6 May 2018 v Nomads
Nomads kept their recent good run against the Ramblers going with a resounding 99 run win at Upper Club. After some recent poor weather both sides welcomed a fine sunny day and a good Upper Club wicket.
 
However after winning the toss Nomads were reduced to 8-2 with Kandampully and Brockton back in the hutch early. Massey and Style added some 116 for the next wicket before lunch only for both to be dismissed shortly afterwards – the Ramblers feeling that Style had been given a generous second innings after a big nick had gone unnoticed. Massey (70), on the other hand, fell to his first poor shot.
 
Their partnership was the turning part of the game from a batting perspective; Desai made a most entertaining 50, and he was supported by Ross Ormiston (29) showing that as always class shows through.until, fearful of the thought of Michael Blumberg facing a ball he was stumped off Chris Horne. The Nomads were happy with a very respectable 238 in 48 overs, and the Ramblers particularly thankful to Wanderers Captain Matt. Nichols, by some margin the most impressive of the Ramblers attack.
 
The Ramblers improved Massey’s day with a poor shot leading to a smart catch and he produced an even smarter throw to dismiss Cripps contemplating a non existent run. Treon and Gross counter attacked but fell to Johnson, who also dismissed Ramblers’ skipper Ed Maidment as he drove loosely.
 
The home side were in all sorts of trouble. 57-4 quickly became 93-8 with 15 overs to go as Chris Page wheeled away wreaking havoc to the lower order who had no answer to his simple philosophy of bowling a length, and straight.
 
At last, however, there was some Rambler defiance; Forbes and Horne proving thoroughly obdurate.until Horne either misjudged the position of his front pad, or got a poor decision (Nick Stevenson raising his finger for the first time in 2018) with two overs to go. 
 
With three balls to go Peter Baring – certainly the oldest Rambler to play since the war – and possibly the oldest ever – was looking wholly safe and sound but his partner decided to take responsibility for the last three balls himself – leading to a comical run out and an absurdly unnecessary Rambler defeat.
 
It would be churlish to deny that the Nomads deserved to win: the Royal Stag pub in Datchet was the scene for a most pleasant evening as Nomads, (and two Ramblers!) were joined by members of the Pink Elephants and Chelsea Arts Club Cricket Clubs who had been playing on Agar’s Plough. Apart from the result a most satisfactory day.