2021 match archive
Bottom Paddock
Saturday February 20 near Masterton in the Wairarapa Valley
Strollers lost by two wickets
Strollers 203-5
(35 overs; Timperley 49ret, Levermore 46ret, Glen Scanlon 33, McDougall 18, Thomas 17no, Fredrickson 14)
Bottom Paddock 204-8
(34 overs; Thomas 2-12, Sean Scanlon 1-8, Levermore 1-10, Glen Scanlon 1-10, Fredrickson 1-21, Logan 1-46)
The world has altered beyond recognition in the last 12 months, but it is nice to see some continuity in Strollers cricket. Testament to the great popularity of this fixture, the XI was largely unchanged from the bittersweet day last February when the recently departed Peter Patston was saluted with a narrow victory.
The cordon sanitaire imposed on Auckland because of a viral outbreak was lifted just in time to allow Tom Colbeck to trundle down State Highway 2 in his lime-green Mazda Bongo van, while Reuben Levermore jetted south on Air New Zealand. Hamish McDougall had only just emerged, eyes blinking, from a managed isolation facility, having flown from London three weeks previously. His match preparation consisted of daily strolls around a concrete cage, hitting tennis ball throw downs with a water bottle and occasional Les Mills exercise classes overseen by strength and conditioning coach Laura, in their quarantined hotel room.
Others were not so fortunate. Wretched luck on the flight and quarantine roulette table meant Jono Addis and family were still in a locked-down London winter. We wish them safe and speedy travels to Hawkes Bay, although I suspect the Fixtures Secretary is tentatively enquiring about Jono’s availability for the Spring matches.
Coronavirus restrictions were not the only obstacles to participation. Doran Wyatt was ruled out by the concussion protocol, having banged his head against a kerb while cycling. Happily he and son Tate joined the camping contingent later in the day. Levermore was recovering from knee surgery just two weeks previously, so may have been playing on a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ basis, when it came to the physiotherapist’s advice.
Match manager Piers Ovenden was also ailing. ‘My daddy is sore in lots of places,’ was how son Robbie put it. His fitness was further hampered by a nasty stomach bug. If I can plagiarise the opposition’s match report, the runs were free flowing and impressive. Presciently, Pies arranged a portable toilet with impeccable architectural and environmental credentials, although the sawdust was applied with some inaccuracy during the day/night.
Bottom Paddock won the toss and asked the Strollers to bat, as the mercury nudged 30 degrees. Openers Justin Fredrickson (14) and Sean Scanlon (5) were contained by some accurate opening bowling. Glen Scanlon (33) fared better, especially in concert with Levermore, who hit three sixes in his 46 retired. James Timperley kept the scoreboard moving with a rapid 49 retired. Nevertheless, the total looked slightly under par until Andrew Thomas hit 17 in the last over, setting a competitive 203 from 35 overs.
The Strollers were sharp in the field early on, as Thomas and Julian Read extracted bounce and movement. Colbeck executed a fine run out from square leg and Timperley snaffled a chance at first slip. Glen Scanlon bowled the dangerous Chris Jefferies for 29 with a superb in-ducker hitting the top of off stump. He was ably replaced by twin Sean at the bowling crease, although calls of ‘well bowled Glen’ continued to resonate.
Nick Logan was sporting a Ewen Chatfield-style moustache, but initially failed to bowl like the Nae Nae Express, being clouted for several huge Choi Jackson sixes. Nick came back well to take a crucial lbw. Regular wickets appeared to keep the Strollers on top. Victory seemed imminent when the seventh wicket fell at 121, with around six an over still required. Nevertheless, the Bottom Paddock lower order kept hitting, snicking and no-balling themselves into contention.
Skipper Timperley tried plenty, bringing strike bowlers Thomas and Read back early to seek the crucial wickets. There was bad luck and the occasional missed chance. With two overs to go, 14 were required with two wickets in hand. It was in the balance. The skipper turned to Tom Colbeck, who had struggled to find a good length in an earlier spell…
It had been noted that the currently hirsute leg spinner bears a close resemblance to Bradley Cooper’s character in A Star is Born. As Lady Gaga may have put it, bowling the penultimate over put Tom in the deep end, far from the sha la la la low. It was hard for Tom to keep it hardcore, and he was left wanting more, as miscued skiers fell away from clutching Stroller hands. A six over the short midwicket boundary put the result beyond doubt.
Opposition Skipper Roger Boyce’s eloquent match report rated this perhaps the greatest victory in Bottom Paddock history. That may be so, but it was not the Strollers’ worst defeat. Nor was it as bad as the New Zealand Parliamentarians, who had been bundled out for 60 at Bottom Paddock the previous week. Immense enjoyment and some good cricket were derived from a glorious sunny day at the foot of the Tararua Mountain Range, in New Zealand’s hermit kingdom.
This did not stop a post-match debate igniting over the actions of Skipper Timperley. Was it possible for the GOAT to be a great captain? Had he got the bowling and batting order right? Could the quicker bowlers have been used at the death instead of the spinners? Why was Piers given two separate bowling spells, when everyone knew he hurt in lots of places?
The argument did not last long. Elite sport is a brutal business, and Timperley was abruptly dismissed as captain by the unrepentant match manager. Notts County football managers have been given greater leeway. James was left to coddle baby Arthur as the gracious speeches were delivered by others, although he was consoled by the player of the day prize from the opposition skipper.
Any rancour was washed away by the healing waters of the Sacred Grove, and by the free-flowing beers and barbequed meats. A band of overnight campers swapped stories, nipped whisky and pretended to know about astronomy beneath a spectacular Milky Way crowned by the Southern Cross. There was a shooting star or two and wishes may have been made for the pestilence to be defeated and for Strollers cricket, and life in general, to return to normality. And perhaps a victory next year.
Grateful thanks are due to the Melsers, on whose beautiful property we cricketed and camped, to Bottom Paddock CC for their hospitality, to the Strollers who all made big efforts to get to the game, and of course to Piers for his organising and ahem, making the tough management decisions. Great games of cricket are a privilege at the best of times, and the appreciation is greater in adversity.
Capt: James Timperley.
Wkt and match report: Hamish McDougall.
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That's one view of the proceedings. But how did the opposition view matters?
Bottom Paddock skipper Roger Boyce reports:
Has there ever been a greater win in the Anals of Bottom Paddock cricket?
A bold assertion, but you had to be there to believe it. Bear with me.
Piers brought his band of wandering minstrels replete with blazers to a blazing Wairarapa for our much anticipated annual fixture. The Strollers, some camping overnight for the occasion, have bested us in all other match-ups and they bring a quality, youthful-ish and dynamic team. Now they also bring their own toilet. Piers supplied an ascetically pleasing, wood-finished Portaloo which I do believe is a first for a visiting team. This largesse may be down to Piers as he and his family were savagely struck down with a stomach bug this week. Yes, probably his most free-flowing and impressive runs of the season.
Our international XI – two Poms, two Swiss, an Aussie, two Dawsons, two Wellingtonians and other Wairarapa stalwarts did look a strong side on paper so I was quietly confident we wouldn’t be embarrassed at the Home of Cricket. I think, Bottoms, we know better than to trust to a good team on paper…
Starting well, I won the toss and decided to field. A little rain in the week, possible early seam and soaring temperatures in the late afternoon made it a no-brainer. A tight first session to drinks at 18 overs saw the Strollers frankly struggling to make inroads at very few - about 60 I think - for 3 down. Blistering spells from Ted and Zac, steepling bounce from Andi, scatter-gun beamers from Moritz, guile from Choi and a serving of pies by Herbie, had put is in the heady position of being well in front. A few energy drinks, a lovely banana cake from Heather and then the wheels fell off.
Crickety Matt, Chris and Pete did well with their overs but there was an uneasy sense that there may have been some reverse order trickery going on as the run rate and six count started to rise with the thermometer.
CJ, fielding in his best position at deep square leg for most of the day, came on for my final-overs strategy. Getting 2-11 off 4 overs he did his part, taking a stunning catch (off his own bowling of course). At the other end, I came on to tie the opposition in knots.
James, the Strollers captain for the day, had not read the script and put most of my self-respect into far off paddocks around Carterton (and possibly Greytown). After two overs of, metaphorically, being taken behind the ascetically pleasing Portaloo and given a bloody good hiding, I did what any other leader of men would do, took myself off and gave the ball to Ted. Let him take a hiding, protect my averages and then come back on when James retired.
James retired. A new bat arrived. Obviously he hadn’t got the script either. As I write this though eyes cloudy with the nervous sweat of an unpleasant memory, or is it tears, the agony got worse. I finished my spell with 0 for lots and lots…and lots off three overs and they had set a daunting target of 203. We were deflated.
I would like to say that tea and a little more banana cake galvanized us.
Herbie was out. Andi was run out-again. CJ and I were there to stem the tide. CJ was out after a typically big hitting 30 or so. I was out. For less. At about 80-4, it was up to the young guns, and Pete, to get us out of a hole and salvage some pride.
Our Chairman was happy to offer an assessment of the situation as he was inhaling another stolen dhurry, and, with normal candour, he thought we would struggle to get 140 which, I think he said, would be a fucking disaster.
But, Bottoms. Not to be! All of a sudden Choi took up the challenge thrown down to the youth. Enormous sixes rained from a cloudless sky as the Strollers dropped their guard. Umpiring at this stage I had a box seat view of Choi man-handling the game from the opposition. Going down hitting big, Choi made a match changing 50.
By this time I had taken my umpiring opportunity to really establish my captaincy credentials by giving Pete out lbw. Moritz strode to the wicket. Hitting in the V with a straight bat and the timing of a natural sportsman, Moritz played beautifully, finally making 38no.
Matt who is now beginning to make regular runs with much more confidence boosted the run rate with 20 and some powerful backfoot boundaries. Astonishingly, we were actually in it. With 50 runs off six overs or so with seven wickets down, there was a slight sense of an upset.
Matt was out. Ted was in. He played the quick bowler with style, hitting a graceful square cut for four. As tension rose, Ted holed out after a valuable 20 or so. With nine to get, a couple of overs available, last man in, Zac came to the wicket.
Pressure. An inside edge, a big six from Moritz a top edge dropping tantalizingly short and we had done it. There was a stunned silence as the reality of a victory snatched from, not so much the jaws but the digestive tract of defeat, hit not only the Bottoms but the Strollers. It was a fabulous atmosphere in the pavilion which was added to gracefully by the Strollers. A jolly evening was had by all.
Cricket (and us) was the winner!
Great Missenden Pelicans
Sunday April 18 at Great Missenden
Strollers lost by seven wickets
Strollers 140
(32 overs; Oliver 43, Salvesen 39, McDougall 17, Robertson 13, Travis 11)
Great Missenden 144-3
(27.1 overs; Oliver 2-19, Dorrans 1-33)
A bright and cheerful April day welcomed the Strollers to the 2021 English summer season. April has been dry so far with much daily sunshine and frosty nights, so all looked set fair for a grand day out. Further, efforts had been made to extract and clean kit by many of the assembled squad – but unfortunately the odd pair of boots had somehow developed brown patches and had had to be put out to pasture.
The Missenden field looked very inviting, with the railway line up the hill on the south side of the square, and the hedgerowed lane running along the west boundary and leading, helpfully, to the adjacent pub to the south. The larger trees to the east were bare, still lacking the broad green leaves of summer, and a red kite floated lazily overhead.
The theme of continuity was to be a feature of the day, despite the disruption to the previous season’s fixture list, which had reduced the campaign to the late summer matches of August and September. Glen Oliver, skipper for the day, continued his run of accurate predictions, losing the toss again with subsequent suggestions that he only wins the toss for midweek home games. So Strollers padded up and prepared to set a total in a ‘time’ game.
Hamish McDougall and Blair Travis opened and were challenged by the odd low bounce, which suggested that the ground beneath the turf was still a touch damp. The runs came at a reasonable rate for a few overs with McDougall effectively targeting the extra cover boundary and Travis scoring in ones and twos. Then came every bowler’s secret weapon - the rank full toss. One can only say that what followed was in true Strollers style, with the ball being loftily despatched straight to the welcoming hands of a grateful mid-on, and so Pete Robertson arrived at the crease.
There was still a degree of rustiness in evidence, whether in the slightly off-white pads of Travis, or in the restraint of the umpire’s finger (mine). A very good shout was adjudged not out and there was possibly more than one member of both teams who might have recently read the Strollers QE policy. Travis changed his guard, but it may be that the incident focused the Pelicans whilst the Strollers were still looking to apply the WD40. A bowling change at the railway end and continued tight bowling up the hill brought its reward when a leg glance straight to short fine leg was called for a run, and a different umpire had a clear decision to make. So Robertson departed, the one was saved and debutant Paul Marlow ventured forth.
So, we could say, with the score on 41-2, things were not quite going according to prediction. Strollers are often good at getting themselves out, but the double wicket maiden almost immediately from the Pelicans’ Josh Bailey (not a relation of Kimball so I understand) should be put down to fine bowling with an lbw and an excellent catch at second slip. This reduced the Strollers’ forecasted tea-time score. Calm, order and method were required – and who better than skipper Oliver to come out and play a captain’s innings?
Calm was, however, to be measured by a succession of lusty blows with a clear focus on not risking early season damage to hamstrings. Moving the score on was also a clear part of the skipper’s plan.
But the signs of corrosion were still in evidence, and this may be considered reasonable if one has not played for a few seasons, and another bowling change encouraged Marlow to play around a straight one, and Tom Salvesen, still trying to loosen muscles, joined Oliver and the two determined to provide some entertainment. Certainly some runs followed and the ball went up in the air to bisect fielders (Ed: the chances only coming from Salvesen, not from the skipper!)
The score moved past 100, and the run rate was slowing as it approached 120 when, having been put to one side the QE police had to be summoned again. Oliver failed to connect with one that he was trying to turn down to fine leg, and was adjudged lbw. And so, it may be said, a more traditional Strollers batting performance commenced. The Pelicans provided the opportunity for us to give up our wickets, and we obliged, with three wickets falling in very quick succession to easy catches against the Pelicans’ secret weapon – slow left-arm around the wicket with the ball clearly asking to be returned to the nearest fielder.
So Salvesen was joined by Simon Brodbeck, with plenty of time left before tea. A succession of fours raised the score to 140, before Pelicans sussed that the rank full toss should be tried again, and Salvesen duly obliged by hitting it straight and hard into the hands of midwicket. So ended, in rather quick time, the Strollers’ first batting effort of the new season and tea, for those who had remembered to bring their own, was taken early.
Oliver had plenty of bowlers to choose from, and, it may be argued, all were still fresh. A lack of winter nets would probably result in some variable performances and some older bodies would be stiff and sore for a few days afterwards, but so long as they would be fit again for the next outing...
Certainly, there was a degree of rustiness in the first couple of overs, but Salvesen and Jim Hodgson started the defence reasonably tightly although without much penetration. George Love and Travis then had a go before Paul Dorrans came on with some more energy down the hill and was joined by Alain Cross. By this stage, the ball had been replaced following a glorious six hit over the lane into the hedgerows. Dorrans’ energy was to make the breakthrough with an lbw, with the batsmen finding it harder to cope with his pace and the sometimes variable bounce, although the pitch was clearly drying in the warm sunshine. By this stage, Pelicans were approaching the 100 mark and the game had drifted away from the Strollers.
So, at last Oliver brought himself on. Again the need to remove a bit of rust, and protect those hamstrings by restricting himself to a couple of paces, but the change of angle to left arm over resulted in two quick wickets. It was however, too little too late to affect the result and so the Strollers walked off with some colour on their faces having enjoyed a couple of hours in the warm sun.
A socially distanced pint outside at the aforementioned pub brought the day’s proceedings to a close and we all look forward to having another go, with perhaps a little less rustiness?
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: Tom Salvesen.
Ibstone
Sunday April 25 at Ibstone
Strollers won by 96 runs
Strollers 263-5
(40 overs; Peter Wood 111no, Travis 55no, Perrin 28, McDougall 18)
Ibstone 167
(32.2 overs; Travis 3-19, Hodgson 2-16, Cross 2-31, Mangham 2-32, Salvesen 1-34)
The Strollers returned to the Chiltern Hills for a second consecutive weekend, this time to play against Ibstone Cricket Club, local village team of FSSCC vice-chairman and pre-eminent Strollers opening bowler Jim Hodgson.
Ibstone were a new addition to the Strollers fixture list during the severely shortened 2020 season. Hodgson was instrumental in arranging the inaugural match at short notice to ensure continuity of cricket for a grateful Strollers cohort itching to make every post-lockdown Sunday a personal sporting triumph. Filled with fond memories of that 2020 day of sweltering mid-30 degrees centigrade, the fixture returned for 2021 by popular demand.
Finlay Perrin, similarly well connected with Ibstone CC having turned out for the opposition just the weekend before, returned for Strollers duty armed with local knowledge of playing conditions and precious intel on our opponents.
It was bright and sunny but with a biting northerly blowing stubbornly, adding a real nip to proceedings, in what otherwise were splendid conditions for cricket. The ground was looking a real picture amidst the green shoots of spring. One anonymous Stroller was seen donning long johns and a woollen hat, attire more appropriately suited to the exposed fields of Kilbirnie Park, Wellington, New Zealand. But the mood was merry with many just thankful for the possibility of early season cricket and there was a good amount of moral support for both teams.
Aidan Selby assumed captaincy duties from Glen Oliver, who was occupied with celebrating his wedding anniversary. The continuity of losing the toss continued even in the absence of Oliver, resulting in the Strollers being invited to set a total in a 40-over match.
Hamish McDougall and Pete Robertson began the innings. The ball was doing a bit early; holding in the wicket, making batting tricky for the Strollers top order. Robertson had survived an earlier chance from a leading edge and was the first batsman dismissed, falling lbw for eight in the eighth over after sharing a 27-run opening stand. McDougall had looked assured in notching three boundaries before also being dismissed lbw for 18, one over following the dismissal of Robertson. The outlook got worse after Selby was out for five, falling to a gem of a catch in the slips, leaving the Strollers 34-3 in the 10th over.
Perrin and Pete Wood combined in a productive 74-run partnership for the fourth wicket to do the batting conditions some justice. Both were watchful but kept a consistent scoring rate going by hitting boundaries off loose deliveries. Perrin, batting at No 4, played some powerful shots including one sweetly timed lofted drive for four. He looked set for a big score before being bowled for 28 in the 22nd over.
Alain Cross went, bowled for 0, in the same over, leaving the innings delicately poised at 108-5.
From there, Wood and Blair Travis combined in an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 155 to lead the Strollers to a score of 263-5 off 40 overs. Wood played magnificently in scoring 111 not out, hitting 19 fours and two sixes, bringing up his second Strollers hundred with four balls to spare in the innings with a six over long-on. Even as the opponents spread the field, Wood was able to find the boundary with regularity, being particularly ruthless to wayward pace deliveries. Travis accumulated 55 not out, hitting his stride towards the end of the innings.
By the lunch break, the biting bitterness in the northerly had abated, giving way to a pleasant but windswept afternoon session in the field for the Strollers. Supporting numbers grew with a socially distanced crowd stationed at each of the four corners of the ground, eager to savior the afternoon sun.
Tom Salvesen bowled a fine eight-over spell unchanged with the wind at his back, picking up an early wicket through an lbw. Keeping his slip fielders nervous throughout, Salvesen incessantly probed for an outside edge in a spell far more deserving than his solitary wicket.
At the other end, the Strollers medium pacers had to contend with a persistently nagging breeze blowing into their faces. Paul Dorrans tried his luck with the new ball for two overs before Selby’s ruthless captaincy saw Jim Hodgson relieve him.
Hodgson delivered six overs of medium pace with his customary accuracy, memorable for the tale of two caught and bowled dismissals. The first was a soft looping dolly of a return catch, colloquially known by few in the cricketing fraternity as a cream puff (since these are un-droppable and one should gobble them up), which Hodgson hugged to his jumper. The second came back off the bat like a tracer bullet, and in full self-preservation mode, Hodgson managed to take the requisite limb-preserving evasive action, whilst cupping the ball somehow deep in his midriff.
Cross had replaced Salvesen at the bowling crease, hustling in down-wind for five overs and was quickly rewarded with his first-ever Strollers wicket, thanks to an athletic leap by Ben Mangham in the covers. The catch taken by Mangham was to stand in stark contrast with what was soon to follow. Before this, though, Cross quickly turned his debut wicket into a two-for, clean bowling the next batsman.
Mangham replaced Hodgson into the breeze and toiled superbly for seven overs whilst picking up two wickets of his own. Opposition captain Hasan Ali took his turn at the crease and during this time a fielding calamity unfolded. Any thought of toasting Wood for his magnificent century with 5.30pm beers went out the window as Ali was dropped time and again. Mangham was in despair, seeing four or five chances go to ground.
