2017 match archive
Great Missenden
Sunday
April 23 in Great Missenden
Strollers lost by seven wickets
Strollers 123
(35.2 overs; Loan 42, Hadi 29)
Great Missenden Pelicans
124-3
(17.4 overs; Colbeck 2-18, Simon Brodbeck 1-13)
With a rock-hard pitch, zippy outfield and
the sun beaming down, it was hard to believe this was Great Missenden in April.
The batsmen licked their lips as they inspected the playing surface, eager to
break free from the usual early season constraints. Meanwhile, match
manager Laurie Allsopp reportedly had 37 missed calls and six voicemail
messages from a mystery caller in New Zealand who was
keen to hop on a plane after checking the weather forecast.
Given the conditions, skipper James Timperley
confessed he was surprised that his Pelicans opposite number had elected to
field (more on that later). It was also something of a wistful
occasion for James – this being the first time in around 16 years that he
hasn't played with or against Hamish McDougall in the opening fixture of
the season.
The Strollers began their innings with a late
change to the batting order, Rory Wood opening instead of Hassan Hadi, who
found the walk from the station was longer than anticipated and
required the services of Brodbeck Search and Rescue.
Wood strode out with Mike Loan for the first
of many right-left partnerships, and the duo were confronted with some tricky
seam bowling as they found the pitch more threatening than at first glance.
Great Missenden's seamer Josh Bailey beat the bat several times and would chalk
up five edges in a nine-over spell – none of which went to hand.
The batsmen looked to have seen off the
dangerous early overs when Pelicans captain Richard Franks bowled Wood for a
battling four, at which point there was a pause while all present
admired the IPL-style flashing bails picked up "at a little shop in
Auckland" by Great Missenden's own resident Kiwi.
This brought Timperley to the
crease...although he wouldn't be there for long. Second ball, he pushed to
midwicket where the fielder fumbled, and as the skipper called a single the man
at mid-off swooped in to pick up and throw for an outstanding direct hit.
Loan decided that scoring in boundaries would
be a better tactic than running between the wickets, and cut loose with an
exhibition of classy strokes through the off side. Then came another
double blow. First, Tim Swan edged behind for two (if only he had paid
heed to Timperley, who mused that the key to early season batting was to
go from missing the ball by a mile to middling it), then Loan was caught on
42.
It fell to Hadi, now padded up at five,
to attempt to rebuild from 57-4. He found support from
Tom Colbeck (seven) and Allsopp (four) and accumulated patiently
while launching the odd ball towards the railway line. Hadi's partnership
with Allsopp was the highest of the innings and took the Strollers past three
figures, but when he fell for 29, caught at square leg, an early tea seemed
inevitable. Ben Rothberg played a gorgeous lofted cover drive and
Ryan Duff (making it on to the field in his pads for once) clouted
two balls to the square leg fence, but both
were soon bowled and a gritty late
order rearguard failed to materialise. The Strollers were all
out for 122 shortly after 3pm.
"It's the worst Strollers batting
performance I've seen," said one Kiwi. "You ain't seen nothing
yet," retorted Alastair Macaulay and Simon Brodbeck, reaching into
the memory banks. The skipper put a positive gloss on things by pointing
out that every partnership had been a record for the season.
Great Missenden's enthusiasm to field – and
perhaps their anticipation of more regular April conditions – then became clear
as hearty chilli and baked potatoes were served up for tea. Opening
bowlers Duff and Wood showed admirable self-restraint, but others
piled in with gusto as it was remarked that the Strollers' score was actually
10 more than Great Missenden managed in last year's fixture. Alas,
the lack of scoreboard pressure and the heavy carbs consumed by
the fielders appeared to take their toll.
Duff bowled manfully and beat the bat several
times in six overs up the hill. but early chances failed to materialise,
although Colbeck offered a glimmer of hope with his leg-spin
as Wood took a sharp catch at midwicket and No 3 bat Asad
Rehman was trapped leg-before without scoring.
The Pelicans made serene progress
with opener Kunaal Kankate offering an exhibition of clean
hitting and impeccable technique. The unfortunate Macaulay bore the brunt
of the onslaught as Kankate struck five sixes, and an over of 29
brought Great Missenden to within an inch of the target.
Then Kankate played his only false stroke in his innings of 83 and
was bowled trying to reverse-sweep Simon with one run required. A
leg-bye off the next ball finished things off – within 20 overs
and at barely five o'clock.
The mood among the Strollers was sombre, but
the hospitality of the opposition and an extended visit to the Cross Keys
showed that there is nothing a drop of ale and New Zealand in-jokes
("Always blow on the pie"...look it up) cannot fix. Duff and Wood
also gave Colbeck a generous 4.3 out of 5 as a driver, so at least someone
set a high standard for the season.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Tim Swan.
Match fees: Ben
Rothberg. Match report: Laurie Allsopp.
Harpsden
Sunday April
30 at Harpsden
Strollers lost by 63 runs
Harpsden 258-5
(40 overs; Ferrick 1-8, Martin 1-29, Chandhoke 1-21, Simon Brodbeck 1-36)
Strollers 195-6
(40 overs; Addis 56, Timperley 45, Hand 42no)
It sounded tricky. Rod Birkett, the Harpsden majordomo, emailed to
warn the troops of the traffic problems ahead. A Tough Mudder event near Henley
would make the Marlow and Henley bridges very busy. Come by Sonning bridge was
his tip.
So the Strollers made their various ways to the beautiful Harpsden
ground. By some miracle 10 of them were there on time. And there were lots of
fresh faces, who perhaps wondered whether every Strollers fixture involved such
intricate orienteering and cross-country tough muddering.
Making their Strollers debuts were Matt Hand and Sam Duberley,
Arthur Martin, Harcharan Chandhoke and Richie Cummings – fresh blood to
invigorate a Strollers squad still reeling from the previous week’s reverse at
Great Missenden.
When the Harspden innings stood at 107-1 off about 13 overs the
projected score by those who had played on the ground before was 356. That
their final total was only the little matter of 258-5 off the 40 overs was a
small triumph. Martin reeled off six overs to take 1-29; Simon Brodbeck and Sam
Ferrick made an impression in the middle overs, Duberley and Chandhoke had a
run out and Tom Salvesen roared back with a second spell that kept the lid on
things.
But they could do little to stop Harpsden’s star man. Lyle
Heilbron, a student from Cape Town taking a year off to taste the cricket
fields of Berkshire and Oxfordshire, went into tea on 93 not out and that was
not the end of his contribution.
To get close to that total the Strollers big guns needed to fire.
But Ferrick fell to a brilliant slip catch by that man Heilbron to make them
16-1. Skipper James Timperley joined Jono Addis (“I think I should do the full
McDougall,” said Jono. “Keep for 40 overs and then open the batting.”) The pair
put on a battling 72 before Addis, who played one outrageous scoop that nearly
decapitated himself, chipped to silly mid-on where – who else? – Heilbron took
a fine diving catch.
Timperley holed out off – yes, Heilbron – and the target receded
into the distance. Matt Hand played a brave hand with 42 not out. Sam Duberley
faced three balls and recorded: dot...six...stumped. Heilbron, who had hereto
played little part in the proceedings, returned figures of 5-2-11-4. And so the
Strollers fell 63 runs short. As if in commiseration the rain, which had been
threatening to arrive, began to fall as the players left the field.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Jono Addis.
Match fees: Ben Rothberg. Match report: Simon Brodbeck.
The Demijohns
Sunday
May 7 at Pinkneys Green
Strollers won by 16 runs
Strollers 234-7 dec
(36 overs; Addis 76, Oliver 55, Loan 27, Selby 27, Duff 11no)
Demijohns 218
(37.5 overs; Duff 5-58, Selby 2-9, Ngo 1-31, Macaulay 1-39, Patston 1-41)
There was
a carnival atmosphere at Pinkneys Green on Sunday - literally, with the
Carters Vintage Steam Fair in the field opposite. The usual soundtrack of
a Strollers match (Simon Brodbeck: “Bowled” Jono Addis: “Caaatch it”) was
drowned out by the sound of dodgems and about 10 early rock and roll songs
played on repeat.
The opposition
were the Demijohns and Piers Ovenden’s absence was keenly felt although for
different reasons – the Demijohns missed his all-round contributions, while
some of the Strollers were disappointed there was no-one to sledge.
Addis was
captaining the Strollers and lost the toss in a time game. But Jono was
invited to do what he loves to do at Pinkneys Green: bat. Mike Loan and
Aidan Selby opened the innings. Aidan had only arrived the day before from
Barbados and his tan was glowing (don’t blush baby). Would he bring some
Caribbean flair? Loan and Selby had to deal with some challenging bowling from
Roshan Balijaa to start while James Heaton kept it tight from the other
end. Loan and Selby kept out the good deliveries and managed to cash in
whenever the bowlers strayed from a good line and length. After a solid opening
partnership of 43, Selby and then Loan departed in quick succession bringing
Addis and Glen Oliver to the crease.
Addis is well
known for his record at Pinkney’s Green and today was to be no statistical
outlier. Oliver was playing as a batsman only due to a dicky back – hopefully
we will see the sandshoe crushers again soon. Addis and Oliver dominated
proceedings (including losing a number of balls) and began to build a sizable
total at a helter-skelter pace. Ryan Duff, batting six, began to despair that
he had once more padded up in vain, and started to think about going for a ride
on the ‘Chairoplane’ while he waited for a bat.
Addis and Oliver
steered the Strollers to 190 with half an hour left before tea. Addis was then
bowled for 76 (having reached his 50 from 43 balls) and Glen Oliver
followed shortly after for 55 (50 from 44 balls).
Those Strollers
who followed then showed their dedication to the team by refusing to be seduced
by the temptation of padding their averages through a safe ‘not-out’ at the
start of the season. Instead, they all tried to hit out (not all successfully)
in order to bolster the Strollers total. Nick Logan was caught for two, Gary
Ngo was bowled for seven and Laurie Allsopp was bowled for two. Duff, finally,
did get to bat and made a quick 11, while Alastair Macaulay made three (at a
strike-rate of 300). The Strollers ended on 234, a substantial target but one
which Addis hoped would still offer enough of a carrot to the Demijohns.
Duff opened the
bowling for the Strollers and picked up a wicket in his first over with a
clever slower ball thanks to a fantastic running catch from Ngo. Ngo, opening
from the other end, kept the pressure up before Duff, in his next over, drew
the edge of Balijaa and Loan, keeping wicket, took a great catch to his right.
The other opener, Heaton, was solid from the other end; he and the new batsman
Adam Darling looked to up the scoring before Darling was bowled by a ‘skiddy’
bouncer/half-tracker from Ngo. Sam Jones then joined Heaton at the crease, and
began to attack, racing to 21 in double-quick time. However, Duff had another
clever slower-ball left and cleaned up Jones.
At 82-4 it
looked like the Strollers would gallop home. Slowly though, through the good
running and strong hitting, Heaton and the Demijohns captain, Stuart Bachelor,
dragged the Demijohns back into the game with an 82-run partnership. Macaulay
broke the partnership with his ‘change-up’ delivery the double bouncer (he
calls it the ‘Dive Bomber’) which accounted for Heaton. Phil Lucas, in for a
good time not a long time, hit a lofty four but was then caught off the bowling
of Peter Patston thanks to a great catch from, you guessed it, Duff.
Jeremy McGahan
was next in and played a good supporting hand for Bachelor. Suddenly all three
results were possible, with the Demijohns only needing 35 runs from the last
four overs. Captain Addis turned to the man of the hour Duff, who drew a false
shot from Bachelor which was plucked from the air by a flying Addis who took a
screamer – Addis reacted so quickly that he caught the ball on the way down.
That catch completed Duff’s first Michelle for the
Strollers. Bachelor made 85 and had very nearly pinched the game away. Selby
then cleaned up the tail with two late wickets (both bowled).
The Strollers
then enjoyed a very friendly drink with the opposition on a sunlight spring
evening and reflected on a roller-coaster of a game.
Capt: Jono Addis. Wkt: Mike
Loan.
Match fees: Simon Brodbeck. Match report: Nick Logan.
Marlow Park
Sunday
May 14 at Marlow
Strollers lost by one run
Marlow Park 194-7
(40 overs; Rory Wood 2-23, Rothberg 2-25, Salvesen 1-18, Loan 1-31, Simon
Brodbeck 1-36)
Strollers 193-7
(40 overs; Loan 66, Calvocoressi 36, Sam Brodbeck 33, Salvesen 19no, Duff
10no)
The sun
shone down on Marlow Park as the red kites circled above. The locals spilled
out of the pubs and cafes to watch what proved to be a very entertaining match.
We welcomed James Andrews on debut, who had clear credentials as a Stroller
being a journalist and, as it transpired, a holder of a New Zealand passport.
The Strollers took to the field, led by Sam
Brodbeck, who was defending his 100% record as captain. Tom Salvesen and Rory
Duff were thrown the ball to lead the attack, and both set to work finding the
right line and length to suffocate Marlow’s opening batsmen. With 10 overs
gone, the run rate had been kept under two per over and Salvesen took the
wicket of Julian White courtesy of a catch from Mike Pittams.
In truth, Salvesen and Duff were unfortunate
not to claim further wickets, but their hard work was followed by Rory Wood,
who bowled a commendable straight eight-over spell (8-2-23-2). Wood claimed two
wickets, the first bowled, the second removing the stubborn Brent Lombard from
another Pittams catch. At drinks, Marlow had been held to 74-3.
Marlow then began to hit out, attempting to
build the run rate. This presented opportunities, the first falling to the
Brodbecks with Sam claiming a good catch off the bowling of Simon creating the
scorer’s nightmare, c. S Brodbeck; b. S Brodbeck.
Ben Rothberg picked up a couple of wickets,
but Marlow were finding the gaps and building a competitive score. Duff and
Salvesen returned to calm things down, both returning excellent stats (7-0-22-0
and 8-3-18-1 respectively), and Mike Loan claimed a victim in the final over,
Sam taking another excellent catch in the deep. Marlow finished on 194-7 from
their 40 overs.
Loan and George Calvocoressi headed out to
the middle and faced off some excellent opening bowling from Marlow’s Jassi
Chahal and Ben Hoggan. Punishing the bad balls, which were few and far between,
the pair reached 77 without loss at drinks, matching Marlow’s run rate but with
the benefit of 10 wickets in hand. The 22nd over proved decisive, as Abdul
Hanan claimed two wickets in consecutive balls. The first Calvocoressi falling
for 36, the second Pittams, bowled facing his first delivery.
Sam Brodbeck joined the excellent Loan and
the pair began to build the rate once more. This included an important spell of
35 runs from four overs and things were
beginning to look a little comfortable. However, determined to ensure we gave
the Marlow faithful more of a spectacle, the Strollers lost two key wickets in
the space of three overs - Loan falling to an excellent catch on 66 and
Brodbeck also falling victim to another excellent catch for 33.
At this stage, the Strollers were 151-4 with
eight overs to bowl, requiring 44 to win from 48 deliveries. Tom Colbeck (1)
and James Andrews (0) both fell quickly and some robust bowling from Lombard
and Toby Fry was frustrating the batsmen. Salvesen stuck around, and when
Rothberg (3) fell, he and Duff required 23 from the last two overs. Things were
looking desperate as a battling eight from the penultimate over left 15
required. 1, 2, 2, bye – runs were being taken but not enough. Then, on the
penultimate ball, Duff cleared his front foot and clattered the ball down the
ground for a much-needed six. The onlookers could not contain themselves: only
two required to tie, three to win.
“Just do that again,” helpful encouragement
was offered but, alas, Duff could not repeat his heroics and a single run from
the final ball was insufficient as the Strollers fell short by one solitary run
on 193-7.
All agreed this was a classic, and Sam
Brodbeck even entertained the thought of filming future matches to share the
excitement with the masses. However, his 100% record was gone, and each
Stroller agonised over that extra run they could have taken/saved. Sometimes,
it’s a cruel game…
Capt: Sam Brodbeck. Wkt: Mike Pittams.
Match fees: Tom Colbeck. Match report: Ben Rothberg.
Roehampton
Sunday
May 21 on Putney Heath
Strollers lost by 26 runs
Roehampton 227-8
(35 overs; Timperley 2-24, Kelsey 2-32, Colbeck 1-18, Rothberg 1-28, Loan 1-21,
Simon Brodbeck 1-44)
Strollers 201
(33.3 overs; Loan 60, Hand 55, Logan 25)
According
to local legend, William Pitt the Younger duelled with a fellow MP on Putney
Heath to resolve a dispute over a Parliamentary Bill. The exact details of the
contentious legislation are lost in the mists of time. But given the duel took
place 178 years before the club was founded, it seems unlikely it was over the
Fleet Street Strollers’ latest selection crisis.
Luckily
there was no such drama at Roehampton and 11 happy Strollers took the field and
were rewarded with glorious sunshine. Opening bowlers Ben Rothberg and Tom
Colbeck were thrown the fluorescent orange ball (a Roehampton experiment in a
bid to cut the time spent searching the undergrowth) and quickly settled into a
rhythm. Rothberg in particular bowled with accuracy, hewn during a long winter
in the nets, helping to restrict the first eight overs to just 16 runs.
David
Kelsey replaced his fellow leg-spinner and took two wickets in two balls. Unfortunately
neither victim was the Roehampton No 2, Max Huntley, who after a slow start
began casually smashing anything not wide of off stump over the tiny midwicket
boundary.
Simon
Brodbeck bowled well but without luck, a couple of mishits falling just short
of the fielders. Captain James Timperley bowled a tight spell at the death but
still could not remove Huntley. He finally fell in the final over, to the
Strollers’ new all-rounder Michael Loan, for 139 out of a total of 227.
By
teatime the crowd had swelled to well over double figures as several pina
colada-drinking Strollerettes joined treasurer Tom Wood and chairman Kimball
Bailey at the boundary’s edge. Tom Colbeck’s dad Tony, president of Shepherd’s
Bush Cricket Club, also took his seat in the stands. He would not be drawn on
whether this was a scouting mission (or whether he had seen anyone worth
poaching).
The
Strollers innings got off to a similar start to Roehampton’s. Some frustrating
bowling (often just down the leg side but not quite a wide) and a slow pitch
made scoring difficult. Yet the opening pair of Loan and Matt Hand looked
comfortable, and at the drinks break the score was 88 without loss. But by the
time Loan fell for 60 in the 21st over, the required run rate was over seven.
After Hand also departed, for 55, the remaining batsman fell victim to
scoreboard pressure - and five catches to Jonathan Robinson, Roehampton’s
mid-on. Nick Logan led the fightback with a Strollers best of 25 but it wasn’t
enough.
The
Strollers quickly turned to the important task of finding a scapegoat for the
defeat. It was agreed the sun was the culprit and evidence was in abundance.
Kelsey, a qualified physician, was found burbling about the American Civil War
after sitting for two hours in full glare without a hat. Luckily there was the
clubhouse’s new outdoor bar area to sample and thoughts turned to raising next
week’s side.
Tom Wood
announced a dramatic return to action and several “maybes” becoming “yeses”.
All was well with the world.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt:
Tim Swan.
Match fees: Mike Loan. Match report: Sam Brodbeck.
Commons Old Boys
Thursday
May 25 on Wandsworth Common
Strollers lost by eight runs
Commons 160-2
(20 overs; Selby 1-22)
Strollers 152
(18.4 overs; Oliver 46, Stubbs 14no, Keightley 13, Young 12, Swale 10)
A late
afternoon with temperatures worthy of mid-August; a sun-drenched Wandsworth
Park filled to the brim with enthusiastic sunbathers; a pollen-filled air
pleasing the bees and reducing hayfever suffers to wimpering tears: these were
the sights and sounds that awaited the Strollers for the midweek 20/20 game vs
Commons Old Boys.
Initially two problems were to be dealt with: 1, moving some entrenched
sunbathers from the playing area (no shortage of volunteers here) and 2,
finding a white shirt large enough to fit Eric Swale (virtually no volunteers
here). After the sunbathers were escorted from the pitch and Swale donned
an ill-fitting shirt (c/o Rory Wood, think how that looked) the Strollers were
ready to take to the field after predictably watching captain Glen Oliver lose
another toss.
The Strollers’ opening pair of bowlers - Wood and Andrew Pitcher - did not get
off to a very good start. Conceding 34 runs from the first four overs meant
that Commons Old Boys were on the front foot, both literally and
metaphorically. Captain Oliver was forced to ring the bowling
changes.
