CONCORDE CC Innings
R Symondson c A Smith   b O Smith 45
G Fernandes st Lane     b A Smith 18
L Lynch     c Woodhouse b O Smith  0
N Wright    not out               59
P Hadden    bowled      b A Smith 23
A Westen    lbw         b A Smith  9
I Carter    not out                4
Extras      (b3,lb0,w10,nb3)      16
TOTAL  (5 wickets,40.4/41 overs) 174

Dnb:B Hallam,M Reeve,I Cudworth,H Smith.

Fow:1-72,2-72,3-77,4-117,5-135.

Bowling-de Caires 8 0 33 0,Woodhouse 5 1 21 0,O Smith 15 2 73 2,A Smith 12 2 37 3.H Lascelles 0.4 0 7 0.

           More than a Smith required

The miracle was that this match got played at all. After a week-long downpour of biblical proportions round the country, the lovely ground at Send is fortunate enough to be blessed with quick draining characteristics, and a full afternoon game was possible writes Jeremy Lascelles.

It was a bad toss to win, and the Virgin skipper allowed himself to be persuaded by his senior colleagues to bat first (you're sacked, the lot of you). And on a pitch as wet as a horny nymphomaniac who had just climbed onboard Noah's Ark, predictably the batsmen struggled. Slow progress was punctuated by the regular fall of wickets, so that the top four Virgin veterans - Lascelles, Bell, Lane, Brown - were all back in the hutch with only 44 runs on the board, the latter wicket (that of Paul Brown, run out by half the length of the pitch when going for a regulation two) upholding the widely-held theory that as you get old you lose half a yard of pace; except that in his case, he has lost half a yard over a yard. As the pitch dried out (not quite to nun-like proportions) batting became easier, and Smith (senior) and de Caires mounted a recovery. Some fine, clean hitting resulted in the boundary being cleared 7 times (2 by Smithy, 5 by Denise). 44-4 became 144-4, but no sooner had the 100 partnership been posted, then both of them holed out rather carelessly. The lower order made only a meagre contribution, Virgin were all out for 173, which was more than seemed likely at one stage of the proceedings.

Concorde took full advantage of the rapidly improving wicket, and crucially posted an opening partnership of 72, with former Nomad Rob Symondson dominating. The introduction of the contrasting spin (and ages) of two of the ever-expanding Smith contingent, Ollie and Andy, (with young Ben, aged 12, proving to be a fair last-minute replacement for the absent James While) changed the game around. Three wickets fell for 5 runs, the pressure increased, and with the home side teetering at 135-5 with their last recognised (by who? - ed.) batsmen at the crease, Virgin were probably for the first time in the game favourites to win. However a crucial dropped catch on the deep mid-wicket boundary (bribe paid, name withheld) eased the tension, and the young no.4 bat steered (piloted?) Concorde home with only 8 balls to spare.

This was Nomads first match with Concorde CC though not to this ground which was formerly that of Send CC.

Concorde Cricket Club Website