Cross and Hodgson saw chances go down off their bowling too. Some efforts were commended for stopping a certain boundary, whilst a nameless few stared at their feet contemplating the taste of a cream puff. So contagious were the dropsies, some balls started to mysteriously drop between fieldsmen, as whisper began of a new endemic spreading quickly in the Chilterns.
Selby had brought Travis on to bowl off-spin and when his first over went for 17 a few Strollers heads had begun to glance towards the scoreboard. But with sweet retribution Mangham had his man Ali, caught and bowled at the second opportunity, having earlier been cast in a reenactment of Hodgson in full-preservation mode dodging a tracer bullet.
At the dismissal of Ali, Ibstone were 156-7, still not out of the match with a dozen or so overs remaining. Travis hit back, picking up two wickets in his third over, before finishing off the Ibstone innings on 167 from 32.2 overs by bowling the final batsman in his fourth over.
The windswept Strollers celebrated their first victory of the 2021 season with a few beers at the ground courteous of centurion Wood, toasting his fine hundred and also marking the capping of Ben Mangham [He has now chalked up 62 appearances – but most of those were before Strollers caps were invented].
Short shrift was given to any thought of discussing the Strollers fielding, with the less said the better. Overall, it was glorious day well spent playing cricket, in a fixture fast becoming a favourite with Strollers batsmen.
Capt: Aidan Selby. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match fees: Simon Brodbeck. Match report: Blair Travis.
Demijohns
Sunday May 2 at Pinkneys Green
Strollers lost by four wickets
Strollers 220-7
(40 overs; Oliver 60, McDougall 34, Hodgson 32no, Dorrans 21, Love 19no, Wood 17)
Demijohns 224-6
(38.4 overs; Travis 3-33, Hodgson 2-31)
The weather at Pinkneys Green was sunny if a little chilly when the clouds came over.
As the home skipper, Glen Oliver tossed and the Demijohns skipper called correctly. Given the slightly damp look of the pitch and promise of no further rain, the Strollers were asked to bat first. Glen is still 4-1 in his favour when home skipper and merely tossing a coin, somehow claiming that these count against his wildly negative calling record.
Hamish McDougall and Rob Wall strode out to open. Rob looked out of sorts from the start, edging to slip in the first over as if giving catching practice. He repeated the shot in the second, and was bowled next ball by Dave Cross attempting to hit a ball that arrived a little time after the shot was played. It probably didn't help that his other half, Sarah, had been persuaded to stay and watch him bat rather than shelter in the car on the cheery, joking basis that "he probably won't be long".
Hamish and Paul Dorrans (elevated up the order) pushed the score along with at least a boundary an over, safely seeing off the opening bowlers. The second change bowlers Julian McGahan and Roger Heaton were tighter and the scoring rate was dropping. Hamish was caught at mid-off attempting to increase the rate for a well-made 34. Paul was bowled by Heaton five runs later for 21 (including a five) to make the score 75-3.
Pete Wood at No 4 was joined by Oliver and both started well, with Pete scoring a couple of nice boundaries off his legs. Unexpectedly however, Pete played a ball from Heaton down into the ground and it span back onto the stumps - bowled for 17. Blair Travis was also bowled off his pads by Heaton for eight. James Dela Rue finally got to bat in his fifth Strollers match and made his first run. However, he then chose to leave a ball that nipped back and hit the top of off stump. His indecision was final. The middle order was in tatters.
It now fell to Oliver to pick up the scoring despite the accurate bowling of Ross Haines (of whom more later) and he was soon hitting the ball to all parts as per usual. He and Jim Hodgson then added 26 runs for the seventh wicket of which Glen scored 21 before slashing a ball to Demijohns skipper Tom Ritter at point. The score at that point was 171 in the 35th over, and score heading for sub-200 which would not have been enough on a pitch that was drying and becoming easier to bat on.
Jim had started slowly with 12 dot balls and he was joined by the youthful George Love. George is not really one for the defensive shot and looked to hit everything - the hook shot being particularly effective. Jim was also starting to time the ball and to unleash his elegant cover drive and the score started to rattle along. The runs were roundly cheered by the Strollers players and supporters (Sarah, Simon Brodbeck, Clive Cross, Jo Perrin, Even Samuel, and Tom Wood with the later arrival of Aaron Walder and Louise). Eventually the pair eventually put on an undefeated and valuable 49 (Jim 32*, George 19*) as the Strollers finished on a defendable 220 in 40 overs.
In reply, Dela Rue and Hodgson opened the bowling and kept it tight for the first five overs with Jim picking up the wicket of Adam Darling for one. However, this brought Haines to the crease and it quickly became apparent that here was a class bat, able to score almost at will, driving along the ground and taking the aerial route with no hint of a catch offered.
He and Dean put on 111 in 14 overs and Haines raced to his 50 in 34 balls. The Strollers change bowlers (Wood, Wall and Alain Cross) had no joy.
Haines got to his chanceless 100 with a boundary and promptly retired in the 30th over. Travis had previously opened the door by bowling Andrew Dean for 43 and then had Oliver Adams caught by Cross. This gave the Strollers brief hope, particularly when Ritter was also bowled by Blair.
Oliver bowled without success (even attempting a ninth over due to some scoreboard confusion). Stuart Bachelor and Julian McGahan put on a good partnership that almost led the Demijohns home (Hodgson picking up the wicket of McMahon late on). The Demijohns won by four wickets in the 38th over. Travis with 3-33 and Hodgson 2-31 were the pick of the bowlers.
Ross Haines is an Oxford Blue and a Kiwi who somehow has evaded the Strollers' extensive recruiting network. Also apparently more of a bowler! Presumably a straight replacement in the Demijohns for Piers Ovenden. Or upgrade.
Huge thanks to Pinkneys Green and the club chairman Richard Hemmings for their hospitality (and enabling an outdoor post-match pint).
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: Alastair Macaulay.
Jordans Taverners
Sunday May 9 at Coleshill
Strollers lost by six wickets
Strollers 280-6
(40 overs; Loan 97, McDougall 97, Salvesen 26, Perrin 23)
Jordans Taverners 283-4
(39.4 overs; Brodbeck 1-29, Hodgson 1-41, Macaulay 1-48)
After a washout for many games around the country the previous day, we felt lucky to be getting some cricket in.
We returned to Coleshill - the ground that hosted "The Strollers' Greatest Game", fondly remembered by many of the selected team. Would there be a repeat of that heady, intoxicating, legendary game this afternoon?
Captain Tom Salvesen continued this season's coin toss tend and the Strollers were duly inserted on a green top. At the earlier pitch inspection, mutterings of "looks slow...got to pitch it up...and what's that, a water tower..."
Hamish McDougall and Mike Loan (making his season's debut) strolled out to bat with the H.G.Wells water tower looming over the treetops - one could almost hear Richard Burton's soothing growl. This magnificent structure has featured in Grand Designs and is very much inhabited - not by aliens from War of the Worlds but a very charming family who have created a quite stunning home - see https://youtu.be/eT3bH_flrZU
Home side rules included pink balls and a no-ball free hit. For some purists, tampering with our beloved game leaves one humpffing and muttering: "Whatever next: a 10-ball over?"
Pink ball or not, McDougall scythed the first delivery powerfully off the back foot for a brisk two and we were off. Loan's "no net" policy over the winter seems to be paying dividends and the scoreboard ticked away nicely.
In the third over we were treated to our first no-ball/free hit. Result: Free ball 1 Loan 0 - the pitch really was playing very slow.
McDougall and Loan put on a magnificent display. Crunching cuts and pulls from McDougall with tracer-bullet cover and on-drives from Loan. The partnership raced to 64 off nine overs.
The second free hit resulted in an even bigger swing and miss by Loan. But was followed shortly by a glorious clip through midwicket to bring up his 50. The 100 partnership was reached midway through the 15th over. Could we possibly be witnessing another legendary Strollers performance on this ground? At drinks we were 134-0.
Our openers continued the assault with McDougall reaching his 50 in the 22nd over and the opening stand passed the 150 mark.With the prowling, pacing Glen Oliver due to enter the fray at No 3 if required, the innings was shaping up quite nicely.
Loan continued to smear the ball elegantly to all parts of a very large, long grassed outfield; later in the year these shots would have earned him richer rewards. Sadly, Loan fell three short of what would have been a well-deserved 100 - a leading edge to square leg, off what can only be described as a pie. An opening partnership of 171.
Oliver, warmed up and raring to go, strode confidently to the crease and immediately crashed an off-driven four. The next over a slow left-arm, flighted delivery that lit up the eye proved to be fatal and Oliver was done for - spooning to midwicket for nine.
McDougall continued to dominate as the Strollers quickly passed 200. A finely crafted innings saw our wicketkeeping-batsman into the 90s ands the 250 in sight. A majestic hook saw the ball despatched to the midwicket boundary for what seemed like an inevitable SIXER! Only for the wind to hold it up and the boundary scout (opposing captain Charlie Yolland - more about him later) pouched a well taken catch. McDougall also fell three short of yet another deserved 100.
An entertaining partnership followed between Finlay Perrin (23) and Salvesen (26), both reaching the boundary with forceful good-looking cricket shots. Tom Drury on his Strollers debut showed promise with a push to cover to get himself off the mark. Just like riding a bike, Tom. Welcome back to cricket.
The innings ended with a more than respectable 280-6 off 40 overs.
As we stepped over the boundary line, I for one was feeling pretty confident that we had a defendable total. My confidence grew as the skipper produced a printout (possibly laminated) of the fielding positions for each man and the positions for the following over. We were set and had bowlers aplenty - including debutant Drury with his left-arm slow.
The Jordans reply was slow and steady. Our attack was led by Salvesen and Jim Hodgson, both bowling good line and length. The fielding was sharp - Perrin and Laurie Allsopp especially. Ben Mangham, replacing Salvesen who had given away only eight off three overs, delivered a miserly spell of six overs for 23.
The opening pair of Yolland and Ashley Turney put on 87 before Turney was dismissed for 40 - Alastair Macaulay's flighted, dipping delivery was top-edged round the corner and caught nicely by Oliver.
It felt as if we were in control of our own destiny. But Yolland was joined by Liam Ryan and the Jordans innings began to motor. Not spectacularly so, but gradually the boundaries increased and Perrin's step count for the day rose dramatically as he heroically cut off run after run.
Drury's left-arm spin was a welcome addition to the bowling attack, and I look forward to seeing more from him later this summer.
Simon Brodbeck stemmed the flow of runs for a while, eventually trapping Ryan (57) lbw. Perrin and the other boundary riders were kept busy by Yolland, who put on a master class of innings construction and how to chase down a total without letting on what he was about.
We were winning - and then we suddenly weren't. Yolland eventually fell for an impressive 142 off Hodgson - caught close in by Mangham, who knew absolutely nothing about it, the ball wedging in jumper and arm.
There was a glimmer of hope with two overs to go and 10 runs required - Macaulay panther-like in the field completed a sharp run-out. With two new batsmen in and nerves jangling anything could happen. But not today...we will have to wait for another miracle at Coleshill.
Capt: Tom Salvesen. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: Ben Mangham.
Roehampton
Sunday May 16 on Putney Heath
Match abandoned
Roehampton 182-7
(30 overs; Macaulay 3-41, Alley 1-10, Oliver 1-13, Wall 1-14, Dela Rue 1-25)
Strollers 39-1
(6.1 overs; McDougall 19no, Robertson 15)
It was 10:03 when the first WhatsApp message was sent. “How’s the ground looking?” came the question from George Love, who had boldly answered the earlier CRISIS email for a last-minute Stroller, despite the wet forecast.
What followed was a rather random selection of maps, weather charts, forecasts and pictures of trees with ominous looking clouds in the background, somewhere in the vicinity of Putney. Eventually the call was made that the game was indeed on, and so eleven Strollers made their way to Putney Heath, arriving in what can generously be described as very British drizzle.
But fear not! “We’ve played in worse,” was declared by our Chairman, and there was a patch of ever-increasing blue in the sky. Covers were removed and skipper for the day Glen Oliver marched to the middle for the coin toss.
Glen’s record at this 50/50 activity is known far and wide within Strollers ranks to be appalling. However, that may soon be rectified after, realising that neither of the skippers had thought to bring a coin with them, Glen swiftly produced his VISA card, threw it to the ground, and declared that he had won the toss. It was never cleared up what the call actually was – “front or back”, “long card number” or “Three-digit security code” – but whatever it was it gave a better success rate than the usual “heads or tails”.
Glen opted to bowl in a reduced 30-over match and with the sky now blue and the sun shining, the game started promptly at 1:17pm. James Dela Rue and Pete Wood were tossed the new ball – Wood bowling tight wicket-to-wicket deliveries and Dela Rue suffering slightly at the hands of Roehampton’s opener S Mehmood, who batted aggressively at the top of the order.
It was Dela Rue, though, who made the breakthrough. The very next ball after a good-looking lbw shout had been turned down, Hamish McDougall’s rapid hands up close to the stumps whipped the bails off for his first stumping of the season.
There was a long-awaited Sunday Strollers debut for Mitch Alley, and it was he who was next unleashed to pepper the Roehampton attack. After a loose opener, given a no-ball, Alley’s first legal delivery produced the goods, trapping the Roehampton captain plumb lbw.
The excitement clearly got to Alley however, who went on to produce an 11-ball over, three of which were legal deliveries, before it was agreed that the batsman could no longer face such an onslaught. They were given a reprieve as Rob Wall took over for the final three balls, leaving Alley with all-time Strollers figures of 0.3-0-10-1. In the presence of Kimball Bailey who had a near identical over a few moons ago, it was agreed that this gives Alley the best bowling average in Strollers history, something that will be addressed at his next Sunday fixture no doubt.
After an hour or so in the dry, in which time Rob Wall bowled the impressive opener S Mehmood for 65, the rain did eventually arrive. In the early drizzle, Alastair Macaulay was tossed the ball and skipper Oliver placed himself at a ¾ long-on, producing wickets in Macaulay’s third and fourth overs in identical fashion. These won’t be the last wickets in this manner this season either – how many opposition batsmen will fall this way over the summer? A second stumping of the match from McDougall gave Macaulay figures of 3-41.
As the Roehampton batsmen looked to hit out at the end of their innings, Oliver brought himself into the attack, picking up a wicket, before 30 overs came to a close with Roehampton scoring 182 runs.
With the sky looking ominous, no tea break was taken and Pete Robertson and Hamish McDougall went out to face the conditions. After a few boundaries each, Robertson fell, caught at slip off the bowling of the dangerous A Mehmood for 15, allowing Alley to stride to the crease in what was increasingly heavy rain. Only a couple of balls later, and with McDougall progressing nicely on 19, the players retreated and just a few minutes later, the two teams bumped elbows. This left Alley on 0 not out, and his overall Strollers averages with both bat and ball looking incredible.
A couple of beers were enjoyed on the covered outdoor area of the clubhouse, and attention now turns to the midweek games starting on Thursday. See you then!
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: Pete Robertson.
Khukuri
Thursday May 20 in Wandsworth Park
Strollers won by five runs
Strollers 136-7
(20 overs; Oliver 25no, Drury 24no, Robertson 24, Kyne 19no, McDougall 10)
Khukuri 131
(19.3 overs; Oliver 5-7, Selby 2-16, Love 1-16, Flacks 1-18, Robertson 1-41)
With the fear of a repeat of Sunday’s washout, Rob Wall had been sitting at home in what one could only imagine was his usual home office attire (dress shirt with little below), persistently providing weather updates in the hope of an early call-off. The thought of having to don the whites and head outside to play didn’t seem welcome for the S&P Princess, but he was told by Glen Oliver and Hamish McDougall that a concrete pill was needed and that he should get ready to go.
I had initially thought that the getting must be good at home if he didn’t want to come and play cricket. I mean who doesn’t want to play cricket!???!!?? Maybe Thursday night is date night in the Wall household: Lionel Ritchie purring through the Bose surround sound system, business shirt with little below exchanged for satin kimono with little below, and let the good times roll.
I tossed this theory across the Atlantic towards self-appointed expert on Puss and Wall’s love life, Michael Pittams, who offered a different theory. Apparently Wall is scared of rain, and doesn’t like how it feels on his skin. Pittams was extremely eager that this be included in the match report, and that as many Strollers be made aware of this as possible.
With the game set to go, it was in typical Stroller fashion that we had five players come 6:15pm. The classic stitch-up of half of the team heading to Wandsworth Common only to be told by the same team: “The other Kiwi fella has already been here, you’re at the wrong Wandsworth”.
Much of this confusion for the new guys could be placed on Oliver, who had failed to add half of the team to the Whatsapp group. This meant the five of us who were in the right place were padding up and heading into bat, although where we were walking to was widely unknown, with the pitch hard to spot in the sea of green that awaited.
McDougall and Pete Robertson headed out to face the trot of opening bowler Jiway. A slightly frustrated start by both players on a pitch that was providing a liquorice all-sorts of bowling. McDougall, struggling to get going, was eventually skittled for 10 by Ashish. This brought Wall to the crease for what was an entertaining cameo before he decided to take off to the warm comfort of the pub - missing one outside off and being stumped.
Robertson had a very notable 24 - please go ahead and note it - that provided some cracking shots others could learn from. Alley recorded a bleak three, not able to get going, very similar to the Sunday bowling effort. Many are saying it is just a blip in form and the journalists in the team have been preparing a gushing ‘return to form’ feature-length op-ed for his inevitable return to the strong, STRONG form that we have come to expect of him.
Tom Drury came to the crease to increase the score rate with Aidan Selby at the far end. Selby had clearly had enough of Oliver and decided to end his short stay at the crease by destroying Oliver’s prized bails, hit wicket for six. Selby has always liked to think of himself as a bit of a cool dude, and he is clearly trying to take it to the next level by transitioning to full on hipster status - expect a lumberjack beard and flannel shirt underneath leather barista apron any time soon now. He already wields the bat like an axe, chopping cut shots through point from anything wider than leg stump, so chopping off his and Glen’s shared bails was the only next logical step.
Drury continued some fine hitting making it to 24 then deciding he wanted to become a unicorn. A nasty top edge squared him between the eyes and raised a lump which ensured vivid flashbacks of a Pittams snapchat - what an equine thoroughbred of a build and physique he has. The knock was as magical as a unicorn on that pitch and a great innings had come to an end, retired hurt. Speaking of magical it reminded me of McDougall singing his favourite Christmas Carol The Magic of Christmas in the key of G. What a man, what a voice, what a catch! The history books will definitely show that he was a keeper.
John Low came in looking to increase the run rate significantly and went for a big swipe to cow corner, a shot which on such a devilish pitch only resulted in his demise. Swiiiiiiiiiiing Loooooooooooow, intoned McDougall, showing off his vocal range, and the fact that he could see Low pulling a chariot. This brought Benji Flacks to the crease, solving the riddle of “where’s Wally”. It would appear he had strolled out to the crease in a Strollers match. However he also struggled to find the ball and a wild swipe was caught at gully for one.
Russell Kyne was the big talk and one of the most anticipated debuts for some time. Wall had been talking up his game and his younger day levels of cricket. It was evident to see in a very quickfire, 4, 2, 6, 1, 6 not out. Oliver at the other end had also been striking increasingly well as he continued to garden the pitch to his likening (***COUGH*** poser ***FINISH COUGH***), which led to a fine retired 25. However the Oliver climax could have occurred much sooner had he not been dropped earlier in his innings - catching a break to allow a flourishing of shots.
The innings was wrapped up with Kyne and George Love walking back to the ropes with the innings closed and a very defendable total of 136.
A quick turnaround saw Wall convince McDougall that he could in fact hold his own behind the stumps. One hopes the wicketkeeping gloves were thoroughly sanitised afterwards. However, after the first few overs Wall may have been regretting the decision. With the initial squat down to keep to the debutant Flacks, Wall’s slightly too tight whites decided to part like Moses splitting the sea. However, lucky for all he had decided to not go commando for the day and we were saved from spotting his lunch.
Oliver was questioning Wall’s decision to be standing up to the stumps when four wides decided to fly by. Wall stepped back for the next delivery from Paceman Love only for the same result to fly by him, and another glare from Oliver at mid-off. Luckily Flacks on debut managed to scalp his maiden wicket for the Strollers. Love also contributed with a ball he finally managed to place on the stumps to secure the prized Anil for one.
A second debutant was now to undertake a masterclass of line and length bowling. A stumping missed by Wall meant that Kyne's return was tidy but not as many in the W as he would’ve liked - something a large array of the Strollers bowling line-up needed today. Luckily Alley was not putting a ball in hand for this fixture. We may well have had another Tuffey* over for the Strollers history books.
The opening batsman Teevan continued a great display of batting and was eventually out retired. However by this point the extras column was close to tallying a retired itself. This led to Oliver having to make some strategic field placements. This was to ensure the ring was tight and everyone adhered to hands, face, space.