Unfortunately,
neither Richie Stubbs nor Richard Keightley could stem the runs or provide a
much needed breakthrough. Not until Keightley's second over, the seventh
of the innings, did an over go for less than five runs. The Strollers were
to find no joy until the 10th over when Swale leapt from behind the stumps to
effect a run-out at the non-striker’s end. The score was 78-1.
The next
four Old Boys batsmen came in, knocked 25 and then retired again. The
Strollers got to enjoy a good deal of ball-chasing, ball-watching and general
fielding practice as the Commons flogged the ball to all parts of the ground,
narrowly missing a number of would-be ‘spectators’ along the way. Oliver
rotated the field to ensure everyone got their fair share of fielding practice.
Aidan
Selby was introduced in the 17th over and managed to pick up the Old Boys’ No
7, bowled in the 19th. Oliver did manage to finish off the innings nicely with
only two coming from the final over. Commons Old Boys had amassed 160 for only
two wickets.
Swale and Hassan Hadi made a confident start to the innings, scoring 16 fluid
runs off the first two overs. Sixteen was also the score when Swale
departed having being bowled. Hadi, Aidan Selby, Mike Knowles, and Mark Young
all followed a similar pattern of hitting a boundary or two, then getting out,
making five, eight, seven and 12 respectively.
Nick
Logan and Wood did not trouble the scorers much and when Wood departed the
score was a bleak looking 62-7 after 10 overs. After Pitcher went,
Richard Keightley came to the crease with Oliver and the two got some momentum
back, but Oliver's flow of boundaries meant he was quickly forced to retire for
26. Keightley struck 13 before being bowled and at 118-9 in the 15th over
the outcome seemed inevitable.
However,
striding back to the middle, Oliver was determined to take the game deep and
with a very handy contribution from in-form No 11 Richie Stubbs the pair scored
16 and 17 off the 15th and 16th overs, but only one from the 17th. The
game was within sight for the Strollers.
With two
overs left the equation was 25 from 12 balls. When Oliver knocked a four
and a six back past the bowler, all seemed in good hands, but the Strollers
were ultimately short of runs. Oliver was caught for a valiant 46 with the
score on 150 and Stubbs was left on 14 not out - the second-highest score of
the innings.
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Eric Swale.
Match fees: Richard Keightley. Match report: Rory Wood.
Maidenhead and Bray
Sunday
May 28 in Bray
Strollers lost by four runs
Maidenhead & Bray 274-9 dec
(39.5 overs; Oliver 4-28, Selby 1-15, Patston 1-34, Simon Brodbeck
1-53, Macaulay 1-58)
Strollers 270
(39.5 overs; Oliver 107, Addis 51, Cummings 31, Betteley 19, Tom Wood 16,
Selby 10)
Once again the Strollers fall
short chasing a mammoth score despite
a powerful hundred from skipper Glen
Oliver.
Glen Oliver maintained his losing streak at
the toss so the Strollers were sent out into the field. Rory Wood and Aidan
Selby opened the bowling. Aidan struck an early blow having Murray caught by
Sam Brodbeck at mid-off before his radar deserted him. Aidan was replaced by debutant
Keiran Betteley, whose fetching straw hat and unorthodox action drew the
comment from the umpire that he has brought a touch of village cricket with
him.
The same umpire also offered the helpful
advice that it was best to get the No 3 bat early. This
the Strollers failed to do and Aziz was soon peppering the boundary from
anything short. Keiran had bowled tidily until Aziz took a liking to his
bowling.
At the other end Wallace was playing a
steady supporting role as the pair rattled along at over six an over. Rory Wood
was unlucky, beating the bat on a few occasions to end with a respectable 0-34
off his seven overs. The skipper turned to the veterans Simon Brodbeck and
Alastair Macaulay to see if lack of pace was the answer. Aziz did hit a couple of
straight sixes off Alastair, who nonetheless can claim to be the unluckiest of
the bowlers. First Wallace was dropped (a difficult diving effort) and then
Aziz at long-on. And if Alastair had any kind of follow-through he could have
had a caught and bowled as well. A tiring Aziz then walked past a ball
from Simon and was stumped for a rapid 70.
Alastair finally got one turn through
the gate of Wallace and keeper Jono Addis whipped off the bails. The No 4, Grey, should have been out the same over but was dropped at
long-on again, which was to prove expensive as he went on to make 77. Peter
Patston replaced Simon and had Parkinson caught at point by Oliver.
The run rate was still ticking upward
however, as Grey in particular was opening up supported by Becker at the other
end at around 10 an over. Simon Brodbeck returned and Oliver reluctantly
decided that he had to test out his back in the Strollers’ cause.
The last few overs were highly entertaining
as the M&B innings ended in a flurry of wickets and an element of farce.
Oliver had a sharp chance caught by Addis, ran out No 8 backing up and bowled No 7 in the 38th
over. In the last over Grey was caught at deep mid-off by Macaulay off Oliver
and skipper Matt Armstrong, in at No 10, was out next
ball. The No 11 was still umpiring in his street clothes
at square leg amid the mayhem, his kit was still in the car and so the skipper
had to declare with a ball remaining. Glen was therefore deprived of a possible
five-for and had to settle for 4-28 off his 4.5 overs. Maidenhead and Bray
nonetheless finished on a challenging 274.
In reply Tom Wood and Addis started steadily
until the eighth over when Armstrong bowled Wood for 16 and had Sam Brodbeck
caught behind two balls later. Jono and Richard Cummings then kept the
scoreboard ticking and the 20th over came up with 90 on the board. Jono reached
his 50 and then was immediately caught off Allen. Cummings quickly followed lbw
to Butler for a very useful 31, having put on 60 with Jono. Selby was looking
dangerous at No 5 but was well caught at point to leave the
Strollers with an uphill task at 114-5, needing 160 off 17 overs.
Oliver and Betteley started to rebuild the
innings, while keeping the scoreboard ticking (mainly due to Glen finding the
boundary on a regular basis). The pair put on 66 for the sixth wicket and at
the end of the 32nd over 98 were needed off eight overs. The next over went for 17 as the rate
fell to 10 an over. Rory Wood was caught off Murray in the 34th over and
Macaulay joined Glen at the crease.
Alastair had been hoping that the big guns up
the order would still have been blazing away merrily but now found himself in a
flurry of unwelcome shuttle sprints as Glen called for two off every ball (the
field were now set back on the boundary). Precious relief only came when Oliver
took to hitting the ball out of the ground instead. One of these mighty hits
brought up his 100 (off only 47 balls), but following the next ball, which also
went for six, he was caught on the boundary. The pair put on 51 in five overs
and ten an over was still the ask. Alastair's contribution to the partnership
was a single to rotate the strike.
Simon Brodbeck then came in with 18 required
of 14 balls. He had to join the shuttle runs as a couple of byes which should
have gone for four pulled up short.
When the last over came, 10 were needed
though the electronic scoreboard indicated more (some of those buttons are very
sticky). The imminent threat of rain meant that scorer Maggie Patston had had
to retreat towards the pavilion with the temperamental keypad but also had to
deal with the smoke from the braai, a disco being set up inside and oblivious
Strollers obscuring her vision. A scorer's lot is sometimes not a happy one.
Once the target was established, Simon and
Alastair scampered a single off the first. When Alastair heaved the next to cow
corner for four, the balance seemed to have tipped. However M&B sensed that
was his shot and cunningly put a man there. The next ball was launched in the
same direction, was caught, and Alastair had to depart. Five off three were
needed. Simon and No 11 Peter Patston managed a single but Peter
was bowled next ball and the chase sadly ended in heroic failure.
In the end, catches cost us and the target
was too steep. Glen's magnificent innings brought us much closer than anyone
envisioned (and M&B were getting a bit twitchy towards the end). A very
good game of cricket and the rain held off. Now let's try and win one...
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Jono Addis.
Match fees: Tom Wood. Match report: Alastair Macaulay.
Parrys Whippets
Thursday
June 1 in Barnes
Strollers won by 37 runs
Strollers 157-4
(20 overs; Loan 30no, Oliver 26no, Keightley 22, Ngo 14no, Lipitch 14)
Parry's Whippets 120-7
(20 overs; Selby 2-22, Vithlani 1-12, Jurians 1-15, Loan 1-23)
Eden Park, Auckland, New
Zealand, October 23rd 2011.
The Rugby World Cup Final: All Blacks vs France.
Aaron Cruden had already been called into the All
Blacks squad to replace Dan Carter, following his cruel tournament-ending groin
injury during a training session. In the quarter-finals Colin Slade had
suffered a similar fate and Mils Muliaina was struck down with a shoulder
fracture. Even captain Richie McCaw had come close to being sidelined in the
semi-finals, but valiantly played on with what was later revealed to be a
broken foot. With the squad diminished, Stephen Donald had put his whitebait
fishing on hold to join the team for the final showdown against the French.
What followed that day led Kiwi fans through a
rollercoaster of emotions, with Cruden’s knee injury stopping hearts as Donald
was brought off the bench prematurely, and some controversial refereeing
decisions adding to the post-match de-briefs, but ultimately the Beaver swung
those emotions around, warming hearts and bringing the home team to glorious
victory in the dying minutes of the match.
Barn Elms Sports Trust, London, United Kingdom, 1st June
2017.
The Fleet Street Strollers vs Parry’s Whippets.
Strollers debutant David Lanfranchi had already been
called into the Strollers squad to replace Harcharan Chandhoke, who had
suffered a cruel season-ending broken arm during a football game two weeks
earlier. To add to the strain on the squad, earlier in the week Hassan Hadi had
been struck down with illness and Amar Mahadeva was out with a back injury.
Even the previous week’s captain, Glen Oliver, had come close to being
sidelined, but valiantly played on with a back problem. With the squad
diminished, Andrew Pitcher and debutants Alex Lipitch, Keith Jurians, Suraj
Vithlani and Aditya Kothari had put their net session on hold to join the team
for the crucial showdown against the Whippets.
What followed that day led Strollers fans through a
rollercoaster of emotions. Hearts fluttered as the team struggled to gather by
the designated 6pm start time, thanks to an incorrect bus choice by captain
Aidan Selby and Richard Keightley, and late meetings delaying Vithlani and
Oliver’s departure from the office. But some heart-warming sportsmanship from
the Whippets meant that the Strollers were given the opportunity to bat first
while their remaining players assembled.
The wicket was in fine condition, and helped along by
a hard and fast outfield, openers Mike Loan and Keightley put on a solid run
rate of eight an over, with Loan retiring not out on an impressive 30 from 20
balls, including six boundaries. Shortly after Keightley finished his innings
on 22 by gifting the bowler a lofty catch. Selby’s uncharacteristically
meagre contribution of only two runs
stopped hearts as Oliver and Pitcher were brought out from the clubhouse
earlier than anticipated.
Oliver and Pitcher settled observers’ nerves by
carrying on the Strollers’ pace, with Oliver quickly bringing up his retirement
at 26 but Pitcher was unfortunately caught on 10. Lipitch added a much needed
14 before the intensity increased once more and he was caught short on an
optimistic second run by some Whippet-like fielding.
Lanfranchi and midweek regular Gary Ngo both valiantly
took to the wicket with Achilles and ankle injuries respectively, and finished
the Strollers’ innings on 11 and 14 not out.
Vithlani opened the bowling attack and kept the
Whippets on a very short leash, conceding just 12 runs and taking a wicket in
his three overs. Fellow debutant Jurians was just as effective, finishing his
four overs with 1-15. Kothari was also economical, conceding 21 from four overs
and unlucky not to take a scalp. Loan, Keightley and Selby took the brunt of
the batsmen’s resulting frustration, with Selby taking two wickets and Loan
one.
Though there were no fines for unconventional hakas,
some quizzical eyebrows were seen when a catch was given out off a
well-over-shoulder-height bouncer from Loan (which was subsequently overturned
by democratic process), and eyebrows were raised further during umpire
uncertainty over the legitimacy of Lanfranchi’s direct hit run-out. Confusion
was cleared up on the latter by the concise ‘I hit those sticky things with the
ball before the batsman got there’ breakdown of the facts.
Despite a string of injuries, ultimately the team
heavy with debutants set an impressive target and subsequently stifled the
opposition’s total, warming hearts and bringing the Strollers to glorious
victory. While ‘charming stories of redemption’ in made-for-TV movies are
probably unlikely, the parallels of this heroic Strollers midweek 20-20 cricket
success with that of the 2011 All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup Final cannot be
denied.
Capt: Aidan Selby. Wkt: Aidan Selby/Mike Loan.
Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match Report: Richard Keightley.
Bledlow
Sunday June
4 in Bledlow
Strollers won by two wickets
Bledlow 182-8
(40 overs; Daly 2-14, Wong 1-12, Simon Brodbeck 1-22, Kelsey 1-30,
Macaulay 1-54)
Strollers 185-8
(34.5 overs; Pittams 44, Daly 33, Oliver 26, Kelsey 17no, Logan 10)
A crisp,
sunny-ish Sunday. A solid deck at another picturesque village cricket ground.
Even a honking, choo-choo-puff train to keep us company. The stage was set for
another fine Strollers outing.
Skipper
Glen Oliver confidently strode to the crease (confident in the sense that he
couldn’t possibly loose a ninth toss in a row - surely the laws of averages
would prevail!). Alas, they did not and the Strollers were informed they were
fielding.
Aidan
Selby and Tom Colbeck opened the bowling. Selby, cheered on by the passing
train passengers, started accurately going for only one run in his first three
overs. Colbeck also held things together at the other end, often going past the
bat, but without reward. Time for a change – enter David Kelsey from up the
slope. After just one sighter, Kelsey launched one skywards that looked as
though it was trying to hitch a lift on one of the vintage airplanes overhead,
before plummeting to earth, turning and bamboozling the left-handed Bob Floyd
into exposing the top of off.
Simon
Brodbeck replaced Selby from the train end, and continued to pile on the
pressure, eventually getting one to nip away, catch the edge and be confidently
clawed by keeper Mike Pittams. This brought Tommy Moore, Bledlow’s main batman,
to the crease. He quickly found himself at ease and proceeded to knock off 50
runs with minimal effort before retiring un-injured to give the rest of them ‘a
go’. In the Strollers’ eyes, this just meant they were now four down. Alastair
Macaulay toiled away, adding just one wicket to his career figures as the
chances refused to fall to the fielders.
It was a
special day for our two debutants – Paul Wong and Nick Daly. Both made
immediate positive impressions whilst diving about in the field, but also with
ball in hand. Daly in particular impressed with his pacey in-duckers, that had
many wondering ‘where has this boy been all season?’ His first wicket was
immediately followed by a second, and the prospect of going home with a
hat-trick on his debut was being bandied about at the team meet. That was until
the unmoveable 11-year-old Vinnie Connolly came to the crease, who happens to
play for Buckinghamshire Under-11s in his downtime. Wong also struck on his
debut, first inspiring a tidy run-out from Pittams on his first ball, and
finishing strongly with a catch in the deep, ending with tidy figures of 1-12
off three overs.
At the
turn, the home team had set a target of 183 to win.
After a
sumptuous tea, a quick chat with a local dairy farmer proved rather enlightening.
After voicing concerns about the approaching dark clouds on the horizon, he
quashed any fear I had by saying: “Don’t look at it as rain, rather as an angel
dropping her draws for you.”
The two
Michaels – Loan and Pittams – strode out together and quickly got the measure
of the flat batting surface. Alas, there were only a couple of textbook drives
from Loan before he leant back on one and was caught in the covers.
Pittams looked in fine touch though, as he quickly raced into the 20s, and was
eventually out just six shy of what would have been his third half-century for
the Strollers.
Nick
Logan was sent in at No 3 after declaring before the match that he would rather
be considered as a batsman. He looked solid for most of it, and appeared to be
the real deal when crashing one past mid-on for four, but it all ended when he
chipped one up in the air after (in his own words) ‘boring himself out’.
Oliver
was keen to keep the scoreboard moving, but gave himself a sensible couple of
sighters before letting loose and dispatching the ball to various parts of the
outfield. His demise was predictable though, holing one down mid-on’s throat
for a change. It had all been looking so comfortable.
Selby was
then star-struck by young Connolly’s flair and departed for nought. Wong
managed to get off the mark on his debut, but only went on to double his total
to two. Were the Strollers throwing the towel in once more in 2017?
Kelsey
and Daly then provided a much-needed stabilising partnership of 60, both
playing very sensibly and picking off the bad ball. The honour was not to be
theirs though. With three needed to win, Daly’s defence was broken and Colbeck
was sent in, having just started to remove his protective garments. Confident
in the knowledge that the two most experienced Strollers in the side were in
after him, glory beckoned and he attempted to snatch the spoils of war with his
very first delivery, only to be caught trying to clear the in-field.
In the
end, the victory was achieved by a tame four wides down the leg side, but it
was a fine win nonetheless and doubled the tally for the season so far.
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Mike
Pittams.
Match fees: Mike Loan. Match report: Tom Colbeck.
Arkley
Saturday
June 10 in Whetstone
Strollers won by three wickets
Arkley 190-7
(40 overs; Oliver 3-23, Simon Brodbeck 2-28, Nick Daly 1-10)
Strollers 191-7
(39.5 overs; Selby 56, Oliver 55no, Addis 36, Nick Daly 19)
A lovely
warm afternoon with gale force winds greeted the Strollers as they looked to
continue their winning streak of one. In what was no doubt a very rare
occurrence, all Strollers were all accounted for a good 30mins before the start
time, pleasing skipper Jono Addis who, after winning the toss, was able to
field knowing he had a full complement.
Ryan Duff and Nick Daly (who impressed in his
debut last week) got things under way and kept their bowling very tight to only
concede 30 runs in the first 10 overs. Nick took a nice c&b within these
overs while Duff consistently beat the bat but without any reward. Ben Rothberg
and Tom Colbeck took over the bowling duties and continued to keep it tight and
make runs hard to come by as Arkley went into the drinks break at a
conservative 75-1.
As Arkley started to take more risks to up
their run rate, half-chances kept falling just out of reach as the frustrated
Strollers couldn’t get their second breakthrough to help stymie the slowly
growing runs. It came eventually as the batmen attempted a suicidal single. The
ball luckily fell to Colbeck who unleashed a full-blooded throw to almost snap
the wickets in half to end a fine 119-run partnership.
Wickets were then picked up regularly to help
keep the runs down with opener Paul Lewis the pick of the batsmen, lasting
36 overs for his 81. A total of 189-7 was set with the godfather Simon Brodbeck
picking up two wickets while Glen “only throw me the ball at the end so I can
pick up some cheap lower order batsmen wickets” Oliver was memorably belted for
a six (a scrambled two with four overthrows) as well as Colbeck dropping a chance
(which had all the Strollers laughing except for Glen) to end with the best
team figures of 3-23 from six.
As the winds died down and after a very tasty
tea, Jono and Aidan Selby wandered out to the middle to get things under way.
Selby had declared he couldn’t do any worse than his four-ball duck the
previous weekend and so to his horror he watched as a low full toss on leg
stump (perfect for an opener to receive first ball of the innings) was flicked
straight to midwicket. To the astonishment of Arkley and gratitude of Selby, a
regulation catch was shelled and the Strollers were on their way.
It quickly became apparent why Arkley were so
tentative with their batting as the pitch was extremely slow and the ball
barely coming on to the bat. Addis and Selby struggled to get any timing with
runs hard to come by. Despite this, the bad balls were put away as the score
slowly moved forward with a decent opening stand of 85 in 17 overs. Jono was
first to fall, playing across the line and missing a straight one. Daly (Mike –
not to be confused with his brother Nick) making his debut looked rusty in his
first innings for many a year came and went fairly quickly for three.
Oliver was next in and was heard to still be
muttering “four overthrows”, “why can’t Colbeck catch them off my bowling?”,
“should have had a five-fer” which could have explained his first four balls:
inside edge, outside edge just short of slip, a swing & miss and then a
chipped shot just short of mid-off. Luckily he had Selby there to calm him down
and tell him to forget his blowing and concentrate on the batting.
Just as the Strollers were starting to look
comfortable at 127-2, a leading edge from Selby to mid-off left 64 needed off
16 overs with seven wickets in hand. With Nick Logan at No 5 and Duff padding
up at No 6 Selby confidently caught a quick shower.
"Changing your pads Duffers?” Selby
enquired of Duff upon exiting the shower only to be told he had already batted
and he no longer needed his pads. Being told that both Logan and Duffers were
bowled for a combined one run, Nick Daly was suddenly thrust into the middle
with wickets running a bit low and the run rate starting to climb.
