A brand new pair of cricket boots was just what Sam Floyd needed as a 21st birthday present.
May be not the most exciting parental Coming of Age present – but something he needed badly because his old one’s had seen better days and, quite frankly, were ready for the dustbin.
Last Friday, when he tried the left boot on it fitted like a glove – just perfect then for Sam to go out and make a big score in Sarisbury Athletic’s needle Hampshire League derby with arch rivals Burridge at Allotment Road.
Come Saturday lunchtime, his father Jon won the toss and Sam got ready to bat at three, first wicket down.
Then came a problem: that 21st birthday present wasn’t quite what Sam really wanted.
His father had come back from the shop with TWO different sized LEFT boots - !
Cue panic. Sam had left the old battered boots at home !
“There was a mad panic. Fortunately my wife was at home and able to save the day,” father Floyd laughed.
“It was just as well Leigh was able to bring Sam’s old boots to the ground because he promptly went out and made 152 !”
Floyd’s second-best score (he made 153 in 2013), made alongside a fine 92 from Peter Hammond in a double-century partnership, enabled Sarisbury to score a mammoth 396-7.
Burridge were skittled for 107 – James Ingram’s 5-25 including a hat-trick – and to compound their misery George Pothas (brother of Nic) suffered an ankle ligament injury in the field and now has his foot in plaster …
May be not the most exciting parental Coming of Age present – but something he needed badly because his old one’s had seen better days and, quite frankly, were ready for the dustbin.
Last Friday, when he tried the left boot on it fitted like a glove – just perfect then for Sam to go out and make a big score in Sarisbury Athletic’s needle Hampshire League derby with arch rivals Burridge at Allotment Road.
Come Saturday lunchtime, his father Jon won the toss and Sam got ready to bat at three, first wicket down.
Then came a problem: that 21st birthday present wasn’t quite what Sam really wanted.
His father had come back from the shop with TWO different sized LEFT boots - !
Cue panic. Sam had left the old battered boots at home !
“There was a mad panic. Fortunately my wife was at home and able to save the day,” father Floyd laughed.
“It was just as well Leigh was able to bring Sam’s old boots to the ground because he promptly went out and made 152 !”
Floyd’s second-best score (he made 153 in 2013), made alongside a fine 92 from Peter Hammond in a double-century partnership, enabled Sarisbury to score a mammoth 396-7.
Burridge were skittled for 107 – James Ingram’s 5-25 including a hat-trick – and to compound their misery George Pothas (brother of Nic) suffered an ankle ligament injury in the field and now has his foot in plaster …
