Aldworth CC at Aldworth, 35 overs Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5159101/scorecard It barely seems like a few weeks have passed since Bodley took to the field for their first match of the season against The Strollers, on a breezy April day. As always however, the cricketing season seems to imperceptibly accelerate the passage of time, and in what appeared little more than a blink of the studied fielders eye, we find ourselves once again in the “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”[1], and Bodley assembling one final time for the traditional season finale against Aldworth CC. As any seasoned player knows all too well, Aldworth presents its own delights and challenges. The magnificent, other-worldly, Bell Inn, with its tiny nook of a bar and excellent ales is most definitely a delight. The adjourning pitch however is generally judged to be anything but. With a sloping, uneven outfield with a significant ‘bite’ out of one corner that makes the more ‘diminutive’ player almost invisible to those on the Pavilion boundary, and an uncovered wicket that presents a fascinating challenge to the unwary cricketer, the ground has what tradition dictates be called ‘character’. On arrival, the blaze of buttercups on the outfield suggested that, as usual, the pitch had foregone any attempt at pampering, and if this presented challenges, they were as nothing compared to the delights of the wicket itself. Over the years, Bodley have played Aldworth in both horizontal rain and autumnal warmth, but irrespective of the vagaries of weather, this 22 yard strip of West Berkshire pasture has always proved to be defiantly ‘singular’, generating bounce as unpredictable as a toddler gorging on Sunny Delight. This year would prove to be no exception, with the wicket clearly indicating that this little corner of England had endured a recent monsoon of biblical proportions, resembling little more than a gargantuan Peperami trodden into the ground, and left to soak. Still, both teams would have to play on it, so what difference could it possibly make? Well quite a lot as it happens, but we shall come to that in due course. For this final assault on glory, Bodley fielded a side that covered all possible requirements – with the young and not so mingling with the fit and less so, the graceful with the agricultural, the guileful with the reckless, and Shackleton making up the numbers. Now back from his recent Grand Tour of his ancestral lands up North, Andrew Milner made a welcome return to the fold, plugging the gap left by Stuart Ackland, who had absented himself on account of a prior commitment to ‘Show and Tell’. [Don’t ask…] Leading by example, Gareth Jones and Matthew Neeley had arrived early, and taken sustenance at The Bell, though whether they too had become the latest converts to Bodley’s former ‘Director of Fitness’ Stephen Arnold – in particular his new International Bestseller[2] ‘The ABV of PPC’, which clearly establishes the positive relationship between strong ale and ‘Peak Performance Cricket’ – was a moot point. With James Shaw dashing up from a fully-immersive pagan ritual in deepest darkest Kent, and the entirely predictable non-arrival of David Shackleton and Phil Burnett – both equipped with the navigation skills of Mark Thatcher and the punctuality of an Undergraduate – having won the toss, Aldworth put Bodley in to bat. At the time this seemed to be a somewhat auspicious start to proceedings, but as the match wore on it became apparent that there may have been more than a smattering of local knowledge and unbridled cunning that informed this decision. Before play commenced, a minutes silence to mark the passing of Elizabeth II was observed by all. With respects honourably paid, it was time to re-focus on the task in hand, and as warm dappled sunlight reflected off the sodden strip, Shackleton and Neeley strode out to the middle with a purposeful air to begin Bodley’s final attempt to ascend to those fabled cricketing Elysian Fields. It wasn’t long, however, before Bodley realised that it was going to prove somewhat of a challenge to even get beyond base camp, yet alone scale the summit of victory, as Aldworth openers Ford and Ankar set about their task with a quiet efficiency that not only blunted the attack, but led to more ‘ooohing and ahhhing’ on the boundary than at an Ackland ‘Show and Tell’. Quite simply the Aldworth bowlers appeared to ‘know’ their wicket. Now much is spoken in cricketing circles, by those who invariably have too much time on their hands, that the wicket is always the twelfth player on the pitch, and although it is always painful to admit even a modicum of veracity to the thoughts of such individuals, for once this proved to be the case. Of course it wasn’t the first time that the wicket had proved to be somewhat ‘testing’ at Aldworth – it certainly has form in this respect – but today it just seemed to have levels of ‘extra-added-bounce’ that is usually only found in Shackletons’s Hair Spray. Never ones to shirk a challenge, and with Shackleton in particular determined to prove his relevance to a team that had clearly moved on during his ‘scholastic’ galivanting, both openers dutifully persevered against the onslaught, but despite their best endeavours, conditions were more than a little ‘sub-optimal’ in University parlance, and it wasn’t until the 15th over that Bodley chalked up the half-century. Despite these initial difficulties, things were beginning to look a little more positive however, as both Neeley and Shackleton began to get the measure of the pitch and inject a bit more swagger into their shots. It wasn’t long before Neeley was finding the boundary, and even the languid Shackleton loosened his arms to punt a towering six onto the pavilion roof, to the delight of the Bodley contingent on the boundary, safely shielding behind Milner at the scorer’s table. Now it is somewhat of a Bodley cricketing cliché to describe the fall of Shackleton’s wicket in terms little removed from those reserved for the loss of the Titanic, and although we have endeavoured to doggedly defy this convention all season, it did come as something as a shock when ‘He of the Magnificent Hair’ [The ‘Mane Man’?] snicked a veering ball whilst chasing a shot and was duly caught in the slips by Newing. It was, as Shackleton would no doubt agree, a quite ‘Amazing’ catch, and as he sloped back to the Pavilion in his familiar louche way after a hard-fought 26, newly promoted Milner stepped out to join Neeley at the crease, with the brooding menace of Gripper Stebson. Alas, although promising much and starting well, the partnership came to a premature end when Neeley was undone by the pitch, as yet another ball dug into the spongy morass and jagged viciously skyward taking yet another top-edge which was perfunctorily pouched by Moore. With both openers now back in the Pavillion ruminating on the vicissitudes of village cricket, Jones was next in line for a crash-course in splat the bat, whilst all on the boundary pondered whether lightening could indeed strike thrice. What followed could best be described as a somewhat ‘sticky’ passage of play, in more ways than one. All notions of ‘getting your eye’ in were completely nullified by a wicket that was quite literally refusing to play ball, and without much ado, or troubling the scoreboard, Jones succumbed to yet another ball that seemed to defy the laws of gravity and motion, as it once again pitched and veered, taking yet another top edge, which was in turn taken by Moore. Having witnessed the rather troubling turn of events from the safety of the boundary, Philipson had rather sensibly padded-up in readiness, though he presented a rather curious sight as he ambled out to the crease due to his decision that, all things considered, discretion really was the better part of a vainglorious trip to A&E, and as such sported a Helmet rather than the traditional cap. With the quiet resignation of condemned men, and bearing more than a passing resemblance to Hinge and Bracket, Milner and Philipson now resolved to stamp some authority on the innings and accelerate the scoring which, as a plan, worked extremely well, bar the actual execution. The fly in the ointment was Newing, who was now steaming in to bowl with the genuine pace of youth, and when combined with the vagaries of the wicket it was inevitable that he would claim a scalp sooner or later; it was Milner’s misfortune that he found himself on the receiving end one such venomous delivery that beat the bat and almost removed his middle stump from the ground. As Milner beat the retreat he was replaced by the ever sprightly Shaw, batting lower down the order today but still out in the middle somewhat sooner than expected. Although his breezy optimism seemed somewhat misplaced, all things considered, it was clear that he was intent on kick-starting the now flagging innings – and there was certainly still sufficient tail to wag along with him should the need arise – but the key, as ever, would be partnerships that endured and scored. Given this, it was probably somewhat inauspicious that he found himself now partnered with Tim Philipson. With his absence of technique, Philipson doesn’t look like a great batter (and in his case appearances are not deceptive), and all hopes that his new cranial gyroscopic counterbalance would offset at least some of the glaring technical deficiencies alas proved fleeting, as he too was undone in an almost carbon copy of the Jones dismissal, although this time the top-edge was claimed by Richardson. Once again the vagaries of the Aldworth wicket had allowed a solid, though unspectacular, bowling attack to rip through the Bodley batting order like a dose of salts, and with the score on 64 for 5 after 21 overs, the game, to paraphrase Hirohito, had developed not necessarily to Bodley’s advantage. Despite such travails, the game must go on however, and as all agreed on the boundary, it would soon be Aldworth’s turn to face the delights of the vegetable patch that was wreaking such havoc to the Bodley innings. What was needed at this moment was some impetus to post a competitive score, and who better to answer the call than Silver-Phil Burnett. Although new familial commitments have sadly curtailed his pursuit of brass rubbings in quite country churchyards, it is reassuring that he is still inclined to don the flannels for Bodley, and all too fittingly a hushed, reverent silence descended as he purposefully took guard. Once again initial signs were positive – Shaw had yet again found his mojo and the boundary and Burnett looked to have settled before, yet again, a ball just dug in, veered up, and took yet another top edge that was snaffled by bowler Richardson. As Burnett retired to the boundary rueing his misfortune, his place out in the middle was taken by Gavin Robinson, and if ever a situation demanded a no-nonsense presence at the crease this was surely it. And for one, brief, shining moment the stars did indeed align, as a veering ball was, for once, dismissively biffed to the boundary. But the light of hope was, alas, all too fleeting, for despite Bodley finally seeming to get the measure of the veering ball, Aldworth had young-gun Newing as a perennial ace up their sleeve. And once again he delivered the goods, with yet another searing ball finally breaching Robinsons defence, and yet again almost uprooting middle stump in the process. Although all thoughts of posting a new record-low score had long since passed, with 7 wickets down for only 81 runs it remained a moot point if Bodley would manage to drag themselves into three-figure territory, which had to be the bare minimum that could possibly be defended. If anyone was going to get Bodley over this totemic rubicon, it was surely talismanic everyman Dave Busby, whose Slazenger windmills gave the appearance of Pete Townsend preparing to do battle. Although possessed of a somewhat idiosyncratic technique that borrows heavily from the lateral movement of the Spider Crab, it is, nonetheless, effective, and has seen his career outlast that of countless ‘orthodox’ players. Today was no exception, with a masterful demonstration of singular strokeplay garnering a couple of heartily cheered boundaries which got Bodley within sniffing distance of a hundred-up. Before Bodley had a chance to cross the line however, Shaw was finally undone by the pitch, as yet another freakish bounce sent yet another top edged ball back down the wicket where it was duly taken by bowler Richardson. As Shaw departed for a well struck and hard fought 21, next out was James Riley, determined to add to his run tally and impressive string of not-outs for the season. Clearly the freedom to biff released some of the tail-end-tension as the Busby-Riley partnership started to swing. Riley soon found the boundary as Bodley finally broke the hundred mark, and entertaining progress was being made before this cameo was finally cut short in the now all too familiar way, as Busby top edged yet another veering ball that was unceremoniously pouched by the well-drilled Aldworth field. Bodley’s final roll of the dice now rested with Dom ‘Bristol’ Hewett, equipped with the unassuming efficiency of a Japanese Jesus Robot. Alas, by this stage the Cricketing Gods had decided to shut up shop early, and as such posterity would record that Bristol Hewett would be the only player to be dismissed LBW during the entire match, which was a victory of sorts on this Aldworth wicket. And so, as Bodley departed the field of play, they had managed to post an under-par 111 runs on the board. Only time would tell if it was enough of course, but at least we had the psychological reassurance that it would soon be Aldworth’s turn to face the dubious charms of this ‘characterful’ wicket. [1] Keith Chegwin [2] Pitcairn Revenge may well be a dish best served cold, but before that there was hot tea to be had, and all retreated to the Pavilion to enjoy a quite splendid spread that had been provided by our generous hosts. With all sweet and savoury bases well covered, and some truly excellent cake to add to the joy, it was a welcome, momentary release from the rather painful sequence of events that had recently unfolded out on the field of play. And with sugar levels finally restored, an air of restrained confidence may even have been evident in the Bodley camp, as plates were cleared and mugs were drained, though Shackleton’s rather coquettish strawberry ‘routine’ suggested he may have slightly overdone the sugar hit. But still, a warm late-summer sun was now bathing the ground in soft pastel light as Bodley once again took to the field, though now with a target to defend.
