This evening I wandered up to the County Ground for 6.00 to do an hour's coaching with the Exeter CC Colts "Foundation Group" - i.e. late starters (Ashes effect) who need a concerted shove in the right direction.
When I arrived, I found out our Midweek XI had seven players for their game with Bradninch and if I could stick around post-coaching to field, that'd be much appreciated. Anyhow, post-coaching, our midweek VII had made 121-3, and the eight men (five first teamers including
Mark Sanders and
Will Hanson, two second teamers and me) had twenty overs to defend it.
It didn't help that Bradninch's batting order - like it had been a week and a half ago when the University 4ths visited their place - was left/right/left, and the fact that the County Ground is the third biggest playing surface in the country (after the County Ground, Derby and The Oval) also made the fielding pretty frenetic. Nevertheless, Bradninch were all out for 116 in 19.4 overs, and my fielding was error-free. I even managed a throw from the boundary on the bounce to the keeper, and
I have the arm of a ten year old... A general feeling of satisfaction is persisting as, seeing as I was wearing navy blue trousers, I was thoroughly expecting to be targeted in the field... and I wasn't. So I must have got on alright.