It felt like summer had finally arrived as the under 9 cricket team walked up to the field for our first cricket match of the season. The sun was shining and the field was a picture. We won the toss and fielded first. Yahya and Neil were our main threats and both took wickets, whilst Areev and Ibrahim bowled well too. A couple of dropped catches and midfields meant that Westhouse posted a very challenging score. We were always chasing the game but kept in touch through some controlled batting. Some inexperience crept in with our decision making and we gave our wickets away through inaccurate calling and running. Nevertheless, we were still in with a chance of victory in the last 3 overs, but the batsmen had to take risks. This eventually was our undoing and we lost narrowly. The game, however, was a great spectacle and all the players and spectators enjoyed a fabulous afternoon. Ruckleigh’s player of the match was Yahya.

Tuesday, 16 May 2023