Oliver and Daly crawled along and suddenly 30
off 30 were required. With a slow pitch and good straight bowling, Arkley
started to fancy pulling off the win. A timely six from Oliver relieved some of
the pressure before Daly was bowled with 13 required off 14 balls. Colbeck,
coming off a golden duck in his last game, lasted two balls this time before
losing his middle stump.
Ben Rothberg marched out as No 9 with both
Paul Wong and Brodbeck padded up if required to see the Strollers home. Some
hit-and-run batting and good scrambling running brought the game down to two
off two balls. As fingernails were being chewed and Logan having to relieve
himself numerous times, two byes off the penultimate ball saw the Strollers
rack up a much needed and, to be fair, deserved win. Oliver had brought up his
50 at some point but with the match in the balance and it being only Glen,
no-one really cared.
The teams retired to the local pub to
reminisce about a good close match with Colbeck trying his best to avoid eye
contact with Glen or show any pain he was in via a sore finger from dropping
the catch. It later transpired Tom had broken his finger in the attempt which,
I am sure, received all sorts of sympathy and no doubt a bouquet of flowers
from Mr Oliver.
Capt and wkt: Jono Addis.
Match fees: Tom Colbeck. Match report: Aidan Selby.
Warfield
Sunday June
11 in Warfield
Strollers lost by three wickets
Strollers 132
(38.1 overs; Mike Daly 50, Bedford 35, Andrews 10, Duberley 10)
Warfield 134-7
(32.5 overs; Duberley 2-20, Hodgson 1-12, Simon Brodbeck 1-18, Allsopp
1-23)
Having
heard about the nail-biting win over Arkley the previous day, the Strollers who
set off for a Sunday trip to the pleasingly-named Warfield CC did so with a
spring in their step. After all, the club was now on a two-match winning
streak!
With
chest appropriately puffed out at the toss, captain Jim Hodgson returned from
the square with news we would be making first use of the batting arena.
The wicket having received 60 minutes under a heavy roller that morning, this
seemed an agreeable state of affairs. As soon as the second over, this
theory was disproved as balls began to pop from a good length, and
alternatively grub low.
Few, if
any, of the Strollers involved in the fast-becoming-customary collapse could
blame their dismissals on the wicket, as the side fell to 46-5. It wasn’t
until James Andrews joined his new recruit Robert Bedford that a partnership of
note (a whopping 25) was forged. For those who had misread the team list
and become so excited at the prospect of playing with Robert Redford that
they had brought their DVD copy of ‘The Horse Whisperer’ to the match to be
signed, any initial disappointment was annulled by Bedford’s high elbow and
sensible shot selection. Opening the innings, Bedford’s 35 added
much-needed grunt to an otherwise anaemic scorecard.
His
departure brought another new recruit/wannabe film star to the crease in Mike
Daly. His introducer Nick Logan was heard to proclaim: “He’s got one of
those faces – he could play a movie villain of almost any ethnicity.”
When Logan gets around to publishing his coffee table book of aphorisms, this
one will surely feature prominently. After his brother Nick’s fantastic
debut the previous week at Bledlow, Daly was clearly feeling some pressure for
the mantle of ‘Best of the Daly Brothers’, and played an innings of real
purpose to regain his top perch. When he eventually holed out for an even
50, the Strollers innings was closed for 132, some 3.5 overs short of batting
out the allotted 40 overs.
The
highlight of an excellent tea was – for this scribe’s money – the homemade
flapjacks. Warfield’s opening bat was adamant that he had baked them
himself – an assertion his teammates greeted with howls of derision.
Handed
the new cherry by skipper Hodgson, Daly was unable to carry his hot form with
the bat into the bowling discipline and was initially wayward. Just when
the team began to worry he was slipping below Nick in the Daly sibling
rankings, he took the safety off his right arm and rifled in a direct hit from
fine leg to run out Warfield’s opening bat – who was perhaps too busy lamenting
his teammates’ lack of faith in his baking abilities to concentrate on running
between the wickets.
In
bowling his eight-over allocation in one hit, Simon Brodbeck was the pick of
the bowlers for roughly the 232nd time in his Strollers career, and finished
with excellent figures of 1-18 (beating the bat a further 15 times).
Daly was
replaced at the bowling crease by the inspirational sight of skipper Hodgson
trotting in from the 'uphill end'. Also parsimonious, Hodgson picked up
the third Warfield wicket to fall before pinging his calf and limping off in
search of ice. He was replaced by an excellent find in young Sam Duberley,
whose broad shoulders were adept at exploiting the wicket’s variable
bounce. Two breakthroughs for Duberley, and one (plus a run out) for the
economical Laurie Allsop, kept the Strollers in the hunt to the end.
During the 33rd over Warfield levelled the
scores on 132, leaving the Strollers just 38 dot balls (or a quick hat-trick)
away from a tie. Young Finlay Perrin exhibited a melodious voice and
never-say-die attitude in singing Journey’s classic club-banger ‘Don’t Stop
Believing’ as he ran in to bowl. It was not to be – a single to leg
immediately sealed Warfield's three-wicket victory – there would be no 'hung
match'. While the result may not have paralleled the General Election,
much of the story line was suspiciously close. After a batting
performance that was neither secure nor stable, the Strollers' bowling was led
by a bearded man and exceeded expectations...
One of the
tidiest Strollers fielding performances in recent memory – two run-outs and no
dropped catches – ensured a close match, deservedly won by our hosts.
Particular credit is due to Nick Logan and James Andrews for their excellent
recruitment, bringing star performers Daly, Duberley and Bedford into the
fold.
Capt: Jim Hodgson/Sam
Brodbeck. Match fees: Laurie Allsopp.
Wkt and match report: Mike Pittams
Westminster
Tuesday June
13 on Wandsworth Common
Strollers won by two wickets
Westminster 140-5
(20 overs; Alley 3-23, M Daly 1-8, Osborne 1-18)
Strollers 141-8
(18.2 overs; Osborn 54no, Pittams 19, Oliver 13, M Daly 10no)
The
midweek Strollers visited a sunlit Wandsworth Common to take on a Westminster
side keen to avenge their loss in last year’s fixture, where a rampant
Shannon/Swale combo had seen the team storm to victory.
Match manager Aidan Selby had clearly heard
that the opposition might be bringing something special for the fixture, so
appointed himself as skipper and made his way down to the ground several hours
in advance to conduct a detailed pitch analysis. Unfortunately his route took
him past the County Arms pub near the corner of the ground, so the only
analysis conducted ended up relating to the range of beverages on tap. He
promptly retired to the beer garden to contemplate his opening batting
partnership.
The remaining Strollers descended (read: got
there eventually, having had six players available at the allotted six o’clock
start time) on the ground, where Selby lost the toss and was asked to bowl on a
pitch that might charitably have been described as “variable”.
Selby, not content with being mere match
manager and skipper, also opened the bowling, seemingly operating on the logic
that stats don’t count if you don’t have a full team present. He has been the ultimate mystery man with the
ball this season, and proceeded to demonstrate why the selectors are as yet
unsure what to do with him. He sent down
a mixture of rank four balls, utterly unplayable yorkers and a smattering of
full tosses that sailed clean over the head of the somewhat bemused batsmen.
Mike Daly, fresh from scoring his maiden
weekend 50, opened with the ball at the other end with a wily spell consisting
of numerous changes of pace, and had just reward with the Westminster opener
well caught by Selby at point in his second over.
The boundary resembled an airport lounge for
nearly 30 minutes, with various team members arriving and frantically changing
into kit. One such arrival was Sam
Osborn, mercifully rescuing the skipper from having to bowl again. Osborn, despite coming off the back of what
he described as a “four-day bender in Portugal” (and with no warm-up
whatsoever) was quickly up to full speed.
Already rapid, he appeared to have developed an extra gear in the off season,
and bowled with genuine pace and bounce (if not accuracy) until he was
withdrawn from the attack amidst fears for the helmetless opposition’s safety.
The Strollers have been calling up the
reinforcements this season, and this match was no exception, with two more
debutants (Mitch Alley and Lee Merryweather) joining the famed ranks. Despite protests about rust (neither having
played this year), both were given a bowl, and Alley in particular proved a
revelation in a dashing knee brace and shorts, bowling two batsmen and
finishing with 3-23 off his four overs.
Nick Logan’s evolution as a slow bowling
exponent was also on display, and there is always a sense that something is
going to happen when he is introduced.
This certainly proved the case as his first three balls went 4, 6,
wicket to entertain the modest crowd.
The pick of the Strollers fielders was
undoubtedly poor keeper Mike Pittams, who endured a torrid time behind the
stumps dealing with the unpredictable bounce and, on many occasions, even less
predictable Strollers bowling attack.
The Strollers eventually completed their allotted overs at the cost of
140 runs, with more than 50 of those coming from wides and no balls. The selectors might be tempted to call for an
emergency net session in the near future.
The Strollers reply began with Hassan Hadi
and Pittams opening, with seven an over needed to win. Hassan departed early, deceived by a ball
that seemed to stick in the pitch even more than had been the case all evening. Pittams was joined by Osborn and started
strongly, striking three early boundaries to keep the run rate in check. Osborn played himself in nicely, defending
the good balls, collecting the singles and generally playing entirely sensible
cricket. Pittams then perished for 19,
unselfishly trying to up the scoring rate, which brought Mike Knowles to the
crease. Knowles also hit a quickfire 11
before losing his stumps trying to hit one out of the ground, bringing Glen
Oliver to the crease.
Normal midweek etiquette dictates that a
batter reaching 25 must retire at the end of the over in which they reach that
milestone. Oliver, spotting that Osborn was on 23, advised him to take a single
off the final ball of the 9th over and then get stuck in to the 10th. What resulted was possibly the most
astonishing over in 40 years of Strollers batting history. Osborn, having taken his single and now
swinging with the reckless freedom of a man with nothing to lose, launched an
all-out assault on the unfortunate Westminster bowler Olly Gibson.
He proceeded to smash an incredible five
consecutive sixes, interrupted only by fielders searching for the ball between
deliveries. The fielders gave up
searching after the 5th ball (the ball having been hit over a tree and beyond a
bowling green), and the replacement ball was mercifully bunted back to the
bowler for a dot ball. The end of the
over saw the Strollers 30 runs to the good, Osborn retired unbeaten after
scoring 54* off just 31 deliveries, and the match having swung emphatically in
the Strollers’ favour.
However, as the evening shadows grew and the
gloom deepened, the match wasn’t finished yet.
It seems to be the modus operandi for the 2017 Strollers to make every
match as nailbiting as possible, and this was no exception. Seemingly cruising
and well in control of the match, they lost Alley (2), Merryweather (0), Logan
(1), Oliver (13) and Selby (5) in the space of five overs, leaving specialist
scorer and No 11 Gary Ngo going from calculating stats to frantically looking
for pads within minutes.
However Daly, in at No 10, steadied the ship
and with Ngo for support, hit a nerveless unbeaten 10 to steer the team home
with an over and a half to spare.
Another win made it two on the bounce for the midweek side, who
celebrated by following Selby back to the County Arms for a final debrief.
Capt and match fees: Aidan Selby. Wkt:
Mike Pittams. Match report: Glen Oliver.
West Chiltington
Sunday June
18 in West Chiltington
Strollers lost by five wickets
Strollers 204-6
(40 overs; Timperley 58, Addis 50, Sam Brodbeck 32, Pittams 26no,
Swale 10)
West Chiltington 206-5
(37.1 overs; Sam Brodbeck 1-23, Patra 1-26, Timperley 1-29, Nick Daly
1-40)
The
Strollers descended on the fine setting of West Chiltington and Thakeham CC
with their picturesque ground and a magnificent clubhouse described by one
Stroller as Swiss ski chalet-esque - although the conditions were anything but
alpine as the mercury pushed past 30 degrees.
James Timperley,
controversially axed from the side for the Bledlow game, was reinstated as
skipper and negotiated a 40-over match and drinks at 15 and 30 overs due to the
scorching conditions.
Eric Swale, in
his first game of the season, and Jono Addis got the innings under way for the
Strollers but batting was challenging, facing the pace of Josh Reeves and Danny
Abbott. Reeves generated good bounce and
carry while Abbott was bowling a full length and both were difficult to get
away.
After a patient
innings Eric was caught miscuing a full toss to mid-on. The score was 26 in the eighth over.
Timperley joined Addis and the two put together a solid partnership of 62,
which included some textbook cover drives. Addis brought up his 50 but soon
after the leg spin of Moneydeep Singh had him edging through to the keeper.
Timperley and Sam Brodbeck continued working the ball around but the spin of
Ben Lucking and Singh made them work for the runs.
Timperley was
eventually caught behind for a useful 58. The 37th over, bowled by the
returning Reeves, caused considerable havoc to the Strollers innings. A mix-up
had Sam run out. Two balls later Tim Swan was run out and Richard Cummings also
had a similarly short stay when he was bowled.
But Mike Pittams was not put off and crashed balls to all parts and was
well supported by Mike Daly. The pair
scored 16 off the last over including a Pittams six over square leg into a
neighbouring garden.
A fine tea
including sandwiches, scones and fresh fruit was devoured (along with plenty of
squash) before the Strollers bowlers started their warm-ups. The general feeling in the camp was that West
Chiltington had bowled very well with minimal loose stuff.
Swan and Nick
Daly started with the new ball, Swan coming up the hill and then taking his
turn in the only shade at fine leg.
Daly, in particular, drew some false shots but West Chiltington openers
Gabriel Peck and Callum Wyatt were aggressive and were going along comfortably
at the required run rate when they tried to sneak a second run against
Sushant Patra, another of the 2017 EY recruits, fielding at square leg. He
claimed a direct hit which found Peck well short.
West
Chiltington’s No 3, the left-handed Singh, showed class as any width was
punished through the offside. Wyatt continued his big hits but Timperley
brought on the off-spin of Patra. A good
battle ensued. Patra eventually skittled Wyatt’s stumps and a powerful innings
of 42 came to an end.
But West
Chiltington’s production line of promising cricketers kept chugging on as
Reuben Taylor and Singh continued to keep out the good balls and put away
anything short and wide. Simon Brodbeck had little luck coming up the hill and
the returning Nick Daly tried the old Strollers trick of a full toss. Singh
blasted it to mid-on where Addis pouched. Timperley replaced Patra, and in his
first over took a return catch after Reeves found a leading edge.
Sam Brodbeck got
a rare bowl and collected a deserved wicket, and together with Timperley,
applied good pressure and reduced West Chiltington’s run rate. The fielding was
of a good standard and mention should be made of Pittams, who had a strong
display behind the stumps. But it was not enough - Taylor had found his groove
and accumulated a well-earned half-century as he saw his side home with three
overs to spare.
West Chiltington
were presented with the Marshall Cup as brief speeches from the captains spoke
of a thoroughly enjoyable game of cricket. We will do it all again in 2018.
Capt and match fees: James
Timperley.
Wkt: Mike Pittams. Match report: Tim Swan.
Tilburg Regents
Thursday
June 22 in Dulwich
Strollers lost by 14 runs
Tilburg Regents 155-4
(20 overs; Tom Wood 1-18, Oliver 2-13)
Strollers 132
(18.2 overs; Tom Wood 20, Oliver 21, Lowin 21)
The
Hamlet of Dulwich welcomed the Strollers on a muggy Thursday evening. The
Strollers had a somewhat 'scratch' look as they had recruited two players on
the day, one from the opposition.
Skipper Aidan
Selby, like his mate from the city of the future Glen Oliver, was unable to win
the toss and the Tilburg Regents opted to bat. Richard Keightley opened the
bowling for the Strollers and the Regents’ opener, Taylor, promptly laid into
his bowling in an agricultural but effective manner. One of these blows, while
well fielded by Oliver, left lasting evidence on his forearms. Keightley
eventually got his man Taylor. Gary Ngo, opening from the other end, also was
not spared punishment and the Regents were off to a flying start.
Selby then
introduced the new man, Jules Lowin, into the attack. Lowin, bowling falling
leaves, quickly ground the fast scoring to a halt and took a wicket. Tom Wood,
at the other end, also picked up a wicket. After a few accelerating overs from
Nick Logan, another new Stroller, Mike Cottee, was introduced to the attack.
Such was the force on Cottee’s first delivery that he tumbled over. After
righting himself, he then bowled a very tidy spell.
The bowlers were
well assisted by a committed fielding performance from the Strollers – despite
both Mike Loan and Ngo carrying injuries – not all heroes wear capes.
Selby then
introduced his trump card Oliver into the attack to bowl his “left-arm pies”
(fake news) who closed out the innings with a four-over spell of 2-13. The
Strollers were faced with an imposing target of 155.
The Strollers
were not off to a fantastic start as captain-fantastic Selby and Mike Knowles
both departed quickly. Wood and Keightley then started to put together a good
partnership. Wood, who made 21, showed his class with a few lovely shots but,
unfortunately, he and Keightley departed in quick succession. Oliver, who in
addition to his role of closer in the field has become “Mr Fixit” with the bat,
then began to rebuild the innings. Logan joined for a brief cameo but again the
Strollers lost two wickets quickly. It fell to debutants Lowin and Cottee to
rescue the Strollers and they gave it a good go with Lowin scoring 21.
However, they
were quick to pick up more established Strollers’ bad habits and could not
stick around. This brought an injured Loan, who was not supposed to bat, to the
crease. He blasted two quick sixes to give the Strollers on the sidelines some
hope – but lo, Mike’s heroic efforts were in vain.
But all was not
lost, the beer was cold at The Greyhound, there were free bar snacks and we
were all treated to another episode of “The MCC Rule App with your host Glen
Oliver”.
Capt and wkt: Aidan Selby.
Match fees: Tom Wood. Match report: Nick Logan.
Kempsford
Saturday
June 24 in Kempsford
Strollers won by 76 runs
Strollers 207-3 dec
(38 overs; Selby 101no, Sam Brodbeck 55, Loan 21, Oliver 17no)
Kempsford 131
(40.3 overs; Timperley 3-20, Simon Brodbeck 2-33, Oliver 1-9, Duff 1-17,
Patston 1-25)
For the
majority of the Strollers the Cotswolds tour began with some fine hospitality
and a ceremonial fire at the Patstons’ house in Bath. With Peter keen to clear his garden waste,
the Strollers were quite happy feeding his incinerator and seeing how big the
fire could go. Thankfully the call to
dinner kept things from getting out of hand.
Maggie’s amazing pie was complimented by all and fortified the team for
the weekend ahead.
It was a weekend
of sport, commencing early on Saturday morning with the Lions’ first test of
their New Zealand tour. Wagers were
placed, and loyalties called into question, but it was Ryan Duff who took the
honours with his pick of the winning margin to the All Blacks.
The Strollers
convened on the Kempsford ground, situated (much to the delight of the
supporting party) right next to The George pub. Kempsford’s Mark Strange quipped that he had
been coming here for 39 years, and “you don’t get that for murder”.
Captain James
Timperley lost the toss and the Strollers were put into bat under sunny
skies. Aidan Selby and Mike Loan began
proceedings on a very dry but testing deck, with the odd ball keeping low. Patience was required. Selby showed how it was done and punished any
loose ball to the fence. A couple of
quick wickets saw Sam Brodbeck join Selby and the start of a fine
partnership. Selby and Brodbeck rotated
the strike well and then went on the attack.
Brodbeck was eventually bowled on 55, leaving Glen Oliver to join Selby,
who played some cracking shots on his way to a well-deserved century. Timperley declared soon thereafter, with the
Strollers on 207-3 and Selby finishing on a superb 101 not out.
The Kempsford
opening batters showed plenty of resolve after the delicious tea, keeping Duff
and Richard Keightley at bay. Duff was
finally rewarded for his tight spell, and it was Peter Patston who conjured the
second wicket, but with Kempsford on 69-2 at drinks it was looking like an
uphill battle for the Strollers in this time-limited game.
The Strollers
kept the runs under control with some tight bowling from Oliver and concerted
efforts in the field, highlighted by Duff’s dives into the stinging
nettles. With eight overs to go
Kempsford were 110-4. At this point
Simon Brodbeck and Captain Timperley were bowling, and things were about to get
interesting. Timperley took a great
one-handed catch at mid-on, off Simon Brodbeck, and promptly followed it up
with two wickets in the following over, both bowled to Timperley’s turning
off-spin. Simon Brodbeck took another
and Kempsford were suddenly 120-8 with five overs to go. Now it was Oliver’s turn, who claimed a
wicket on his return to bowl and then teamed up with Aidan in the following
over to finish the game with a quick run-out.
