This weekend is a huge one for us at Kimberley. We have been talking about it for quite some time and much preparation has already gone in to how we are going to execute our plan. That’s right, it’s the fancy dress karaoke. Before that though, we have a rather important game of cricket too! Cuckney have had a sensational start to the season. They have played the best cricket, and are very much worth their place at the head of the standings. After all, a table never really lies (although I am sure the Cavalliers would probably disagree!).
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| James Mann won first prize at last years Mickey Pearce look-a-like fancy dress |
It is going to be a tough test for us, but one that we know we have the ability to meet, and it will come down to individuals taking responsibility for their own game, and not becoming reliant on others to score the runs or take the wickets for them. A win would keep us in the hunt at the top of the table, a defeat would leave us a long way back.
Although we missed out on league action on Saturday, it was nice to get a run out on Sunday in the Derbyshire Cup. Once again, we performed well as a unit in the field and it was great to bowl Dunstall out for just 68. Matt Wright and Dom Wheatley bowled exceptionally well up front for us and gave us a great platform to win the game. I have been delighted to see how Dom has stepped up his performances this season. With Simon Roberts still struggling with injury, the weight of opening the bowling has fallen on his young shoulders and he has taken to the challenge superbly. It was noticeable on Sunday how much more intelligent he is, as a bowler, and how he is starting to learn and master the craft of left arm swing bowling. It is no doubt a huge advantage to him to have Sam standing up to the stumps, and no batsman can be confident in their footwork when the ball beats the bat.
The Derbyshire Cup has benefited I feel from a move to straight knock-out form. It seemed ludicrous last season to be eliminated from the competition after winning our only game. The finality of knock-out matches means that players can concentrate on winning the game at hand and not worry about run-rates and mathematical calculations. With a place in the semi finals booked, we have a date in August to look forward to, but we all know that without a positive result this weekend, the second half of the season in the league will be a tough slog if we are not in contention. One thing is for sure, we will all look forward to the party afterwards to see Colin Martin singing ‘Return to Sender’ something he was unable to manage last year.
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