The return of Burnett from his romantic indulgences meant that Bodley could resort to a tried and tested opening attack when play resumed, with the high ball release of Shaw in particular promising much on a wicket that had sprinkled angel dust on hard-pitched deliveries. And the opening Bodley salvos didn’t disappoint, straddling the Aldworth openers and restricting the run rate to a mere trickle. The first breakthrough came in Shaw’s opening over with Ollie bowled without troubling the score, which was followed by the now familiar passage of attrition bowling which saw Aldworth restricted to only 30 runs after 10 overs. Despite initially containing the run-rate, the arrival of Wood at the crease had injected real impetus to the Aldworth innings however, and as the 20 over mark was reached they had established a marginal lead which they looked unlikely to relinquish unless they succumbed to the same sort of collapse and piecemeal partnerships that had afflicted Bodley. It was during this period that something decidedly odd had become increasingly apparent; the sodden mud-strip that had delivered such variable bounce during the Bodley innings – and which had directly led to 7 top-edges that had been gratefully snaffled by the Aldworth field – had become an almost benign flat batting strip that was starting to deliver runs. The increasingly expansive innings of Wood was a perfect illustration of the bind that Bodley now found themselves in, with the runs coming ever faster as the wicket dried in that self-same soft summer sun that seemed so comforting and reassuring not so very long ago. To add to the apparent unjustness of the whole situation, the early promise of Robinson’s spell, which looked likely to take an edge sooner rather than later, was cut short due to injury. Even the flighted deliveries of Bristol Hewett appeared to be checked by a wicket that now seemed to dissipate even the potential of unorthodox bounce, allowing Wood in particular to get his eye in, find the range, and the boundary. With Aldworth starting to canter it was time to change tack, and with Robinson now withdrawn from the attack Milner was introduced to try and make the most of what life remained in the wicket. Now Milner is a real veteran of the game in every sense – Burnett in particular is often spellbound by his yarn about bowling Lord Kitchener for a Duck in the 1901 Cape Town Invitational – but despite a solid, parsimonious start, even he could not contain an Aldworth attack that was starting to feast on the free runs that the lifeless wicket was increasingly serving up for them. The introduction of Neeley into the attack had immediately brought the wicket of Gardiner, with a catch well held by Shaw, and much to the surprise of everyone the languid shimmy of Shackleton also bore results. Now Shackleton had clearly become something of a cult-like figure during his recent Californian ‘Research Study’ of ‘Utopian Naturist Pygmies’, with tales, so we hear, of disciples adopting Donna Summers’ 1977 Disco classic as their anthem, only substituting the word ‘Love’ for ‘Shacks’. Now safely back in the mother country, it was time to eschew such indulgencies and concentrate on the matter in hand, which today meant skittling out the opposition for a mere handful of runs. To his credit he did give it his best shot, finally taking the crucial wicket of Woods after he had amassed what would prove to be a match winning 74 runs, and also claiming Warren, who was well caught in the deep by Busby in an unorthodox backwards roll. The arrival of Basoya at the crease merely confirmed the inevitable however, with three successive boundaries sealing the victory for Aldworth in the 24th over. As traditional handshakes concluded the match, it was clear that history would record the 7 wicket loss as one of the more convincing defeats of the season. However, as initial disappointment receded, and reflection kicked in, it was clear that Bodley had largely been undone, yet again, by the infamous Aldworth wicket. Hindsight, and the experience of trying to evade wildly veering and rearing balls, would made the decision to put Bodley into bat on a sodden but drying pitch proof positive of the old truism ‘cricketer know thy pitch – and keep a watchful eye on the weather forecast while you’re at it too’. Any lessons learnt would be for another time and another season however, as it was time to retire to the comforts of a convivial pint at the Bell Inn to discuss everything, and nothing, as is the Bodley way, and reflect, as always on the golden season that awaits, forever, just around the corner. Weather permitting, Bodley will take to the field one last time this year for the traditional end-of season Whippersnappers, and it goes without saying that this final outing will bookend what has been yet another exciting chapter in the storied history of Bodley CC. Aldworth would be the final ‘competitive’ match of the season however, so it is perhaps appropriate to end this report with a few concluding observations. Although ‘statistically’ speaking the season has not been one of our more successful campaigns, there have been many real highlights that merit brief mention. Personal high scores have seemingly proliferated this year, with several new half-centurions added to the hallowed Hall of Fame. The runs have flowed – even gushed on occasion – especially when Bodley once again took to the road and provided the inhabitants of Exeter and its environs with near exhibition cricket that will surely become local legend. Should you ever find yourself down that way however, and the opposition remark that you don’t appear to merit ‘gloving up’, as James will testify, you should be afraid…very afraid. On the bowling front there have also been fine displays of metronomic attrition interspersed with occasional spells of devastating, and indeed record breaking, wicket-fests. The fielding has been above average in athleticism, and trousers have been stained, and indeed shredded in the cause. There have even been some fabulous catches taken, and more importantly held, which is always a rewarding sight. Of course we have also been on the receiving end of some seriously destructive batting and guileful bowling that has, on occasion, tipped the balance away from Bodley, but there will always be fine margins in any season – they are what make the whole adventure that little bit more exciting and keeps pulling us back like a moth to the cricketing flame. When the idea of taking mediocre social cricket to the villages of Oxfordshire and other assorted non First-Class Counties was first mooted, we like to think that Bodley’s esteemed founding fathers would reflect, with a degree of pride, that this ceaseless endeavour doggedly lives on nearly 30 years later. That Bodley CC continues to thrive is due to the dedication of the mysterious ‘Committee’ who put in all the hard work behind the scenes – your largely thankless toil is much appreciated by all who sail in the good ship Bodley. Thanks are due, as always, to all those regulars who continue to turn out for Bodley CC – you could never be accused of being glory hunters and for that we applaud you. To all those debutants this year, heartfelt thanks – the rewards of ‘social cricket’ are generally of the more ‘intangible’ variety so welcome to the club and we hope to see you again as regulars next year. To that small but select group of supporters and fellow travellers, another huge thank you for your company and commitment to what may appear, on occasion, to be little more than an eternal lost cause. We like to think that we always give value for money however! And on a personal note, eternal thanks to all those drivers who have selflessly chauffeured a motley crew of unpunctual, whining and kit-heavy team mates to matches up and down the county and beyond – your contribution will be acknowledged and rewarded in the next life, if not in this. At heart Bodley CC always was, and will remain, greater than the sum of its constituent parts, which is what makes it so very special. And as yet another season draws to a close we can reflect on yet another triumph of convivial cricket, and look forward to many more campaigns yet to come. TP.
