Cheney School Staff CC at Great Haseley, 20 overs
Scorecard - www.pitchero.com/clubs/bodleiancc/teams/255079/match-centre/0-5502080/scorecard Disclaimer: Due to astronomical rises in the cost of PVA Glue and wider inflationary trends in passive aggression Bodley CC were unable to commission this weeks match report via one of Lord Milner’s contacts at the Athenaeum Club as per standard procedure. Instead, Bodley were compelled to resort to a rather shambolic Radio 4 Continuity Announcer who claimed to know Milner from an amateur production of Charley’s Aunt at the Groucho, and had heard that there was a cheap bar. He also wanted to have a discrete word about returning certain items that may, or may not, have hypothetically ended up on his bookcase at his Mayfair Mews. As such, Bodley CC cannot be held responsible for any of the views that may be expressed in the following report. And a warm welcome to all our listeners across the UK and around the world. You find us this glorious summer evening at Great Haseley, in the rolling hills of South Oxfordshire, where Bodley CC take on Cheney School staff in what promises to be a most enjoyable evenings sport. Now, I am informed that this is the inaugural match between these two sides so there really is very much to play for. Bodley come into the match off the back of what I have been told to call a ‘resounding win’ against the Richard Denner XI, and hope to make it a brace of victories tonight. Bodley are fielding a scratch team this evening, with stalwarts Jones, Shaw, Robinson, Busby, Hadfield and Philipson buttressed by the fruits of their famous youth policy, with occasionals Ash Shaw and Archie Lewins joined by Arthur Contero-Olsen to complete what looks to be a splendid, well-balanced team. Cheney School on the other hand appear to be comprised of thoroughly seasoned players, which I suppose makes sense, as teachers, unlike policemen, are not getting that young, even these days. Quite a few familiar faces are evident in the Cheney ranks and Bodley will be facing one or two of these journeymen cricketers several times this year, so tonight’s match offers much to those wanting to plot the likely trajectory of these teams over the course of the season. And talking of familiar school faces, there is a real treat in store for fans of ‘Grange Hill’ on the iPlayer tonight, where Roland Browning is once again on the receiving end of a ‘bog washing’ from “Gripper" Stebson! And so as a warm evening sun bathes the lush green outfield, a batting order is committed to paper, Neeley and Hadfield make their way out to the middle and Cheney marshal their forces in the field, the curtain rises on this eagerly anticipated fixture. Cheney open with very tight, pacey bowling from both Rugg and Rathod, and Neeley and Hadfield do well to keep them out, but in spite of an opening-over four from Neeley, runs prove hard to come by, and Bodley instead resort to dashing between stumps with all the urgency of Anika Rice. Which reminds me, for our younger viewers, there is a ‘Celebrity Dumpster Diving Special’ tonight, so please make sure you don’t miss ‘Scavenge Anika’ on BBC3 at 9pm. Despite an unrelenting attack from Cheney, Bodley manage to hold out until the sixth over when Hadfield, now starting to find the boundary, is finally beaten by a ball from Rathod that moves away off the seam, evades the bat and clips the off stump. And as Hadfield departs for a resolute and hard-won thirteen to his name, Shaw strides out to pick up the gauntlet and is soon in that languid groove so beloved by the Bodley contingent on the boundary, as gaps are found and runs abound. Before nerves settle alas, Neeley is himself finally undone by Hawkins and caught for a dogged twelve runs, with Lewins now joining Shaw in the middle. Cheney clearly have strength in depth and runs remain hard to come by, and when Shaw falls to yet another questioning ball from Hawkins after a rapid-fire eleven, Jones strides out to settle the good ship Bodley. This was all beginning to feel a little desperate and unfunny, and for those partial to such things you are in for a real treat as ‘Quote Unquote’ returns for a new series next week. Any hope that the combination of youthful technique and studied experience would prevail proved short-lived however, as Jones succumbed to yet another danger ball from Aggarwal in the fifteenth over which clattered into the stumps and left Bodley reeling somewhat with four down and less than seventy runs on the board. It was now the turn of Philipson to join Lewins out in the middle, and it would be most curious indeed to see if an injection of reckless abandon would make any positive impact on the innings. The swinging and scampering that ensued must have played havoc with optical perspective on the boundary, as the compact nimble youngster and his sluggish and rather thuggish compatriot attempted to make the most of the