One place locals don’t venture on a bank holiday in Barry is ‘The Island’. Not unless your craving was to be sat in traffic for the day. Tondu travelled to The Barry Oval with the sun beating down, traffic surprisingly calm, and everything seemed set up for a great day of cricket. More wet weather during the week meant the pitch while dry on top was quite damp underneath. With perfect conditions for swing bowling, after winning the toss, Barry decided to put the visitors into bat. As the captains bumped fists, Barry skipper John Gee had a bead of sweat running down his brow. Some say it was the warm weather, some say it was the pressure of a ‘must win’ toss, while others say it was the sobering thought that the game was about to start and he had seven hours in the sun with no apples to quench his thirst. Either way, he opened the bowling and was his usual economic self to really put pressure on the batsmen to find runs somewhere else.

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Josh Raikes had told his team mates at least seventeen times while padding up how he was ‘the worst person to have opening the batting as he has no patience’ and batted like he had convinced himself this was the case. Caught in two minds on playing a delivery, his wicket fell early on, to the bowling of Sagara. This brought Iestyn Williamson to the crease. The best way to describe what happened next was a dot ball followed by the shot of someone who had something to watch on the TV at 3pm, clean bowled by Sagara. Richard Gregory could only watch on from the other end as Ryan Owen was caught at extra cover trying to put a wide delivery over the boundary in Penarth off the bowling of Gee. Gregory was then trapped LBW by James Haswell. Take the man off the planes and he’s still showing batsmen where the exits are. This left Tondu 26-4 from only 12 overs of play. With Matthew Richards arriving late from a summer solstice event, at this stage he was a sight for sore eyes arriving at the ground, with wickets tumbling.

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Captain Tom Jenkins came to the crease with the pressure really on. He managed to get his head down and put together a much needed partnership of 47 with Matthew Richards before the man with the softest hair in Europe was caught by James Haswell from the bowling of Nathan Baker. It was good to see Baker getting success after his football team failed to back up his banter for yet another season. The last time his team won the Premier League, Osama Bin Laden was still enjoying watching a portable TV in a Pakistan suburb, Fukishima had a spotless accident record at its nuclear facility and Whitney Houston was still loving life. Dan Thomas came to the crease and managed to put the play off final to the back of his mind as he settled quickly. He put on a further 26 runs with Jenkins before the skipper was caught by everyone’s favourite Geordie, Ashley Baker, off the bowling of Williams. Thomas managed to put another partnership of 29 runs together with Leyton Williams before Thomas was bowled by Ieuan Williams for 22. The tail didn’t manage to add many more runs with Davies running out Ellis Major for the final wicket. For the record, still think there was a single there if he could see straight at that point. Tondu stumbled to a meagre 137 all out after 38 overs.

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After his success with the bat, sadly Dan Thomas managed to find an internet connection and saw the Swansea City score. It was like he’d seen a ghost. A big, Brentford top wearing ghost. Head, gone! See what you’ve done now Steve Cooper, he’s spraying it everywhere. Nice one! Tondu did manage an early breakthrough with Josh Raikes taking a catch from the bowling of Leyton Williams. With the score at 20-1, Nuwan and Nathan Baker put on an impressive 70 runs for the second wicket before Baker was caught behind by Iestyn Williamson on 39 runs, rewarding the bowling of Josh Tatchell. Tom Jenkins took the wicket of Sam Hopkins to try and put some pressure on the Barry batting line up. A solid knock by Wesley Baker of 18 not out, acting as a perfect foil to the impressive innings of 51 not out by Nuwan. Barry reached their target, winning by seven wickets with ten overs to spare.

 

A disappointing defeat for Tondu but on days like this, a game can be decided on the toss of a coin. Congratulations to Barry who proved tough opponents and we look forward to another competitive match at The Field of Dreams later in the season.

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Moment of the day: Matthew Richards cathartic scream after dollying one up to the fielder.

 

Tondu 137 all out (38 overs)

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Matthew Richards 29, Dan Thomas 22

Ieuan Williams 4-17

 

Barry Atheltic 139-3 (30 overs)

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Nuwan 51*, Nathan Baker 39

Josh Tatchell 1-14