An exciting
finish to a great start to the tour for the Strollers, who retired to The
George for a drink in the sun amongst good company. Capt: James Timperley. Wkt:
Aidan Selby.
Match report: Mike Loan.
Cricklade
Sunday June
25 in Cricklade
Strollers won by 79 runs
Strollers 252-5
(40 overs; Oliver 102no, Duff 57, Sam Brodbeck 35no,Timperley 17)
Cricklade 173-6
(40 overs; Simon Brodbeck 2-6, Selby 2-44, Sam Brodbeck 1-7, Timperley
1-34)
"Won by
79 runs.” So reads the scorebook, in a
bald statement which gives no idea of any dramas and tensions within the game
itself, nor of the underlying tour philosophy in which the game is played. For example, if you succeed by scoring a
century on day one, then you will be denied the opportunity to score another
one on the next day. On the other hand,
fail, then you will be given every incentive to fail again.
Thus it
was that Aidan Selby, Saturday's centurion, was able to develop his bowling on
the Sunday, whilst your writer seized with alacrity the chance to score two
ducks over the tour weekend. It's all for the good of the collective, and its
chief architect, Simon Brodbeck, was in charge to ensure it was impeccably
observed.
Batting first, on a newly laid wicket with
disconcertingly low bounce, the Strollers scored 252-5. At 26-3 they were in trouble, but a stand of
92 between Ryan Duff and Glen Oliver rectified the situation. Ryan's innings
was notable for being his first half-century for the Strollers, a statistic
which was greeted with great joy by his team-mates and supporters. His innings
of 57, which was peppered with boundaries (seven fours and one six) was
illuminated by lightning running between the wickets. As Shazza later said: “I
was very proud and on the edge of my seat about the running between the
wickets” (somewhat prescient considering he was run out). She felt that after “a slow start the energy
lifted” - advice of which we can all
take heed.
(It was good to see that, after Ryan had
broken a recently repaired bat, he was able to continue by putting Tom Wood's
bat to good effect, which sadly had not happened earlier in the innings).
Meanwhile, Oliver was powering his way to a
century (including 13 in the last over to reach his ton), making light of the
difficulties presented by the low bounce. He was helped along the way by James
Timperley's cameo innings of 17 and by Sam Brodbeck's elegant 35 not out.
Perhaps now is the place to record that the
spirit of how to play the game is of prime importance to the Strollers. During
our innings a watching member of the team opined that “there's something
ungentlemanly about running a second run to an old man in the field.” Considering
the age of some Strollers, we hope that other teams will share the same
sentiment.
So, Strollers took the field handicapped by
their policy on the collective; gun pace bowler Glen Oliver would not be able
to bowl. It was probably a good thing. Because of an injured left bowling
shoulder, he was only able to throw in from the boundary using his right arm,
which he was able to do rather well. (One was put in mind of Nottinghamshire's
Samit Patel who bowls left but throws right).
Cricklade scored steadily, but did not
threaten to get near the Strollers' large total. Chief wicket-takers were Aidan
(2-44) and Sam (2-6). Peter Patston
wheeled away for seven tight overs. The captain made a belated appearance.
Strollers won by 79 runs.
PS: Many thanks to all at Cricklade for their
generous hospitality.
Capt: Simon
Brodbeck. Wkt: Mike Loan.
Wandsworth
Thursday
June 29 in Wandsworth Park
Strollers won by six wickets
Wandsworth 84
(17.1 overs; Logan 4-22, Ngo 3-19)
Strollers 86-4
(15 overs; Juriansz 18no, Martin 17no, Keightley 17, Wood 13)
The
Strollers were once again at Wandsworth Park on a Thursday, this time against
the locals, Wandsworth. Yet again, Aidan Selby lost the toss and Wandsworth
elected to field.
Gary Ngo opened
the bowling for the Strollers and quickly exploited the variability of the
pitch, bowling the dangerous looking Cann with a grubber, for eight. Mike Daly
keep things tight from the other end and Ngo picked up another wicket with a
delivery which bounced only marginally more than the delivery which bowled
Cann.
As runs were
hard to come by, Selby thought it would be the perfect time to introduce the
slow-bowling-work-in-progress Nick Logan. Logan had success in his first over
with Mike Pittams taking a sharp catch behind. This brought Wandsworth’s
captain, Nash, to the crease but he had no luck as he was run out without
facing a ball by the lightning arm of Rory Wood and the cat-like reflexes of
Pittams.
Logan’s next two
overs brought three more wickets – two from rank/filthy/mucky/indecent full
tosses. Strollers debutant Steve Martin (no, not that Steve Martin, this Steve
Martin is from Tauranga) also took a wicket with his muscular left arm round
bowling and Mike Knowles got in on the action with a wicket of his own. Whilst
all of this was going on the Strollers’ honourable chairman, Kimball Bailey,
had arrived and was looking on with approval.
Captain Selby
shuffled his cards once again and introduced Keith Juriansz to the attack – who
took the last wicket of the innings with his first ball. Wandsworth had made
86, what would seem to be a below par total but the pitch had been variable at
best.
Rory Wood and
Richard Keightley opened the innings and had to deal with a lot of adverse and
unpredictable bounce. However, they were able to weather the initial storm and
began to profit from the bad balls. Captain Selby on the sideline was clearly
supremely confident because he disappeared and then returned with some cold
beverages.
Perhaps Selby
did not anticipate the perverse effect the sound of banter and beers from the
sidelines would have on Wood and Keightley as they departed the way they
arrived at the crease, together. Mike Knowles clearly did not want to be
dragged away from the beer as he quickly returned to the side as did Pittams.
Suddenly, it
appeared as if the hubris of Captain Selby may have led to the return of the
voodoo curse of early 2017. Luckily, debutant Martin along with Juriansz were
unaffected and guided the Strollers home.
Juriansz’s approach
was bold, full of vim and involved trying to whack the cover off the ball,
every ball. This resulted in a very entertaining innings, the highlight being
an enormous straight six, which made the New Zealanders in the crowd exclaim:
“Me oh my, I have enjoyed that, yes boy”.
The Strollers
then retired to the pub for the continuing series ““The MCC Rule App with your
host Glen Oliver”. Personally, the writer thinks this particular series jumped
the shark some time ago and this episode “the Double Hit Rule” failed to reach
the lofty heights of previous episodes but it’s still a ratings phenomenon.
Capt and match fees: Aidan
Selby.
Wkt: Mike Pittams. Match report: Nick Logan.
Peppard
Sunday July
2 at Peppard
Strollers lost by five wickets
Strollers 237-1
(40 overs; Selby 107no, Addis 94, Timperley 15no)
Peppard 239-5
(33.5 overs; Nick Daly 1-36, Sam Brodbeck 1-40, Rothberg 1-44, Simon
Brodbeck 1-51)
The
Strollers took a delightful Sunday drive to a beautifully sunny Peppard to play
a young and exciting team. With the match reporter trying to recover from the
heat with a drink of water, the Strollers won the toss and took to the crease
first.
The real action, however, had taken place
before the match had even started. Peppard’s Sri Lankan bowler Mr Satheech was
returning to action after earlier having his corner store stormed by an armed
gunman. Satheech decided that he was not to be taken advantage of and decided
that the fake gun the man was holding was worth snatching. He wrestled the gun
off the man, and turned it back on him, while they waited for police to arrive.
Mr Satheech was said to be shocked when he was told by officers that the gun
was actually fully loaded and very real.
After the Strollers openers faffed about with
lost socks, Aidan Selby and Jono Addis took to the crease. They started well
against a very strong bowling attack, with some fiercely quick openers, one of
whom bowled five overs for four runs, matched only by the energetic fielding,
with an impressive display of boundary prevention. Fending off some high, and
some swinging deliveries, the openers soon found their groove. A slow start
(3.5 runs/over after 10 overs) saw them soon pick up the pace. Nothing looked to trouble the openers, other than a
few dropped catches that Peppard would learn to regret.
Selby and Addis took the charge in overs 20
to 30, which saw them score at a blistering eight runs per over, taking their
partnership past 100 in the 23rd over, and also saw them both pass 50. There
was nothing between the batsmen at this stage, both knocking the ball around
sweetly.
Tom Wood enlightened the crowd by announcing
it was "a lovely day to walk around in white clothing".
Selby was pushing towards back-to-back
centuries when a tiring Addis decided he wasn't going to sit back and watch,
knocking 13 runs off six consecutive balls, before mistiming one to cover for
an outstanding 94, not long before the close of the innings.
During Addis's display, Selby brought up his
second century in as many innings, after a fine afternoon of well-timed shots
watched over by the beautiful red kites of Peppard. Addis's dismissal saw the
selfish openers make skipper James Timperley re-pad up after hours of admiring
the sport in his helmet. He did a fine job of seeing out the innings, despite
confusion when the keeper collected the ball in front of the wickets to effect
a stumping. Expert umpire Peter 'Eagle Eye' Patston made a fine decision to
give him not out. Outstanding innings from the openers, and a brilliant 107 not
out from Selby.
Chasing 238, Peppard introduced some high
quality openers, and Nick Daly stepped up with the new ball. In a bizarre first
over, Daly bowled a short wide delivery that deserved to go for four runs,
before watching Sam Brodbeck take a super catch in the covers to claim the
left-hander for a golden duck. After a few loose deliveries Peppard's star
batsman had a brain explosion, forgetting that the bowler can field too, after
calling for a quick single before Daly picked up the ball and lobbed the ball
at an awkward height to keeper Mike Loan who took the bails off. The next over
saw a sublime wicket maiden from Ben Rothberg, delivering a fine ball down the
channel and enticing the batsman into an awkward shot, which he clipped through
to Loan. Rothberg ensured no runs were scored from the rest of the over with
some tight bowling, and saw Peppard surprisingly at 4-3. Hopes were high.
Some more loose bowling from Daly saw Sam
Brodbeck into the attack. He kept the bowling tight, before ripping one through
the stumps to claim the fourth wicket. Peppard were struggling to hit
S.R.Brodbeck; 52-4 and things were still looking up.
However, the Strollers had realised they had
a handful at the crease in Fergus Nutt, who was beginning to find his stride. A
fine display of pulls and drives saw Nutt move the scoreboard along nicely for
Peppard, and the Strollers captain Timperley was struggling to find an
answer.
After trying the likes of David Kelsey, Peter
Patston and himself, Simon Brodbeck was the man who troubled the batsmen most
noticeably. Not long into Simon’s spell he had Peppard's star batsman Nutt
fishing, and would have landed him hook, line and sinker if it were not for the
lucky dropping of shots into space, metres from fieldsmen. Simon claimed the
wicket of Will Legg, the Stroller's fifth, with a tasty delivery straight
through the batsman.
At 148-5 the pair had put on 96, of which
Legg had scored 22. It showed how valuable Nutt's wicket would be, after he
went past his hundred after just 26 explosive overs. Things could still happen
from this position for the Strollers.
They didn't.
Unfortunately for the Strollers, that was to
be the end of the excitement, as more balls fell metres short of fieldsmen, and
Nutt decided to let loose a few slogs, as the boundaries came thick and fast
for the confident, young batsman. An excellent 172 not out saw Peppard over the
line, winning by five wickets, with 6.1 overs remaining. Although the extras
conceded by the Strollers only reached 19, it very nearly became Peppard's
second-top scorer. If you don't take the important wickets, it's very hard to
win.
A nice game of cricket, a great day out, and
even better beer and banter at the pub down the road while we all discussed
Addis's sunburn. He had omitted to wear his long-sleeve top while batting...shouldn't
have been out there so long.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Mike Loan.
Match fees: Tom Wood. Match report: Nick Daly.
LJ Clark
Thursday
July 6 on Wandsworth Common
Strollers won by five wickets
LJ Clark 146-6
(20 overs; Keightley 2-26, Ngo 2-20, Selby 1-21, Keith 1-24)
Strollers 147-5
(19.2 overs; Osborn 29no, Selby 29no, Pittams 24)
Thursday
6 July had been circled in match manager Selby's (or was it match manager
Oliver? It's hard to know the way those two share emails and possibly an address
- hard to know where one ends and the other begins. But hey it's a modern
world, and I'm a new age kinda guy, far be it from me to judge) calendar for
more than six months. Our rematch vs LJ Clark, to whom we lost last year, was
finally here. If we could just get redemption, power-couple Oliver-Selby could
finally stop the gnashing of teeth, loss of sleep and furrowed brows that had
afflicted them so whenever thinking of the match ever since.
The
Oliver half of Glaidan walked out to toss, to a largely inevitable result.
Death, taxes, and Oliver losing the toss, these are all things to set our
clocks by. Invited to make first use of the corrugated strip of turf/wicket,
the shiny pink Duke was commandeered by the strapping shoulders of young Sam
Osborn from the “where Tom had tied Oonagh up” end. What a physique. I'll have
what he's having. Etc. His first delivery, which the batsman was about four
seconds late on and skidded through at about shin height, taught us two things:
1) Osborn was still very lively, and 2) this was not a phenomenal strip.
Richard
Keightley opened from the other end, and was immediately in the wickets, foxing
the batsman into offering a return catch from his first delivery. Not content
with pouching the simplest of return-catches, Keightley ran 15 paces backwards,
sprinted forward, cartwheeled over the umpire's head, crawled under the
non-striker's legs, and took a diving one-handed Hollywood screamer.
"That'll get me a nice mention in the match report!" he purred contentedly
afterwards. Just 3.5 overs later Keightley had finished his job well with
figures of 2-26.
Osborn was replaced by a man blessed with
similar physical attributes, bowling action and fast-twitch fibres in Aidan
Selby. In possibly the most consistent bowling display of his career - barely a
beamer to speak of - Selby mixed the occasional four-ball with a probing line
and length - indeed identifying a certain area of the pitch offering
extraordinary bounce - making him tough to get away. He was rewarded with a straightforward
lbw decision from the umpire to finish with figures of 1-21.
The hero of the previous week, Nick Logan,
was looking a bit off-colour from the trees end, and seemed intent on ensuring
Selby's usual quota of beamers would not go undelivered. The same week that his
namesake Rieko 'Nicko' Loan was laid up ill in bed, was it coincidence that
Nick's bowling was below its best? Or are they indeed, as many Strollers have
long suspected, the same person?
The reliable Gary No-Go came on from the
Oonagh end to deliver the death overs, and immediately punctured the defences
of a batsman known simply as 'G' whose batting performance, while described by
his teammates as "chemically assisted", had thus far been lively and
competent. Captain Oliver congratulated himself on a timely bowling change,
while Gary muttered mutinously about going on strike if he doesn't get the new
ball next week. #drama. The highlight of an excellent spell from Gary was a
wicket maiden in the 19th over, giving him figures of 2-21.
Keith 'The Keith' 'Waka Nathan' Juriansz -
fast becoming a cult hero not just of FSSCC, but indeed the wider London
twilight cricket community, finished things off from the trees end with his
accurate off-spinners. After taking a wicket with his only delivery last week,
he struggled to maintain this level of statistical performance this time
around. Back to earth with a thud. But you don't become an All Black flanker
without being made of stern stuff: Big Keith still managed a wicket, and was
unlucky not to have a second. For more details question captain Oliver.
A solid bowling effort (with the
Strollers' usual obsessive flirting with the wide line costing us dearly)
up against some fine batting left us chasing 147. After tending to Oonagh's
needs, club treasurer Tom 'money Mayweather' Wood strode out to open the
batting with Mike Daly. Neither player would be wanting for motivation, with
Daly locked in a bitter fight with his brother Nick for the end of season 'Daly
of the year' award (which Nick Logan has now confirmed he will be donating),
and Wood eager to consolidate his position as “possibly everyone's favourite
FSSCC administrator”. Their partnership proved short-lived, with Wood smiting a
couple of mighty blows before departing. He was replaced by Mike Pittams, who
was twice dropped on his way to a merry 24. Logan and Oliver came and went
sooner than they would have preferred, and at 70-5 after 11 overs all did not
look well.
Nine an over required with half of the team
dismissed would be hard enough at the best of times, but LJ Clark had most
annoyingly discovered the perfect length to bowl on the wicket, producing
extremely inconsistent bounce and carry. Working around the regular unplayable
deliveries, Osborn and Selby came together and set about the bowling as best
they could. Their best was really quite good, as it happened. Osborn once again
showed his prowess playing in the V, and in due course was retired on 29.
Keightley strode out to the wicket to join Selby, who by this time had hit his
straps and was keeping us in touch with the asking rate. Nevertheless, with 29
needed from three a victory did not look likely.
No one had informed Selby of this, and he
proceeded to pepper the long-on boundary with powerful strokeplay. On to him,
the opposition strategically placed three fielders between straight hit
(ghastly poor form) and cow corner. Selby was undeterred, and went inside out
through extra cover. On a very slow pitch with horrifically inconsistent
bounce, this was a serious piece of strokeplay. Before I could even finish
drafting a soliloquy for it, Keightley had played the exact same shot for a
similar boundary, and by the time Aidan was retired the equation was six from
six. Only two were required, with Gary evading a beamer and Keightley shepherding
a ground grubber past the keeper for four byes to win the match.
Scenes of pure excitement and delight, especially for Oonagh, who really does
have a lovely character and just wanted to share in our joy.
Competition was not finished for the night, however,
with both teams repairing to the local pub for speeches and refreshments.
Conforming with the opposition's weekly ritual, skipper Oliver was asked to say
a few words and nominate a player and a dick of the day. After thanking LJ
Clark for a fine match played in excellent spirit, Oliver duly nominated
himself as dick of the day, and his partner Selby as player of the day (Osborn
having already departed). Their prize was to skull a pint against their LJ
Clark counterpart. Oliver went first and was pipped by a kitten's whisker by
the opposition opening bat who had been dismissed by Keightley's first ball.
Selby responsibly delegated his duty to Mike Daly, since he was driving home.
Daly came heavily talked up by Logan, but was beaten by a length. LJ Clark
gleefully informed us that we may have won the cricket, but had lost the
'overall' proceedings 2-1, and thanks for coming.
Thanks
for coming indeed; a fantastic win that will long live in the memory.
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Mike Pittams. Match
fees: Tom Wood. Match report: Mike Pittams.
The Cricket Society
Sunday
July 9 at Pinkneys Green
Strollers won by 54 runs
Strollers 191
(35.2 overs; Martin 67no, Cummings 18, Selby 16, Williams 15, Oliver
13, Winton 13, Duberley 11, Thomas Rothberg 10)
The Cricket
Society 137
(32.2 overs; Martin 3-17, Williams 2-14, Thomas Rothberg 1-3, Winton 1-11,
Duberley 1-22, Ben Rothberg 1-28, Macaulay 1-40)
It was a day of debuts at Pinkneys Green. The
Strollers welcomed the aptly named Cricket Society for the first fixture
between the sides. Our opponents’ website states that the society seeks to
“promote cricket in all its spheres”, and what better way to spend another
glorious sundrenched Sunday than out in the middle.
No less than three
Strollers made their full debuts this weekend. Steve Martin, fresh off a
Thursday night outing where he made an unbeaten 17 in victory against
Wandsworth, was joined by Stephen Winton and Thomas Rothberg. Readers may be
alarmed at the sight of another Rothberg on the teamsheet, but he quickly
allayed fears by holding the bat at the right end – he couldn’t be any
worse than his older brother…
Captain Glen Oliver
was left with an interesting dilemma with so many fresh faces, and quickly
turned introductory pleasantries into an interrogation of cricketing ability.
“Bat a bit, bowl a bit” was the common response and Glen was left to guess at
his preferred batting order. The skipper was pleased to win his first ever toss
(on the tenth attempt no less) and sent Mike Pittams and Richard Cummings out
to open the batting. The Cricket Society were sporting matching mauve caps, but
alarmed their hosts by having brought along their own umpire and a twelfth man.
They clearly meant business.
Those in the pavilion
regaled the debutants with tales of halcyon days on the Pinkneys track: double
centuries from Addis, record partnerships, par scores being 250+. It also
didn’t escape notice that Aidan Selby was on track for a third century in a
row, an opportunity to match his own record of the previous year. He didn’t
seem to welcome the attention.
The Cricket Society
opening bowlers were the classic mix of raw pace from Fenn, and accurate
persistence from Sheldon. Our openers did well to see off the first over for
eight, before Sheldon trapped Pittams with his first ball in the second over
for five. Thus Selby entered the fray, and he and Cummings set about building a
watchful partnership and did well to see off some good bowling from either end.
