Phoenix vs Swaffhams

Gameday 1
Swaffhams (home) friendly
Phoenix 162-8 off 20 overs
Swaffhams 82 all out off 12 overs
Phoenix win by 80 runs

An hour before the match it rained for the first time since, I dunno, 2020? Well, of course it did. The first fixture of the season wouldn’t be the same without some kind of extreme weather.
Happily the Swaffhams skipper announced his radar predicted nothing more sinister falling out of the sky and that they were happy to travel. Game on then, albeit on the artificial strip.
Swaffhams wanted us to bat and Jeff and Ralph merrily set about their bowling until the latter was sensationally caught in the deep by none other than Bruce, guesting as a substitute fielder until other Swaffhams turned up.
More inter-Phoenix treachery, or comedy if you prefer, soon followed when Gareth ran out Aidan (although it was actually his call). Anyway, it made a refreshing change from Aidan sending his partner forlornly back to the pavilion following a failed kamikaze mission.
Was 2022 going to be that sort of season?
It certainly seemed like it when Venki claimed the first golden duck of the campaign by allowing his stumps to be rearranged but Jeff and Gareth had both retired not out and the scoreboard was looking healthy.
For once our tail even wagged with Faz, Stuart R and the fixtures secretary all reaching double figures, the latter even hitting a six.
Swaffhams are a top division side in the Business House League but many of their regulars were absent for this one, which is why they played some of their young prospects – and borrowed one of ours in Dylan Everson.
Their top order was formidable though – but only one of them, the keeper, made it to the 25-run retirement threshold.
This was the result of some fine opening bowling from Faz and Stuart C – and some fine catching in the deep from Faz and Stuart C. Tim took an excellent catch as well before picking up some rookie wickets when it was his turn to bowl.
It was a similar story with Ralph and the game was over as a contest by the time Venki and Stuart R came on.
They wrapped up proceedings by dismissing the excellent Florence Raynor, a Cambs county colleague of occasional Phoenix keeper Freya West, and the returning not out bat, who was bowled by Stuart.
An excellent start to the season, then, against friendly opposition who will probably try to muller us next time.

Phoenix
J Wilson retired not out 25
R Minter c Cairnduff (!) b Nightingale 12
A Swain run out 12
G Everson retired not out 28
B Cairnduff b M Mead 13
V Reddy b (first ball) M Mead 0
T Harrison b Masters 1
F Lee run out 11
S Rushby b Haynes 13
J West b Astin 14
S Creed not out 3
Extras 30
Total: 162-8 off 15 8-ball overs

Swaffhams
M Mead c Lee b S Creed 4
J Masters c Harrison b S Creed 2
J Haynes c S Creed b Lee 2
K Astin b Rushby 27
D Everson b Harrison 3
W Mead b Harrison 0
F Raynor c Rushby b Venki 14
M Gledhill b Minter 0
D Diggle b Minter 4
J Nightingale b Minter 0
B Raynor not out 2
R Dean c Everson b Rushby 0
Extras 24
Total: 82 all out off 11 8-ball overs

S Creed 2-0-18-2
F Lee 2-0-14-1
T Harrison 2-0-20-2
R Minter 2-0-16-3
J West 1-0-5-0
V Reddy 1-0-6-1
S Rushby 1-1-0-2