On a hot & sticky day the Jesters made the familiar trip to Thongsbridge (near Holmfirth) to play this long-standing fixture against the Almondbury Casuals.
With the Sunday lunch co-ordinator otherwise engaged in Waddilove cup action a 12.30 meet at RCC & a bacon sandwich (or 2) had to suffice before our journey into deepest, darkest Huddersfield.
After a late injury to young Dane Winterbottom the XI was made up at the last minute; much to the skippers pleasure by “legend” Chipper Ramsden, now 50 years young & the Jesters vice captain when this correspondent made his debut in 1983.
At the other end of the scale were 2 debutants, Matt brown from the Rawdon club & Alex Slack who joins a long line of Leptonites to wear (metaphorically speaking) the Jesters colours. Indeed with 5 representatives from Lepton playing, the Jesters link with that area is becoming as strong as it was in years gone by; much, I would suspect to our founder Barrie Carters satisfaction.
With tossing (or at least calling) duties back in safe hands the Jesters returned to the familiar by batting 1^st. on another flat track with 1 short boundary to the river side, which meant the fishing tackle (long stick with a net on the end) would be in constant use for cricket ball retrieval during the day.
Even with wristwatch’s re-set, the acclimatization to the Huddersfield time zone did not hinder the batsmen who all (apart from Luke) came, scored quickly & then departed in true Sunday friendly tradition. Ben Senior just missed out on consecutive Thongsbride 50s but the top scorer with a maiden half century on debut was Browny with a savage attack of 6 hitting from the No 9 position, surly a spot he has now made his own! This late assault dispirited the home side who with good catching had taken regular wickets & had high hopes of bowling out the Jesters for a much lower score. The new electronic scoreboard nearly blew a fuse trying to keep up to the Brown assault!
A leisurely tea which everybody enjoyed apart from “Miami Vice” Dale who did not partake as the sarnies had been pre-made, & buttered, which is not to his liking!
After an opening burst from Andy Grey (not Gray) who at one point was on a hat trick & bowled a lovely wide half-volley to the new batsman (very friendly) & Dave Thompson, who didn’t manage to double his Jesters career wicket tally Dale took out his frustration on the Casual batsman as the wicket taking machine ripped out their middle order.
With Scottie missing (viva Las Vegas) spinning duties fell to Luke Webster who was denied a wicket when Macca dropped a ridiculously easy catch which was only marginally harder than Chippers at Kidmore End many years ago (but still everybody remembers) to deny Dave Walker his 5for & Dale’s more recently also at Thongsbridge; It has been my displeasure to witness all 3 abysmal attempts!

Catching competition update:- D.Bell = 0 S.Dobson = 2 The Hills = 1 S.Scott = 0
1 dropped catch from M. Hill was celebrated by all other contestants.