AUSTRALIA
050S UK TOUR 2017
GAME
5 AUSTRALIA 050S VS SHROPSHIRE 050S
AT
SHIFNAL CC SHROPSHIRE
SUNDAY
23 rd JULY 2017
Wilfred
Owen is a favourite son of Shropshire and regarded by many as the
greatest poet of the First World War. One of his most famous poems is
“Anthem for Doomed Youth”. The first few lines run thus:
“What
passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only
the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only
the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can
patter out their hasty orisons.”
Befittingly
on this Sunday morning the orisons (a wish or communication with God)
muttered by the Australian 050 team over breakfast at Angel’s
Hotel in lovely Leamington Spa, was, ‘please God, let the rain ease
up’. The Australians’ prayers were answered as the clouds cleared
and the game started in sunshine on time in front of a growing, large
and appreciative local crowd. They even bought a cake to celebrate
our first birthday.
The
Shifnal Cricket Club presented a second-day wicket for the
Australians where the previous day in a local league match, the team
batting first scored 336 from 55 overs; more than a run a ball. The
ground is a minor counties venue and today the game was played with a
short boundary on the western side. Like other pitches encountered on
tour the wicket was expected to play slow and low although it
appeared harder than similar county pitches. Along with Fabian Heath
(wkeeper); Warwick Hayes and Allan Chellew Australia went into the
match brimful of bowlers with Stenhouse, McGhee, Sargent, Pellen,
Briggs, Judd, Miles, Moore and Belstead leading the charge.
Although
Charles Darwin may have hailed from Shropshire it was Australia that
had to evolve and adapt as skipper Paul Stenhouse lost the toss for
the first time on tour and Australia was required to bowl first.