remaining overs and ease Bodley towards the psychologically re-assuring hundred-up. Alas, when you start to chase the game there is always the danger of being metaphorically, and literally caught, and so it was that Lewins fell to a fine caught and bowled by Toner after adding an impressive and vital twenty-two runs to the Bodley tally. The departure of Lewins brought Robinson to the crease, and brandishing his bat like a Saxon Battleaxe he swatted the first delivery to the boundary for much needed runs. Before yet another Philipson-Robinson partnership could develop however, an entirely characteristic heave across the line by Philipson created such centrifugal momentum that he pirouetted beyond the safely of his crease and was duly stumped by Jacobs. It has often been remarked that a Bodley innings is many things, but never dull, and as Philipson trudged off with a face that suggested he wanted to break even the good plates, listeners are reminded that they are in for a real treat with this weeks Book at Bedtime, a serialisation of Stephen Arnold’s critically acclaimed: ‘Don’t Open the Box, Jenni Murray: A Feminist Cricketing Miscellany’. And whilst you are all enjoying that, let us return to the cricket, where Contero-Olsen now steps into the fray, and after a few settlers starts to loosen the shoulders and connect, the highlight being a lofted drive that clears both the bowler and the field. Expansive play must always be a high risk-reward endeavour however, and Contero-Olsen’s promising innings comes to a premature end when Mohammed finds the gap and the stumps. This brought Bodley legend Busby to the crease, a batsman as unpredictable as the Shipping Forecast, and equally partial to a German Bight. Alas, today would add no new glorious chapters to the burgeoning Busby Biography, as todays favoured approach of wielding the bat akin to a rolled-up newspaper when swatting a fly proved surprisingly ineffective, and found Mohammed on a hat-trick. And so, as Ash defiantly defended the remaining balls and returned with Robinson undefeated to the pavilion, there was the usual air of uncertainty pervading the Bodley contingent on the boundary. With an under-par ninety-four runs on the board it seemed unlikely that Cheney would be contained but, as I believe Hardy once said, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy’! With the sun now starting to slide lazily to the horizon a quick change was in order, with only a brief discussion between captains as to the use of one ball or two. Talking of which, listeners will be pleased to hear that tomorrows Afternoon Play on Radio Four is a quite marvellous dramatization of the Hitler Diaries! Now back to the cricket, and on strike for Cheney was Thakore, one of the seemingly endless journeymen cricketers in which Cheney seemed to abound, and moreover one whom Bodley had faced only three days previous under the colours of the Richard Denner XI. Then he had fallen for less than a score, but today he seemed on a mission to atone for past sins and indulged in batting that was brutal, and like Farming Today, thoroughly agricultural. With little in the pitch, good line and length from Shaw and Robinson was mercilessly dispatched both to and over the boundary, and when the fifty came up after only six overs, this was beginning to resemble something of an uphill struggle. And for those interested in such things, you may want to tune into Thursdays episode of Ramblings, where Clare Balding goes rollerblading in the Cheviots. The retirement of Thakore after a brutal, bullied, forty-two, closely followed by a timely caught and bowled by Robinson which saw fellow traveller Desmond out for a drawn-out seven, presented a faint glimpse of optimism in the Bodley ranks. But as the cliché goes, there was ‘plenty of time’, and Cheney now had Switala and Kitchin at the crease, and neither seemed susceptible to the inexplicable ‘moment of madness’ that has made Bodley innings such a treasure trove of triumph and tragedy over the years. Even fine, probing bowling from Ash, fierce pace from Contero-Olsen and guileful spin from Lewins went unrewarded as the runs stacked up and the margins ever-narrowed. In such situations the Bodley ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card has often been the beguiling Busby, a bowler who has only slightly more understanding of any given delivery than the batter on the receiving end. Alas, with margins so tight and the lure of a cheap bar, Cheney were not to be caught in the no-mans land between technique and temptation that had proved the undoing of oh-so-many batters over the past thirty years, and for once Busby would remain un-scalped. This was all rather a shame, for as any Bodley veteran will attest, there are few things to equal the palpable sense of disbelief and injustice that exudes from a batter that has just fallen victim to the ‘Stuka’. And as Kitchin