BUZZ RETIRES AFTER VERY LONG INNINGS

By Glen Sands

Luddington's home game against Upton cum Kexby saw the Isle sides stalwart Barry O'Brien (pictured) bring his cricketing career to an end and with typical dramatic license he went out with a bang when he hit the winning run before retiring from the game he has graced for so long.
Upton cum Kexby won the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch that had ha an aweful lot of rain over the previous couple of days and they quickly found themselves one down when Tom Wray was superbly caught one handed by Andy Lawson off the bowling of that man O'Brien for just three. Fellow opener Shaun Metcalfe and Hayden Green then took the Kexby total to 42 in quick time before Metcalfe was caught behind by a juggling Steve Proctor off Graham Clark for 13. Green was next to go , bowled by Clark for a confident 23 with the total at 49 and suddenly the momentum of the game changed as runs were at a premium. Mark Green was trapped LBW by he impressive Clark then brother Joe and Will Birkett followed , the former bowled by the evr increasingly difficult to play Clark and Will edging to wicket keeper Proctor off Jamie Arrowsmith for three. John Mattiolli had stuck around for some time and had made twelve when he was bowled by Arron Curry who by then had really tightened things up with his brand of spinners and it was he who went on to pick up the rest of the Kexby wickets as the visitors slipped to 79 all out , Curry finishing with 3 for 15 and Graham Clark 4 for 21 for the Isle side.
It was Clark who opened the innings for Ludd with Martin Fletcher and they had put on 17 before Fletcher was out gloving a catch to wicket keeper Hayden Green off Will Birkett then skipper Gareth Parkin was caught by Toby Roerts off the bowling of John Mattiolli leaving Ludd on 20 for 2. Andy Lawson joined Clark in the middle and in his own inimitible style he raced to 15 before he was caught behind by Green off Mattiolli and when Danny Taylor was bwed by the in form Mattiolli without troubling the scorers Ludd were wobbling at 43 for 4. Jamie Arrowsmith and Clark then took the total to 60 before Tom Wray struck when he trapped Clark LBW for 25 and Arrowsmith was soon to follow when he was bowled by Ben Alsop for nine with the total on 66 , still fourteen runs short of their target. Oliver Saxon and Steve Proctor were determined to see their team home and it looked like they had as they drew level with Kexby's score but there was one last twist of fate when Saxon was caught by Mattiolli off Toby Rberts for six which set the scene for Buzz O'Brien to take to the crease for one las time. He strode out with just one pad on having earlier taken them off when the scores were levelled , and proceeded to guide his first delivery through backward point to clinch the win for Ludd and leave the field to a chorus of whoops and applauds from both teams.
So the 2011 season has drawn to a close with Luddington finishing in third spot whilst individually Graham Clark has had an excellent season with the ball putting him in contention for the league bowling award, but the day belonged to Barry O'Brien who joined the club in 2000 and barely missed a game from that moment on. His highlight had to be the time he took all nine wickets to fall in a game that saw the opposition with only ten men therefore prevetng him from taking all ten whilst he also figured in a match winning fifty plus partnership with Steve Proctor and he also recalls taking two stunning match winning catches of which he is so proud. He intends to continue to travel to the Luddington games with his wife Mandy and his trusty dg Eddie but from here on in it will be to watch fom the other side of the boundary rope. The Luddington lads wish to offer him their best wishes now that he has finally stood down and look forward to seeing him and his family for many years to come.
Thanks Buzza, it's been a blast!!!