Rugby starts at 2:30pm, up the club at 2 for team bonding

A Shelton (c) *
S Gameson (wk)*
T Darling *
R Evans *
C Gwilt *
K Rowe
G Jones
Rob Matthews *
Dave Berry
A Lusardi
The Pagenator

Meet at 12:30, those with * meet at 12 to complete work on the ground

Blackwood 2s playing only their 2nd game since 9th June went down to a disappointing defeat to Whitchurch Heath on Saturday.

Things started well for the 'wood when skipper Andrew Shelton won the toss and elected to bat on a warm & sunny afternoon.

Birchy and the former Dr Who opened up proceedings and the Birch in particular quickly found his form and played some superb shots, the long and slow outfield certainly not helping things. Trinidad with his cousin Tobago away on babysitting duties fell for 35 when he gave catching practice to the Whitchurch first slip (Carl Gump please take note when I say catch) and the score on 59 but the aforementioned Gwilt soon took up where Trinidad left off and again flattered to deceive playing some audacious shots before falling well before he should have done to what can only be described as a crap shot to end all crap shots.

He fell at 113 in the 28th over but Blackwood still looked like achieving a score of 220 plus. Unfortunately a needless runout saw the skipper fall with only 128 on the board and when Kieran Rowe tamely gave a caught & bowled to Mal Troake the writing seemed on the wall. Some excellent batting from Rhodri Evans making his first 2nd team appearance of the season saw Blackwood through to 188-9 in their 50 overs. Special notice should go to Tom Darling who was scheduled to go in 3 but circumstances saw him actually not go to the crease until there were 8 wickets down!! Sorry Tom!

The consensus at tea was that despite only scoring 188, due to the slow wicket and slow outfield it felt more like 220 and the 'wood were confident of achieving the seasons 4th victory.

That confidence seemed to be backed up when former Blackwood 2nd team captain Bob Smith was caught at mid-off by Andrew "Cletus" Clark off Gumpy for a duck.

Excellent bowling form Rob Matthews (3-38) and Rhodri "Dave" Evans (3-23) edged Blackwood towards the victory target but the failure to again get the Whitchurch skipper Dave Brooks (51) out until it was too late and extras amounting to 55 including 36 wides and 7 no balls adding an additional 7 overs to the Whitchurch total meant that Blackwood came up just short.

The cause wasn't helped by both the skipper and Gumpy having to leave early and Whitchurch only allowing Chris Haggerty's father on as a substitute and refusing all pleas by stand in skipper Rowe to allow Steve "Hamster" Davies on as a replacement when Gumpy left meant that 'wood had to field the last hour with only 10 men

TFC - jointly won by the Skipper and Gumpy
MOTM - Rhodri 19 runs and 10 - 2 - 23 - 3

Lessons to be learned - Do not give away as many wides and no balls, don't let anyone leave the game early unless you bowl first, always bowl first when you win the toss and know that you have to leave early!!!

Shelts (c)
Tom B (wk)
Birchy
Bobby
Rowester
Little Fester
Gumpy
Dave Evans
Gameo
Tom W
Tom D

The team of Gumps and Gwilts has been replaced by a team of Toms

Meet 12pm (everyone who has a car bring it as I have to leave early to get to a wedding)

A Gwilt (c)*
Birchy Gwilt (wk)*
Gameo Gwilt *
Darling Gwilt *
Carl Gwilt
Dunc Gwilt
Gav Gwilt
Kieran Gwilt
Bobby Gwilt
Ashley Gwilt
Matty Gwilt

Meet 12:30

* Meet 12 to finish off the ground