dispatched a final four to secure victory for Cheney in the fourteenth over, one felt there was more than a grain of truth in last weeks ‘Poetry Please’, when Roger McGough’s special guest Pam Ayres gave a special reading of her poem “If you can’t beat them, what’s the point of teaching?” And so as Cheney departed from the field of dreams victorious, there was just enough time for some philosophical musing and projection as Bodley attempted to re-erect a fiendishly complicated rabbit-proof fence. As always one must take positives from each game, and despite the loss both batting and bowling had been pretty good, albeit against a well-drilled opponent who clearly knew how to win. And if you think this all sounds a little disappointing for Bodley, just remember that there are some pretty glum faces over at Brookfield Farm too! There will always be times during any season when the odds are stacked just that bit beyond your ability to tip the balance, but you just have to put it all down to experience, dust yourself off, and ready yourself for the next challenge, for that is where glory lies. Anyway, I’m off to make the most of the cheap bar and settle down to listen to this evenings edition of Front Row where, in an exclusive interview, Mr Bodleian talks frankly of his desire to use the library’s collections to engage with a broader section of the community, and responds to accusations of ‘dumbing down’ levelled at his latest major exhibition entitled “Ere cock, where’d you keep the filthy stuff?”. Now, who do I see about my fee? As told to TP
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Richard Denner XI at Stanton St. John, 35 overs With the Central Heating now finally, definitely, absolutely turned off, the Tory Party on yet another leader and riven by ceaseless regicidal plotting, the middle aisle of Lidl stacked to the gunnels with rubberwear to temp the impulse purchase, and Bodley chalking up the traditional opening defeat, it can only mean that the cricket season is now firmly back into its stride. Eager to turn the mighty ship Bodley around and get the season back on track, as well as sowing the seeds of a veritable feast of mixed-metaphors, match two of the season therefore promised much. With the skies showing unfamiliar hints of azure blue and an occasional warm sun beating down Bodley, made their way to the familiar stamping ground of Stanton St John to do battle with new opposition the Richard Denner XI. The fixture had emerged from the fabled social cricketing ‘he-knows-she-knows’ fraternity; namely the eponymous Richard Denner, having bested Bodley playing for Holton & Wheatley last season, offering Bodley Committee Man Stuart Ackland a match against his own side. With assurances that the contest would be an even match the offer was gladly accepted, put into the fixture diary and today, on this glorious late spring day, it would finally come to pass. Arriving at the ground was something of a shock however, for Bodley seem to only play at Stanton St John when the pitch resembles either a well baked biscuit, or Passchendaele after (and even during) a particularly violent deluge. Today the pitch appeared lush and the strip un-cratered so the omens were good as Bodley decanted from the convoy and made that all important initial assessment of this new and ‘unknown’ opposition. With a healthy mix of veterans and youthful endeavour they certainly gave the impression of posing a real challenge to deny Bodley that always much anticipated first win of the season. Indeed, Bodley were themselves ringing the changes this afternoon, with the welcome return of James Riley (eager to put his running skills to good use), the legendary Dave ‘Stuka’ Busby, and occasionals Asad Bhaktiar and Ollie Pascoe. Also joining the ranks was debutant ‘Tuppy’ Morrissey who looked every inch the consummate cricketing everyman, whilst being fiercely modest to boot. So, despite the absence of a few seasoned players, Bodley fielded a promising team, though, as always, how this would all turn out in the end was, frankly, anyone’s guess. As is customary, our captain today Gareth Jones lost the toss, and with Bodley put into the field, collective breath was held as Phil Burnett charged in like a Peregrine in pursuit of a Vole and commenced the assault on fortress Denner. Now as anyone familiar with Bodley cricket will be well aware, it is very difficult to characterise many games due to the vast array of variables that a rag-tag bunch of Librarians and fellow travellers manage to bring to any one match. Needless to say, today would not prove to be the exception to this rule, and the match proceeded to play out in a most singular manner, with tight bowling from Burnett and Ackland setting the early tone, preventing any rhythm developing at the crease, and nearly all runs being amassed from periodic boundaries. When Ackland held a fiercely driven shot from Thakore