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Click here toRainmen at Great Haseley, 35 overs Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5388974/scorecard A week of weather watching had ensured a somewhat slow build up to this week’s instalment of the Bodley cricketing soap opera, but with grey clouds overhead, dry ground underfoot, and Summer most definitely over, the team arrived – some later than others thanks to Oxford’s love of congestion – and set about a 1 o’clock-ish start against the Rainmen. We first played each other in 2021, and all involved enjoyed what was a very good natured, quite close fixture. Hopes were high that we’d not be on the end of another loss, as has been the case too often this year. Skipper for the Bod, Jones, managed to win the toss (tails, obviously), and chose to bat. This was as much to ensure tea could be prepared and indulged in as promptly as possible, as it was about the state of the pitch (green, uneven bounce, but otherwise no gremlins). Neely and Webb opened the batting for the Bod, and settled in well against some handy bowling whilst they got the lay of the pitch and the measure of the fielders. Mike’s return to the side after a brief sojourn has been warmly welcomed by his team mates, and he looked in good touch today, finding the boundary behind square and defending well, properly, with a straight bat. Neely continued in the ridiculous form he’s shown all season, and steadily built a score with assurance. Rumour has it that David Shackleton selects Neely when he plays Brian Lara Cricket on his PlayStation. Anyway, having seen off the opening bowlers Mike was unfortunate to be stumped by the first change bowlers, looking to up the scoring. Whilst this was all very unwelcome from a Bodley point of view, it did draw our attention to the fact that the Rainmen wicketkeeper was called Trimingham (it’s all in the pronunciation) – a wonderful surname for a keeper, particularly one who stood up so often. Shaw (James) replaced Mike and set about the bowling with those long levers, whilst Neely likewise started to tuck in. Those same change bowlers eventually did for Neely too though, a well-made 26 taking him well past 500 runs for the season with a game in hand. Very, very well played, a stunning achievement. The skipper joined Shaw and the two batters decided it was probably fine to attack a bit, which resulted in Jones being unceremoniously bowled shortly after. Philipson was next in and started well, connecting and finding the fielder but looking in good nick. Alas, the collapse had begun, and Tim was out, followed by Shaw in fairly quick succession. Bodley hopeful Shorten was now at the crease and may as well have been dressed as a ship’s anchor so clear was the need for someone to settle things down. There were runs in that there field and we meant to find them. With Robinson at the other end and the bowling changing again, things took a turn for the better and a partnership built, and the watching crowd settled a little. Gav was sadly out before he could do as much damage as he’d threatened, and then Busby had the sheer misfortune to have one keep very low indeed first ball, which is just bad luck. Seven down and not yet 100 on the board, and in walked today’s debutant, Francis Bertschinger, an actual genuine Bodleian employee (Music Department, Weston Library), and we hoped an actual genuine cricketer too, having come from Somerset and played at a good level ‘about ten years ago’. The crowd leant forward in their seats. It was immediately apparent that young Bertschinger could bat a bit, and whilst sterner tests will surely come, the omens were good. With Shorten finding his range and Francis playing in an expansive manner that had eluded his new teammates the two batters staged a superb recovery, passing 100, then 150, then a 100 partnership, then a destructive 50 for Shorten, before ending the innings with a four to take the team to 201-7, Francis finishing on 44, Shorten on 58. Well played both, bravo. edit. And so, for the penultimate time this year, to tea. Another home game for Bodley and once again Stu stepped up to give us a buffet to feast on – nowadays the only kind of buffet Stu provides, having become the most miserly of bowlers. If you liked pickle you were in for an absolute treat, and along with savoury contributions from Dave and Tim, Dom and Matthew had presented a blanket of cake that was surely designed to inhibit physical activity and ensure a close game. All of this was gratefully devoured by all, and after seconds and sometimes thirds the two teams hauled themselves onto the pitch for the chase.
201 is a decent score in anyone’s book, and in Bodley’s it was a very good score – though it must be said we‘ve found some end of season batting form having posted 200-odd last time out too. Could a back to back victory be on the cards? We’ll see. Ackland and Robinson were given the new ball in grey conditions with rain on the distant horizon beyond the miles of fields that unfolded beneath us. Ackland, as has been the case recently, began in a miserly manner, like Scrooge in whites with a west county accent. Maiden. Robinson likewise started with the purse strings tightened, like a, erm, Yorkshireman. Maiden. Third over and Stu gets a wicket to cap off another maiden, Robinson taking the slip catch on the second attempt. Stu insists he come off at this point, with his skipper strongly suspecting this is to protect his now ridiculous figures. Hewett comes on as able replacement and sets about what would be a superbly controlled six over spell, picking up a wicket to boot. Robinson, unlucky not to strike, bowled four overs for seven runs and is replaced by debutant Bertschinger, who is very excited indeed to bowl some leg spin. With Hewett settled in at the other end Francis spent his first over finding his range – though also taking a wicket with an LBW given in a manner quite alien to Bodley. A few overs later, and with the field generally remaining up so as to avoid the rabbit holes, another wicket for Francis, and then in the next over, with the match in the balance – partnerships proving hard to come by for the visitors – Francis bowled a triple wicket maiden, leaving him on a hat trick for the next over. Seems he can bowl too, we all thought. With Busby now on at the other end and totally befuddling the batters with no respite as he tossed the ball way above the low clouds that threatened to bring Duckworth-Lewis in to play, Francis is quite unexpectedly tonked for four on the hat trick ball. Boo, and hiss. But then in a perhaps not entirely unexpected turn of events he takes the wicket next ball, followed a few balls later by another, taking his remarkable tally to seven in the innings. With Rainmen now nine down it was time for the Fielders Union to have a bowl, and so Philipson and the skipper loosened up and plugged away as the final wicket proved rather more difficult to dislodge. Eventually Jones bowled a full and straight one that bowled number 10. Bodley win by 116 runs in an enjoyable game, hopefully for both parties given the eventual scoreline. We’ve been on the wrong end of the scorecard several times this season so whilst nice to get a win it was even nicer to be able to welcome a new player, and see contributions from everyone. Well played all and thank you to our opposition for a good game. Notable mention to Francis for a terrific debut – 44* and 5-0-19-7, pretty good! Our next match is the traditional season ender at Aldworth, and a trip the lovely Bell Inn. Team to be announced imminently. Then it’s Whippersnappers on Sunday 25th September at Great Tew. GJ. Hendricks XI at Stanton St. John, 35 overs Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5243463/scorecard After what seems to be an interminable succession of close fought defeats, Bodley regrouped yet again to face old rivals Hendricks – a touring Team that has traditionally offered a stiff challenge during their annual stop-off in Oxford. With Bodley occasionals Tim Saunders and Ross Quest, Hendricks represent that rare thing – competitive, convivial social cricket. Moreover, the promise of a bottle of the self-same Gin being up for grabs for the Bodley player of the match has always added an extra degree of verve to Bodley performances so the contest certainly promised to be entertaining. The question was how close would it be given Bodley’s agonising recent run of form which has seen them score well but just fall short of the line? The absence of veteran Spin-Meister Andrew Milner only added to the uncertainty about how the old Maestro is doing. Well to allay any fears, we are reliably informed that it has yet again failed its MOT but Milner hopes for progress once he gets it to the garage. To hopefully offset this blow and add to the frisson Bodley welcomed back legendary top scorer and pouch-supremo Mike Webb, as well as Silver Streak Phil Burnett, who deigned to don the whites once again after several weeks indulgent honeymooning in California. With the rest of the ranks filled by the usual suspects Bodley fielded a strong side, though the question, as always, was what would Hendricks be serving up today at the still parched Stanton St John? Having won the toss Gareth Jones opted to Bat and, having finally located the scorebook and committed the batting order to posterity, sent Bodleys own Robson and Jerome out to the middle to open proceedings. Celebrating his birthday, and with a not inconsiderable run tally already safely banked, Matthew Neeley was keen to add to his haul and inch ever closer to the magical 500 mark for the season. At the non-strikers end, as-per, and now re-acclimatised to stoical European sensibilities following his reluctant return from his Californian ‘Research Study’ of Dystopian Naturist Poetry, opening partner David Shackleton had much to prove to a Bodley batting order that was beginning to make him look more than a little conventional and pedestrian. Like the old Maestro, a Bodley innings can sometimes take a little time to get going, which does little for the nerves on the boundary as overs seem to pass at an alarming rate. And yet there seems to be that special cricketing ‘flux capacitor’ in the Bodley psyche these days, whereby the ever-present uncertainty that surrounds any Bodley innings is marginally less likely to morph into blind panic at the merest provocation. And so it proved today, with early stoical defence by Neeley married to the languid Shackleton style that seemed to blunt the