Norfolk Tour II – Refreshers v Sugar Beet Gang

Aylsham Rec, Sunday 24 May

The sun shone across East Anglia for the second of the two Norfolk fixtures, on Sunday against the Sugar Beet Gang. As usual, there was a bloody mary upon arrival; Sean Cannon’s men looked in the mood (when are they ever not?). The 1912 Cup stood, if not quite gleaming, then handsome upon the scorer’s table, a reminder of what we were there to play for.

The Gang batted first, scoring at a decent clip. Stocky no.3 Josh Jex, an Aylsham first teamer, was hitting the ball hard and our opening bowlers were struggling to contain him. Then the breakthrough; a shorter ball from Faras, bowling off a one-step run-up, Jex into position early, a pull, too early on the shot and it looped towards the Club Captain’s hands at short mid-on. Here it was, but no: Cannon Sr juggled it, snatched, tumbled, dropped it. Opportunity missed.

Refreshers did pull things around, spin bowlers Baloch (R), Baloch (H) and Cannon bowling decent lengths and tying up the batters. Chris King, crawling scratchily to 50, was called in to retire by Cannon Jr – a wily move. Out came some bigger hitters, including Cannon Jr himself who, egged on from the boundary, smashed his elder brother for consecutive sixes. Refreshers couldn’t stem the flow and the Gang finished with too many: 257 when at one stage 200 looked likely.

Guests Aden Cook (of Woodbridge) and Will Bale (of Holkham) started well, scoring at a risk-free 6 an over, and after 10 we were on course. Both reached 40, and the annoying truth dawned: the ‘retirement’ of King meant that we, too, would have to retire at 50. Both did so, and the run rate slowed, our much-vaunted local ringer failing to fire, and with ten overs to go Refreshers needed 11 an over. Cannon Sr was at the crease and had a good go, eventually falling for 55, run out following a world-class stop from AP Young, who had previously hung on to a remarkable tumbling catch at square leg to claim the fielding prize. Refreshers finished some 11 runs short, an excellent and brave chase, and the 1912 Cup remained in NR11.