The first Fairlight pitch of the season had been prepared, but we weren’t ready for the weather. Some Friday afternoon and overnight drizzle turned into a generally fine Saturday morning. Then it clouded over, and there was rain, and then hail, just before the game was due to start. Star Wars Day, and the skipper was sweeping the hailstones off the pitch at twenty to two.

The Rebels arrived in convoy, kitbags were raided for every last scrap of warm clothing, Tom Burgess won the toss for Parkhurst and elected to bat, and the game started after only a short delay. The captains agreed, due to the probability of losing some more time to rain interruptions, to curtailing the normal forty over format to a thirty five over game.

It’s remarkable and praiseworthy that the Parkhurst grounds crew have, after only one full season working on a square at a ground that had not seen cricket played for over eight years, and with no prior experience in the field (no pun intended) produced a pitch that saw a combined score of 440 runs for nine wickets. The pitch kept bowlers interested, and batsmen honest, while being true enough for honest batsmen to accumulate runs at a decent rate.

Mark sheppard and Luke Keeler opened for Parkhurst, and Keeler saw a great catch from a mistimed shot dismiss him for nine. The Mark S’s came together, Sheppard supplied the fireworks, and put on 109 runs before Sztyber played around one from Ridpath (on loan from Parkhurst to the Rebels) and was out bowled. Russell Dicker added a quickfire fourteen, Sheppard was Ridpath’s second victim out leg before for 75, Ed Board hit thirty four in no time at all. Jon Eteson was unfortunate to succumb to a caught and bowled looking to push the scoring on, leaving Tom Burgess and Paul Leitch to finish off the innings, eighteen and eleven not out, respectively.

There had been one rain interruption, and 218 on the board for six wickets, a good batting performance for the third successive week, against a decent bowling outfit.

Tea was taken and clubhouse warmth absorbed, before Parkhurst went out to field, and again kitbags were left empty of jumpers, underlayers, and whatever cricket-related clothing they once held.

The Rebel’s innings of 222 for three is the story of 170 not out for D Bone. Most of that was chanceless, and on the day, Parkhurst couldn’t collectively summon the wherewithal to take the crucial wicket, or to stem or slow the flow of runs.

Jonny Eteson was impeccable behind the stumps. The bowlers toiled. Paul Leitch was his usual miserly self and was unlucky on a number of occasions, eight wicketless overs for just 33 runs. Russell Barker similarly running in and bowling his eight for 49 runs without a wicket.

Tom Burgess (eight overs, one maiden two wickets for 38 runs) had some success, Leitch taking the catch to get rid of opener Stooks, and bowling number three bat, Lynch. Sztyber returned the favour and bowled Ridpath, finishing with five overs, one maiden, and one for 42.

But the afternoon belonged to the Rebels and to D Bone in particular. We were presented with a signed miniature bat to commemorate the club’s 100th anniversary, and we look forward to the away fixture.