in the seventh over for example, only four of his fourteen runs had required a dash down the wicket. Likewise, when Tuppy’s genuine spin defeated Lowe and struck stumps, a solitary six accounted for his entire tally. With Robinson’s flighted specials causing uncertainty from one end, Tuppy was cashing in at the other, with Horgan undone by yet another beguiling ball, confidently pouched by Busby. When this was swiftly followed by Goodridge falling LBW first ball to yet another Tuppy special, the RDXI appeared to be reeling somewhat with four wickets down and less than 40 runs on the board. Bodley veterans in the field were wracking collective memories to try and remember when last such a promising start had been made, but the new pairing of Tariq and Akhtar soon put an end to such indulgencies, as the partnership started to develop and the runs accumulate – needless to say, mostly in boundaries… And so for a while that perennial gloom started to descend yet again in the minds of those who had been here oh so many times before, and seen one too many potential nascent victories come crashing down to earth with an undignified bang. It brought to mind the latest Best Seller from Bodley’s former Director of Fitness Stephen Arnold: ‘We Need a Bigger Rope: How to Contain Big-Hitting Opposition’. In such situations you require ‘a sign’ – some visual indication that things may not, perhaps, turn out to be so unremittingly bleak as you might possibly imagine – and believe me that is one hell of a deep well of despair to paddle in for most Bodley veterans. But lo such a sign did indeed come to pass! Now some may remember a match against OUP at Stanton way back in 2018 when Dom took a fabulous catch on the boundary in the last over to secure a famous win for Bodley. Now what gave added significance to this moment in time was that it coincided with what proved to be an auspicious fly-past by a Spitfire, and as if some cosmic synchronicity had once again kicked in the reappearance of the elliptical legend overhead resulted in an immediate wicket for Asad, as Atkhtar’s defences were finally breached after a well struck 31. Pascoe was soon reaping just reward for his spell of pacey line and length too, with Tariq’s off-stump violently knocked to a recumbent pose and the bails dancing a merry quadrille. It was all rather splendid stuff, and it wasn’t long before the once-glimpsed pit of despondency was beginning to look more like glorious sunlit uplands as the RDXI recovery began to stall, and with committed fielding from Riley and the usual trouser shredding gymnastics from Jones further restricting the run tally, Bodley were seemingly on course to work through the tail before the regulation 35 overs. Now there are several different, and often conflicting approaches to such situations that have been adopted during Bodley’s studied past. Facing an opponent seemingly on the metaphorical ropes has, on occasion, elicited sympathy and accommodation from captains of a certain stripe. Other tend to a more ‘Nietzschean’ will-to-win approach and, given the rather unpredictable nature of any Bodley performance, this is not entirely inexplicable, and so to the rather Milner-esque strains of ‘no mercy’ the Bodley juggernaut rolled on. Now it is a well-known fact to those who know it well that one of the true signs of summer is the first Busby over bowled in anger, and so as the ball was casually lobbed to the ‘Stuka’ eyes looked eagerly on to bear witness to what was about to unfold. To any debutant, the sight of Busby ambling up to the crease and releasing the ball like a contortionist having a seizure can be both unsettling and a little confusing. A Busby over is, after all, rather like a cricketing ‘finger-buffet’ if you will, containing a few very juicy morsels that get dispatched with gusto. Like any buffet however there will always be the ‘dodgy prawn’ hiding in open view and it is this that Busby so ruthlessly exploits, and almost as soon as you hear the muttered “What the…” from the batters lips the ball is edged into the welcome hands of Pascoe at square leg. And so the legend that is Busby most assuredly lives on! With Burnett claiming Lowe with a piercing ball to the stumps, and Asad likewise securing his brace with L. Wyatt undone trying to chase the game, the innings was finally brought to a close with Ackland claiming a well-deserved wicket with a ball that evaded M. Wyatt’s mighty swing but not the stumps. And so with more than a little self-pinching Bodley decamped from the field of play having managed to restrict the RDXI to what seemed a definitely attainable total of 121. Only time would tell if this would prove to be the case however. Meanwhile, there was the small matter of lunch to be considered, and with the sun gently warming the cockles, much cake and sarnies – with pickle no less – were devoured, all washed down with tea served in plastic