The Deverills - 6th June 2004

Spare a thought for Giles Pritchett.

Giles who? He’s the Deverills No3 who almost had to be helped off the field after hitting a strength-sapping 156 in the blazing sun – and who still ended up on the losing side. Cricket’s a funny old game, as Mrs T might have said.

This was the second match in a row where the odd-on favourite limped in last and what seemed an impossible climb ended up as a stroll in the park.The only sure bet was that it was going to be a run fest. Groundsman Clive Hamblin had produced an absolute belter, the kind of true-bounce featherbed that makes bowlers feel sick (thanks, Clive). Jonathan Boulton, the man with the golden hands and dodgy knees, who cruised back into our lives with a typically cultured but muscular 46, put it in the same league as the pitches he played on at Cambridge.

Deverills skipper Tony Child said it was the best strip he’d seen in years. Matt Ellis won the toss and chose to field because we seem to be better at chasing than defending. It turned out to be a wise choice. We were already one bowler light and then Nick Sinfield pulled a hamstring and couldn’t use up his allotted seven, although he fought through the pain to continue fielding. We got an early breakthrough when their opener fended at a couple before drilling a catch straight to Tom Ellis at mid-off in the first over. He was followed soon after by his partner, who failed to get back into his crease and fell to the first of three lightning stumpings by Mike Rowen.

Then in came Pritchett, fresh from a hundred for Warminster the previous day, and it turned into a one-man show. Spinners Andrew Gilfillan and last-minute recruit Bill Harris managed to get some turn on the dry and dusty track but Pritchett was unstoppable until he ran out of steam just before the end. Bill was the man who bagged him, and followed it with another stumping next ball. He almost got a hat trick when his third delivery found an edge and bounced off the batsman’s head.

Deverills had amassed an intimidating 242 off 35 overs, so no prizes for guessing which was the chirpier side at tea. It later turned out they suspected it might not be enough but a required rate of almost 7 an over was still a hugely daunting task. It required a positive start but no one was prepared for the onslaught mounted by Mike Nicholson and Jonathan, who both found the middle of the bat from the off. They didn’t so much rough up a mediocre attack as kick seven shades of shit out of it. By the time Jonathan was caught at cover in the eleventh over, he was only four short of his 50 and we’d made 85.

Worse was to come for Deverills, however, because next man in was Mike Rowen, whose Strauss-like average for Babington stood at 123 (previous stats: 106 not out and 17). Even those who have had the pleasure of watching the likes of Pinnell, Cadbury, Boulton and Standen McDougal have to admit that no one hits the ball harder or further than Mike and this innings was an exhilarating display of power and clean hitting. Mike Nicholson stayed with him until he dragged a wide ball onto his stumps, having made a fine 59, and he was joined by Bill Harris, who could only watch in wonder from the other end.

They shared an unbroken partnership of 82 and Bill’s contribution was three. The highpoint was Mike’s three straight sixes in four balls, the last of which took him past the hundred mark. His acceleration took everyone by surprise: at 169 off 24, it still looked tight but we made it with five overs to spare. Mike was 116 not out at the end. No prizes for guessing which was the chirpier side in the bar.

Just for the record: Highest individual score on this ground: 156

Second highest total of runs scored in a match: 486 (highest v Mells, 2002: 501)

Highest batting average, Mike Rowen: 239 (?)