Hendricks attack. And with the latter clearing the boundary early doors with a devilish flashing high-elbow, the runes were looking positive for Bodley – even more so when a chance from Neeley was put down in the field. The question seemed to be could Bodley build on the early promise with a sustained partnership, and just how damaging would the dropped chance prove to be? Time would of course tell, but meanwhile out in the middle the melody of leather-on-willow was increasingly unchained and the score started to accumulate, as all on the boundary always knew it would. With the 50 now up in the tenth over it therefore came as something as a shock when Shackleton’s elegant Riverdance at the crease proved his undoing, falling to an LBW decision that, somewhat remarkably, was not delivered by doom-finger Ackland. The fall of the high-elbow brought Young-Gun Dan Shaw out to the crease, and it isn’t long before he finds his range and the boundary, and adds new impetus to the innings. It comes as a bit of a blow therefore when he drives hard for the boundary and is caught in the deep off Gilbert. Is this the start of a characteristic wobble by Bodley? As James Shaw strides out to the middle concerns are allayed, and with good reason for before long he has the measure of the bowling and is finding the gaps in the field and tearing up and down the wicket, keeping the runs accumulating and the strike rotating. Before fully getting into his stride however, and in an eerily similar fashion to Dan before him, James searches for the boundary only to be well held in the deep. With both Shaws falling to expansive shots, there is always a danger of pulling up the drawbridge and circling the cricketing wagons, and so it was under this deluge of discursive metaphors that Philipson made his way out to the middle in the 16th over with 84 runs on the board. Under strict self-imposed orders to at least try and watch the ball, the omens were not good as the traditional heave across the line made an early and entirely predictable appearance. Fortunately the damage did not prove terminal for once and after a few balls the new partnership with Neeley started to yield results, with Bodley finding the boundary from both ends and the score beginning to tick along in a reassuring manner. With things proceeding nicely now was certainly not the time to discover yet new ways to get yourself out, but fate, alas, determined otherwise, and so it fell to Philipson to experience the curious sight of a crashing leg-side ball ricocheting of his boot back onto the stumps. With the traditional chuntering trudge back to the pavilion for what felt an under-par 21, the baton was resolutely passed to Captain Jones, who hoped to once again tap into the rich seam of runs he had been mining this season. With fifteen overs remaining and 123 runs in the bag the question that seemed to be pre-occupying the assembled Casandras’s on the boundary was would Bodley continue to accelerate and post a 200+ score, which seemed to be the minimum that would be required against a Hendricks side that has always scored heavily. The answer was not long in coming as the Neeley-Jones partnership settled, and as the innings drew to a close and legs grew tired the bounty of boundaries started to come thick and fast. At the close of the final over Bodley had amassed an impressive and competitive 217 runs for the loss of only four wickets, with Jones retiring on a hawkish 31 and Neeley – after surviving a dropped no ball and snick behind on the final ball – posting a new personal best of 85 not out. And so to lunch, which this week had been prepared by Bodley’s very own culinary ambassadors James Shaw and Stuart Ackland, who served up a veritable glut of home-baked cakes and biscuits, sandwiches – with grated cheese no less – and the usual accompanying fare of treats of various descriptions, all washed down by tea the colour of time-worn linoleum. Faced with such a panoply of cake Busby was in seventh-heaven and it would prove difficult to encourage him to emerge from his cloud of crumbs and take to the field. Once assured that there would be the odd slice left over which would serve as either a congratulatory treat or consolation nibble after the match, he reluctantly joined the rest of Bodley as they took to the field, determined to take the game to Hendricks and curtail the chase. With the useful looking Gelsthorpe and Metcalf opening for Hendricks, Burnett and Dan Shaw carried the hopes and dreams of Bodley on their youthful [ahem…] shoulders. As always they didn’t disappoint, with the probing line and length of Burnett and fierce raw pace of Shaw combining to produce a discombobulating experience for the batters and a classic passage of containment cricket. With resolute hard-running in the field and a fanatical determination by James Riley to cut off all potential boundaries, when Gelsthorpe was caught by Burnett off Ackland in the 12th over Hendricks had been restricted to only 40 runs. When Metcalf and Minchinton both fell to Ackland in the 20th the score had limped to only 66 runs, and Bodley were beginning to consider the possibility of securing a much sought victory. Tempering such thoughts for Bodley veterans however was the presence of Ross Quest at the crease, a destructive batter of the type that had seen so many potential victories snatched from the grasp of Bodley over the years. And it wasn’t long before that characteristic languid swing was making its mark and finding the boundary, and with bit-hitter Oli May to follow it seemed that the Hendricks middle order was going to try and make a game of it afterall. The best laid plans of mice and men and all that however, as even the best batters can’t turn a game if they are not on strike, and the middle spell of James Shaw and Ackland was a model of asphyxiated ambition, with the danger contained and the required rate growing ever larger. Irrespective of any performance on the field however, Bodley have learned to never take anything for granted, and so there was a palpable sense of relief when Quest misjudged a vexing Ackland delivery that found his pads and sent him back to the pavilion for a well-struck but under-par 29. When May followed soon after, bowled by Neeley for a likewise under-par 4, Hendricks seemed to be faltering in the chase and it seemed that only some distinctly odd turn of events would conspire to deny Bodley the victory. All hopes now seemed to rest on that eternal question – would the Hendricks tail begin to wag? Tasked to prevent this, and desperate to atone for his sins with the bat, Shackleton was next up, and as he cantering up to the crease with his Mozza-lite-quiff wafting in the breeze it was clearly evident that he had become yet another disciple of Bodley’s former ‘Director of Fitness’ Stephen Arnold, in particular his latest International Best Seller[1] ‘Unleash Your Inner Ninja’, with the ‘New Improved Shack-attack’ almost – but not quite – breaking into a light sweat as he delivered guileful deliveries with a new found venom. It was difficult to tell who was more astonished when Shackleton lured a shot from Hewlett that was taken in a half-dive by a somewhat winded Philipson, leaving Hendricks perilously close to defeat. A predicament compounded soon after when Dan Shaw practically knocked Madhani’s middle stump clean out the ground. As a Spitfire portentously performed an impromptu fly-past it was time to Bring Busby into the attack, and it didn’t take long for his arc of uncertainty to claim Patel, who found himself short of his ground playing a ball which turned out to be somewhere else entirely and was duly stumped by Webb. With Tim Saunders at the crease the overs finally ran out, with Hendricks posting a respectable 144 runs which would prove not quite enough on this occasion. And so concluded what had proved to be a stellar Bodley victory against a Hendricks side that have always proved to be a stern challenge. As the warm summer sun eased aching limbs and the shadows lengthened, Bodley could reflect on what had proved to be an almost faultless performance. The batting had never appeared to be in danger of succumbing to the traditional collapse, and wickets had only fallen from expansive, positive cricket and a degree of misfortune – Shackleton excepted of course. Seemingly determined to set a personal trend, Neeley had capitalised on his early birthday present when dropped and gone on to post yet another new high-score of 85 not out. Key to the victory was the competitive score of 217 which had thrown down the gauntlet to Hendricks and always made a sustained chase to the finishing line that bit more challenging. Tight, economical bowling spells had only added to their woes, with Dan and James Shaw, Burnett and even Shackleton pegging back Hendricks whenever they threatened to accelerate. When you add the exceptional spell by Ackland into the mix – who returned the remarkable figures of 7-4-9-4, including two wicket maidens – this was a Bodley cricketing performance that was truly on song. And whilst it is of course always a mistake to be overly reductionist in any cricket analysis, the sight of top-tonker Ross Quest being trapped LBW, just when he threatened to accelerate the chase, was certainly one of those rare moments when Bodley could allow themselves to breath a little easier and start to believe that today might actually be their day. With handshakes and congratulations all-round, the only concluding business was the awarding of the coveted bottle of Hendricks. In a remarkably tight race that was only decided on the casting vote of the Hendricks Captain, the spoils went to Neeley for his crunching 85 not out, after which it was time to kick-off the spikes, sit back and reflect on yet another remarkable Bodley cricketing adventure. For once the game had not been nerve-shreddingly tight, and even Jones had departed the field of play with his trousers intact for once. However, although the winning margin of 73 runs suggested an easy win, it never quite felt like a done deal for those toiling away on that dusty Stanton St John outfield until the final ball of play. I suppose that perpetual sense of dread is one of the many things that make being a part of Bodley cricket so very special. Today however, posterity would be on the side of the Angels and record that Bodley had indeed secured a well-earned fourth victory in what has proved to be a quite exceptional season in oh so many ways. TP. [1] Diego Garcia OUP at Jordan Hill, eighteen overs.
Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5251551/scorecard The consensus amongst ourselves is that OUP is our longest-running continual fixture. There is also consensus that it is one of our favourites. We’ve been on the wrong end of a fair few tonkings, have inflicted a few ourselves, and been involved in plentiful tight matches too. Not to mention a certain 107 not out that lives long in the memory. And so to this year’s instalment, a twenty over affair reduced to eighteen on account of the gloomy sky and near 6pm start. Tonight’s skipper Matthew Neely lost the toss but was asked to bat, to his great relief, having spent his day off designing batting orders for every eventuality, so long as we bat first. A welcome first game of the season for Dips saw him open the batting with the skipper, and these two – the kind of opening partnership England’s Test team could do with, if only they’d admit it – set about their business with assurance and some hard running. OUP mixed up the bowling, starting with some slower stuff, and changing it up frequently. A steady start became a productive middle period before Matthew was unceremoniously caught for 17. This brought your author to the crease, in the kind of form that would probably keep him in an England Test team opening spot. Nevertheless, Dips was going great guns, and despite his partner causing alarm with an over-eager two that thankfully saw him reprieved, made his way to a very well deserved 30 and retirement. Next in was Tim Philipson, finding form and bringing a great cheer from those on the comfortable side of the boundary. After a nick behind Dave Shorten joined Tim and a partnership formed, with young Dan Shaw replacing Tim after the bowling changed yet again. Dave and Dan added some urgency to proceedings with good placement and sharp running, and Bod were eyeing up a 130 plus score, not really knowing what par is for eighteen over games. Alas – oh, it always happens – a rather handy bowler, quick and swinging it a bit, cutters too – came on and slowed things down. James Shaw replaced the younger, and with Shorten bowled by a skiddy one Max Bulldock joined James and proceeded to run like a certain retired Jamaican sprinter. Brilliant stuff Max, and a final tally or 113 from eighteen for the Bod. We thought that was probably about par, if we field well. This being an evening game, and reduced already for light, there was no tea. Andrew Milner was inconsolable and for a brief period it looked like the match would not continue until Bodley’s garrulous gourmand had been fed. Thankfully Judit had brought apricot and coconut sponge cake, and Andrew’s belly was suitably full. So, crisis averted, onto the second innings. Given the slow burning suspicion that 113 was actually well below par, things started well, very well. Dave Shorten and Dan Shaw opened the bowling and kept things tight, whilst a close field mopped up everything the batters fired back at them. Shorten picked up the first wicket, a terrific one-handed caught and bowled that he followed up shortly after with a full-throated lbw. Whilst all this was happening the OUP skipper and opening bat had been steadily accumulating, with Bod well aware of an ability to hit big should the mood take him. Before a partnership could properly settle though, Jono Taylor, playing his second game for the Bod (of hopefully many more) picked up the other batter with a clean bowled, which he soon followed up with a fantastically athletic run out after Dave Shorten had rifled the ball back to the bowler as a second was attempted. With numbers 5 and 6 now at the crease and the tail not too far away Bod had reason to be cheerful, and with James Shaw now bowling in tandem with Matthew these most miserly of bowlers picked up a wicket each to leave the score still some way from the finishing line, and Bod sensing victory. The field pushed back, cutting off boundaries and sweeping up anything that got through the close fielders left up. James Riley and Jono in particular were throwing themselves around with wonderful abandon to put the pressure back on the batters, and the energy was inspiring the rest of the team. Max was sharp with the gloves and James Shaw took a whirling high catch from Matthew’s bowling. Good cricket. A couple of decent overs for OUP saw the score creep towards and then past 100, with some big hitting and wristy boundaries scored behind square dissecting the fielders and swinging the momentum back in the hosts favour. It was tight, tighter than a tight pair of socks that have been in the wash too long. Very tight. Eleven from the final two overs needed, and Bod take it to a final over, the skipper with the unenviable task of delivering it with five required for OUP to take the first dance. Field comes up, Matthew gallops in, dot ball. Five to go. Two runs. Bah. Two more runs – scores tied, bah! Next ball a single is scrambled, and OUP get over the line, just. As has been the case quite often this year, it’s another final over loss for Bod, but a great game, played in the right spirit and with good performances from all involved. Well played OUP. As the bar opened and any remaining cake was gobbled up, talk turned to reinstating our traditional Sunday game against OUP for next season, a move we all look forward to immensely. Not least Andrew, who is already studying the menu for tea. GJ Oxfordshire County Council Staff CC at Great Tew, thirty five overs Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5238413/scorecard On another day so hot that people seem genuinely surprised that we still play cricket when it’s like this Bod CC and todays rivals, the Oxfordshire County Council Staff CC, make their numerous ways north, to Tew. Bod arrive for a 1pm start, the idea being start early, finish early and get home with a bit of the day left. Unfortunately this wasn’t picked up by the Councillors so the Bod 11 plus supporters find some shade and relax for a bit. More serious teams might have started some catching drills or got some stumps out and do some bowling, but it was too darned hot. Eventually the oppo start to appear, spurring a few of us (younger ones, it should be noted) to have a net. We played the OCCSCC for the first time last year, a strange match which managed to encompass a really bad injury, some excellent batting from both sides and some frustrating umpiring so what would this game bring? Hopefully not more of the same… The pitch is dry, but there’s more green on show than most of the games played recently, wicket looks good for batting. Gareth wins toss and does the only sensible thing, bat. Matthew and David, striding out to the crease, together again after David’s unauthorized trip to the states, with David hopefully to improve on the Holton game and Matthew to continue where he left off last weekend. Which they do. OCCSCC start with the type of canny bowling that looks like pie but turns out to be foie gras, hard to put away. Good lines and length but both Bod openers treat the good balls properly and the wide balls with disdain, the fast outfield helping the ball to the boundary. Matthew the first wicket to fall, for 36, the first to be caught out by one bowled outside the stumps that turns in on the rough and clips the outside of the stumps. A good bat though, keeping both David company and the score ticking over. James comes and then unfortunately goes, the second victim to one that cuts back in off the rough whilst the skipper gets carried away and nicked having a slog. By this time David has reached 50 and retired, Dan has come in and biffed a few and Tim does a lovely and typical Tim innings, smashing his first ball for 4, whacking a few more then getting involved in a daft run-out. Andrew, Dave B and James Riley finish off our 35 overs, taking the score up to what feels like a below par 165. Tea, savouries from Gareth, sweet stuff from Stu, scones with cream (messy), ginger and apple cakes, welcome jaffa cakes from number-one supporter Sheila. A camper van arrives just as we stop for tea, the occupants watch for a while, confused no doubt, by a bunch of cricketeers not playing cricket but lolling around eating instead. A plate of scones hopefully made them feel better. Play resumes. An opening bowling partnership of Dan and Stuart to start. A contrast in style if ever there was one. Speed, ability, run-up, carry not to mention the usual cricketing measure of good bowling, line and length. Despite all that it’s the elder of the two who makes the breakthrough, the first wicket one that keeps a bit lower than it should just outside off which the batter drags on then a nice caught behind sees of the two dangerous openers. The caught behind was particularly pleasing, a friend of Dans from league cricket, who’d been scoring big recently, nice chap as well. Gavin then takes an excellent catch off Dan’s bowling, a low ball that flew to him at point. With a low score to defend Bod need to take wickets as well as keeping the run-rate down, they’re doing both at this point but some big hitters are at the crease now. Tight bowling from Andrew, James and Gavin helps but the oppo batting is good enough to keep them in the game. Then a top edge onto the nose of one of the bats, and he retires, a door opens, not how we’d choose but still, an opportunity. Bod pick up some more wickets, a nice catch for Tim off Andrew, Dan clean bowls one, beaten for pace and Matthew picks up a wicket with a catch from Dave B. Trouble is we’d dropped a few as well, all hard chances, especially two potential caught and bowled which were hit back to the bowler at a fair lick. OCCSCC reach the target with a few overs to spare, 20 or so runs on the board for us and taking a few of our chances might have led to a different result, welcome in a season which has seen precious few victories, but it was a good game, with plenty of good cricket on show and nice friendly oppo. And an achievement to have played in such heat as well. SA Holton & Wheatley CC at Great Haseley, thirty overs (8 a side) Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5240262/scorecard After the mid-week trouser-shredding Twenty20 against Oxfam at the parched Stanton St. John, which saw Bodley falling just short yet again, it was time to re-group under yet another blazing sun at yet another baked brown ground and try to get back to winning ways. The scene of todays quest was to be Great Haseley, and the opposition Holton & Wheatley, a recent find that have provided a good natured yet challenging game for Bodley. Having lost our initial encounter last year this would be a perfect opportunity to get back in that winning groove that has proved a little elusive this season. Unfortunately, the demands of holidays, academic endeavours, honeymoons and hearty familial lunches led to Bodley’s assembled ranks being somewhat thin on the baked ground today, with only a scratch eight committed to the endeavour. Moreover, Dave Busby appeared to be in full ‘Bruce Banner’ mode and seemed determined to enter the fray bare chested. Needless to say it was a little difficult to guess quite how this was all going to play out. On a brighter note, today did witness the return to the fold of Bodley’s very own Pollyanna, David Shackleton, now finally back from his extended sojourn in California studying – and details still remain somewhat vague – endangered Hummingbirds who write Dystopian Poetry. Still not a clue? Me neither. Having lost the toss, Bodley took to the field under a blazing sun. With commanding views over rolling Oxfordshire affluence, the Great Haseley pitch would prove to be a challenge to any fielding side today. Reachable boundaries and a baked hard outfield like an upturned saucer meant that there were runs to be had if gaps in the field were exploited, and the ball given just a bit of persuasion to skittle to the rope. Holton & Wheatley had generously lent a fielder which would prove useful but there were still gaps-a-plenty in an outfield that looked quick and played even quicker. With so many regular front-line bowlers absent, Matthew Neely deemed it wise to lead by example and as such surrendered the gloves to Tim Philipson, who gingerly accepted the promotion and hoped that Extras would not play a starring role today. And with Stuart Ackland leading the attack from the other end, the innings started well, with an initial maiden from Neely followed by an anaemic brace from Ackland. Even the now legendary Ackland ‘slower ball’ – the ‘Higgs Boson’ of bowling, a unique phenomenon that exists, some scientists speculate, purely due to the ‘quantum excitation’ of the