Smudge 50 sees Llamas into knock-outs

The Surrey Slam T20 side travelled to Headley, looking to make it 3 wins from 3 and qualify for the knockouts with one game left next week.
The rag-tag crew of 2s,3s,4s and 5s turned up and were handed their skin-tight T20 kit by Mr Friend. Suspiciously the only two large sets had gone to him and Cossey, although with hindsight, this was probably best for all involved.

Reigate won the toss and elected to bat. Having chased and won comfortably in the past two games and with a batting heavy line-up topped by Vuppala and Smudge, we wanted to have an opportunity to take the opposition bowlers apart for the full 20 overs.

Vuppala was clean bowled second ball, and with Ireland and Leck still lost somewhere between Hartswood and Headley, the decision to bat first was looking a bit more foolhardy.

In came Jai Patel, who in combination with Smudge, provided a strong base for the innings, going at 7 an over until Jai was dismissed for 16, run-out going for what Smudge made look an easy two, and doing his best “the air is treacle impression” in his new shoes.

This left Reigate 49-2 at the end of the 7th over.

Gurbutt was in next, and with Leck and Ireland having finally arrived and Smudge providing consistent runs at one end, everyone else had license to hit. After playing himself in Gurbutt hit a flurry of fours to accelerate the run-rate before being caught at long-on for 21.

Ireland 17 and Leck 6* (going on to make 23*) then batted in a similar style and by the time Smudge retired on 53*(41) with five 4s and 2 6s Reigate were on 140 from 16 overs.

Gavigan and Cossey then partnered Leck, with Reigate eventually reaching 177 from their 20 overs.

Headley’s innings started with their openers dispatching any medium/fast bowler put in front of them over cow corner or midwicket.

Friend was brought on to slow the run-rate and try and take a few wickets with his pace variation and “spin?”.

Frustrated by the lack of boundaries off Friend, their opening bat then dropped one to Smudge at point and called for a quick single, those of you who have played with him before will know how this story ends, but, for the un-initiated, a quick pick-up, a flick at the single visible stump, a look of disbelief, and the batsman was on his way back to the pavilion, lesson learnt.

Friend then took a wicket, edged by the batsman, deflected off Leck at keeper and then brilliantly caught one-handed at short gully by Gavigan.

Another wicket for Friend, bowled this time, but the Headley batsmen were still feasting on the pace bowling and going at an average of 10 an over.

It looked like the game could be getting away from us as their #4 bat was going at a strike rate of over 200 before a sensational one-handed grab from Devaraju at wide mid-on to dismiss him off the bowling of Qasim.

The skipper (Gurbutt) then brought himself on to take pace off the ball and restrict runs, and Cosssey on to finish the game off and take wickets.

The ploy worked with Gurbutt going 3-0-15-1 from his first three overs and Cossey going 4-0-11-3.
Headley finished the game on 148-9, which was a comfortable win in the end for Reigate despite some nervy moments.

MOTM: Smudge for being the anchor of the Reigate innings with 53*(41) and a crucial run-out.