2013 match archiveGreat Missenden
Sunday April 21 at Amersham
Strollers won by 84 runs
Strollers 237-4 dec
(Timperley 103no, Ovenden 59, Swan 49no, McDougall 16)
Great Missenden 153
(Crocker 5-52, Hodgson 2-13, Walder 2-42, Brodbeck 1-41)
“Who writes your scripts?” Graham Gooch once asked Ian Botham. No doubt the England batting coach would have asked James Timperley the same question on Sunday. Timperley marked his return from knee surgery and a year’s rehabilitation in triumphant fashion, with an undefeated century against Great Missenden Pelicans.
Badgers had done their best to delay the returns of Timperley and Jeff Ball, also recovered from knee surgery, by digging up the outfield at the Pelicans' home ground. Fortunately their neighbours Amersham CC kindly agreed to the use of their vast oval, with lightning outfield and rock-solid square.
Skipper Mike Morgan won the toss and opted to bat. Hamish McDougall set the tone by dispatching the first ball of the season wide of mid-on for four. McDougall and Jono Addis were careering along until both batsmen fell to the dangerous Sankar, mixing out-swingers with the occasional in-ducker to good effect. Strollers 28-2 after 5.2 overs.
The run rate barely dipped as Timperley and Piers Ovenden joined forces. Both batsmen were soon working away in minimalist fashion, the ball zipping across the green baize. Their partnership for the third wicket was worth 119 when Ovenden missed a straight one to depart lbw to the tireless Kankate (13 overs on the trot).
There was no respite for Great Missenden as Ball and Tim Swan displayed positive intent, Swan unfurling a series of rasping drives and elegant glides square of fine leg. Off-season fitness training regimes were put to the test as Swan and Timperley ran a four and then a three in quick succession.
Perhaps this took its toll because Swan then decided to go aerial with the shot of the day, a sweetly struck six over mid-on. Timperley muscled one back down the ground for another maximum, followed by a neat pick-up over midwicket that clattered pleasingly with a pinball effect among the tree branches.
From there it was a race to individual landmarks before the tea interval and the declaration, with Timperley reaching three figures and Swan falling just short of what would have been a richly deserved half-century. Their unbroken stand for the fifth wicket was worth 89.
Mike Morgan and Simon Brodbeck had not been able to come up with a fattened calf but our hosts provided fine sandwiches, chicken wings and cake, the lemon drizzle sponge prompting a healthy murmur of appreciation across the kindergarten tables.
Warren Crocker opened the bowling at the pavilion end and struck in his second over, swinging one away to hit the top of off stump. Hodgson (6-2-13-2) started 2013 where he left off in 2012, wheeling away with metronomic precision. Eventually he surprised the batsman with a full toss, hit straight to McDougall at mid-on, who took a good catch tumbling forward. Hodgson explained the fullsome length was necessary for the ball to swing both ways before it reached the batsman. Three balls later he had his next victim, Ball pouching the catch at gully in a nonchalant manner reminiscent of the position's greatest exponent, Ivor Fiala.
The opening bowlers gave way to Aaron Walder and Simon Brodbeck, who displayed some interesting variations to their usual line and length guile. The out-fielding was of a high standard with Addis, covering swathes of Buckinghamshire in the deep, impressing the home umpires with his arm.
To their credit Great Missenden continued to play their shots and indeed, with 120-odd runs required off the last 20 overs, were not without a chance to win the match. Those hopes were dashed when their skipper, Alex Livie, was caught by Morgan from the bowling of Walder for 28. Crocker returned to finish off the innings with six overs to spare in the day.
The players lingered long at the bar to savour the start of the season with a core of die-hard supporters and their loyal hounds. The final word went to Simon Brodbeck who thought it “an enjoyable outing to a lovely spot. Very relaxing.” Clearly there’s nothing quite as comforting as a good script, worked and re-worked over many dark months, played out before you to perfection.
Capt and Wkt: Mike Morgan, Match fees: Tom Wood.
Woodley
Sunday April 28 at Woodley
Strollers won by 47 runs
Strollers 205-8
(40 overs; Timperley 89, Ovenden 67, Wood 17)
Woodley 158-7
(40 overs; Crocker 2-15, Duff 2-20, Ferrick 1-13, Brodbeck 1-23, Stubbs 1-24)
Braywood, our intended opponents called late in the week with the news that their ground was too wet to prepare for our visit. Unfazed by this, Simon pulled a rabbit from a hat in the shape of the friendly Woodley CC, who reside about 10 miles down the M4 from Braywood, but in the arid Reading zone. As is often the case with hastily rearranged fixtures, not all went to plan. Most of the team arrived at about 1.55pm for a 2pm start only to find the game already under way.
News filtered through that skipper Piers Ovenden had lost the toss and been asked to bat. Lucky, considering only four players were present at the start, resulting in Sam Brodbeck starting the umpiring in his pads.
Sam Ferrick fell early feathering a ball down the legside and into the keeper’s gloves, and with a sound grasp of the Strollers’s ethos turned and headed for the hutch without waiting for the finger. James Timperley strode out to join his captain after a very speedy changing and padding-up routine. The Woodley opening bowlers continued with some decent line and length and were aided in the swing department by a very brisk and cold wind blowing across the large open field. It was noted that the umpires gladly received bowlers’ sweaters to try and keep warm.
After a studious start Piers and James started to open up and found the boundary regularly, much as they had done in their century partnership last week. James was not quite as fluent as normal, perhaps being a bit ring rusty after the enforced break in 2012, playing and missing more than usual and offering a few chances, including a difficult caught and bowled that nearly broke the bowler’s hand. The Woodley skipper made regular changes to his attack but could not break the partnership as both batsmen passed 50 and then for the second week passed the century partnership mark. Piers fell on 67, ending a fine stand of 122.
A chilly Sam Brodbeck joined James and was promptly run out in unlucky circumstances. James hit a firm drive straight back down the track, the Woodley skipper managed to get a finger to it and deflect it into the stumps leaving Sam stranded out of his ground. He philosophically observed that he had never been out in that manner before.
Tom Wood made a brisk 17 in his first game of the season before being caught and James (89) perished soon after to a fine tumbling catch at long-off. As the 200 mark came up skipper Ovenden remarked that “All runs now are gravy”. Sadly there wasn’t much gravy as George Calvocoressi, Ryan Duff, Warren Crocker and Jim Hodgson came and went in quick succession and we finished the 40 overs on 205.
It’s always nice to have some support, but almost unheard of on such a cold and windy day, so hats off to Emily Calvocoressi who watched virtually the whole game, accompanied by two chocolate dogs: Lucy an elderly Labrador and Bolly, a very energetic Spaniel puppy.
Fuelled by a good tea (the spicy pasties have been logged on the Top Tea Items for 2013 spreadsheet) and the opportunity to warm up indoors, Crocker and Hodgson opened the bowling. Crocker struck early and was rewarded by being taken off while Hodgson trundled away for his eight overs without reward. Richie Stubbs, fresh from winter nets, bowled well for 1-24 and Simon Brodbeck was frugal as ever, returning 1-23 off his full eight overs. The one wicket in his spell was a well-taken catch at mid-off by Crocker.
Sam Ferrick hung on to a ferociously hit ball for an excellent caught and bowled. He was also very quick in the field and narrowly missed three or four direct hit run-outs. From the start the opening bat F Ahmed had been accumulating runs and keeping Woodley in the hunt but Duff got him with the first ball of his spell thanks to a nonchalantly taken catch by stand-in keeper Ovenden.
From then on the Strollers were in full control of the game. Duff claimed a second as did Crocker when recalled, then Calvocoressi came on for the final overs upon which Emily gathered the dogs and retreated to the car. “She must have seen him bowl before,” suggested someone as Woodley finished their 40 overs on 158-7 and the Strollers headed to the bar for some warming ales.
Capt and wkt: Piers Ovenden. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Maidenhead & Bray
Sunday May 5 at Bray
Strollers won by 81 runs
Strollers 216-6
(40 overs; Ferrick 86, Timperley 37, Sam Brodbeck 30, Wood 25, Crocker 22no, Davidson 11)
Maidenhead & Bray 135
(27.4 overs; Simon Brodbeck 4-31, Patston 2-11, Crocker 1-16, Macaulay 1-21, Wood 1-24, Ovenden 1-28)
In which Sam Ferrick goes over the top, Simon takes a hat-trick
and Peter takes it on the chin...
On the first warm day of the cricketing summer, a large crowd gathered at the picturesque Maidenhead and Bray ground in the shadow of Bray church. Sadly, most were there for a christening party and missed the real action out on the pitch.
Mike Morgan won the toss and the Strollers elected to bat first in a 40-over match. Tom Wood and Sam Ferrick opened and the score was soon ticking along as Ferrick hit the bad balls crisply to the boundary. Wood was using the edge rather more and admitted that only one of his boundaries through the slips was deliberate. The outfield was quick and the pitch good for batting, so a 200+ plus score looked to be par.
Wood was bowled for 25 in a stand of 72 for the first wicket and was replaced by James Timperley, who initially started slowly as Ferrick was in such good form at the other end. Maidenhead's best bowler was probably the leg-spinner Blackwell and even he could only watch as Ferrick twice hit him back over his head and the netting at the end of the ground. Timperley also picked up the pace but was lbw for 37 playing across the line.
Piers Ovenden gave the umpire no choice when Blackwell landed one on his foot in line with the stumps and departed for one. Sam Brodbeck was positive from the beginning and carried on after Ferrick was caught in the deep for an excellent 86. Maidenhead stuck at it and did not allow the score to totally run away from them. Sam Brodbeck was also caught in the deep for 30 as the overs were running out. Kelvin Davidson (11) and Warren Crocker (22 not out) swung the bat at the end as the Strollers finished on 216-6, a score that looked defendable in the conditions.
After tea, this looked a little optimistic as Maidenhead opener Jacobsen signalled his intent by hitting the first ball of the innings from Piers Ovenden for four and then following with a four and a three in the same over. In the third over however, Piers induced an edge from the other opener which flew to Peter Patston at first slip, who skilfully diverted it with his chin and collarbone into the hands of Timperley at second slip. The lack of use of hands is not to be recommended generally, though. That victim represented Ovenden's 50th wicket for the Strollers.
Crocker struck the following over, the ball flying into Timperley's midriff, this time without any contact with Patston. Simon Brodbeck replaced Crocker and got an lbw in his first over. Maidenhead steadied the innings as Jacobsen continued to hit the ball hard and at the 20-over mark they were 93-3 and still very much in the game.
The drinks break often brings a wicket and this time Alastair Macaulay snaffled a caught and bowled in the following over. Simon Brodbeck then got the crucial wicket of Jacobsen caught yet again by Timperley who did a bit of juggling but clung on to the ball. At the huddle, Ovenden sagely remarked that five wickets sometimes brings six and so next ball the batsman took an almighty swipe and was bowled. The next batsman obligingly stepped in front of his stumps offering no stroke and the Brodbeck hat-trick was complete. The great surprise was that it was only Simon's second ever for the club. The church bells rang out in celebration. And rang. And rang.
Patston replaced Macaulay at the other end and picked up a couple of wickets in his second over as the batsmen attempted to hit out in what they knew was a lost cause. Wood, who had been struggling with line and length to the extent that Sam Brodbeck cruelly suggested that he bowl left-handed, straightened one up to claim the final wicket lbw.
Strong orange squash and refreshing light ales were then called for as the Strollers rehydrated in the evening sunshine.
Capt and wkt: Mike Morgan. Match Fees: Tom Wood.
Jordans Taverners
Saturday May 11 at Seer Green
Strollers lost by 88 runs
Jordans Taverners 215-6
(40 overs; Thomas 4-9, Ovenden 1-29, Crocker 1-38)
Strollers 127
(36.1 overs; Ovenden 50, Brodbeck 15no, Allsopp 13)
Whatever the weather, they always finish the match at Jordans. Especially when, regrettably for the Strollers, the Taverners are marching towards a comfortable win.
The predicted showers had held off for most of the afternoon, but by the time the rain really set in (barring one break for an onslaught of hailstones) the Strollers were nine down and all hope of victory gone. A bedraggled Ivor Fiala, reluctant to get a soaking without a landmark not out to bat for, decided enough was enough and offered up a catch to finish things off in an 88-run defeat.
Bowling first, the Strollers had started the match well on top. The Seer Green pitch had already undergone a soaking and offered plenty of bounce. Warren Crocker had opener and captain Chris Morton caught at cover, but the main damage was done by the latest Kiwi debutant, Andrew Thomas. Having claimed he had not played in two and a half years, it was perhaps inevitable that he would make it look annoyingly easy. Bowling with accuracy and getting some good lift off a length, he snaffled 4-9 from his eight overs, which included three maidens.
Thomas followed another illustrious introduction to the Strollers at Seer Green. Ten years ago the debutant was Tom Wood, who top-scored with 55 then took 2-26 opening the bowling. Musing on his anniversary, he said: “I was promised a bed by Mike Morgan but didn’t even get a blanket. So I decided to drive home at five in the morning and got done for drink driving.” A salutary tale for Mr Thomas…
Aside from Wood’s post-match activities, there are further parallels with 2003. The match report from 10 years ago records a decent start, “only for the Strollers to confirm that they are at their most vulnerable when in a strong position”. Chasing 152 that day, they fell short by 12 runs. Hubris is our enemy, as Wood might have said.
This time, Jordans were 40-5 after 13 overs, only for the sixth wicket pair to put on 167. By the time that captain Piers Ovenden bowled Murphy for 76, the Strollers felt somewhat chastened, with catches starting to hit the deck and the dark clouds billowing in.
With a target of 216, the Strollers could at least take comfort from an apparent improvement in the pitch that let Jordans rack up the runs. Ovenden and Wood began well and were middling the ball, until Wood was out to a brilliant slip catch from Keith Murphy for eight. Paul Dorrans went second ball and Kelvin Davidson could add only four, but Thomas managed to stick around with the skipper for a few overs – surviving an appeal for a catch when umpire Fiala conducted a mental review and (very) belatedly signalled a no-ball.
Ovenden was batting studiously and placing his shots well with a range of strokes, hitting 10 fours as he made his way to 50. However, the ball after reaching his half-century he missed a straight delivery that kept low and slapped into his pads. When Crocker edged behind soon afterwards, the game was more or less up.
A few late boundaries from Laurie Allsopp and Simon Brodbeck managed to reduce the deficit to double figures as the pitch began to prove as much of a danger to the bowlers as the batsmen: the mud that followed the hail left one Taverners bowler with a beautifully splattered set of whites as he slipped in his delivery stride.
Then the last wicket fell as the rain poured – a starting gun for the dash to the Jolly Cricketers, where once dried and furnished with ale the Strollers finally felt the clouds had lifted.
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Kelvin Davidson. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Woldingham
Sunday May 12 at Woldingham
Strollers won by 10 wickets
Woldingham 116
(Simon Brodbeck 4-18, Ferrick 3-23, Swan 1-22, Dorrans 1-34)
Strollers 117-0
(Ferrick 60no, Timperley 51no)
The honourable Alexander Shaw, the donor of the Woldingham ground, said at its opening on July 6th 1935: “This Craigmyle Glebe has no political or ecclesiastical ties and offers no barriers of party or creed. Yet amidst the happiness of good fellowship and sport it must surely mean something that our games are played under the protecting shadow of an edifice which is the token among us of an Ancient Church and the reminder of an immortal destiny”. Words to warm your cockles, if not your ...yes, it was another one of those bitterly cold and damp days.
In another hastily arranged fixture – Mynthurst having failed to raise a side, Woldingham kindly came to the rescue – captain Mike Morgan’s first astute decision for the day was to call wrongly at the toss. This meant the Strollers would bowl first on a spongy wicket. Both openers struggled for line and length throughout their opening spells. However, Paul Dorrans managed to claim the first wicket for the day, with his third ball crashing into the opener’s pads on the full. Done for pace or deceived in flight?
This brought their attacking No 3 to the crease, who was quick to punish anything on his legs with deft use of his wrists. Anything short of a length sat up on a dinner plate, waiting to be dispatched and he duly spanked those as well. The other opener was finally removed in a similar fashion to his partner; deceived by a straight ball from Sam Ferrick (perhaps the first of his spell).
Morgan’s second astute decision was to bring on the Strollers’ premier strike bowler, Simon Brodbeck, a foil to an attacking batman’s ambition. Accordingly he removed their No 3, feathering the slightest of edges through to Morgan’s already adjacent gloves for a belligerent 44. It was a bright and energetic start from both sides.
Tim Swan found the time to extricate his girlfriend’s underwear and locate a little more venom to remove the off bail of the No 5, before the fifth-wicket partnership looked to grind through the chilly afternoon. Hands were in pockets and impromptu star-jumps preformed in an effort to keep warm. A certain batman’s reluctance to take the single made Ajuna Ranatunga look positively gazelle-esque. On a brisk spring day, time seemed to hover.
Not that the day was without incident. There were moments of concern for us all when a tumbling Morgan caught a stray boot in the back of the head trying to effect a run-out and debutant Ben Huda was reduced to a hobble with a high hamstring strain. Both will thankfully live to fight another day.
Eventually, Brodbeck enticed the false stroke, the batsman lofting the ball to mid-off, where Ferrick took a good forward diving catch. The following ball thumped into pad, but the harmonised appeal was turned down.
Out of character with the previous 55 minutes of his innings, AR went for a walk the next ball, to be deftly stumped leg-side. And when James Timperley held an outstanding diving catch at slip, Brodbeck had three in four balls. Absurdly, Brodbeck’s hat-trick ball created little fanfare, but then again all things can become old hat, even figures of 14-4-18-4.
Dorrans returned to claim another, ending with 2-34. Ferrick chipped in with another couple, a gloveless stumping and a middle stump castling of their promising tail-end youngster, Gus Iyer, aged eight.
As Woldingham’s innings came to a sudden conclusion at 116, the drizzle abruptly commenced and was to be with us for the rest of the afternoon.
Bowling second in these conditions was always going to be a tough ask and with the ball as slick as a seal pup, Timperley and Ferrick set about knocking off the modest target. Timperley eased classical cover drives on anything over-pitched and Ferrick scattered fielders and square-leg umpires alike with a series of ferocious pull shots. The fielding side never tired in their earnest endeavour to take the mick out of one another, making the plundering of their bowlers easier on the conscience.
Ferrick was the first to reach his 50 and with Timperley acutely aware of a limited number of runs available he managed to stretch to running a three ...off the last ball of the over.
The target was reached well before the 20-over mark as a gloomy Sunday afternoon was set to become a gloomier Sunday evening. A game of good fellowship played with good fellows where a ship would have been handy.
Special mention must go to Sam Brodbeck, whose 100th Strollers appearance against Maidenhead and Bray the previous week was marked with the traditional bottle of champagne. On such an auspicious occasion for him, his contribution was limited to some electric fielding, strong throwing and delightfully weighted returns to the bowler from mid-on. I’m sure his father appreciated never having to break stride on his way back to his mark. Thirteen years in the making; congratulation to you, Sam.
From one Sam to another, I leave you with the words of the New Zealand poet Sam Hunt (a reference you’ll have to check with a fellow Stroller who played this match):
You live in this world
You have no choice.
Silence would be fine.
But you give it voice –
You have to, you cannot
Help yourself.
