Babington’s last fixture of 2011 resulted in a drubbing at the hands of the Free Foresters who fielded perhaps the strongest side we have faced for a number of years. Traditionally an all day affair, at one point it looked a distinct possibility that we would not survive until lunch after electing to bat on a genuine ‘sticky wicket’. Given our batting line-up, finding ourselves struggling at 56 for 5 was a disappointment and only served to heighten the Foresters desire to avenge a comprehensive winning draw last year.
It all started so well with Mark Cadbury and Mark Coxon-Tenty looking composed as they adjusted to the slow pace of the pitch. Indeed, Cocko launched a straight six into the trees and all seemed well with the world and the middle order settled into their deck chairs to watch a gentle pre-lunch batting master class. High hopes were soon dashed when Cocko was caught in any number of minds to a short ball outside off-stump which he proceeded to punch without conviction into the hands of short cover. Groans in the cheap seats, but there was worse to come.
Mike Rowan smacked a couple of fours before pulling too early and Rupert Morgan inexplicably missed a full bunger; Steven Priscott and Mark Cadbury both let their impatience get the better of them and before I knew it, I was at the crease trying to ignore the banter from the Foresters’ players behind the stumps. Some of it funny, but most puerile, I have always found that the best way to silence these guys is to smack the living daylights out of the ball and try and regain a semblance of honour with a flashing blade.
A early six over mid-wicket and a couple of whacks through the V at least proved we could bat a bit, but the loss of Matt Ellis bowled through the gate was the catalyst for more chit-chat. Chris Player attacked from the outset and we at least took lunch with eighty-odd on the board and the prospect of pushing on in the afternoon.
A superb lunch of chicken and all the trimmings was served in the Log Room and I encouraged the Foresters’ to stuff their faces knowing that we had to score quick runs straight after. Chris was the perfect foil for a while and his no-nonsense approach enabled us to at least get the board moving. The spinners were obliging and it was fun to ‘milk’ them for a few overs bringing up a personal fifty in the process.
Once Chris was out, there was no option but to attack and a few half trackers sailed over the boundary supplemented by a few genuine cover drives not seen since the heady days of 1986 according to Cocko. It had to end but I had no idea I was on 99 when attempting to hit another six only to mis-time straight into George Bretton’s buckets at deep mid-off.
Chaos ensued with the Cadbury boys desperate to bat and Mark acting as a runner as we swished our way to 203. From our pre-lunch position this was a reasonable effort but nowhere near enough against the Foresters formidable batting line up. The game was virtually won in ten overs before tea whereby Charlie Stuckley and James Croft rattled off 60 runs in no time. Highly competitive and hugely talented, our bowling was lacklustre and our fielding appalling allowing the openers to take control of the match.
Tea was a spectacular affair with Eton Mess added to the usual mix of scones and sandwiches which only served to further hinder our fielding. We dropped any number of catches and failed the persevering bowlers especially Rupert who bowled with great pace and determination.
With Grant Chandler and Cocko lobbing up their pies we took a few wickets mainly due to the batsman trying to smack the ball out of the ground, rather than any genuine threat.
Croft made a chanceless 77 before giving his wicket away, Stuckley cruised to 46 and Wisset-Warner hit 27 leaving Gibbs (37 no) and Raj Pillai (8 no) to knock off the winning runs in the 35th over. It was the most comprehensive of victories and despite having to take such a hammering squarely on the chin, Babington need to take inspiration from the Free Foresters illustrious history and obvious quality. We have all the ingredients required to re-energise the club in the close season and build on the foundations laid over the past decade or so. If yours truly can still score 99, then anything is possible!
Babington House – 203 All Out
Free Foresters – 204 for 4
Free Foresters Won by Six Wickets
Man of the Match – James Croft for a great all round bowling display.
Champagne Moment - Eton Mess for Tea - what luxury!!!
Showing posts with label Match Reports 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Match Reports 2011. Show all posts
Monday, 22 August 2011
Saturday, 21 May 2011
BHCC v Wiltshire Queries - 15th May 2011
A sense of nostalgia was in the air as we finally managed to play a match against the erstwhile wandering entity that is the Wiltshire Queries. The previous two fixtures were cancelled due to rain and, in a distinctly past life, I regularly played for the Queries when I could, with some justification, call myself a proper cricketer.
Forgive the report being written in the first person, but I felt a tinge of whimsicalness as I drove to Babbers’ with memories of donning the Question Marked shirt at far flung grounds such as Shrivenham, Oxford Downs and Tidworth; of rock hard pitches, sumptuous lunches, toasts to the Queen through gritted teeth and the odd century heaven forbid.
The first Tubeway Army was my soundtrack as the Beamer glided through the leafy Somerset lanes; I felt a touch nervous not because I didn’t want to lose, but moreover, I didn’t want Babington to be stuffed. On their day, the Queries can be formidable.