Robertson’s bowling was met with mixed results. Some lovely balls left alone, and some had the entire kitchen sink and pantry thrown at them to send them sailing past the boundary. The pitch was not offering anything if it was left short and the big man's height played against his furious pace on offer.
We then had the dynamic duo, both fighting for the rights of midweek captain up next. In what could only be seen as an alpha male fight-off in front of the Strollers, a true masterclass of bowling was given by OIiver and Selby. Of course Oliver would spend approximately three times longer adjusting the field for his bowling than for Selby’s - ensuring the record for slowest over ever bowled in a midweek T20 (proudly held by Justin Frederickson) was under threat in spite of Glen’s four-pace run-up - to assure him of Alpha status.
It was to be Oliver’s day, rounding off the innings with five fist pumps and at one stage a roar so loud for lbw that all birds in Putney flew away squawking in terror, the deer in Richmond park perked up in fright, and the chest of drawers from Beauty and the Beast was so afraid its life was about to end that it finally confessed and consummated its love to the bird from the Lion King.
Finishing with figures of 5-7 off three overs, it was a true captain’s knock at the bowling crease. Selby did pitch in with back to back wickets, only for the hat-trick ball to be sent back outside the M25. Aidan’s figures of 2-16 helped round out the innings with a narrow five-run win as Khukuri were dismissed for 131.
And so to the pub where nine Strollers celebrated an enjoyable win, and Wall celebrated finally being able to take off his plastic bag poncho (with little below) now that he was indoors and away from precipitation peril.
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Rob Wall.
Match report: Mitch Alley.
* During an ODI against Australia in 2005, Daryl Tuffey bowled one of the longest opening overs in international cricket. The right-arm seamer delivered a staggering 14 balls to the destructive Adam Gilchrist. At one point of time, Australia's score read 0-15 without a ball being bowled. Tuffey sprayed the ball around without any sort of control. The woeful over consisted of four wides and as many no-balls. When he eventually finished the over, Tuffey had conceded 16 runs. He retired from all competitive cricket in January 2013...and joined the Strollers.
Sutton
Sunday May 23 in Cheam
Strollers won by seven wickets
Sutton 140
(32.2 overs; Brodbeck 5-8, Mangham 3-15, Wood 1-17, Love 1-32)
Strollers 143-3
(32.2 overs; Wood 52, Travis 47no, Mangham 14no, Love 10, McDougall 10)
After a week of unseasonably dour weather, the Strollers arrived at Sutton Cricket Club’s second ground at Holmwood Close eager for some cricket. Despite arriving to light drizzle and a covered pitch, it soon became apparent George Love’s midweek anti-rain dance had paid dividends, with the weather beginning to clear in time for the scheduled start of play.
Captain Glen Oliver, suffering stomach issues, passed a late fitness test and taking his place at the helm vowed to “lead from behind” by not batting or bowling. Despite this momentous change in approach, it became evident that some things will never change as he proceeded to lose the coin toss. The result of which was the Strollers being asked to field first, leading Oliver to declare it “a good toss to lose”.
Shortly after the scheduled 1.30 start time Sutton CC began their 35-over innings, with James Dela Rue and Peter Wood opening the bowling. A very disciplined bowling and fielding effort in the first 10 overs piled the pressure on Sutton, with Wood being rewarded with a wicket. After 10 overs, Sutton had just 29 runs on the board. But with nine wickets left in the shed, the Strollers knew there was plenty of work yet to do.
Love, introduced at first change, took some tap in his first over, before coming back strongly with a wicket courtesy of an outstanding low catch by Blair Travis at slip.
Despite these breakthroughs, Sutton’s first drop batsman, Ben Moncrieffe, was having a field day, dispatching the Strollers bowlers to all corners. However, the Strollers continued to build pressure at the other end and this eventually told as Moncrieffe, off the bowling of Ben Mangham, skied a ball out to Love in the deep. With the Strollers collectively holding their breath, George managed to put aside his early season outfield yips and swallowed an excellent catch, sending Moncrieffe back to the pavilion for a well made 98.
From here, the Strollers turned the screws with Simon Brodbeck putting in a sublime bowling performance, bamboozling the batsmen with his guile and flight. With Brodbeck trapping Sutton’s Number 4 batsmen lbw, he and Mangham proceeded to rip through Sutton’s middle and lower order. Brodbeck took three further wickets, by way of two Hamish McDougall stumpings and a Travis catch, after which a hat-trick opportunity presented itself.
As Simon prepared for his hat-trick delivery, the excitement in the field reached fever pitch, with all nine fielders surrounding the batsman like bees around a honey pot. Such was the brilliance of the bowling to this point, any one of those fielders could see themselves snaring a catch. It seemed just a question of how, rather than if, Simon’s third career hat-trick would unfold.
But as Simon ran in and released, the fielders soon realised they would not be in business as it was clear this was a simply unplayable delivery. We all abruptly turned to the umpire, who quite correctly raised his right arm to signal a no ball - the ball had unfortunately bounced multiple times before reaching the popping crease.
Despite the hat-trick disappointment, Brodbeck held his nerve and returned in his next over to clean bowl Sutton’s Number 11, completing his fifer in the process - his first since taking 5-45 against the Demijohns on Sept 21, 2013. With that Sutton were bowled out for 140 - Brodbeck and Mangham the chief destroyers with figures of 5.2-1-8-5 and 5-0-15-3 respectively.
With a short break owing to the impending evening rain there was little time to reflect on our fielding innings. Our opening batsmen McDougall and (in reward for successful completion of his anti-rain dance) the pinch-hitting Love strode to the crease in pursuit of 141 for victory.
They were met with some extremely tight bowling from Sutton's Clark brothers - Nick (7-2-8-0) and Richard (7-0-24-2) - who were giving the batsmen nothing to work with. Despite the challenging conditions, McDougall and Love successfully blunted the new ball attack, both making double figures before being dismissed.
With the sting starting to disappear from the attack, Wood and Travis took full advantage and piled on the runs with both batsmen playing some exquisite shots. Wood was eventually dismissed for a superb 52, although unfortunately was denied the opportunity to celebrate his half-century out in the middle due to an administrative blunder by the scorers.
Travis and Mangham completed the chase with some quick scoring as the rain started to fall at Holmwood Close, finishing unbeaten on 47 and 14 respectively. The Strollers wrapped up a well-earned seven-wicket win with three overs to spare.
After some fist pumps with the opposition, it was time to celebrate the truly remarkable achievement of one of the great Strollers, Alastair Macaulay. The game was Alastair’s 400th appearance since his debut in 1993, with Captain Oliver presenting Stair with a bottle of pink fizz in recognition of the milestone.
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: James Dela Rue.
Bricklayers Arms
Thursday May 27 at Barn Elms
Strollers won by eight wickets
Bricklayers 151-6
(20 overs; N Daly 2-11, Merilaht 1-18, M Daly 1-25)
Strollers 155-2
(16.3 overs; Merilaht 38no, Oliver 31no, McDougall 27no, Alley 16no)
The Strollers marched back to Barnes with enthusiasm rarely seen on a Thursday evening, as the prospect of post-match refreshments in the Red Lion enticed all 11 Strollers to arrive before 6pm for our T20 match against the Bricklayer’s Arms. A youthful running club were performing drills next to the pitch which had a few fearful that turning up early means you have to do a warm-up – this was not to be the case.
The Salt and Pepper Princess led the team out to the field, fresh from their victory over Khukuri a week earlier. Rob “I don’t believe in a slip cordon” Wall proceeded to set his field with no consultation with the bowler and went to hold hands with George Love in the cover cordon.
The skipper opted to make history by being the first man to allow the Dalys to fight it out in the trenches and have them open the bowling from both ends. Pete Robertson opted for the gloves, in anticipation of his surprise inclusion as wicket-keeper for next Sunday’s game at Bray.
Nick Daly started things off with a fizzle and bowled some surprisingly tight lines, surprising further when Mike Daly did the same from the other end in some fantastically shiny, new cricket shoes, giving him the confidence to hit the crease at a pace rarely seen from anyone other than Michael Beale and he would have had the breakthrough if it was not for the skipper dropping an easy catch.
N Daly capitalised and broke the defence of the left-hander which meant Wall could not alternate between holding the hands of Love and Hamish McDougall, before M Daly kept himself in the running for Daly of the Day by taking a beautiful, top of off, straight through ‘em like a hot knife through butter, wicket.
Tom Merilaht, a fresh face ready to impress, hit the stumps from an impressive angle to run out a dangerous batsman who was yet to face a ball – more was to come from this man. N Daly broke through again, the batsman inside-edging on to his leg and then stumps. Wall continued the comedy in the field by not knowing quite how to throw the ball back to the bowlers, the best coming when he threw it backwards 20 yards.
Next up: Alastair Macaulay. Wall, visibly terrified of the worshipped journeyman who had just claimed his 400th cap, asked Stair if he would like to set his own field. Sources tell us he was up all the previous night on the phone to Simon Brodbeck asking how best to deal with the temperament of such an idol and what to do if he asks for a slip.
Stair did what Stair does best and gave the batsman nothing to work with. With no room to swing, the Bricklayers had little answer to Stair’s meticulous bowling and he was unlucky not to convert it into a wicket.
Puppy Love took the ball from the other end and steamed in with his grown-out hair dancing towards the crease in very Shane Bond-like style. His bowling was up to a similarly blistering pace and was unfortunate not to see the bails go flying as the batsmen could not keep up with it. There was a suggestion that an opportunity was missed by an unknown fielder for a catch after a top edge was sent high in the air. Confusion between the umpire and fielder caused the ball to hit the ground instead. A dropped catch is only so if contact is made.
Glen Oliver floated around the field, emulating a butterfly with a bottle of sanitiser as the lads took a cleansing break.
Mitch Alley was next up, quoting to the match reporter: “I have never been more nervous for an over in my entire life”. Excellent – really inspiring confidence, Mitch.
Daryl Tuffey (see Match Reports: Roehampton) steamed in with the mantra: if you cannot reach the ball, you cannot hit me for six. A man clearly haunted by not spending much time in the yard with his father as a child, made up for lost time by playing a bit of catch with the father-figure Robertson behind the stumps. With a single legal ball, the eager Strollers were glad that extras were not re-bowled, and no delay to post-match festivities would hamper their lovely day out. Reminders to ask Alley about his Roehampton exploits were set for the Red Lion after the match.
Skipper Wall decided he would like to toss off a few pies and decided to ignore his skipper and put a slip in place. Rob “I’m really a batsman” Wall had clearly left his previous life behind him, and an interesting combination of seam-up spin bowling entertained both the fielders and batsmen, doing an impressive job of increasing the run rate. A high edge fell between fielders, but no breakthrough for the skipper on this occasion.
Oliver, who had impressively kept fairly quiet in the field whilst examining Wall’s decisions, was heard exclaiming “oh my god, we have an actual bowler” after debutant Merilaht’s first ball. Clearly no stranger to donning the whites, Merilaht delivered an exceptional display of bowling and was only let down by another simple dropped catch by Captain Robbo, to which Oliver made a comment about complexion and jumping.
Merilaht was finally rewarded with his debut wicket, sending the stumps flying for a much-needed wicket after seeing two batsmen retire in fine fashion. It was a glorious display from the Strollers’ very own ‘Robert Croft’ on debut, but his day was not about to end there; more to follow.
John Low took the ball in hand, or a very small portion of his hand, and proceeded to trouble the batsman so much so that they forgot how to run, allowing Love to simply lob the ball into the waiting hands of the bowler, who emphatically knocked the bails off. Another excellent run-out which essentially brought the innings to a close at 151-6; 152 to win – would it be too much?
Wall sent Oliver and McDougall to the middle to get things under way and they did not fail to impress. There was no sign of any fitness problems (see Match Reports: Sutton), as Oliver was running very freely between the wickets, asking McDougall for a quickie here and there. A contentious moment as a quick run was called through, but as the match reporter got himself square to the crease, it was evident that the agility of McDougall was far greater than that of the fielder. Oliver 31no, McDougall 27no.
Welcome back to the report Thomas Lloyd Merilaht, a biography of whom was discovered by the Juggernaut spies and can be found here:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/thomas-merilaht-17973.
Merilaht proceeded to display excellent form carried through from his fielding and bowling, effortlessly punching a fine ball over cover for six, and deciding to attempt to take the head off the match reporter to ensure that no dodgy calls were given his way. A video has since surfaced of Merilaht being given out, and possibly winning the “quizzical eyebrow of the century” for not questioning a bizarre decision. A link to the incident can be found at the end of this report. Merilaht continued and retired comfortably on 38no, after starting his last over on 24.
The three retirements brought a whole lot of limbs to the crease, as Robertson and Low walked out. An almighty crunch from Robertson saw him clear the boundary and put the pink ball in jeopardy of being lost, taking a few of the ball’s Dulux paint coats off in the process. Robertson and Low continued knocking the ball around well, Low skipping between the stumps for a few quick runs, but the consistency of the Bricklayers’ bowlers eventually saw Robertson (7) edge one behind, and Low (2) was beaten by a beautiful ball.
Alley and M Daly took to the crease for what would be the last partnership, M Daly desperate to challenge further for the DOTD trophy, N Daly due in next certainly hoping he would not be required. Alley repaid the favour from his over and knocked the ball around well, with M Daly providing assistance down the other end with a fine display of nicks and French cuts. Alley rounded off a classy performance from the Midweek Juggernaut with a boundary and Mitch (16no) and M Daly (3no) finished on 155-2 from 16.3 overs after a great day in the field and with the bat.
The fists were bumped, covers replaced, cones picked up (not of the traffic variety, despite the presence of Highway Maintenance Man Alley) and the lads wandered to the Red Lion, joined by Evan Samuel as all 12 enjoyed the much-missed nectar from their brewers of choice and basked in delightful conversation as we cheered the barman dropping a tray full of glasses. It is good to be back.
Daly of the Day: All the Strollers who participated in the Annual Dinner quiz, allowing the Daly brothers to walk away with a bottle of Chateau ver-de-Flor from Oliver’s cellar.
Capt: Rob Wall. Wkt: Pete Robertson.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: Nick Daly.
*Merilaht’s Ghost Wicket:
EX-SURREY SEAMER SPEAKS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS GHOST WICKET (thecricketer.com)
Maidenhead and Bray
Sunday May 30 in Bray
Strollers lost by 116 runs
Maidenhead & Bray 268-8
(40 overs; Oliver 3-24, Salvesen 1-35, Macaulay 1-49, Travis 1-50)
Strollers 152
(35.4 overs; Oliver 81, Perrin 15, Oli White 13, Hodgson 13)
It was Maidenhead & Bray’s turn to welcome the Strollers on Sunday May 30. And a very warm welcome it was too. Not only for the glorious warm sunshine which our spring has been missing, but also for the picturesque setting with the towering pavilion to one side, and the local church and vicarage standing just behind mid-wicket to the opposite side.
As ever in these parts of the country we were also blessed with beautiful red kites in the sky, gracefully gliding across the ground in addition to the spectators who flocked from the village to watch the cricket with their cold beers at the ready. And so too were the Strollers, waiting on the boundary to hear news of the pre-match proceedings.
As the skipper returned from the middle, it was announced to general amazement that at the second time of asking, captain Glen Oliver had finally WON the toss. Oohhh lā lā!!! Yes indeed, you have read that correctly: The skipper had won the toss and decided to put the opposition into bat first, acknowledging that the pitch would dry out nicely as the match carried forward.
Over to our bowlers then with the experience of Tom Salvesen and a very youthful Archie White to take the reins. After some fine deliveries from both openers, it was clear that Maidenhead & Bray’s No 2 batsmen Krish Vaja was starting to find his way. After playing himself in, Vaja was soon dispatching any bad delivery toward the boundary. With the run rate increasing to nearly eight an over at one point, there were signs it could be a long afternoon ahead.
Onto the first change in bowling, and from the very get-go it was apparent that Blair Travis had found his rhythm while bowling the perfect line and length for this pitch. Putting the squeeze on their batsmen, Blair reduced the opposition’s run rate considerably and should have been rewarded for his efforts during his second over when the batsmen played onto the stumps. As arms waved in the air in celebratory style from the Strollers, it was all too premature as the bails did not fall. Ooohhhh lā lā...Champs Élysée!!! Mmmm....”heavy bails perhaps”. Nevertheless Travis was not going to let this fluster him and was finally rewarded for his tenacity. Opener Andy Parham attempted to hit a good delivery over the top, only to find skipper Oliver at mid-on to break the opening stand of 73. A sigh of relief.
This did not, however, stop Vaja working through the gears with a flurry of ferocious shots, finding the boundary endlessly while making his way to a century. Who could stop the onslaught?
Cue Alastair Macaulay. After a few teasing deliveries, Vaja got somewhat carried away with his excitement while on Nelson. He struck the ball with force for what looked like being another six, only for the ball to fall short and find Oliver at long-on instead. The Oliver/Macaulay combo had worked its magic once again. “Formidable.” Vaja gone for 111.
With the baking heat pounding down onto the ground, there were some fine efforts in the field from the Strollers. Finlay Perrin showed his athleticism on the boundary and made some great stops in the covers. It was Travis, however, who came into the game yet again. With a great piece of fielding and quick thinking in the covers, he was able to gather the ball from underneath him and whip it into the gloves of keeper Pete Robertson to run out No 3. He made sure the bails did detach themselves from the stumps this time.
This did not stop the opposition from wanting to play their shots, however. Maidenhead & Bray’s No 4, Kieran Grey, was clearly a batsman on a mission, dispatching anything wide of off stump or just short of a length.
Then came another bit of quick thinking and athleticism – this time from young Archie White at mid-off, who let the ball pass him only to then regather it from behind him and whip the ball towards the stumps to effect a direct hit. Again some great fielding from the Strollers. The old school saying, “never run on a misfield”, clearly did not resonate with the batsman.
Over to skipper Oliver to take the ball in hand and attempt to reduce the run rate, as a 300+ chase was quickly looming.
Oliver came into the game from the off, as his second delivery struck the batsman on the pads but an appeal was turned down. Nonetheless, the very next delivery did not need an umpire’s verdict as Oliver knocked the stumps over with a straight one while beating the batsman for pace.
They clearly thought Oliver was a spinner. However, with some fast, tight line bowling, and showing that line and length is key, Oliver was rewarded with three quick wickets, which included dangerman Grey in the process. Unfortunately due to a tightened hamstring, Oliver was unable to complete this explosive spell of bowling but he had helped to keep Maidenhead & Bray’s total down to what appeared to be a par score of 268-8.
Then came a much needed interval with the sun at its peak and the condensation running down the spectators’ beer glasses. Eventually the opening pair of Robertson and Travis strode to the crease to start the chase for the target of 269.
They were met with some extremely tight bowling from the start as Maidenhead & Bray’s Ambar Moorthy and Shabbir Mookhtiar gave the Strollers nothing to work with, producing opening spells of 8-1-16-1 and 5-2-24-3 respectively. There were some classic shots played by the likes of Perrin, Oli White and Jim Hodgson, but just as anyone played themselves in, the bowling from the hosts was just too strong and the Strollers soon found themselves strolling back to the shed. Perhaps the temptation of the cold beer was just too much to resist. “Bonnet de douche”.
As the hosts continued to pile on the pressure, wickets were tumbling rapidly and the skipper Oliver found himself strolling delicately to the crease sooner than he had hoped, along with his tightened hamstring.
Any quick singles or twos were clearly out of the question for the skipper as he was determined from the get-go to stand and deliver. Any wayward delivery was dispatched, with four boundaries in quick succession. Oliver was clearly a man on a mission. With some strong hitting and eloquent shots the skipper soon raced to his 50 with boundary after boundary and showing the fellow Strollers just how it’s done. The winning total, however, looked forever out of reach. It was just a case of who could to stick around and keep Oliver company while keeping just a glimmer of hope intact for an incredible run chase.
It turned out that Simon Brodbeck was just that man. The hosts’ frustration clearly showed in the face of a defiant last-wicket partnership of 44 - Brodbeck contributing with a solid and very well earned 0 not out.
Unfortunately Oliver was eventually on the wrong end of a peach of a delivery, which took out middle and off stumps. The red lights flashed once again, indicating the end of the Strollers innings which fell short by 116 runs.
It was not to be on this occasion, but surely only upwards from here and a trip to Warfield to look forward to. “Allez les Strollers!”
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Pete Robertson.
Match report: Alain Cross.
Warfield
Sunday June 6 in Warfield
Strollers won by seven wickets
Warfield 130-9 dec
(43 overs; Macaulay 3-31, Mangham 2-14)
Strollers 131-3
(28.3 overs; Wall 42, Oliver 36no, Travis 24, Wood 17no)
Disclaimer: While the events in this report are true, any resemblance between them and normal Strollers cricket is entirely coincidental
Best to get this out of the way early, I feel: the Fleet Street Strollers won at Warfield after making four (4, quatre, cuatro, vier) runouts, with two (2, deux, dos, zwei) direct hits. And two stumpings. And only one bye allowed through.
