Result: Lost by 10 wickets
Match Report:
As the Stragglers and Martlets teams arrived at Three Bridges CC ground for the scheduled 11.30 start, there was general surprise to find the square roped off and the covers on the wicket on what was a swelteringly hot summer’s day. Following some nimble footwork from the Martlets, and more significantly, the divine intervention of a member of Three Bridges CC – we will come back to her later – the game was ready to go ahead by midday. A 45 overs a side format was agreed, the Stragglers won the toss and we decided to bat on a wicket used on Monday for an over 60’s game, which had apparently produced over 500 runs. Ho hum.
On paper, we had a very useful Stragglers team – both with bat and ball – which did not produce the runs required to create any ‘scoreboard pressure’ for our opponents. Many Stragglers looked in good touch, although no partnerships were sustained. An unfortunate run-out did not help our cause. The Martlets bowled effectively and found some variable bounce in the wicket, which had disappeared by the time that they came to bat.
Our all-rounder, Jonathan Lodwick, came in at number 7. Arriving at the crease, he cast an eye over his shoulder at an unhealthy scoreboard before batting the best of any Straggler on the day. He amassed 48(?) runs, an innings punctuated by some assured driving down the ground, both along the turf and then later in the innings, over the trees. It was very good to watch. He perished just shy of 50 to a well-judged catch in the deep. There was insufficient firepower to take our score beyond our final total of 148.
The most telling commentary on our performance was that we had left unused 12(?) or our 45 overs. That is never a good sign. It left our bowlers with limited margin for error.
The Martlets had an hour to bat before the break for tea. We came out with all guns blazing…as did the Martlets. One of our candidates, Dave Conway, nobly stepped up to the mark and did a very tidy job behind the wicket. The two Johns, Cattermole and Lodwick, opened the bowling. Attacking fields were set, we needed to take wickets. The Martlets opening pair batted in a very assured fashion, dispatching bad balls and defending respectfully as required. The taller and slimmer of the two openers, supporting an Auckland motif on his shirt, made our bowlers look ordinary. He was clearly in the midst of a very purple patch and was good to watch. However it begs the question….if we had posted 350 runs, would it have altered the final result? He was that purple.
We reappeared after tea, keen to break the opening partnership. Tom Whyte was very effective bowling left arm over the wicket, whilst there were insufficient runs to allow Rob Pollock-Hill to get into the game.
The game finished early. The Stragglers’ commentary after the game was suitably philosophical but not downbeat. Champagne moment of the day? Unquestionably the unscheduled appearance of the wonderful lady, a key operator and member of the Three Bridges Cricket Club, who happened to be passing the ground at 11am, who opened the pavilion and the dressing rooms and organised, at very short notice, the superb feeding and watering of the players and umpires. Without her, there would not have been a game.
Skilful presentation of the statistics will tell us that this was the first time that the Sussex Martlets have won this fixture in seven years. They were very keen to do so.
Thank you to the Stragglers team, who were a delight to be with on the day. It was also good to enjoy the support of Stragglers veteran, Bill Kincaid, who appeared in the mid-afternoon to watch some cricket. Unfortunately, there was not much for him to watch.
(Afterword: Sadly, Bill Kincaid died suddenly less than a month after coming to watch this game)
Wednesday 24 August 2016 Stragglers of Asia vs Sussex Martlets
Result: Lost by 10 Wickets
Team Batting First: Stragglers of Asia
| Batsman | How Out | Bowler | Score | |
| 1 | J Cavanagh | Ct. Campopionino | P Hartland | 37 |
| 2 | T Lerwill | Ct Rebbet | P Hartland | 9 |
| 3 | M Shales | Ct Campopionino | P Hartland | 6 |
| 4 | S Razvi | Run out | 0 | |
| 5 | J Cattermole (g) | Bowled | I Hartland | 22 |
| 6 | D Conway (wkt) | Bowled | I Hartland | 0 |
| 7 | J Lodwick | Ct I Hartland | Burrow | 47 |
| 8 | P Savage (capt) | LBW | Kalsi | 12 |
| 9 | W Blackhurst (c) | Ct Campopionino | Reynolds | 1 |
| 10 | T Whyte | Bowled | Kalsi | 0 |
| 11
|
R Pollock-Hill | Not Out | 0 | |
| Extras: 13 | TOTAL: 148 (all out) |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| S Jackson | 7 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| P Hartland | 8 | 1 | 37 | 3 |
| D Rebbet | 6 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| I Hartland | 6 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| J Burrow | 4 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| S Kalsi | 4.5 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| M Reynolds | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Team Batting Second: Sussex Martlets
| Batsman | How Out | Bowler | Score | |
| 1 | D Young | Not out | 89 | |
| 2 | M Campionino | Not out | 54 | |
| 3 | G Rebil | Did not bat | ||
| 4 | J Burrows | Did not bat | ||
| 5 | M Reynolds | Did not bat | ||
| 6 | D Rebbets (Capt) | Did not bat | ||
| 7 | S Jackson | Did not bat | ||
| 8 | I Hartland | Did not bat | ||
| 9 | J Akers Douglas | Did not bat | ||
| 10 | S Kalsi | Did not bat | ||
| 11 | P Hartland | Did not bat | ||
| Extras: 6 | TOTAL: 149 for 0 |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| J Lodwick | 6.4 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| J Cattermole (g) | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| T Whyte | 7 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| R Pollock-Hill | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
Umpires: P Meadows