Your mother says you never knew
When enough was enough.
Capt and wkt: Mike Morgan. Match fees: Simon Brodbeck.
Roehampton
Sunday May 19 in Putney
Strollers lost by nine wickets
Strollers 155-7 dec
(McDougall 38, Fredrickson 32, Tom Wood 32no, Rory Wood 12, Stubbs 10no)
Roehampton 158-1
(Crocker 1-42)
After recent wintry conditions it was a bonus to see that the players cast shadows on the pitch as they warmed up, none more so than Sam Ferrick who clearly has a predilection for exposing himself to passers-by in the leafy suburbs of SW London. A greater shadow was cast on over 45% of the team as the sound of a New Zealand batting collapse at Lord’s regaled the team from the chairman’s radio.
This did not deter openers Hamish McDougall and Justin Fredrickson who moved stolidly to 72 in 17 overs, rather more than their 11 countrymen achieved as a unit at Lord’s. Both played some good shots with a memorable six from Fredrickson; each would have scored more had it not been for the slow outfield and, more importantly, tight bowling and fielding from Roehampton.
Then it all went horribly wrong. McDougall was bowled by Patel for 38 – Patel was to bowl 14 overs on the trot, and by this stage was coming in off one step. Ferrick was also bowled by Patel, but through a curious dismissal as he tried to play a shot but snagged his bat behind his pad. He was immediately followed by Fredrickson for 38, then Jeff Ball, Warren Crocker and Paul Dorrans, all bowled.
So from 72-0 to 90-6. Dorrans returned to the boundary confused by the giggling of his teammates – Mr Ball had pointed out that if Jennifer Lopez was J-Lo, this made Paul Dorrans P-Do. Let us hope that this does not stick.
Having watched the carnage from the other end, skipper Tom Wood started to hit out, conserving his energy by trundling between the wickets. He was joined by debutant Rory Wood, who knocked off a quick 12, then Richie Stubbs who reached double figures before the declaration at tea; Tom’s 32 not out was a good knock. We felt that 155 was a defendable target, though rather fewer than we had hoped, and off only 37 overs.
And so it seemed, after a fine tea in which the flapjacks received particular praise. Warren Crocker struck in his second over, removing Roehampton skipper Clive Henderson with a plumb lbw.
Then, for the second time in the day, the wheels came off. Roehampton debutant Tom Stewart, sporting a Durham University/MCC Universities shirt, smashed his way to a chanceless hundred, paying scant heed to the sensibilities of Crocker, Stubbs, Rory Wood, Simon Brodbeck and Ferrick. “No thanks”, said Dorrans, in response to the skipper tossing him the ball. And who can blame him? Well supported by Vaghela, Stewart took Roehampton to their now clearly modest target with 15 overs to spare. A class act.
Post-match analysis continued in the clubhouse with our hospitable hosts, and then at the Curry Mahal in Putney.
Capt: Tom Wood. Wkt: Hamish McDougall. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Press-ganged scorer as we fielded: Dal Crocker.
Bledlow
Sunday May 26 at Bledlow
Strollers lost by eight wickets
Strollers 123
(Davidson 55, Sam Brodbeck 24)
Bledlow 126-2
(Stubbs 1-18, Crocker 1-27)
This was a match played in the best Strollers tradition with a nice ground, decent opposition and a good tea. The fixture had returned to the list after a couple of seasons and the fine weather had returned for a second weekend.
Bledlow CC, whose president is Lord Carrington, is situated at the foot of the Chiltern hills beside the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Steam Railway. Unfortunately, the steam engines were not running and a couple of diesels were pulling the trains instead.
Strollers captain, Peter Patston, won the toss and decided to have a bat. The Wood “brothers” opened the innings with Wood major (aka Tom) and Wood minor (aka Rory) seeing out the first few overs before an excellent high catch at second slip saw off Tom in the fourth over. He was quickly followed by Rory, who was caught in the sixth over.
Kelvin Davidson strode out to face the Bledlow bowling attack and was soon joined by Sam Brodbeck. Of the two, Brodbeck started off more quickly and had reached 24 (with one six and one four) before being out c&b to the third good catch of the innings. Davidson started off slowly, but picked the pace up with some fine shots to reach his 50 (with two sixes and four fours) off 86 balls in just over an hour. At the other end, Jeff Ball and then Warren Crocker offered good support.
All seemed well in the world with the English summer having arrived at last, the trains running slowly past the ground and the Strollers going along nicely at 76-3, but then ... an off-drive from Crocker, two quick runs and the third was called for. An excellent Bledlow throw, back to the striker’s end, saw Davidson run out for 55. Crocker was soon the fourth Stroller to be caught and the score was now 92-5 and, like the railway, the Strollers innings was running out of steam. Blair Martin, Simon Brodbeck, Laurie Allsopp, Richie Stubbs and Peter Patston all added a few runs to bring the Strollers total up to 123.
Following a fine tea, of which the Victoria sponge deserves a mention, captain Patston rallied the troops to defend what seemed like a modest total. Crocker opened the bowling from the Country End with Simon Brodbeck from the Railway End. The Bledlow openers had put on 18 before Crocker got the breakthrough with the Bledlow opener nicking a fast one to Rory Wood at second slip. This brought Bartlett to the crease for Bledlow, who, after a slow start, took the game away from the Strollers with 63 off 37 balls before retiring.
Rory Wood came on at the Railway End followed by Richie Stubbs, who clean bowled the Bledlow No 4. At the Country End, Martin replaced Crocker before Allsopp was handed the ball for the 25th and last over as Bledlow reached their target with the loss of two wickets.
Both teams retired to the pavilion and shared a drink in the evening sunshine as the shadows lengthened across the ground.
Capt: Peter Patston. Wkt: Kelvin Davidson. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Scorer: The President, Maggie Patston.
Supporters: Dal Crocker and Lavinia, James & Charlotte Stubbs.
The Times
Saturday June 1 in Dulwich
Strollers won by four wickets
The Times 203
(Simon Brodbeck 4-39, Martin 3-29, Thomas 1-42, Macaulay 1-47)
Strollers 204-6
(Hodgson 39, Swale 35no, Swan 33, Shannon 24, Rory Wood 21, Sam Brodbeck 17)
After last week's shock vote of no confidence in captains Mike Morgan, Piers Ovenden and Peter Patston, a desperate Strollers electorate turned to a confident young firebrand to salvage the season.
Standing on the steps of the Griffin Club pavilion, captain James Hodgson delivered a speech intended to banish the memories of recent thrashings against Jordans Taverners, Roehampton and Bledlow:
"Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope", Hodgson proclaimed in his unmistakable Worcestershire burr.
His words brought tears to the eyes of a few, and baffled looks to the faces of many.
The atmosphere in Dulwich village was electric, and as the thermometers knocked on the door of 20C the game began. The Times batted first, sending out two openers with clear tactics: block the first five balls of the over then slog the sixth over the short boundaries. Warren Crocker and Andrew Thomas bowled with pace and aggression but failed to make a breakthrough. Sam Brodbeck dropped the Times' film critic after being distracted by a cough in the stands, before Simon Brodbeck had him caught and bowled.
Brodbeck pegged the batting side back further, ending up with 4-39, but it was up to Blair Martin (3-29), a couple of lightning stumpings from Tim Swan and a Crocker run-out to finish the innings off. The Times were all out for an intimidating 203, yet Captain Hodgson remained confident - though observers put this down to the concussion he suffered after diving over an off-drive.
Swan and Hodgson got the Strollers reply off to a solid start, adding 81 before Hodgson was out leg before wicket. Rory Wood and Sam Brodbeck hacked away but left a lot of work when they were both out caught. Debutant and contender for tallest-ever Stroller, Eric Swale, ate away at the target, aided by a limping Crocker and whippet-like running from Keith Shannon. Victory was sealed with six wickets down, the south London sun setting and just an over to spare.
As the English Defence League and British National Party marched on Westminster, Captain Hodgson made a silent prayer for the loose immigration policies of the '00s. There may be more popular reasons for opposing the far right, but as far as the Strollers are concerned the steady stream of chirpy, talented antipodeans is essential if the club's 50-year plan to achieve first-class county status is to be a success.
Capt: Jim Hodgson. Wkt: Tim Swan. Match fees: Simon Brodbeck.
Berkhamsted
Sunday June 2 at Berkhamsted
Strollers won by 125 runs
Strollers 240-8
(40 overs; Timperley 135, Ferrick 42, Veersteeg 21)
Berkhamsted 115
(Tom Addis 3-8, Ovenden 3-16, Ball 2-15, Salvesen 1-8, Stubbs 1-34)
And so dear reader from the hamlets of Dulwich to leafy Hertfordshire where Berkhamsted lay in wait for the Strollers, who - in a first - fielded no less than seven Kiwis. We welcomed back Messrs James Timperley, Piers Ovenden, and Sam Ferrick from the longer form of the game (made shorter by their Test match compatriots at Headingley). Bethany Addis had kindly allowed dad Jono and uncle Tom a Sunday afternoon in the sun. The Kiwi contingent was completed by Ricky Versteeg (yet another lawyer!) making his debut and Justin Fredrickson (yep another one!). Home talent comprised of Richie Stubbs, Alastair Macaulay, Tom Salvesen and Jeff Ball. Parallels were drawn between some one-day game which was in full swing at the Rose Bowl.
Ovenden agreed a 40-over match and for the third time in a row lost the toss. Fortuitously for the third time in a row, Piers was asked to do what he would have done had he won the toss and we were put into bat, on a good, hard wicket, famous for its slope.
Berkhamsted, fielding a number of youngsters, started strongly and Fredrickson and Jono were soon back in the hutch; Jono, attempting a full-blooded drive well caught at mid-off at the second time of asking (Bethany, dutifully, slept through it all) and Fredrickson out leg before.
Enter JT, whose form has been nothing short of spectacular since his annus horribilus of 2012. With debutant Versteeg happy to anchor the innings and get a close-up view of the man in full flow, Timperley despatched the ball ruthlessly to all parts of the ground, helping himself to seven sixes and many more fours, scoring 60% of the Strollers’ total in what was a chanceless innings until he finally succumbed in the 38th over. Versteeg showed much promise in his innings of 21, with cameos from Ball, Tom Addis and a very good knock from Ferrick, who compiled a rapid 42.
A total of 240 looked a commanding one, although credit must be given the bowling side who fielded tenaciously, and in particular to opening bowler Dam Harlow who finished with figures of 5-14. A fantastic tea, where the cheeseboard gets a special mention, was taken in high spirits (particularly by the Kiwi contingent who had seen their side put on 360 against their red-kitted counterparts) before the reply from Berkhamsted began.
It was clear both of the openers had decided that a quick start was key to their chances of victory and that they needed to play their shots and take a few risks. Both Salvesen and Ovenden bowled rhythmically and with hostility, with Piers taking the edge on no fewer than four occasions in two overs of a six-over spell – unfortunately the ball flew between the slips, or landed just short of them. But you can’t keep a good man down and our captain persisted and was rewarded with two wickets in two balls (both bowled) before snaring a third victim with the aid of the slope.
Salvesen was rewarded for his spell with a solitary wicket when his bowling deserved more reward. Unfortunately for Berkhamsted, they never managed to build any major partnerships barring one obdurate stand between No3 Phillip Brown (an illustrious opera singer who hit some high notes) and No7 Guy Lewis. Salvesen and Ovenden were replaced by Stubbs and Macaulay, both of whom bowled tidily, and for their full complement of eight overs apiece, returning figures of 1-34 and 0-27 respectively.
In one of the few All-England moments on the day, Macaulay took an outstanding catch at square leg to give Stubbs his wicket. Ovenden then let Tom Addis and Ball loose – Addis bowled with swing and accuracy, and returned figures of 3-8 as he too took two wickets in two balls, including a caught behind from Jono (another Strollers first of caught Addis bowled Addis) and Ball, well, didn’t. The extras column benefited hugely from his introduction, although he too picked up a couple of late wickets.
In the end Berkhamsted simply ran out of steam and were all out for 115. A special mention goes to the fielding which was probably up there with the best seen by a Strollers outfit.
In the warmth of the evening sun, as news filtered through of another Kiwi victory, both teams pondered the events of the afternoon and the Strollers looked forward to returning next season to a lovely ground against our friendly opposition.
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Jono Addis.
Match Fees and Scorer: Alastair Macaulay.
L J Clark
Thursday June 6 in Wandsworth
Strollers lost by six wickets
Strollers 103-8
(20 overs; Extras 33, Wood 28, Read 11no)
L J Clark 104-4
(14 overs; Thomas 2-27, Stubbs 1-8, Hodgson 1-28)
The Strollers’ midweek team assembled at Wandsworth for the first of six 20/20 matches this season. Most players arrived in good time to introduce themselves to some new team-mates and warm up. It was a couple of years since the Strollers had played LJ Clark as the corresponding fixture was rained off last season.
Captain Jim Hodgson won the toss, decided to have a bat and sent Tom Wood and Ben Page to face LJ’s bowling attack on a green looking wicket. Wood and Page set to work and saw off the first 10 overs before Wood was run out for 28 and Page was caught for seven a few balls later with the score on 53.
Andy Clarke strode out to the middle and started off well before suffering his first part of bad luck of the evening when a very hard straight drive was superbly caught by the bowler. The Strollers middle order of Richard Addison, John Low and Jeff Ball all tried to accelerate the run rate and hit some good shots but were bowled for four, five and four respectively. Next up were the Strollers bowlers to add a few runs with the bat – Andrew Thomas was bowled for two, leaving Julian Read (11 not out) and Jim Hodgson (three not out) to help the total past the 100 mark with the help of 33 extras.
With a modest total to defend, captain Hodgson opened the bowling with the pace attack of Read and Thomas, rekindling a fierce NZ school bowling attack! However, LJ’s opening batsmen fought fire with fire and scored at a fine rate. The good bowling was eventually rewarded when Thomas picked up two wickets – both bowled. Richie Stubbs replaced Read at the Windmill Estate End while Hodgson replaced Thomas at the County Arms End. Stubbs took a swirling catch at point to give Hodgson his wicket before bowling LJ’s No5 to pick up one himself.
It was at this point that Strollers wicketkeeper Clarke suffered his second piece of bad luck when a ball from Stubbs reared up off the pitch, the batsman (being used to the unpredictable bounce) ducked and the ball caught Clarke on the head leading to an evening in St.Georges’s Hospital A&E rather than the County Arms. One of the LJs kindly drove Clarke to A&E while Thomas took over behind the stumps for the last few balls as the LJs knocked off the runs with six overs and six wickets to spare.
Capt: Jim Hodgson. Wkts: Andy Clarke, Andrew Thomas.
Match Fees: Tom Wood. Scorer: Keith Shannon.
Pinkneys Green
Sunday June 9 at Pinkneys Green
Strollers won by 47 runs
Strollers 195-8
(40 overs; Addis 70, Wood 51, Duff 43)
Pinkneys Green 148-9
(40 overs; Simon Brodbeck 3-20, Macaulay 2-25, Calvocoressi 1-13, Dorrans 1-19, Hodgson 1-29, Patston 1-34)
The sight of Jono Addis dragging his cricket bag from the car park is not one to gladden the hearts of the bowlers of Pinkneys Green. Over 400 runs in the last three years for once out makes it his favourite ground by a country mile. So no-one was quicker to reply to the match manager for this one, no doubt hoping that we would bat first.
He was not disappointed. Skipper Piers Ovenden lost the toss for the fourth time in a row but the Strollers were inserted. Ovenden marched out with Jono to open in a 40-over contest. The young opening bowlers (brothers Tim and Warren Hendry) had probably been victims in previous years but had gained pace and accuracy and kept it tight. Piers was soon given out caught down the leg side for four, raised a quizzical eyebrow at the umpire (G. Calvocoressi) and marched off. Tim Swan was out soon after and so it was up to Addis and Tom Wood to rebuild the innings closely monitored by Piers as he put in a long spell as umpire as he pondered the fickle finger of fate (G. Calvocoressi).
They took full advantage of any loose deliveries and gradually the run-rate rose. Jono, who earlier had taken a crack on the wrist from one of the openers, was first to reach his 50 and was eventually caught on the long-on boundary for 70, having put on 108 for the third wicket with Tom. He later described it on Facebook as his scratchiest 70 ever. Some of us dream of a scratchy 70. In the meantime the innings was in danger of falling shy of a decent total as wickets fell as the other end - George Calvocoressi for seven (fooled by a slower ball) and Jim Hodgson lbw for four. Pinkneys Green's bowlers were bowling well and 170 seemed aspirational.
That was until Ryan Duff came in to join Tom, who went on to make 51 before he was bowled. Ryan immediately went on the offensive, striking the ball cleanly . He was particularly effective off his legs, finding the short boundary. He took 12 off the first over he faced and 20 off another. By the time he was bowled in the final over he has scored 43 off 25 balls and taken the Strollers to over 190. The innings closed on 195 and the contributions of Addis, Wood and Duff had put the Strollers in the driving seat with a good total to defend.
After tea (which included always-welcome hot sausage rolls and Cath Snapes' sensational home-made scones and jam - plus cream), Piers showed his innovative captaincy by opening the bowling with Paul Dorrans and Alastair Macaulay. His long stint of umpiring had paid off as he had observed the uneven nature of the pitch. The Pinkneys Green openers started circumspectly until the fourth over when Anthony Fuller took a swipe at a Macaulay tempter and was caught by Piers at mid-off. Dorrans immediately had the other opener, Warren Hendry, lbw at the other end.
Macaulay and Dorrans bowled through their eight overs each and the combination of accurate slow and fast bowling kept the runs down. Macaulay was rewarded for probably his best spell of the season by bowling Nick Jones through the gate in his final over and finished with 2-25. Dorrans was very difficult to get away and ended with 1-19. After 16 overs PG were 48-3 and the run-rate was mounting.
Peter Patston and Jim Hodgson replaced the opening bowlers and in his first over Peter dropped one short to the left-handed Steve Jinman. He had plenty of time to decide where to hit it but managed to pull it round to Macaulay lurking at shortish fine leg, who got both hands to it diving to his left.
Tim Snapes and Graeme Hendry then put together a partnership until Hendry was bowled by Simon Brodbeck for 32. Snapes made a valiant and well-made 30 until he was caught behind by Swan off Hodgson. Jim was also unlucky not to get more than the one wicket from a couple of skyers that he induced.
Brodbeck then picked up a couple more wickets in quick succession including a catch to Addis to keep up his push to the 1,000 wicket mark. Calvocoressi also claimed a wicket, caught in the gully by Addis, and celebrated by buying a couple of jugs of ale in the bar afterwards. He'll get another spell on that basis.
Thanks as ever to Pinkneys Green for their hospitality and Cath Snapes for the amazing tea.
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Tim Swan. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Thames Valley
Thursday June 13 at Spelthorne
Strollers won by 20 runs
Strollers 126-5
(20 overs; Mahadeva 29no, Leach 28no, Ball 13no, Tjasink 11)
Thames Valley 106
(19.3 overs; Mahadeva 3-21, Ball 2-9, Stubbs 2-18, Tjasink 1-18, Andrew Wood 1-26)
Despite clear blue sky on three sides, a bank of black cloud insisted on stationing itself over the picturesque Sunbury meadows, aided and abetted by a chill gusty wind from north of Rayners Lane which made those who had eschewed voluminous sweaters wish they had not.
