It had been a pretty quiet week in Jesters circles; the beer mat had been filled out by Tuesday & had not changed, even with Macca badgering me all week about getting a couple of his mates from Blubberhouses into the team. Sunday morning arrives; the weather is fine so I pop out for a paper. On my return I have 2 texts; Both Macca & Josh can’t play for unspecified “emergency” reasons!!! The rest of the morning is spent texting/phoning what seemed like 101 different people & by 12.30 Andrew Rhodes & Benji McCullum had decided they had nothing better to do & would turn out in Jesters colours. As I only live 5 minutes from Horsforth, Dobby was not amused that he did not have his usual lift & would have to drive himself & bring the other lads from Otley! So it’s off to the Old Ball pub for lunch which gets a mixed reception with some liking their meal of choice & some not as keen, things were not helped when the meals which were ordered at the same time all arriving at different times!  At about 1pm I started receiving messages from people who I had texed earlier saying they had just got the message from me & could indeed play & then when Bong Ead turned up from his cancelled game as well we could have nearly put out 2 teams!
Olly Hardhaker, the home team skipper agreed that we could bat 1^st & that a couple of his “mates” were late but would be along soon! The 2 mates were a couple of lads from Burley cc & team mates of Mark Harrison.
I just sat down in the Horsforth score box & was opening the book when I heard a cheer from the middle & looked up to see Mel Wood walking back to the pavilion after a 1^stball duck! It later transpires that he has not got much batting recently as he his currently serving a 6 game ban at Wrenthorpe for an “incident” with a team mate!
As we are in September & also running a bit late a 35 over game had been agreed & a 100 partnership between converted opener Ricky Halloran & the always fluent Mark Harrison set us up for a big score. However a couple of run-outs and a flurry of wickets meant we did not use all of the 35 overs; When the skipper was caught out on the boundary edge it did however get Scottie another “not-out”.
After tea the 2 Burley ringers, Ryan Cooper & Charlie Davey opened the batting. Richie Barker did get Charlie with the help of another terrific catch from Andrew Rhodes but then Ryan & Olly put us to the sword before both retired to let others have a bat. Olly did enjoy some good fortune with both Rick Halloran & Mel (name & shame in this report!) dropping straight foreword chances. With the great catch & his overall effort in the field, Andrew Rhodes sets a great example which should be noted by others; particularly young & talented George Myers who gives the impression of apathy which irritates his team mates. (George please note this constructive critism!) Dobby, after bowling a couple of expensive overs had to leave the field before the end (England like!) with a mixture of bad knees & a bruised ego!
Rhodes’s got his days reward after the game when one of the dozens of playing dogs at the Horsforth CC “menagerie” knocked over his drink & the dog owner had to buy him another pint much to Dobby’s jealousy!
When the next week’s beer mat was made it was found that we had 17 players available & keen for a game! I wonder what that number will be down to by next Sunday morning!