Bodley vs White Hunter CC at Great Tew & LIttle Tew Cricket Club, 35 overs. It's been over three months of lockdown, of unprecedented changes and restrictions and uncertainty. It's also been raining ever since it was announced we could play cricket again. At times this year it looked like much that we took for granted would skip a year completely. But as eleven of us woke up across North Oxfordshire on a warm, clear Sunday morning in July we all shared the same fuzzy feeling that today, finally, we would play cricket We might play it badly, we might not play it for very long, but it mattered not! The important thing was that we would play together. Joining us for this curtain raiser were friends the White Hunter CC, a social and sociable team from Hampshire, that we've had a number of close games with over the past few years. All assembled at the immaculate Great Tew & Little Tew cricket club in picturesque Great Tew, a new venue for us and one we hope to see again. After a week of almost constant rain it was a blessed relief that the weather was in our favour, a perfect day for play. Captains Richard Perkins (for the WHCC) and Gareth Jones (for the Bod), agreed terms, and strode out to the middle for a socially distanced toss and conspicuous lack of handshakes. Amongst all the Covid-related restrictions it was actually the absence of shaking hands that many of us found hardest to get used to - it just seemed rude! Nevertheless, them's the rules now. But back to the toss - Perkins called correctly and after seeming to wish he hadn't, opted to bat. 35 overs was the order of the day, with retirement at 50, and 7 overs per bowler. WHCC had twelve, so a fielding sub was allowed in the second innings. Before play could start club Chairman Dave Freeman ran both teams through the new 2020 conditions of play - a hygiene break every six overs, during which all fielders must sanitise their hands and the skipper the ball; batters to run in marked lanes on either side of the wicket; no shining the ball with spit/sweat; and all players to remain socially distanced at all times. In practice, all of this was very easy to incorporate. Anyway, without delay, the game! WHCC opened with double Morgan-Grenville - father and son facing up for the first ball. The honour of delivering that shiny and spotlessly clean vector of joy went to Bodley quick Phil Burnett, who after lockdown definitely has something of the Nigel Havers about him. Phil took the final wicket of the final match last season, giving us a one run win, so it seemed apt that he opened the first act this year. A tidy few overs with young Dan Shaw gliding in at the other end saw a wicket apiece to account for the opening bats, leaving WHCC wobbling on 19-2 from 5 overs. With the first hygiene break completed (actually a welcome chance for a breather from all that energetic fielding we pretend we do) the skipper decided to take it as a cue to change the bowling and negate the need for complex maths and over totting-up. This meant the medium pace wibblying of Stuart Ackland and Gavin Robinson was gently unleashed on to the unsuspecting batsmen. A tight start ensured the score never got away at any great rate, though the batters were certainly playing very canny, risk-free cricket and chances were few and far between. Under warm skies with barely a breeze and frequent hygiene breaks, the afternoon settled into a familiar but belated rhythm, and Bodley kept things tight, fielded well (though one player was heard to remark that after not long at all it felt like day three on tour in the legs. Very true!), and generally soaked up the sheer joy of playing cricket. The other half of Bodley's own father and son partnership, James Shaw, kept things even tighter, whilst the fountain of youth that is David Shackleton chipped in from the other end. A stunning catch by Tim Philipson on the rope from an ball that went up miles was sadly actually over the rope upon landfall, but was a terrific effort regardless. With retirements for a few batters, and the score threatening to go beyond 200 after an impressive 155 runs scored without a wicket being lost, Bodley ceremoniously wheeled out the spirit of cricket himself, Andrew Milner. With Phil back on at the other end a couple of late wickets were taken and the run rate slowed, particular credit going to an ever busy David Busby at square leg constantly tidying up attempts to sweep. All this excitement left WHCC short of that but with a very challenging total of 175-4, so 176 for Bodley to win. Frankly a bloody good score for the first game back! Regular readers will know that we really only play cricket so that we can feast on sumptuous teas. Cakes are a favourite, as are creatively filled sandwiches, cut into little triangles. Delicious. However, another condition of play that the government has insisted upon is that there shall be no teas, so that particular pleasure will have to wait. I'm sure we'll make up for lost time when they're allowed again. In the absence of coordinated cake consumption, everyone was encouraged to bring their own, and a most agreeable twenty minutes was spent catching up with friends and discussing the game over a Mr Kipling slice. The second innings began with a familiar opening partnership, Burnett and Shackleton striding out to get us off to a good start. All agreed that if we just batted the full 35 overs, we should get enough to win. Simple. Sort of. Phil looked good (like Nigel Havers), but was soon out as the young guns in the WHCC ranks led the attack. But this just brought James Shaw in, and with Bodey's two most productive batsmen at the crease, a most wonderful partnership built, the kind of batting which so reassures that you feel able to read a paper or gaze idly at clouds, returning at the prompt of a crack on willow and a boundary crossed. WHCC gave their bowlers long spells, but the batters hung in there and began to unfurl quite the range of shots, James striking the ball far beyond the fielders, and David relentlessly punishing anything loose. The flourishing partnership was only broken by David retiring for a superb 52 not out in the fourteenth over, followed shortly after by a very loose ball striking James on the full, requiring a breather for the batter and precipitating a mini-collapse for Bodley as Matthew fell to a wicked inswinger, Dan was defeated, Tim was bamboozled by bounce, and Gareth was cleaned bowled by a member of the House of Lords. Quite a session. With the score on 108-5 and the total looking a little distant, Gavin and the thankfully uninjured and restored James set about restoring order. Good running and a few boundaries kept the run rate manageable, and after James retired for a quite fantastic 52, Andrew joined Gav to kept things ticking along. With about thirty runs needed from seven overs, things looked good for the hosts, but the wickets of Andrew followed by a buccaneering David Busby brought Bodley's storied number 11 to the crease. Indeed, Stuart was so excited to be batting that he strode out, bat in hand, gloves tightened, raring to go. His batting pads, however, were in his kit bag. Once this oversight had been remedied, Stuart entertained us all for a quick single, and was then, to the horror of the visitors, out. Which meant that David Shackleton returned to the crease to pick up where he'd left off as he joined anchor of the run chase Gavin at the crease. A classy boundary later and the total was chased down, 176-8. Bodley win a great match by two wickets in the thirty second over. Very well played all. Bows, curtsies, and elbow bumps all round, and both teams headed off the field with beaming smiles, regardless of the result. The bar was open, the sun was still warm, and a thoroughly good - socially distanced - evening was had by all. Big thank you to our dedicated spectators, to Dave Freeman, and to all who played on both sides for reminding us why we love cricket so much. GJ.
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Note from the Ed.Generally always written late on the night of the game. Any accuracy or sparkling prose is purely accidental. Archives
September 2020
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