cricket field – did not result in the equally legendary boundary. Once the batters had gauged the pace and bounce however, the wicket seemed to offer very little to the bowlers, and it wasn’t long before Holton & Wheatley settled into a pattern of risk-reward play that saw scrappy periods punctuated by high scoring interludes. It was with some relief therefore when the prolific Sanders was caught by Neely off Ackland for a damage limitation 13 in the forth over. This brought Thakore to the crease and it was soon clear that the show was very much back on the road when, after surviving a difficult chance at fine leg, the spikes were very much pressed to the metal and the score rapidly accumulated. It wasn’t until Robinson tempted Barrett into an expansive off-side drive that was neatly pouched by Andrew Milner that the score started to slow a little, but any hopes of a collapse were soon thwarted by Thakore who clearly now had the measure of the pitch, with Switala providing obdurate batting from the other end. And despite tidy line and length from Milner and Shackleton, and a lot of air from Busby, the remainder of the innings was a blur of boundaries and hard running which saw Holton & Wheatley compile a very competitive 174 from 30 overs, with Thakore and Switala both seeing out the innings unbeaten on 88 and 48 respectively. And so to a well deserved break for tea. As there was no ‘Home’ team tea was very much a return to the ‘self-service’ of the covid period, though this did mean the welcome return of the famous Milner picnic which today included a rather splendid whole Lemon Drizzle Cake. Needless to say this went down a lot better than Neely’s vegetarian Teriaki bites, which bore more than a passing resemblance to flattened rodent excrement, and tasted just as good. Shackleton was back to his usual ebullient self with anything and everything unaccountably ‘AMAZING!’, which suggested that he may have joined some weird Californian love cult, but only time and the appearance of the giveaway ‘pamphlet’ would confirm that either way. He seemed also to have developed a penchant for Rose’ wine which, for our readers in the North, is two-parts Romanian red to one part Blue Nun. All too soon the respite was over and it was the turn of Holton & Wheatley to spend some time scampering about the scorched earth as Bodley embarked on the chase. Today Bodley reverted to a traditional opening partnership, with Neely striding out with the languid Shackleton at his side. And with a run-a-ball required things started on a very positive note, with Neely directing the first two deliveries to the boundary like a Policeman on Point Duty, and the first over going for an above-rate 10 runs. Taylor and Fry soon reigned in the optimism of the Bodley contingent however and the promised run-fest degenerated into pure attrition with only three runs conceded over the next couple of overs. Worse was to come in the forth over with Shackleton feathering an edge that was athletically pouched by Switala behind the stumps. The loss of Bodley’s very own walking, talking, Mr Timotei would have resulted in deep howls of fatalistic despair in the past, but not today in the new, more steely Bodley psyche. And as a deeply penitent Shackleton sloped back into the Clubhouse and the restorative comfort of his Oxygen Tent, a sense of anticipation welled-up on the boundary as veteran campaigner Milner strode out to the crease with a purposeful air. Sporting his new ‘pimped’ cricketing shoes, the steely gaze and lantern jaw gave him more than a passing resemblance to a young Jack Palance. Indeed, Bodley were lucky to be able to call upon the services of this cricketing legend following his recent recovery from injury. Having rather foolishly heeded advice from Bodley’s former ‘Director of Fitness’ Stephen Arnold, Milner had ‘girded his loins’ a little too enthusiastically and suffered an injury that could only be described as ‘indelicate’. Quite why he chose to place so much faith in an exercise regime that drew inspiration from both Monkey Magic and an old Luftwaffe PT manual is perhaps best glossed over. Today however he seemed to be firing on almost-all cylinders due to his new Patent ‘Liz Truss’ which seemed to be keeping everything in order, despite somewhat restricting his freedom of movement and making him veer alarmingly to the right on occasion. Regardless, the combination of the wiley, experienced Milner and the bountiful batting of Neely added real impetus to the flagging innings and by the twelfth over Bodley were rattling along with 58 runs on the board with both batters finding the boundary and gaps with well run singles. As George Harrison once lamented however, all things must pass, and so it was that Milner, who has forgotten more about the game than many callow youngsters will ever know, seemed to have inexplicably forgotten where his off-stump was and was duly bowled by Barrett. This came as something of a shock on the boundary who had begun to settle in for some entertaining viewing, not least Philipson who was next up and displaying the chuntered signs of that all-too familiar psychological battle regarding the requisite approach to batting. With a compromise reached it was with a sense of inevitability that this would take the form of a punched half-volley that so lacked conviction it could have stood as the local Lid-Dem candidate. Needless to say the opportunity was easily pouched and the chuntering duly recommenced on that long trudge back to the pavilion. The parched ground was ready-made for big hitters so things brightened a little when Robinson arrived at the crease and gouged his usual ‘v’ that seemed to signify victory on this searing summers day. And again the portents were good, with Robinson – very much the ‘Ronseal’ of Bodley cricket – quickly finding his range and the boundary, and adding renewed impetus to the Bodley innings. Just as things were again starting to get interesting, and with Bodley approaching a hundred up, a quick single proved our undoing with Robinson just short of his ground after some good work in the field, and run-out for a well struck twelve. This brought James Riley to the middle, and after a few well-judged leaves he began to settle with some doughty defence. At the other end meanwhile, Neely had somewhat dismissively passed his fifty and seemed to be motoring along with no obvious cause for alarm. The problem seemed to be that there was a very real risk that he would run out of batting partners if we were not careful, and it seemed that Holton & Wheatley sensed the same as the strike bowlers returned to try and skittle out the tail. It was unfortunate that Riley found himself in these pacey crosshairs and a probing delivery finally breached his defences and found the stumps. Next out was Busby who, having been persuaded to wear a top, took his place at the crease and then violently assaulted it with his bat as-per tradition. Now as any seasoned follower of Bodley will attest, Busby’s development at the crease over the years is rather like the transformation of Peter Stringfellow to Elder Statesman, and when he takes guard that existential Rubicon between sangfroid and sheer bloody panic is very narrow indeed. And so it was that after a brief demonstration of his infamous lateral crease movement Busby settled into his role. Now some say that when the rays of the sun catch the blade of his trusty Slazenger the release of linseed oil vapour sets the synapses in that studied cricketing brain pinging about like a neurological pinball chain-reaction and turns this unassuming Bodley journeyman into a cricketing Robocop. It is, sadly, neither the time nor place to take any definitive position on this most interesting hypothesis, but it was certainly ‘HOT HOT HOT’ out there and that Slazenger blade was soon swinging like a Boars Hill Bohemian, and with Neely continuing to swat away at the other end the runs and pace began to pick up. It therefore came as a bit of a blow when the sheer bloody fun of it ending in the 28th over, though not before the partnership had added a stonking 50 runs to the tally which, incredibly, saw Bodley claw themselves back into the game. With Bodley only mustering eight players Ackland found himself promoted up the order today, and with a nonchalance that frankly belied expectations, picked up his still-shiny unblemished bat and made his way out into the middle. A seasoned player, Ackland has always been something of a perennial guilty favourite with the crowd, who know they will always be treated to a display of exciting, unconventional batting, albeit not for very long. And true to form, Ackland was the consummate crowd pleaser, giving a Mayfly-esque bravura batting exhibition that burned bright and then faded to the accompanying soundtrack of a philistine ball clattering into stumps, and Bodley all out for a hard fought 135. And so drew to a close yet another Bodley innings that almost, but not quite, delivered that much sought next victory. Holton & Wheatley had recovered from an early setback to post what proved to be a score just beyond the range of a depleted Bodley that had not quite fired on all cylinders today. However, if the result was a little disappointing, as always there were some real positives to take away from the game, not least a new best high-score from Neely who carried his bat after a magisterial knock of 83. The sight of ‘Beserker Busby’ running amok with a bat out in the middle is also a sight to cheer even the hardest of hearts. The bowling had been pretty tight, but yet again Bodley had the misfortune to come up against a couple of batters who scored heavily and proved difficult to remove. And of course there was the not-quite triumphant return of Shackleton who, despite being a little ring-rusty, still had an unfeasibly high elbow which we trust will be on show for the remainder of the season. AMAZING! And so, as is traditional, a few welcome cooling drinks were had in the still glorious sunshine and much indulgent reflection undertaken. Perhaps it was the effects of too much sun but before long Busby had scampered off in search of little women, which we hoped was an oblique literary allusion. Either way, he seemed quite content gazing down rabbit holes in what may or may not have been some obscure bibliophilic quest. We shall perhaps have to watch South Today to find out the answer to that particular mystery, but until then we shall gently gird loins in preparation for what promises to be a stern test of resolve against top-tonkers Oxford County Council Staff. TP. Oxfam CC at Stanton St. John, twenty overs
Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5274131 Is it ever going to rain again? Newspapers full of pictures of parks and lawns looking like dustbowls and cricket pitches are the same. Last night’s game, against Oxfam, was played at Stanton St. John, a pitch we’ve use before which more often than not is a soggy puddin’ of a wicket. Yesterday it was the colour and consistency of a rich tea biscuit. Only the fool-hardy would dive for a ball on this, and only the foolish did (how is the knee skip?). Oxfam must be one of our longest continual fixtures, always a good game, always pleasant oppo, always a concerned glance at who turns up as they have some explosive batters to call on. A second match for young Archie, and a first for his Dad Roger after playing once a long time ago. Dave Shorten, fresh from a Mads tour to the Isle of White makes up a Bodley 11. Gareth wins the toss, and a new opening partnership of Matthew and Dave stride out. We seem to have as many new opening pairs as England since the Cook/Strauss era. Matthew straight away gets in a groove, using the pace of the ball and the dry ground to find the boundary. The speed of the pitch and the close in field set by Oxfam gives plenty of food for thought amongst Bod players. Dave takes a while to find his rhythm, but eventually starts to hit out. The scorer was just mentioning how tricky he was finding it to anyone bothering to listening when all of a sudden he comes down the wicket to the spinner and smacks him back over his head for a glorious six, this sets him off and regular scoring shots gets the scoreboard ticking over, finally out on a well-deserved 50. Matthew is out for 29, in the unluckiest of circumstances. Dave, facing, hits a ball back to the bowler who drops a caught and bowled only for the ball to deflect onto the stumps with Matthew out of his crease. Don’t think this has ever happened before in a Bod game. James comes and goes, falling for the village cricket curse of three balls of