During the Division 4 clash between Bedworth CC 2nd XI and Rugby CC 2nd XI on April 18th, light-hearted entertainment stole the show. Although the match itself was dominated by a simple chase for Rugby, a quirky run-out involving Andrew Wilks and Ben Jones lit up the afternoon.
The incident occurred during the 28th over of Bedworth's batting innings. Kranti Rayapaneni bowled the ball to Ben Jones who flicked it through to the square leg. The stroke seemed like an easy single and both batters instantly set off.
Suddenly, matters took an unpredictable turn. As both batters raced between the wickets, Andrew Wilks stumbled and fell on the pitch. The collapse of the batter delayed his run significantly and just as this was happening, Ben Jones took a turn towards the batting end.
With Wilks still grounded and struggling to complete the single, the Rugby fielders acted quickly. The ball was retrieved, sent back down to the wicket keeper and Jones was run out just short of his crease.
The comical incident of Wilks’ tumble was amplified by the fact that even the dropped batter had to smile, after what turned out to be a hilarious dismissal. The cheer and laugh that followed from the members on both sides of the pitch marked it as a truly memorable moment that was far more entertaining than the match itself.
Watch the video here:
Low Scoring Game, Target Chased Down With Ease
Earlier in the day Bedworth CC collapsed with the bat, bowled out for 78 in 43.1 overs. Andrew Wilks was the main contributor to the meagre total, batting for 96 balls to score 43 whilst wickets fell around him.
The only other batter to show up was Fraser Plowman who scored 22, and the rest of the team struggled to add to the score with some economical and precise Rugby bowling. Matthew Ewer led the way with 3 wickets for just 11 runs, while Deev Patel, Ash Cutts and Ben Haworth also added 2 wickets each to restrict Bedworth's total.
In reply to Rugby CC chased down the total of 78 comfortably. Matthew Ewer carried on where he left off with 58* off 69 balls and guided Rugby to 81 for 5 in 29.4 overs. Andrew Ashby and Andrew Wilks tried their best for Bedworth, taking 2 wickets each, but they were never going to defend such a small target. Bedworth's attempts were hampered in no small part by a funny run out involving the slip, which left Wilks well out of his ground.