fines and the after match beer) was some rather shocking dressing room antics involving a bottle of rather nasty smelling coconut shower gel (will leave that to your imagination, but Joe seemed to enjoy it)! As the fines were dispensed, mostly for dropped catches, Gibbon went away thinking what might have been had our batting been up to scratch in the last 2 weeks.
All is not lost though with only a small amount of points seperating many teams in division 2, we can still finish in our highest ever position as a league club, so lets make that happen chaps and get back to winning ways at Hendred on Saturday.
Dave
