Buccaneers beat Reigate Pilgrims by 9 wickets
The Buccaneers launched their season in style at Betchworth on Sunday thanks mainly to Adam Wyartt (4-33) and Simon Woolfries (4-38) who turned the game on its head as the grassy wet pitch dried in the sun and beeze after lunch. Having lost a valuable toss, Pilgrims had recovered impressively from losing their openers to demanding new ball bursts from Bob Palmer and Rob Rydon.
Mitchell (59) and Burnside (26) looked set to post a testing total but on 100-2 Burnside was discombobulated by Woolfries do-little armer to be dextrously caught by keeper Jim Harcourt. This breakthrough blew Pilgrims apart and they lost their last 8 wickets for 33 as Wyartt persuaded the middle order to poke early at balls suddenly sticking to the pitch and Woolfries cut off the tail with a clever mixture of deviation and straightness.
But with the pitch beginning to play tricks and boundaries hard to hit over a long, slow outfield 134 was a stiffer target than it looked. However, the Buccaneers openers started brightly until The Very Reverend James Stringer paid a penance for a sinfully late night entertaining his Synod. Flashing at the lively Wise, the Archbishop was wickedly caught one-handed at slip by the diving Scotty Burgess.
The rest was plain-sailing though as Johnny ‘Boon-boy’ Steele (54 not out), fluent from the off, made light of any gremlims left in the pitch in an increasingly authoritative match-winning stand of 114 with Kimbo Ross whose stylish unbeaten 67 showed why he’s far-famed as the Justin Langer of the Eastern Cape.
Ross, who had made 70 not out in both 2010’s victories at Betchworth and Charterhouse, stroked the winning runs as the clock struck six to speed his side into the adjacent beer garden.
Reigate Pilgrims innings
Burgess c Harcourt b Palmer 10
Baty b Rydon 7
Mitchell c Stringer b Wyartt 59
Burnside c Harcourt b Woolfries 26
Saikia c Rydon b Wyartt 4
Peri c Gwynn b Wyartt 6
Bond c Steele b Wyartt 2
Wise c Harcourt b Woolfries 12
Wood b Woolfries 0
Fairchild b Woolfries 1
Arnold not out 0
extras 9
Total 133
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-38, 3-100, 4-111, 5-111, 6- 118, 7- 123, 8-130, 9-132
0 m r w
Rydon 9 3 23 1
Palmer 11 1 35 1
Wyartt 11 2 33 4
Woolfries 8.1 0 38 4
Buccaneers innings
Stringer c Burgess b Wise 5
Ross not out 67
Steele not out 54
extras 8
Total (1 wkt) 134
Fall of wicket: 1-20
o m r w
Wise 7 1 21 1