Plunkett, Serious Wheels

Yorkshire Vikings 252-9
beat Essex Eagles 232 all out (47.5 overs)
by 20 runs

Thursday 26 August 2015

Royal London One Day Cup
Chelmsford

Twitter @ball_sup

An old haunt. The Ale House. In the railway arches under Chelmsford station. I love this place. Marvin the Innovator on the sounds. Move On Up. (at 1125am). 12 on cask. One pukka keg. A few Germans on keg. Spoilt for choice.

Hopcraft, The Party Line on cask at 5.1%. Tastes great first up. Slightly too warm. Suspect not pulled through.  Very pale in the glass. Some apple in the taste. Gentle bittering. But, that grows a bit. Gets to all your tastebuds.

By The Horns, Stiff Upper Lip on cask at 3.8%. Perfectly OK. But it felt a bit identikit golden ale. Nothing there for us Bitter Bullies. Nice sugar on the lips without dominating.

A reasonable set up in the Members Bar, They had; Shepherd Neame, Master Brew, Kentish Ale 3.7%, Shepherd Neame, Spitfire 4.2%, The Faversham Steam Brewery, Pale Ale 3.9%. And some Whitstable Bay kegs. It got a bit tasty in that little section of benches in front of the bar and below the Player’s Balcony. Over to my right, two small groups of blokes had a little “leave it he’s not worth it” standoff. Quite sedate.

You’ve got a small ground, and a reasonably large crowd. The geography means people can’t/won’t stand in front of the windows. So, they push ever further to the left. Hard up against the path on which the players enter & leave the field & right under the Essex bit of the Balcony. Inevitably, it becomes a bar overspill, drinkers area. Unfortunately, as Essex fall away towards the end, some people vent their fury on batsmen returning to the Pavilion & the players & staff above them. Of course, in turn, they feel it necessary to lean over the Balcony, stare & even exchange words with Paying Punter. Never gonna end well that.

Fan Boy Me went over there at the end to shout “well played Liam, superb” as they came off. Not to cause trouble you understand. Just because Liam played well & was superb.

Enjoyed that. Never enough runs for the Vikings. Too many players out to steepling catches. Not a percentage shot that. Lusty, but sensible hitting at the end from Plunkett. The Fish also played his part. Staying there, helping with getting the strike at the right end. So, that’s at least got ‘em something to go at. And, they went at it. Wickets were always going to be important. So, they attacked a bit. And they kept the foot on. Longs spells to take the game deep.

Both teams were in control at different times. Essex were 95-2 at one stage. And 206-6 around 42 overs. But, once Foster & ten Doeschate had gone, they didn’t have much hutch left.  There were only two wides in the match & no No Balls. Serious discipline that from both teams. I was very pleased at the end.

193/401