No drugs were involved.
The skies were cloudy and rain on the M3 did not augur well, but the weather gods smiled and there were no interruptions after Peter Wood won the toss and chose to bowl. Rob Wall took the gloves for the first time in some time, and proceeded to enjoy a month's worth of aerobics courtesy of George Love's quick but, to be kind, erratic opening spell. Rumours that the Seismology Institute registered the thuds as Wall flung himself full length from side to side have yet to be confirmed. Bowling uphill, Alain Cross began to put the screws on, finding his line and length. However, Warfield had reached 37 in the eighth over before the openers, frustrated by Cross's increasing control, decided to risk a run to Ben Mangham.
Mangham swooped - no, really - to pick up the ball with one hand and, on the run, smashed the stumps with a fast throw that beat Warfield's dangerous left-handed opener to his ground. It really was very good indeed.
Seizing the moment, Wood rested Love and put Mangham on down the hill. Your correspondent remembers, from the dim and distant 90s, Mangham kicking off the sightscreen and not really caring where the ball went as long as it got there quickly. The mature version comes in off about eight yards and has the ball on a string. In his first over he had the No 3 caught by Wood at shortish cover and the No 4 lbw, both for ducks. 37-0 had become 37-3.
After one more over, a maiden, from Cross, who finished with 0-17 from his five, Wood brought himself on. He and Mangham strangled Warfield, both unlucky not to claim more victims but causing so much frustration that the Warfield batsmen again tried a single that was perhaps unwise... this time to Glen Oliver. The look of pain on Oliver's face as he realised he would actually have to use his dicky shoulder to throw was a sight to behold, but he steeled himself. To describe the throw as arthritic insults the disease but nonetheless the ball reached the stumps (direct hit No 2) shortly before the batsman, so it all worked out.
Mangham's spell ended with the excellent figures of 6 overs, 3 maidens, 2-14. Wood had 6-1-8-0 - 22 runs between them from 12 overs - and handed over duties to Alastair Macaulay, up the hill, and Simon Brodbeck, down. That's about 1,200 games for the Strollers operating in tandem.
Brodbeck, perhaps reacting to his superb Michelle the week before, was not at his best but still unlucky not to take at least one scalp in his five overs (0-19). Macaulay found line and length immediately and set about messing with the batsmen's heads.
In 10 overs he had two stumped (in both cases Wall completing the dismissal with the batsman coming back at him at speed - "To be fair, they quite often get back before the ball," said Macaulay) including the obdurate opener for a well-made 39, and one comfortably caught by Wood. We will accept without comment Oliver's assertion that he tripped as he was going for his catch, leading to the fumble. 10-1-31-3 for Macaulay, a superb effort.
Making his comeback four years after being marmalised and traumatised by Bala at Chateau des Ormes, your correspondent and his new knees managed five overs (0-10) without breaking anything, so that was ok. Coincidentally, my last comeback was also at Warfield after a previous game on tour, we also won - and in both games the winning runs came from four byes. One for the stats nerds.
Love returned for two improved overs at the finish (6-0-31-0) and the final two wickets fell to run-outs - one quite good, by Wood, and one comedy, as John Low managed to get the ball back while the batsmen argued about who should be where. Warfield closed on 130-9.
Wood sent out Blair Travis and Wall to open, Wall declaring that unless he kept moving he might never do so again.
Warfield's dangerous left-handed opening batsman also turned out to be a dangerous left-handed opening bowler, but Travis and Wall played sensibly on a wicket that was more dangerous the further up the ball was pitched. They put on 47, largely breaking the back of the chase, before Travis went back to one he could arguably have gone forward to and was bowled for 24.
The sun was shining and temperature rising as Low joined an increasingly sweaty but determined Wall. He hung around well, frustrating the bowlers for several overs and four runs before falling lbw, bringing Oliver in.
Wall, playing well outside his crease, was well in control until clipping one off his pads straight at the square leg umpire, who ducked - allowing the fielder just enough time to see the ball and get both hands to it. Wall gone for an excellent 42.
And that, basically, was that. Oliver, declaring that his tight hamstrings meant he could only a) jog and b) hit, belted six fours on his way to 36 not out; Wood, coming in after Wall, hit two fours and a six in 17 not out before those four byes mentioned above brought the game to a close. A solid seven-wicket win.
Warfield as ever proved genial hosts and beers were enjoyed in the evening sunshine.
Capt: Peter Wood. Wkt: Rob Wall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: Evan Samuel.
Commons Old Boys
Thursday June 10 at Barn Elms
Strollers won by five wickets
Commons Old Boys 148-4
(20 overs; Sudip Ray 1-13, Low 1-18, Harry Ray 1-19, Nick Daly 1-34)
Strollers 149-5
(19.4 overs; Robertson 30no, Mike Daly 28no, Wall 26no, Oliver 22, Nick Daly 19, Sudip Ray 10)
Skipper Pete Robertson lost the toss and due to the usual evening traffic, only nine Strollers were present as they took to the best pitch in SW15.
Michael Beale was listed as keeper, but having heard from the weekend that Rob “keeper-batsman” Wall had made an exceptional debut with the gloves decided he would ignore match manager Aidan Selby’s selection faux pas and do what was right for the team.
Nick Daly opened the bowling and sprayed the first ball three pitches wide to immediately test Wall, who was unable to save it running through for four wides. The next ball went straight through Wall’s legs for four byes leading to Glen “front-seat driver” Oliver yelling sage advice from mid-on.
As James Dela Rue came in for the second over, the advice was reversed as the Strollers finally found their length. A defensive push to mid-on went straight between Oliver’s legs for four. Two balls later the same thing happened and then when Daly started the next over Oliver looked to Mitch “that over at Roehampton” Alley for advice as he re-enacted the Mike Gatting catch from Channai* (”the funniest dropped catch in cricket history”) in 1992.
Two more Strollers arrived, giving the team the full complement as Dela Rue continued to bowl tightly while Daly threw a mixed bag of everything at the other end.
Making his Strollers debut was Peter Cooper, who was keen to tell everyone he hadn’t played much cricket and dampen expectations. Three overs for 18 suggested otherwise and this along with a not out means we will happily welcome him back in future weeks/years/decades.
Alastair Macaulay bowled well and was let down by Wall, who missed an easy stumping. Oliver continued what seemed like his fielding annus horribilis condensed into an hour, dropping another straightforward catch or two.
Suddenly things got awkward as another Stroller arrived. Match manager Selby had included 12 in the 11 but a very accommodating opposition didn’t seem to mind.
We welcomed back Sudip Ray, who bowled very tight lines. He combined with son Harry, who politely suggested that Wall stand back to him to turn the screws on Commons Old Boys.
John Low rounded off the bowling with an ever respectable 1-18, leaving the Strollers with 149 to chase.
Wall opened the batting, striking the first two balls to the boundary. At the other end Beale charged down the pitch first ball and missed it by a mile for a very golden duck.
Skipper Robertson sent Oliver straight in to make amends for this fielding performance. Oliver was straight into business in classical Oliver style - smashing fours, taking dodgy singles and not taking many missed twos and threes. Oliver was about to retire until someone made the fateful error of informing him of his score. Trying to heave the ball for six he was dismissed for a very good 22.
Wall continued to collect runs with Robertson and both were able to retire. This brought Michael Daly into the game who, despite only playing 50% of the match, stole the Daly of the Day award with a rapid 25 not out.
Despite only needing a handful of runs, the Strollers begun to collapse. Dela Rue showed he is primarily a bowler by being stumped for two, Sudip Ray was lbw for 10 and Nick Daly departed as they all fell in very quick succession. Macaulay was rushing to get his pads on at No 11 when Cooper hit the winning runs.
Capt: Pete Robertson. Wkt: Rob Wall.
Match fees: Aidan Selby. Match report: Rob Wall.
West Chiltington
Sunday June 13 in Thakeham
Strollers lost by 26 runs
West Chiltington 237-5
(40 overs; Rory Wood 2-35, Macaulay 1-21, Dela Rue 1-25)
Strollers 211
(40 overs; Sam Brodbeck 37, Love 37, Selby 29, Robertson 19, Oliver 16)
Captain Scott’s doomed journey to the South Pole, Frodo’s march to Mount Doom, Odysseus’s return to Ithaca. All pale into comparison to the Fleet Street Strollers’ own epic quest to reach Thakeham.
It is just 45 miles as the crow flies from Alastair Macaulay’s penthouse in Brixton to the West Sussex hamlet, yet the journey took a shade under 45 hours as Sunday timetables, cancellations and day trippers headed for the South Coast conspired to delay the Strollers’ oldest fixture.
Aidan Selby’s 154-mile round trip was topped only by Rory Wood, who not only travelled 160 miles on the day but took the little step of flying 5,400 miles from Kathmandu, Nepal – all to make his first appearance since 2019.
We have been competing for the John Marshall cup against West Chiltington since 1976, but this was the first occasion at the club’s new second ground. Built as a condition of planning approval for several streets of American-style mansions, the backdrop is part Stepford Wives suburbia, part bucolic English Downland. Inspired by what is a magnificent facility, captain Glen Oliver performed his usual miracle with the coin to ensure the Strollers had to field first on the hottest day of the year.
West Chiltington got off to a cautious start against the miserly James Dela Rue and Alain Cross. Oliver summoned Wood into the attack to break the stand and he obliged with his very first ball. Would the ball have ever pitched had batsman Phil Martin not thwacked it into the hands of Sam Brodbeck (also returned from self-imposed exile)? We will never know.
The bowlers toiled under an unforgiving sun. Ben Mangham swung the ball without reward and Simon Brodbeck had a sharp chance dropped by Wood. A rare Oliver overarm throw was gracefully gathered in by wicketkeeper Selby to run out young Charlie Woodage but the No 3, Ed White, looked increasingly dangerous. Macaulay also struck with his first delivery, neatly caught by Pete Robertson, probably the only person on the field tall enough to reach the ball. Soon after Robertson himself was departing from the field, having managed to parry a stinging drive into his own eye socket.
(Once the team doctor was satisfied Robertson’s eye would live to witness several more embarrassing England defeats to the Kiwis, talk turned to other eye injuries. Cross won the prize for tale-most-likely-to-have-you-regurgitating-your-tea with his graphic retelling of the time he stabbed a pool cue through the white of his eye. Ah, art school.)
The Strollers were set 238 to win and began at a gallop. Virgin openers Sam Brodbeck and George Love put on 71 for the first wicket – with everyone agreeing they both ran excellently between the wickets. After Brodbeck holed out to the wily left-armer James Chaloner, Selby upped the run rate even higher. He smashed off-spinner Callum Wyatt for three fours in an over before tragedy struck and he was run out for 29.
Oliver strode to the wicket and did his best to put off the West Chiltington bowlers with his usual mid-over commentary on the state of the game. After hitting a four and then an enormous six over midwicket he chipped a long hop to White at point. The crowd was silenced as the Strollers faithful realised the game was probably lost.
Cameos from Robertson, Macaulay and Dela Rue pushed the score over 200 but in the end the chase was one epic journey too far for the Strollers. Defeat by 26 runs leaves the Cup tally at 44 matches with 17 wins, 17 losses, nine draws and one abandoned.
Fist bumps all round and a rare joint team photograph followed with Peter Jones, the welcoming West Chiltington president, presenting the cup to the winning captain, George Bryans. Special thanks must also be given to the charming umpire, Mike Charman, who skilfully oversaw regular hand sanitisation and called all 22 players by name whether they were batting, bowling or umpiring.
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Aidan Selby.
Match report: Sam Brodbeck.
LJ Clark
Thursday June 17 on Wandsworth Common
Match abandoned
LJ Clark 127-7
(19 overs; Oliver 4-10, Love 1-13, Wall 1-39, Dela Rue 1-38)
The selectors sprung a surprise by appointing George Love as captain. All you need is Love, they must have reasoned, to overcome the perennially formidable midweek opponents L J Clark. The initial signs showed it was a sound decision as regular skipper Glen Oliver, kit bag and all, was nowhere to be seen as the 10 attendant Strollers took the field at 6pm.
Even more challenging than LJ Clark was the weather. A vast array of smartphone apps were brandished to emphasise the high chance of rain. Others just looked to the steadily darkening skies assembling over Wandsworth Common. The L J Clark openers perhaps sensed the urgency, setting off at a fast clip by dispatching some full tosses and half-trackers to and over the boundary.
James Dela Rue, now nicknamed the DLR, trundled in from the eastern end like a reliable driverless train between Canning Town and Limehouse. He hit a troubling length, with one shortish ball rearing up at the batsman’s throat, and the next one landing in the same spot scuttling along the ground, earning an lbw. Useful wickets were also picked up by Rob Wall and Captain Love.
The uneven bounce had the Strollers top order batsmen chewing their nails wondering if Oliver, who had finally arrived, had brought a helmet with him in the team kit. Oliver silenced the timekeeping jibes by taking the ball just as the talented L J Clark openers were either dismissed or retired. Showing his usual ability to trouble the lower order, he used the humidity from the impending rain front to get prodigious in-swing, castling or pinning the pads of four hapless batsmen.
At that point, with the score at 127-7 off 19 overs, the apps predicting rain proved 100% correct. The heavens opened, Love and his opposing number quickly and sensibly called it off, and the cricketers scuttled across the road to the welcoming table service at the County Arms.
The unbeaten Midweek team strolls on. With LJ Clark beyond them, they must fancy their chances of another unbeaten season. Evidently, Love is all you need.
Capt: George Love. Wkt and match report: Hamish McDougall.
Westminster
Wednesday June 23 on Wandsworth Common
Strollers won by 22 runs
Strollers 124-7
(20 overs; Alley 33, Oliver 23, Robertson 20, Beale 12, Love 12)
Westminster 102
(19.3 overs; Charlotte Stubbs 2-6, Love 2-12, Richie Stubbs 2-21, Cross 1-10, Robertson 1-14, James Stubbs 1-22)
Many years ago, during your author's first season as midweek fixture secretary, the club chairman gave some very useful advice to always check the dates of the Lord's Test when planning fixtures. Unfortunately, planning for the 2021 midweek season did not take into account the potential sixth day of the World Test Championship and the probability of a large number of Aotearoan Strollers joining the Southampton recruitment party, some even risking being caught on Sky TV when they were "working from home". As a result, the midweek VI gathered to face the Westminster XI for a T20 on Wandsworth Common's County Arms pitch at 18:00 on Wednesday June 23.
Deputy captain Glen Oliver negotiated the toss and the Strollers had a bat with Pete Robertson and Rob Wall opening. The Strollers survived the first over, but Westminster struck with the first ball of the second as their young seamer (fresh from the fields of Radley) steamed in from the Tower Block end to hit the lottery length where the ball flies past chin or ankle. Ankle it was, and Wall was bowled!
Deputy Oliver was next in and steadied the ship until being caught at midwicket for 23. New recruit Michael Vickers hit an enormous six to square leg before top edging to be caught by the keeper.
By the time Robertson was bowled for 20, the Strollers ranks had swelled to become an VIII with Alain Cross joining captain George Love in the middle. Cross was the next victim of the low bounce, out lbw, and Michael Beale came in. Some more steadying, before Love was bowled for 12, soon to be followed by Beale for the same score, out to Christian Troughton, ex-midweek and weekend Stroller who still holds the club’s eighth-wicket record of 88 (with Simon Brodbeck v Jacobite Chancers on April 27, 2008, for those who don't have their stats to hand).
The Strollers were now a X and Mitch Alley was next in to hit a quickfire 33 not out, assisted by James Stubbs with two not out and the Strollers closed on 124-7, which was thought to be about par for the County Arms pitch.
Oliver opened the bowling from the Tower Block end with a miserly one run from his over, only to be taken out of the attack to be replaced by Love, but the tactic worked as Oliver took a fine catch at mid-off (looking like he had been taking them all season).
Cross had opened from the other end and soon picked up a wicket with the other Westminster opener confidently caught at square leg by Vickers. Love picked up his second wicket by bowling Troughton with a full toss that clipped the bails.
Westminster were behind the required rate by the time Richie Stubbs came on at the Tower Block end, with James Stubbs at the County Arms end. Stubbs Senior picked up two wickets with another fine catch from Oliver (this time on the mid-on boundary) and a stumping from keeper Wall, while Stubbs Junior took the crucial wicket of the young opening bowler, who played on for 17.
The Westminster innings had reached the 18th over when Charlotte Stubbs arrived (from nearby women's cricket training) and took the field at fine leg to make up the Strollers XI. A leg-glance off her elder brother's bowling looked like an easy single, until Miss Stubbs sprinted in, picked up one-handed and ran out the Westminster No 3 with a direct hit. She then came on to bowl the 19th over and took two wickets with a catch by Love (at mid-off) and another stumping by Wall to leave Westminster nine down.
Robertson bowled the last over and the last Westminster batsman gave a easy catch to Cross at square leg to finish the game and give the Strollers victory by 22 runs and a de-brief in the County Arms.
Capt: George Love. Wkt: Rob Wall.
Match fees: Aidan Selby. Match report: Richie Stubbs.
Peppard
Sunday June 27 at Peppard
Strollers won by five wickets
Peppard 129
(30.5 overs; Oliver 5-13, Salvesen 3-15, Hodgson 2-26)
Strollers 131-5
(35 overs; McDougall 40, Perrin 32, Salvesen 17no, Robertson 14, Travis 12 )
My mum is a keen follower of weather apps and has at least four on her phone. She checked these regularly in the days leading up to Sunday morning, and unusually, they were all in agreement: Sunday afternoon was going to be very wet.
There had been much discussion as to whether or not the match would be on throughout the morning and, to be honest, I was all set for a few hours of history revision (or, at least that’s what I’d told my parents) so I was quite surprised when Jim loaded the cricket bags, tea and many waterproof coats into the car and we set off for Peppard.
Oli White was there when we arrived and talked us through the 4am Henley swim he had done that morning, covering the 2000m regatta course. He’d gone home afterwards though, rather than simply popping up the road to sleep in the pavilion!
The rest of the team slowly gathered, with much muttering about the weather, would we start the match, would we finish the match, the traffic, how late would Glen be, would Rob score runs and other such small talk.
As the others arrived, as is customary, we walked out to look at the wicket. All the Strollers eventually joined in, and there was plenty of prodding and mutterings about it being very green and damp. I heard Alastair Macaulay telling skipper of the day, Rob Wall, it was definitely a bowl first track. Yet, although the skies were very grey, there was no rain. This was Rob’s first skippering of the first-class Sunday side. In the pre-match interview he described his leadership style as “Quiet and unobtrusive, more a Stephen Fleming than Brendon McCullum.”
I understand that winning the toss isn’t a strong area for the Strollers, especially taking into account Glen’s current record, so no one was surprised when Rob returned from the toss having lost. However, to our surprise, Peppard decided to have a bat, a decision welcomed by many Strollers who sprinted onto the field with joyful abandon. Due to the impending rain, the captains had agreed a 35-over game.
In my Strollers career so far I haven’t yet been able to refer to another player as ‘young’, but I noticed the local side were a tad younger than the Strollers (quite a lot…!). It was an unusual sight to see Connor Lamsdale walk out to open - I had two years on him! His partner Will Wakelam didn’t look much older than me either.
Rob had decided on a young and spritely opening attack of Tom Salvesen and Jim Hodgson to test these openers and to set the bar for the following performance. Salvesen took the first over from the far end and immediately found his hooping outswing. At the other end, Jim’s second ball was a slow full toss that Wakelam top-edged to Rob in his trademark short cover position.
Wakelam looked crestfallen and Jim a little embarrassed, but as he likes to tell me: “It’s in the book Finlay, no one will ever remember what a terrible ball it was.” Apart from Wakelam.
The left-handed Lamsdale looked really good, keeping the good ones out and scoring off anything loose. Rob decided a more intimidating field was required and put me into a second short cover. Jim, having just been hit down the ground for four, put the next one down a bit wider and Lamsdale latched on, but hadn’t quite got over the ball. I flung myself to my right and caught him. “That’s brilliant Finlay, thank you,” shouted Jim.
Tom was giving the other top order batsmen a torrid time, bowling Scott Harris, trapping Jason Wakelam lbw and encouraging Rich Ashton to chip one into Pete Robertson’s hands. Tom finished his seven overs with the excellent figures of 3-15. After 14 overs Peppard were 31-5.
And there was still no rain.
It was left to the youthful pair of Alex Leedham and Hamish Scott to try and steady the ship, and a very good job they did. They saw off the end of Tom and Jim’s spells, during which Rob, going for the jugular, deployed a third short cover! I wonder if Stephen Fleming ever did that?
Rob then called on the experienced pair of Simon Brodbeck and Alastair Macaulay to try and lure the young batsmen to their doom as they had done hundreds of times over the years. But not today.