beakers, giving the entire episode the air of an outing for those not quite trusted not to do ghastly things to themselves or each other. Suitably refreshed, it was time to see if Bodley could follow up their performance in the field with some similarly impressive batting. And so an air of anticipation pervaded the Bodley camp as Neely and Asad strode out to the middle to start the chase, and as Neely calmly stroked the first ball to the boundary there was a palpable sigh of relief as the promised victory edged just that little bit closer. With Asad now at the crease expectation rose to fever pitch, as his much-promised swashbuckling approach was now about to makes its presence felt. Unfortunately, the RDXI opening bowlers had not read the script and instead unleashed an unrelenting assault of probing deliveries, with Wyatt well and truly buckling Asad’s swash, and a portentous silence duly descending on the boundary. It was not just the ceaseless attack on the pitch that Bodley had to contend with, with Ackland omitting an entire overs’ worth of runs from the scoreboard tally it seemed that fate may, afterall, contrive to deprive Bodley of a victory, one way or another. And as if any reminder was necessary, it wasn’t long before Neely had himself succumbed to the dangerous opening spell of Akhtar, departing for a well struck though disappointing 11. One of the joys of the vagaries of a Bodley innings is that they often bring together batters of contrasting approaches in entirely uncontrived circumstances. Today would prove to be no exception to this rule as the hard-hitting Pascoe now shared the strip with Boycottian apostate Jones, eager to add to last seasons rich run of form. Although promising much, the new partnership was alas undone by yet more sharp bowling with Jones getting a fine snick that was pouched behind. And with three wickets down and only 33 runs on the board it was beginning to look like a classic Bodley wobble, so all eyes turned to Burnett as he ambled out to the middle in a cloud of silver hair and good intensions. And just as the red glow of a twilight sky foretells of better times to come, so it was that a change of bowlers and resolute and purposeful batting by Pascoe and Burnett began to tip the advantage once again back to Bodley, and with overs to spare it began to look very much like a done deal until Ackland somehow managed to suddenly appear out in the middle in the dreaded white coat, which seemed about as auspicious as Dr Crippen appearing at your hospital bedside with a large selection of pills. Needless to say it wasn’t long before the inevitable shout erupted from the middle and all eyes on the boundary turned to this incorrigible dispenser of doom out in the middle. But then the second miracle of Stanton St John occurred, for it appeared that someone had presciently sewn the arms of the Umpires coat to the sides making it impossible for Ackland to raise the dreaded finger. As such it was a near flawless display of umpiring from Ackland with no LBW’s given which, as far as most could recall, was the first time such a thing had occurred since John Major had been in Number Ten. In fact the only blip was his belief that shouting “No Ball” a second time cancelled out the first erroneous call. But let us not get distracted from the events as they unfolded on the field. Having survived his near-death brush with the Ackland finger Burnett settled into a productive serenity, with deft scoring shots dispatched and purposeful running between the stumps all adding to the fast accumulating total. At the other end meanwhile, Pascoe was combining guileful tip-and-runs with languid dispatching of the loose ball, and it came as a bit of a shock therefore when he only half-connected with a drive which was well taken by Akhtar, having added a vital 36 runs to the score. And so the final act of the performance would see ‘Tuppy’ make his Bodley batting debut, and it wasn’t long before genuine technique started to make its presence felt, with unflustered defence mixing it with sensible hard running and more expansive scoring shots, which saw the target of 123 rapidly hove into view as the twentieth over approached, and Robinson performing sterling work keeping the notoriously fiendish scoreboard updated ball by ball. And as Burnett stroked a final boundary to secure the victory he could depart the field of dreams with an assured and undefeated 43 to his name, with Tuppy sharing the spoils with an impressive undefeated 24 run debut. Of course no Bodley win can ever be glibly dismissed as a foregone conclusion (with defeat wrenched from the jaws of victory all too often over the years), but despite the almost inevitable mid-innings wobble this was, objectively, a really most assured victory and one, moreover, secured with 14 overs in hand. And so as congratulations and commiserations were duly exchanged and spikes kicked