Upon arrival at an expectant Babington, it represented a special moment to drape the Queries flag over the five-a-side goalposts and greet Barry Aitken – a man who embodies the spirit and tradition of the Queries with his tireless dedication to organisation and endeavour.
Hamish Horton, Queries captain and an imposing figure, won the toss and surprisingly asked Babington to bat first on a straw-coloured strip tinged with green. The two Mark’s, Cadbury and Meadows, opened up against a strong attack comprising Rupert Bagnall’s (2 for 7)left-arm over and Owen Alsop’s (1 for 27) out and out pace.
The latter is a prestigious talent at the Hampshire Cricket academy and a good friend of Liam Dawson who currently opens the batting for the county; the fact that I played cricket against Liam’s father who opened the bowling for Goatacre for years, only added to my realisation that I am getting old.
Meadows looked in good touch from the off employing the right hand to drag powerfully to leg; Cadbury on the other hand was far from his fluent best and soon succumbed to a skied cover drive as his renowned impatience got the better of him. Sherring (8) looked composed but was soon given out leg before and Mark Gunning’s style of hitting the ball late yielded 11 before being caught.
Thankfully, Meadows was hitting the ball to all parts and reached his fifty with only 68 on the board. His rationale of hitting anything pitched-up was typified by one glorious flick off his toes and series of rapier-like pulls off anything fractionally short.
The hundred arrived in the 23rd over, but Meadows perished shortly afterwards bowled by Simon Campbell (1 for 36) off an inside edge attempting to up the run rate. He made 87 and richly deserved a century as it was arguably his best knock for Babington yet.
With the overs running out, I had a swipe for 21 and middle a couple leaving father and son Matthew (11 not out) and an increasingly confident Chester Ellis (19 no) to add 30-odd priceless runs in between poor Ben Tollworthy getting a first ball blob. Wayne Eggelstone (0 for 39) and J. Nickell (1 for 35) all bowled combatively and Hamish lobbed up some donkey-drops at the end.
We took tea more than content with our score of 175 for six off 35 overs.
Alsop and Eggelstone started the Queries reply against the contrasting attack of Tollworthy and Andrew Jolliffe. Ben, all fire and Brimstone down the hill proved a real handful and was unlucky not to get Alsop’s prized wicket when yours truly dropped a skimming chance at second slip... age again I am afraid.
At the other end, Jolliffe answering the last minute call which dragged him off the sofa, was his metronomic self and he saved my blushes when a good length ball popped off Alsop’s splice into my grateful mits. Tollworthy’s spell of 0 for 16 after seven hostile offers was superb and the fact that he remained wicketless should not detract from a superb display.
The unfairness of the game was perhaps highlighted when Ben was replaced by Chester Ellis who promptly took a wicket with his first ball enticing Egglestone (35) to top edge to his Dad at the wicket.
Mike Sherring replaced Jolliffe (1 for 30) and enjoyed a fascinating dual with David Hayward who batted with considerable style. Good-length balls were defended stoutly whilst anything loose was driven through the ‘V’ with the straightest of bats.
Slowly but surely however, the Queries were falling behind the run rate despite the enticing ‘moon balls’ served up by Robert Leachman from the bottom end. The lack of pace from our guest player bamboozled all the batsman who reverted to cross-batted swipes in an attempt to add impetus to the scoreboard. Wheeler perished stumped by a gleeful Ellis and a couple of farcical run-outs put the Queries on the back foot.
Our visitors hopes rested with Simon Campbell and Hamish Horton, but the former was bowled ‘neck and crop’ by the first ball of Chester Ellis’s second spell and Horton was well caught on the very edge of the boundary by Meadows off Cadbury’s liquorice all sorts. The previous ball had sailed into the top boughs of the trees and for a fleeting moment, it looked like we might be in trouble. With the big guns silenced, the overs petered out with the Queries closing on 151 for 8.
So, another victory against quality opposition and our unbeaten run now stretches back to July 2009 unbelievably. This win was built on Meadow’s batting foundation and the combined spirit off the team in the field personified by Matt & Chester Ellis – feisty is a word that springs to mind.
The Queries flag was duly folded up and put away and the assembled multitude made for the bar. Personal memories of the Queries linger long in the memory, but it was good to win – especially after a hugely enjoyable and competitive match.
Babington House CC – 175 for 6
Wiltshire Queries – 151 for 8
Babington Won By 11 Runs
Man of the Match – Mark Meadows – 87
Champagne Moment – Chester Ellis knocking over Simon Campbell for a golden!
Forgive the report being written in the first person, but I felt a tinge of whimsicalness as I drove to Babbers’ with memories of donning the Question Marked shirt at far flung grounds such as Shrivenham, Oxford Downs and Tidworth; of rock hard pitches, sumptuous lunches, toasts to the Queen through gritted teeth and the odd century heaven forbid.