They carefully kept the good balls out and scored off anything a bit loose, taking the score to 114 when Glen Oliver bowled Scott for 38 in the 25th over. The introduction of Glen, along with his groaning, grimacing, sore hamstrings and calf muscles, proved decisive as with his deceptive and leisurely four-pace run up, he ripped out the tail in 4.5 over, finishing up with 5-13, all bowled. There was one dismissal we thought was caught behind, but it had shaved the off stump, dislodging the bails, but we took a while to spot that. Peppard were bowled out for 129 in the 30th over.
We had tea. And there was still no rain. Rob, or the Salt and Pepper Princess (I was told this wasn’t because he loved condiments, but for his greying hair. I’m still not sure about the Princess part), told us he’d visited the Selbys in the week and Rhys had pointed at him and said “Grandad dog,” in greeting. He seemed pleased with this. Rob also told us that his partner, Sarah, had taken him hill sprint training as she had seen him on TV, watching the New Zealanders play cricket, and had not liked what she saw. She sounds quite scary!
Hamish McDougall and Blair Travis opened for us. Jim had mentioned that Peppard’s Satheech Elanganathan was one of those bowlers who puts it on the spot all afternoon. Today wasn’t an exception and his brisk left-arm partner, Archie Malcolm, wasn’t giving much to hit either. It took us to the fifth over to get off the mark.
Blair looked as if he was getting his eye in when, unfortunately, he top-edged a catch off Malcolm. Robertson joined Hamish, who was pushing the ball into the gaps and getting the score moving. Pete played some nice shots, including a lovely extra cover drive for four. Then young Lamsdale came on and demonstrated he was a very decent orthodox slow left-arm spinner as well as a good bat. He did for Pete, bowled. Oli White showed his usual positive intent but fell lbw for two to Lamsdale.
So it was my turn. My mum, as usual, disappeared at this point, as she gets very nervous when I bat. Hamish greeted me with advice on what Lamsdale and the brisk Tom Owen were doing. Our total was 53 off 18 overs, and with an accurate attack we still had quite a bit to do.
Hamish continued to hit the gaps, and with a large outfield we were able to run twos and threes (although I’m not sure how many of the threes Hamish was keen on). At last, a shower, but it quickly passed and we remained on the field.
My mum had at this point come out from behind the pavilion, and embarked on a boundary stroll with Jim, cheering when I hit runs or a boundary. Hamish and I moved the score to 101, when Scott bowled Hamish for a really good 40. (It has to be said, all the Peppard bowlers were accurate and difficult to score freely off!).
Grandad Dog Rob joined me in the 30th over with advice to just keep running the singles and twos and we would get to the 130 we needed to win. We did this, but I was soon bowled by Scott, for 32, with the score on 108.
Salvesen joined Rob with four overs to go and 22 needed. Peppard skipper Ruaridh Scott came on and - from previous encounters – we knew he was a very handy opening bowler. With his control and variation he was even more difficult to get away than his team-mates. 116 off 33 overs.
Over 34 had the Strollers on their feet as Tom hit the first three balls for four and we thought we were home and dry, but the next three from Scott were dot balls. 128 off 34 overs. Just two to win off the last over.
Rob nudged the first ball for a single bringing swashbuckling Tom on strike. Surely this was it? Second ball, dot. Third ball, dot. Fourth ball, dot. Fifth ball, dot. Scott was delivering a masterclass in death bowling.
There was much pacing by the pavilion and fingernails were in danger. Then Tom hit the sixth ball through the covers for the winning runs, insisting on running a final two to celebrate. Hats were in the air and hugs would have been given, if they were allowed. What a great finish to a low scoring game!
While the Strollers heart rates were dropping back to normal, Simon produced a bottle of champagne. He must have second sight, I thought, if he can predict the need for fizz to celebrate a finish like that! In fact, it was to mark Jim’s 300th game for the Strollers. He must be older than I thought!
He told the awaiting Press, “It feels like only yesterday when I walked out with the Strollers for the first time at Taplow in 1997, and I’ve enjoyed every year of Strolling since.” Our statistics guru, Maggie Patston, let me know that Jim’s debut (literally last century) was very successful – he opened the bowling and returned figures of 12-5-17-5.
Well, that’s the end of my first match report. I hope you enjoyed it.
*On a sad note, we learnt of the death of Andy Bryan, who captained and was the driving force behind Peppard for many years. He was captain against the Strollers in 1976, our very first year. The Strollers would like to send their sympathy and good wishes to all his family.
Capt: Rob Wall. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: Finlay Perrin (aged 15¾)
Bricklayers Arms
Thursday July 1 in Wandsworth Park
Strollers won by one wicket
Bricklayer's Arms 148
(18.1 overs; James Stubbs 4-11, Macaulay 3-36, Kyne 1-4, Nick Daly 1-36)
Strollers 153-9
(20 overs; Kyne 42no, Oliver 34no, Beale 21, McDougall 11)
Wandsworth Park, the venue for the second Bricklayer’s Arms v Strollers clash of the season, is nestled alongside the River Thames. It also has the pleasure of being patronised by many merry locals who always enjoy the high quality cricket which is on offer. This makes it one of the prettiest grounds we play at but the unpredictable pitch is a great leveller with our very best batsman regularly fooled by its spicy bounce. In this particular match it also seemed to aid turn with Alastair Macaulay materially spinning the ball on many occasions.
The Strollers fielded first as skipper Rob Wall lost the toss again (giving himself a 0-3 toss count). The Strollers 11 included Neil Devereux, who was making his first appearance for the Strollers in a number of years and kindly turned up at short notice.
George Love opened the bowling with Nick Daly. The Bricklayer’s openers started steadily accumulating runs nicely until Daly eventually broke through with a lovely leg-cutter which took out the batsman’s leg stump. This brought a new, aggressive batsman to the crease which immediately led to skipper Wall releasing players from his three-strong “short cover cordon” to patrol the boundary.
They then had a very strong partnership which led to one of their batsmen retiring. The Bricklayers momentum quickly slowed as on came Macaulay and Richie Stubbs. Macaulay immediately started spinning it sideways and combined with Wall for a stumping. Macaulay finished with tidy figures of 3-36 to aid in breaking the back of the Bricklayers middle order including the prized wicket of Chris Locke.
Whilst R Stubbs bowled solidly it wasn’t his day, instead it fell to his son, James Stubbs, to pick up the “Stubbs of the day” award and run through the remaining middle order with figures of 4-11. Russell Kyne picked up the final wicket and bowled his seven balls with stats of 1-4. The Strollers were set a (very) intimidating total of 148 to chase.
It was up to Glen Oliver and Hamish McDougall to step up and open proceedings. Oliver went hard from one end with McDougall steadily building, in his own words, a solid picket fence. But unfortunately he ran out of palings, falling for 11. This brought Kyne to the crease.
Oliver continued his hitting at the other end, at one point peppering a family gathering with cricket balls on consecutive deliveries. Post-match it was heard that Oliver had made the point of warning this family they were in his hitting zone. If they weren’t paying attention after this they certainly were post the sixes.
Oliver retired on the mandatory 25, bringing Michael Beale to the crease who, by virtue of a recent injury hampering his running, has ditched his previously cautious approach to batting to become a swashbuckler. Kyne hit the ball all over the park at the other end, retiring at 25. The Strollers were going along very nicely until Beale fell victim to a ball which did not bounce above ankle height, removing his stumps. This triggered a significant Strollers collapse with no real middle order notables other than Nick Daly hitting his maiden six!
Instead it fell on Oliver and Kyne to return from their retirement to try and bring the Strollers home with significant runs required off the final three overs. The urgency of the match situation meant that Oliver shunned his normal conservatism and put his hammies at risk running rapid ones and twos.
At the other end Kyne was living on thin ice but that’s what pressure does to people as he dished up two chances in the final over. A full toss was miscued to short fine leg only for it to drop straight through his hands. The other (slightly tougher) chance was a skier to midwicket.
And so it came down to the last ball where the Strollers needed a single to ensure that the Midweek Juggernaut rolled on. Kyne put the previous two miscues aside, striking a six to Oliver country where the family had wisely moved away. Oliver (34no) and Kyne (42no) ensured the record was intact.
After the game both teams retired to the newly opened Bricklayer’s Arms in Putney and stayed until closing – what midweek cricket is all about!
Capt, wkt and match report: Rob Wall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver.
And here's a rarity - the view from the opposition:
We hadn't beaten the Strollers for a good eight years or more, and when on the day Mike Ottley lost Waqas Gujjar (positive Covid test) and Kohin Roy (rushing his dog to the vet) it didn't look like this would be our chance. Yet somehow our nine men almost brought off an astonishing victory, only to lose by one wicket off the last ball of their 20 overs.
Strollers kindly agreed to let us bat nine wickets and to lend us one fielder, and we agreed that batsmen should retire immediately on reaching 25. Winning the toss, Mike Ottley sent in Tom Poulter and Anil Basnet, who got us off to a fast start, reaching 21 in two overs and 52 after five. In the sixth Tom hit two successive fours to retire on 27 with the score 69.
Lewis Caley got off the mark with a boundary but was bowled for 4 on 78 in the eighth over, while on 86 in the next Anil reached 25. This brought in Riaz Gul to join Arshdeep Singh, and the pair took us to 113 after 11. Riaz was then stumped for 12 , but Arshdeep started hitting sixes for fun, only to be bowled on 24 attempting a fourth maximum.
Kash Mirza and Paul Meek were bowled for 1 apiece, while Mike Ottley was lbw for a single to one that ripped into him. Chris Locke swept to fine leg for his first four in two years, but got cocky and spooned the next delivery to mid-off to be out for 6.
That reunited our retired opening pair who added another dozen before Tom fell lbw for 34 and Anil was bowled for 29 to finish our innings 11 balls early.
Faced with Strollers' hard-hitters coming out to open, Mike chose not to bowl himself, instead handing the ball to Riaz and Tom. They then watched it disappear to all parts as Glen Oliver rapidly reached the retirement mark. Tom did though get the other opener with a slower delivery that he swung at and missed. Paul Meek's bad back only allowed him the one over, but he did bowl their No 4 and at halfway Strollers were 76-2, bang on the asking rate. The left-right combination of Nos 3 and 5 was going nicely but once No 3 had retired there was a clatter of wickets for Kash Mirza, a grubber bowling No 6 on 108 in the 13th over, an lbw sending back No 7 on 119 in the 15th while in the same over Mike Ottley at midwicket stretched to parry the ball up and take the rebound to dismiss No 8 on 121.
We were beginning to believe we had a chance, with the tail in and 27 needed off five overs. A Lewis Caley catch at midwicket gave Mike Ottley his first wicket next over to make it 122-6, while Lewis was the bowler when the left-handed No 5 holed out to Arshdeep Singh at cow corner. In the 18th over Mike bowled No 11 and had No 10 snicking a wide one to Chris Locke to give him 10 dismissals in the season, something he hasn't managed since 2018.
Strollers were still 18 short with one wicket left, but now their retirees were back. We could have won it twice - first a skier off a Lewis Caley full-toss was fumbled by fine leg, then in the final over Anil sprinted to midwicket off his own bowling to dive for a top edge but just failed to cling on. Instead it came down to two runs needed off the last ball, but a six over long-on sealed our defeat.
A great effort and a great game was then celebrated by both sides in the Brick.
Ministry of Justice
Thursday July 8 at Barn Elms
Strollers won by 50 runs
Strollers 148-9
(20 overs; Oliver 45no, Charlotte Stubbs 25no, Haworth 13, Wall 12)
Ministry of Justice 98-9
(20 overs; Dela Rue 2-8, Macaulay 2-13, Charlotte Stubbs 1-7, Haworth 1-12, Richie Stubbs 1-12, Cross 1-13)
For the eighth midweek game of the season, the Strollers retuned to the very agreeable surroundings of the Barn Elms Sports Trust ground in Barnes for a game against the Ministry of Justice XI, with a uncustomary 11 players having arrived by 6pm.
Customs soon returned as the toss was lost and the Strollers had a bat with Mat Haworth accompanying Rob Wall to the middle. After a lightning start, both openers were soon out stumped and captain Pete Robertson was caught leaving the Strollers 38-3 as Charlotte Stubbs (playing a full 20 overs for the first time) came out to accompany Glen Oliver in the middle.
Any nerves from the spectators were soon calmed as a succession of boundaries followed with Oliver soon retiring on 32 and Miss Stubbs a little later on 25. The lower middle-order pushed along with contributions from George Love (caught 9), Alain Cross (run out 7), James Stubbs (caught 8) and James Dela Rue (stumped 8), and the tail did its job with Richie Stubbs and Alastair Macaulay soon in and out, which left Oliver and Miss Stubbs back in the middle.
Twelve off the last saw the score move up to 148-9 which felt a few runs light of the par score.
After a quick turnaround, Captain Robertson asked Dela Rue to open and after a very tidy spell (3-1-8-2) the game was soon heading in the direction of the Strollers.
Cross was the other opening bowler and the pressure led to the other MOJ opener being run out looking for a single that wasn't there. Richie Stubbs picked up a wicket (caught by Charlotte Stubbs at point) and James Stubbs would have had two but for a pair of dropped catches.
Cross picked up a wicket in strange circumstances as the MOJ pulled the ball over the head of keeper Wall, but hit his stumps with his follow through. After Macaulay had picked up two wickets (caught by Wall and bowled), MOJ were struggling at 55-7. They recovered with their No 7 retiring on 25 (and then finishing on 40no) before Haworth (lbw) and Miss Stubbs (c&b) picked up a wicket each and MOJ finished on 98-9, giving the Strollers a win by 50 runs.
Both teams retired to the Red Lion where they were joined by treasurer Tom Wood.
Capt: Pete Robertson. Wkt: Rob Wall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: James Stubbs.
Prestcold
Sunday July 11 in Binfield Heath
Strollers lost by 171 runs
Prestcold 214-4
(40 overs; Ben Mangham 1-13, Hodgson 1-21, Salvesen 1-28, Cross 1-38)
Strollers 43
(18.1 overs; Selby 18)
Sunday, July 11, 2021 will forever be known as a “where were you on that day” date of celebration by many people and for many different reasons.
The tennis world may remember it as the date Novak Djokovic equalled the record for most Major wins in the history of the men’s game. The English football world may remember it as the first time in 55 years that they were in a final of a major football tournament (and possibly will be another 55 before their next one).
But the FSSCC team of 1976 who played against West Chiltington on June 27, 1976, probably had the biggest cause for celebration. Back in 1976 (when no doubt the players all sported long hippie hair, smoked a few joints before going in to bat, wore flower-patterned clothes and were playing loud ABBA music throughout the course of the game), a disappointing 52 was scored.
However, I bet none of that team would think it would take over 45 years before that memory would finally be all but wiped from the Strollers record books. Year after year as the records were updated, this team had to relive their nightmare by seeing their score still in the lowest 15 totals ever made by the Strollers.
After the club’s opening season in 1976, the remaining 70s brought four lower scores so when the 80s rocked on in, they were sitting in 5th place.
They cheered as the 80s Strollers produced a further seven lower scores, including the infamous eight against Blackfordby in 1988 (Simon Brodbeck scored a well-crafted one run I believe) so when 1990 came around, they were 12th on the list and nearly out of the record books.
This was however, when the Strollers golden age was blossoming and low scores were as rare as a Rob Wall 50. Only two lower scores were achieved in the 90s and another one in 2004, leaving the 1976 team on the brink, in 15th spot and one low score away from finally having the burden lifted from their shoulders.
But year after year, as the Strollers recruitment strategy of poaching the best cricketers in New Zealand paid huge dividends, a score of below 100 was unheard of, yet alone below 52. After all but giving up of ever seeing their record finally expunged, along came Glen Oliver’s team on July 11, 2021, 17 years after the last below-50 score.
The omens were not great when Oliver won the toss. Had he decided to bat first, the match would likely have been over before lunch and a game of golf for the remaining afternoon could have been on the cards.
But alas he chose to field and Prestcold scored a very impressive 214-4 on a slow pitch with William Marsh (87) and Tim Benham (75*) showing the Strollers what to do. Ben Mangham was the pick of the bowlers with 1-13 off six.
The Strollers then went in to bat and simply could not handle the Prestcold bowlers, who delivered the right line and length to get just enough off the pitch to make some balls unplayable.
All wickets were either bowled or lbw which sums up how accurate the bowling effort was. The vaunted top five produced four ducks between them which did not get much better as the side was skittled for 43 with six ducks and extras being the second-highest score.
The only positive from the day was the amount of young players in the team. Seeing young guns Finlay Perrin, Felix and Archie White and Harry Mangham all playing was great and hopefully we can see a lot more of them over the next few years.
After popping the champagne and celebrating throughout the night, the 1976 FSSSC team awoke with hangovers and some devastating news.
In a quirk of the records the lowest 15 individual scores are displayed and seeing that the Strollers had already scored a 43 back in 1998, it means their 52 is still the 15th-lowest score for the Strollers and thus still in the records book. Petitions have been started for a change in the record keeping although after this batting performance, it may not be too long before they are finally off the list.
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt and match report: Aidan Selby.
Hackney Village
Thursday July 15 at Barn Elms
Strollers won by six wickets
Hackney Village 146-4
(20 overs; Macaulay 2-20, Cross 1-13)
Strollers 149-4
(16 overs; Robertson 25no, Wall 25no, Haworth 19, Flacks 16, Cross 11no)
It has been a very inconsistent start to the British summer, with a lack of sunshine and scorching temperatures. However, one element to this year’s T20 campaign which has remained consistent is the Strollers 100% winning record.
With a rather bleak, overcast skyline, it was nonetheless a warm welcome to Hackney Village at Barn Elms where it was a question of whether the Strollers could keep this winning record intact.
After a negotiated toss, Hackney Village was set the task of batting first and they faced a fiery start from George Love, who seemed to be finding his pace and rhythm from the get-go. Forcing the batsmen on the back foot, Love was very unfortunate not to find a reward for his efforts. Both openers were only able to find a thick or even a thin edge off the bat at times, while turning those edges into singles and then twos. To the opponents’ pleasure nonetheless the scoreboard was continuing to tick over.
At the opposite spectrum to Love, Alain Cross was unable to find any kind of rhythm, or pace come to that, and the openers were soon able to take advantage of some horrible short pitched bowling. They dispatched the bad balls and increased the run rate.
But one particular delivery caused problems for the opener Staz, the opposition’s captain. Cross was expecting the delivery to be pulled for four runs but instead Staz played on – the breakthrough coming in Cross’s third and final over and Staz departing for 13.
Over to the first bowling change and it was a wonderful combination between Mat Haworth and Alastair Macaulay with both bowlers finding their line and length and forcing the batsmen to create their own mistakes.
Haworth should have been instantly rewarded if only Cross could have judged the flight of the ball a lot better as it approached him at long-on. Instead he let it slip through his fingers and on to the boundary.
Hackney’s No 2 and No 3 were able to capitalise on the Strollers dropped attempts and sometimes nonchalant fielding, scoring an unbeaten 29 and 38 respectively.
Macaulay was unwilling for these missed chances to get to him, however, and was able to keep his calm and find the faintest of edges against Hackney’s No 4, with Rob Wall taking a fine catch behind the stumps with his use of quick feet.
Macaulay was rewarded yet again in quick succession with his teasing flight, lofting one up to the opponents’ No 5, Reesy. He could only find the safe hands of skipper Pete Robertson at mid-on.
Hackney Village were still willing to keep the scoreboard ticking over regardless of a mini-collapse, with the run rate reaching just over seven an over, and posting a first innings score of an impressive 146.
With the skyline darkening and the threat of a potential shower, it was over to the Strollers to find a way of chasing down the score. Openers Glen Oliver and Wall remained in high spirits however, and were not going to let the British summer weather bog them down.
Oliver in particular was willing to set the tone for the run chase with a boundary coming off the very first delivery. What none of the onlooking Strollers on the boundary expected to see, however, was Oliver mistiming a drive during the same over and chipping one to the fielder at mid-off. Could the Strollers’ 100% record be in danger? Should you wish to find out the outcome, I suggest you stay tuned.
Skipper Robertson came in at No 3 and it was apparent he was eager to not let the early wicket damage his approach to the innings. With caution, the captain played himself in, and was then able to latch onto any wayward delivery with some fine strokeplay through the covers. He found successive boundaries and exceeded the required run rate with ease.
With Wall doing a fine job at the other end and keeping Robertson company, both batsmen were able to put a stamp on the game and start to take it away from the opposition.
Wall’s continuous running between the wickets with ones and twos, along with Robertson’s boundaries, was the perfect balance to their stand while keeping the scoreboard ticking over. As both came to their 25+ not out mark, another partnership was required.