Captain Tom Wood won the toss and, in the absence of several essential elements in his package, elected to bat. An explosive 28 by Spencer Leach (one of several debutants) – including 18 off one over – sent the Strollers on their merry way, followed by a slightly more circumspect 29 from Amar Mahadeva (another debutant we will be happy to see more of), and the die was cast.
With both compulsorily retired after passing 25, the innings was consolidated with a stolid nine from John Gibson, similar from Richard Addison, and 11 from Steve Tjasink before Richie Stubbs and Jeff “run-a-ball” Ball saw the Strollers through to a decent if unspectacular total of 126.
Down the road England were improbably failing to defend a total of 293 against Sri Lanka, but the Strollers were never in serious danger of suffering a similar fate after dangerous Thames Valley opener Graham Doggett was nailed first ball by Stubbs off a top edge. Thereafter wickets fell at frequent intervals with only minor additions to the score, thanks to keen bowling and agile catching and fielding (save for David Meilton, who not only failed to spot the ball whizzing past his nose at square leg but was compelled to elicit assistance in locating it in the grass beyond the boundary. Such are the penalties of age and infirmity). Leach was a revelation behind the timbers, belying claims of only modest experience with the gloves by catching and stopping everything that came at him.
All the bowlers played their part, Stubbs 2-18, Mahadeva 3-21, Ball 2-9, Tjasink 1-18, and Andrew Wood 1-26, capping a splendid Strollers debut with a blinding running catch in the deep from twilight skies. An excellent big-hitting late flourish from Ayub Srivastava, 27 not out, added respectability to the final Thames Valley total of 106 without threatening the Strollers’ supremacy.
The delicacies and sandwiches kindly provided by our hosts afterwards went down well, and the evening was enlivened by a very welcome visit from the Strollers’ iconic secretary, Simon Brodbeck, who cheerfully took over scoring duties in the absence of Madam President, herself rarely sighted around Staines Road West of a Thursday evening.
Capt: Tom Wood. Wkt: Spencer Leach. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Hampton Hill
Saturday June 15 at Carlisle Park
Strollers won by five wickets
Hampton Hill 133
(Simon Brodbeck 4-18, Thomas 2-16, Sam Brodbeck 2-29, Swale 1-21, Duff 1-25)
Strollers 136-5
(Sam Brodbeck 44no, Davidson 29, Hickman 17, Low 11)
Steady rain fell as the teams assembled at Carlisle Park, only a couple of minutes’ drive (of which more later) away from Hampton Hill’s picturesque main ground on the edge of Bushy Park.
Looming black clouds threatened play altogether and provided a handy excuse for skippers Sam Brodbeck and Jerry Fallows to forgo inspection of the hallowed wicket, the ‘toss’ being decided after negotiation between the captains in a darkened pavilion room (the term ‘smoke-filled’ having now sadly been lost to the English language for ever). The outcome was the Strollers taking to the field almost on time, with the rain seemingly hanging in mid-air rather than falling to ground.
Opening bowlers Andrew Thomas and Rory Wood got the Strollers off to a parsimonious start run-wise, giving away under three runs an over, making full use of a wicket with extraordinary zip and bounce given its soggy condition. A couple of early wickets transpired but the run-rate began to accelerate with anything short of a length sitting up nicely for punishment.
Ryan Duff took over at one end for a straight eight overs for only 25 runs, including a theatrical diving caught and bowled to get rid of Hampton’s No 3, who had been getting into his stride. Eric Swale did his bit at the other end, but once again, however ,it was the old(est)-timer, the maestro himself, Simon Brodbeck, who did the damage wicket-wise, coming on with his wily flight to taking four quick wickets at minimal cost .
He was aided and abetted by son Sam who took a catch off the old man and then came on to try to emulate him, rather more expensively, though with a couple of wickets. Thomas came back to polish off the innings after the only (short) rain break of the day, restricting Hampton to a gettable 133.
The innings was also graced by the heartening (given the weather) appearance of a spectator - one Tom Wood - until it transpired that he had come not to admire the bowling of his Kiwi namesake but to follow up intelligence that there were Strollers afield with unpaid match fees from a recent evening game; once £10 of verbal promissory notes had been extracted, Oonagh was able to drag him away a happier man.
The Strollers innings started with a couple of streaky boundaries but openers Keith Shannon and John Low were soon out to be replaced by Kelvin Davidson and Sam Brodbeck who proceeded to accumulate runs – the former scoring seven boundaries from his eight scoring shots and Sam driving strongly through to the end for an unbeaten 44.
He was accompanied in the latter stages by a bat-flourishing cameo from Matt Hickman, whose delicate flick for a (long) six off his legs was among the shots of the day. Two wickets in two balls in the latter stages could only dent a comfortable win.
The Strollers were invited to inspect and help christen Hampton Hill’s huge, airy and splendid new pavilion, to which their skipper gave clear and simple directions (three rights and a left). Those who unwisely chose to follow Simon there, however, were treated to an additional 25-minute tour of a wide variety of picturesque Thameside villages. The moral of this game: follow Simon’s example on the pitch but don’t follow him to the pub.
Capt: Sam Brodbeck. Wkt: Kelvin Davidson. Match fees: Simon Brodbeck
West Chiltington
Sunday June 16 in West Chiltington
Strollers lost by seven wickets
Strollers 209-7
(35 overs; Timperley 60, Sam Brodbeck 34, Ferrick 33, Jono Addis 30, Tom Wood 16, Ovenden 15, Morgan 11no)
West Chiltington 211-3
(29.2 overs; Rory Wood 1-34, Simon brodbeck 1-45, Stubbs 1-49)
The West Chiltington CC website had this clash with the Strollers down as their game of the week. Sadly, their prediction of a win – and the retention of the Marshall Cup, wrested back by the village in 2012 after a series of Strollers victories – proved correct.
The pre-match preparation of a number of key players at the Morgan residence in Hove the previous evening was key to the Strollers’ planning. At that traditional English event – a barbecue in the rain – plans were laid, batting orders constructed and torn up and trivia questions debated concerning New Zealand players of the 1980s.
“Just once,” ruminated Tom Wood, “I wonder what it would be like to prepare for a game without drinking anything the night before and going to bed peacefully at 11pm.” Perhaps we shall never know.
Skipper Morgan won the toss and elected to bat in a 35-over contest. While far away in Cardiff England and the Brave Boys in Beige battled against the incessant rain, the skies of Sussex turned blue and it turned into a golden afternoon. The Strollers batting looked golden too, for a while, with Sam Ferrick setting a cracking pace and Jono Addis getting into his stride. But Ferrick perished lbw for 33 and Addis was caught behind for 30. James Timperley kept up the momentum and Sam Brodbeck, freed from the cares of captaincy of the previous day, played a shot a ball in a carefree 34.
West Chilt captain Mick Armstrong, a thorn in the Strollers side for the last four seasons, brought himself on and his 7-0-27-3 proved the key. He prompted Timperley (60) to mistime a catch to mid-on and put a brake on the scoring rate. Wood was caught at mid-off. “I played it too correctly,” he said and, in the most unlikely quote of the year, confessed: “I should have given it more bottom hand.”
Morgan’s audacious attempted reverse sweep only succeeded in bruising his already battered fingers and when the 35 overs were completed the total of 209-7 looked a touch light.
It was. Despite a staggering catch at square leg by Jono Addis from a flat-batted pull to capture the first wicket, opener Jack Elliott-Monday (90 not out) and No 3 Matt Goring (53) put on 113 to take the game away from the suffering Strollers. The ball began to disappear to all parts on a perfect batting pitch and the end duly came with 5.4 overs remaining.
The Strollers certainly made the occasion a family affair with Jono and Tom Addis (watched by their parents and young Bethany, making it three generations of Addises). There was Tom and Rory Wood (surprisingly not related) and Simon and Sam Brodbeck. All very confusing.
The Marshall Cup was presented back to skipper Armstrong for another year and West Chiltington’s Will Hasler brought the proceedings to a close with some gracious words. When the Strollers return next June a new pavilion will grace this lovely ground and Tom Wood has promised to abstain the night before and to be in bed by 11pm…
Capt and wkt: Mike Morgan. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Bricklayers Arms
Tuesday June 18 in Battersea
Strollers lost by two runs
Bricklayer's Arms 111-9
(20 overs; Troughton 4-14, Read 3-10, Andrew Wood 1-13, Stubbs 1-15)
Strollers 109-7
(20 overs; Timperley 37, Swale 16, Ball 15, Tom Wood 14)
Chris Locke’s pads were white and had lost no stuffing the last time the Bricklayers did the double over the Strollers (Maggie please check), and a quick look over the pub XI preparing to bat at Wandsworth Park made one wonder if such a feat was really possible.
But who was this, grinning and chatting amiably to his new friends? None other than midweek Strollers regular Steven Thavam who duly strode out to the crease and smashed 37 quick runs, each one a dagger to the heart of his former comrades.
He was eventually dismissed caught behind (by James Timperley who kept well) off Andrew Wood (who bowled well), and the ship was steadied on a tricky wicket by some excellent bowling from Julian Read, Christian Troughton and an economical Richie Stubbs.
A target of 112 looked gettable and the Strollers were trundling along nicely at 49-1 with Timperley in and Eric Swale getting into his stride. A wicket was needed; who could they turn to? Quisling Thavam duly knocked over Swales’ stumps and bowled four overs for a parsimonious 13.
The run rate was rising but still, with five overs to go, just two wickets down, and 28 required, the win looked on. The Bricklayers needed a breakthrough. Who could provide it? Thavam duly pouched a catch at long-on to remove Timperley.
We nearly made it. Heroic swinging and scampering from Jeff Ball, Read, John Low, Keith Shannon and Troughton saw us fall a tantalising two runs short.
And so to the Bricklayers’ Arms, surely the finest pavilion of the season, where we analysed the scorebook and found that four runs had not been crossed off sometime before we started announcing the target each over with five overs to go. It seems likely that we scored 113. So we won. But we didn’t really, did we?
Capt and match fees: Tom Wood. Wkt: James Timperley.
Kempsford
Saturday June 22 at Kempsford
Strollers won by 54 runs
Strollers 230-8 dec
(Crocker 66, Ovenden 38, Hodgson 30, Sam Brodbeck 26, Simon Brodbeck 13no, Taylor 12)
Kempsford 176
(Hodgson 6-28, Simon Brodbeck 2-31, Macaulay 1-19, Crocker 1-21)
Life is full of conjecture. Suppose Kurtley Beale had kept his footing with the last kick of the first Lions test. What if Jim Hodgson ever went to bed on tour at a godly hour?
The Strollers have been making their midsummer trip to the Cotswolds since 1989 and some things never change. They assembled for tour number 25 via various routes. Half the party, having availed themselves of Bathonian hospitality the previous evening, had their nerves further jangled at the Marlborough Arms in Fairford where they stopped to take in the high drama of the aforementioned rugby and rendezvous with the quotidian captain, Piers Ovenden. After much nip and not a little tuck, the last-gasp lucky result in Brisbane sent them on their way in high spirits to join the rest of the squad at The George, in Kempsford, where new landlord Jerry was busy preparing for his grand reopening party that evening.
Piers sat down to chicken-schnitzel and sent Peter Patston off to put his eyes in, Mike Morgan to win the toss, Messrs Wood and Taylor to open the batting and Madam President to take her lunch at the scorer’s table. Tom and clean-shaven “Don’t call me Brizey” held out long enough for everyone else to change, before both fell to the sprightly Ben Saunders, one of a quartet of youngsters who acquitted themselves commendably in the Kempsford attack.
Piers, sufficiently replete, and Sam Brodbeck injected more pace into the scoring. They were particularly harsh on 14-year-old leggie Jordan Coxhead and rattled up a 50 partnership in just 20 minutes until Sam tried an expansive drive too many and nicked one to the keeper in Harry Sparks’s first over. At the other end young Jordan stuck to his guns, if not quite always to line and length, and dispatched Morgan cheaply, bringing in Hodgson, who resolutely showed no signs of wear and tear from the night before, anxious no doubt to impress his newest young fan, Finlay, watching in the gallery with mum Jo.
The Strollers continued their run gathering by means of well judged placement and weight of shot – skills that in Jim’s case had been honed during a marathon stint on the shoveha’penny table in the early hours at Patston Towers. The fluent progress was interrupted when another Kempsford 14-year-old, Glen Chalmers, came on to bowl his first over for the senior side and promptly accepted a generous, though unexpected, return catch from Skipper Ovenden.
The interruption, however, was short-lived as it brought in Warren Crocker, who went on to delight the loyal supporters – not least his bonny son Lachlan on his debut Strollers tour – with the innings of the day. Coming in at No 7 with the score on 121-5, he spent 23 minutes at the crease with Jim, until the latter holed out to yet another bowling change, and 28 minutes in the company of Simon Brodbeck. With their supporting roles, Wozza advanced the score to 220, hitting 11 fours and a six in his total of 66 before being caught behind off a steepling top-edge.
Expressing a sentiment echoed by many, Simon said he “rather liked” batting with the Melbourne master-blaster “because you can just watch him get on with it”. That said, the senior pro later took a leaf out of the Crocker book himself by lofting a four back over the bowler’s head in a pre-declaration push. This passage of play also included just reward for Kempsford’s fourth young Turk, Joe Tranter, 13, who returned to breach Patston’s defences with an unplayable straight one. Well, Peter couldn’t play it anyway. And so to 230-8, and so to tea.
Kempsford’s reply started stubbornly as Paul Dorrans failed to settle into a reliable rhythm on a pitch not conducive to out-and-out pace and Hodgson’s early overs were seemingly innocuous. True, Mark Strange played around a full in-dipper from Jim after a quick-fire 20 but having posted 50 for the loss of just one wicket, Harry Sparks and co looked well set and things were getting increasingly frustrating for the Strollers.
For once, a bowling change failed to do the trick – at first. Crocker came on for Cano, but was given short shrift as Sparks let fly and slapped him disrespectfully for 13, including an almost unprecedented six, off his first over. The delayed reaction at the other end was quite remarkable, though, as Jimbo struck twice in two balls. The first saw Sparks trying to mete out similar treatment to the previous over, only to play all around a straight full delivery; the second, an almost identical ball, riveted Mike Coxhead, Jordan’s dad, to the crease and trapped him plumb lbw.
Then Crocker sensibly cut back on pace and stepped up on length to bowl Kempsford’s No 3. Next, with his first delivery, Alastair Macaulay bamboozled Joe Tranter into a rash shot that a determined Crocker chased down all the way from mid-on to mid-off. So within short order Kempsford were reduced from a comfortable 60-1 to a shaky 68-5.
At which point, there followed a far from brief intermission. It was not until an hour and nearly 100 runs later that the next wicket fell. In the interim, Piers rang the bowling changes to no avail. At the pavilion end Crocker made way for Patston, who made way for Brodbeck Pere, while from the river end Macaulay was replaced by Wood, who was replaced by the returning Hodgson. And not before time.
It was Simon who eventually broke the stand between Simpkins and James, having the latter caught at deep mid-off for 48, once again by the ever-reliable Crocker. (Not that he is counting but it was Brodbeck’s 985th wicket for the club, by the way.) Hodgson was regalvanised and quickly disposed of the likely lads Coxhead (bowled) and Chalmers (extravagantly caught off his own bowling before the ball had the chance to reach Tom Wood) then finally ended Steve Simpkins’s spirited resistance (bowled) for 38, finishing with a rare but richly deserved six-wicket haul.
Brodbeck delivered the coup de grace by bowling Saunders (No 986 – but who’s counting?), leaving Ashley Tranter, Joe’s dad, high and dry on 0*, and securing the tourists a handsome win by more than somewhat.
The apres-match discussions with our friendly and gracious hosts in The George were as warm and convivial as always. As was dinner among ourselves later at the Green Dragon in Cowley – marred only by the distressing news that Cranham would be unable to entertain us the following day as they could not raise a side. So as our latest Cotswolds tour drifted to a cruelly premature close we were left to ponder yet more of life’s great mysteries. Tommy Bowe or Alex Cuthbert? How many roads must a man walk down? Will ye no come back again?
Captain: Piers Ovenden. Wk: Mike Morgan. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Tour managers: Alastair Macaulay and Simon Brodbeck.
Special thanks to: Finlay, Hannah, Jo, Kathy, Lachlan, Lucy,
Maggie, Oonagh, Teresa, Tricia
Peppard
Sunday June 30 at Peppard
Strollers won by six wickets
Peppard 128
(34.1 overs; Dorrans 3-28, Macaulay 2-4, Simon Brodbeck 2-20, Walder 2-28, Duff 1-23)
Strollers 131-4
(34.5 overs; Taylor 58, Calvocoressi 32no, McDougall 20)
The Strollers arrived in Oxfordshire to find the picturesque Peppard ground bathed in sunshine as the summer looked to have begun in earnest. A quick headcount revealed that while the opposition were all there warming up their catching hands in the outfield, the Stroller’s contingent was not up to full strength. It transpired that the Henley Regatta qualifiers were having devastating effects on the smooth passage of traffic, and several of the team were caught in the flow.
Nevertheless, Peter Patston tossed up on time, and revealed to those assembled that he had lost the toss and the Strollers would bowl first in a 40-over clash. As the official start time arrived, the last of the absent Strollers arrived and rushed to get changed.
Paul Dorrans took the new ball. His first two balls passed the outside edge, prompting Peppard’s young opener to advance down the track to him. While the tactic was sound, the execution was not, and he tamely chipped the ball to mid-off, where Sam Brodbeck easily took the catch. Thus Cano got things under way with a wicket maiden. At the other end Jim Hodgson bowled tightly, prompting little more than forward defensive shots or leaves from the batsmen.
With the bowlers bowling tight lines, being very well supported in the field (George Calvocoressi deserves special mention for his efforts at silly mid-off, stopping a couple of full-blooded drives with all parts of his body, and having the marks to show for it as well), and some canny field placings, the pressure eventually told and Dorrans induced the outside edge, well caught behind the stumps by Hamish McDougall.
This brought to the crease the Peppard No 4, a young man who is obviously just as happy in the weights room of the gym as he is on the cricket field. While the accuracy of the bowling initially led to his being circumspect, soon anything even slightly off target was brutalised to the boundary with great force. Even with a few boundary riders, anything overpitched was dispatched into the surrounding undergrowth, causing the canine spectators Oonagh and Binty to earn their keep by locating the match ball.
Both Dorrans and Hodgson bowled their full quota of eight overs, with Hodgson being unlucky to remain wicketless, and Dorrans picking up a third in the afternoon heat. Aaron Walder was introduced into the attack on a track that looked like it might take turn, and immediately began by turning the ball almost comically against a batsman who was not afraid to take him on and eyed up the short straight boundary.
Walder nearly succeeded with a very close stumping call, when the lightning fast McDougall had the bails off in a flash, but in the end the giant was felled by a mis-cued drive, that still had enough legs on it to challenge Hodgson at long-on as it steepled down to him. A good catch accounting for Peppard’s most threatening batsman so far.
At the other end, Ryan Duff was swinging the ball away with great skill and again making it difficult to score runs. Walder and Duff both hit the wickets again as batsmen came and went, with only the Peppard captain looking at ease as he effortlessly rotated the strike and punished the bad ball.
