Can't Stand the Rain: Reman Services CC v. Shelton CC, 21/06/08

Saturday was a day many people at Shelton Cricket Club had been looking forward to for a long time: an opportunity to pit their skills against local rivals Reman Services in the Marston’s Shropshire Premier League. Although the two clubs are based on different sides of Shrewsbury, matches between Shelton and Reman Services, or Perkins as they used to be known, have a proud history.

Some of the players on show at the weekend had played for both clubs, including Chris Speake, now playing for Reman, who took three wickets against his old team. The game began in what could be called traditional Salopian drizzle – the kind that may not soak you through, but still makes cricket a challenge. On soft ground and a variable wicket, both sides began tentatively, feeling their way into the match, although Shelton’s main strike bowler Andy Wigginton still ran in with his usual tenacity. He took five wickets in his 11 overs, showing that inclement weather is no barrier to consistent quality.

Reman still had an excellent day with the bat, ending the shortened innings of 35 overs at 199/7, nearly a run a ball. In particular, Reman could be thankful for the contributions of John Wigley who scored 67, and Dom Bradburn, who did a passable impression of his Australian near-namesake before Wigginton bowled him on 53.

Shelton found the going tough when batting, with further rain having fallen during the interval. Reman’s Speake and Mal Serplet both struck three times with the ball, Speake taking a man every twelve runs on average. There were some standout Shelton batting performers, even on such a grimy day. Ishan Radotra, the skilful and wristy opener, scored 21 from 47 balls. He later talked about the challenge of batting, saying, ‘I enjoyed facing the Reman fast bowlers, and trying to stay there,’ and it was clear to spectators that Radotra is growing in confidence with each good performance. Shelton’s other opener, Rhett Williamson, who moved up the order from number three for this match, remarked that ‘both bowlers were swinging it a bit,’ enjoying home advantage in the rain. Wigginton hit some sumptuous boundaries on his way to a score of 25, and Sam Griffiths, not content with his wicket as first-change bowler for Shelton, plundered Reman’s late-innings bowling, pummelling four fours on his way to 21. Shelton’s First XI next host Quatt, on 28th June.

Over at Shelton’s ground, the Shelton and Reman Second Teams were locked in a close, 25-over battle in the Shropshire Premier League Reserve Division. Both sides had a mixture of youth and experience on show. With Shelton choosing to bowl first, it looked initially like a low-scoring game, with the likes of Keith Martindale (two wickets in his eight overs, conceding only 30 runs) running the show. Reman’s Tim Londesborough seemed to find an extra gear, though, upping the run-rate with some creative batting to get to 70 not out from number-four. In the case of one of his three sixes, his display almost bothered the row of spectators’ parked cars. This kind of explosive batting ensured a total of 129 for 4, as Reman set about attacking Shelton’s batsmen.

The weather, as mentioned, became more difficult after the changeover, and Shelton looked to the experienced likes of Richard Martindale for runs. He seemed to enjoy his spell batting, with four fours and two sixes in a top-scoring 36, complemented by Paul Davies’ hard-working 28. A winning draw for Reman was something of an anticlimactic result, although both teams showed that they are developing well.

Photos to follow.