Unfortunately Selby wasn’t destined to make it three centuries on the trot and
was caught and bowled on 16 by Sheldon, who was rewarded for his consistent
line and length.
The top order had
done well to see off the opening attack, and as Oliver joined Cummings a change
of bowler brought a slower pace to proceedings. But after chasing a single, and
despite a heroic dive, Oliver was narrowly run out. Cummings was bowled
the next over, albeit for a watchful and well played 18. At 68-4 with 27 overs
still to go, the Strollers were seemingly struggling.
Thomas Rothberg and
Jon Williams started to re-build, the former playing watchfully and taking the
singles afforded by the field, while Williams played some eye-catching shots
including a huge six down the ground (he later confessed it was too hot to play
for singles and would rather hit it out the park for some respite!). Despite
the promising start, Williams missed a straight one and was trapped lbw by
Sheldon (the pick of the bowlers who finished on 8-0-30-3). Stephen Winton
joined Rothberg the younger, but meaningful partnerships were few and far
between, and both fell in consecutive overs with the score at 108-7.
Despite the low
score, the over brought Steve Martin to the crease, which proved to be
critical. Short cameos from Sam Duberley and Ben Rothberg followed and with the
score at 123-9 Alastair Macaulay joined the action. He played a very selfless
innings, ensuring Steve retained the strike and turned down several run-scoring
opportunities. This allowed his colleague to play some amazing shots,
emphatically taking the attack to the bowlers. Steve hit 64 runs in nine overs,
including 21 from one over which included three sixes from four balls. The
partnership brought 68 precious runs, and at one point the onlookers were
digging out record last-wicket partnership records. The innings was
brought to a close with Macaulay bowled by Fenn, but Martin’s unbeaten 67
rescued the Strollers to a competitive, if not below par, 191.
Buoyed by the final
wicket partnership, and having watched Moeen Ali rip through South Africa’s
middle order, Duberley and Martin opened the bowling. Both bowled with raw pace
and accuracy causing our opponents’ top order problems. The Strollers showed
commitment in the field, restricting scoring opportunities. Notably Thomas
Rothberg even chose to stop a drive with his face when it would have seemingly
been easier and less painful to have used his hands - clearly aiming to impress
and not what we have come to expect from his namesake.
With six overs gone,
the Cricket Society were pegged to 22-4, Duberley having claimed one wicket,
and Martin three including an excellent catch at slip by Selby. The Society’s
Hardy and Spencer added some much needed stability to their innings, and both
began to score freely, building a partnership of 54. The Strollers began to
worry, but two key wickets in three overs were vital. Macaulay took the wicket
of Hardy from a quick reaction catch by Williams at short gulley, who repeated
those heroics, claiming an edge from Spencer off the bowling of Ben Rothberg,
who delivered a wicket maiden.
Even at 93-6, the
Strollers remained focused, realising how quickly one can score on this pitch.
However, wickets continued to fall frequently. Williams took two victims, the
first courtesy of an amazing catch at square leg by Cummings, and Winton
claimed a wicket on debut, and should have had another save for a dropped
catch. Given the surprisingly adept fielding up to that point all was forgiven,
and Thomas Rothberg ended proceedings by trapping Symons lbw.
We retired from the
heat of the day to enjoy a refreshing pint, a little disappointed to have
missed the end of England’s demolition of South Africa. A satisfying result and
despite a slight misfire on the batting front (save for Steve Martin’s heroics),
an excellent display in the field won the day with every bowler claiming a
wicket. Promising debuts by all of the three who made their bow and we already
look forward to future performances.
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Mike Pittams. Match fees: Tom Wood. Match report: Ben Rothberg.
Ministry of Justice
Thursday
July 13 at Barnes
Strollers won by four wickets
Ministry of Justice 110-5
(20 overs; Alley 2-25, Juriansz 1-11, Ferrick 1-11)
Strollers 111-6
(15.2 overs; Loan 31no, Oliver 29no, Alley 15, Keightley 10no)
Fleet
Street headed to Barnes for their next assignment, a 20-over game against the
Ministry of Justice. The pitch was extremely flat and hard; runs were expected.
Richard Keightley was appointed skipper for the tie, his first opportunity for
the Strollers. Keightley could be heard before the game saying: “I’ll take a
bribe in return for overs bowled”.
The Ministry of Justice were struggling for
numbers so the Strollers offered to bowl first. Rory Wood and Paul Wong opened
the bowling - a similar partnership to Wasim and Waqar, although far more
menacing. They delivered tight early overs; the most excitement in the early
exchanges occurred when Wong threw his shoulder out delivering the quicker one.
Unable to make the early breakthrough, the
skipper turned to who else but Keith “Waka Nathan” Juriansz. After a spritely
start and with the opposition looking to force the pace, Juriansz snared the
first wicket. Captain Keightley experimented with the field, including
employing two gulleys at one point, a tactic seldom seen in the 20-over game.
The Strollers then began to take control with wickets falling regularly in
exchange for few runs. Sam Ferrick (1-11) and Mitch Alley (2-25) were the pick
of the bowlers, excelling during the middle overs.
There was some resistance from the Ministry’s
opening batsman. He was eventually retired for 36, much to the relief of many a
Stroller. A late cameo from the Ministry saw them finish on 110-5 after their
20 overs.
Having bribed Keightley appropriately, Glen
Oliver and Mike Loan strode to the crease. Loan found a friend in the field as
Ferrick, fielding for the Ministry, dropped a sitter. After the early
excitement both batsmen got a handle on the bowling, playing some exquisite
cross-bat shots on a Barnes surface which held no demons. They quickly entered
a duel as to who could retire at 25 first. The honours were even, Loan scoring
31 and Oliver 29, both retiring in the same over.
This brought two new batsmen to the crease,
Nick Logan, eager to maintain momentum, was out lbw swinging for the fences.
This triggered a collapse with the pitch no longer looking the batter-friendly
surface it had done earlier in the innings. Richie Stubbs was run out without
facing a ball while Mike Daly and Ferrick fell in quick succession.
Alley found the pitch to his liking and
dispatched the bowling easily for three boundaries. He was out going for one
too many. This brought out Wood, who did not trouble the scorers.
The Strollers needed to find a bit of
momentum to finish the innings. Up stepped captain Keightley and Juriansz.
These two enjoyed the occasion so much and felt that running between the
wickets was beneath them. They happily turned twos into singles, looking for
the boundary at every opportunity. Jurivich was particularly explosive,
looking for his favourite spot, - out of the ground over cow corner - on every
delivery. The Strollers secured the victory with a single and finished on 111-6
after 15.2 overs.
Having
thoroughly enjoyed the day out, The Strollers retired to the Red Lion for well-
earned refreshment and another instalment of "The MCC rules app with your
host Glen Oliver" - a ratings banker. Very few people were surprised to
see Oliver listed as the top earner at the BBC during the week.
Capt: Richard Keightley. Wkt: Mike Loan. Match fees: Glen Oliver. Match report: Mike Daly.
Prestcold
Sunday
July 16 in Binfield Heath
Strollers lost by one wicket
Strollers 196-3
(40 overs; Addis 58, Selby 53, Oliver 39no, Loan 24)
Prestcold 197-9
(39.2 overs; Colbeck 3-51, Duff 2-21, Wood 2-30, Nick Daly 1-29, Elton
1-44)
Geoffrey Chaucer's Middle English epic, Canterbury Tales, begins with a mention
of April showers. The great storyteller
might well have pointed out they are noted for appearances well into July, had
his hardy pilgrims taken a detour to watch cricket being played.
One wonders what they would have made of the modern
spectacle of a score or more white clad gentlemen gathered in an open field,
eyes raised to the grey heavens and sighing forlornly. A historical improbability,
of course – the first recorded mention of the sport was not until the
mid-1500s, some centuries later.
Fortunately, the Fleet Street Stroller pilgrims making the long trek to
Binfield Health in Oxfordshire in July 2017 had no such trouble; blazing
sunshine greeting the team upon arrival for the annual fixture against
Prestcold CC.
The Prestcold ground is something of a sporting
curiosity, a sizeable tree taking pride of place only yards behind the bowler
at the clubhouse end. Returning players
noted that as the pitch was in a different part of the wicket block this year,
it had effectively moved from mid-on to mid-off. At least one was rumoured to have had his
protractor and compass out, pondering how this might impact on their batting
strategy of aerial assault on the local bowlers.
Modern history will record that Strollers captain Jono
Addis won the toss, and after a brief moment of contemplation, elected to
bat. As he was overhead to remark
afterwards, nine times out of 10 the Strollers will choose to bat first, the
other time the skipper will think long and hard and then probably bat. Having made his choice, Addis was seen
applying sunscreen and describing his mood as “lackadaisical” as he settled in
to watch the fireworks promised by the opening partnership of Mike Loan and
Aidan Selby.
However, the Prestcold track had other ideas, and it turned out an omen of
grave portent for the Strollers that Loan got off the mark second ball with a
delicate French cut for one from a ball that kept very low. The opening bowlers held an exceptional line
and length, and aided by rather unpredictable bounce, restricted the pair to
just 16 from the first 10 overs.
Selby was the more assertive of the two but
encountered little luck with placement, hitting at least a dozen balls at the
cover fielder. Even such an accomplished
wordsmith as Chaucer would have been baffled on more than one of those
occasions; an unusual but effective sliding Kung Fu kick fielding technique
preventing many singles.
A change of bowler after consecutive eight-over spells from the openers brought
a change of pace and a barrage of shorter pitched bowling. Loan, having seen off the openers, sensed
opportunity but caught a top edge and departed having made his way to a
watchful 24.
Addis, rousing himself from his sideline slumber, was next up. A circumspect start to get the measure of the
pitch kept his wicket intact and saw the team to 64-1 at drinks. However, immediately after the break, he and
Selby picked up the pace, hitting 15, 16, 9, 6 and 10 off consecutive overs
after drinks to begin the fightback amidst what remained generally tight
bowling. Selby often took the aerial route and lived something of a charmed
life, being dropped twice on his way to a well grafted 53 before being well
caught at point.
Glen Oliver was in at four, and joined Addis in trying to pick up the
pace. The skipper continued what has
been a remarkable run of form, having reached a half -century in six of his
seven innings this season. This match
was to be no different, Addis hitting seven boundaries in reaching an excellent
58. He selflessly perished trying to
ramp to a vacant fine leg with an over remaining and missing a straight one.
Oliver closed the innings with a typically aggressive
run-a-ball 39 (one six missing a parked car by mere inches), but never really
dominated. It was perhaps a measure of
the quality of the bowling that this was probably his slowest ever innings for
the Strollers.
The Strollers innings closed at 196-3 after their
allotted 40 overs, at which point the team descended on the clubhouse for a
veritable feast. The opening bowlers,
failing to avoid the temptation presented by alluring jam tarts, were overhead
cursing their misfortune at having signed up to a team who habitually bat
first.
The Prestcold reply got under way with Ryan Duff,
fresh off a certifiable attempt to effectively circumnavigate Wales on foot,
producing an exhibition of line and length to complete an unbroken eight-over
spell of 2-21. Rory Wood proved a more than adequate foil, completing a tight
opening spell and being unlucky not to have a wicket to his own name.
Wood was replaced by Tom Elton, making his season
debut in mid-July on account of his own endurance event training (this may well
have been the fittest Strollers team ever).
Elton, despite struggling early with his run-up and length, was the
quickest of the Strollers by some measure, a number of deliveries beating the
outside edge. He claimed one wicket early (a sharp catch at gully by Addis) and
always looked threatening.
Prestcold went to drinks three down and just shy of
halfway to their target, with the match delicately poised and getting
progressively more exciting for neutral observers (a group comprising solely of
horses at very deep midwicket). Unfortunately much of the excitement
immediately before and after the break was not of the variety the Strollers
would have preferred; a number of sharp chances being grassed and run-outs
missed.
Under darkening skies, Addis knew his best chance at
victory was to bowl the opposition out, with Nick Daly, Richard Keightley and
Tom Colbeck all taking to the attack with that aim in mind (Oliver, playing as
a batsman on account of shoulder injuries sustained at Kempsford, was of little
assistance to the skipper other than to demonstrate perfect “harbour bridge”
fielding technique on at least one occasion). Colbeck in particular had success
with a mix of flight and steep bounce, claiming three crucial wickets.
As the match edged towards its conclusion, the run
rate crept up, catches started sticking, the Strollers had their tails up and
the scoreboard increasingly reflected a tight match: 177-6, 179-7,
181-8. Wood, brought back into the
attack with exactly 10 seconds' notice, picked up another and suddenly it was
195-9 with six balls remaining and all bets off. Colbeck had the unenviable
task of bowling the last over and despite his best efforts, Prestcold scratched
out the two singles needed to reach the target with just four balls remaining
to conclude an amazing match.
It is an interesting question whether Chaucer would
have included the tale of a cricketer in his compilation had he had the
opportunity. In any case, his watching
pilgrims would have continued their travels satisfied they had indeed witnessed
a fine game of this curious sport called “cricket”.
Capt: Jono Addis. Wk: Mike Loan. Match
fees: Ryan Duff. Match Report: Glen Oliver.
Montagu Toller
Tuesday July
18 at Barnes
Strollers won by five wickets
Montagu Toller 112-5
(20 overs; Williams 1-7, Alley 2-20, Nick Daly 1-21)
Strollers 113-7
(18.5 overs; Williams 35no, Mike Daly 24no, Oliver 17, Keightley 11)
Montagu Toller’s Occasionals Cricket Club are
old friends of the Fleet Street Strollers, having last played the touring team
many years ago in France. The Tuesday night game was the first meeting between
the teams on home soil and was a great game to finish the Strollers 2017
midweek season.
Monty Toller (1871-1948) was a member of the
gold medal-winning Great Britain cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the
only time cricket has featured in the Olympics. In the only game against France
he scored two runs in the Great Britain first innings and did not bat in the
second. He took seven wickets for just nine runs in the French second innings.
The Strollers performance was a fitting
tribute to Monty with a bowling and fielding performance that the captain
described as "playing like a real cricket team", followed by a
batting display that any Under-11 coach (such as your author) would recognised
only too well.
The game was played at the Barn Elms Sports
Trust ground, and as usual the teams arrived to find a good pitch with stumps
in place and little white flags on the boundary. Pre-match introductions were
led by the splendidly attired FSS Chairman, Kimball Bailey, who then retired to
the scorebook while Strollers captain Glen Oliver led his men into the field
after the traditional losing of the toss.
Lachlan Williams and Richard Keightley opened
for the Strollers with a very tight spell. Only 13 runs were scored off the
first five overs, with the MT No2 run out, and only 25 off the first seven with Mitch Alley taking a catch off Williams.
Richie Stubbs and Alley replaced the openers and the tight bowling continued
with the score reaching 48-3 after 12 overs with Mike Daly taking a catch off
Alley. Alley soon picked up his second wicket with a well judged slow bouncer
that the surprised batsman could only edge into the gloves of Mike Loan behind
the stumps. The Tollers picked up the pace when Nick and Mike Daly came on to
bowl, making use of the short boundary on one side of the pitch. After a
retirement, the Tollers' captain, Jonathan Ralph, was bowled by Nick Daly, and
the innings soon finished on 112-5 after 20 overs.
Despite being an overcast evening, the
Strollers were confident of knocking off the runs, but the Tollers’ opening
bowler had other ideas, sending the Strollers openers, Mike Beale and Loan,
back to the pavilion in the first two overs. Sharp fielding put paid to Mike
Knowles and Oliver and when Nick Loan and Alley were caught in consecutive
overs, the score was 35-6 after nine overs. The revival was started by
Keightley and Williams and after Keightley was stumped and Williams retired,
the Daly brothers continued to find the boundaries until the winning run was
scored with an over and a ball to spare in the fading light.
Both teams retired to the Red Lion next to
the ground, where the history of the Monty Toller Cricket Club was explained by
their captain, but that is a story for the Chairman's next novel...
Capt and match fees: Glen
Oliver. Wkt: Mike Loan. Match report: Richie Stubbs.
Bank of England
Saturday
July 22 in Roehampton
Strollers lost by seven wickets
Strollers 122-3
(20 overs; Tom Wood 77no, Grigor 22, Keightley 15)
Bank of England 123-3
(18 overs; Keightley 2-6, Nick Daly 1-20)
It looked
bleak from the start for this Saturday fixture
in Roehampton in late July.
Dread and foreboding (a terrible mixture)
were invoked by the dark stormy sky.
By midday it was drizzling
the Strollers’ enthusiasm was fizzling
but ‘play on!’ was the home team’s cry.
So
assemble they did, our FSSCC
innings shortened to account for the rain.
Perhaps it was the tea (or dreams of a century)
that encouraged them to Priory Lane.
For his commute Nick Daly chose jandals
wet conditions they do not handle
he was lucky to avoid an ankle sprain.
Cricket?
Of course, great batting ensued
Tom Wood had no distraction from Oonagh.
Boundaries were smashed, 77 runs he accrued
including one six that nearly went lunar.
While conditions were dank
Wood led strongly against Bank
And thoughts were already on the post-match schooners.
But his
companions fared worse, they could not brag:
Robert Bedford was swiftly bowled by Nag;
Soon after followed Keightley
who was caught behind quite neatly
leaving Peter Grigor to pull something out of the bag.
Alas,
flat shoes plus a slippery pitch
left poor Peter with a totter and a teter.
Do you imagine running went without a hitch?
Not by any means, for the latest Fleet’er.
He eventually succumbed. Run out by a metre.
And so to
the crease, came feisty Nick Logan
his last game before joining the Hutt bogans
Two days later: off home via the scenic route
he finished his career with a 3 not out.
The
Strollers had reached 122 for 3
could they win? There was no guarantee.
First to
strike was young Daly, Nick
second over: batsman caught nice and quick.
But a
drought (really?) followed for 17 more:
Bank were racking up a very tidy score.
Colbeck,
Macaulay, Brodbeck and Wood (version: Rory)
could not break through to snatch that sought-after glory.
Some
entertainment however, when elder Daly, Mike
Got airborne in the corner (where were his spikes?)
Down to
the wire, back came Keightley
he managed to sneak two balls through discreetly.
The partnership fell with a clutter of stumps
could the Strollers still come up trumps?
It was
not meant to be, as with two overs remaining
Bank took the trophy: for three years they’re now retaining.
And so to the clubhouse the two teams retired
to recount over an ale how the result had transpired.
Capt and match fees: Tom
Wood.
Wkt: Rob Bedford.
Match report: Richard (Shakespeare) Keightley.
Central Brittany
Saturday
July 29 in Silfiac
Strollers lost by seven wickets
Strollers 105
(28.2 overs; Oliver 21, Macaulay 17, Tom Wood 15, Samuel 14)
Central Brittany
106-3
(20.5 overs; Patston 1-11, Oliver 1-14, Hodgson 1-23)
In the wake of the closure of the
Sangatte refugee camp at Calais - commonly known as The Jungle - many would-be
immigrants have been scattered throughout France.
Some of them ended up near
Pontivy, and Central Brittany CC knows an opportunity when it sees one. In a
display of inclusivity and general humanity which could serve as an example to
others, the club has welcomed with open arms an array of Afghanistani
youngsters who are fit, keen and talented. The club now actually has to drop
players for some fixtures, which seems hardly fair on the opposition.
What's really unfair, of course,
is the young bit. And the fit bit (see what I did there?). And, of course, the
talented bit.
The Strollers had arrived in
France, as is their wont, in dribs and drabs (and, indeed, bits and pieces).
Evan Samuel, Tom Wood and Alastair Macaulay golfed their way down the coast.
Jim Hodgson and the Perrins were at the start of their French holidays. The
Patstons and Taylors rose at 3am in Bath to begin their journey to arrive in
Pontivy in time for wine, beer and crepes. The Morgans arrived with
Buster, the world's noisiest dog. The Kiwis Aidan Selby and Glen Oliver flew in
to Nantes. The Brodbecks had a comparatively relaxing time, staying at a
favoured B&B nearby.
It was while sitting in the Grand
Cafe bar for those first all-important beers that it became apparent that
the team's youth policy included Mr Wood (aged 49). Only the inclusion of Fin
Perrin, aged 11, brought the team's average age down to something over 52.
Without him it was about 56. And that's not including Samuel's knees.
Still, the ageing process has
some advantages and the team was generally all well abed before 1am on the
first night. Surely this boded well.
Alas, no.