Benjamin Flacks and James Stubbs were called upon next, and with some intent from Flacks who hit a number of quickfire boundaries. Unfortunately Stubbs could not keep his partner company for too long on this occasion, failing to latch on to one and being bowled.
Flacks soon followed, allowing Haworth and Love to combine with some free hitting and quick running between the wickets. It all appeared to be very comfortable for Haworth, using his wrists to find the gaps between the fielders and finding the boundary with ease.
The pairing of Love and Hayworth was working wonders, until those famous commentator’s last words – “Haworth is looking in good nick” – brought about its usual curse. Just as Mat was starting to aim towards another not out score, he lashed at a wayward delivery and was caught.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man and it was Cross’s turn to see the innings through. As he approached the crease, on cue the sun broke through the bleak looking skyline, creating an abundance of warm amber and golden hues as the evening sunlight glazed across the pitch. Finally an element of summer weather.
Soon Cross was able to guide a delivery through the covers for a quick two runs with the aid of his partner, George ‘the Flash’ Love.
With the beautiful long cast shadows cutting through the square, Cross was not sure if he had time to take a photo for his oeuvre. However, there was still a job in hand. With one run needed and the opposition fielders now surrounding the bat in an attempt to intimidate the No 8, Cross was waiting patiently. With a call from Love at the other end - “Just block it out Al” - Cross had other ideas.
With a moussaka at home getting cold, and a Greek salad getting warm, Cross decided to pull the wayward delivery for four runs and see to it that the Strollers kept up their 100% winning record, with four overs to spare. Never in doubt.
Capt;; Pete Robertson. Wkt: Rob Wall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: Alain Cross.
Tadworth
Sunday July 18 in Tadworth
Strollers lost by seven wickets
Strollers 255-4
(40 overs; McDougall 75, Love 72, Travis 28no, Cross 18)
Tadworth 256-3
(30.5 overs; Simon Brodbeck 1-46, Cross 1-62).
It was a tad hot as the Fleet Street Strollers ambled onto the Tadworth Common, with the mercury nudging nigh on 30.
The arrival of Ivor Fiala was a pleasant surprise for most, arriving out of the heat haze with his calfskin boots manufactured in the depths of the old USSR regime. As he walked into the Surrey surrounds he exclaimed: “I’m back bitches, and nothing has changed”. It was his first appearance for the team since 2019, with this being his 553rd game for the club, an outstanding achievement for a man of his ripe young age of 79.
There was a sense of sombreness across the group following the loss to Italy in the preceding Sunday evening. Discussion was heated regarding Gareth Southgate’s decision to play passively against the Azzurri in normal time and the end of extra time, with everyone agreeing that the Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford late substitutions were somewhat questionable. Unfortunately for England the spoils had gone to Rome. However there was hope for the Strollers that they would at least be taking some sort of glory home with them, as Blair Travis got out there and did what Glen Oliver could never do, win the toss.
Sighs of relief echoed across the picturesque Surrey field, none more so than from Ben Mangham, who was furiously restoring sugar levels from the bender he had had the previous night at a family BBQ. George Love was also relieved that he may get to rest on his laurels, however this turned into despair when it was announced he would be opening the batting with none other than Hamish McDougall.
The furious heat of the midday sun beat down on the openers as they strolled onto the Sahara-like desert pitch.
Love had just come off an exceptional midweek performance the previous Wednesday, being applauded by none other than the Salt and Pepper Princess Rob Wall. The Whakamana Express had previously been heard berating Mr Love for sloppy running between the wickets, likening him to Monty Panesar or Chris Martin, both infamous for their batting prowess.
Love had obviously got fed up with this feedback and had resolved to improve his batting. The story goes that he had spent countless hours rewatching Ashes series late into the night, examining every runner’s technique. Hours were spent analysing Ricky Ponting tips on Youtube with his house mate hearing him sleep talk in the night – “Always turn facing the fieldsmen”, “When finishing a run ground your bat about a metre before the line”, “Never say Go because it sounds like No”.
It almost became a philosophy to the man. Every waking minute he could do nothing more than think about running between the wickets. In the supermarket, the bar, the strip club he would always be on the look-out for a quick single, or looking to turn a one into a two.
What was driving this you may ask? A detailed interview with “The Puppy Love” revealed that there was clearly some deep emotional scarring from the previous fixture in Thakeham in which he had run out Aidan Selby for 29, which effectively lost the match.
Determined to make it up to the Strollers for his embarrassing gaffe he started strong with McDougall. The opening pair got off to a great start, both settling in nicely, playing some deliciously straight shots and piercing the Tadworth outfield.
The runs began flowing and both openers ending up passing 50, a virgin 50 for Love in all forms of the game in his entire career. Both players were feeling the heat, with Love appealing for a drinks break at 10 overs. Hamish quickly quashed his bitching and slapped his helmet to get him back into the game. Clearly the heat was making the pair delirious.
Soon after Hamish was fading due to the pace of Love’s calling for twos, it was now up to the Puppy to convince his partner in crime that he could push through the blazing heat to set the team up for a good fielding performance.
The 20-over mark came and both openers were undefeated, determined to continue. Alas the maiden 100 was not quite there for Love, who was caught for 72 by an initially fumbled catch in the outfield which was juggled and secured by Matthew Buzzacott. The exhausted Hamish soon followed, bowled by Adam Baldwin, with the team’s highest score of 75 with both batsmen being hailed as they departed the field.
The opening pair were replaced by skipper Travis and Glen Oliver. Travis came in and began steadying the ship as per usual, racking up a respectful 28 not out. Glen on the other hand was caught behind early in the piece, a second rerun of a 2-4-1-OUT performance. Reporters heard straight from the horse’s mouth that the shot was rubbish and was meant to have been “hitting the top leaves” of the evergreen tree imposing itself on the ground.
Alain Cross came in to settle the game down and played some brilliant shots before being involved in a comical run-out in the last over of the innings, yet again.
Rumour has it that Love is currently developing a 12-week running between the wickets plan which will certainly be distributed to Cross, and any other Strollers as they see fit. Mangham came in to punish the final few balls, aiming straight for the pub as his subconscious mind was drawing him to it, his body lamenting the cool, soothing, and refreshing taste of an icy lager. After 40 overs the total stood at 255.
The prodigy Charlotte Stubbs opened the bowling for the Strollers, alongside Mangham. They toiled away as the openers Buzzacott and Mark Baldwin got off to a good start in the heat of the mid-afternoon sun. A few chances were nicked behind but alas the Strollers were unable to capitalise. Ivor Fiala was involved in a spectacular chance, the 79-year-old leaping to his right for an edge off Cross. Unfortunately the diving Fiala was unable to hold onto the ball as it just slipped through his weathered fingertips. Surprisingly though, he was nimble enough to spring up and save two runs, hammering the ball back into Hamish like some sort of spritely 20-year-old.
Success finally came when Cross came into the fold. Bowling impeccable line and length he struck the toe of the opener for a comprehensive wicket. The Cross roar after the decision was given was similar to that of Neil Wagner of the recently successful WTC New Zealand cricket side.
Spirits were lifted and as Oliver came into bowl there was a real sense of excitement in the squad that they could turn the game. Unfortunately, Oliver was struck down by a hamstrung injury in mid over and had to take himself out of the attack. Glen will be back in action soon, we hope.
Simon Brodbeck came on to replace the injured Glen and achieved some success in his lbw of Jon Mears. Blair then took the reins from Cross and managed to get an exceptionally lucky run out of Mark Baldwin at the non-striker’s end, the shot glancing off Blair’s leg into the stumps. Unfortunately for the Strollers this was the last wicket to be seen in the match.
Further injuries were received by Richie Stubbs (rib injury after falling over the ball when making a diving stop) and Cross (bruised finger) as the new young gun batsmen William Ireland and Adam Baldwin came in to clean up the 256 target. 300-350 would most probably have been achieved if the game had gone on!
As the dust settled on the Sahara pitch both teams came off to enjoy an early finish in the sun, enjoying a socially distanced cold refreshment provided by the Tadworth club. A great day out for the team on one of the country’s hottest days of the year!
Capt: Blair Travis. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: George Love.
Khukuri
Tuesday July 20 at Barn Elms
Strollers lost by four runs
Khukuri 124
(19.1 overs; Haworth 3-22, Macaulay 2-11, Travis 2-2, Merilaht 1-9, Keightley 1-14)
Strollers 120
(19 overs; Mike Daly 39no, Keightley 22, Merilaht 14, Nick Daly 12)
The perfect season. The clean sweep. All Blacks rugby 2013; Brazil football 1970; Miami Dolphins American football 1972; FSSCC midweek cricket 2016.
Perfection is the ultimate goal of any sports team, and the FSSCC midweek class of ’21 were one game from winning every completed match. News of the Juggernaut’s success had spread across the globe, and there were rumours that Mike Pittams (having rudely absconded to New York) had made frantic calls to the selectors to make himself available.
With so much on the line, the midweek selectors threw out the youth leadership policy hitherto in place, calling up grizzled veteran Alastair “Mad Dog” Macaulay to lead the troops into the breach in a rematch with familiar rivals Khukuri CC.
To add to the pressure, said selectors were also in the odd position of having to make a selection decision (rather than applying the usual criteria of “whoever is available”). Midweek regular Glen Oliver was savagely tossed aside, with published reasons varying between “material injury risk” and “forgotten how to bat”; Alain Cross was diplomatically rotated out in favour of Richard Keightley, out of self-imposed exile for his first match of the season.
As match day dawned, the baffling English “summer” weather was determined to play its part. Forecasts of ferocious thunderstorms dominated conversations throughout the afternoon, with various weather apps being consulted and compared. The match manager found himself in the bizarre position of trying to work out if a match was possible, despite baking in 30° heat at the time.
After the call was made to chance the weather, the Strollers arrived at Wandsworth Park in their usual manner (read: mostly late, and in various stages of dress). Oliver also appeared after realising he had the team kit, and promptly appointed himself umpire for the whole match.
Skipper Macaulay won the “toss”, which seemed to have something to do with a piece of silver paper and nothing to do with a traditional coin, and chose to bowl first on a traditionally “spicy” pitch.
Matt Haworth and Nick Daly opened for the Strollers, Haworth striking first with a ball that kept low. He followed up shortly afterwards with two wickets in an over to finish with 3-22. Daly was clearly keeping an eye on the opportunity to stake claims for season honours in the “Daly of the Day” contest. He took an excellent catch on the square leg boundary, mere inches inside the flags. He gave back some of his points later in the innings, as he made a meal of an attempted catch-and-throw-back-to-himself inside the long-on boundary. Mitch Alley, along as a spectator, failed entirely to keep a straight face right next to him.
Haworth was replaced by Keightley, who had clearly been having sneaky training sessions in the nets, bowling excellent line and length. He was finally rewarded in his fourth over with a simple caught and bowled. The over was perhaps more notable for the electrical storm flashing in the clouds over the cover boundary, as the thunderstorms crept ever closer.
Blair Travis replaced Daly (although it was difficult to tell who had replaced who, as every over in the match was bowled from the same end owing to the unique alignment of the pitch, straight into the setting sun at the other end). Travis began by turning the ball square, with subtle variations on each delivery - clean bowling the dangerous Khukuri No 5 in his first over.
During the socially distanced huddle, ever supportive wicketkeeper Rob Wall helpfully enquired whether he was deliberately bowling different deliveries, or whether they were just doing different things off the pitch. History does not record Travis’s response.
Travis finished with an excellent 2-2 off two, before being brutally hooked by Macaulay so he could bowl himself. The skipper, who had clearly been studying the standard issue “sh*t gets wickets” midweek Strollers playbook, rather than the “leadership by example” version, bowled a rank long hop first ball. He watched somewhat apologetically as it was top edged to point for a comfortable catch. A more regulation dismissal followed, Wall making a smart stumping.
Pete Robertson was also in the game late in the innings, taking a good catch before combining with Wall to effect a quality run-out (after missing by inches a moment earlier) to keep a lid on the scoring. Tom Merilaht rounded out the innings with his quality leg spin, and the first ball of the final over saw the opposition skipper charge and york himself completely. Khukuri had set the Strollers a roughly par target of 125 to chase in order to join the pantheon of sporting greatness.
Robertson, who later confessed he had visions of six sixes in the opening over followed by early retirement and glory, tried to hit the first ball of the innings into the children’s play area, 150m behind the bowler. He succeeded only in an early dismissal and ignominy, hitting the ball straight up for a comfortable catch and an early shower.
Hamish McDougall, opening at the other end, accumulated singles well until he was undone by one that checked back a long way to take out off stump. Enter Mike Daly, determined to stake his own DOTD claim, who anchored the innings to perfection before mandatory retirement after reaching 25.
Wall, in at four, survived at least three lbw shouts before finally been given by a reluctant umpire. Pete Cooper fared little better, feathering an edge behind, and Travis was pinned dead in front without troubling the scorers. 57-5, the clouds were somehow holding off, and suddenly immortality looked a long way off.
Merilaht (in his shiny black weekend team pads) and Keightley came together and began to patiently rebuild the innings. Merilaht hit a gorgeous six/four combo, only to depart next ball, and when Haworth played around a straight one the Strollers were in deep trouble at 83-7.
Keightley also hit a wonderful six to ease some pressure, only to depart himself a few balls later as a mix-up and an incredible direct hit from the infield meant no umpiring decision was needed. 98-8. Macaulay held up an end and swung valiantly, but when he departed, the scorecard read 104-9 off 16 - and the Strollers were staring down the barrel.
21 off 24. A run a ball to win. Daly and Daly, brothers in arms, backs to the wall. The season, and a lifetime supply of DOTD points, on the line. Four runs scraped together off the 17th. 17 off 18. Six off the 18th, replete with inside edges off yorkers and one run where an unnamed Daly was so far short of his crease he wasn’t even in the postcode, let alone the picture. Still they survived. Still they battled on. 11 off 12. Drama.
The equation was down to five off seven when the unthinkable happened. Nick Daly aimed an aerial punch down the ground which would have all but sealed the match, only to watch in horror as the bowler plucked a fantastic one-handed catch out of the somehow dry sky.
Mike Daly was stranded on 39*, the Strollers’ perfect season evaporated in one piece of magic, and Khukuri abandoned all pretence of social distancing to celebrate their maiden victory. The Strollers could only acknowledge defeat and decamp to the Bricklayers to ponder what might have been.
(As always, a big thank you to the midweek match managers – Keightley, Selby, Oliver and Stubbs – for another great season!)
Capt: Alastair Macaulay. Wkt: Rob Wall.
Match fees and match report: Glen Oliver.
Hurley
Sunday August 1 at Hurley
Strollers lost by five wickets
Strollers 197
(39.3 overs; Salvesen 46, Travis 40, Waterman 22, Wall 19, Selby 18, Mangham 11, Macaulay 10)
Hurley 199-5
(37.2 overs; Cross 3-35, Travis 2-49).
The fixture at Hurley is normally a time game. Therefore the first rule of captaincy there is to win the toss and put them in. Skipper Alastair Macaulay failed in this first task and the Strollers were unsurprisingly asked to bat first.
Aidan Selby was down to keep wicket but announced that he was too hung over and immediately relinquished the gloves to Rob Wall, now reinvented as a wicketkeeper/bat. Apparently the Selbys had entertained the Olivers the previous day and Aidan was somehow compelled to drink heavily. Even when Glen isn't playing, he can nobble our players from afar.
Nonetheless Aidan was sent out to open with Blair Travis and the initial signs were promising with the score rattling along. Aidan had hit three consecutive boundaries before missing a full toss and bowled for 18 by left-armer Hamzah Zaman. He then lay down and slept for the remainder of our innings.
Wall and Travis continued to score freely until Mo Basharat hit Rob's pads full in front of the stumps. Rob was halfway back to the pavilion before the finger went up for 19. Harry Mangham looked promising but chipped Mandeep Singh to mid-off for seven.
Travis followed in similar fashion for a good-looking 40 as the score faltered on 133-4. Debutant Alex Waterman wasted no time in showing what he could do hitting consecutive boundaries off Liam Cole and with Tom Salvesen swinging in his usual manner the score started to accelerate again. Waterman eventually missed a slow full toss and was stumped for 22.
Salvesen hit an enormous six out of the ground on his way to an aggressive and valuable 46 before being caught in the deep. Ben Mangham hit a quick 11 before being caught and James Dela Rue was run out going for a risky second run as the middle order swiftly subsided.
Macaulay struck a couple of crisp boundaries but was surprised to be called through for a quick single by Simon Brodbeck. Back on his heels, Alastair was run out by a couple of yards. Simon apologised for this uncharacteristic action, and was told by the skipper that "you're not getting a deep square leg now".
The score of 197 seemed under par as it seemed likely that we would bowl over 40 overs back. Two run-outs, two missed full tosses and two chipped to mid-off told its own story of self-destruction. Selby woke up in time for tea.
Opening bowlers Salvesen and Dela Rue bowled very well without luck as the opening pair struggled to get them away barely scoring at two an over. Until Salvesen came back in the last over in a futile act of desperation from the skipper, his figures were 8-2-19-0. At the other end Dela Rue bowled with pace for similar figures of 7-2-17-0.
Travis replaced Dela Rue and immediately bowled Pat Hinnell with his first delivery. At the other end Shoaib Kayani was starting to score freely down the ground and was joined by Mubashir Nabi.
Ben Mangham bowled without luck, evading the outside edge. Travis eventually had Kayani well caught on the boundary by Harry Mangham for 69, finishing with 7-0-49-2.
Alain Cross replaced Ben and soon had Akash Singh caught with a blinder at short fine leg by Dela Rue. However Hurley bat deep and their middle order continued to score freely. Blair took two catches off Cross’s bowling to become the clear Strollers MOTM but the wickets were not falling fast enough.
Cross’s respectable figures were 6-0-35-3. Brodbeck and Harry Mangham also both bowled but could not stem the runs either. Hurley knocked off the balance at a canter with nine overs remaining of the final 20.
Capt, match fees and match report: Alastair Macaulay.
Wkt: Rob Wall.
Follies Farm
Sunday August 15 in Chiddingfold
Strollers lost by 131 runs
Follies Farm 227-3
(40 overs; Samuel 2-40, Harry Mangham 1-36)
Strollers 96
(30.4 overs; Haworth 16, Ben Mangham 14, Oliver 14).
The weather was set fair, the Strollers XI was strong on paper and against Follies Farm, a much-anticipated fixture awaited us. All was set for a great day. A treat of a ground to play on, the hosts welcoming as ever and, at last, the news we had all been waiting for - tea would be served between innings.
Arriving at the ground just as the covers were being removed and the heavy roller was being applied, I wondered if the skipper had rung ahead and requested the heavy or light. The skipper, Glen Oliver, defied his form this season and won the toss. The Strollers took to the field.
Making their Sunday debuts were Mat Haworth and Paige Copsey, a warm welcome to both. The Strollers bowling attack was spearheaded by the combination of James Dela Rue and Rob Wall, both bowling tight and probing lines. As ever, Oliver’s fielding positions were smart and almost prophetic, a silly-mid on brought in close and with the very next ball from Wall, Blair Travis almost took a sharp catch to remove the Follies skipper…almost.
Evan Samuel replaced Wall, bowling into the breeze to great effect, finally breaking the opening partnership with a vicious in-cutter. Could Ben Mangham continue the good work started by Dela Rue from the other end? In a word...no. However, debutant Haworth could.
At 20 overs, Follies had passed 100 for the loss of only one wicket. Samuel was asked to bowl through and complete his eight overs. Bowling with Haworth, they created pressure that resulted in another wicket for our canny Kiwi. Mangham Senior managed to cling onto the catch at mid-wicket.
Debutant Copsey and Mangham Junior took up the attack. Mangham at long last found his rhythm after several years absence from the game and produced an exciting six-over spell of leg spin. He finally trapped the rampant Henry Grant, caught behind off a googly (wrong’un for our southern friends) by Hamish McDougall, who had yet another fine day behind the stumps.
Copsey soon settled, and if it wasn’t for the Strollers’ continued pandemic of dropped catches, she would have marked her debut with two wickets. Follies finished their 40 overs on 227-3. Tea was taken…
Tea.
Sandwiches.
Cake.
Tea in real mugs. Another cup? Oh go on then.
Locally sourced pork from the farm we played upon.
Lashings of apple source, from the orchards that overlooked us, smothered the tender meat of happy pig clenched between slithers of delicious bread.
Some sat in silence. All with misty eyes as we feasted once again on an English cricket tea.
The second innings was short. Shorter perhaps than the tea break.
There are only two people I would like to mention in this dispatch:
The excellent James Parsons, who scalped both Manghams. One bowled, the other caught. Returning figures of 4.4-0-23-2.
And the man of the match for me, young Griffiths who ripped out the heart of the Strollers batting line-up, taking his first career fivefer. Ending on 8-0-28-5. My only grumble is that he didn’t, as is expected, buy a jug. Perhaps he will do so in five years…when he turns 18.
