Beaconsfield U8s Friendly against Gerrards Cross U8s

On a sunny, and slightly breezy summer's evening, Beaconsfield U8s assembled on Pitch 3 for their first home friendly against an enthusiastic side from Gerrards Cross. Some of the boys were playing against their usual team-mates from school, so the stage was set for a very competitive game.

GX won the toss and opted to bat first. Beaconsfield, organised themselves well in the field, with a little assistance from our umpire (thanks John!) and set off to bowl and field like champions. Although GX had some big hitters, and the boundary was small, Beaconsfield were able to counteract the high run rate with a steady flow of wickets from speedy bowling, teamwork in the field and accurate throwing. At the end of the innings, GX posted an impressive score of 312-6.

After a break for hasty consumption of squash, crisps and biscuits, and a much-needed strategy talk, Beaconsfield went out to bat. The boys knew they needed runs on the board, but also that some defensive shots would be required to avoid the loss of wickets. Not quite 5-day test cricket, but definitely reining in their desire to smash every ball that came their way! Ben and George got us off to a competitive start, taking boundaries where available and running well for singles. Next came Ian, Thomas and Ryan. Some massive boundaries, where we nearly lost the ball, coupled with great defensive play to fast bowling kept up the required run rate. Harry and Harrison were rather up against it, facing a combination of lightning-fast bowling, and much slower, and wider balls. They defended well, and took the singles when offered and Beaconsfield were within 40 runs of victory by the end of their spell. In came Lucas and Nathan to shore up the innings. Nathan defended superbly against very quick bowling and Lucas made the most of any scoring opportunity, leaving the team needing only 14 runs from the final 4 overs to secure victory. Joe and Hector came to the crease with strict instructions from the whole team (and the manager) not to do anything silly! GX had saved two of their best bowlers for these overs so the potential for loss of wickets was high. The boys defended brilliantly, and took the singles when available, much to the frustration of the GX bowlers. By the end of the penultimate over Beaconsfield were in the lead, on 315-2.

In the final, nail-biting over, the boys managed, as instructed, not to do anything silly. Fast balls were defended, and a cheeky single and a wide, took the score to 318-2, with Beaconsfield winning by 6 runs. Cue polite handshakes with the other team, followed swiftly by jubilant celebrations of their victory, and a dash to the tuck shop before it closed. Really well done Beaconsfield U8s.

Thanks to everyone who came along to support and cheer your boys on - what a great way to spend a summer's evening! Huge thanks also for umpiring and scoring assistance. GX also enjoyed the game immensely, and have proposed a rematch later in the season - watch this space....