Simon Brodbeck replaced Walder and he also started accurately, inducing several edges. With two batsmen set and three wickets in hand going into the final overs, Patston threw the ball to Strollers death bowler Alastair Macaulay, and was immediately rewarded. Stair’s first delivery of supreme flight and guile caused the as yet untroubled Peppard skipper to be totally bamboozled and prod a tame catch to Calvocoressi at short cover. Two balls later and a carbon copy dismissal of the next man in. A game that was evenly poised now saw the Strollers on top.
Simon Brodbeck’s yorker was too good for the other established batsman, and a bat-pad to short leg was taken by Walder, ending the Peppard innings on 128.
After a delightful tea in the old pavilion, Brian Taylor and McDougall went out to begin the task of knocking off the runs. The run rate required was not high, and some tight bowling by Peppard, especially their captain, had to be watchfully dealt with. The openers were up to the task though, and consistently put away the rare bad balls, as well as manoeuvre the better ones into the gaps for singles.
While McDougall eventually fell to a good inswinging delivery, Taylor continued to lunge and tickle, largely untroubled. At the other end Calvocoressi also remained watchful and the run chase took on a slightly soporific quality. However, the batsmen were never really in any difficulty and Brizey made his way into the record books as the oldest Stroller to pass 50 (beating the record he himself previously held). To the gathered crowd of experienced Peppard spectators he was a mere whippersnapper however, and when he was finally dismissed to a good catch, complimentary cheers of “well batted youngster”, and “he’s good for his age” were heard ringing around the ground.
With the task almost done, and George finding the boundary with regularity, the Strollers suffered a slight wobble as Sam Brodbeck and Jim Hodgson were bowled in the same over. Walder strode to the crease having padded up with some haste and hit his first ball to the boundary, thus cruelly robbing George of an honour that should have been his, by winning the game.
Both teams adjourned to the nearby Unicorn for some beers and more food laid on by our generous hosts, where all enjoyed the early evening sunshine, admire the shots that brought Brian another Strollers 50, and mused over Sam’s unusual tattoo. An excellent day, managed imperiously by Peter Patston on the field, and enjoyed by all that took part.
Capt: Peter Patston. Wkt: Hamish McDougall. Match fees: Paul Dorrans.
Thames Valley
Thursday July 4 at Spelthorne
Strollers won by 38 runs
Strollers 178-5
(20 overs; Addis 51no, Mahadava 29no, Tom Wood 19no, Sorna 18, Gibson 10)
Thames Valley 140-4
(Stubbs 2-22, Andrew Wood 1-41)
A resplendent afternoon brought Strollers from far and wide for another crack at the Thames Valley team and perhaps another crack at the much lauded after-match platter as well.
With captain Tom Wood making his way through thick Sunbury traffic, Jono Addis took the reins and sent Thames Valley into the field on a dry but green in patches wicket. Amar Mahadeva and Rory Wood got us off to a great start with Mahadeva timing the ball to the boundary on numerous occasions and finally being retired on 29.
Addis then came to the crease to expertly demonstrate how to time an innings in a 20/20match by pacing himself to 23 and then unleashing a massive final over of 28 runs to reach his half-century off just 22 balls. Raj Sorna, Wood and John Gibson added vital runs (the former pair offering a textbook lesson on running between wickets in 28-degree heat). Andrew Wood came in to face the last ball of the innings, came down the wicket and on one knee walloped a six over midwicket to leave an enviable total of 179 for Thames to chase down.
A fierce few overs from the Thames Valley openers saw some worried looks among the tight ring field that skipper Wood had enforced. However, Sorna and Richie Stubbs quickly dispelled those looks – tidy length and tight line strangling the Valley of much-needed boundaries.
Stubbs was so in the zone (after inducing an edge that saw celebrity keeper Addis take a blinding catch to his right) that he produced a sand-shoe crusher worthy of Malcolm Marshall, leaving the poor young batsman having to be carried from the field. Rumour quickly circulated as to how Richie bowls in his back yard to his own up and coming ‘Bradmans’.
With only three batsmen reaching 20+ mark Thames Valley were always behind the run rate and with tidy bowling the Strollers waltzed home in the amber dusk of the Spelthorne Sports Club to a 38-run win.
The after-match platter was well received by all and left many Strollers having to return home to a second dinner from their partners.
Capt and match fees: Tom Wood. Wkt: Jono Addis.
Aldbury Entertainers
Sunday July 7 at Aldbury
Strollers won by 138 runs
Strollers 237-3
(40 overs; Addis 107, McDougall 47, Timperley 34no)
Aldbury 99
(30.1 overs; Thomas 2-6, Hodgson 2-10, Swan 2-17, Macaulay 2-40, Simon Brodbeck 1-18)
With the temperature nearing 30 degrees, the focus of the sporting world was on the Centre Court at Wimbledon as Andy Murray was attempting to be the first British winner of the All-England title since Fred Perry in 1936.
But for some, the spotlight was on a sundrenched field in Hertfordshire where the Strollers took on the Albury Entertainers, so called since the village club of Aldbury merged with a wandering side called the Entertainers. Amersham Hill – our original opponents – failed to raise a side and Albury’s Mark Kempster extended a kind invitation.
Hamish McDougall appeared through the hedge after an orienteering exercise across open country from Tring station and was soon required to don the pads as he and Jono Addis opened proceedings. The rest of the side, the large following of supporters and a hot and bothered Oonagh took cover in the welcome shade at long-off.
Addis and McDougall found the going tough against a tight attack. A brace of Kempsters – Mark and Devon – and another brace of Duncombes – Richie and Rob – kept a break on things on a wicket which always offered something to the bowlers. But McDougall shrugged off a blow to the back of his head from an errant throw and Addis started to open his shoulders as Albury began to feel the heat.
McDougall departed for 47 after an opening stand of 128; skipper James Timperley arrived to keep Addis company and saw him complete a fine century. Debutant Liam Curran came in at No4 and after two balls was the only Stroller to have a career strike rate of 400. When he was stumped off the final delivery the Strollers had posted a formidable 237-3.
The splendid tea was taken and the discussion opened on the problems Tom Wood was having finding a new hairdresser after his regular lady had decided she would cut and run, as it were. Jim Hodgson offered his man Antonio from Colliers Wood or perhaps the Turkish gent in Old Street who had a frightening habit of setting his customers’ ears alight with meths.
But when Albury batted they found Andrew Thomas a hair-raising prospect. Steaming in at great pace and making the odd delivery rear sharply he was a formidable proposition and soon Albury were reduced to 11-4, thanks also to the more gentle probing of Hodgson.
From there it was an almost impossible road back. Alastair Macaulay claimed two victims as did Tim Swan, while Ryan Duff bowled straight but without reward. Richie Duncombe had to retire hurt – “I’m meant to be playing three games in three days down in Kent after this,” he said. “I can barely walk.”
The Strollers victorious troops adjourned with their friendly opposition to The Valiant Trooper to mull over the day’s events. It perhaps did not come into the same “moments of history” category as Andy Murray’s 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Novak Djokovic to take the Wimbledon title but it was a win nonetheless. And on a glorious day for cricket.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Hamish McDougall. Match fees: Tom Wood.
CERN Saturday
Saturday July 13 at CERN
Strollers lost by two wickets
Strollers 158
(34.1 overs; Jafari 34, Loan 22no, Walder 22, Duff 21, Macaulay 16)
CERN 160-8
(27.4 overs; Walder 2-20, Duff 2-31, Wood 2-38, Taylor 1-17, Macaulay 1-31)
The Strollers assembled in Ferney-Voltaire from many directions and with several delays. Debutant Ryan Muzzell forgot his passport and had to return home and catch a later flight while Aaron Walder and Lorraine were caught up in the aftermath of the fire at Heathrow. The rest settled in for a few cooling beers and a gourmet meal at the Hotel De France. Wine consumption was moderate for the Friday of a French tour so the party had time and energy for a wander round Fernay's fine Saturday morning market.
Once at the ground (the hilariously-named Higgs Field), Skipper Tom Wood was under instructions to bat first, duly won the toss and set out to open the batting with Hamish McDougall. D Ahmed's second ball was a loosener of a wide but the third bounced higher than expected and brushed Tom's glove on its way to the keeper. The appeal was half-hearted and the umpire later admitted he had heard nothing but Tom set an example in following Stroller protocol and walked. McDougall was joined by Brian Taylor to face Ahmed and S Chaudhuri, who had been a handful the previous year. It was Chaudhuri who clean bowled McDougall in the second over and had Russell Clough lbw two balls later to leave the Strollers a perilous 8-3.
Taylor and Walder (on two hours sleep due to the Heathrow fire) then started to repair the innings. Tim Goodyear replaced Chaudhuri and lured Taylor to stumping doom. Our borrowed player Zain Jaffari came in and both he and Walder started to hit out to try and give the score some respectability. Walder was bowled by S Ahmed to make the score 52-5. Ryan Duff then took up the baton and the pair put on 41 before Duff was caught for 21. Jaffari was out soon after for 34 with the highest score of the innings.
Mike Loan and Muzzell were pushing along nicely with Muzzell belying his assurance that he could not really bat by hitting 16 in short time. Unfortunately he pulled a calf muscle and had to go off to compound his tour of woe. This proved to be a problem later as our best bowler was now out of both matches. Alastair Macaulay hit a breezy 16 and Loan showed sufficient form to be elevated to open the following day. The Strollers were all out for 158 in the 35th over - better than seemed likely earlier but, given the pitch, still seemed short of par.
After an eclectic tea of curries and French patisserie, Wood and Duff opened the bowling for the Strollers. Wood was quickly rewarded with a wicket in his first over (bowled). Chaudhuri came in and was positive from the start, pretty much swinging at everything. The Strollers needed to get him quickly given the low score but after five overs CERN had 30. Wood then bowled the other opener but the runs kept flowing from Chaudhuri, who hit two consecutive sixes. Walder replaced Duff at the pavilion end and trapped him lbw but the momentum stayed with CERN. W and I Ahmed scored quickly aided by a couple of wayward overs from Macaulay, who was struggling with his shoulder and who overpaid for the wicket of W Ahmed caught on the boundary by Clough. Walder immediately took a wicket at the other end and at 109-5 there was a glimmer of hope.
Duff returned and Jafari kept the scoring down but CERN had plenty of overs left. Duff had Onions lbw for four with the score on 139 and was bowling well. Taylor was then thrown the ball and proved difficult to score off with his left-arm twirlers. In his second over he struck with an lbw and the score was 150-7. Duff had D Ahmed caught by Macaulay at short square and CERN were getting nervous with a youngster and Goodyear to come. However, a couple of quick blows from the said youngster (S Ahmed) and CERN were home.
After a few beers at the ground, the Strollers and a few CERN players went back to Fernay to the Royal Thai restaurant whose fare was less Thai than a running buffet of vaguely Asian origin. It's why we come to France.
Captain and hotel and catering arrangements: Tom Wood.
Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
CERN Sunday
Sunday July 14 at CERN
Strollers lost by 25 runs
CERN 282-5
(40 overs; Loan 3-62, Walder 1-40, Wood 1-49)
Strollers 257
(39.2 overs; McDougall 96, Walder 49, Wood 42, Loan 30)
Le Patriache was again the meeting point for Game Two of the CERN tour of 2013. The Strollers gathered for a mid-morning sports drink to discuss how vengeance for the loss in Game One would be achieved. There was concern that the pre-match carbo-loading at the ‘all you can eat’ Royal Thai buffet the night before may have put the Strollers on the back foot for the final encounter.
As the temperature was already approaching 30 degrees Celsius, the liveliest debate was on what should be done if we won the toss. When the cabs arrived to attempt to singlehandedly restore the French economy to its former glory, Captain Peter Patston was adamant that he would call tails and bat first due to the Strollers’ strength in setting a target and not to avoid fielding in the heat of the day.
The lobbyists to get the fielding out of the way first had clearly been in the captain’s ear on the way to the ground. Peter won the toss and The Strollers donned their battle gear to field as the mercury made its way past 32 degrees in the shade of the scorers’ hut.
CERN, sensing there may be some weakness in the Strollers camp, had chosen a much stronger team for Game Two, most notably the former Surry and Somerset 2nd XI player, Richard Parker.
Ryan Duff and Tom Wood took the new ball as the much oversold opening bowler for the tour, Ryan Muzzell, was icing his calf in the pavilion. Duffers’ first over went for a respectable three runs, which was the only time the CERN run rate was below four during their innings.
Parker and opening partner Chaudhuri put on 103 by the time Chaudhuri was well caught by Aaron Walder on the deep midwicket boundary in the 16th over off the steady bowling of Mike Loan.
With the temperature rising even further and the steady flow of boundaries continuing, Brian Taylor’s back went and he joined Muzzell in the pavilion. When Alastair Macaulay’s hamstring went a few overs later the pavilion became a triage centre as there were only two ice packs doing the rounds.
Parker took advantage of the flagging Strollers morale finishing on 129 not out while guiding CERN to a formidable 282 off their 40 overs.
Hamish McDougall and Loan got off to the best possible start and were up with the rate when Loan was caught at third man with the score on 71 in the 12th over. Wood continued the good work with a well-played 42, an innings that contained far too many ones and twos for Tom’s liking. The emergency services were on standby for most of Wood’s innings.
With Walder and McDougall easily keeping up with the required eight an over needed there was a thought that we could pull off a dramatic victory. The pair made very good cases for avoidance when they were dismissed in fairly quick succession for 49 and 96 respectively. When Russell Clough completed his pair for the weekend the game was well and truly up. The Strollers fairly limped home to post a total of 257 to end the tour two-nil down.
As the sun set on another CERN tour the Ferney Voltaire Chateaux was the venue for the post-match deliberations and the local Bastille Day celebrations. We were left to ponder some of life’s unanswerable questions: Should we have batted first? Has Dangerous/Deadly Dave actually found the solution to time travel and, as a fireworks display to rival Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve lit the sky, what recession?
Capt: Peter Patston. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Peper Harow
Sunday July 14 at Peper Harow
Strollers won by 187 runs
Strollers 314-4
(40 overs; Fulton 91no, Ovenden 79, Timperley 56, Ferrick 35, Lukas Davidson 20no)
Peper Harow 127
(28.4 overs; Rory Wood 4-32, Davidson 3-30, Stubbs 2-31, Fiala 1-13)
Sunday 14 July dawned hot and sunny, much like the previous four days. England needed three more wickets to win the first Ashes test at Trent Bridge. The Strollers needed to assemble a team at Peper Harow, a matter complicated in recent years by the tourists sent to CERN.
Wise to this, match manager Jim Hodgson had sent out his call early and widely. Emails were received and dispatched from countries as far flung as Cuba, Colombia and the USA. What emerged from the sifting of digital data was a team of two Englishmen and nine New Zealanders, four of them members of the Karory Bakery. Blair Martin, also a Bakery alum, arrived with a telephoto lens to document the occasion.
Piers Ovenden, skipper for his 50th appearance for the Strollers, eschewed his tactic at Kempsford and called the toss in person. For the first time this season he called correctly and snatched at the opportunity to bat first as the temperature passed 30 degrees. HIs decision may also have been influenced by the absence of half his team, some stuck in traffic, others proceeding rather too freely down the A3 into Hampshire, distracted by radio coverage from Nottingham where Australia's last pair were inching closer to their target.
With one of his openers absent ,Ovenden decided he would accompany Sam Ferrick to the middle. The pair showed due respect to the pace of Bennett coming down the hill and Saunders' variations from the mansion end. With news filtering out to the middle that Haddin was out and that Australia had lost by 14 runs, both batsmen freed up. Ferrick played with attractive fluency until he was early on a pull shot, caught at midwicket. Strollers 63-1.
The variable bounce off a length, at times steepling, at others loopy, was cause for some caution. The outfield, apparently hard and going a nice tawny colour in patches, was deceptively slow. In the baking heat, the batsmen found themselves running between the wickets far more than they would have liked. It was a sweet and soothing sight to the non-striker to see James Timperley twice hit the ball straight down the ground for six and unleash a couple of imperious straight drives for four. Completely against the run of play JT was strangled down the leg side. Strollers 171-2.
With a dozen of their 40 overs left the Strollers sought to up the tempo, John Gibson falling for the team cause, quickly followed by Ovenden. At 191-4 in the 31st over, the skipper was confident there would be some runs over the 200 mark, runs that would give him plenty of options in the field. His hopes and expectations were fulfilled beyond his wildest dreams as Ben Fulton and Lukas Davidson, both on debut, ran a wilting Peper Harow ragged.
Davidson struck a six early in his innings but quickly realised that by taking a quick single he would have the best seat in the house as Fulton opened up. Fulton struck nine 6s and six 4s as he raced to 91 not out. Unaware that he was one shot away from the Strollers record of ten 6s in an innings, he first gave away the strike in the 40th over and then, once he had it back, lashed the last ball of the innings through the covers for 4. The unbroken fifth wicket partnership was worth 122 from 9.2 overs.
A magnificent collection of chicken and ham sandwiches and various assorted goodies was a fine accompaniment to gallons of water, sports beverages and tea consumed in the cool shade of the Peper Harow pavilion.
Paul Dorrans and Richie Stubbs opened the bowling. By giving nothing away they turned the screw, raising the required run rate to an improbable level. Stubbs got the breakthrough with his wicket to wicket approach. Dorrans, miserly but luckless, ended his six-over spell unrewarded, the only runs he conceded through a vacant third man.
A double change saw the Kiwi medium pacers, Rory Wood and Lukas Davidson, bowling in tandem. Davidson, showing some signs of rust, took three attempts to get his full toss on the stumps but was rewarded by a leading edge and a caught and bowled. Two more wickets followed, the second bought at a price as the opposition attempted to belt everything over cow.
Justin Fredrickson's smart work behind the stumps kept the batsmen on their toes as did Ivor Fiala, who was introduced to the attack at the pavilion end and immediately induced a high, thick edge to Stubbs short fine leg. Wood changed ends and ran through the remainder of the batting with the help of a smart catch from Fulton at square leg and two snaffles by Timperley at slip. Stubbs finished what he had started by bowling the last man.
The Strollers retired hot and sweaty to some welcome beers.
Capt and match fees: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Justin Fredrickson.
Tadworth
Sunday July 21 at Tadworth
Strollers lost by five wickets
Strollers 216-6
(40 overs; Timperley 75, Sam Brodbeck 43, Swan 28, Clough 24, Tom Wood 21no, McDougall 10)
Tadworth 219-5
(28.2 overs; Ovenden 3-41, Simon Brodbeck 2-47)
Bradley Wiggins did his bit for the Strollers on this weekend last year, spurring the side on to a crushing victory at Tadworth during his procession down the Champs-Elysées.
This time Chris Froome kept up his end of the bargain, but was reportedly quoted afterwards saying that while winning Le Tour was all well and good, the dispiriting cricket score from the Epsom Downs rather took the edge off it. Meanwhile at The Open, it was suggested that Lee Westwood’s two bogeys on the way to a final round of 75 came after being upset by the news that Simon Brodbeck was unable to repeat the 4-5 that helped bowl out Tadworth for 92 and gain the Strollers a 139-run victory.
The principal reason for the Strollers’ defeat was an unbeaten 132 from Tadworth’s Joe Button, who was remembered from previous fixtures as a promising left-arm spinner, but in fact turns out to be a pretty decent batsman (where have we seen that before?).