I am happy to say that although we chalked up yet another loss, both teams chatted and made merry standing on the porch of one of the most beautiful pavilions, styled like a chalet.
Our gracious hosts offered an extension of tea…
Platters of succulent sausage rolls.
Home reared pork, wrapped in the softest, crumbliest pastry dipped in exquisite rouge.
Could the day get any better?
Yes. A further platter arrived. Scampi with pink sauce.
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: Ben Mangham.
Ripley
Sunday August 22 in Ripley
Strollers won by 148 runs
Strollers 290-6
(40 overs; Harry Mangham 102no, Travis 60, Wood 41, Panting 25, Mike Daly 15, Ben Mangham 12no)
Ripley 142
(31 overs; Travis 3-11, Ben Mangham 3-24, Cross 1-16, Macaulay 1-44).
The Fleet Street Strollers headed south along the A3 to Ripley, looking to break their dire run of four consecutive losses (of which all except the “sort of close” loss to Hurley register as heavy defeats). Indeed, it was late June since the Strollers last tasted victory.
The village cricket ground at Ripley, sitting alongside the old two-storied clubhouse, made for a picturesque setting, with the club emblem on display proudly noting that Ripley Cricket Club was established in 1749 (this makes it one of the oldest cricket clubs in the world).
Firstly, a mention and thanks goes to the opposition who were kind enough to lend us Ripley 1st XI player, Neal Panting, which brought the Strollers to a full XI for the match.
The pitch was green and looked very inviting if one wished to have a bowl. Skipper Blair Travis lost the toss and the Strollers were batting first in a 40-over match. The slowly emerging Strollers cohort was greeted with the demoralising news. After a moment of indecision, the batting order was set with Travis and Pete Robertson emerging as the opening pair.
Ripley under-15 opening bowler S Webber rocked the Strollers top order, bowling Robertson for two and No 3 batsman Mike Daly for 15 in a tidy five-over opening spell. Travis and Peter Wood then combined in a 74-run partnership for the third wicket before Wood was dismissed in the 18th over, smacking a pull shot off his hip straight to short fine-leg.
Wood had looked set for a big score, hitting some crisp boundaries in his innings of 41, nevertheless the pair had combined to ensure the scoreboard was accumulating nicely. Travis kept up the momentum, moving to his 50 two overs later following a succession of boundaries. At the 20-over mark, the Strollers score was looking promising at 126-3.
As the teams convened for drinks, rain began to fall. Armed with local meteorological knowledge, Panting predicted light drizzle lasting for five minutes. Shortly afterwards, the drizzle turned into steady rain as the horizon darkened and with local knowledge quashed, the pitch covers were wheeled out. Talk of shortening the length of the match to 35 overs was raised, however within 15 minutes the covers were off and play resumed.
The second set of 20 overs began very much like the first. This time Ripley pace bowler Y Rehman bowling Glen Oliver for three and Travis for 60 in quick succession. Enter Mangham. Harry Mangham.
Mangham produced an exquisite innings full of true cricket shots to all parts of the ground using proper technique in scoring an undefeated 102 - 16 fours and one six - bringing up his maiden Strollers ton in the 40th over. Supporting roles were played by Panting, scoring 25 before being dismissed lbw, and Ben Mangham (aka Uncle Ben), scoring 12 not out.
Both Panting and Uncle Ben fed Mangham the bulk of the strike, such was his prodigious hitting, with Uncle Ben present towards the end of the innings to usher Mangham through to his maiden century. The Strollers finished with a score of 290-6 from 40 overs.
During the change of innings, it became apparent that Alastair Macaulay had forgotten to pack his playing whites for the match, and would be fielding in black jeans and black causal sneakers. A penny for the thoughts of onlooking cricketing purist Simon Brodbeck when he saw Macaulay take the field. Thank goodness someone had lent him a white playing shirt!
Macaulay verified later that his whites “were left neatly folded at the end of my bed”. We were also subsequently informed the black jeans were “wrecked beyond repair”. Skipper Travis could be partially to blame here for having Macaulay patrolling the short square boundary for much of the Ripley batting innings.
The Strollers fielding innings was also notable for another non-cricketing incidence. Glen Oliver was heard yelping in pain mid-over after getting a bee stuck up his trousers and being stung in the groin area. Oliver was rolling on the floor one second, and then the next second was standing up with one leg out of his trousers bearing his jockstrap, The Ripley locals looked on with beer in hand. There were a few wolf whistles heard and a few jokes made about bees being attracted to low hanging fruit (in particular, plums). Oliver soldiered on, although it remained a mystery what happened to the bee.
In the respect of the cricketing action, the Strollers score always looked beyond Ripley during the run chase, with frequent wickets restricting Ripley’s batting reply to 142-9 wickets off their 40 overs.
Debutant Richard Bing produced a fine opening five-over spell of medium-fast out-swingers and looks to be a great introduction to the Fleet Street Strollers via George Love - welcome Richard!
Peter Wood was sharp in the field, instigating two run-outs including danger man Rehman for a quickfire 17. Ben Mangham saw off three of the top five batsman in his six-over spell, whilst Travis mopped up the majority of the lower order with three wickets of his own. Alain Cross and Macaulay each grabbed one wicket apiece.
And thus the Fleet Street Strollers emerged victorious with a sought-after W, which was extra sweet following a final over loss to Ripley in season 2020. Could this be a sign of things to come? A change in fortunes, perhaps, after a horrid four-match losing streak. Were the cricketing gods about to smile favourably upon the Strollers just as the Three Counties Tour approached on the fixtures calendar?
All that was left to do post-match was to toast Harry Mangham for scoring a fine maiden ton with a few jugs of cold lager from the clubhouse which were drunk as the Strollers reminisced about the day’s action.
Capt and match report: Blair Travis. Wkt: Pete Robertson.
Match fees: Glen Oliver.
Wall
Saturday August 28 in Lichfield
Strollers won by 25 runs
Strollers 213-8
(35 overs; Oliver 100no, Travis 22, Mike Daly 17, McDougall 15, Hodgson 14, Ben Mangham 14)
Wall 188-3
(35 overs; Hodgson 1-14, Dela Rue 1-22, Ben Mangham 1-36).
The 2021 Strollers Three Counties Tour began, for most, on the morning of Saturday August 28 with the touring contingent battling packed trains and gridlocked motorways for the eagerly awaited weekend. None were more eager than Mark Fenn who, attending his first tour in nigh on 15 years, arrived in Lichfield a full 24 hours early.
Was this unprecedented early arrival a result of over-zealousness or a severe lack of logistical skills? The facts suggested the latter:
The plaintive phone call came on Friday at noon: “I’m at Lichfield Cricket Club and I’m all set. Where is our team?” It was Fenn reporting in from the wrong cricket ground on the wrong day.
There had been sundry messages on the WhatsApp that gave a clue to Fenn’s lack of organisational skills: “Where should I be?”, “Does anybody need my money?”, “Who am I?”
But that, it transpired, was not even a first for our intrepid tourist. He had appeared at Lord’s complete with hamper, champagne and straw hat for a Test match only to be informed by the amused security men that the game started the next day.
“I didn’t read Simon’s emails,” confessed our hero. “I really do need someone to guide me...”
Thankfully though, Fenn did appear again on the Saturday, this time at the correct ground. A little late, but in the right place and ready to play.
With the Strollers squad (bar Glen Oliver who was reportedly stuck on a motorway resembling a parking lot) assembled at the Friary School Ground in Litchfield, all was set for the first game of the tour against Wall CC.
With the toss negotiated between Strollers captain Blair Travis and Wall chief David Craig, all was in readiness as Mike Daly and Hamish McDougall strode to the crease under blue skies for the 35-over innings.
After a solid start from the openers, Daly and McDougall making 17 and 15 respectively, the Wall bowlers found their range. Blair Travis and Ben Mangham at first and second drop made starts but could not go on, and after the wicket of Nick Daly in the 1th over, the Strollers were ailing at 85-5.
Thankfully by this stage Oliver had finally arrived, and after completing a few laps of the outfield, he strode to the crease at No 7, joining the left-handed Fenn. After a watchful first few balls, Oliver upped the ante, dispatching the Wall bowlers to all corners.
With Oliver plundering the bowling and good support from Fenn (6) and Jim Hodgson (14), the Strollers marched to 213 from their 35 overs. Oliver completed his century in the final over, finishing 100 not out from 61 balls including six maximums. A notable mention must go to Fenn, who battled on admirably after tweaking a leg muscle early in his innings.
With the batting out of the way it was time for the main event - tea. David Craig’s wife, Rae-Ann, had prepared a wondrous feast: a vast array of sandwiches, pork pies, cobs, cakes, salad and fruit. Enough to obliterate all memories of what had, up to this point, been a tea-free season. The only problem was that the Strollers still had to complete their fielding innings!
It eventually became time for 11 satiated Strollers to take the field for their bowling innings. James Dela Rue and Nick Daly opened the bowling, keeping things tight early with Dela Rue rewarded with a wicket in his fourth over.
Hodgson and Mangham came on first and second change and kept the pressure on Wall, who were already up against a daunting required run rate. Hodgson and Mangham took one wicket each, Hodgson dismissing the impressive Tommy Hatton for 68 in the final over. Alastair Macaulay and Paige Copsey also completed tidy spells and were unlucky not to snare wickets.
Fenn, completing a remarkable comeback from a leg injury sustained while batting, also got an over in. In promising signs, youngster Finlay Perrin (playing for Wall for the day to make up the numbers) made an assured 39 not out against the Strollers attack.
In the end though, the magnificent century from Oliver proved the difference between the sides. The Strollers' 213 proved too challenging for Wall, who finished on 188-3 off their 35 overs.
The win made it two in a row for the Strollers following the win at Ripley the previous Sunday, both under Travis’s captaincy. This achievement hopefully eased some of the pain felt by Blair that evening after he was sconed in the knee during the Strollers fielding innings.
At the close of play David Craig produced the new Patston-Edwards Trophy which will now be played for between the two sides. It stands in memory of Peter Patston, a founding father of the Strollers, and Ray Edwards, a stalwart at Wall for many years. David paid a touching tribute to them both.
Following the festivities, and the Strollers cleaning up the leftover tea, it was time for a quick pint or two at The Wellington pub and then onwards to The Riverside Hotel in Branston. Tom Wood and Evan Samuel joined the party after doing battle on a nearby golf course. Wood took out his long driver when he attacked the wine order at Pascal’s in the evening.
Capt: Blair Travis. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: James Dela Rue.
Stanton by Dale
Sunday August 29 at Stanton
Strollers won by 117 runs
Strollers 243-5
(35 overs; Oliver 101no, McDougall 71, Mike Daly 24, Travis 20)
Stanton by Dale 126-8
(35 overs; Ben Mangham 3-19, Nick Daly 2-25, Fenn 1-8, Travis 1-15).
Just after 4am your match reporter awoke to find his hotel room awash, with clothing and cricket equipment bobbing around a submerged floor. A running bathroom tap was identified as the source. As Samuel Taylor Coleridge might have put it: ‘water water everywhere; it was coming from the sink!’
By breakfast the incident was already an albatross around the neck of a sodden McDougall, causing distress for him and much mirth for the rest of the touring party. Most delighted was Mark Fenn, who had clearly lost his status as the most lampooned tourist, following his wrong day/ground/touring region exploits on the Thursday.
After plentiful beroccas and painkillers over breakfast, and riverbank strolls to clear heads, attentions turned to the bucolic delights of Stanton-by-Dale. It was sheer pleasure to be back at a fixture not played since 2019 and first played in 1979. Old friends were reunited, fist pumps and some warm but tentative hugs were exchanged, and the reminiscences flowed.
Skipper Glen Oliver’s reputation as a poor tosser proceeded him as his opposite number (already in his wicketkeeping gear,) suggested it was a fait accompli that the Strollers should bat first. And so it was. To the amazement of many, not least themselves, brothers Mike and Nick Daly were asked to open the batting. Mike looked in particularly good form, hitting five impressive boundaries in the first two overs. Alas it was not to last, as both were undone by some good movement by the Stanton opening bowlers and in Nick’s case, a superb catch at slip.
McDougall squelched to the wicket at first drop and was soon joined by Blair Travis. They set about building the score at a good clip, with memories of several large Stanton run chases spurring them on. Travis was out stumped for 20, bringing the form man Oliver to the crease. It did not take him long to target the short straight boundaries, hitting six sixes in a 49-ball hundred, a second century in consecutive days. One flat hit to long-off went perilously close to partner Steph, who was already laid up with a ruptured Achilles Heel, moon boot and all. This was much to Glen’s amusement, but Steph was less pleased. She was heard to exclaim: ‘I’m calling a lawyer.’
At the other end McDougall was mostly happy to turn over the strike to a rampant Oliver. The former’s 50 was greeted with a cacophony of water puns from the sidelines, including ‘open the floodgates Hamish!’ and ‘you’ve turned the tide!’ One can only hope the new nickname of Wadi will not stick.
Brian Taylor’s arrival at the bowling crease was eventful. Several huge Oliver hits were interspersed with dropped catches and a missed stumping. It was McDougall who eventually succumbed, caught at extra cover for 71. He joins a select group of Strollers dismissed by Taylor over the years, including Tom Wood and Tom Salvesen. This time there was no jig from Brian, although the outgoing batter did give him a celebratory embrace as he walked off.
Perhaps seduced by the large third-wicket partnership, or more likely distracted by the huge array of cakes, pastries and sandwiches being assembled for the tea break, the Strollers middle order were unprepared for the fall of wickets. After Oliver retired at his century and Fenn fell cheaply, Ben Mangham was still in his shorts. Being a Sunday friendly, there was no appeal for timed out. This is lucky because several minutes elapsed before Ben finally donned his gear and made the crease, all the while cursing Fenn’s batting ineptitude.
Of course, the tea was first class. Many thanks must go to Tricia Taylor, assisted by Steph and Marie. It is a cliché to say that you do not truly appreciate something until it is gone. In this case, it seems the appreciation is greater when things return.
243 from 35 overs was a very good score, but the Strollers knew it was not a forgone conclusion. Luckily Jim Hodgson was his usual metronomic self with the new ball, and James Dela Rue extracted good away movement. The Stanton batters struggled to get the run rate moving and lost intermittent wickets. Despite looking somewhat stiff and sore, Mangham was the most successful bowler, taking 3-19 including a couple of nicks behind the wicket. He was ably supported by Nick Daly, who picked up 2-26.
Finlay Perrin and Nick Daly were the pick of the fielders, showing much enthusiasm in long sprints across the outfield. This was fortunate, as the motivation levels of some others were not quite so high.
In the end the Tranter Cup was comfortably retained by the Fleet Street Strollers. There were customary speeches, team photographs and golden ales in the setting sun at the Stanhope Arms. Dinner was a convivial affair at The Bridge Inn, although a somewhat jaded touring party were all in bed by midnight. Thankfully there were no water induced traumas to come.
And so, we return to Coleridge for the last words:
The Rime of the Ancient Wicketkeeper
It is an ancient wicketkeeper
He stoppeth one of three
With widening belly and plentiful byes
He moves much like a tree
He holds catches with his battered hands
‘There was an edge,’ quoth he.
How many dismissals does thoust have?
More than Mike Morgan, by gee.
He stumps ‘em with his glittering eye —
The batter out the crease still,
And appeals like a three years' child:
The ‘keeper hath his will.
'The win was cheered, the pitched cleared,
Merrily did we stroll
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the M6 toll.
The Sun went down upon the left,
Towards the pub came he!
And he shone bright, and on the night
The restaurant was a drinking spree.
The hotel’s doors are opened wide
The Strollers move within
The guests are met, the menu set
May’st hear the merry din
The bride hath paced into the hall,
Red as a rose is she;
But the wedding was not that of the Royal Hotel’s
Merry minstrelsy.
Some Strollers they did beat their breasts,
We cannot choose but hear;
The tale of that ancient man,
The stiff legged wicketkeeper.
Day after day, day after day, he kept wicket with devotion
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water water everywhere, and Hamish was asleep!
Water water everywhere…..
You know the rest…
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt and match report: Hamish McDougall.
Sutton on the Hill
Monday August 30 at Sutton
Strollers won by seven wickets
Sutton on the Hill 205-4 dec
(37 overs; Salvesen 3-15, Taylor 1-30)
Strollers 209-3
(33.5 overs; Travis 89, Oliver 77no, McDougall 18, Perrin 11).
The weather was overcast, in contrast to the elated mood of the happy tourists, seeking a third consecutive tour victory. Everything was in place: Hamish McDougall had dried out, Mark Fenn had arrived at Sutton’s pretty ground and M&S sandwiches had been bought to sustain the drive to a hat-trick of wins.
Wily leader Alastair Macaulay passed up on the chance to bat first – the usual custom. He inserted the opposition. No traditionalist he.
When the game began Tom Salvesen was on fire, taking the first three wickets, ably supported by Jim Hodgson’s nagging length. Then the opening bowlers were replaced by Paige Copsey and Brian Taylor.
Paige was unlucky to see the skipper drop a catch off her bowling, denying her a first Strollers wicket. Meanwhile, Brian embarked on a lengthy seven-over spell trying to contain the big-hitting Nigel Harding. Hamish, whilst keeping wicket to the left-armed spinner, was able to improve his knowledge of how to face such bowling; it had troubled him the previous day.
Sutton recovered well. Tom Hardy hit a strong 78 not out with 12 fours and one six which nestled nicely under a greenwood tree, far from the madding crowd. At the other end, Harding smote 81 off 49 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes, although he survived a dropping off Fenn’s bowling.
Sutton’s total was a good score, on a level if slow wicket. One interesting (discuss?) statistic was that Salvesen had a hand in each of the four wickets that fell, with one catch to add to the three wickets he took with his bowling. How would the Strollers respond?
Blair Travis and McDougall opened the innings. They set off at a good pace, putting on 43 in six overs before Hamish was bowled by Harding Junior (who, with Rob Martindale, forms a youthful and promising speedy opening bowling partnership).
Fin Perrin, the Strollers youth policy, started well, until he was caught and bowled from Martindale’s deceptive slower ball. In strode Glen Oliver who proceeded to put Sutton’s bowlers to the sword. He put on 118 with Blair, who was going nicely at the other end until bowled for 89, with 13 fours. Thus it fell to Jeff Ball to escort Glen to the finishing line, with a well-placed single contrasting with the brutality at the other end.
414 runs for seven wickets. It’s a batsman’s game.
So ended a successful tour, brilliantly marshalled by Alastair and Simon. All that was required was a parting drink at The Holly Bush with our Sutton friends and a safe journey home.
Capt: Alastair Macaulay. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: Brian Taylor.
The Lee
Sunday September 5 at The Lee
Strollers won by 25 runs
Strollers 230-8
(40 overs; Oliver 57, Wall 47, Wood 41, McDougall 26. Hodgson 25no, Love 17)
The Lee 205-9
(40 overs; Wall 3-33, Love 2-4, Hodgson 1-6, Wood 1-20, Dorrans 1-24, Dela Rue 1-44)
"Strollers won by 25 runs" states the neat handwritten script in the notes and general remarks box of the score book. In life more so in cricket: neat numerical conclusions mask more delicate and balanced truths.
As the Strollers made their way through the ridges and valleys of the Chilterns they passed under the watchful wooden eye of Admiral Lord Howe. Long retired from his duties as First Sea Lord, Lord Howe found permanent anchor in the form of a ship's figurehead at the entrance to the country house constructed for Sir Arthur Liberty, founder of the Liberty department store.
Fresh from review by the Royal Navy, steady sun and clear blue skies greeted the assembling Strollers at what is surely one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in England: The Lee. The first game of cricket was played on the Lee Manor Park Ground in 1875. The yellowing leaves on the oaks and the gathering and lengthening shadows of autumn however are the only markers of time here.
A 40-over fixture was agreed. Strollers to bat. Skipper Glen Oliver's decision to do so was justified by a combative and entertaining start by Messrs. Hamish McDougall and George Love. McDougall began with brash authority, sending the first three deliveries searing to the cover boundary. Love, too, looked confident and in control at the crease. Moving easily from front and back foot, and with increasing elegance, Love looked a man on the make as he rotated the strike and found the gaps. Runs flowed and the Strollers bowlers looked happily toward their Sunday papers and made an early move on their pre-packed lunches.
All change. McDougall undone by an excellent delivery; lbw for 26. Love, bowled for 17 following a clever field change which encouraged his eyes skyward. Rob Wall and skipper Oliver provided much needed substance to the Strollers innings, with a well-made 47 and 57 respectively. Wall's innings was notable for its punches and pushes through the field; a pugilistic innings but not without style and grace.
Jim Hodgson later laid waste to the encircling blackberry bushes beyond the boundary on his way to an attractive 25 not out. Hodgson's flourishes thankfully did not discourage the determined blackberry harvesting then underway by Tricia Taylor and Jo Perrin.