off, Bodley could reflect on what had all the appearances of an almost complete performance. Tight bowling, combined with athleticism in the field, had contained the RDXI attack and restricted the run chase to something eminently attainable. Moreover, Bodley had bowled out the opposition with overs to spare, which has always been an Achilles heel in the past – not today would Bodley be undone by the immovable batter or wagging tail! Special mention must also go to a fine performance by Neely who proved to be a bulwark behind the stumps, preventing those all too precious extras that can make all the difference between victory and defeat. And without whom, of course, hearty thanks go to the Richard Denner XI for being such good opposition in a game that swung more ways than Dave Busby in a nightclub cage. Social cricket is notoriously difficult to gauge and handicap so it is always welcome to come across like-minded teams that present a friendly challenge, and it is hoped that this will become an established fixture over the coming years. And so with a win chalked up only two games into the season it was with an air of optimism that Bodley departed what is proving to be the rich hunting ground of Stanton St John, most in search of well-deserved ale, and Ackland to fulfil a pressing engagement with certain items he had recently purchased from Lidl. TP. Authors XI at Great Tew, 35 overs.
As the start of a new season approaches and whites are pulled from the back of drawers, kit retrieved from garages and sheds, new purchases proudly squeezed in and modest but still lofty targets for the year set, those of us addicted to the rhythms and nuances of the cricket field excitedly check the weather and count down the days like a child anticipating Santa Claus. Social cricket is a niche for idealists, for mavericks and lost souls who seek a homely setting in which to understand and express their own peculiar sporting mojo. It is this that brings together such different skill sets and abilities, and this that makes a game which on paper is so utterly repetitive a gently rollicking crash of styles and duels. A team game played by individuals, as someone once astutely observed. So, on a sunny (just about) Sunday morning in mid-May eleven Bodleian cricketers made the short drive to bucolic Great Tew to take on the Authors XI and get the season going with a win. Ideally. Bodley put out a good team, Matthew Neely skippering this one, whilst the Authors had a few familiar faces mixed with a few new ones. Authors called correctly at the toss and very cannily put Bodley in to bat – overnight fog and a damp few days had left the pitch a tad low – but a chance to put up a big score was ours to waste. Bodley’s answer to Hobbs and Sutcliffe – Neely and Shackleton – strode out to get things going, and thankfully lived up to that introduction by settling in nicely. Shackleton unfurled some delicious drives and an especially fine lofted variety over the infield, pure poetry flowing from the willow. Neely was likewise busy accumulating the runs at the other end, picking up where he left off after last seasons epic run-scoring. After ten overs the score was 47-0 and the change bowlers were on, whilst the expectant spectators breathed easier. Unfortunately, after eleven overs, calamity, and a wicket – Neely was unceremoniously run out after Shackleton suffered what can only be described as a total and utter brain fart. Next in was James Shaw, joining a slightly subdued Shackleton and calling very loudly. James was in splendid form and the scoring rate continued to build, with David looking ever more elegant despite his faux-pas. Despite this apparent momentum David was out caught and bowled in the twenty second over for a sprightly 63 from 70 balls, bringing Bodley’s young leg-spinning all-rounder Francis to the crease. Sadly, and ominously, James was out a few overs later for a quickfire 31 from 39 balls, leaving the score at 120-3 and Bodley wobbling when you remembered the great Shane Warne’s rule of adding two wickets to the score and then seeing how it looked. Jones was in at Shaw’s departure, and with Francis quickly set about blocking absolutely everything as the Authors found a straight line and the pitch continued to befuddle. After quite enough of this it was decided that swinging might be better, and Jones was out clean bowled almost immediately to demonstrate the foolishness of that plan. Burnett followed, swung much more productively, but was also out (a lifter, tough luck that one), then Philipson, and Webb, before Francis himself was out to give one especially productive Author a four-fer after a hard fought 12. The slip fielders union of Milner and Robinson saw out the remaining couple of overs without further loss and Bodley ended the innings on a perhaps below par 152-8. Never mind, tea was served and the sun was out. Tea was enthusiastically taken – a