Royal Ascot
Sunday May 5 at Ascot Strollers won by 62 runs Strollers 197-6
(40 overs; Travis 50no, Smith 36, Mangham 27, Oliver 16no, Dela Rue 14no
Royal Ascot 135-9
(40 overs; Mangham 2-24, Rogers 1-4, Smith 1-5, Hodgson 1-6, Dela Rue 1-10, Brodbeck 1-13, Macaulay 1-14, Travis 1-14). After two
cancellations, and rain in the forecast, Strollers were understandably nervous
in the run-up to the match at Royal Ascot. Updates from Reading, High Wycombe
and South London during the week on the WhatsApp were balanced by quiet
confidence from Hampstead Garden Suburb. Even in the dressing room, there was
detailed discussions of favourite weather apps ranging from the Met Office to
Norway (yr.no).
Many
Strollers were getting their excuses in early for under-performance in the
first match of the season - age, missing internal organs, lack of nets, too
much golf, not enough golf, inflexible knees etc. A new scorer's bag has
replaced the old one, a victim of cat's pee. We are still not sure if Simon
Brodbeck's Stroller cap suffered the same fate, as he took the field in a blue
cap to match his hipster Nikes. At least it wasn't on backwards.
Royal Ascot had
primed us that they were quite weak, though as it turned out, their team was
made up of their Thirds desperate for a game and a few more-than-competent
teenagers. A 40-over match was agreed with a retire-at-50 rule. For most this
would be aspirational.
Skipper Glen
"one job" Oliver put himself down as a non-bowling No 9 and
duly lost the toss. We were put in on a green wicket that looked like it
might do a little. Even Glen's missing appendix might have fancied a bowl.
Blair Travis
and Pete Robertson were naturally circumspect against tight bowling and some
variable bounce from Raphael Bocchio and Omair Sheikh. Robertson heaved at
Bocchio and was bowled for seven. Blair seemed to be quite agitated at the
incompetence from the scorer's table when he was on 13, but it turned out that
it was his 2000th run for the Strollers (av 43.2). Steve Rogers was also bowled
by Bocchio for six.
Rowan Smith and
Blair steadied the ship and Rowan in particular started to push the score along
with a string of boundaries. After 20 overs the score was a healthy 93-2.
After drinks,
Rowan played round a delivery from young spinner Yeshas Vijay who was bowling
in tandem with his marginally older brother, Vishay. Ben Mangham took an aggressive
approach from the off as Blair made it to a well-earned 50 and retirement.
Two sixes off
the older Vijay in the same over were the highlight of Ben's innings (the only
sixes of the match). Ben and Evan Samuel (a last-minute volunteer from the golf
course) gave a masterclass in the well-judged single and reluctant two before
Evan departed caught off the younger Vijay. Ben was also bowled by Tom Clarke
for a breezy 27. Jim Hodgson and James Dela Rue kept the momentum going until
Jim was caught at cover for nine. James and Oliver added a quick 30 in the
last four overs as the Stollers finished on 197-6.
A quick
turnaround of innings was thwarted by a rain shower but on the resumption, both
Dela Rue and Smith proved to be a real handful, missing the bat multiple times.
They took a wicket each but could have had more. After 10 overs Ascot were 18-2,
slipping behind the run rate. Rowan took 1-5 off his five overs and James 1-10.
Mangham then
had opener Will Osgood caught at mid-off by Glen and Steve Rogers had the
impetuous Ashwin Vasudevan lbw sweeping and missing (the latter played for us
last year in similar style). Four down and the game looked to be slipping away
from Ascot.
However, the No
6 was Clarke, who has scored heavily against us in the past. But before he
could get going, Ben bowled him for two. Ben's cry of triumph would have
startled the horses on raceday. His explanation was that Clarke had bowled him
and revenge could not wait to get cold. Ben ended with 2-24.
After that, the
game petered out as victory seemed inevitable, Glen rang the changes on the
bowling. Alastair Macaulay lured Sadiq Khan to hole out to Dela Rue at cover
and did not bowl down the legside at all in his five overs, a bit of a result
given his desultory net practice. The same fielder then dropped a simple catch
off Brodbeck - a drop that may be referred to throughout the season. Travis then
took a steepler off Simon - justice restored.
Hodgson and
Travis also took wickets, both caught behind Robertson, a tall man and not
one of life's natural wicketkeepers. He volunteered to keep and got his first
two victims for the Strollers. The match ran its course of 40 overs as a net
session for the Nos 9 and 11. Samuel was the only bowler to miss out and was
probably unlucky as fielding standards dropped to comical levels of
incompetence in the last few overs.
The Strollers
won by 62 runs. Both sides were happy to escape the rain and get a match on and
ease into the season.
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Pete Robertson.
Match fees: Simon Brodbeck. Match report: Alastair Macaulay.
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