James Timperley had anchored the Strollers innings with 75 after captain Piers Ovenden elected to bat first (showing woeful disregard for the feelings of any Strollers looking forward to indulging in the excellent Tadworth tea then putting their feet up). Timperley batted prudently and was content to wait for the bad ball, which he would invariably launch towards the trees. A six over deep midwicket and an off-drive that brought up his 50 just before drinks were the pick of his strokes before he was eventually run out.
“Prudent” was a word that would have struggled to describe Sam Brodbeck’s innings. Although he made 43 in a third-wicket partnership of 95 with Timperley, this included no less than five dropped catches/near misses as he indulged in his favoured shot of the day: tapping the ball straight up in the air in the direction of mid-off.
As Simon gritted his teeth and instructed the skipper to “have a word”, Tom Wood suggested it might be a good idea to send Sam down to buy a lottery ticket, then offered the analysis: “It’s just a high-risk tariff. If he was Tom Daley, that would have been a triple backward somersault with double tuck and pike.”
The Strollers made their way to 216-6, thanks to some boundary-laden cameos from Russell Clough (who was keen to get off the mark with a Kevin Pietersen-like quick single following a pair on tour), Tim Swan (who hit a straight drive Ovenden described as “Fleming-esque”) and Wood. The feeling was that the score could have been higher but for some impressively tight overs by Tadworth’s three under-15 bowlers.
Ovenden, having been picked as a bowler, led the way in response with two early wickets, which included a sharp slip catch from Timperley, but then Button came to the crease. Immediately he set about the bowling of the unfortunate Rory Wood, who stuck at his task manfully but was more often than not left holding his hands to his newly-shorn head as anything remotely short or leg-side disappeared for four.
Swan, Wood and Laurie Allsopp suffered similar dents to their figures, but Simon Brodbeck and Ovenden gave the Strollers some unlikely hope late on. Simon snared opener Ireland leg before for 41 and took a caught and bowled in the same over. Hamish then took a catch off Piers, and the old cricketing maxim “one brings eight” suddenly looked as if it might come into play.
However, Tadworth were not going to suffer their own Headlingley 1981 moment. Button never looked like getting out, and there were plenty of overs to play with. An early finish at least left time for a pleasant drink in the sunshine, and for the subs to get busy with the pleasingly headline-friendly name of the matchwinner. Tadworth on the Button?
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Hamish McDougall. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Westminster
Thursday July 25 on Wandsworth Common
Strollers won by 69 runs
Strollers 169-4
(20 overs; Thavam 43 ret, Troughton 25 ret, Ovenden 25 ret, Swale 21, Wood 20no)
Westminster 100-4
(20 overs; Ovenden 3-9, Thavam 1-17, Rory Wood 1-17)
Another dry warm summer’s evening was laid out for the inaugural game between the Strollers and the councilmen of Westminster. The wicket at Wandsworth Common was agreed by all to be in good nick and in fact one of the best park grounds in London. With that in mind, and of course the setting sun, wind conditions, player fitness, outfield pace, opposition strength, injuries and humidity, captain Tom Wood sent the opposition into the field.
As openers Amar Mahadeva and Steve Thavam (trying to redeem himself from his previous skulduggery after briefly defecting to the Bricklayer’s Arms) went out to bat the giant frame of Eric Swale rolled in on his two-wheeled transport to make a full XI for the Strollers.
Mahadeva hit a couple of nice strokes before directing a square drive straight at point to be out for five. This bought Piers Ovenden confidently striding out to the middle. After the wicket the bowler Siseland was sky-high in confidence but a flurry of boundaries from Ovenden quickly saw the opposing captain remove Siseland from the attack. Ovenden departed almost as quickly as he arrived, knocking 25 off only 10 balls.
With Thavam looking likely to carry his bat through the innings facing out some excellent length bowling from the other end, Christian Troughton looked to put on a show for his adoring family. And how did he deliver, striking sweetly and also being retired at 25 from 24 to an ovation from his two sons and his daughter. He obviously had inspired his daughter to play the game so much that she was left in tears when her departure was announced by Mum.
Thavam launched in his final over, taking Cleary to town with 20 from his opening stint, to retire on 43. Tim Rice and John Low made quick contributions and laid a good platform for Eric Swale and Tom Wood to face the last overs with brute force clubbing and deft touches respectively. When the final ball was bowled, Andrew and Tom Wood walked from the pitch with the score at 169.
After seeing some particularly spritely running between wickets from Low, the Strollers were skipping out to the middle ready to bowl as the oak shadows,ever trying to run away from the setting sun, enveloped the pitch. Returning to the crease after a pasting at the weekend, Rory Wood quickly found a miserly line and length, restricting the batsman to few runs in his first couple of overs. He was well supported by Mahadeva at the other end and Rory Wood was duly rewarded by taking a wicket, the catch going to his brother at cover-point, who cradled the ball into what is commonly known as the Wood bread basket or the Wood one-pack.
Mahadeva and Rory Wood bowled through, completing their combined eight overs with only 41 conceded. Thavam was equally thrifty with 17 from three, creating a number of chances from the edge resulting in one wicket. Andrew Wood bowled two maidens and his other two overs only going for 13 to add even more pressure on the escalating Westminster run rate.
Skipper Tom Wood then turned to Ovenden (who had been donning the keeper’s gloves) to bowl, Rory Wood taking over with the gloves. Ovenden then struck first ball with a tempting wider ball that went to a strolling Swale at fly slip. Tom Wood at first slip was seen leaping like a cat on a hot tin roof for the second time today a few balls later, alas without avail, but all were mighty impressed by the effort that saw two clear feet between Tom and Wandsworth Common.
In a moment that would have made ex-secretary of the United Nations Boutros Boutors-Ghali proud, Ovenden switched to off-spin to allow a first-time player a crack at the game. Piers picked up another two wickets and the match eventually ground to a halt with Westminster only being able to muster 100 for the allotted overs.
Both teams then adjourned to the County Arms pub where stories of Sri Lankan seafood and vegetarianism were enjoyed over two-foot long sausage rolls.
Capt and match fees: Tom Wood. Wkt: Piers Ovenden/Rory Wood.
Old Wimbledonians
Saturday July 27 at Coombe Lane
Strollers won by six wickets
Wimbledonians 164
(Tjasink 3-14, Rory Wood 2-12, Simon Brodbeck 1-29, Duff 1-38, Martin 1-40)
Strollers 165-4
(Curran 99, Tom Wood 37no)
Spirits were high upon arrival at the private Wimbledon College grounds and being shown to our own dressing room complete with all necessary facilities. The weather was a pleasant mid-20 degrees and blue skies overhead, although the forecasts painted a dire picture for the remainder of the afternoon. Captain Tom Wood headed out to the middle for an uneventful toss which resulted in the home team being put into bat mainly due to them numbering about six persons on what looked like a good wicket.
The opening bowling pair of Ryan Duff and an inspired off-spin option in Blair Martin found a reasonable line and length early on. Singles were hard to come by but the boundaries seemed to flow with the odd stray delivery.
A solid opening partnership was broken by Duffers with a good length delivery that kept a little low, rattling middle stump. Duffers powered through an opening 10-over spell to come out with good figures of 1-38. Martin found a good line and length but could not nab a wicket before an inspired bowling change by Cpt Wood to introduce Stephen Tjasink resulted in three wickets in his first three overs and an excellent spell of line and length bowling with 3-14 from six.
Mention must be made at this early stage to the keeping prowess of Liam Curran, standing up to most of the Strollers seamers and doing so with aplomb. Curran snatched a vital stumping complete with forearm and chest.
Wickets remained relatively regular, and with the forecast cloud slowly hovering over Raynes Park, the Strollers managed to close out the home team for a total of 164 in 39.3 overs. Valid contributions with the ball came from Simon Brodbeck's great display of line and length bowling, Martin's second spell entertaining some purchase off the track, and Rory Wood chipping in with 2-12 from three overs of swing.
The Strollers opening pair of Keith "Fingers" Shannon and hero with the ball Tjasink had the task of facing a tricky 10-over period before tea with rain looking imminent. Both openers were removed in quick succession to skidding deliveries which only just managed to clip the bails. Number 3 Andrew Wood came and went in a single delivery (not a memorable Saturday debut to complement his wicketless spell) to have the Strollers reeling at 19-3 off just 2.4 overs. Things were looking dire until the batting prowess of Curran and Tom Wood steadied the ship prior to tea. Both offered early chances but saw off the remainder of the 10 overs until tea in some dubious heavy rain.
Following the mandatory tea and sarnies, the batsmen returned with words of wisdom along the lines of "we have plenty of time" by Cpt Wood. What can only be described as a batting masterclass, particularly by Curran, ensued. Bowlers were taken to all corners of the ground and boundaries and twos were flowing. Curran in particular was particularly lethal to anything full and regularly dispatched bowlers through mid-on and mid-off.
Tom Wood, not wanting to be outdone, chimed in with some boundaries and a wonderful six over cow corner as Curran brought up his half-century in quick succession.
A bowling change to bring on a young spinner resulted in two overs for 29 runs, mainly off the bat of Curran who was quickly racing towards a maiden century. The target of 165 was nigh as was a century for Curran. The action continued resulting in a tied score, Curran on 98 needing two runs, and the entire Wimbledonians team on the boundary seeking a sporting opposition to the milestone.
A dubious waist-high full toss was delivered and gloved toward fine leg, the push was made for two, but the finest piece of fielding from the home team all day left Curran well short of his ground, run out for 99 but the game was in the bag. A superb batting effort from Curran and Wood got the Strollers home with an exceptional partnership of 146 for the fourth wicket which may go down in the record books for the year.
The teams retreated to the local clubrooms to enjoy some well earned cold beverages, historic Ashes brilliance and quality club cricket played in marginal weather.
Capt and match fees: Tom Wood. Wkt: Liam Curran.
Prestcold
Sunday July 28 at Binfield Heath
Strollers lost by four wickets
Strollers 179-5
(40 overs; Timperley 79, Addis 39, McDougall 28, Fenn 11)
Prestcold 180-6
(37.3 overs; Loan 2-13, Macaulay 2-48, Simon Brodbeck 1-32, Morgan 1-26)
Rain on Saturday evening meant the Strollers were greeted both by a drying pitch at Binfield Heath and by captain Piers Ovenden entertaining whether the bowlers would have the initial advantage or to place his trust in his batsmen for the first innings of this 40-over match. Sure enough, the choice was with Ovenden, and the Strollers’ batsmen donned their pads under clearing but fickle skies. James Timperley and Hamish McDougall were sent out first, confident that they could not be caught out off the tree at mid-on. Hitting the tree (or indeed any leaf or twig on it) was two runs and a dead-ball.
Runs were hard to come by in the opening spell, as Timperley and McDougall faced some tight bowling and even tighter fielding from the young Prestcold team, but the Strollers’ pair showed their class and were soon able to find the gaps and push the Strollers to 34 from 10 overs without loss. McDougall was the first to go, dismissed by a ripper which crashed into his stumps. Another wicket followed and Jono Addis then joined Timperley at the crease. Timperley pushed on and Addis soon brought up the 100 with a big six over mid-wicket in the 26th over.
Addis fell on 39 (learning upon his return from the wicket that it was the seventh ball of the over) and Timperley then found a batting partner in Mark Fenn. Despite suffering from a knee injury, Fenn managed to rotate the strike nicely with some determined limping between the wickets. Timperley stepped it up a notch and was hitting well, but a couple of late wickets denied the Strollers a late flourish. Timperley was bowled in the dying overs for an impressive 79 and the innings concluded with the Strollers on 179.
The allure of an inviting but rather large chocolate cake may have been to blame for the Strollers not quite being able to replicate Prestcold’s fine fielding feats, but morale was high as Ovenden and Jim Hodgson opened the bowling and found some life left in the wicket. Hodgson’s first ball was so good that Addis, keen to support the Strollers’ bowling attack but perhaps not their umpiring, promptly requested “six more of those Jim!”
The Prestcold openers fared well, however, and with runs starting to flow the Strollers were in need of wickets. Captain Ovenden went on the attack and looked to Alastair Macaulay to join Hodgson, who continued his accurate spell. Macaulay tempted the batsmen forward and, with the help of a McDougall stumping, quickly claimed both openers with two great consecutive wickets. The hat-trick did not eventuate, but Macaulay was soon joined by Simon Brodbeck, who kept the Strollers in the game with a fine eight-over spell and another wicket.
Prestcold continued to push towards the target but wobbled when trying to attack Mike Morgan, who had found a good length and looked to turn the game with a key wicket. The Strollers were in with a chance. Mike Loan joined Morgan in the attack, claiming two wickets in quick succession (one of which was deservedly Morgan’s, Loan having failed to take a second catch shortly beforehand), but it was not to be and Prestcold reached the target with two overs to spare. A very enjoyable day of cricket was had by all and, with the evening sun shining away, both teams retired to The Flowing Spring for a post-match ale.
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt and match fees: Hamish McDougall.
Bricklayers Arms
Wednesday July 31 on Wandsworth Common
Strollers won by eight wickets
Bricklayer's Arms 118-6
(20 overs; Ovenden 4-23, Read 1-16, Andrew Wood 1-22)
Strollers 119-2
(17.1 overs; Timperley 52no, Hadi 24, Swale 13no, Tom Wood 13)
Comparisons were made before the Bricklayer’s Arms rematch between Tom Wood and Ricky Ponting – and not about their batting. After a long spell of dominance in this fixture for the Strollers, Chris Locke’s side had gained consecutive victories, and Wood was in danger of being the first Strollers captain to suffer three defeats.
The Strollers had wheeled out the big guns: James Timperley popped down for a match that was practically being played in his back yard; Piers Ovenden aimed to build on his reputation as a strike bowler with Ed Gal out of the picture; Kimball Bailey and Simon Brodbeck kept an eye on proceedings to make sure there was no repeat of “scorebook-gate”.
The captain was not helped in his preparations by the decision of head of selectors John Gibson to pass up the services of Steve Thavam – who strode out to open the batting for the Bricklayers. Wood impressed upon his bowlers the importance of his wicket, and Julian Read responded with a delivery that clipped the top of Thavam’s off-stump for one.
First blow to the Strollers, but the Bricklayers batsmen were getting on top of the pitch’s tricky bounce and movement and Read and Stephen Tjasink were unable to make further breakthroughs. Wood decided it was time to serve up the Pies. He was rewarded with four wickets, which included a fine catch by Hassan Hadi at point and a caught-and-bowled. At one point Ovenden was on a hat-trick, although his captain, mindful of the need to get through the overs, decided not to bring in some close catchers.
Ovenden got some fine support from Andrew Wood and Christian Troughton, who was unlucky not to take a wicket, but thanks to some hitting from batsman Macdonald (47 not out) and a few dropped catches, the Bricklayers made 118. The skipper was proud to point out that the Strollers bowled their overs in an hour.
Wood strode out purposefully with Hadi but was bowled for 13, and it fell to Timperley to marshal the run chase. With his innings in full flow, the gentlemanly Ovenden happened to notice a women’s fitness class taking place adjacent to the cricket pitch, and selflessly placed himself between the ladies and the action to prevent any nasty accidents involving a booming straight drive. Wood meanwhile was taking responsibility of making sure every run was accounted for in the book, and Oonagh deserves a mention for showing remarkable restraint when an adorable white fluffy puppy foolishly strayed within range.
Thavam’s spell offered the greatest challenge to the Strollers’ chase, but it failed to render a wicket and when Timperley flayed the fifth ball of his final over for six, there was little doubt in the result. Hadi fell for 24 – a run-out courtesy of some incredible fielding on the boundary from Macdonald – but Eric Swale turned to his caddy for advice and selected the nine-iron to help complete the eight-wicket win.
Crisis averted, a relieved Wood led the way to the Bricklayer’s Arms, where Locke carried out an audit of the scorebook and admitted the game was up. It was also ascertained that Locke’s keeping pads are older than Laurie Allsopp, and Simon confessed he was beginning to get a taste for Twenty20. Although an item concerning pyjama kits is still perhaps unlikely to find its way on to the AGM agenda, at least the night’s result meant there was no longer cause for a top-to-bottom review of Strollers cricketing operations.
Capt and match fees: Tom Wood. Wkt: James Timperley.
Marlow Park
Saturday August 3 in Higginson Park
Strollers won by 57 runs
Strollers 233-6
(40 overs; Swan 89, McDougall 59, Wood 26no, Macaulay 24no, Davidson 13)
Marlow Park 176
(31 overs; Swan 5-42, Simon Brodbeck 2-32, McDougall 2-41, Duff 1-27)
With warnings of panic on the streets of London due to cyclists taking over the city, Tom Wood and his band of Strollers made an escape west to the delightful town of Marlow. Local tradition has it that Jane Seymour lived at Seymour Court, about a mile north of Marlow, although it has never been proven. A leisure centre was named in her honour nonetheless.
Historians of the more recent past may recall the 2012 edition of this fixture resulting in centuries for Wood (143) and Danny Boyle (105no) in their record-setting partnership for the second wicket of 237. Returning to this happy hunting ground, Wood wasted little time in declaring that after having a "great night on Sainsbury's whiskey", he would be looking for contributions from others on this occasion. Perhaps listening and perhaps even inspired, valuable contributions materialised.
The Strollers (a man down – Jeff Ball falling victim to summer flu) met at the tranquil Higginson Park, where the compulsory pitch inspection was cut short as light showers descended on the ground. Luckily, the showers were brief, and after Captain Wood won the toss, Hamish McDougall and Kelvin Davidson strode out to open the innings.
The Kiwi pair started strongly with some solid blows down the ground from Davidson, showing an aggressive intent. As one of the larger crowds in recent Strollers history settled in under the trees, on the embankments and lush grass surrounding the ground, one lusty blow too many had Davidson bowled by the young Marlow opening bowler, Garmon-Jones, rewarded for a testing opening spell.
Swan joined McDougall at the crease and the two former Wellington-based cricketers plodded safely along, reaching drinks at 84-1 at the 20-over mark. Following replenishment, the tempo was raised a notch with McDougall taking advantage of the short boundary and raising his 50. Swan followed suit soon after, collecting his first Strollers 50, doing so in graceful and seemingly effortless fashion. McDougall eventually fell on 59 to a fine catch at mid-off with the score on 148 (after 28 overs).
Having verified the validity of the club’s public liability Insurance, Captain Wood combined with Swan, blazing multiple boundaries and the occasional six with a concerted period of hard hitting. Swan’s luck eventually ran out, through some slick work behind the stumps, and was soon followed into the pavilion by John Gibson, Paul Ledington and Ryan Duff, all failing to trouble the scorers. When Duff was run out, following an eager call for a quick single and a direct hit from Garmon-Jones, the Strollers innings seemed to be unravelling. Enter Alastair Macaulay, who joined his captain with four overs remaining, and delivered some powerful shots, particularly down the ground, making a quick-fire 24 and setting Marlow Park a solid but achievable target.
A fine tea was taken listening to Kevin Pietersen’s progress from Old Trafford. McDougall commented that he enjoyed playing in front of a crowd and, realising an opportunity, Wood’s problems of finding an opening bowler were solved.
