After a battle, 11 players were finally found for the match, with the team looking surprisingly strong given the difficulties encountered raising a team. Perhaps even more surprising, no ill effects were evident after the team's Curry night a couple of days previously, although several incident were still being talked about much to the benefit of team moral, some more controversial than others.

The Venturers innings got off to a great start as the first delivery went for 5 wides, and thanks to a couple of tasty cuts from James Dutton and the Kahuna, the first over yielded 14 runs which must be some sort of Venturers record. Unfortunately such lofty achievement was very short lived as Adam “Sally” Dziedzic rather unluckily chopped a full-toss onto this stumps, with James soon following him back into the ‘pavilion’. After a couple of nice unrewarded strokes, Mark Hornsey looked set to continue his excellent run of form but received a great yorker and was soon on his way without troubling the scorer. Kevin Robinson started about a rebuilding effort, hitting a few tasty blows to keep the scoreboard moving along nicely but was rather unlucky to be excellently caught in the deep from a lusty blow that he didn’t quite middle. Duncan Lee scored a few and looked like he might continue Kev’s rebuilding efforts, but was soon on heading back to the team sprawl in front of “Adrian’s bushes”.

With Timmy Taylor, Tom “what inappropriate question” Carney, and Rob “the salmon like whippet” Branston soon following without troubling the scorer, the Venturers were teetering on 70 odd for 8 with only about 20 overs bowled, giving the impression that the entire match might be over before tea was taken. For once the pessimism was unfounded as Luke “Ruth” Turner and Alex “Betty’s not the only one who sweats” Cox showed the rest of the team what could be done, especially with a good eye and a baseball type swing of the bat. Luke dispatched the ball to all parts of the ground in his own inimitable style, enjoying a little bit of luck but hitting the ball so hard that it frequently moved like a tracer bullet. Alex batted intelligently giving Ruth solid support, gliding the ball off controlled edges, occasionally showing flashes of smaller calibre tracer bullets himself. The two put on more than 100, and even the return of Bristol’s premier bowlers didn’t halt or even slow down the scoring rate. Alex finally perished for something like 35 in the penultimate over, when Bristol’s captain finally got a ball through his defences, bringing John Harris to the crease after a lengthy wait. Timing his innings to perfection, Luke was finally last man out for 65 on the last ball of the innings, attempting to get the ball on the full by charging several yards down the pitch. Thanks to the valiant rearguard action of Luke and Alex, the Venturers ended with a respectable a score of 190, far more than anyone had dreamed possible at the 20 over mark!

Luke and Alex’s performance had got everyone talking at tea, especially since it had given the team a real chance, although there was still a suspicion that the Venturers were a bit light on runs. In the absence of Betty, Alex took possession of the new keepers gloves and acquitted himself very well for his first match keeping wicket. Not only did he let few byes get past him but he also looked the part with a genuine wicketkeepers roll. Indeed, his eminent suitability for the role became obvious after the game finished when the new gloves were returned to their protective plastic wallet which was soon steamed up with sweat. Betty would surely have be proud of his new deputy’s display.

Kev gave the team the perfect start netting two wickets in the second over of the Bristol innings, getting straight balls through the batsmen’s defences. Captain Dutton bowled neatly from the other end although was unlucky not to get a wicket himself when Rob, making an easy chance look difficult, dropped the ballooning top edge of a pull stroke. Thankfully this wasn’t a costly mistake as Kev got his man shortly after, Adam showing Rob how to take a catch.

Economical opening spells from both opening bowlers had given the Venturers a real chance, although the scoring rate started to creep up as John Harris entered the attack and struggle for his line. Tom, who replaced Kev at the other end, continued the economical bowling and was soon amongst the action, getting a straight one to disturb the wickets. Enter Bristol’s captain who was looking in ominously good touch, having spanked a few quick boundaries, when Tom induced a mis-hit and Rob ran “whippet like” from mid off, leaping “like a salmon” to take a fairly difficult catch above his head that everyone thought he wouldn’t manage, himself included. Sadly Tom didn’t last much longer in the attack as he pulled a muscle and so Sally was called into the attack. Adam struggled with his accuracy but got a few good balls to fizz past the outside edge, intermittently taking a bit of tap from the less than jovial fellow who didn’t impress Cat with his manners although he could clearly whack a cricket ball.

Meanwhile Rob bowled tidily at the other end having replaced John, although it was clear that Bristol were trying to increase the scoring rate as even their cap-wearing defensive opener was starting to play a few more shots and drop balls into the leg side for quick singles. Bowling his spell straight through, Rob produced a beauty to remove the heavy hitting but less than jovial fellow who was starting to look really threatening.

Replacing Adam, Duncan entered the attack, bowling quickly and accurately, getting wickets just when they were needed, so it was no surprise that Captain Dutton kept him on until the death. With Bristol needing to score at about 10 an over for the last 10 or so overs, things started to get tense, especially with an Australian at the crease who clearly knew how to use a cricket bat and was keeping Bristol up with the asking rate. Thankfully Duncan finally managed to get one through to uproot middle stump and the Venturers couldn’t contain their whoops of delight as they sniffed a rare victory.

James and then Kev came back to bowl at the other end, keeping things tight as the match could have gone either way. With 12 needed off the last over, Duncan bowled beautifully although the team was clearly tense, and poor Timmy felt a bit of the tension as Duncan politely reminded him that backing up was required following some unnecessary overthrows! Neither Bristol player was able to work the boundaries that were required, and the Venturers pulled off a famous 6 run victory, the defensive opener being unbeaten in the 50s.

As was right and proper in such a situation, the entire team retired to the bar for the next hour to celebrate a rare and special victory, and obviously several beers were consumed, not least the jug purchased by Ruth to celebrate his innings. Amusing moments from Friday’s curry night were remembered, especially Adam’s (crumpled!) shirt and Tom’s inappropriate questioning of Gregory’s relationship with his wife. Adam then proceeded to give us all his special insights into when cheating was not actually cheating, during which he earned himself the name Sally, to complete the Venturers ‘lady love triangle’ of Betty, Ruth and Sally. No doubt this will soon be turned into a foursome at the earliest opportunity, so the rest of the squad can only be waiting with bated breath to hear who next wears that particular ‘skirt’ of honour.

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