Bottom Paddock
Sunday February 4 near Masterton in the Wairarapa Valley Strollers won by 112 runs Strollers 231-7
(35 overs; Wyatt 41ret, Timperley 40ret, Scanlon 32, Ovenden 30no, Swan 25, McDougall 20no, Thomas 12)
Bottom Paddock 119
(23.1 overs; Swan 3-10, Thomas 1-7, Tom Addis 1-8, Walter 1-18, Jono Addis 1-23, Logan 1-35). The cricket season always sneaks up on you, a split
hemisphere commencement further confuses the issue…so whilst the annual dinner
was under way in London, cricket kit was being prepared for the first match of
the new season in the Wairarapa, New Zealand.
With the match falling across Waitangi weekend the initial
discussion was of multi-day camping. As the weekend approached, family and work
commitments meant that the proposed Friday night camping idea faded. Through
the course of Saturday the developing weather forecast meant that the committed
camping numbers dwindled. The outcome
was that late Saturday afternoon the Timperley and Ovenden families assembled
under the trees at Bottom Paddock, enjoying the outlook of bright sunshine, a
dampish pitch and ominous clouds.
Tents were pitched and dinner preparations begun just as
the thunder and lightning really took hold. Retreating to tents allowed the
skipper to spend time visualising and preparing, which was to pay off the next
day. The morning dawned delightfully, once coffee had been consumed, alongside
a copious supply of pancakes and Nutella sandwiches the youth policy were off
to get their first net of the day in.
By late morning the Strollers (and camping avoiders)
started to roll in – more tents were pitched – and reports of Tube trains being
awash with red wine post the dinner in the UK were received. Stories were
exchanged, events of the last year recounted and Piers, resplendent in club
blazer, strode to the wicket and lost the toss.
We were asked to bat by our hosts on a pitch that had some
venom at one end in particular. With the temperature rising, expectations were
of an improving batting surface through the day.
Jono Addis received a brute of a ball early on but Glen Scanlon,
Andrew Thomas and Tim Swan set about patiently building an innings and seeing
off the worst of the bounce (post-match X-rays confirmed a broken wrist for
Scanlon and consequently a player shortage for the following week). A score of 102
at the drinks break was a great platform.
James Timperley and Doran Wyatt were able to score freely after the
break with Wyatt making excellent use of the ‘hit the tree and it’s six’ local
rules (twice in a row).
Following the retirements of Timperley and Wyatt it was
left to Hamish McDougall and Ovenden to finish the innings. Piers hit out well,
taking full toll in a final over which yielded 21. Notably in the course of his
innings Hamish moved past Tom Wood to become the third-highest run-scorer in
Strollers history. A fantastic achievement with many more runs to come.Conjecture
at the innings break was whether this would spur Wood out of his retirement…only
time will tell. Our total of 231 from 35 overs looked formidable.
Under the trees, and now welcome shade the kids were
roaming and creating their own entertainment. Comments on the sideline focused
on how it got easier every year managing on that front (perhaps a biased view
from those able to escape to the middle).
Starting the chase Bottom Paddock were in early trouble as
they lost three wickets across the first three overs. Thomas, Steve Walter and
a run-out accounting for those. Then a partnership developed and the runs kept
flowing. Nick Logan found a particularly nice line as he eased into his spell,
with good grip from the pitch creating chances the longer he bowled.
At drinks the respective scores were comparable but wickets
in hand were a problem. Swan found his rhythm the other side of drinks and
quickly wrapped things up with three wickets and a direct hit run-out from a
shortish fine leg. A commanding performance and some welcome relief in the
field from those not required to bowl and field the full 35 overs!
The sacred grove was somewhat overrun by small children
which changed the dynamic of the post-match cool-down from previous
experiences. This author’s future
keenness for the swim in the river may have been somewhat dampened by the eel
appearances that occurred later in the evening.
The BBQ was top notch and speeches were gracious and well
received. As the dust settled on another
fantastic weekend it was left to those camping overnight to continue various
cricket matches into the twilight before testing our astronomical knowledge
with a marvellous clear sky and display of stars, obviously best viewed from
the middle of the pitch with beer in hand.
The following morning reflecting on the weekend it is just
left to offer thanks to all at Bottom Paddock for their fantastic hospitality
again and also to Piers for the match management, camp leadership, skippering
and general organisation. Those capable look forward to doing it all again next
weekend.
Capt: Piers
Ovenden. Wkt: Hamish McDougall/Jono Addis.
Match report: James Timperley.
| 