The Marlow Park openers were unfortunate to face a Duff still simmering from his earlier run-out. Coming in from his long run with the new ball, the first ball of the innings caught an edge and Davidson took a fine catch with the gloves. Duff bowled straight and fast and was unlucky not to collect a couple more after inducing edges and half-chances. While at the other end the tireless McDougall backed up opening the batting by bowling eight overs on the trot, taking two well-deserved wickets – the first of which included a very well-taken catch by Davidson behind the stumps.
Unperturbed after offering a chance or two early in his innings, the remaining opener Hanan went on the attack, dispatching many balls over the rope, endangering McDougall’s fan club, on his way to bringing up a 50. As the Strollers regrouped for drinks at the 20-over mark with Marlow Park on 117-3, the game was in the balance.
Brodbeck replaced McDougall from the High Street End and bowled with the usual control and guile we all know well. After a couple of unlucky overs at the hands of merciless Hanan, Ledington was replaced by Swan from the River End who received similar treatment before cleaning out his middle stump and the opener departed for a fine 94.
Brodbeck and Swan continued in tandem for the remainder of the innings, collecting wickets at regular intervals and supported by a tidy effort in the field. With swagger returning, Macaulay’s suggestion of placing a slip in for Marlow’s American import paid off immediately - Ledington teasing the ball a couple of times in the process of taking a fine juggling catch at slip. Wood took two identical catches at mid-wicket off the bowling of Swan, and the final act was left to Swan to clip the No 11’s off-stump and pocket his five wickets to cap off an outstanding all-round individual performance - becoming only the 14th Stroller in the club’s history to take five wickets and make 50 runs in a game.
As the sun descended, the Strollers, with their trusty hound, retreated to the hutch and enjoyed some refreshing Rebellions, savouring a good contest in the company of their welcoming hosts. There are rumours that a rogue group of Strollers continued on the celebrations back in Hammersmith - this can be neither confirmed, denied or entirely remembered, but all lucky enough to bear witness to the earlier proceedings of the day will recall the Swan song…hey it had to feature somewhere in this report…
Capt and match fees: Tom Wood. Wkt: Kelvin Davidson.
Chobham
Sunday August 4 in Chobham
Strollers lost by five wickets
Strollers 207-8
(40 overs; Loan 62, Swale 43, Thomas 42no, Ovenden 10)
Chobham 211-5
(33.5 overs; Thomas 2-25, Ovenden 1-41, Simon Brodbeck 1-54)
As Messrs Hodgson, Timperley and Morgan stormed their way up the Leith and Box Hills in the RideLondon 100 mile cycle race, the rest of the Strollers laboured their way to Chobham on the very few roads in Surrey left open.
Three of the troupe; Tom Wood, Hamish McDougall and Piers Ovenden, arrived late due to heavy traffic on the M25, but skipper Peter Patston had handily managed to arrange batting first. Brian Taylor (bowled), then McDougall (caught at midwicket) and Ovenden (caught and bowled), who had hurriedly donned the pads, all departed cheaply, leaving the side in a spot of bother at [30 for 3].
Opener Mike Loan led a fight back with a fine 62, his maiden 50 for the club, and was ably supported by Eric Swale, who swung hard for his 42, including an impressive straight six. When Loan and Swale eventually departed a sub-par score was on the cards; however Andrew Thomas played shots all around the wicket for a excellent 42*, including a huge six onto the pavilion roof which took a bite size chunk out of the ball. He got support at the death from Stephen Tjasnik, Alastair Macaulay and Simon Brodbeck.
Ovenden and Thomas opened the bowling well with no luck until the latter took two wickets in two balls; the first to a sharp catch behind the wicket and the second knocking the stumps over with a perfect yorker. Despite this the Strollers attack, while industrious, was unable to take the requisite wickets and keep the run rate in check on a super quick outfield.
There was a late revival in fortunes, including a fine direct hit run out from Thomas, capping an impressive all-round performance from him; however Chobham comfortably knocked the runs off with six overs and five wickets to spare. Simon Brodbeck’s 1-54 moves him ever closer to the 1,000 wicket milestone for the club, although he remains tight-lipped in public.
A look through the records reveals this to be the first loss at Chobham since 2005, a reflection, perhaps, of a number of the Chobham youngsters improving markedly of late. The Strollers will look forward to a rematch next year, hopefully without the head winds of London’s biggest bike race occupying three of their finest and fittest players.
Capt: Peter Patston. Wkt: Hamish McDougall. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Parrys Whippets
Thursday August 8 in Teddington
Strollers lost by 30 runs
Whippets 120-4
(15 overs; Troughton 4-16)
Strollers 90-2
(15 overs; Tom Wood 38no, Andrew Wood 22, Shannon 20no)
It started badly
Dogs are not allowed at the Imperial College ground in Teddington and Oonagh was duly despatched to spend the evening tied to a skip in the car park. In view of the gathering gloom, a 15-over format was agreed. Skipper Tom Wood lost the toss and the Strollers were asked to field.
Things deteriorated
Whippets captain Maingot quickly showed he was a class act. He hit every four-ball for four. Then we dropped him on 24. He carried on hitting every four-ball, and some quite good ones, for four, mixing it up with a towering six over midwicket. It was then that one of his teammates pointed out that we had agreed (admittedly loosely) that people should retire on 50. He walked off in the 10th over having scored 64 of the 94 on the board.
We rallied
Whether it was Christian Troughton’s talent or Maingot’s absence we will never know, but the Strollers put the brakes on the runaway Whippets innings and the Yorkshireman ripped through the middle order with four emphatic dismissals, all bowled. The Whippets were restricted to 120-4 with Maingot’s opening partner Taylor carrying his bat for 19. Could we get there?
It tailed off a little in the middle
That the Strollers innings failed to gather momentum is typified by the third over, a wicket maiden bowled by innocuous looking sexagenarian Sumner. After four overs we had 12. Where Maingot had made batting look simple, Tom and Andrew Wood had difficulty with the slow pace of the wicket. Even short balls, which the Whippets had despatched to the boundary were not timed and the Strollers, needing eight an over, were never going at more than a run a ball. Andrew eventually holed out at midwicket for 22 and Shannon came in to contribute an enterprisingly quick 20.
The less said about the ending the better
We fell short by 30 runs. Way short. “Dreadful”, opined Jeff Ball. It is hard to disagree and no doubt, had the legendary lefty been given his chance, the result would have been different. Such are the vagaries of our glorious summer game; our fickle mistress. We take consolations: James Stubbs, on debut, displayed skill and athleticism in the field; Tim Garbett, on a rare reappearance, did well behind the stumps; Andrew Wood got his eye in in preparation for the weekend; we drank lager with friendly opponents in pleasant surroundings and a Sunday game is mooted. A wagging tail greeted the skipper on his return to the car park.
Capt and match fees: Tom Wood. Wkt: Tim Garbett.
Coldharbour
Saturday August 10 in Coldharbour
Strollers lost by four wickets
Strollers 218
(37.4 overs; Kelsey 50, Sam Brodbeck 43, Salvesen 34no, Stubbs 20 Davidson 17, Andrew Wood 11)
Coldharbour 219-6
(39 overs; Salvesen 2-11, Ovenden 2-31, Stubbs 1-54, Simon Brodbeck 1-62)
The early cloud cover broke and gave way to scattered balls of fluff – which is how one might have described the Strollers as the vagaries of the English road network conspired to place skipper Piers Ovenden under some early pressure.
Winning his fifth toss on the trot seemed a good omen and seeing only four familiar faces, including his own, batting was the only option. The tight boundaries suggested a par score was at least 240.
Ovenden and Simon Brodbeck strode purposefully to the middle of this delightful ground set amongst the trees, where the skipper faced the first ball, bowled with intent by the economical Andy Wills, partnered at the other end by brother Alex.
Before going on, it’s worth mentioning that the Coldharbour Club was established in the 1920s and moved from the village green to the present location in 1950. It is the highest ground in the South-east of England and has just received a lease extension from the National Trust of another 50 years. The Strollers last played there in 1990, at which match Peter Campbell scored 122.
Captain Ovenden was not quite able to match that feat and made way for David Kelsey, coming in at 7-1. As Strollers continued to gather from far and wide, John Gibson replaced Simon Brodbeck, surviving long enough to grant the first change bowler (the third of the Wills brothers) a wicket on his first ball and allowing Sam Brodbeck to the crease. With no sign of Tom Salvesen, the guests were now at 54-3, with Kelsey continuing to give the hosts practice at ball-finding amongst the nearby bracken, hitting five maximums on the way to a well-struck 50 - his first ever. The Strollers applause profoundly jinxed the debutante, who fell two balls later, leaving the visitors at 87-4. Still no sign of Salvesen.
Andrew Wood (11) and Kelvin Davidson (17) made their marks whilst Brodbeck Junior proceeded to make his watching mother proud on his way to 43, having been joined by Richie Stubbs after the loss of Paul Ledington. With yet no sign of Salvesen, Ivor Fiala replaced Brodbeck as the welcome figure of Mr. S arrived, after many miserable hours on the gridlocked M25. Fiala gave Salvesen time to change before generously allowing himself to be run out to bring Tom in to strike an elegant and forceful 34*, which, with Stubbs finishing on 20, made the last-wicket partnership of 55 the highest for the season and providing a much more defendable target of 218.
After a fine tea, the Strollers took to the field, some perhaps regretting that extra piece of cake. Stubbs opened the attack, bowling some very tight lines and was unlucky to only take a single wicket. Ovenden provided the attack from the uphill end, having the opening bat of Munford caught behind for one. As the hosts began to score more freely, they subjected the Strollers to the jungle experience that would see six or seven figures flattening the bracken whilst quietly murmuring “Where is it?” It only required the measured tones of Sir David to complete the picture.
Salvesen delivered aggressive and tight bowling, being rewarded with two wickets for a miserly 11 runs. Ovenden re-entered the fray and claimed his second, courtesy of a very sharp catch at slip by Wood. Brodbeck Senior took the dangerous wicket of M. Wills and with Coldharbour requiring upwards of seven an over as the shadows lengthened, hope was in the air. But it was not to be.
With three required off the last seven balls, J. Nightingale, finishing on 31*, provided a well-struck boundary to give our hospitable hosts a deserved win. One trusts it will not be another 23 years before we play there again.
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt and match fees: Kelvin Davidson.
Englefield Green
Sunday August 11 in Englefield Green
Strollers won by eight wickets
Englefield Green 121
(Simon Brodbeck 4-17, Read 3-1, Ovenden 3-42)
Strollers 125-2
(McDougall 45, Davidson 40, Timperley 26no)
Concorde having failed to raise a side, the fixture secretary worked his magic to arrange a match against Englefield Green Cricket Club at the green of the same name, near Egham. James Timperley loses the toss and is invited to field first. The sun is hot, the pitch hard. The outfield looks quick, the straight boundaries short. Eyebrows are raised.
Opening the bowling Julian Read sends down five overs of unplayable outswingers, claiming three wickets, all bowled, for figures of 5-4-1-3, the one single being a thin edge squirted behind square. At the other end Ovenden sends down ten overs of mostly playable deliveries, the wides being unreachable.
However with Read and then Jim Hodgson applying the tourniquet, the batsmen become frustrated and Ovenden takes three wickets of his own, one courtesy of a fine catch by Hamish McDougall standing up behind the stumps and another thanks to the unflappable David Kelsey at cover. Hodgson toils in the heat and dust unrewarded but for the appreciation of his teammates and the ascetic figures of 9-2-22-0.
Timperley now turns to Simon Brodbeck, the man on the cusp of a landmark that he would not speak of. Having taken one wicket the day before at Coldharbour, the club’s amateur statisticians concurred that Simon was on 997 career wickets for the Strollers. Maggie was reserving judgement until she could see the book. Messages to and from an informant ensconced in the Brodbeck camp at Reigate the night before confirmed that the great man himself believed he was on 997.
Mike Bennett is promptly bowled for 17. Brodbeck 998. No mention in the huddle. Duncan Ballantyne is caught by Ovenden at mid-off for 0. Brodbeck 999. Handshakes, smiles, backslaps and not a word.
Silence. The shuffle, a stutter step, the sky-ward reach of the left arm, another delivery. George Whittle is forward, plays the ball back down the pitch. Simon looks suspiciously down the wicket, leans his head to the left, turns down the corners of his mouth, picks up the ball and walks back to his mark. Repeat. Whittle is forward, the ball perhaps closer to the edge than the middle of the bat this time. Simon collects the ball and walks back to his mark. Repeat. Whittle is forward, plays, misses. End of over.
Will it be today? Edward Brown is batting well, rapidly approaching his 50. Paul Ledington replaces Hodgson, immediately finds his line but cannot make the breakthrough. Whittle slashes at a delivery from Brodbeck, under-cutting it into McDougall’s boots. Timperley at first slip studies the buildings to his right at the far end of the green. Jeff Ball at square leg looks into his folded arms. Another shuffle, just the hint of a stutter, the ball arcs down the wicket, pitches a little shorter this time, Whittle pulls, skies it. No time for silence now. “HAMMIIIISSHHH!” suggests Simon. The catch is pouched. Brodbeck 1,000.
More handshakes, smiles, backslaps and we can all talk about it now. But Englefield Green are only nine down and the new batsman is at the non-striker’s end, the batsmen having crossed. The next delivery is a straight one (or does it swing a little?). Brown plays and misses and is bowled, Englefield Green CC all out for 121. Brodbeck 1,001. The print journalist has gone digital.
Both teams retire to the shade of the pavilion to news from Durham, where England are setting Australia a target, and to indulge in sandwiches, sponge cake and the abundant fruit platter. Tom Wood and friends arrive from Send, where they had gone to watch the Strollers play Concorde, as McDougall and Kelvin Davidson stride out to open the batting.
A fine partnership, at close to five runs per over, puts victory within reach. Davidson unleashes a couple of coruscating cover drives before he is brilliantly caught at cover point for 40. McDougall then departs as well to allow Kelsey, fresh from his maiden 50 on Saturday, the honour of helping his skipper knock off the winning runs on Sunday.
With an early finish there is time for photographs choreographed by Sam Brodbeck and a chat with our friendly hosts. As glasses are raised from Bath to Beeston, Wood exclaims: “Tonight, we all drink orange squash!”
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match fees: Kelvin Davidson.
Odney
Sunday August 18 in Cookham
Match drawn
Strollers 235-4 dec
(Fredrickson 84, Ovenden 37no, Wood 34no, Timperley 32, Loan 14)
Odney 199-9
(Simon Brodbeck 6-59, Loan 2-30)
Light rain was falling over London as Rory Wood rose on Sunday the 18th of August. The met office predicted it would clear, so Mr Wood wasn’t too worried about the weather. More worrying for the stout antipodean was the fact that he had a blinder of a hangover, was somewhere in Canada and had no passport.
Luckily for the Strollers, match manager Jeff Ball stepped into the breach for the crunch match against Odney. In the two previous fixtures in Cookham the Strollers had left dejected, and a strong showing at this magnificent ground was needed.
Captain James Timperley lost the toss, and the Strollers were inserted by Mike Finlay, who also opened the bowling for Odney. A tight line and length ensued, and was supported from the other end by Ali Dickie, an attacking left-armer bringing the ball in and cutting it away. It was the latter who made the first breakthrough, with Mike Loan following the fielders’ instructions to drive the ball only to see an inside edge go on to his stumps for a hard-fought 14 to leave the Strollers 39-1 after 11.
Just in time Justin Fredrickson stepped to the plate after getting his eye in. Anything short or leg-side was smashed to the short leg-side boundary. Just in case that didn’t irk the bowlers, anything on a good length on off was also dispatched. Just incredible.
As the score racked up, Odney needed a change, and after 11 overs on the trot Dickie was taken off and replaced by Fish. The change was effective, and in his second over he had Timperley misjudging a slower ball and heading back to the pavilion for an unusually quiet 32. At the other end, just inefficient bat sliding troubled Fredrickson, who had just inserted his bat into his throat.
Another change of bowling brought about the downfall of Fredrickson, who guided Ayush Saha’s first ball just into short third man’s hands just inches from his century (for 84). Sam Brodbeck followed shortly, trying to force the pace, also off the bowling of Saha.
In stepped Tom Wood and Piers Ovenden (while Fredrickson just interred himself under a tree to catch up on some sleep) who smashed the bowling to all parts, including a magnificent cut shot to the long boundary by Ovenden. When the captain declared the Strollers had reached a very defendable 235-4 off 42 overs (while Eric Swale was left chomping at the bit on the sidelines).
A wonderful tea was taken just after 4pm - special mention must go to the chocolate cake, meringues and loaf of cheese sandwiches. This left the Strollers the best part of 2½ hours for glory.
Ovenden and Andrew Wood opened the bowling for the Strollers. Unfortunately for the Strollers the sun had been out all morning and the pitch had got harder. The ball was coming onto the bat and then promptly being deposited into the thick patches of rough on the wrong side of the short boundary. Particularly attaching was Ali Dickie’s younger brother, Rob, another strapping left-hander on loan from Reading FC.
The captain turned to Simon Brodbeck who, taking inspiration from Graeme Swann at Lords, bowled a magnificent full toss to have Rob Dickie trapped in front. After four wickets in quick succession the game was in the balance (three to Brodbeck and a sharp run-out to Ovenden).
Ali Damerchi had doubled his repertoire of strokes through the inclusion of a straight drive (also for six, much like his pull shots) and was going along at pace to reach 81. Brodbeck, ever the tactician, moved Swale straighter on the long-on boundary, and sensing the chance lofted another tempting off-spinner down the pitch. Damerchi could not resist, and skied the ball toward the empty midwicket region. Luckily for the Strollers, with legs twice the length of any other player, Swale could cover the ground quickly, and pulled off a sensational diving catch to remove the danger man.
Now the odds swung firmly into the Strollers’ favour – quick wickets were required. Jeff Ball stood fearlessly at short cover to snaffle any chance. Loan took two quick wickets, including a magnificent circus juggling act between keeper Kelvin Davidson and slip Wood to remove Saha. Odney’s two experienced hands parked up at an end each, and with three overs to go, a draw looked likely. Brodbeck, however, was having none of it. Still fresh in his 16th over he tempted Doug Bay forward and bowled him through the gate. Odney’s Mark Fish farmed the strike, but could not protect Henry Walker from Brodbeck in the final over of the game.
Brodbeck had his victim clean bowled, taking his figures to 18-0-59-6, but leaving only one ball to take the final wicket. Unfortunately for the Strollers, Odney’s number 11’s forward defensive fell tantalisingly short of the short fielders, and the match ended in a draw.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Kelvin Davidson. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Wall
Saturday August 24 in Lichfield
Strollers won by 39 runs
Strollers 145-8
(40 overs; Timperley 91no, Duff 18, Simon Brodbeck 10)
Wall 106
(39.2 overs; Simon Brodbeck 3-14, Ovenden 2-12, Hodgson 2-21, Shearer 1-6, Patston 1-10, Timperley 1-21)
After driving through steady rain, the Strollers were cheered on their arrival at Lichfield to discover they had been promoted to the main pitch at the front of the pavilion. Last year’s soaking affair on the Astroturf strip at the back quickly faded from memory as the sun struggled through the clouds and Captain Tom Wood and Piers Ovenden strode to the wicket. Before the Stroller wags could pop open their first bottle of wine, the openers were back in the pavilion. “It’s so slow, just wait for it”, counselled the skipper.