The first Tubeway Army was my soundtrack as the Beamer glided through the leafy Somerset lanes; I felt a touch nervous not because I didn’t want to lose, but moreover, I didn’t want Babington to be stuffed. On their day, the Queries can be formidable.
Upon arrival at an expectant Babington, it represented a special moment to drape the Queries flag over the five-a-side goalposts and greet Barry Aitken – a man who embodies the spirit and tradition of the Queries with his tireless dedication to organisation and endeavour.
Hamish Horton, Queries captain and an imposing figure, won the toss and surprisingly asked Babington to bat first on a straw-coloured strip tinged with green. The two Mark’s, Cadbury and Meadows, opened up against a strong attack comprising Rupert Bagnall’s (2 for 7)left-arm over and Owen Alsop’s (1 for 27) out and out pace.
The latter is a prestigious talent at the Hampshire Cricket academy and a good friend of Liam Dawson who currently opens the batting for the county; the fact that I played cricket against Liam’s father who opened the bowling for Goatacre for years, only added to my realisation that I am getting old.
Meadows looked in good touch from the off employing the right hand to drag powerfully to leg; Cadbury on the other hand was far from his fluent best and soon succumbed to a skied cover drive as his renowned impatience got the better of him. Sherring (8) looked composed but was soon given out leg before and Mark Gunning’s style of hitting the ball late yielded 11 before being caught.
Thankfully, Meadows was hitting the ball to all parts and reached his fifty with only 68 on the board. His rationale of hitting anything pitched-up was typified by one glorious flick off his toes and series of rapier-like pulls off anything fractionally short.
The hundred arrived in the 23rd over, but Meadows perished shortly afterwards bowled by Simon Campbell (1 for 36) off an inside edge attempting to up the run rate. He made 87 and richly deserved a century as it was arguably his best knock for Babington yet.
With the overs running out, I had a swipe for 21 and middle a couple leaving father and son Matthew (11 not out) and an increasingly confident Chester Ellis (19 no) to add 30-odd priceless runs in between poor Ben Tollworthy getting a first ball blob. Wayne Eggelstone (0 for 39) and J. Nickell (1 for 35) all bowled combatively and Hamish lobbed up some donkey-drops at the end.
We took tea more than content with our score of 175 for six off 35 overs.
Alsop and Eggelstone started the Queries reply against the contrasting attack of Tollworthy and Andrew Jolliffe. Ben, all fire and Brimstone down the hill proved a real handful and was unlucky not to get Alsop’s prized wicket when yours truly dropped a skimming chance at second slip... age again I am afraid.
At the other end, Jolliffe answering the last minute call which dragged him off the sofa, was his metronomic self and he saved my blushes when a good length ball popped off Alsop’s splice into my grateful mits. Tollworthy’s spell of 0 for 16 after seven hostile offers was superb and the fact that he remained wicketless should not detract from a superb display.
The unfairness of the game was perhaps highlighted when Ben was replaced by Chester Ellis who promptly took a wicket with his first ball enticing Egglestone (35) to top edge to his Dad at the wicket.
Mike Sherring replaced Jolliffe (1 for 30) and enjoyed a fascinating dual with David Hayward who batted with considerable style. Good-length balls were defended stoutly whilst anything loose was driven through the ‘V’ with the straightest of bats.
Slowly but surely however, the Queries were falling behind the run rate despite the enticing ‘moon balls’ served up by Robert Leachman from the bottom end. The lack of pace from our guest player bamboozled all the batsman who reverted to cross-batted swipes in an attempt to add impetus to the scoreboard. Wheeler perished stumped by a gleeful Ellis and a couple of farcical run-outs put the Queries on the back foot.
Our visitors hopes rested with Simon Campbell and Hamish Horton, but the former was bowled ‘neck and crop’ by the first ball of Chester Ellis’s second spell and Horton was well caught on the very edge of the boundary by Meadows off Cadbury’s liquorice all sorts. The previous ball had sailed into the top boughs of the trees and for a fleeting moment, it looked like we might be in trouble. With the big guns silenced, the overs petered out with the Queries closing on 151 for 8.
So, another victory against quality opposition and our unbeaten run now stretches back to July 2009 unbelievably. This win was built on Meadow’s batting foundation and the combined spirit off the team in the field personified by Matt & Chester Ellis – feisty is a word that springs to mind.
The Queries flag was duly folded up and put away and the assembled multitude made for the bar. Personal memories of the Queries linger long in the memory, but it was good to win – especially after a hugely enjoyable and competitive match.
Babington House CC – 175 for 6
Wiltshire Queries – 151 for 8
Babington Won By 11 Runs
Man of the Match – Mark Meadows – 87
Champagne Moment – Chester Ellis knocking over Simon Campbell for a golden!
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