The fourth tour match of the Camels six-match tour of North Wales and another win. The final scores speciously signal an easy victory. But, as in almost every cricket game, the reality is usually another story.
Menai Bridge Cricket Club must be one of the most attractive cricket grounds anywhere. The quaint pavilion and gently sloping pitch provide a perfect view over the Menai Straits from Ynys Mon, or Anglesey as some know it, to mainland Wales, its bucolic splendour framed by the mountains of Snowdonia.
But it was for cricket that the Camels were here. Skipper Matt Rees won the toss and immediately asked the home side to bat. It could so easily have gone wrong. Menai Bridge raced to 75 for three, courtesy a dashing 55 not out from local hero Tom Rees Jones and solid contributions from Matthew Jones (17) and Iwan Moore (20).
Their progress was halted by four quick wickets, one from Tom Wooding’s pace and Charles Forward’s fifth catch of the tour, two from Dave Hilton’s nagging length and direction and the last, another victim for Steve Turner, who, these days, gets wickets bowling with his eyes closed!
As the teams walked off for tea, a squadron of jets from the nearby RAF airbase seemed to be giving an appreciative fly-past.
Now on the back foot, Menai Bridge looked to their younger payers to provide a challenging total.
After Jasmine Beauchamp was caught and bowled by Dave Axtell, Poppy Smith (12) smashed him for two sumptuous boundaries before falling to Axtell’s slower ball, giving Dave Mason the second of his three stumpings. A wicket for Rees and a third for Hilton meant a moderately easy chase for the powerful Camels batting line-up.
Needlessly
Well, ‘moderately easy’ until suddenly you’re 71 for five with some of your biggest guns uselessly sitting back in the pavilion. Paul Baker, Rees, Wooding and Mason all failed to reach double figures in the face of tight and guileful bowling by Poppy Smith and Jones (4-0-10-3). The Camels didn’t help their own cause when Dan Viles was needlessly run out for a run-a-ball 34.
Who could stop the rot? Who was now striding stiffly to the crease? None other than Guy ‘Stonewall’ Parker. With Axtell making the runs, the erstwhile Camels skipper, veteran of 27 tours, stifled any thought of more wickets falling.
Axtell (51) struck the runs with astute singles and well-placed boundaries and reached his half-century before taking the regulation retirement. With a few runs left and plenty of overs to do it in, Parker (23*) and Dave Starkie (1), boasting a combined age of 140 years, brought the Camels home with 10 overs to spare.
In glorious summer sunshine, the match was played in a wonderful ‘tour match’ spirit, with both sides enjoying the twists, turns and some hilarious moments both on and off the field.
The game, as usual, attracted an appreciable crowd of local supporters. Menai Bridge CC have already invited the Camels back for a revenge match.
Llandudno CC are the Camels’ next opponents – almost a home game for the tourists, who are all billeted in and around this attractive Victorian seaside resort.
The Camels march on!
Scores: Awali Camels 146 for 5 wickets in 25.1 overs beat Menai Bridge CC 142 for 9 wickets in 35 overs.
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