Sam Brodbeck and Jim Hodgson ignored those wise words and were soon out, caught driving. When Mike Morgan fell leg before wicket the scoreboard read 41-6. So low was the mood in the Strollers camp that the wags had to open another bottle of wine to restore morale (Ed – this may have been a coincidence).
But as the old saying goes, there’s always hope while Timperley’s in. Supported by Ryan Duff and Simon Brodbeck James expertly picked off the young Wall attack, finishing on 91 not out and contributing a mere 63% of the Strollers’ total.
Wall seemed to have no trouble digesting the magnificent tea or dealing with the tricky pitch. Hodgson grew more and more frustrated as his normally immaculate line deserted him to the extent keeper Morgan had to stand back to stem the flow of byes.
Then came one of those moments from which cricketing legends spring. “Come on Jim,” whispered Wood from mid-off, “find that elusive rhythm”.
Next ball Hodgson sent down a dead straight thunderbolt and the 15-year-old umpire needed no convincing, aside from the wild eyes and screaming appeal from the burly bowler.
When Hodgson bowled the dangerous looking Manish Mittal the wags cheered and yet another cork popped. “I didn’t get that with my wicket,” muttered Ovenden.
The deadlock was broken and Wall wickets began falling at regular intervals until just two young Hatton brothers stood between the Strollers and victory. Madame President reported afterwards that the two had been scaring each other with tales of the two old bowlers who had taken 1,700 wickets between them.
It was left to Alastair Macaulay’s last-minute replacement - Alan Shearer of Stanton-by-Dale - to wrap up the win and set the Strollers in good stead to face Shearer’s own club the following day.
Capt: Tom Wood. Wkt: Mike Morgan.
Stanton by Dale
Sunday August 25 at Stanton
Strollers lost by eight wickets
Strollers 231-4 dec
(Ovenden 111no, Sam Brodbeck 58, Hodgson 33)
Stanton by Dale 234-2
(Duff 1-50, Timperley 1-56)
The 37th staging of this venerable fixture was planned with a fine sense of history in the bastion of conviviality that is Brian and Tricia Taylors’ dining room where, fortified by strong coffee and soothed by the dulcet tones of Warren Zevon, the captains agreed to a radical new format, born of Sussex league cricket: both sides to share 85 overs with no bowler allowed more than 10.
Buoyed by his negotiating skills, Strollers skipper Mike Morgan mustered his troops at the Stanhope Arms, marched them up to the top of the hill, won the toss and promoted himself and Jim Hodgson to open. Alas, his brave new world was cruelly shaken when, after a comfortable start, he was adjudged lbw for the second time in two days. It was half past one and the score was 23.
Barely five minutes later it was 27-2, James Timperley having fallen for the rarest of rare ducks, caught behind off the evergreen Jim Keys. Brian’s and Stanton’s hearts must surely have leapt at the departure of the Strollers’ Kiwi run machine, but Hodgson was undeterred and advanced with a series of fine boundaries whenever Keys and Simon Holmes strayed from their customary accuracy.
Hodgson’s full flow was cut off with the second bowling change; he top-edged a pull off the pacy Tom Wright and Chris Guest held his nerve – and the steepler – at midwicket. Two o’clock and 54-3. Enter Sam Brodbeck to join Piers Ovenden centre-stage.
And what a fine display ensued. Their stand lasted just over an hour and a half and yielded 156 runs thanks to a mixture of excellent running between the wickets and glorious shot making. Sam reined in his normal impetuosity but nevertheless reached 50 in 65 balls, while Piers advanced serenely through the gears until he was firing on all cylinders. One blistering shot to square leg left Umpire Hodgson in such admiration that he quite forgot to signal the four and, saving the best till nearly last, Piers brought up his century with an imperious six over long-on. It was his second ton for the club – his first on English soil – and came in just 103 balls.
How fitting that it should be viewed by such an appreciative gallery, one of the biggest seen at Stanton in living memory. Capturing the prevailing spirit of bonhomie, as well as anticipating the delicious tea awaiting in the clubhouse, Cap’n Morgs declared somewhat unexpectedly just before four o’clock, leaving Stanton the lion’s share of 43 overs in which to overhaul 231. Tea, courtesy of Tricia Taylor aided by Steph Turner, certainly lived up to expectations; if only the Strollers’ second-half performance could match the standard of the plum flan…
In fact, it fell rather flat - the Strollers’ performance, that is, not the flan. Our only early success came in the fifth over when Ryan Duff bowled Barry Taylor. Thereafter, Phil Gregory and Chris Guest survived everything we could throw at them, including a number of lbw shouts of varying degrees of confidence and two optimistic, if not desperate, run-out attempts that both went for five. They batted with determination and increasing assurance, as befitted their respective status as Stanton 1st X1 captain and vice-captain.
Phil’s century came off 102 balls – one fewer than Piers’s – and once the result seemed secure he generously ambled out of his crease to be stumped off Timperley. The keeper was Ovenden standing in for Morgan, who, eschewing alternative slow loopy spin options, had decided to have a go himself. In fairness, Mike promised to buy Peter Patston drink all evening – and was as good as his word.
With one run needed, Chris was on 94, but just failed to hit the six needed to bring him his maiden ton. Stanton’s deserved victory with an over to spare brought their overall tally in the series level with the Strollers. Both have now won 11 times, with 13 draws and two matches abandoned. It was the first time since 2005 that Stanton took the David Tranter Cup, the memorial trophy for Brian Taylor’s and Simon Brodbeck’s cricketing pal from their Nottingham High School days.
It was also the first time for donkey’s years that the Strollers declined the hospitality of Geoff Utting at La Zouch restaurant for their Three Counties tour Sunday dinner. With their menu choices patiently managed by Hanna Alder, they headed instead to Zamani’s to be warmly received and limoncello’d by the affable host. It was a fine setting for Simon to be awarded with an engraved silver-framed picture in recognition of his 1,000th wicket for the club. “The first 1,000 are the hardest,” confessed the maestro of length and line, as he flummoxed all and sundry by NOT ordering a strong orange squash. As Warren Zevon might well have sung: “All the Tia Maria coffees in Ashby, I’m gonna drink ’em up.”
Captain: Mike Morgan. Wkt: Mike Morgan/Piers Ovenden.
Sutton on the Hill
Monday August 26 at Sutton
Strollers won by nine wickets
Sutton 167
(Simon Brodbeck 3-10, Ovenden 3-54, Hodgson 2-42, Fiala 1-6, Timperley 1-31)
Strollers 168-1
(Timperley 57no, Taylor 38no)
A glorious Bank Holiday afternoon. Sutton-on-the-Hill at its best. Blue skies, cotton wool clouds. A lovely journey from Ashby through middle England; Swadlincote sweltering and Burton ablaze. Flowers in hedgerows. Scatterings of hay bales in scorched fields. Hardly a verb in sight.
Of course, there were some negatives. Early in the day Sue Pinnick had to leave, care of Green Flag – taking Buster and Kerrie with her, but leaving behind the old dog to complete the tour. Ryan and Sharron were gone, although it was claimed that Brian Taylor (the previous day’s victorious captain) was a like-for-like replacement for the Kiwi all-rounder. Alan Shearer remained.
Sutton seemed in some disarray. Did they have nine, 10, or 11 players? Chris Booth, opening bat and bowler, was under the weather (as indeed we all are in a very real sense). Key batsman Brian Hall had yet to arrive. Not wanting to field with nine men, Sutton chose to bat on winning the toss.
The Trevatt brothers attempted to lay waste the opening attack of Jim Hodgson and skipper Piers Ovenden. Forty-six runs came in no time at all (or 25 minutes if you wish). However, Hodgson and Ovenden are made of stern stuff. It was the captain who broke the stand, catching off his own bowling David Trevatt (34 off 22 balls). Wickets now started to tumble. Hodgson removed Richard Trevatt, and the parsimonious Simon Brodbeck clean bowled three of the Sutton middle order in a spell of 9-5-10-3. Those of a statistical bent are asking whether Peter Patston’s club record of 68 wickets in a season will be beaten.
A recovery between Brian Land junior and Nigel Duffell moved the score from 97-7 to 127. Nigel spent 31 balls over his first run but then, with late-arriving Brian Hall, pushed the score to 167 in a last-wicket partnership of 33. Nigel’s last 34 were scored at a run a ball. In that 167, there were 22 extras, of which only 11 were byes. Credit was due to Mike Morgan, keeping down the extras on a wicket with extremely low bounce – a keeper’s nightmare. In a good all-round bowling performance, Shearer was unlucky not to take a wicket, but there was one for the connoisseur – Ivor Fiala bowling the stubborn Brian Land junior. Eight of the 10 wickets were bowled.
At tea it was good to be re-acquainted with Maurice and Fran Twigg, Sutton stalwarts – Maurice as player and umpire and Fran as tea-maker. Fran has fed us splendidly for many years.
The tea interval was marked by a moving tribute by Tom Wood in honour of James Timperley’s 100th appearance for the Strollers. Yes, another ton for the impeccable New Zealander, who even manages to colour co-ordinate his green cap with his green bat-handle rubber.
Old hands Tom Wood and Brian Taylor opened the Strollers’ reply. Could any pairing be more harmonious? Skipper Martindale and the recovering Chris Booth restricted the scoring until Tom fell to a good catch behind from tyro keeper, Brian Land junior.
Enter Timperley, who joined Brian in a match-winning stand of 137. Normally there are two members of a partnership, but, in this case, like the marriage of Charles and Diana, there were three: Brian and James, with extras in the Camilla role. Some say partnerships sparkle with a little extra, but an innings total of 66 was a bit de trop. To be fair to the Sutton keeper, the ball was keeping extremely low at one end and David Trevatt, converted from pace bowling, was bowling off-breaks with bounce and turn, if unpredictable direction. There were 23 wides. The result was that there was little difficulty in meeting the required run-rate, although James made sure with a trio of sixes punctuating an otherwise quietly elegant innings.
So another Three Counties tour ended. After sociable drinks with the Sutton team and a buffet at The Black Cow, people went their different ways. Lovely weather, and great companionship in the company of WAGs and dogs, not forgetting Jo’s folks, Fin, and Jim’s Dad, had made the weekend memorable. Thanks to the organisers, in particular Alastair Macaulay.
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Mike Morgan.
Sutton
Sunday September 1 at Sutton
Strollers won by nine wickets
Sutton 262-9
(40 overs; Morgan 2-3, Simon Brodbeck 2-36, Addis 1-53, Loan 1-68, Ferrick 1-70)
Strollers 263-1
(29.4 overs; Ferrick 103no, Addis 101no, Davidson 30)
Match manager Jeff Ball had a clear strategy for this over-subscribed fixture against Sutton: Pick batters, score runs and let the bowling worry about itself. “Bowling by whom?” was the question on captain Mike Morgan’s lips as he made his way to Sutton. Tom Wood had similar thoughts as he headed out to the middle for the toss, reinforced in his view that batting first was the name of the game.
Sutton took control, however, winning the toss and asking the Strollers to have a bowl on a hard and true wicket. And so the Strollers took to the field, with the match manager still confident and clearly happy about the order of events (muttering something about tea, fielding and heartburn).
Sam Ferrick and Jono Addis kicked things off against the Sutton opening batsmen. Unfortunately, the pitch did not have much to offer the bowlers and the Sutton openers batted with confidence from the outset. Addis claimed the first scalp and then Simon Brodbeck the second in a wicket-maiden first over. Brodbeck continued an impressive spell, as the remaining opener (Srivastav) and the Sutton No 4 (Gardner) attacked the other end. Their hitting was impressive, racing Sutton to 150 in the 22nd over.
A target in excess of 300 soon looked likely before Srivastav was caught on a desperately-unlucky but impressive 99, attempting to send the ball over big-hands Eric Swale at long-off with a wicket to Ferrick. Brodbeck soon claimed his second and when Gardner fell on 88 the innings began to turn somewhat. Morgan picked up a couple of late wickets but it was clear that the Strollers would have their work cut out to claim victory, as Sutton finished on 262-9 after 40 overs.
Fortified by a delicious tea, Addis and Kelvin Davidson were up first in the long batting line-up. Runs were hard-fought in the first 10 overs; the Sutton opening bowlers holding their line well. The Sutton captain, clearly a seasoned campaigner, complemented his opening fast bowler with a spinner at the other end, who took the pace of the ball and made the batsmen work hard for their runs. Addis and Davidson held their nerve, however, keen to set the Strollers’ innings off to a good start. They soon began to free their arms and made it to 73 from 13 overs before Davidson was bowled on 30 attempting to dispatch a flighted delivery to the boundary.
Out came Ferrick, keen to score runs. And runs he scored, firing straight away with a glorious sweep to the long-leg boundary. The first change bowler continued Sutton’s accurate bowling, but the batsmen were up for the challenge and anything in the slightly-loose category was quickly dispatched by Ferrick on both sides of the pitch.
Addis, having watched at the other end for a stint and keen not to miss out, stepped it up a notch too and began driving in magnificent fashion to reach his 50. It soon became clear to the spectating Strollers that they were watching two batsmen in fine form, and so they just sat back and enjoyed the show. Addis and Ferrick soon powered the Strollers to 150 from 20 overs, with Ferrick scoring his 50 with another splendid sweep to the boundary.
And so Addis and Ferrick continued, with inspiring stroke pay, hard running between the wickets and few risks taken (although at one stage they both found themselves at the keeper’s end watching as the ball was thrown to the bowler - thankfully, it was thrown wide). Addis reached his hundred and then Ferrick went on the attack. It was the 30th over and the innings was finished in style. A couple of big sixes and, with extras threatening to claim the final runs, a Ferrick 100 sealed the deal with an unbroken stand of 190 for the second wicket.
A very enjoyable day, topped off by some refreshing drinks care of the centurions, amongst good company in the Sutton pavilion.
Capt: Mike Morgan. Wkt: Mike Morgan and Kelvin Davidson.
Match fees: Tom Wood.
Warfield
Saturday September 7 at Warfield
Strollers won by 134 runs
Strollers 224-3 dec
(Davidson 95, Swale 44, Boyle 38, Wood 13no, Swan 11no)
Warfield 90
(Francis 5-27, Simon Brodbeck 4-22)
After a tight loss in the fixture last year, the Strollers were looking to make amends when they set off to Warfield on the weekend. Match manager Tim Swan selected an all-round eleven, six of whom greeted Tom Wood and Oonagh at Hammersmith expecting to fit into the four-hatchback. Some quick thinking by Tom emphasised the great selection of Dan Boyle (playing in his first game of the season) who made a short detour (judging by the time it took via the M4, Fulham, Chelsea and eastern Europe) to pick up two of the team (including Ryan Duff, who was lucky to make the rendezvous at all in light of the 17 missed calls and numerous two-word text messages at 7am in the morning (only if the contents of “Noooootttt Goooodd” are actually words).
Travel crises averted, the full eleven were in place on time (just), to see captain Mike Morgan lose the toss and be put in to bat for the timed game.
The fantastic weather of recent months continued (with only the odd spit of rain) and the outfield was lightning quick. Unfortunately for openers Kelvin Davidson and Eric Swale, the rain of the previous day had slowed the pitch considerably. The bowling was tight and the going difficult; Swale played through his first two balls and was nearly caught at mid-on twice, Davidson was facing an equally torrid time against the accurate bowling of Chris Martin and exacting pace and bounce of Santosh. It took Davidson 26 balls to make his second scoring shot.
The batsmen finally acclimatised to the pace of the pitch and picked up the scoring rate; Davidson hitting a six over the pavilion to cow corner and Swale an imperious on-drive that flew a significant distance over the longest boundary on the park (albeit downhill with a tail wind). By the time Swale departed, attempting an ungainly heave over midwicket to a leg-stump yorker, the score was on 116 in the 23rd over and the Strollers were in a position of authority.
In strode Boyle, eager to make his mark on the Strollers season. Passing cars were in danger as balls went flying. Davidson continued his now aggressive leg-side approach resulting in a wagon wheel that looked like an epileptic clock stuck at ten minutes to 11 (I’m not really sure that works as a simile, but hopefully you get the author’s drift). By the time Davidson and Boyle left, bowled attempting to hoick Yorker-length balls onto the leg side (Strollers batting coaches, you have something to work on in the off-season) there was just enough time for Wood and Swan to cash in on some tired Warfield bowling and set a target of 225.
A delightful tea was taken in the pavilion, and the teams entertained by the antics of not only Oonagh, but also her three canine friends (which almost deserves an article in its own right).
The Warfield openers strode to face a refreshed Duff, who had at least tripled the amount of sleep he had had in the previous 24 hours by tactfully disappearing during the first innings. Warfield started with great positive intent, smashing Duff’s first ball up the hill to the long-off boundary. Strollers recruit Morgan Francis started up the hill, and straight away found an exacting amount of bounce and good pace. Duff tightened his lines and set up shop; probing outside the off stump and having a number of chances falling agonisingly short of slips Wood and Boyle, gully Ivor Fiala and keeper Morgan.
The first breakthrough came when Jim Moulder top-edged a pull of a rising delivery from Francis, and Duff had enough time to overrun, over-adjust and finally make an easy catch look difficult. Duff and Francis continued building pressure and it finally told, with the Warfield No 3 underestimating Swale’s arm and being run out at the non-striker’s end.
The Warfield No 4, Harvey Fuller, and the remaining opener, Charlie Carr, dug in and rode out the pressure, seeing off Francis, Duff, and Swan, and began scoring freely. Carr was particularly powerful, and hit boundaries with regular frequency.
Time was called, and the 20-over limit started ticking down. Francis changed ends with immediate effect, and bowled Fuller with one that came back from a good length. The number of slips increased, and the Strollers fielding unit was tight, not even allowing singles to permit a slight pressure release. Anything that avoided the colossal frame of Swale, courageously fielding sans pads or helmet in silly and short positions, was cut off at lightning speed by Laurie Allsop.
The pressure told, and within the blink of an eye a landslide had started that Warfield couldn’t arrest. Francis had his five-for on debut (including three catches to Davidson in the outfield). Not being one to be outdone, Simon Brodbeck took four wickets with his final 10 deliveries, including two off his two final deliveries (which leaves an interesting academic question: is a hat-trick a hat-trick if it occurs over two games?) Warfield had lost their final seven wickets for 13 runs, and the Strollers had avenged their defeat.
Both teams retreated to the pavilion, and enjoyed a few well deserved ales in good company. The final words belong to Wood, who, when talking about his sharp catch in the slips to remove the danger man Carr, and life in general, pronounced: “If you’ve got it, you’ve got it”.
Capt and wkt: Mike Morgan, Match fees: Tom Wood.
Hurley
Sunday September 8 at Hurley
Strollers won by six wickets
Hurley 153
(40 overs; Thomas 4-26, Duff 2-26, Ovenden 2-31, Ferrick 1-17)
Strollers 154-4
(31.3 overs; Addis 86no, Ovenden 57no)
There are a lot of flying things around the pleasant rural ground at Hurley CC. Aside from the usual crows, doves, blackbirds and the like, a significant number of red kites circled nearby, perhaps reminding the hopefuls below that their species is a scavenger, living off the carcases of once living things. There was also the occasional biplane, light aircraft and, once, something menacing of World War Two vintage. An adjacent field of attractive sheep made the antipodeans in the squad homesick.
