Scribe Snr has commissioned this match report out to an aspiring junior writer, so hopefully, Scribe Jnr can provide half as much wit and entertainment, as I aim to be Frensham’s new Stephan Shemilt.

The day started in the Frensham car park in a rare away fixture for the regular Sunday side with plenty of juniors requiring lifts.

Wozza led a convoy of cars after worries about rumours of fuel spils and road closures en route.

Unfortunately, upon leaving the car park, Wozza turned into a getaway driver leaving Mark and Mo in Wire Cut to find the venue for themselves, luckily Google Maps safely led us to our destination in good time for the toss.

I was given the honour of leading the squad this week, and in true Sunday spirit I negotiated hard to secure a bat for the side.

And what a great deal that was, with multiple Frensham batters filling their boots!
The stage was set for a 35 over game at the picturesque Petworth Park a quintessentially English setting, on a fine spring day. With a gentleman’s agreement between skippers that all batters retire at 50.

Sadly, after a solid start, Wozza Snr got caught strangled down the leg side early doors, which brought young Harris to the crease, who sensibly played himself in while other opener Ed White put on a show at the other end quickly making it to 50, retiring after 10 overs with the score on 60/0.

This brought Mo Hashir to the crease, who provided his usual entertaining knock, while Harris was assured from the other end scoring another chanceless 50! To go with 83* for the 4s on Saturday - what a wonderful weekend for the average.
Harris’s retirement brought young Archie Warren to the crease, who regrettably was caught early on playing an upish drive trying to push the score along. Sadly, young Casper quickly followed who was unbelievably dismissed by a great direct hit run out of nowhere which brought Scribe Jnr to the crease.

I hung around with Mo for a bit as he plundered his way to a fine 50, another retirement, shortly after this I hit a very loopy spinner into the stratosphere, but alas the ball didn’t go as far as it did high and I was caught on at mid-on.
This brought Rufus and Mark Shine together at 182/4 with 6 overs to go.

Luckily, unlike Scribe Jnr, they could actually hit the ball off the square, with Rufus hitting some useful boundaries and a big 6 on his way to 40* with Mark Shine playing a supporting role in a rare bat scoring 13*, leaving Frensham well placed after 35 overs, on 232/4.

Then we were transported back to 2019 and were treated to a wonderful tea provided by Petworth, the Frensham lads were in high spirits, but hard work would lay ahead, the pitch was good for batting and the weather warming up.
We took to the field with two of the younger older lads Matt Findley and Mark Shine opening the bowling.

Despite bowling with pace and accuracy, it wasn’t the pitch for the pacers leaving Petworth at 45/0 after 10, building the pressure and increasing the required run rate, surely the wickets would soon follow.

And they did, Casper Doran, came on and bowled another reliable 6-over spell, breaking the game open with a sumptuous full delivery that sent the stumps flying.
Then young Ali G came into the game, again backing up the other bowlers with some incredible consistency and was rewarded with an LBW just before the drinks break, leaving Petworth at 85/2 at 18, miles behind the run rate at drinks.

Drinks didn’t stop Ali G’s rhythm as he picked up another wicket clean bowled shortly after. I haven’t seen his figures, but I suspect it was a very economical 5 over spell.
At the other end after 22 overs of warming up, it was finally time for Archie ‘Gary’ Warren to enter the attack and after a loose first over and some intelligent field changes suggested by his father, Archie then got into his spell bowling with flight and guile.

The wickets soon followed with too many to describe individually, but we had two hattrick balls in quick succession, leaving Archie with 4 wickets and Petworth 7 down.
For a laugh, I then threatened to take Archie off in the next over, in the hope, that would incentivise him to get his first 5fer for the club.

Sadly, it didn’t come that over, but after a double wicket maiden, I thought it might be harsh to take the ball out of his hand.

So, Archie had another, and duly got the 5fer, ending as the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5/13 (coming back from going for 10 in his first over), well played Archie.
This left Scribe Jnr to finish up at the top end throwing down a couple of non-descript overs, with some economical bowling from Harris and Matt F at the other end which left Petworth on 142/8 after 35, which gave the Frensham boys a 90-run victory, and our first win against Petworth in the fixture!