ill-directed buffet bowling followed by a perfect yorker, Archie carries on from last week, showing class way beyond his years, Tim smites a few and we finish on 118 off 20, below par but we’ve won here with less. Oxfam open with one of the best batters, and nicest cricketeers we regularly play against, their skipper Ben. James and Stuart start the Bodley attack. James is, as he has been for yonks now, very economical, while your reporter has the usual mix of three or four good ones followed by some dross down leg an over. Oxfam are scoring from one end and being restricted from the other, so a bowling change. Matthew comes on to replace Stuart, Dave replaces James after he completes an excellent spell (13 off 4). James then takes a smart catch off Dave’s bowling to remove Ben but Oxfam are scoring well, and, despite a brief bit of hope when Gavin gets a wicket first ball, they get to and then past our total with a few overs to spare. A great game, played on a pleasant evening against good oppo. What more do you need? When’s it going to rain though? SA. Alpine F1 CC at Sandford St. Martin, 20 overs Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5238978/scorecard To Sandford St. Martin this evening for one of our longer running fixtures, against Alpine F1 (formerly Renault F1 for those of you that watch the racing cars on TV). With the loss (mysterious disappearance?) of Jack Cox T20 cricket we have precious few twenty over games in the calendar, so this is a treat indeed, and double so when you consider there is a bbq after the game. As the teams rolled in from Oxford and the surrounding countryside to the picturesque village ground clouds gathered overhead and the conditions became somewhat muggy. Bowl first perhaps? In a twenty over game?! Nah. Matthew, skippering today and keen for a second win on the bounce, promptly lost the toss and to his great delight was asked to bat. That probably had more to do with the bbq being readied during the second innings that the overhead conditions, but we’ll take it all the same. Bodley welcomed two debutants for this match – Archie Lewins and Jono Taylor. Archie comes to us via friend of the club Roger Lewins, being his son and a very fine young batter at Horspath CC, and Jono comes to us via a cricketing apprenticeship stretching from South Africa to Taunton and also happens to be Dom's cousin. A new and frankly optimistic opening partnership of Matthew and Gareth strode out to get things going, only to be met by as close an approximation of New Zealand man-bear Colin de Grandhomme as you could hope for on the gentle pastures of North Oxfordshire. ‘Bowler’s name?’ came the shout from the boundary. ‘Mullet’ came the response. You’ve just got to love social cricket. Matthew, first up, settled into his work with the reassuring ease that has become a hallmark for us these past two years, and before long had found the ropes and was running well. Gareth, at the other end, was running well but rather wishing he was back in the middle order, and after a few heaves, one solid defensive push and a few choice words to the very talkative wicket keeper (actually a very nice chap), was out for very little. But this only brought cricketing colossus James Shaw to the crease, newly restored to full power and seeming to grow taller each year. Before Stu could yell 'run ‘em up' James and Matthew had pressed the accelerator and the score was ticking along nicely. In no time at all James had retired on 25 and it was time for our first debutant, Archie Lewins to make us all look quite pedestrian. Archie plays for the really quite good Horspath CC Juniors, and the injection of youth kept things moving along at quite a rate. What we hadn’t reckoned with was the sparkling technique that a properly coached cricketer could bring to proceedings, as Archie cut, flicked and guided the ball to the boundary off a succession of Alpine bowlers. In a bold show of strength that Bodley reserves solely for Whippersnappers, Alpine gave all ten outfield players a bowl, with two overs each. Rather than giving the batters a chance against those bowlers that have more, shall we say, variety in their bowling, this only reinforced how strong the Alpine bowling academy was, though. But never mind, Archie and Matthew were going well, and though Matthew fell just shy of his retirement for a terrific 23, Tim and then Asad picked up where he left off to chip in with valuable runs. Archie retired for a wonderfully fluent 25, and then Dom, James R and our other debutant, Jono – excellent technique there, definitely runs to come – added a few before Dave Busby and Stu saw out the final few balls. Bodley finished on a decent but perhaps under par 118-7. Defendable, probably. Hopefully. Yeah, defendable. A quick turnaround and the second innings begins. Matthew goes behind the stumps and Bodley open the bowling with James S and doing his best Fred Trueman impression in starched white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, Stu Ackland. With a close field and batters setting up for the shot, James glided in, and by the end of his first over had taken two in two, the first a perfect clean bowled and the second an edge to the keeper. 3-2 from 1 over, good start. Next up was Fred, all Somerset bluster and apple cores, and though the run up was more Warne that Trueman, five dot balls in the over meant the good start continued. James picked up another clean bowled in his second over, whilst Stu got smacked to all corners in his, but Bod were still well on top with the score 25-3 from 4 overs. A few more tidy overs and the skipper rung the changes, with Jono coming on to bowl with Dom at the other end. Dom’s bowling has been a revelation these past few years, with economy and a knack for taking wickets a hallmark, and whilst the batters were finding the rope just enough to keep up with the rate, the fielding from all concerned was exemplary and the game remained in the balance. Jono’s first over was met with whoops of delight from his new team mates, as it became immediately apparent that he very much knows what he’s doing. After his three overs Jono returned the most excellent figures of 1-10 from 3 overs, with young Archie taking a good catch for the wicket. Meanwhile there was more commendations in the field, with Dave using his polished teak chest to good effect on the boundary, Gareth doing yet more damage to his knees to perform sliding stops on the other boundary, and James R rocketing returns back in to further restrict the runs. As the match entered its final third the skipper came out from behind the stumps, Gareth took the gloves, and an eight over partnership of Matthew and Asad was deployed to keep things tight and hopefully see us home. Alpine’s destructive opening bat had by now retired, another had reached 24 and out, whilst yet another was going well. Alpine looked to have the momentum, and were ahead of the rate with batters to come, or come back in. But there’s always swings in a chase and soon enough Matthew picked one up with another catch from Archie in the covers. A few balls later Matthew found the edge and Gareth pouched the catch to see them eight down and then along came another with a full-throated lbw, followed next over by a well-deserved lbw for Asad, though that did mean the opening bat was back in and the boundary was again under threat. Asad was finding variable bounce from a full length at the other end, and though the runs were drying up an eminently gettable twenty were needed from the final two overs. Matthew bowled well, tight line, a passable impression of a pack of slightly elderly gazelles in the outfield, and only seven conceded. 13 needed from the final over and Asad to see us there. With the field largely back Asad roared in and produced a stunning succession of single, single, single, single, single (game won by this point), four. Nine from the over, Bod win by four runs. Another thriller, we do keep taking it to the last over! Well played everyone, and well played Alpine, could have gone either way. A thoroughly enjoyable game was topped off with a bbq and the bar being opened up, and both teams enjoyed the setting sun and the view across the Shire from our lofty vantage atop the ridge that the pitch sits on. Next up is Oxfam on the 4th August, at our home ground in Great Tew – players needed so if you can play do get in touch. GJ. Inkpen CC at Inkpen, 30 overs
Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5187381/scorecard Following a couple of cancellations, it was good to finally get the Bodley Cricket bandwagon back on the road, and on this fine but breezy afternoon the opposition would be old favourites Inkpen in what has traditionally been the fertile hunting ground of West Berkshire. This fixture has been kind to Bodley who have yet to lose, but Inkpen have been closing the gap over recent years as their contingent of youthful talent has matured, adding technique and talent to the veteran Inkpen campaigners. Add a wicket that has always been ‘challenging’ to batsmen into the mix and the prospects of an entertaining encounter were high indeed. Bodley were ringing the changes today, as the absence of our very own old cricketing guru and ‘Mr Minehead 1985’ Stu Ackland had opened up an opportunity to fill the much sought number-eleven batting spot as well as strike-bowling responsibilities. Somewhat fortuitously for Bodley, the old adage about ‘Shaw not letting you down’ delivered in spades today, as occasional stalwarts Ash Shaw and Roy McMillan stepped into the breach, and with Arthur Keegan-Bole also on board for events Bodley fielded a strong team that was up for any challenge that would undoubtedly unfold. As most followers of cricket are aware, much is made of the ‘state of the wicket’. Is it looking a little green? Is there a natural slope? Is it a little ‘sticky’? Are the foot-holes so vast that one false step could lead you to capsize? The sight of care-worn cricketers clustered around the wicket earnestly discussing how the surface will play, whilst vigorously yet discreetly attacking it with a hearty swing of spikes and mentally bagging the downhill end when bowling is one of the quintessential sights on village greens the length and breadth of the land. With Skipper Jones having lost the toss and been asked to bat, only time would tell if such philosophical ruminations would pay dividends to Bodley however. Although a traditionally low-scoring encounter, the recent dry spell had added serious tempo to the outfield, so as the old-faithful opening partnership of Matthew Neely and Phil Burnett strode out to the middle expectations were high that the recent run of high-scoring innings would continue. Among Bodley regulars, the Inkpen wicket has long been a source of fascination, never failing to deliver the much vaunted ‘variable bounce’ that has been the undoing of many a batter in this fixture. To add to the uncertainty, the sightscreens were flapping like a spinnaker in a force-ten rounding the Horn, and such conditions inevitably led to a cautious start. Perhaps it was a literary pre-occupation with Dickensian fog that clouded his mind, but it came as a mighty blow when big-hitting Burnett was undone by a ball that drifted in on the wind and evaded the bat, giving M.Darke an unlikely early wicket. On the back of a succession of productive innings, Gareth Jones was next in at number three, and the weight of responsibility seemed to have unlocked that inner Boycottian obduracy that used to be his hallmark. The perfect storm of an unpredictable wicket, a bowling attack that was being regularly rotated, and the desire to avoid leaking wickets all combined to limit scoring opportunities. In such circumstances, and with only ten runs on the board after six overs, it would always be tempting to try and force the pace of play, and so it was perhaps not entirely unexpected when Jones tried to accelerate, only to fall to one that pitched outside off, caught the gulf stream and hit middle. With two wickets down and only 20 runs on the board there was more than a little doubt creeping into the collective mind on the Bodley boundary. With a degree of sangfroid that belied the precariousness of the situation, Roy McMillan was next out to the middle, clearly unburdened by the hopes and dreams of 30 years or cricketing tradition that now rested on his shoulders. After a brief but clearly constructive confab, McMillan and Neely finally started to coax the Bodley innings into life and work through the gears, with McMillan establishing early intent by quickly finding and clearing the boundary, and