It is unclear to the author just who won the toss (“I’ll tell you after the match” was skipper Piers Ovenden’s only comment), but the Strollers went into the field for the first session, under a sky threatening the odd shower, if not worse.
With Madame President ready at the scoring table, Andrew Thomas began the attack with an aggressive and tight spell, supported by the less pacey but no less testing line and length of Ovenden. The Hurley openers began in confident style; Thomas’s second over was a wicket-maiden, putting the brakes on.
Ovenden, bowling at two, entered the fray with Ryan Duff at three, taking two wickets apiece and helping the Strollers to a strong position of seeing Hurley at 54-5 in the 13th over. With the long-threatening clouds deciding that enough was enough, the covers were hastily applied. The interlude was brief and play continued, with the Hurley middle order holding the fort for 12 overs and keeping the scoreboard ticking over, for the loss of only one further wicket.
It began to rain with some intent and, with seven overs remaining, tea was called. A fine spread was offered and gratefully demolished, with there being general agreement that hot pizza should be a requirement for all late season games. Clearing skies brought Thomas back into the fray, taking two further wickets with the Hurley innings ending with 153 on the board.
Jono Addis opened the batting for the Strollers in decisive style, clubbing the first balls from Mo Basharat for successive boundaries. Brian Taylor started more circumspectly, until a long-considered lbw decision went against him after facing a mere seven deliveries. Keep that figure in mind, dear reader.
With 154 required for the win, and with Addis and Sam Ferrick, the two heroes of Sutton, at the crease, the Strollers waiting to bat opined that perhaps the pads wouldn’t be needed after all.
Oh dear. Ferrick fell to a sharp catch by keeper Mike Walton – for nought off two deliveries. Followed by John Gibson for nought off two. Followed by Tom Wood for nought off four. Thus providing Basharat with his fourth wicket on the way to figures of 8-1-22-4. “At least I lasted longer than Gibson,” said Wood, “and that ball was unplayable”. All agreed.
With FSSCC at 21-4, skipper Ovenden came to the crease at No 6 to stem what was threatening to be a Strolleresque collapse and continued to the end, striking the winning run and thus finishing on an unbeaten 57, with Addis likewise for 86.
The evening drew in and the Strollers enjoyed a friendly pint with their hosts, accompanied by a snack of hot roast potatoes, in this Stroller’s opinion, another item that would be a welcome fixture on these cooler evenings.
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Jono Addis. Match fees: Tom Wood.
The Demijohns
Saturday September 21 at Pinkneys Green
Strollers won by six wickets
Demijohns 157
(Simon Brodbeck 5-45, Macaulay 2-25, Duff 2-28, Oliver 1-18)
Strollers 158-4
(Ferrick 74no, Selby 38, Ball 25, Davidson 12)
The Strollers assembled at our borrowed home ground at Pinkney's Green to find that Piers Ovenden and Tim Swan were playing for the Demijohns. This was fair enough as the fixture came via Piers and he has played for them, but a bit of an incentive for our bowlers.
Strollers debut skipper Sam Ferrick lost the toss and the Demijohns elected to bat, opening with two left-handers in Tom Parsons and Tim Swan. Paul Dorrans generated pace and bounce on a generally slow pitch and, as so often this season, beat the bat frequently with no reward. The lino in the corridor is well worn. Parsons looked dangerous and smacked Ryan Duff back over his head for a straight six that cannoned off the sight screen. However, in the first ball of Ryan's next over he hit a similar delivery back at the bowler who held on to a very hard catch. Later in the same over Swan hit Ryan back over his head for four. Skipper Ferrick called for a similar response from the bowler and Ryan promptly clean bowled Swan to leave the Demijohns at 24-2. You won't like Duffers when he's angry.
Ovenden had come in at number three and looked to consolidate the innings. This got off to a sticky start when he called Andrew Wiklund for a single as the ball trickled to Alastair Macaulay lurking at a shortish square leg . Wiklund was out by some margin. If you've been run out by Alastair there really wasn't one there, was there? Despite further eccentric running, Piers and skipper Stuart Batchelor rebuilt the innings taking advantage of anything short which just sat up to be hit.
Simon Brodbeck, as he so often does, broke the partnership. He pitched one up to Piers who made to hit it over long-on. This fooled Alastair at mid-off initially until he realised that it was headed his way and he clung on in gratitude. This was the wicket that the Strollers wanted and needed. Piers made an elegant 40 but the Strollers felt that the danger men were gone. Simon then had Batchelor well caught by Sam Oliver and bowled the number six.
There was some resistance from Adam Darling, who hit a brisk 25, but at the other end wickets fell to Alastair (2-25, both skiers caught by Ferrick and debutant Aidan Selby) and Simon who ended with 5-45. The Demijohns were all out for 157 and the Strollers were happy with a good bowling and fielding performance The last wicket was notable for the catch by Dorrans who seemed to all to be dozing quietly at backward point until he nonchalantly reached out his left hand to snaffle the ball.
After the usual fine tea, Kelvin Davidson and Selby opened the batting. Both looked to get on with it and were soon scoring at five an over. Kelvin was bowled for 12 to be replaced by Ferrick and he and Selby rattled along at over six an over. Sam hit some lovely cover drives and a straight six and Selby looked very good for his 38 before he was dismissed.
Jeff Ball then entertained us with a cameo of an innings combining the forward defensive lunge (derived from fencing's feint and parry, watchers decided) and aggressive treatment of anything short which was bludgeoned to the ropes. He was out for a merry 25 in a partnership of 70, leaving chairman Kimball Bailey to strap on the pads for a rare outing. He hung around and scored three before becoming Parsons’ second victim. The Strollers wrapped up a six-wicket win soon after and both teams enjoyed a few Rebellion ales in the pavilion afterwards.
As the Strollers were nearing victory, Notts were also easing to victory againsty Glamorgan at Lord’s, defying Simon's gloomy prediction. The Pies were also chalking up their first league victory against Tranmere so there was probably dancing in the streets of Beeston that night.
The Sunday fixture at Finchley was sadly called off on Sunday morning. Pesky groundmen.
Thanks once again to Pinkney's Green for their hospitality and particularly to Cathy Snapes for the splendid tea.
Capt: Sam Ferrick. Wkt: Kelvin Davidson. Match fees: Simon Brodbeck.
The Beamers
Sunday September 29 at Highgate
Strollers won by four wickets
The Beamers 192-5
(40 overs; Macaulay 4-39)
Strollers 193-6
(39.1 overs; Timperley 65, Andrew Wood 53no, Duff 12no)
The long and winding road of the 2013 season began at a sun-drenched Amersham ground on April 21 where James Timperley was back in action after 18 months out with a knee injury. He scored 103 not out to announce an emphatic return.
It ended on an autumnal dappled day in Highgate as Timperley took his season’s total of runs to 990 with a masterly 65. When he was dismissed, with the Strollers still 63 runs shy of their victory target, all seemed lost.
But the doom-mongers had not reckoned with one Andrew Wood. Not to be confused with brother Rory, this member of the Wood family made light work of an unlikely scenario. A little matter of 34 runs were needed off three overs in light that was fading rapidly. But our hero took 17 off the penultimate over and set things up for Ryan Duff to finish the match with a soaring six.
But let us begin at the beginning…
After the toss had been made, Sam Brodbeck enquired of Jeff Ball: “What are we doing?”
Ball replied: “Do you mean, in a general sense…I have often wondered what we are doing.”
On this philosophical note, the Strollers took the field, having lost the toss. And they must have indeed wondered what they were doing when the Beamers opening pair put on 95 without undue problem. Then fate, in the unlikely guise of wicketkeeper Piers Ovenden, intervened. Ovenden, showing remarkable presence of mind, spotted Richard Verity procrastinating over a second run and threw down the stumps. A breakthrough at last.
Then Alastair Macaulay began to weave his idiosyncratic magic. He had Joseph James, a dangerous hitter, caught by Timperley in the deep and, with figures of 8-0-39-4, put the brakes on. Simon Brodbeck reported for duty still a tantalising six wickets short of Peter Patston’s record wicket-taking mark of 68 (in his annus mirabilis of 1988 with figures of 278.4-45-955-68-14.04). Despite a tight spell, Brodbeck had no luck and no victims, leaving Patston to breathe a little easier.
Duff’s parsimonious 8-3-20-0 kept the squeeze going and the situation was clawed back with the Beamers, having looked on course for a massive 200+ score, ending their 40 overs on 192-5.
It was then that a familiar figure appeared on the boundary rope; a figure who had indeed stepped down from the Strollers pantheon.
Danny John, for it was he, played 275 games for the club from 1978; took 330 wickets (third in the all-time list) and scored some 5,456 runs (still second in the all-time list) before emigrating to Australia.
But here he was, dropping in from a holiday visit to the UK, with wife Tanya, son Ben and mum Patsy (a much-loved former stalwart of the London Evening News news desk - where the Strollers were born in 1976). It was a delight to see them all.
Inspired by such a royal visit, Ovenden and Timperley set off in pursuit of the victory target. But Ovenden fell early. “I tried to flick it to leg,” he insisted. He missed and was adjudged lbw. Jeff Ball, Sam Brodbeck and Laurie Allsopp lingered a while and then left the stage. Timperley followed his remorseless course until he was surprisingly caught at extra cover mistiming a drive.
That was that, said the gloomy pundits, as the failing light darkened their mood. But then came Andrew Wood.
Hitting everything in the middle of the bat, Wood hit five fours, three resounding sixes and seemed the only one in the autumnal darkness who knew where the ball was. Six were required off the final over but Mr Wood's assistant, Mr Duff, needed just one delivery and another clean strike to take the Strollers triumphantly over the line. Magnificent!
It was a splendid match against friendly and hospitable opponents and a fitting way to bring the curtain down on the 2013 domestic campaign. Now Tom Wood leads his men to the French Riviera to put the finishing touches to a season that was full of glorious sunshine, stirring deeds, comprehensive victories, golden memories – and our fair share of abject defeats.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Piers Ovenden. Match fees: Simon Brodbeck.
Riviera Saturday
Saturday October 5 in St Vallier de Thiey
Strollers won by nine wickets
Riviera 118-6
(30 overs; Macaulay 2-28, Jones 1-13, Duff 1-15)
Strollers 119-1
(23.3 overs; McDougall 48no, Jones 40, Timperley 15no)
One of the greatest charms of the Riviera tour is the comforting sense of familiarity: the friendliness and hospitality of the opposition and Jean-Pierre at Hotel Prejoly, wine-fuelled debates on the laws of the game that stretch long into the night, and of course the inability of Paul Dorrans to reach an airport in time for his flight.
Strollers James Timperley, Tom Wood, Hamish McDougall, Ryan Duff, Alastair Macaulay and Laurie Allsopp were enjoying a relaxed coffee in Gatwick departures on Friday morning when an email pinged into their inboxes. Wood was first to his phone: “Cano’s missed his plane.” Was it a wind-up? Alas, no. In came the message: “Dear all. I have contrived to miss my flight. Reasons to be confirmed. Now arriving 5.20pm. See you soon, PD.” Much cursing followed, as well as a quick check to see if anyone still had Cy Wastell’s number.
Regular readers will remember a forgotten bank card as the excuse from last year, but this time an intriguing story emerged of international finance fraud involving a shady gang of Somalis, a desperate dash across London by a laptop courier and a narrowly-averted disaster in Helsinki.
However, further probing uncovered a discrepancy or two in the account, not least when Dorrans let slip that he may, in fact, have thought his flight was in the afternoon. He also admitted that his state of mind had not been helped by his previous evening’s activities, which led to a late taxi home and an attempt to pay the driver by cheque that is probably not to be recommended.
Piers Ovenden, who had spent the morning sightseeing in Nice and was awaiting his fellow tourists in arrivals, was unaware of any problems. Luckily, Allsopp knew a good bar (see Riviera 2012) for Duff and himself to console the designated driver over a few Coca-Colas. Eventually all arrived in Antibes (Dorrans fortunate to avoid having to travel in the Mercedes boot) to join the rest for drinks. The tardy tourist came in for quite a welcome, not least when Hamish commented on his choice of cream chinos: “Are you even a person?”
With Peter and Maggie Patston, Brian and Tricia Taylor, and Max Jones having joined the group, the tour party proceeded to La Forge, where this year the management, learning from experience, had given the Strollers the top room to themselves. The meal was excellent and spirits were high as further evening entertainment was discussed. Hamish expressed the desire to dance to 10 guitars, and when the rain came down Peter decided a Gene Kelly tribute act was in order.
The Saturday morning journey brought further similarities with the previous year. Allsopp, remembering the horrors of the mountain road out of Grasse, took the precaution of a moment to compose himself by the side of the road. To his amazement, he did … although this came at the price of listening to one of his car-mates rearranging the flower beds with an interesting breakfast choice of soft-boiled egg topped with Babybel. But come midday, all were (vaguely) limbered up and ready to go.
Captain JT lost the toss and the Strollers were fielding. Undeterred by the dense mist, Dorrans and Duff opened things up and Cano troubled the batsmen (and his wicket-keeper) with lift and pace. Duff began with two maidens, but wickets were frustratingly absent. Ovenden decided enough was enough and effected a run-out of Bristow, and fellow Riviera opener Bishesh departed in the same manner – but not before he had played a looping, free-spirited full-toss from Allsopp on to his stumps. No-ball was called, providing the evening’s topic for debate in the McDougall-Timperley party room (also known as the Aaron Walder memorial suite).
Timperley threw the ball to Macaulay, and helped him to two wickets with a pair of well-watched catches as Stair toyed with the batsmen with his usual flight and guile. Jones clattered the stumps of Johnson and Duff took a well-deserved wicket with the lbw of captain Paul Bacon before Riviera reached 118-6 from their 30 overs.
Discussion over the wonderful tea of slow-cooked pulled pork (misidentified by one Stroller as chicken) centred on Timperley’s personal run chase. On 990 for the season pre-tour, he admitted that a previous stranding in the nine-nineties was lurking in the mind. So with a smallish target to chase, when openers Jones and McDougall reached 32 in six overs an element of concern would have been permitted.
Jones, a previous half-centurion on this ground, eased his way into his innings as he negotiated the uneven bounce. Hamish, having taken a bruising behind the stumps, was keen to give some back to the ball and took consecutive fours off opening bowler Sam Gorski.
Pads on and next man in, it was a lonely wait for Timperley as assorted team-mates were required to umpire and field. It almost got too much for Wood, who having completed a lengthy umpiring stint was immediately dispatched back to square leg by the opposition skipper. With the score on 94 and following a testing spell from man-of-the-match Colin Srivastava, the opening partnership was broken at last. Bacon gave up the pads and brought himself on to bowl, and Srivastava caught a bullet-like drive from Jones at cover.
With 11 required, Hamish was seven short of a half-century and James one short of four figures. A single and four overthrows took McDougall to 48. “There are still plenty of runs to go round,” Piers remarked to Maggie, seconds before Timperley pulled Gorski gloriously for six. Commiserations to Hamish, but well done JT, and well done the Strollers.
Celebrations took place in the Senat, where Wood explained the etymology of “Pies” to Stephanie behind the bar, and the Kiwi contingent spent an agonising 80 minutes following the All Blacks in the “best game ever” via live text update.
With another victory in the bag (plus three points for Notts County despite the efforts of Dorrans, in charge of score-checking, to persuade Brian otherwise), foreboding thoughts of a damp Sunday forecast could be put aside for the evening. In tribute to the pret-a-Pies tour shirts, allez les bleus.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Riviera Sunday
Sunday October 6 in St Vallier de Thiey
Match abandoned
Riviera 172-6
(30 overs; Duff 3-34, Jones 1-15, Patston 1-30, Macaulay 1-32)
Strollers 61-3
(16.3 overs; Jones 24no, Wood 14, Taylor 10)
As the clock ticked past midnight Captain Piers Ovenden rose to his feet like the Iron Duke addressing his troops at Waterloo. “I’m off to bed,” he said, “to set an example for the team.”
Unfortunately most of the team did not heed the example, staying up for several more claret-soaked hours encouraged, perhaps, by the forecast of thunderstorms the next day. The conversation mainly debated the merits of no-balling full tosses, and finally reached resolution in the early hours thanks to the aid of a smartphone application displaying the rules of cricket (some would say five years too late.)
To the surprise of most, the morning dawned relatively clear and sunny. The adjacent market stalls were diminished in number from previous years, with the proprietors perhaps put off by the pluvial predictions. “Ou est le tonnerre?” Tom Wood was heard to remark, as he reluctantly made his way to the ground looking dubiously to the sky.
Not in Saint Vallier de Thiey, was the answer, as Captain Ovenden won the toss and inserted the Riviera side, who acknowledged themselves to be a much stronger proposition than the previous day. And so it proved. Despite an early wicket to Alastair Macaulay and a fiery but luckless opening spell by Paul Dorrans, Riviera set off at a good clip with Natoli (59) and Freeman (42) proving adept at putting the bad balls away for four or six.
Despite some fielding lapses, the Strollers’ bowlers stuck to their task, with Richard Jones (1-15 off five) putting the brakes on somewhat and Ryan Duff (3-34) capturing some late wickets, including a steepler caught by keeper Hamish McDougall that rivaled the adjacent Alps for height. Peter Patston picked up the key wicket of Natoli, caught by James Timperley from a tempting flighted delivery.
172 looked like a daunting target, but the Strollers started brightly with Wood taking 11 off the first over, including an unsuccessful attempt to run himself out. Unfortunately it did not last with Wood, Brian Taylor and Laurie Allsop departing quickly. Jones and Timperley momentarily steadied the ship and made eyes for a target of over eight an over.
At that point, the much invoked storm marched up the valley from Grasse like the Little General’s Grand Armee, with the thunder claps echoing off the mountain slopes like cannon. The rain poured down, the lightning flashed and the players scurried from the field. The Riviera captain made the observation that it was sunny in Yorkshire. Despite this, the popularity of the Riviera fixture remains undiminished, not least by the good humour and warm hospitality of the opposition, who gamely but ultimately unsuccessfully tried to restart the match when the rain momentarily eased.
For the first time in 16 fixtures in the Riviera, the match was abandoned and the players retired to the local bar where Mademoiselle Stephanie kept les demi-pressions flowing, interspersed with the occasional gratis pizza and a smile and a glance in the direction of Piers (some would say Pie-eyed.)
The short walk along La Route Napoleon to Le Relais Imperial for dinner passed beneath the steely gaze of the Emperor himself, prompting the majority of diners to order dish de jour, which approximated a Beef Wellington. The dinner conversation was typically convivial, with Richard Jones telling the assembly about the full-length cricket pitch in his backyard and opening the batting with Mike Atherton.
Apres dinner activities included Laurie Allsop taking to the piano, with the rest of the tour party on vocals. Unfortunately for those listening, the melody was often interrupted by a swipe of the iphone, which was displaying the notes for the pianist. Allsop has duly been asked to learn a song or two all the way through, by the time we return next year.
The 2013 season is now officially over, but there is talk of another Strollers French invasion, not too far in the future, just the other side of winter. One suspects that if the Duke of Wellington were to inspect the Strollers as they made their way home, he would remark: “I’m not sure what they do to the opposition, but by god, they frighten me.”
Capt: Piers Ovenden. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
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