Cozened into batting first at an
agreed toss, skipper Brizey Taylor sent out Wood (youth policy No1) and
Mike Morgan to face. Wood looked in good touch; Morgan, on the other hand, got
off the mark by edging through slips and then, in a burst of good will,
repeated the shot in the next over to be out for one. Not to worry; cometh the
hour, cometh the Selby (youth policy No2).
Four balls later, exit the Selby,
going back to a ripper of a ball and bowled through the gate. Enter Oliver
(YP3)...
Tom and Glen worked the ball
around against a very decent attack, and in all honesty looked in little
trouble, putting on 41 runs and calming nerves. But then, caught in two minds,
Wood popped a simple caught and bowled back to Alexander, and departed,
furious, for 15.
Samuel joined Oliver and many
calming words were spoken, about taking time and settling down. Two runs later
Oliver chased an innocuous wide ball from Alexander and off he went.
Taylor joined Samuel and a small
period of consolidation followed, the pair putting on 27 with a mixture of grim
defence (Taylor) and optimistic swings (Samuel). However, the hosts had many
options and one, Nasir, ended the partnership. Originally marking out a long
run, he was persuaded to bowl off-spin instead and got both players, Samuel
with a fizzing top-spinner for 14 and Taylor neatly caught for six. If that's
his second discipline he must be lethal off a long run.
Hodgson played him well, staying
back and nudging singles, before angrily holing out to Haseem. Fin Perrin
(YP4) looked good but fell to an excellent catch as he tried to smash a pull
through midwicket; Peter Patston was becalmed and admitted he was struggling
with his batting.
The only late highlight was
Macaulay, who cheerfully smashed 17 runs off 14 balls to make everyone else
look a bit silly.
Grand total: 105. Top scorers:
Oliver and extras, both on 21. It was never enough. The hosts' bowling and,
particularly, fielding had been exemplary - they never looked like dropping a
catch and their ground fielding was superb.
With somewhat limited bowling
options, Taylor started with Hodgson and Samuel against a pair of openers
who believed the best form of defence was offence. They were right. Hodgson
managed to get rid of Mousa, courtesy of a Wood catch, but came off after three
overs of Momo thrashing cost 23 runs. Samuel lasted seven overs, but the one
chance offered fell between fielders and his last over was caned for 16 runs (a
grim portent of the horrors awaiting him the following day) in 0-31.
Oliver, testing out his damaged
shoulder, did what he does so well, taking 1-14 - the dangerous man of the
match, Momo, lbw for a mighty 63 - off his seven overs and deserving more.
With nothing to defend, Morgan's leg-spin was ineffective; Patston fooled
Snelling into missing a double-bouncing ball for a Selby stumping; and Finbar,
who had run himself into the ground, then had to watch the old people not do
the same for him in his one over.
A comprehensive seven-wicket loss
to a team who were far better on the day, then, leaving the Strollers with only
the consolation of an excellent meal that night to celebrate the Patstons' 40th
wedding anniversary.
Not a great day, but Central
Brittany were excellent hosts and the game was played in great spirit. Chatting
to a 19-year-old, who apart from being a good cricketer, speaks seven languages
and has an optimistic view of the world despite years in refugee camps, puts a
mere game into some sort of perspective.
Capt: Brian
Taylor. Wkt: Aidan Selby. Match report: Evan Samuel.
Cricket Club Des
Ormes
Sunday July
30 in Epiniac
Match abandoned
Des Ormes 267-5
(35 overs; Morgan 1-32, Oliver 1-34, Hodgson 1-43, Samuel 1-67)
Strollers 135-2
(18 overs; Oliver 45no, Selby 35no, Taylor 26, Tom Wood 19)
The Domaine des Ormes is rather
like Center Parks, with all manner of family activities, accommodation ranging
from camping to elaborate tree houses and a golf course - but with the addition
of an attractive 18th century chateau and a more modern cricket ground on its
doorstep. Tourists from last year knew the artificial track favoured the
batsmen and the hard flat outfield could mean a good deal of fetching the ball
from the woods flanking the ground.
The Strollers arrived following the 90-minute drive north from
Pontivy to find David Hird, Mr Cricket in these parts, setting up the tea tent.
Apart from David the opposition were thin on the ground, so skipper Mike Morgan
agreed to let them bat first - not least to ensure that David would be able to
organise the tea! Eschewing the easy option of wearing trainers on the
artificial track, Simon Brodbeck decided now was the time to perform the fiddly
task of swapping spikes for rubber studs. So, after a minor delay, Evan Samuel
(Chateau end) and Jim Hodgson (fishing and duck lake end) opened the bowling.
Things started well with Evan bowling tightly, but the aggressive
Hamied took a shine to Jim, so after three overs Mike replaced him with his own
leg spin. Good plan, as Hamied perished for a brisk 28 to a good low catch by
Jim at deep midwicket. In the ensuing huddle Mike gave insight to his
captaining philosophy: "If you try a lot of things some of them will
work".
The left-handed Rana came to the wicket and picked up where he
left off last year when scoring an unbeaten 72. He kept the good balls out and
dispatched the less good ones, mainly for fours. At the other end, Hird induced
cries of anguish from Glen Oliver as his two-pace missiles did everything bar
hit the stumps or find the edge. Eventually, David did the decent thing and
played on to Glen, but not before he had made a valuable 45.
Out strode young Asad, making it one eleven-year-old per side.
Alastair Macaulay put to one side his penchant for claiming the wickets of
Frenchmen and children in an effort to keep Asad at the crease and the run rate
down. All went well until Jim, in a moment of rash accuracy, ran out the
youngster with a direct hit.
Wayne Akroyd was next in. A tall, broad Yorkshireman who, by
unlikely coincidence, had been taught to play cricket by Finlay's grandfather
at Spen Victoria CC. Having played as a bowler in county age group sides and
the Yorkshire leagues, he clearly knew which end of the bat to hold too and he
deposited the unlucky Simon for a sizeable six off his third ball. Meanwhile
Rana passed 50, and was heading quickly towards a century when the returning
Evan bowled him for an excellent 81. A second coincidence was uncovered among
the supporters where Jo discovered she and Natalie, Akroyd's girlfriend, had
both attended Crossleys Grammar School in Halifax.
Thoughts that the new batsman might have a look before trying to
push the score on were wide of the mark as he was Madu Bala, scourge of all
Strollers bowlers over the previous two Brittany tours. The next two balls
almost equalled Evan's total in his first four overs as two huge straight sixes
followed, the second ending up in the distant lake. The only positive was that
Buster was able to retrieve the ball and go swimming at the same time. Evan
received some brutal tap, mainly from Balla. His first four overs went for 15,
his last three for 52. This wasn't buffet bowling but classy, aggressive
batting.
Not to feel left out Jim, back for three overs at the end of the
innings, was hit for a monstrous six over square leg by Akroyd, followed by
another in his next over. Akroyd obligingly played on soon after, attempting to
put the ball over the chateau. His 41 was rapid but not quite as rapid as
Bala's 48 from 16 balls, leaving CCdO on an impressive 267 off their 35 overs.
It should be noted that during the onslaught one Stroller ran
twice as far as the rest of us put together in the field, displayed a sound
long barrier to firmly hit strokes and prompted Evan to comment: "I wonder
what it's like to actually want to run everywhere?" Stand up Finlay
Perrin.
While a fine tea of cold meats, cheese, baguettes, cakes and fruit
was being taken Strollers wondered who would open the sizeable run chase. The
skipper chose Brian Taylor and Tom Wood for the job, and they set about their
task with relish. Brian's fine technique was in evidence against the distinctly
nippy Mustapha, and both batsmen punished anything short or wide. The
scoreboard ticked over nicely, and the 50 partnership was passed in the eighth
over - but then double disaster struck as Brian (26), and Tom (19) fell with
the score on 53.
Aidan Selby and Glen Oliver continued the good start, and rattled
along, hitting many boundaries and running the ones and twos well. The 100 was
passed in the 14th over and things were looking good. Aidan survived a
confident caught behind shout; Peter Patston considered the appeal then
signalled a wide.
While all was proceeding well on the pitch, it wasn't in the
skies, as steady rain started to fall. After 10 minutes or so, the players took
shelter under the trees, and the crowd in the tea tent, waiting for the brighter
skies to reach us. They did, the rain eased and play resumed - but sadly only
for about seven minutes before the steady rain returned. With no bright horizon
in view, the captains agreed to abandon the match, as both the wicket and
outfield had become very slippery.
Mike awarded our tour cap to Rana for his fine innings. Thanks
were given to David for rustling up a good tea, to Maggie for fine colourful
scoring and to our happy band of supporters for supporting.
As we reconvened in the hotel bar for pre-dinner drinks with some
of the opposition, the sun broke through to herald a beautiful evening, another
round and an opportunity for Finlay to don his swimmers and jump in the pool.
Dinner was notable for two things: Firstly Aidan had been researching Duckworth-Lewis
calculations online and announced we would have won the game by 27 runs if we'd
agreed DL upfront; and secondly, Maggie wore a beautiful ruby and diamond
necklace Peter had given her to mark their anniversary.
Allez Les Strollers.
Capt: Mike Morgan. Wkt:
Aidan Selby. Match report: Jim Hodgson.
Hurley
Sunday
August 6 in Hurley
Strollers won by 186 runs
Strollers 243-2 dec
(34.3 overs; Addis 129no, Selby 57, Low 38)
Hurley 57
(32.4 overs; Macaulay 4-3, Keightley 3-5,Duff 1-12)
Pleasant temperatures and surroundings greeted the merry band of
Strollers as they congregated at the Berkshire home of Hurley CC. The adjoining
settlement of Hurley is the home of The Olde Bell - reputedly the oldest
still-working guesthouse in Britain (parts of the inn date to 1135, when it was
the hostelry of Hurley Priory) and in view of the old manor estate of Hall
Place (1728, now the home of Berkshire College of Agriculture). If this didn’t capture
the attention of the kiwis among the playing XI, the grazing sheep frolicking
in the adjacent paddocks may have drawn a flutter…but we digress…cricket has
been played in Hurley for over 100 years.
To the toss, and another inevitable failure to call correctly for
Glen Oliver, who did offer the toss to the opposing captain on route to the
middle, having successfully called only once in 11 previous occasions this
season.
Openers Jono Addis and John Low wasted little time, establishing
momentum from the get-go, racing to 52 after 10 overs, running a depleted home
side around the roomy and quick pacey outfield, and capitalising on anything
straying from a good line or length.
It appeared to be an enjoyable return to the cease for Low,
freeing his arms and slapping the ball straight, or up, over or through the
mid-wicket region. A change in bowlers and the introduction of a couple
of keen Strollers onto the field paused progress for a few overs, but the pace
increased again – Low and Addis (building in fluidity) took the Strollers to 99
at drinks after 20 overs in this timed fixture.
Progress resumed until the over 25, with the score on 111, unlucky
for Low on this occasion, who played on. Having made his first appearance since
breaking his wrist on August 12, 2015, v The Wandsworth Planners, his score of
38 was his highest since his monumental match-winning 86 not out v West
Chiltington in 2004.
An intent Aidan Selby entered the fray, finding the rope
immediately and with frequency, slashing and swatting anything astray. Addis
continued to accelerate “doing the development members in the side a favour” –
piling on 87 runs in the following six overs. Selby reached his 50 in 21 balls,
before falling to a typically theatrical catch by fielding substitute Ryan
Duff having nurdled a leading edge to mid-off, with the score at 198. Oliver
joined Addis in the middle, who was now running riot, raising his bat for a
well deserved century, and carrying his bat for the innings, making an
impressive 127. Captain Oliver declared at 243-2 after 34 overs.
Players were treated to a veritable smorgasbord – sandwiches of
every description, catering for all tastes and preferences. Simply marvellous.
Duff and Steve Martin opened in the defence of what the hosts
deemed to be an above average total, Martin settling on line and length
straight away. Duff eventually adjusting his line to the left-handed opener
Kayani, finding his inside edge onto the woodwork. An early change and the
other end brought Alastair Macaulay to the bowling cease. He proceeded to rip
the heart out of the top order, taking wickets in his second, third, and fourth
overs – the home side reeling. Macaulay was cruelly denied an opportunity for
his michelle, finishing with 4-2-3-4.
The middle order pair of Mike Walton and Nigel
Haines resurrected the innings for the home side, but going was slow, due
to tight bowling spells from Simon Brodbeck and Peter Patston, conceding a
penny-pinching 29 runs from 15 overs bowling in tandem. Richard Keightley and
Selby provided mild amusement in the middle overs, with some horrendous returns
to the keeper...well, intended for the keeper.
Rory Wood replaced Patston, while Keightley traded duties with
Brodbeck. Keightley made an immediate impact, picking up wickets in consecutive
balls, ending Walton’s stubborn resistance, nicking behind to Addis, and
trapping Akram first ball. Wood bowled beautifully at the other end, conceding
only six runs in his five-over spell, but it was Keightley who stuck the final
blow, removing McDermott lbw. His spell of 2.4-0-5-3 was his best Strollers
bowling, beating his 1-18 v Roehampton at Putney in 2017.
So ended a comfortable victory for the
Strollers, who retired to the clubhouse to share Rebellions in the warmth of
the late afternoon sun.
Capt: Glen
Oliver. Wkt: Jono Addis.
Match fees: Aidan Selby.
Match report: Ryan Duff.
Fulmer
Saturday
August 12 in Fulmer
Strollers won by six wickets
Fulmer 205-9
(40 overs; Usher 4-15, Crocker 2-34, Rice 1-3, Allsopp 1-13, Elton
1-19)
Strollers 206-4
(37.3 overs; Selby 51, Usher 45no, Addis 35, Crocker 30no, Elton 22)
For Manoj Reddy, a late recruit to the
Strollers playing his first game in England, the match at Fulmer was about as
good an introduction to English club cricket as he could have wished: decent warm
weather with bright sun later on, a beautiful, well-kept ground, competitive
but friendly opposition - and a decent tea to boot. And his team ended up
winning comfortably after a strong batting reply to quite a demanding total.
Fulmer won the toss and not surprisingly
opted to take first go on a lovely track. Only three balls into the innings,
though, they had a man back in the pavilion when Warren Crocker, making a
welcome and dramatic return to Strollers colours, defied any rustiness by
having the opener caught behind by skipper Jono Addis. On the fifth ball the
dangerous Ali, who went on to top score, lashed the ball miles into the air and
was almost held at mid-on when it eventually came down.
On such a true wicket anything loose could be
hit confidently and the Fulmer batsmen swung merrily. The score rattled along
and at the halfway mark of the 40 overs the home side had a handy 117-3.
Crocker had taken a deserved second wicket when the opposition’s square leg
umpire sportingly intervened to give a caught behind. Tom Elton had bowled a
tight spell and removed Ali for 67 but at 175-3 with ten overs to go 250 looked
feasible.
Yet some decent spells - and one in
particular - restricted the home side to only 30 runs in the last ten: step
forward Simon Usher, making his Strollers debut. With a deceptively slow run-up
he worked up a sharp pace and the Fulmer batsmen simply could not get him away
(5-0-15-4). Useful spin contributions also came from Laurie Allsopp
and Tim Rice, making a comeback for the Strollers after three years and a hip
operation, the latter returning 2-1-3-1 at the very end to restrict Fulmer to
205-9.
His was not the only surprise reappearance.
Tim Brodbeck, who last played for the Strollers in 1985 (1-21 in three testing
overs), returned to take up his position at the scorers’ table. The modern
game, he declared, seems to go much faster than 30 years ago and keeping track
of everything on the field made for a stressful afternoon. Maggie Patston’s
position as Scorer Supreme did not seem to be under threat.
After tea Addis and Aidan Selby stylishly set
about the reply, racing to 80 off 14 overs before Addis was given out
leg-before. Despite some testing bowling the Strollers always looked in
control, generally playing the ball on the deck (there were no sixes compared
with Fulmer’s five). Selby reached a well-deserved 50, Usher burnished his
credentials with a lusty 45 not out, Crocker showed what the Strollers had been
missing with a cultured 30 not out in quick time and Elton chipped in with a
useful 22. The target always looked within reach and as the shadows lengthened
the Strollers strolled home with nine balls to spare.
A delightful day’s cricket - and tributes
should go to the groundsman Derrick Randall (no, not that one - this one was
Fulmer’s affable scorer too) and Paul Colloff for producing such a good wicket
and an immaculate outfield. It truly was a picture.
Capt
and wkt: Jono Addis. Match fees: Aidan Selby. Match report: Tim Rice.
Newdigate
Sunday
August 13 in Newdigate
Strollers won by four wickets
Newdigate 207-8
(40 overs; Oliver 2-9, Keightley 2-28, Sam Brodbeck 1-22, Williams
1-26, Kelsey 1-27, Simon Brodbeck 1-30)
Strollers 208-6
(37 overs; Tom Wood 70, Oliver 57no, Sam Brodbeck 23, Swale 16)
The sun was out, the
air balmy - it was August, and summer had returned. Driving with the windows
down, I was able to meditate on the flatness of the road between the hills, and
why the Romans had chosen the Mole Valley to build a road from the South Coast
to London - clever folks. Arriving at Newdigate, it was clear to me why the
Romans had avoided the immediate area. Indeed, storming down the slope at the
pavilion end, ball in hand, was Lachlan Williams. I had arrived just in time,
the sound of bails being knocked off carried to the boundary that I was
creeping round - their opener Cody Irvine bowled for two.
Williams and Richard
Keightley produced fine opening spells in the heat. Keightley was able to encourage
their No2 to play a thunderous drive straight into the unthankful hands of
skipper Glen Oliver, who narrowly avoided niggling injury. Gone - Sean Roast,
18. The in-form Keightley was able to dismiss their No3, bowled this time, also
for 18. So far three talented batsmen dismissed.
Despite a tight
opening bowling partnership, the batting partnership of Nos 4 and 5 began to
make steady progress. It was time for a change of pace. On came Alastair
Macaulay who bowled well, though he was not helped by the pitch that had seen
such heavy downpours over recent weeks.
Messrs Mark Rance and
Jack Bowley were able to notch up frequent singles, tiring out keeper Eric
Swale who twice ran behind square to the boundary to collect the ball himself,
a feat of unparalleled selflessness, in spite of his having the longest stride
of any Stroller ever. The running did not favour all, however, John Low
suffering an injury scare to his thigh from the chase. To add to the
misfortune, Mr Williams dropped his (self-professed) first catch in 10 years
from a Macaulay delivery.
Enter Simon Brodbeck,
who, unbeknownst to his teammates, evidently has the power to draw on nature as
an assistant in a tough spot. Standing at deep mid-wicket in the shade I saw
Simon hop in to bowl but, before he delivers, the man on strike backs away and
swats in front of his helmet - what’s that, I hear? Flying ants? Recovering
himself, by the next effort, Simon was able to clean bowl Rance for 20. As
he walked off bewildered, a flock* of several dozen geese, rising and saluting
us with their squarks from the adjacent field, flew directly south over our
heads - as if their work was done.
Yet it appears nature
claimed the wrong man. Their No5, steadily with some lovely shots, was able to
accrue several boundaries despite my entry to the bowling crease. After Mr
Williams dropped his second catch (self-professed, now independently verified)
in 10 years, I was able to lead the newer batsman, James Penfold, to his own
demise - caught this time by Williams (at last) at long-on for 26. Their
prolific No5, Mr Bowley, fell to a man who bowls even less than I, but in many
ways better, Sam Brodbeck. Indeed, Brodbeck the Younger was able to find lift
on a less than lively pitch to claim his wicket caught behind.
Our skipper brought
himself on at the pavilion end to bowl tightly at the tail, complementing
Brodbeck at the other end, and took the wicket of their No7, lbw for nought
soon after, and soon after that their No9 was bowled for two. So ended their
innings - they had only 10 men - which could have concluded sooner with a
vociferous lbw appeal had not Mr Oliver followed through directly in the
umpire’s line of sight. The total to chase: 207.
On to tea, served al
fresco in the opposition’s new, wood clad, almost alpine pavilion. A range of
sandwiches, fried chicken wings, pizza, mini-Yorkshire puddings topped with
horseradish and roast beef, melon, grapes and well-filled donuts met the
stomachs of deserving Strollers. Would we, like the visiting Wandsworth side of
July 1905 to the same ground, succumb to post-tea lassitude and conclude with a
dismal total (though they seemed to have consumed a much larger volume of veal,
ham, beef, mutton and blancmange so that afterwards they could only reply with
13 to Newdigate’s 26**)?
