Result: Lost by 32 runs

Report:

As news filtered through to Tunbridge Wells of the spectacular collapse of the Australian batting at Trent Bridge, Andy James, for several years the Stragglers match manager but now managing the game for the Bluemantles, won the toss and elected to bat on a true wicket in which anything short was going to be a free run scoring opportunity. Although the true pitch and fast outfield weighed heavily in the batting side’s favour, the Stragglers bowlers all set about their task with determination and although the Bluemantles scored briskly, the runs were not scored without risk particularly against guest Kieran Davey who was generating a good deal of pace and bounce from the wicket and causing Rex Boulter, who has succeeded his father Willy behind the stumps, to make some acrobatic stops to prevent several late swinging deliveries running away for byes. However, the Bluemantles’ luck held and at lunch they were 142-1, a score that drove several Stragglers to the beer and wine thoughtfully provided by the Bluemantles but which they politely ignored to give the Stragglers a free run.

Post lunch the Stragglers returned to the field staring down the barrel of a long afternoon in the field and the prospect of chasing a score well in excess of 300 but the fortification at lunch seemed to exert a positive influence as a mixture of sharp fielding and more consistent bowling stifled the Bluemantles run rate and forcing the batsmen to take greater risks giving Kieran three well deserved wickets, first forcing Danby who had been looking well set for a century to hole out to Cope at deep extra cover and then cleaning up Pullen and Toby Marriott (the latter another former Stragglers player in this fixture) in a fiery and penetrative spell. For his second spell, Tom Odgen (usually a Bluemantle but who has guested for the Stragglers in this game for several years) decided to take the pace off the ball and bowl offspin rather than his usual medium fast seamers and as the pitch started to show some signs of grip and turn, managed to pick up the wickets of Pullen (father and son), the former courtesy of a stunning catch by Rob Goldsbrough at point and the latter caught by Sye Razvi at short fine leg off an attempted sweep of a ball which spat and turned sharply out of the rough. With the ball now turning noticeably at both ends, runs became harder and harder to score and at 3.45pm and 52 overs bowled, the Bluemantles realised that they were in danger of not leaving themselves sufficient time to try and bowl the Stragglers out and declared on 256-8.

The Stragglers reply was initially tentative and alarm bells started to ring when Sye fenced at a swinging delivery outside his offstump to give an easy catch to second slip. 8-1. However, the loss of the club’s leading run scorer brought guest Alan Cope to the wicket and after a couple of slightly sketchy shots wasted no time in putting the Bluemantles bowling to the sword reaching his half century shortly before tea off a mere 24 deliveries. He continued in a similar vein after tea, smashing the ball and scattering the fielders to all parts of the ground. By the start of the final hour he was already past his century and ably supported by Tom Ogden, the Stragglers required 4 an over off the last 20 with 7 wickets in hand. Even when Alan was out, stumped off a wide delivery at the start of the final hour with less than 60 runs required, Tom now joined by Rex Boulter kept the Stragglers in touch even as the overs ticked by. However, when Tom was run out going for a sharp single the rot set in and as the pitch started to crumble, the Bluemantles turned to spin and the ball started to turn prodigiously causing the Stragglers wickets to tumble until it came down to the last wicket pair to see out the final over of the day just to secure a draw. Sadly with only 4 balls to go Willy Boulter was deceived in the flight by a low full toss and was given out LBW. The Stragglers had lost their last 5 wickets for just 13 runs to give victory to the Bluemantles by 32 runs.

As always, thanks must go to the Bluemantles for being such hospitable hosts, to the staff at the Nevill for producing a fine pitch and refreshments and to the Bluemantles’ scorer, Diane Gittings for uncomplainingly scoring on her own and for kindly providing us with a copy of her immaculate scoresheet.

Team Batting First:

Batsman How Out Bowler Score
1 P Green Bowled K Davey 18
2 T Danby Ct Cope K Davey 82
3 Pullan T Bowled K Davey 49
4 Marriot T Bowled K Davey 23
5 Pullan D Ct Goldbrough Ogden 24
6 Pullan B Ct Razvi Ogden 8
7 Townley M Bowled Pollock-Hill 4
8 Aitkenhead N (wkt) Not Out 11
9 Fitzgerald H LBW Pollock-Hill 13
10 Hopkins G Not Out 0
11 James A (capt) Did Not Bat
Extras:24 TOTAL For 8 dec: 256

FoW: 1-40; 2-159; 3-160; 4-201; 5-221; 6-230; 7-230; 8-256

Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
Ogden T 10 2 65 2
Davey K 14 2 63 4
Goldsbrough R 5 0 39 0
Burton E 7 0 31 0
Pollock-Hill R 16 2 48 2

 

Team Batting Second: Stragglers of Asia

Batsman How Out Bowler Score
1 Razvi S Ct Pullan D Hopkins 0
2 Elliot N (g) Ct Townley Hopkins 8
3 Cope A (g) St Aitkenhead Townley 117
4 Brown C (capt) Bowled Hopkins 0
5 Odgen T (g) Run Out 43
6 Boulter R (wkt) Bowled Fitzgerald 20
7 Goldsbrough R (g) Bowled Fitzgerald 12
8 Davey K (g) Ct & Bowled Fitzgerald 0
9 Burton E Ct Hopkins Fitzgerald 3
10 Boulter W LBW Townley 0
11 Pollock-Hill R Not Out 0
Extras:21 TOTAL (all out): 224

FoW: 1-8; 2-44; 3-73; 4-179; 5-186; 6-211; 7-213; 8-217; 9-224; 10-224

Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
Hopkins G 13 3 65 3
Marriot Toby 3 0 27 0
Green P 3 0 33 0
Fitzgerald H 16 2 50 4
Townley M 9.2 1 37 2

 

Umpires: S. Chilmaid & T Martin

Scorer: DJ Gittings.