Under 9's lose against Lymington

T&E Under 9s versus Lymington Under 9s / Friday 4^th June / T&E Sports Club

L. Carty. M. Mayer. R. Dibben. J. Alp. M. Clark. R. Carty. A. Laughland. B. Young

On a beautiful summer’s evening Totton & Eling played host to Lymington under 9s. In the absence of Molly Edmondson and Ethan Taylor a debut was given to 6-year old Ryan Carty who came into a team that was looking for answers having been put to the sword 7-days earlier away to Michelmersh. Following a pre-match warm up session that showed as much reassurance as Portsmouth FC’s balance sheet skipper Liam Carty won the toss and invited Lymo to have a bat. Lymo came into the game full of confidence as one of the league’s form teams with bat and ball and with T&E’s players providing strong indication that to them clean ball handling and catching was an overrated requirement of the game the boys from Southern Gardens appeared to be lambs to the proverbial slaughter. The new ball was given to Jude Alp and following one last war cry of inspiration from the insatiable Alfie Laughland (just as the first ball was released from the bowlers hand it must be said) T&E went about their job. The 2-hours that followed filled the locals with great hope and pride as each player, to a man, played with focus, discipline and technique. It must be said that the very talented and thoroughly coached boys from Lymo came away with both a considerable total and subsequent victory (287v217) but T&E fought like lions from the first ball the last and thoroughly deserved their place on the field of play and the plaudits received by both sets of parents come stumps. Very few extras were conceded as the Totton bowlers repeatedly took accurate aim and released ball after ball on to the cut and prepared strip. Special mentions go out to Alp and Laughland who bowled with fire and ice and Liam Carty who held up well under pressure whilst bowling the unforgiving final over. Wickets were few and far between for T&E but the aforementioned fire and ice team took a “bowled” wicket each and the continually improving Matty Clark chipped in with one that saw Alfie L taking T&E’s first catch of the season. T&E batted against some of the fastest and most accurate bowling of their short careers with much purpose and application (words normally saved to describe their devouring of the half time biscuits and squash) and each partnership came away with real positives and encouraging highlights to remember. Each player managed to defend their stumps with honour and only on the rarest of occasions did they give up their wicket. Laughland and Calypso Mayer executed the lustiest of blows for the mini Eels although every player came away having played at least one shot of both impeccable defense and creative stroke play. Young Lockie and Billy Young came away with the highest partnership of the innings for the home team. All told it was a good night and cricket was definitely the winner.