Tom Wood nobly
allowed the middle order to digest their repast with a succession of fours - 12
by the end - and sixes (with scant singles, likely to aid his own digestion)
whilst Low departed for two and Swale,
whose bat had the farthest to fall, was bowled for 16. Sam Brodbeck and Wood
continued to accrue runs with a partnership of 23 before Wood was bowled for
70.
Step up the skipper,
who hitherto had been warming up and jogging around the boundary - no doubt
meditating on the responsibilities of leadership. So well did Brodbeck and
Oliver understand each other, and so fervent was their longing for
companionship, like kindred spirits until now long parted, that often following
the delivery the latter would run to the former only to be reminded in his
passion that the ball was still in play and that he must with equal haste
return to safety. Yet, such was the bond between these Strollers, that despite
the earlier bittersweet bellowed “NO!” from Brodbeck, the same occurrence had
to happen twice in the over before the head took over from the heart.
Such passions have a
habit of re-emerging and Brodbeck, eyes no doubt wide and bloodshot, stepped
down to a lofted spinner to be stumped for 23, to conclude a partnership of 44.
I had been in full stage four padding for 20 minutes waiting for this moment
and at 155-4, 53 more runs were needed with plenty of wickets in hand,
hopefully to be swept up by a long and meandering tail.
I did not expect our
skipper to show such confidence in me by rejecting my proposal to play a
supportive role. I was told in no uncertain terms to hit the ball and, in
playing for the team and not just my average, found I did just that. I also did
not expect to run so hard. Our skipper, still in the throes of earlier
passions, ran between the wickets so rapidly that I could hardly catch my
breath. After expanding a single four-fold by running an unlikely two and then
two more unlikely overthrows, I was done for. Kamikaze-like, I wanted to damn
the next ball to oblivion, but I was bowled for nine - not a heroic nor an
insignificant contribution to a partnership of 45. It felt like much more.
Williams was up next,
eight runs remaining; to him would go the glory surely. Not so. Off his pads the ball trickled to
knock his bails off for two. The glory went to Keightley, hitting a two and a
four, and the match was sealed.
Recognition should go
to our two patient supporters - Betty Low and daughter Flossie. *Chairman Kimball Bailey helpfully points out that geese in flight are a
skein, not a flock.
**
https://newdigatecricketclub.co.uk/history/
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Eric Swale. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Match report: David Kelsey.
Follies Farm
Sunday
August 20 in Chiddingfold
Strollers lost by six wickets
Strollers 132-9
(40 overs; Ferrick 43, Keightley 22, Oliver 18, Swan 10)
Follies Farm 135-4
(27.2 overs; Usher 2-5, Oliver 1-13, Duff 1-22)
The selectors took a stern line. They ignored the
claims of Jono Addis, Aidan Selby and James Timperley, who each had various
flimsy excuses not to be available. Sam Brodbeck was sent to Dartmouth on a
course for running between the wickets; Alastair Macaulay was despatched to
join the prawn sandwich brigade at Wembley, watching Spurs being beaten by
Chelsea. Somebody has to.
Lachy Williams, a key component of the side’s bowling
strategy, went for a training run in preparation for a November marathon and
pulled up with a calf problem. Why do Strollers seem to fall down injured when
attempting to get fit?
Josh Duberley was offered the chance of his debut. But
having consumed four pints of Rebellion too many the previous night, declined.
So, off the subs’ bench came Simon Brodbeck.
What followed seemed all too familiar. You may recall
that:
In 2014: FSS 142. FF 148-6.
In 2015: FSS 145. FF 148-4.
In 2016: FSS 174-5. FF 178-7.
Can you can see a pattern emerging? It continued in
much the same way in 2017. Put into bat, the Strollers found the five-pronged
Follies attack a real handful with David Rowland, Tim Kirkham, Henry Grant,
Jake Hardman and Tim Barsons accurate, hostile and unrelenting. Facing five
frontline bowlers of such quality makes life very difficult for the batsmen.
Tom Wood fell to a brilliant catch at midwicket. Sam
Ferrick, having battled his way to a counter-attacking 42, was run out
attempting a suicidal single. Richard Keightley landed some lusty blows and
Glen Oliver spooned up a catch when seemingly well set. A total of 132-9
off 40 overs did not look enough.
And despite skipper Oliver’s stirring rallying call in
the pre-innings huddle, it was not. Ryan Duff had a probing spell and swung the
ball; Tom Elton beat the bat countless times but had no luck; Oliver speared in
some missiles and Simon Usher caused a late flurry with 1.2-1-5-2. In between
the batsmen played and missed a lot but the nicks never came.
Max Barsons crashed his way to 67 and with Grant’s 35
they took Follies Farm home with some ease.
The big news from Follies was that after being up for
sale for a while, the estate and idyllic ground has been sold on by the club’s
founding father, Angelo Economou. And the baton has been taken up by Guy Gibson
who, you will be relieved to hear, is a Kiwi. So things are in safe hands.
Minutes after the final delivery, the rain set in for
the evening. And across the ground the wild deer sprinted into the shadows.
Rather like the Strollers’ hopes...
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Tim Swan.
Match fees: Tom Wood.
Match report: Simon Brodbeck.
Wall
Saturday
August 26 in Lichfield
Match tied
Wall 108
(33.1 overs; Hodgson 4-10, Hand 2-10, Sam Brodbeck 1-8, Macaulay 1-9,
Simon Brodbeck 1-10, Patston 1-16)
Strollers 108-9
(35 overs; Tom Wood 46, Hodgson 15no, Timperley 15, Sam Brodbeck 11)
The
Strollers have been visiting the East Midlands for almost as long as the club
has existed. It was a one county, one club affair when we first took on Stanton
by Dale in 1977. When Blackfordby was added in 1979, the Strollers touring
bandwagon was definitely on the road. Wall was installed as part of the Three
Counties Tour in 2001, firstly at their rural ground in the village of Wall,
named after a piece of Roman wall that still stands and is well worth a visit,
then from 2011 at The Friary School in Lichfield. So it was here on a bright
sunny afternoon that the Strollers assembled for the 2017 edition of the TCT.
The
shaggy outfield, garnished with grass clippings, suggested it would not be a
high scoring game unless the aerial route was taken. Skipper Tom Wood won the
toss, and inserted Wall in a rare 35-over match. Ryan Duff and Matt Hand (tour
debutant No.1) opened the bowling, and Matt’s booming inswingers immediately
caused problems. He trapped Martin Holden-White lbw for seven in his second
over and, shortly after, caught and bowled Skener for six. Returning a handy
2-10 off five overs, Hand was replaced by Jim Hodgson, who bowled the useful
looking Simon Foulds for 12. Mark Hatton came to the wicket, and was greeted by
a loud appeal off his first ball by Tom Colbeck (tour debutant No.2, and also
keeping for the first time). Most of those close to the bat agreed that Hatton
had hit the ground rather than the ball, but Tom explained: “I haven’t caught
many today so I thought I’d appeal anyway”.
Wall
skipper and opening batsman, Nick Edwards, had played a watchful innings before
being lbw to Jim, and then Simon Brodbeck caught and bowled Henry Craig,
quickly followed by Jim taking his father David’s wicket lbw. Even quicker to
fall, in fact first ball, was S Hatton to a wonderful diving catch at mid on by
skipper Wood. Jim failed to get a hat-trick but finished with a creditable 4-10
from five overs. Wood was quickly in the action again, catching Phelps for two
off Peter Patston, and Wall found themselves 64-8 from 23 overs. While team
mates fell around him, M. Hatton was building an innings, and found an adhesive
partner in Chris Barton. The two put on 44 for the ninth wicket, mainly from
strong hitting from Hatton, when Barton fell to a Sam Brodbeck catch off the
bowling of Alastair Macaulay. With the score on 108, M. Hatton then holed out
to Jim at point off Sam Brodbeck for 45 and the innings was over.
Tea
at Wall has become a thing of legend, and we weren’t let down this year. Those
of you who visit the club Facebook page can view a photo of the mighty spread,
with the delicious strawberry and cream sponge cake taking centre stage. Lucy
and Sam used the tea break to place important furniture orders via Lucy’s
mother.
Our
third tour debutant was also making her Strollers debut. Alice Timperley was
blissfully unaware of the interest she generated among players and supporters -
and also of the game - while mother Martha introduced her to the gentle
pleasure of a boundary stroll.
Sam
and Matt opened our innings, but no sooner was it under way than Matt was back
in the pavilion, having patted one that sat up back to the bowler. James
Timperley looked business-like and reached 15, before chipping one into the
hands of Holden-White at short midwicket. More of Holden-White later. With the
score still on 34, Sam ran himself out, stating he thought the ball had sailed
past the slips, when in fact it had stopped right beside them. So, Ben Rothberg
and Wood found themselves at the wicket with some way to go - but plenty of
overs in hand. Ben kept quite a lot out before being bowled for four, allowing
Tom Colbeck his chance. It wasn’t his day and he went caught for two.
Jim
joined his skipper, who was leading from the front. Tom kept the good balls out
and punished anything wide or short; Jim poked it around with a lack of timing
- neither batsman was keen on scampering quick singles. Tom was looking
untroubled - and a good bet to win the game for us - when he was caught for 46
by Holden-White, with the score on 99. Ryan tried to move things along, but was
bowled for one and, before we knew it, Jim and Alastair had arrived at the last
over, needing two to win.
Jim
struggled to get the slow left arm round of Foulds away through the thick grass
or over the top, but nicked a quick single off the fourth ball to bring the
scores level. Alastair struck the next ball cleanly - only to see Holden-White
take an excellent low diving catch at silly mid-on. Enter Simon Brodbeck, the
Strollers most experienced player, needing one off the final ball. With scores
level, the pair would run come what may. Foulds bowled. Simon swung, and
connected well. Both batsmen started running. Holden-White plucked the ball
from the air high above his head, and the Strollers recorded only their third
tie ever since 1976.
Beers
and analysis were conducted in the sunshine of the Queen’s Head garden, where
David Craig and Tom Wood admired the slightly different hues of mustard
trousers they had chosen to wear, before the squad departed for The Royal Hotel
in Ashby.
A
lavish banquet was devoured at the Wong Kwei Chinese restaurant, including
additional aromatic crispy duck and pancakes, which (of course) are compulsory.
We waddled back to the hotel to find Charles, our normal night porter, had
taken the weekend off, and his replacement was insisting on closing the bar at
midnight. We did the decent thing and ordered several bottles of wine at
11.50pm and chatted away for the next hour, during which Lucy revealed an
unexpected interest in boxing, which culminated in a £5 bet with Tom Wood on
the outcome of the much hyped Mayweather v McGregor fight happening in the wee
small hours of Sunday morning.
And
so to bed.
For
the record Tom was £5 better off on Sunday morning but had little recollection
of the wager…..
Capt: Tom Wood. Wkt: Tom Colbeck. Match report: Jim Hodgson.
Stanton by Dale
Sunday
August 27 in Stanton
Strollers lost by eight wickets
Strollers 232-9
(40 overs; Salvesen 63, Timperley 54, Colbeck 45, Sam Brodbeck 20,
Hand 16)
Stanton by
Dale 233-2
(38.2 overs; Macaulay 1-19)
Brian
Taylor recently turned 70, more recently embarked on his 50th full glorious
summer with Stanton-by-Dale Cricket Club and even more recently led the side in
its 40th meeting with the Fleet Street Strollers, the team formed by his old
school friend Simon Brodbeck.
What
thoughts crossed Brian's mind as he prepared for the day in the hive of
activity that was his Beeston home that morning? While his lovely bride Tricia
busied herself making the sumptuous tea for the game, surely Brian would be
pondering his batting order, his bowling changes and other weighty matters in
the captain's perpetual dilemma of how to overcome the opposition.
"Actually,
he was more concerned about what to wear in the evening," said our kitchen
spy, an impeccable source who shall remain nameless (Mum's the word, eh Kathy?)
But who can blame him? After all, Brian's signature elegance is not to be taken
lightly. If his cover drive can be bettered as a thing of beauty only in his
imaginings, the same should also apply to his latest linen ensemble.
He lost
the toss and James Timperley chose to bat.
The
Strollers' total of 232-9 owed much to Timperley, who cruised to his 55th 50
for the club, and the two Toms, Salvesen and Colbeck, who put on 95 for the
sixth wicket. Salvesen top-scored in typically robust fashion with three sixes
and five fours in his 63 and Colbeck cemented his place as a true Stroller with
a well-judged run-a-ball jug-avoiding 45. It was a different story for our
third Tom, Mr Jason Wood, who lobbed up a simple catch off Taylor's gently
efficient left-arm spin, much to the bowler's whooping delight and the
batsman's obvious chagrin.
Wood's
pain though was nothing compared to the agony suffered by Ryan Duff shortly
after he had arrived at the crease to replace Colbeck. He was warming to the
task of building another fruitful partnership with Salvesen when he set off for
a run and in a totally freak incident ruptured his Achilles tendon.
A sickening snap rang out across the field and poor Duffers hit the deck. Then,
with tremendous application and not a little courage, he hopped it to the other
end to make his ground and complete the run. But alas, it was curtains for his
cricket that weekend – and indeed for the rest of the season.
He was
ferried to hospital in Derby by the two Bens, Rothberg driving and Turner
navigating. Fast-forwarded through the four-hour A&E queue, Duffers was
sent back with his leg in plaster, a supply of strong painkillers and strict
instructions to report to hospital for a more permanent solution once back home
in London.*
Meanwhile,
back at Stanton the Strollers innings lost much of its earlier momentum and
petered out to a total perhaps 20 runs short of an ideally challenging target.
Stanton's bowling honours were shared evenly with Simon Holmes, Venu Mallina
and Phil Middleton taking two wickets apiece, while Brian's 1-46 off eight
overs demonstrated his newfound usefulness as a far from occasional addition to
the attack.
After
Tricia's delicious tea (additional thanks to Steph Turner and Kathy Brodbeck)
the Strollers took to the field with the ever keen Finlay Perrin substituting
for Ryan Duff.
In
Ryan's absence, Colbeck shared the opening duties with Salvesen but their
efforts with the ball were nowhere near as effective as their batting
partnership had been, added to which, the Strollers' normally reliable catching
let them down.
Stanton's openers, Alex Mowforth and Darren Sweary,
thus survived to 101, when Sweary was run out by a direct throw by skipper
Timperley at mid-off. By this time Jim Hodgson and Simon Brodbeck had replaced
the two Toms and were wheeling away with equally negative results. Seldom in
the modern era can the first four Strollers bowlers have had such a paltry
combined return as 0-178 off 32 overs, with just one solitary maiden, bowled by
Tom Salvesen at the very start.
The only wicket that fell to a Strollers bowler went
to Alastair Macaulay, thanks to a fine acrobatic catch at long-on by that man
Timperley again. The score was 121 and with just 14 overs left and 112 still
needed the Strollers had an outside chance of pulling off an unlikely win.
David Powick had other ideas though and after a
cautious start he raced to 67 off a mere 47 balls, almost catching up with
Mowthorp in the process. The opener was defiantly undefeated on 73 at the end,
which came with ten balls to spare.
And so Stanton won back the David Tranter Cup after a
gap of three years, bringing the overall tally to 13 wins each with 12 matches
drawn and two abandoned. There was much to mull over in the Stanhope Arms
whither the players repaired after the game, before the Strollers entourage,
including Duffers and the Taylors, hit the road for Ashby and the traditional
Sunday night Thai banquet. Needless to say Brian cut a dash as the very picture
of contentment.
* Ryan was admitted the following week to the Hospital
of St John and St Elizabeth in St John's Wood, where surgeons operated to
repair his Achilles tendon. At the time of writing he has been told not to put
any weight on his foot for 10 weeks and not to expect full recovery for nine
months. We wish him well during that time and look forward to welcoming him
back to the green sward, when he's ready, next season.
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt: Sam Brodbeck. Match report: Peter Patston.
Sutton on the Hill
Monday
August 28 in Sutton
Strollers won by eight wickets
Sutton 201-8 dec
(41 overs; Salvesen 6-47, Hodgson 1-7, Rothberg 1-14)
Strollers 203-2
(36.1 overs; Hand 69no, Timperley 53, Sam Brodbeck 44no, Hodgson 28)
Sutton-on-the-Hill
played host to the third and final match of the August
summer holiday tour in the Midlands...
Not
long after Duffers cracked open his first Fosters of the day, Tom Salvesen
claimed his first of six scalps, the visitors’ opening bat, Bryan Land Jnr, in
the first over of play.
Salvesen put the home side to the sword early, taking 5-31 in his initial
eight-over spell, claiming the top three scalps for 26 runs, including skipper
and danger man Robert Martindale for 25 with a beautiful low catch off his own
bowling. Martindale has returned 1,208 runs this season at an average of 50.33
and is Sutton-on-the-Hill’s leading run-scorer.
At
the third over stage Salvesen and wicketkeeper James Timperley had partnered
for the first two dismissals and were looking to threaten Lillee-Marsh records.
Salvesen continued the aggressive spell, removing Sutton’s five and six for an
aggregate of four runs to have the visitors 38-5 off 11 overs. Salvesen was
replaced by Jim Hodgson (5-1-7-1), who kept the pressure on the home side at
the Pavilion End, whilst runs flowed from the other.
Sutton’s
No 5 Nigel Harding provided a strong counter-attack, partnering with
No 7 Chris Thomas for 32 runs. When Thomas fell for 16 just before drinks
Sutton were 75-6 - as many wickets lost as Fosters drunk by Duffers.
After
the drinks break Harding continued to pressure the Strollers bowlers, taking a
liking to Matt Hand (7-1-30-0), Tom Colbeck (8-1-38-0) and
Ben Rothberg (6-1-40-1), combining with No 8
Steve Taylor for a 100-run partnership (Taylor 18) to swing the momentum
back Sutton’s way.
Harding’s
innings combined aggressive striking (16 fours and 2 sixes) with deft touch,
finishing his innings in a flurry of 4, 1, 2, 4, 2, 4 for a total of 103 not
out from 107 balls. A stellar performance by Harding, illustrated by his
contribution of over half of Sutton’s runs; his 103 exceeded the total of the
other Sutton batsmen and the 26 sundries allowed by the Strollers attack. When
skipper Martindale declared, Sutton were 201-7 off 41 overs.
For
the first time in 30 years the Strollers enjoyed a tea not made by Sutton
stalwarts Fran and Maurice Twigg following their retirement. Nothing has been
lost on the transfer with a wonderful tea enjoyed by all.
Playing
in his first timed-game, Strollers opener Hand got off to a slow start, however
solid stroke-play by fellow opener Hodgson kept the score ticking over. When
Hodgson fell for 28 the Strollers were 60-1 off 20 overs, a sound foundation,
however an injection of aggression was required to up the run-rate.
Out
stepped club stalwart Timperley with a quick-fire 53 off 34 balls in an
impressive 33 minutes. Timperley and Hand combined for 81 runs dominated by
clean hitting from Timperly, who regularly hit the red through the fence and
into the surrounding field. When Timperley departed the Strollers were 141-2
off 29 overs, requiring 62 off 66 balls.
Enter
Sam Brodbeck, who could have been mistaken for Jos Buttler or Ben Stokes with
his boundary-dominated 44 not out off 26 balls. What seemed like a tall order
of 203 turned into a comfortable eight-wicket win for the Strollers with a
strong top order performance by Hand (69 no), Timperley (53), Brodbeck (44no)
and Hodgson (28) all contributing.
Special
mention must go to Sutton skipper Martindale, who finished with
15-2-67-0 after bending his back through three spells. Sutton’s century-maker
Harding could have easily had a couple of wickets to his name from catches at
mid-off.
A
solid performance by all Strollers, well-skipped by Alastair Macaulay, ending
the tour with a win.
Man of the Match: Tom Salvesen (10-1-47-6)
Capt: Alastair Macaulay. Wkt: James
Timperley. Match report: Matt Hand.
Ripley
Sunday
September 3 in Ripley
Strollers won by 32 runs
Strollers 133-5
(20 overs; Sam Brodbeck 55no, Hodgson 33, Martin 25no)
Ripley 101-9
(20 overs; Crocker 4-14, Martin 2-8, Hodgson 1-11, Macaulay 1-34,
Stubbs 1-34)
It was the first fixture of September, and the weather seemed
eager to illustrate that August was over - long gone. A grey and chilly morning
gave way to a drizzly and overcast afternoon out in Ripley, reminding us all
that Game of Thrones isn’t just dragons and nyuuuudity – winter is, in fact,
coming.