myriad of sandwiches, cakey bites and rather filling doughnuts – and tactics talked. As the second innings began and the greatest cricketing minds in the Bodleian Libraries concluded that we’d need to bowl them out (unlikely), field beyond our abilities (very unlikely), or set the fire alarm off in the clubhouse (possible), we nevertheless formed up into a circle, clapped loudly and yelled motivational passages from books about cricket. Burnett opened the bowling and was immediately into a groove, conceding just one off the first over. Shaw was on at the other end and was equally economical. This fine form continued as the bowling changes were rung in the ninth, Ackland and Robinson taking over the ball-wanging duties. The only slight blip was Ackland’s very first ball of the season, always a highly anticipated event as the dust cloud is kicked up by the shuffling assassin. For reasons only known to himself, the first ball of the spell was an Ackland mystery ball – it was neither full, nor short, neither wide, nor straight, neither floaty, nor darted in – to even the greatest batter the ball was completely unplayable, emerging from the hand somewhere around the thigh area and thudding straight into the ground below Stuart’s feet as he continued to run past it in follow-through. Unplayable. Sadly, also a no-ball. Happily, in the fifteenth over the first wicket fell, with just 51 runs having been scored, a now sublime Ackland getting a stumping as Neely pulled off a blinder to catch the batter well out of his crease. Wickets in hand, yes, but run rate pressure all the same. A bowling change later found Francis twirling away and after a classic leg-spinners first over the second wicket was taken to leave the Authors on 79-2 after nineteen. This being a thirty-five over game, that was well within the run rate, Authors having accelerated after that first wicket. The short boundary on one side was reaping rich reward for the batters and before long Bodley had three boundary riders out there, all watching the ball sail over the head and between their positions. Shackleton, fresh from his invaluable 63 was now on at the other end and bowling very well indeed, particularly given the more aggressive batting present in the Authors middle order. A clean bowled top of off stump from a perfect length was just reward for a probing spell of seam bowling. With the runs coming the skipper brought Burnet back, and with his second ball of his second spell Phil found a good length, which found the edge of the bat, proceeded to rocket up and over an expectant Milner at slip but just as it looked destined for the boundary many yards behind, the king of picnics leapt high into the air, arcing backwards in a Stokesian leap, and plucked the ball from the air well behind his own head. Bloody good catch Andrew, wonderful. Much whooping was had and Bodley settled back into the task with renewed energy. Shackleton continued with the next over, field a bit more up now, and sure enough, with one, comes two. A ball tossed in outside off stump was middled to point, chest height, going for four in everyone’s book. Until it almost broke Robinson in two that is, stinging into those bucket hands at deep point, bouncing straight back out, and then being caught again in a bit of expert pouching. Bloody marvellous catch Gav, really marvellous. With their tails up and momentum on their side Bodley again settled into positions to force another wicket. Sadly, and as this author has written so many, many times, there was another twist in the tale, and as sure as trying to hit a second six in the over brings your fall, our hopes of a collapse were ended by a far more punishing batter coming in at eight, and making it look all too easy. Burnett continued to bowl brilliantly amongst the relative carnage, bagging another wicket with an edge well taken by Neely, and slowing the rate a little in the process. As the final over approached, and some heroic ground fielding helped haul the rate back up to at least a run a ball, Authors needed six from the last over. Ackland was duly entrusted with this sacred task and began with a priceless dot. Next up a single, a well-struck ball hauled back within the ring but the dangerous batter back on strike. Next ball was a wide, then a leg bye, so three needed from two balls. Tense stuff, the boundary getting animated and the village defibrillator on standby. Stu runs in, delivers, and …spank! Very well played that batter – a well struck four to finish the game and win it, just, for the visitors. A close game played in great spirits in a beautiful setting, and a lovely way (aside from the loss!) to start the season. Well played all, everyone contributing and some outstanding performances throughout – those two catches being special highlights. Next match is Sunday 21st at nearby Stanton St. John against local side The RIchard Denner XI, all welcome. GJ. |