Returning family can’t quite inspire victory

Our sainted founder Fletch reminded us before this season opener that Salix has been going for a third of a century now. For your correspondent it is but a mere 26th season which has seen transition from promise to has-been with mostly mediocrity in between, that now leads to requesting to open the umpiring rather than the batting. Amazingly enough though, our first game at our oldest opponents Islip was before even my time, since when we have become accustomed to a low scoring game with a slow May outfield, as was yet again to be the case.

Unusually we started on one of the warmest days of the year so far, more typically skip Raj lost the toss and we were asked to bat. A confident start from the skip and Ali was cut short by a run far too optimistic, and after I failed to trouble the scorers falling to the first of several very good catches, CK joined Raj for a fine partnership, the skip falling just after bringing up his half century. Ben, showing off with several reverse shots, and CK kept the scoreboard ticking to the point where a really good score looked in prospect, but our tail, including a possible Salix first of brothers batting together, were mostly well caught to leave the game in the balance.

There were a couple of early wickets, but there could easily have been more. Syed bowling at pace had one catch dropped, two likely looking appeals for edges turned down, and then the ball hitting the stumps via the pads only not to dislodge the bails. But wickets were to come from the comeback man, this author also played in Simon’s first debut twenty years ago, and the return from rural absence of the bowler more recently known as Rory’s Dad saw him take four wickets in a splendid spell.

Mention should also be made for Krutik’s sterling work behind the stumps, and Sacha, Jacob and Ben adding athleticism to the Salix outfield!

However as the wickets fell, and the bird of prey circled overhead, the runs also grew towards the target mainly from lofted shots towards the boundary which avoided the fielders ours had unerringly found. In the end that was to be the difference as the home side claimed the win with a couple of overs to spare. Close, hard fought, a good game, but ultimately a defeat to start off 2023.