In contrast Kibworth 4th team can look forward to a second round tie in the league Junior cup after a four wicket victory over Croft. Kean Folley’s unbeaten 50 was the backbone of the home sides effort as they chased down a target of 163.

Perennial opponents Old Wyvernians were undoubtedly unlucky to run in to a team that was somewhat stronger than the norm thanks to late drop outs and the skipper
grabbing any one at the last minute who was either passing or was daft enough to leave their phone on.  The visitors won the toss and chose to insert the home XI.

Dave Greenhalgh opened up and promptly laid waste to any notion that the wicket would be tricky for big shots by clubbing some lusty blows around the park as he raced to 65
before retiring himself, either to make a game of it or to allow normal colour to come back into his cheeks. Kibworth were cruising at 100 for 1 and thoughts of further swift progress and perhaps an early declaration began to permeate. It would however not be the
Legends XI without a mid-innings wobble, well to be blunt this was the sort of collapse that would only be bettered by an epic silicone failure on a Page Three photo shoot.  100 for 1 became 140 odd for 5, 150 odd for 8 and finally 198 all out when Kean Folley
was castled by the diminutive Lewis Scott from the Pylon end.  Ever the
gentleman though the skipper walked up to his pint sized tormenter and
shook his hand before walking back to the pavilion for tea. A tea notable for the considerable efforts of Harry Miller to construction a Mr. Kipling sponsored tower on his plate before demolishing said construction in a manner that Fred Dibnah would have
been proud.

After tea ‘Old Wyvs’ soon found themselves in a whole host of trouble at 15 for 5 in reply, Bradders mixing up the unplayable with the more entertaining before he was
diplomatically withdrawn. Harry showed few signs of his calorific Olympics but didn’t quite secure the same level of success and there was still time for some nagging medium pace from Badri and Sam Pounds and The Bard, both on tweaking duty, to secure a couple
of victims a piece before the close of proceedings in the 25^th over with the Old Wyvs still over 100 adrift.

All good fun it has to be said and good for the spirits too ahead of the first road trip of the season to Huncote next weekend. Tally ho sports fans!

Hard work was rewarded with a nail biting game for the first team who looked to have failed in their task of defending 141 when Sileby required just one run from the final over with two wickets in hand. Even a run out off the first ball of Dan Broughton’s over left those in a betting mood backing the visitors but four toe crushing yorkers later Sileby still needed that one run and when they attempted a scambled single off the final ball a comfortable run out saw Kibworth secure the tie.

Not quite as much entertainment on the bottom pitch as Luke Spence’s ton set up a 3rd team score that was far too much for visitors Stewarts & Lloyds. Three early Chris Hill wickets ended any threat and the rest of a chilly afternoon was spent trying to chip away at a defensive middle order. ” Do you get big crowds at your ground” was the enquiry from Dave Pounds as the ball was patted away for the hundredth time. In the end eight wickets helped earned KCC 18 points to place them second in the table.

On Sunday a small miracle occured and the sun came out!! In response Kibworth managed to top their total from the previous day with Tom Burton striking 65 as they ran up 188 against Woolaston in the Kingfisher National Cup. in response the Northamptonshire side staged a late rally but ended up 40 short of their target to send KCC through to a second round tie against either Chesham or Banbury.

With rain in the air getting 25 overs in to make a full game was the KCC priority and Chris had asked for tight bowling early on. Sadly his words fell on deaf ears with the early bowlers struggling to find tidy lines. Jon Butler pulled up in his first over with an undisclosed leg injury and Monik Patel came into the attack. Kev messenger found his aim at the other end and a high quality delivery removed the opening batsmen’s leg stump. Kev Struck again in the 12th over and Old Norts were 43 for 2 with extras totalling 20! The introduction of Greg Gibson from the pavilion end and Monik Patel finding his lines from the pylon end saw a tightening of the ship and Old Norts fell well behind the run
rate. Monik claimed a well deserved wicket in his last over and Greg teased a
lofted drive out of a well set Steven Ball which Dips duly snaffled a short mid
off. Harry Miller added fire to the attack but was unlucky to return wicket less
with a large number of LBW decisions turned down. With Old Norts settling for a
losing draw it became trench warfare with KCC looking to pick up any wickets
they could. Luke Spence came into the attack and found the outside edge of Tom
Heathfield for 14 and Monik Patel removed the Old Norts stalwart David
Heathfield who top scored with 44, with a lovely in swinging Yorker. Old Norts
secured one batting point in the last over of the game as Kev Messenger was
unlucky not to have another wicket as an outside edge flew threw the slips much
to Kev’s annoyance. Old Norts finished 129 for 7 with debutant Kev Messenger
being the pick of the KCC bowlers 10.3.33.3.
17 Points on a rain affected week sees KCC topping the league with a big away game at Grendon next week. Chris Hill will be asking for his bowlers to tighten their lines against a
strong Grendon batting line up and and hopefully some warmer weather will bring
warmer hands and more catches held in the weeks to come. All in all a good solid
performance and an excellent 100 form Chris Hill who who may forget the score
book but will certainly lead from the front when on the field.

Match
abandonned

You call
your whole side in

Put the
covers out

In, out,
in, out

There’s
some hail about

You try and
call a start time

Though the
game’s in doubt

That what
it’s all about

Bloody hell
its now raining

Bloody hell
I’m aqua planeing

Bloody hell
they’re all complaining

Summer game?

Your insane!

Call it off.

Now I don’t want to labour the point but it was cold. The sort of cold where you man bits would cheerfully retreat in falsetto style if they could. However if only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun then only barking mad cricketers risk a game in Mid-April and therefore into the breach went the Legends.

Now it has to be said conditions  were difficult (one sideline wag referred to it as links cricket), the wicket very slow and the home batters generally showed good patience and
application to try and work their openings. Special nods in that direction to be given to openers Henry Simpson and Monik Patel who showed commendable fortitude with the ball passing the outside edge on numerous occasions. Especially in the case of Monik this
was some bowling achievement as he wielded a bat that must have taken about half of Sherwood Forest to press. I’m not saying it was bulky but that particular piece of willow was comfortably thicker than Forrest Gump with a hangover.

You can’t dress it up however and a final Kibworth total of 76 for 8 after 40 overs does point to, perhaps understandably, a lack of scintillating stroke play. Indeed
every batter who tried to ramp up the scoring usually found themselves on a return ticket to devastation island pretty soon after. If Kibworth were to win it would require bowling more miserly than Scrooge and with more movement than John Travolta with a cattle
prod attachment.

Faced with a low total, an open bar and an uncertain wicket perhaps it was not surprising that one visiting opener went onto the offensive. Showing some neat touches, a
good eye and  a desire to finish proceedings before a passing eskimo decided to reclaim the square it some became apparent defeat would not be long coming. There would however be time for Monik to bag the first two Sunday victims of the season, both with balls that
clipped the top of middle and off, the second one breaking the bail into the bargain. Such talent is good to see but probably wholly out of place within the Sunday environment.

So defeat it was but you can’t be too down at the beginning of the season. The banter was good, fun was had and it was great to see familiar faces once more. Roll on next
week.