MATCH REPORT - Sunday Heathens XI 

Sunday Heathens XI friendly vs Churt (Away) - Sunday 9th May, 2pm.

Churt 198-4. Blackheath 177-9. Match drawn.

It's hard explaining to your average Martian, American or cricket widow exactly why you can spend over 5 hours playing a game that ends in a draw and judge it a memorable afternoon.

Following recent rain, it was incredible that the Heathens (who came up with that name?) were playing any cricket at all this Sunday, but Churt's damp wicket played true and made for an excellent match. The skipper was soon having doubts about his decision to insert the opposition on winning the toss, as Churt put on a century opening stand and the new ball dug sizeable divots in the pitch. It was time to call on 'Rick' O'Shea. He announced that it was time to buy a wicket, and proceeded to send down a sequence of slower balls, wides and long hops, inducing from the batsmen first bafflement, then mirth, and -- at last! -- an edge from a cheeky full toss. We were back in the game. Harrowing took two fine catches at cover, and despite Hauptfleisch, Churt's South African ringer, compiling an unbeaten 115, we took consolation in the fact that the run rate never got out of control. Churt closed on 198-4 at tea.

Blackheath lost two early wickets but worked our way to 70-3 before losing three wickets in four balls. Fortunately Mark Rhodes was still there, continuing his early season form, and consolidated in a 67 partnership with O'Shea, which occupied 13 of the last 20 overs and briefly suggested we might sneak a victory. But after O'Shea was given the trigger finger by Colin Rhodes, and Rhodes junior was sadly dismissed for 93, the tension rose for those watching from the pavilion. Some of the cricket widows even managed to stay awake. Never fear: taking advantage of the early opening of the bar, our lower order steadied their nerves, and we scraped a draw with the last pair, Karim Tayar and new cap Ross Somerville, at the wicket, 22 runs short of victory. How can sport possibly get more exciting than that?