BHCC v The Tappers - 14th June 2009 - Match Report

Back Row (Left to Right) Phil de Glanville, Andrew Jolliffe, Andrew Pinnell, James Mackenzie, Ben Tollworthy & Julian Matthews.
Front Row -Nick Sinfield, Ed & Emily Weale, Mark Cadbury & Chester Ellis.

In yet more glorious sunshine we maintained our unbeaten start to the season by beating The Tappers by 97 runs on a flat track that perfectly suited to our hard-hitting top order (if you exclude dear old Mark Cadbury that is).

The Tappers hail from London and are run by the charming Alistair Ruxton who assembles a team of anglicized antipodeans, plus a smattering of mates from Oxfordshire. They pride themselves on being an attacking outfit, but they were no match for a Babington team brimming with confidence and good humour.

We were slightly weakened by the absence of Matt Ellis who almost lost a finger in a losing battle with a hedge trimmer on the morning of the match, but we benefitted from his authoritative umpiring complete with heavily bandaged hand.

Despite losing the toss were still asked to bat first and the tried and tested formula of ‘getting on with it’ to put quick runs on the board cranked into action. However, an opening partnership of Phil de Glanville and Cadbury brought with it contrasting styles as the ex-England rugby international cut and drove aggressively whilst Cadders’ seemed keen to demonstrate every facet of the Geoffrey Boycott forward defensive coaching manual.

Perhaps a touch harsh as the fifty partnership arrived in only the tenth over but it was de Glanville that scored the lions share. One thumped six demonstrated his pedigree before being caught for an entertaining 32 that jettisoned his pre-match club average from 0.5 into double figures and respectability.

Nick Sinfield (5) was unusually subdued perhaps lulled into torpor by Cadbury who was struggling to beat the field despite some elegant strokeplay. Nick soon departed LBW and to his credit did not complain (much!) as Julian Matthews picked up the gauntlet and embarked on a bright and breezy innings of 26 containing four boundaries.

Cadbury plodded on and we could have been forgiven for forgetting that the Twenty:20 revolution had ever taken place. Some were even tempted to take a nap on the new sun loungers gracing the Babington lawn that look like gigantic double beds on wheels. Instead, our ruddy-faced hero was told to push on during drinks and in attempting to break the shackles, top-edged to the keeper for 38.

We lost Matthews to a sharp caught and bowled catch by Crighton and the innings was evenly poised with Babbers' 120-odd for 5 with ten overs left. Ben Tollworthy hung around for a dozen before leaving Pinnell and James Mackenzie the opportunity to make hay with an array of dashing strokes. James batted beautifully combining textbook technique with venomous power and he played the shot of the match smashing a straight six over the drive off Briscoe.

Ruxton tossed up one over of laconic off spin which our captain belted to all parts and we are on our way to 200 plus. Mackenzie was bowled by a ball from Bromby that literally just kissed the off bail for an excellent 32 and it was left to Pinnell (42 not out) and Ed Weale (5 not out) to get what they could from the last few tight overs.

221 for 6 off 35 was a satisfactory total on a straw-coloured strip and we drifted lazily to tea served in the shade of the trees on the front lawn. Having started at 1pm we were all a little disorientated taking tea at three thirty, but the sun loungers proved a topical point of discussion along with England’s prospects of beating India later that evening. I am sure I heard Cadbury muttering that Twenty:20 wasn’t proper cricket and yearning for the days when John Edritch, David Steele, and Chris Tavare et al bored the pants of the nation with their mind-numbing defensiveness. Cadders – you are in illustrious company here!

With runs on the board Babbers’ set an attacking field from the outset as Ben Tollworthy charged in from the Wigzell end almost daring the flamboyant Dave Luckes to ‘have a go’. As ever, Lord Jolliffe – gentle and metronomic - bowled up the hill mixing it up and teasing the other opener – David Bush - into a series of flashy strokes outside off stump. Pinnell gazed into his crystal ball and positioned himself a dozen yards away at short cover and sure enough, Bush soon flailed at Tollworthy succeeding in driving the ball precisely into the skipper’s bucket-like mits. A great wicket for the whole team and we were away.

Tollworthy had his tail up and trapped Keigwin plumb leg before next ball and he continued to trouble all the batsmen. He had his ultimate reward when enticing Dave Luckes into a sloggy on- drive that flew into the mid-wicket region prompting optimistic (if unconvincing) shouts of “catch it”. De Glanville, he off sporting fame and fortune, revealed his true class with a salmon-like leap to pluck the ball one-handed out of the air. The unlucky Luckes (if you know what I mean) is himself an international sportsman of some repute having kept goal for the England hockey team, but even he marvelled at de Glanville’s effort.

Truly stunning and reward for Tollworthy’s exceptional spell which then yielded a fourth wicket when he put the final nail in Ruxton’s day, knocking him over first ball. Final figures of 4 for 32 put Babbers’ into a position where they could not lose and allowed a succession of bowling changes to keep people in the game. Matthews (1 for 23) floated his leg spinners bowling the other Luckes’ with a beauty, Pinnell (1 for 9) conjured up a half-tracker that rolled along the ground to stun the elegant Trevelyan and Chester Ellis (0 for 14) again underlined his genuine talent with a couple of sprightly overs.

It was left to Ed Weale (2 for 8), our man on the inside, font of all Babington knowledge and splendid match manager for the day, to conclude matters with two cheap wickets wrapping up The Tappers response for 124.

Babbers' won by a margin of 97 runs and played superbly to boot. The fielding was instinctive and the bowling true but it is our batting that is on fire. Anything over 170 puts the opposition under immense pressure and allows us to attack, attack, attack in the field.

So six wins out of six so far in all matches with Ditcheat and Free Foresters looming. Tough tests for sure but the philosophy will not change and such team spirit is immensely powerful....

Watch this space.....

Results Summary
Babington - 221 for 6
The Tappers – 124 All Out
Babington won by 97 runs

Man of the Match: Ben Tollworthy - Match winning bowling spell
The Tappers MoM: M. Luckes (3 for 23)

Champagne Moment: Phil de Glanville's one-handed catch