Neely provided solid and increasingly expansive support as both appeared to negate the quirks of the wicket. Despite regular rotation of the bowling attack McMillan was clearly well-set now and soon chalked up his first Bodley half-century, and despite the slow start Bodley posted a hundred up in the twentieth over and looked to be kicking on for the final third. As any seasoned follower of Bodley Cricket will know, it is never wise to invest too much faith in an imminent run-fest, and today proved to be no exception to this general rule as Inkpen dug deep and somehow staunched the flow. Unusually, and somewhat mercifully, this proved to be a temporary set-back and the boundaries and purposeful running soon resumed to get Bodley back on track to set a competitive total. With Neely finally succumbing to a good ball from B.Darke after a well hit 65, Dan Shaw strode out with a single ball remaining and closed the innings with a hard-struck boundary that would ultimately prove more decisive than most might have reasonably thought. And so the innings drew to a close with McMillan unbeaten on 79, and Bodley posting what seemed a competitive total of 176 for the loss of only three wickets. As always, it would take time and Inkpen to determine whether this was indeed the case, but that would have to wait for the moment as it was time for tea. Now, it is not the purpose of reports such as this to rhapsodise about the joy that is the ‘cricketing tea’, that often splendid cornucopia of treats that satiate the appetites of a disparate group of cricketers who are, by nature, somewhat hard to please. And as perennial genial hosts, Inkpen didn’t disappoint, with a fine spread provided, and special mention having to go to the stupendous strawberry laden cream-rich cake and simply enormous Cheesy Wotsits, all vying for valuable plate space. All good thing must, of course, come to an end, and before long it was time for Bodley to take to the field of play, with a score to defend and that perennial niggling doubt about whether it would be quite enough. To be fair, a score just shy of 500 over 30 overs would never quite banish all doubt about possible defeat from the Bodley psyche, but the score was the score and all we could do now was have faith in the bowlers and pray to the Inkpen wicket. The Bodley attack would today open with probing line and length from James and sheer pace from Dan, and as seasoned openers Dikon and Donoghue took their place out in the middle there was a collective girding of Bodley loins and silent prayers offered up to the Cricketing Gods. As all club cricketers know, it is never wise to invest too much faith in a single point of failure, but the Inkpen wicket had always been one of the more challenging Bodley regularly play on, and as any regular would attest the competition was pretty stiff. The fact that we had lost only a couple of wickets in regulation play was more than a little vexing however, and if Inkpen could be equally resilient then it may prove to be a very long afternoon in the field indeed. With nine conceded off the first over, including a couple of fine deliveries casually biffed to the boundary, the initial signs were a little alarming, and it was clear that a little more girding was called for. As any disciple of Bodley cricket will know, it is always tempting to go into full panic mode, even when only a solitary over has been bowled. But we like to think that Bodley CC is made of slightly sterner stuff these days, and as Dan charged in and bowled a flawless maiden, loins could perhaps be relaxed just a little. When James followed this by a wicket-maiden, removing Donahue with a ball that fandangoed into the stumps, things were beginning to look rather more positive for Bodley, and with Dikon and B.Darke also succumbing in short order to similar balls, thoughts soon hubristically turned not just to the inevitable win, but to the likely margin of victory. With three wickets down and only 34 on the board, Inkpen may have breathed a sigh of relief when the Shaw onslaught was replaced by the Bristol-Boer Brotherhood of Keegan-Bole and Burnett. Any hoped for reprieve was short-lived however as Burnett merely picked up where James had left off, with both A.Darke and Bates likewise undone by good balls on an unpredictable wicket, and Hutchinson snicking one behind which was well taken by Neely. Meanwhile, at the other end, the spin of Keegan-Bole was textbook containment stuff so when, with 13 over gone, the baton was passed to Busby and Ash, Inkpen had been restricted to only 49 runs for the loss of six wickets. The size of that hallowed predicted margin of victory soon grew even larger when Ash took the scalp of Young-Gun M.Darke, and demonstrated the art of making the complex art of bowling look all so very simple. Busby has a somewhat different approach to the game, with a release that bears more than a passing resemblance to a Bucking-Bronko coughing up a hairball, and it this casual disregard for conventional technique that has made him one of the more entertaining, yet effective, bowlers in the Bodley armoury. It was perhaps his misfortune today that Inkpen now had Mitchell and Knape at the crease, who soon demonstrated the art of defending the good ball and punishing everything else, and it was inevitable that this approach would soon see the runs start to accumulate. Knape in particular had clearly got his eye in, and soon notched up his 50 with a frenetic mix of singles and boundaries, and with Mitchell providing an efficient supporting role at the other end, Inkpen started to claw their way back into the match. Indeed, despite the best endeavours of the Bodley attack, they had somehow surged to 160 with 28 overs gone. With all thoughts of an effortless victory now but a distant memory, McMillan stepped up for some tricky death bowling, and the close of the 29th over saw Inkpen sensing victory on 165. Having surrendered the gloves to Jones, Neely now entered the fray. With wickets in hand and victory tantalisingly close, Inkpen were always going to attack the bowling, and it was inevitable that the pattern of wild swings and boundaries would continue, though the margins were wafer-thin now. Bodley are no strangers to defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, and loins were now girded to the max out in the field as Neely tempted Mitchell to chance a suicidal single to one that went through to the keeper, only to see his partner Knape run-out by a gleeful Jones after a potentially match winning knock of 62. Despite such heroics, Next in was Cohen and he certainly looked like he was going to have a damn good bash. So it was with a sense of relief that Neely again forced the shot which Cohen top edged into the waiting gloves of Jones. One ball to go, new batter, Neely runs in with 6 winning it for Inkpen. and it's a dot ball, tidied up by the keeper, and Bodley win! And so ended yet another closely contested match for Bodley. Inkpen had once again been fabulous hosts and real competitors, taking the game to the final ball, but Bodley had just enough in the tank to take them over the line to secure their second victory of the season. And despite a sticky start and the best efforts of the infamous Inkpen wicket, Bodley yet again had much to be positive about during the traditional post-match debrief at the Crown & Garter. Neely and McMillan had constructed what must rank as one of the highest partnerships in Bodley history, putting on a colossal 152 runs, whilst each recording personal Bodley highs of 65 and 79 respectively. The bowling had likewise been impressive, with James Shaw and Burnett both bagging three-wicket hauls, Ash securing a first competitive Bodley wicket, and Neeley demonstrating intelligent death bowling to seal the victory. Curiously, the absence of Ackland had also meant this was one of the few games that did not see a Bodley batter being given LBW, or brooding Bodley fielders scrabbling around like Dads Army on manoeuvres whilst trying to retrieve yet another ‘slow ball’ from the undergrowth. Normal service will no doubt be resumed on these Bodley staples soon enough and cosmic cricketing equilibrium restored. Meanwhile, as the shadows started to lengthen, and Busby inexplicably attempted to get an amorous wasp drunk, all thoughts turned to making it two victories on the bounce as old rivals Alpine F1 would be next up to take their turn on the Bodley cricketing carousel. TP Middleton Stoney CC at Middleton Park, timed game. Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5235712/scorecard Missed out on the Middleton Stoney game last year. Word was of good oppo, devilishly tricky spinner/lovingly worn pitch, lovely ground and a nice club house and tea. Covid meant missing out on a bar and bbq after. All these things were in place in the 2022 fixture, weather was good considering it’s been rubbish recently and the birds were singing in the trees. Bod, conscious of being weaker in the batting department while David is still living the high life in California, bowl first, the thinking being we’d be better chasing than setting a target. Shaw’s senior and junior open, both miserly. We have ten on the day so Middleton lend us a player, who turns out to be a decent fielder (mention of Warwickshire under 16s at some point) as well as the son of one of the opening batters, which lead to some gentle sledging. Elliot proves to be a ball magnet fielding at point, often putting his body on the line to stop balls hit hard off the bat. Dan and James keep the score down as does Phil when he replaces James and it’s Dan that gets the first wicket. Fielding at short mid-off meant I had a great view of this, a quick ball that just moved a bit off the pitch, an outside edge from the bat flying at speed into the grateful mitts of Andrew at slip, great cricket all round. Last over for James is a wicket maiden, much deserved after posting figures of 11 off 5. Your scribe takes over, and with a timed game in progress, the MS batters carry on playing balls on their merit. This leads to plenty of dot balls but occasional boundaries keep the score ticking over. A powerful South African comes into bat at the fall of the fourth wicket and the scoring picks up, a couple of sixes hit off Phil and I with plenty of fours means he reaches the 40s quickly but Gavin puts the breaks on, bowling well down the hill and tricking the bat into coming down the wicket only for Matthew to stump him. This slowed the scoring down again, Dave fielding like a demon with plenty of fancy footwork and the Gavin-Matthew partnership works again pretty quickly after with more smart work by Matthew leading to another stumping. Two new bats are in but canny play by one of them sees the score pick up again, Andrew had started well but got a bit of a tonking in his last over so Dan and Phil come back on to see us home. Some desperate hitting using the pace of the ball sees MS get to 183 off 43 overs, a long afternoon in the field, but some excellent bowling from all and some tight fielding mean that we’re left with a good target, if we bat well… Tea, usual selection of sandwiches, rolls, cake and a welcome cup of tea. Time to talk tactics, we don’t play many timed games so need a bit of a rethink. MS have batted till 4.30. We start at 5. Bat till 6 then have 20 overs. Phil and Dan open, Phil surviving a close but leg-sidish LBW appeal first ball from a tricky bowler bringing the ball into the stumps. Phil is soon bowled, Dan tries to open up but is well caught first ball. After that it’s a steady collapse of wickets, with only Matthew and our borrowed player breaking into double figures, neither of whom get into the 20’s. For the second time this year we’re in danger of setting a new lowest score but manage to get to 64 before losing the last wicket with the number 11 bowled through the gate first ball, the second golden and the third duck of the match. Seven wickets clean bowled suggest a team lacking in a bit of confidence with the bat, hopefully something we can rectify over the course of three games on tour this weekend coming. A post-match bbq and beers were enthusiastically indulged to round off a nice Summers afternoon (result notwithstanding), that included a Red Arrows skirting the ground in full formation, a highlight for many of us. Onwards and upwards, hopefully in some sort of formation! SA, GJ |
Note from the Ed.Generally written on the night of the match after a valedictory pint. Any sparkling prose or accuracy is entirely accidental. Archives
September 2022
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