A respectable if not unsurmountable total of 230-8 was set for a strong Lee side. They began the run chase forcefully, with Robert May, Mike Harris, and Sam Harris making good starts.
James Dela Rue, despite suffering the effects of the events of the previous evening (all of which escaped precise explanation) bowled a sublime spell, removing May for 15. Love too bowled with energy and élan, removing Sam Harris.
Peter Wood bowled with his customary accuracy, skill, and flair, only matched on this occasion by that of the batsman. Paul Dorrans was the grateful beneficiary of Wood's hard work: collecting a wicket with possibly his only legitimate delivery of the day – Jon Swain caught Wood (life is unkind, is it not) for 14.
As your correspondent looks back on this fixture and examines the various inflection points, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the dismissal of Swain was a turning point.
From there, Wall, perhaps encouraged by the assembled audience of jersey cows near the third man boundary, roared into life dismissing Andrew Knott, Robert Horn and York Woodford-Smith in quick succession. Wood, by now at peace with gifting Dorrans an undeserved wicket earlier in the day, removed the energetic and accomplished Harry Rice who until that point had batted with skill and determination.
After some tense final overs which saw The Lee’s Ed Boakes finishing unbeaten with a splendid 59 not out (seven fours and a six), the match drew to a close with the hosts 26 runs short of their target.
Then, as the kestrel and sparrowhawks skimmed the oaks and the first blackberries of autumn were eaten, the Strollers and The Lee shook hands and retired for a welcome pint by the pavilion to reflect on what had been a very fine fixture played in excellent spirit.
Capt and match fees: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match report: Paul Dorrans.
Marlow Park
Sunday September 12 in Marlow
Strollers won by seven wickets
Marlow Park 175
(31.4 overs; Macaulay 4-26, Calvocoressi 2-27, Hodgson 2-28, Peter Wood 1-20, Love 1-36)
Strollers 177-3
(28.4 overs; Oliver 88, Travis 28, Wall 19no, Wood 16no, McDougall 11)
A bright, warm but slightly humid and cloudy September day welcomed the Strollers to what proved to be their last match of the 2021 English season. We also witnessed what may be Hamish McDougall’s last match – as he plans to return to Fortress New Zealand in December, subject to being able to secure isolation accommodation for the 2021-22 cricket season. His record, and commitment to, the Strollers has been fantastic both for his batting and most notably for overcoming Mike Morgan’s record for dismissals behind the stumps.
Marlow Park is a wonderful setting for a game of cricket and the large crowds that assembled (v. ‘grouped together whilst wandering by’) to watch our match certainly helped to create the impression of a fine sporting occasion. Possibly the occasion was not such a significant news story as the delightful Emma Raducanu winning the US Open in New York, the fine competitive spirit that pervaded the Strollers golf day at Hersham two days before or Cristiano Ronaldo scoring on his return to Manchester United, but it was definitely more in the spirit of an English summer than the cancelled (postponed for a year?) fifth Test at Headingly.
Skipper Peter Wood had clearly been affected by his day at Hersham and duly lost the toss and was invited by Marlow’s South African accented team to bowl on a pitch that looked dry and an outfield that looked flat, but only from a distance. It was clear from the start that the Marlow batsmen liked the ball to reach the boundary as they reached 26 without loss after only three overs. A delightful slower ball from George Love arrived some time after the bat had swung through to take the first Marlow wicket of the day.
The run rate continued above five an over, with the Strollers finding that the outfield did have some interesting bounce which added a certain challenge to fielding, particularly as Marlow’s opener dispatched anything loose towards the boundary with some energy. So the skipper came up with his second inspired decision of the day, and his second over resulted in a fine catch being held by Love at mid-on to remove the dangerous opener who had scored 45 (two sixes, six fours) out of 76 in 12 overs.
Inspiration number three and Jim Hodgson came on and quickly struck by removing the off-bail. Inspirations four, five and six came with Alastair Macaulay’s deliberate loft (following practice on the range at Heysham). To be fair, the Marlow middle order joined in the game, first hooking a drive to land with pinpoint precision on top of Rob Wall on the midwicket boundary, then Tom Salvesen was moved in to take a short backspinning chip that had been intended to go in the same direction, before immediately being sent back out to the square boundary to take a four wood that came straight at him next ball.
England and the Strollers have both long memories of middle order collapses. Certainly this game now felt somewhat different, with the scoreboard reporting that Marlow were 122-6 after 22 overs with two new batsmen at the crease, one of whom was soon to be dismissed by Hodgson’s nagging accuracy.
In came Marlow’s debutant No 10 to watch Inspiration 7 (George Calvocoressi) encourage his partner to fire one straight at mid-on, who felt quite unable to get out of the way. Marlow’s debutant fired six fours and a six as his opening scoring shots and in the process reminded the Strollers of how the game had begun and added respectability to his team’s scoresheet.
His partner, watching this and keen to join in, stretched too far down the track and missed one, enabling McDougall to add to his tally of stumpings. And so, with only 32 overs bowled, another Strollers catch ended the Marlow innings with a respectable but probably below par 175 on the board.
In normal times, the break between innings is when the teams partake in cups of tea, the odd sandwich and maybe a piece of cake. On my last visit to Marlow, this had a distinct twist of the curry variety. On this occasion a few cups of amber liquid were seen and Mr Calvocoressi invited us all to dinner: roast chicken (home cooked), dipping sauce, tomatoes, cucumber and fine bakery bread. He definitely needs to be much higher up on the selectors’ list!
The ever dependable pairing of McDougall and Blair Travis opened the Strollers response, and looked very comfortable until a rare mix-up resulted in a run-out. Travis and Glen Oliver continued to build the score, with a steady stream of singles and fours and hardly a single noteworthy chance offered, until the extended stretch of Travis was adjudged to have got his box low enough for him to be lbw, bringing Wood to the middle. At the other end, Oliver had his eye in and was now hitting a steady stream of fours and even running a few twos – would he follow up his recent touring successes with another ton?
Unfortunately not. The method of dismissal may be considered unorthodox, but a short-pitched ball outside leg caught the glove and was excitedly taken by the Marlow keeper with Oliver needing just 12 runs and the Strollers 23.
So Wall came out to finish the job, scoring 19 of the deficit in short order and concluding the game in just over 60 overs. Another sporting season over for the Strollers with the last two fixtures cancelled. Plans were made to recruit another front line batsman or two and maybe another wicketkeeper for next season and then it was time to get home to see another changing of the guard in New York as a new (male) winner took the Open in straight sets.
Capt: Peter Wood. Wkt: Hamish McDougall.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: Tom Salvesen.
Pinkneys Green
Sunday September 26 at Pinkneys Green
Match cancelled
Concorde could not raise a side on September 19 and the usual end-of-season jubilee on September 26 did not happen because Pinkneys Green had to bring forward their winter ground preparations.
So the 2021 season ended as something of an anticlimax. But it was a summer of golden runs, abject defeats, young shoots of hope...and late-season sadness.
The campaign began at Bottom Paddock in darkest New Zealand back in February when the side contrived to snatch defeat from seemingly certain victory in true Strollers fashion. As a consequence, match manager Pies Ovenden, who brought along his own chemical loo because of a dodgy stomach, ruthlessly axed skipper James Timperley.
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Rob Wall expertly masterminded the club’s Zoom annual dinner with Strollers checking in from around the globe and Mike Pittams reported from his New York penthouse on the deceleration of batsman Wall and tried to answer the conundrum of “Where’s Jono”. Mr Addis, it should be recorded, is now back in New Zealand with his family after months of lockdown torment and isolation.
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The domestic season got under way with a thumping defeat at Great Missenden. Passengers with masks were picked up from distant railway stations; pavilions were out of bounds; players had to bring their own tea. The Strollers, unfortunately, failed to bring their A game and subsided gently.
A Peter Wood century lit up the Ibstone skyline as did a promising innings by the club’s youth policy. Finlay Perrin looked the part.
The Demijohns brushed us aside as Ross Haines, Oxford blue and graduate of the University of Otago (how did our Kiwi recruitment department miss him?), stroked a century of the highest class.
Despite a brace of 97s (by Hamish McDougall and Mike Loan) at Jordans Taverners, the Strollers were blown away by Charlie Yolland’s 148 to lose a high scoring game.
Against Sutton the Strollers ventured to Cheam amid glowering skies and light rain. Only for the clouds to roll away to allow a victory – with Simon Brodbeck taking 5-8, much to his own amazement. It was his first five-wicket haul since taking 5-45 against the Demijohns on Sept 21, 2013. Alastair Macaulay chalked up his 400th appearance since his debut in 1993.
On the midweek front, Khukuri were narrowly disposed of thanks to Tom Drury, who, according to match reporter Mitch Alley:
“Continued some fine hitting making it to 24 then deciding he wanted to become a unicorn. A nasty top edge squared him between the eyes and raised a lump which ensured vivid flashbacks of a Pittams snapchat - what an equine thoroughbred of a build and physique he has. The knock was as magical as a unicorn on that pitch and a great innings had come to an end, retired hurt.”
Chris Locke and his Bricklayers were undone with the help of newcomer Tom Merilaht; see: https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/thomas-merilaht-17973.)
Commons Old Boys were voted out with two balls to spare while Alain Cross saw us home against Hackney Village.
On the lovely Bray ground Simon Brodbeck (0 not out) ran out of partners in a last-wicket stand of 44 as Glen Oliver (88) carelessly left us short by 116 runs.
At Warfield Evan Samuel made his long awaited return to action. Match reporter Samuel said:
“Making his comeback four years after being marmalised and traumatised by Bala at Chateau des Ormes, your correspondent and his new knees managed five overs (0-10) without breaking anything, so that was ok. Coincidentally, my last comeback was also at Warfield after a previous game on tour, we also won - and in both games the winning runs came from four byes.”
In Sussex Sam Brodbeck made his only appearance of the season – West Chiltington, it should be pointed out, is within reach of his new abode in Brighton. He looked as though he had never been away, stroking 37 in a first-wicket stand of 71 with new opener George Love. But then it all went pear-shaped after Aidan Selby was run out and the Marshall Cup went to West Chilt by a 26-run margin. But the fact that 11 players got there from distant parts was a miracle in itself. As match reporter Sam said:
“Captain Scott’s doomed journey to the South Pole, Frodo’s march to Mount Doom, Odysseus’s return to Ithaca. All pale into comparison to the Fleet Street Strollers’ own epic quest to reach Thakeham.
It is just 45 miles as the crow flies from Alastair Macaulay’s penthouse in Brixton to the West Sussex hamlet, yet the journey took a shade under 45 hours as Sunday timetables, cancellations and day trippers headed for the South Coast conspired to delay the Strollers’ oldest fixture.
Aidan Selby’s 154-mile round trip was topped only by Rory Wood, who not only travelled 160 miles on the day but took the little step of flying 5,400 miles from Kathmandu, Nepal – all to make his first appearance since 2019.”
And so to Peppard where the White family and Finlay Perrin showed the benefits of the Strollers youth policy. But it was not all about youth as the ageless Jim Hodgson celebrated his 300th game for the Strollers.
Hodgson told the awaiting Press: “It feels like only yesterday when I walked out with the Strollers for the first time at Taplow in 1997, and I’ve enjoyed every year of Strolling since.” Statistics guru Maggie Patston revealed that Jim had a handy debut – he opened the bowling and returned figures of 12-5-17-5. He was invited back.
But then the season took a decided turn for the worst. At Prestcold we were all out for 43 and it had match reporter Selby (top scorer with 18) scrabbling through the record books. For those who study such things, it equalled our 43 v Petersham in 1977 and the 43-9 against Seal St Lawrence in 1998.
The defeats went on – at Tadworth (where Charlotte Stubbs made a highly impressive debut) and Hurley (where Selby slept for most of the afternoon and Simon Brodbeck acquired a hernia, putting him out for the season). Follies Farm demolished us; but Paige Copsey made her first start and but for a pandemic of dropped catches, would have marked her debut with two wickets.
Despite the taste of defeat, match reporter Ben Mangham salivated over the return of the traditional English tea:
Tea.
Sandwiches.
Cake.
Tea in real mugs. Another cup? Oh go on then.
Locally sourced pork from the farm we played upon.
Lashings of apple source, from the orchards that overlooked us, smothered the tender meat of happy pig clenched between slithers of delicious bread.
Some sat in silence. All with misty eyes as we feasted once again on an English cricket tea.
Perhaps it was the restorative effect of that Follies refreshment , but the following week the tide began to turn. At Ripley young Harry Mangham (nephew of Ben) scored his first century in any form of cricket. And what a joy it was. Reporter Blair Travis said:
“Mangham produced an exquisite innings full of true cricket shots to all parts of the ground using proper technique in scoring an undefeated 102 - 16 fours and one six - bringing up his maiden Strollers ton in the 40th over. Supporting roles were played by Neal Panting, scoring 25 before being dismissed lbw, and Ben Mangham (aka Uncle Ben), scoring 12 not out.”
Meanwhile, the Midweek juggernaut had proceeded without defeat with LJ Clark abandoned and Westminster outvoted thanks to the Stubbs family with Charlotte taking 2-6, Richie 2-21 and James 1-22.
The Bricklayers fell again with Russell Kyne seeing us home from the last ball. The Ministry of Justice were sentenced to defeat by Oliver’s 45 not out. Hackney Village went the same way as match reporter Alain Cross modestly concluded:
“With a moussaka at home getting cold, and a Greek salad getting warm, Cross decided to pull the wayward delivery for four runs and see to it that the Strollers kept up their 100% winning record, with four overs to spare. Never in doubt.”
The Strollers went into their final midweek match against Khukuri with a proud record to keep intact: No defeats since Commons Old Boys had the better of us on June 6, 2019.
Match reporter Oliver recounted:
“Perfection is the ultimate goal of any sports team, and the FSSCC midweek class of ’21 were one game from winning every completed match. News of the Juggernaut’s success had spread across the globe, and there were rumours that Mike Pittams (having rudely absconded to New York) had made frantic calls to the selectors to make himself available.”
Such was the agony of the closing stages that Oliver’s tear-stained words bear repeating:
"21 off 24. A run a ball to win. Daly and Daly, brothers in arms, backs to the wall. The season, and a lifetime supply of DOTD points, on the line. Four runs scraped together off the 17th. 17 off 18. Six off the 18th, replete with inside edges off yorkers and one run where an unnamed Daly was so far short of his crease he wasn’t even in the postcode, let alone the picture. Still they survived. Still they battled on. 11 off 12. Drama.
The equation was down to five off seven when the unthinkable happened. Nick Daly aimed an aerial punch down the ground which would have all but sealed the match, only to watch in horror as the bowler plucked a fantastic one-handed catch out of the somehow dry sky.
Mike Daly was stranded on 39*, the Strollers’ perfect season evaporated in one piece of magic, and Khukuri abandoned all pretence of social distancing to celebrate their maiden victory. The Strollers could only acknowledge defeat and decamp to the Bricklayers to ponder what might have been."
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*The Ripley game was notable for two incidents: the bee and the black...
Reporter Blair Travis could scarcely believe his eyes:
“During the change of innings, it became apparent that Alastair Macaulay had forgotten to pack his playing whites for the match, and would be fielding in black jeans and black causal sneakers. A penny for the thoughts of onlooking cricketing purist Simon Brodbeck when he saw Macaulay take the field. Thank goodness someone had lent him a white playing shirt!
Macaulay verified later that his whites “were left neatly folded at the end of my bed”. We were also subsequently informed the black jeans were “wrecked beyond repair”. Skipper Travis could be partially to blame here for having Macaulay patrolling the short square boundary for much of the Ripley batting innings.”
The Strollers Ethics Committee took a dim view of the incident. And announced that five points would be deducted from Tottenham Hotspur’s tally. “Embarrassing, shambolic and shameful,” said a dejected Nuno Espirito Santo. “We were pants.”
After that breach of etiquette the Strollers fielding innings was also notable for another non-cricketing incident: An unexpected item in the bagging area.
“Glen Oliver was heard yelping in pain mid-over after getting a bee stuck up his trousers and being stung in the groin area. Oliver was rolling on the floor one second, and then the next second was standing up with one leg out of his trousers bearing his jockstrap, The Ripley locals looked on with beer in hand. There were a few wolf whistles heard and a few jokes made about bees being attracted to low hanging fruit (in particular, plums). Oliver soldiered on, although it remained a mystery what happened to the bee.”
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So the midweek campaign ended in tears, but Oliver set off for the Three Counties Tour resolving to put the heartache behind him. And he did it in memorable style.
With the weather set fair it was an Oliver blitzkrieg as scores of 100 not out v Wall, 101 not out v Stanton by Dale and 77 not out against Sutton on the Hill brought three victories on the bounce. With Paige Copsey making her touring debut and club president Maggie Patston at her scoring post, it was a glorious weekend as our hospitable hosts laid on a wonderful welcome. At Wall David Craig unveiled the Patston-Edwards Trophy, which will now be contested for by the two clubs.
Amid the torrent of runs, the Riverside Hotel in Branston was the victim of another flood. Let contrite reporter Hamish McDougall explain:
“Just after 4am your match reporter awoke to find his hotel room awash, with clothing and cricket equipment bobbing around a submerged floor. A running bathroom tap was identified as the source. As Samuel Taylor Coleridge might have put it: ‘water water everywhere; it was coming from the sink!’
By breakfast the incident was already an albatross around the neck of a sodden McDougall, causing distress for him and much mirth for the rest of the touring party. Most delighted was Mark Fenn, who had clearly lost his status as the most lampooned tourist, following his wrong day/ground/touring region exploits on the Thursday.”
[Fenn arrived at the wrong ground on the wrong day before being reunited with his touring colleagues the following day at Wall. “I didn’t read the emails,” explained the hapless Fenn. “I need someone to organise me.”]
On the field, the feelgood factor continued after the bank holiday weekend. Rob Wall (with 47 and 3-33) oversaw victory over The Lee before the trip to Marlow Park, which turned out (because of cancellations by Concorde and Pinkneys Green) to be the final game of the season.
Alastair Macaulay’s 4-28 and Oliver’s continuing good form (88) gave us victory but the day was significant for being Hamish McDougall’s final UK appearance [that is, until he and Laura return for another stint in the Old Country].
Match reporter Tom Salvesen wrote:
"A bright, warm but slightly humid and cloudy September day welcomed the Strollers to what proved to be their last match of the 2021 English season. We also witnessed what may be Hamish McDougall’s last match – as he plans to return to Fortress New Zealand in December, subject to being able to secure isolation accommodation for the 2021-22 cricket season. His record, and commitment to, the Strollers has been fantastic both for his batting and most notably for overcoming Mike Morgan’s record for dismissals behind the stumps."
Hamish arrived in 2007. He has made 224 appearances; scored 6153 runs (just behind Tom Wood; but ahead of Jono Addis) at an average of 34.76. And claimed the little matter of 205 victims (89 stumped) to make him the most successful Strollers keeper in history.
The fierce appeals, the teapots, the backfoot slashes behind square, the lightning stumpings, the dogged resistance: it all came as a key part of the Strollers tapestry. Thanks for your company; it’s been a pleasure to have you along. Don’t forget to come back...
But while Hamish departs with all our best wishes, the most sorrowful departure from the club came in early September when our dear friend Ivor Fiala died at the age of 79.
Ivor played at Tadworth on July 18 after a two-year absence because of sheltering from Covid. That appearance was his 553rd and final game for the club.
Ivor and I first met when the Evening News played a game against the advertising department in 1978. Ivor was there, presumably representing Haymarket Advertising. We got talking after the match and the next week he played his first match for the Strollers.
The statistics are interesting: In his only innings of 1978 he scored 32; in 1980 his highest score was 35; in 1989 33 not out. He was most proud of his 104 not outs and his 87 catches in the gully.
But the figures, of course, are not important. Through 43 years Ivor was a much-loved and important member of the club – always encouraging of others, always enthusiastic and always willing to do the many jobs that always need doing.
He was cheerful; welcoming of new arrivals; and always had a word for the wives and camp followers around the boundary edge. He was the perfect tourist: uncomplaining on the field and relishing the after-match celebrations and festivities. There is many a French bistro (and Saumur nightclub) that will remember the smiling Englishman with a glass of red in his hand. And many wedding receptions (in the hotels where we stayed on our trips) who will recall the unknown carouser who joined in their party.
Milan Ivor Fiala was part of us for 43 years
Captain, treasurer, gully supreme
With a jaunty cap that looked like no other
And a battered blade ready to carve yet another not out.
The Strollers poet laureate had a verse
At the ready for every occasion,
A quiz to tease the dinner guests and
A red wine to toast good fellowship.
Let us raise a glass -
Farewell Sir Ivor: A good man and a fine Stroller.
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All corrections and additions to match reporter Simon Brodbeck please.
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