Captain Brodbeck (Jr) agreed a 20/20 fixture with his opposite
number, in light of the rain forecast to bucket down at around 4pm. This
split the dressing room: the pragmatists who don’t like getting wet slapped Sam
on the back, the traditionalists who don’t like 20/20 – or newfangled hippity
hop music for that matter - shot him dirty looks, while those of us who hadn't
got the memo that Sam, and not Jim, was captaining for the day just looked
confused (did Jim want to focus on his stroke play? Or is he an ardent
royalist, trying to make a point about abdication to our gracious
Queen?). Brodbeck won the toss and elected to make first use of the mown
strip.
A horror start ensued, four wickets falling for 17 runs. As
dismissed Strollers Mike Pittams, David Kelsey, Rich Cummings and Warren
Crocker gathered morosely in the pavilion, we were able to draw comfort from
the fact we were out of the cold drizzle now. And at least we hadn't
suffered match manager Ben Rothberg's fate - stuck on the North Circular and
making such poor progress he was advised not to bother continuing. Were we
jealous that he was warm and dry in his car? Of course not!
Sam Brodbeck and Jim Hodgson sought to navigate the perilous
waters left for them by both the drizzle and their inept top order. Some
respite came when the accurate opening bowlers were rested, and spin
introduced. Ripley CC has produced such luminous names as Ashley Giles in
the recent past, so it was no surprise to see a young left-arm orthodox tweaker
enter the fray at first change from the Trees End. More surprising was his
decision to throw in a left-arm leg-spinner (I’m extremely new age and PC so I
won’t say Chinaman) once an over. From the Pavilion End an off-spinner
bowling autumn leaves/donkey drops reminiscent of Nick Logan (gone but not
forgotten) was introduced. While the rest of us watched with interest as
to whether any of his deliveries might pitch and stop completely on the wet
wicket, Hodgson and Brodbeck set to work rebuilding the innings.
Jim, mindful of his sore calf, showed roughly the speed and
manoeuvrability of a medium-sized steamship when running between the wickets,
but used exquisite technique and timing to get the job done. Japes aside,
the calf held up well, with plenty of running to be done due to the slow
outfield. Brodbeck, meanwhile, peppered the ‘V’, played the ball late and
with straight bat, and generally provided a masterclass of how to play on that
pitch.
Despite one hilarious mix-up – both Strollers convinced their
cause was lost so nobly sacrificing themselves by leaning on their bats in the
middle of the pitch (Ripley somehow managed to botch the run-out) – the two put
together a partnership of 75. When Hodgson was caught for 33, it looked
as though respectability had been managed, and that a target of around 110
might be set for the opposition.
Steve Martin came to the crease and clearly had his sights set
higher, immediately despatching a juicy full toss into the pavilion to generate
the best strike rate it is possible to have - once again bringing reflected
glory, fame and credit to his modest introducer. Several further lusty
blows took Brodbeck to a deserved half-century, Martin to 25 not out from a
mere eight deliveries, and FSSCC to a total of 133-5.
Crocker and Richie Stubbs opened up for the Strollers, and kept
things tight early. Stubbs struck from his very first delivery to make the
innings' first incision. After two overs of lovely lines to the right-handers,
captain Brodbeck had seen enough of Crocker and sent him to pasture. Enter
Hodgson. With a run-up that, frankly, embodies the Strollers name, Hodgson
quickly settled on a line and length. With the final delivery of his first
over, he found a way through the defences of Ripley's remaining opening batsman
and secured the Strollers' second wicket. At 28-2 after five overs, things were
tracking nicely. Stubbs completed his allotment from the Trees End, without
much luck.
Stubbs made way for Alastair Macaulay, who made an uncertain start
(twice no-balled for side crease infringements in his first over) before
finding his usual accuracy. Hodgson continued to be extremely parsimonious from
the clubroom end, finishing with the highly stingy figures of 1-11 from his
four overs. He was replaced at the crease by Martin – who had spent the innings
to date prowling the field like an officious sheepdog keeping his ewes in line,
and adding catching and bullet throws to his list of talents. What a
find!
Stevie-Weavie picked up where Jim left off, settling on an
accurate line and length and doing a good job of squeezing the run rate. Ripley
CC may be famous for being the home of Ashley Giles, but the middle overs boa
constrictor job being done by the Strollers was more reminiscent of another
left-arm orthodox bowler - Daniel Vettori - in this scribe's humble and
hardly-even-biased-at-all opinion.
But though the required run rate climbed, the wickets tally was
looking worryingly stagnant. Enter Macaulay, who did his best impression
of the child snatcher in classic children's film Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang, luring Ripley's No3 batsman out of his crease. Once there, he
found not the candy he was expecting, but instead a ripsnorting unplayable
leg-cutter (or something similar) that beat his outside edge and stranded him
mid-pitch. This ended an excellent 60-run stand, and left the score at 68-3
with the asking rate in excess of nine per over.
Weavie then got in on the act with a brace of wickets in the very
next over, ending with the highly austere analysis of 2-8 from his four overs.
With new batsmen needing to swing immediately, entertainment was rife. Big
swings, big misses, a few big hits, some hairy singles, it was all
happening.
Crocker returned to the attack, to devastating effect. First, he
elicited a chip to midwicket, where Kelsey took a stunning diving catch (or,
depending on who recounts the tale, for reasons own only to himself he fell
slowly to the ground while the ball was travelling to him and took the
catch). One delivery later, Crocker elicited another mishit to Kelsey,
who showed his adaptability as a fieldsman by this time taking the catch in an
upright position - and ‘Afridi-ing' in celebration.
A hat-trick didn't quite eventuate, with another skier hit over
Stubbs at mid-off. Had Stubbs crept up somewhat out of excitement at the
potentially impending hat-trick (and out of exasperation at constantly running
backwards and forwards to celebrate the steady flow of wickets)? Possibly.
Possibly.
No matter; Crocker would pick up two more wickets in the final
over of the innings to finish with 4-14 – sadly denied a five-wicket bag by
some shoddy wicket-keeping in the first over.
Ripley finished with 101-9, a 32-run victory for FSSCC. The
winning of the match occurred in the middle overs, during which the Strollers
accelerated while batting, and stifled in the field. Back pats and smiles
all round as we adjourned to the pavilion for tea (featuring an astonishingly
good flapjack – so chewy and thick it was practically an ANZAC biscuit, and
could a baked goodie receive higher praise?) – until we realised that Simon
Brodbeck had not been asked to bowl. With his own son skippering the side
no less!! Extraordinary.
While the obvious explanation is a family feud, the plot thickens when
Hodgson’s late defection as captain is factored in. What did Sam offer him to
be complicit in his gambit? And what exactly did Simon do to attract such
ill-treatment? Theories and conspiracies are welcomed over on the Strollers
Facebook page.
Capt: Sam Brodbeck. Wkt: Mike Pittams. Match
fees: Simon Brodbeck.
Match report: Mike Pittams.
The Lee
Sunday
September 10 at The Lee
Strollers lost by ten wickets
Strollers 171-9
(40 overs; Pittams 54no, Selby 31, Oliver 18, Rory Wood 11,Usher 18,
Sam Brodbeck 10)
The Lee 175-0
(26.4 overs)
September the 10th started with many cactus enthusiasts, sea
captains and ramblers looking skywards. Foreboding weather reports were
aplenty and a number of Strollers were gathering in various parts of southern
England, clutching smart phones, looking at rain radars and possibly expecting
'that call'.
Fortunately (or unfortunately by the time you finish reading this, perhaps, if
you are an avid Strollers supporter) 'the call' never came. The hardy 11
started arriving at a ground where the picturesque vista can hardly have
changed since 1875. In the side, as we have become accustomed to,
were a bevy of antipodeans. Having a number of antipodeans in the team can be
good for a number of reasons. Today, though, that reason was the waist-down
fashion of a few individuals.
While
the mercury was trying to dip below 10 degrees, a few hardy souls were trying
to wear as little as possible below the waist. Think what you would pack
to wear to the beaches in the south of France on a lovely August
holiday. The backdrop to this parade of flesh was the beautiful
setting. The ground was surrounded by large trees, all taking a different
colour leaf during this cooling time of the year. To the north-east was a
waist-high wire fence that was also doubling as storage for the covers and
beyond this a small dingle/dell/glen/vale which looked to be home to an
18th century stone cottage.
One of the more dressed Strollers was skipper Glen Oliver, who bucked the law
of averages yet again and lost the toss. Glen is quickly becoming a
statistical anomaly and may be studied by UCL professors in the coming years if
he keeps up his run.
After the call came back that the Strollers were batting, pads were donned by
not only the openers, but anyone who wanted to stay warm. The Lee opening
bowlers Ben Harris and Ed Boakes bowled full and tight, and coaxed Tom Wood
into a lofted shot which saw him heading back to the pavilion in the second
over. Such was the quality of the bowling our other opener, Aidan Selby,
was restricted to singles for his first nine scoring shots.
Sam Brodbeck road his luck with a few boundaries but was undone by the
cruellest of deliveries, one that kept very low and struck his pads directly in
front of the stumps. Oliver and Selby combined for a good partnership
before Glen departed after striking four lusty fours.
Meanwhile in the pavilion Simon Brodbeck was busy lining up unaccounted
Strollers for the database. Questions about where the photos were being
presented were flying about, but nothing could deter a steadfast
Brodbeck. At this point it was discovered that one long-standing Stroller
had yet to be entered into the annals. She has been around for 12 years,
been to many matches and at most of them, was the best bitch there.
Mike
Pittams and Selby then combined for a partnership of 30 before Aidan
unceremoniously yorked himself and headed back for the warmer climes of the
pavilion. By this time the inclemency of the weather had dwindled to a
mere dribble and breeze. The weather looked like holding and thoughts
turned to a dry second innings with better conditions.
Pittams continued constructing his innings with Simon Usher and Rory Wood
making small contributions. Manoj Reddy, David Kelsey and Alastair
Macaulay all provided excellent moral support along the way for Pittams.
When Simon Brodbeck joined the fray in the last over he expertly fed the strike
to Pittams. Pittams was able to dispatch the final ball of the innings
over the rope for six and also bring up his half-century in the process,
leaving the Strollers sitting on 171-9 after the 40 overs. This seemed
about par for a pitch that had been damp and a little bit up and down.
The rain and wind had become heavier and things started to look
ominous.
On
arriving into the pavilion The Lee side were greeted with gasps from the
Strollers as an enviable luncheon was laid out in front of them. A cheese
platter with no less than seven fresh, room temperature cuts was laid
out. A host of both sweet and savoury plates were temptingly on show,
much to the frustration of Rory Wood, who had just been informed that he was to
open the bowling.
No
sooner than this directive been ordered than Rory and Aidan were running out to
the middle to assist two opposition fielders in moving the cover from its
resting position on the fence to the pitch. The cover was in place in
under a minute but a stiff breeze from the northern end of the ground saw the
single white cover do its best impression of the front spinnaker from the HMS
Bounty. The four brave sailors then scrambled to hold down the stray white
tarpaulin before it drifted wistfully down into the dell with the stone
cottage. Between sputters of tea and cake from the pavilion they were able
to fix it to the block with the aid of 16 road cones.
After tea, Oliver handed the ball to Rory Wood. He dropped a tough return
chance on his first ball. His second ball was another dropped catch to
point.
Then some other stuff happened...
...due credit must go to the two Lee openers aka the Swain father
and son combination (Jon and Jules) who braved the conditions very well and in
the process of dispatching all bowling put in front of them scored 58 not out
and 108 not out respectively in a magnificent unbeaten 175-run
partnership.
Capt: Glen Oliver. Wkt: Mike Pittams. Match fees: Tom Wood.
Match report: Rory Wood.
Valley End
Sunday
September 17 in Windlesham
Strollers won by five wickets
Valley End 191-9
(35 overs; Keightley 2-15, Macaulay 2-22, Rothberg 2-38, Simon
Brodbeck 1-22, Rory Wood 1-28, Patston 1-46)
Strollers 192-5
(34.5 overs; Selby 77, Timperley 62, McDougall 25)
Was it the chill in the morning
air, dew on the outfield or Crystal Palace’s horrendous start to the season
that meant football was on Strollers’ minds against Valley End CC?
Regardless of the reason, having
been asked to field, the team was keen to display its footwork. It was
mostly confident, one-touch play too. Extra cover would often put mid-off into
an overlap. Midwicket looked like a dominant centre-half, with nothing getting
past the big size 11 right boot. Balls hit back to the bowlers had chunks of
leather taken out of them by flailing studs. Sweepers roamed the open spaces at
the back.
As good as the Strollers’ brand
of tiki-taka is, effective use of hands was infrequent. In attempting catches
in the covers, James Timperley and Ben Rothberg both employed drop-kicks. Aidan
Selby was lucky to stay on the field after a lunging dive tackle only succeeded
in kneeing the ball over the side-line. In this case only the bowler saw red.
There was some decent bowling
though. Richard Keightley, (2-15), Rothberg (2-38) and Alastair Macaulay (2-22
including, quelle surprise, a rather youthful batsman) all picked up a brace.
Simon Usher, Rory Wood, Peter Patston and Simon Brodbeck (at the death) also
bowled tidy spells.
Hamish McDougall, back behind the
stumps after a self-imposed hiatus in the South Pacific, took a catch to remove
the dangerous George Williams-Sales for 45. He moved one closer to Mike
Morgan’s club wicketkeeping dismissal record, now 18 away. “It is the only
reason I came back,” he declared.
A target of 191 from 35 overs
seemed about par on a pitch offering something for everyone. Selby and
McDougall opened the chase, with the latter continuing the football theme by
getting a lethargic knee in the way of a straight one, lbw for 25. Selby and
Timperley steadied the ship, keeping up with the rate in a partnership of 93. A
comfortable win beckoned at that point, as various cricketers and supporters
departed for snoozes in the autumn sun around the ground.
However, as Selby went for 77 and
Timperley for 62 a mini-collapse ensued. The equation of eight off the last two
overs and four off the last had finger nails and umbrella ends being gnawed.
Thankfully, Keightley and Wood scrambled and swiped their way past the target
with a ball to spare, a late no-ball helping matters.
As well as putting on an
excellent match, Valley End are to be commended for innovation in the food and
beverage department. At the innings break, refreshments comprised tea and cake.
After the match, jacket potatoes, chilli, lasagne and kegs of Rebellion Ale
were produced, to the evident delight of all, even those returning home to
sizable Sunday roasts. There may be further need of football in the impending
off-season, if only to mitigate the calorie intake.
Capt: James Timperley. Match fees: Aidan Selby.
Wkt
and match report: Hamish McDougall.
Concorde
Sunday
September 24 in Send
Match drawn
Concorde 181
(45.1 overs; Colbeck 2-32, Simon Brodbeck 2-42, Macaulay 2-53, Oliver
1-3, Usher 1-15, Hodgson 1-27)
Strollers 173-9
(45 overs; Oliver 37, Colbeck 33, Tom Wood 32no, Selby 23)
With the season rapidly approach
its end, a fleeting reminder of what summer could have been presented itself at
Send. With the sun rising high above trees rich in autumn colour, the Strollers
arrived at Concorde’s picturesque ground in high spirits, admiring both the
surrounding views and adjacent gathering of sheep and cows in equal measure.
With the toss won, and a timed
match format agreed, skipper James Timperley elected to field, hoping to push
for a win with the bat later in the day. A debate about the merits of the
decision duly followed, with those less experienced in the matter reliably
informed that this was the correct course of action, particularly with just a
solitary new ball to be used. Attention soon turned to more important matters –
rumours circulated that in an effort to outdo our antipodean contingent, the
opposition had recruited their own New Zealander. “Not to worry, we have five”
was the cry – what could possibly go wrong?
And so to the match. A tight
opening spell from Simon Usher and Jim Hodgson initially went unrewarded as
Concorde’s openers cautiously, and with no shortage of luck, saw off the first
12 overs for just 25 runs. While Alastair Macaulay replaced Usher at one end,
Hodgson continued at the other, recording a remarkable five maidens in six
overs as the batsmen struggled to time the ball on a wicket already showing
signs of uneven bounce. Just as frustration was starting to build, Hodgson
struck with arguably the worst ball of his spell. A long-hop was smashed into
the offside where Aidan Selby took a fine one-handed catch.
Enter Concorde’s resident New
Zealander, Scott Baldwin. Immediately the run rate began to increase – the new
batsman quickly finding his rhythm, hitting Hodgson for three sixes in the
space of two overs.
Amidst the onslaught, the bowlers
held their nerve however. Macaulay turned the screw with a superb caught and
bowled to remove Concorde’s remaining opener, two balls after seeing a
regulation chance put down at mid-off. Simon Brodbeck then struck in his first
over, trapping the opposition’s No4 plumb in front.
With Baldwin nearing his 50,
Macaulay continued his fine run of late season form, tempting the tall New
Zealander down the track. As the ball passed the bat, Hamish McDougall’s eyes
lit up at the prospect of a potential wicketkeeping dismissal, only to see the
ball cannon into the stumps.
Despite the loss of their
talisman, Concorde proceeded to maintain a good scoring rate with youngster
Adam Carter compiling an impressive 50, taking advantage of some temporarily
loose bowling. With the score creeping upwards, Brodbeck snared another – Usher
taking a good catch at mid-on. The introduction of Glen Oliver then checked the
run rate, before Tom Colbeck’s improving line and length was rewarded with the
wicket of Carter, bowled for a commendable 56. Colbeck duly snared another
before Usher and Oliver cleaned up the tail with a wicket apiece – Concorde all
out for a competitive 181.
Over a fine tea, including a
delightful selection of homemade cakes and scones, attention soon turned to a
batting line-up bristling with talent and experience, however, as McDougall and
Selby strolled out to the middle, the sun suddenly dipped behind the clouds –
perhaps a sign of something more sinister on the horizon.
Baldwin, opening the bowling for
the hosts, proved to be no less dangerous with ball in hand. A sustained spell
of fast, accurate seam bowling duly ensued, with McDougall taking the brunt of
it, with Selby seemingly content so see out a spell of slower, but no less
accurate bowling at the other end.
As the watching Strollers debated
whether the length of Baldwin’s run-up was longer than all of their own run-ups
combined, ten overs were successfully
negotiated with the visitors reaching a cautious 20, only for Baldwin to
finally hit his straps in an over of devastating accuracy. McDougall was bowled
with a superb delivery, before Timperley and Cummings were dismissed in similar
fashion in consecutive balls. All of a sudden the Strollers were 20-3 and in
some disarray.
With the three dismissed batsmen
convalescing in the showers, Oliver and Selby took advantage of a change in the
bowling to initiate a recovery before the latter was caught and bowled for a
commendable 23. A brief cameo from Usher ended the same way, bringing Colbeck
to the crease. A profitable partnership of 44 subsequently ensued, with the new
batsman the chief aggressor, scoring 33 quickfire runs, including two superb
maximums down the ground. Colbeck’s attacking knock was finally ended by a
fine, low catch at mid-on with the score at 109-5.
As Tom Wood entered the fray with
the game in the balance, another recovery was initiated. Both Wood and Oliver
dug in well as Baldwin returned, admirably repelling a further torrent of
off-cutters and slower deliveries only for disaster to strike - Oliver was
bowled trying to open up to the leg side with the score on 135 for a well-made
37, with Hodgson following suit shortly after. Wood continued to fight hard
however, and, aided by a solid contribution from Macaulay, edged the Strollers
closer to their target with several lusty blows to the boundary.
With three overs to go, the
deficit had been reduced to below 30. This was exciting – even the sheep looked
interested. And then, alas, Macaulay was gone – well caught on the leg side.
Enter last man Brodbeck – to
stick or twist the onlookers asked? Twist it would appear. Far from looking to
block out for a draw, Brodbeck rotated the strike well, enabling Wood to pick
up another boundary. Eighteen off the last over – was it possible? Six off the
first two balls suggested it might be, but one off the following two made it
improbable. Hearts were duly in mouths as Brodbeck unsuccessfully charged down
the wicket off the penultimate ball seeking the six that would keep the game
alive, but with the last delivery successfully negotiated, hearty cheers from
the boundary ensued - a thrilling draw. And to think some people
questioned the format!
Capt: James Timperley. Wkt:
Hamish McDougall. Match
fees: Tom Wood.
Match report: Rich Cummings. Pinkneys Green (A): October 1st - cancelled (rain).
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