Result: Phil McDuell and Vinny O’Neill won by 16 runs
| Batting pairs
|
Bowlers | ||||||||||
| Tom R | Mark H | Phil McD | Vinny O’N | Tony H | Ian P | Willy B | Danny D | Tom W | Billy K-H | Total | |
| Tom Russell
Mark Hunt |
3 (1) | 1 | 5 | 12 | 7 (1) | 4 | 10 (1) | 42 (3)
27 |
|||
| Phil McDuell
Vinny O’Neill |
6 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 54 (0)
56 |
|||
| Tony Hooper
Ian Perry |
10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 4 (2) | 6 | 50 (2)
40 |
||||
| Willy Boulter
Danny Dawson |
5 | 5 (1) | 9 | 7 (2) | 6 | 9 | 7 (1) | 48 (4)
28 |
|||
| Tim Coombe
Willy Boulter * |
4 (1) | 5 (1) | 6 (1) | 7 | 11 | 5 (1) | 5 | 43 (4)
23 |
|||
| Totals | 25 (1) | 24 (1) | 28 (2) | 24 (3) | 24 | 44 | 13 (1) | 26 (1) | 31 (4) | 6 | |
Table shows gross runs scored by each pair and (wickets lost) against each bowler, the final column shows nett runs scored (gross runs less 5 runs per wicket lost).
* Willy Boulter batted instead of Tom Whyte due to a total lack of interest
Sadly, Holkham CC were unable to raise a side for the planned game on Saturday 17th September (the centrepiece of the 2022 tour and planned for 3 years and four seasons), only notifying Stragglers on the 16th. Thornham CC (hosts and opponents for the game on the 16th) kindly offered us the use of their ground, but were unable to pull together a team to play Stragglers again at such short notice.
Given this opportunity, Stragglers waited not a second before inaugurating the Stragglers of Asia CC Ultimate Double Wicket Competition.
The format was simple; well, relatively. Five pairs of players, each batting for seven overs per pair, to score as many runs as possible. Each non-batting player (apart from the keeper) would bowl an over, giving each pair a total of seven overs to bat. Running and rotating the strike, boundaries, wides, no-balls etc, would all be the same as in “normal” cricket, the only major difference being that when a wicket fell, the batsmen would continue to bat (the ‘not out’ batsman always taking the next ball) but concede 5 runs for each wicket lost. Given the lack of an umpire (still traumatised by having had to stand in the rain and wind the day before), the methods of dismissal were reduced to Bowled, Caught, Stumped, Run Out and Hit Wicket. Penalties, forfeits and fines were threatened for anyone suspected of taking the game too seriously.
Tim Coombe was then persuaded to umpire/score as an alternative to having to bowl, resulting in Willy Boulter and Ian Perry sharing both bowling and wicketkeeping duties. At this point, battle commenced.
First up, Tom Russell partnered with Mark Hunt. Tom was in his element, striking the ball cleanly and finding the gaps for the singles to rotate the strike. He was – quite rightly – particularly hard on his erstwhile travelling partner Ian Perry whose buffet bowling was very much to the batsmen’s taste. Mark, however – Stonewall Jackson in living form – was more bemused by the notion of scoring runs, and conceded his castle three times including a lightning-fast stumping by the evergreen Willy behind the sticks. One boundary struck through point, though, will live long in the annals of this most beautiful form of the true beautiful game.
Second in the lists were Phil McDuell and Vinny O’Neill, the latter a much-missed stranger to these pages since the celebrated trip to the Dordogne. Canny judgement of the ball and the field meant that these two seasoned campaigners were to bat through without a single defeat, whilst compiling the highest gross total in any case. The generous feast on offer from Ian’s table was however irresistible and Vinny in particular made sure his plate was full – Phil having generously taken a single from the first ball to give him a clear run! Vinny’s individual, unbeaten 39 showed those playing and watching exactly what they had been missing.
Tony Hooper, saddled with Ian Perry as his partner, nevertheless made the best he could of it. Tony’s canny management of the strike wisely restricted Ian’s chances to commit his customary cricketing hara-kiri. Despite this, the hyper-stressed tour manager still managed to throw his wicket away twice in Tom Whyte’s over, the bowler being reduced to incandescent rage by an apparent refusal on the batsman’s part to countenance a LBW dismissal (that on a more conventionally-umpired day would have seen the batsman walk before the umpire’s finger had even left its holster). Despite his handicap, Tony still managed an excellent individual score of 32.
Wily Willy Boulter and Danny (christened “Dunny” by Judy, wife of former President Billy King-Harman) Dawson provided the greatest entertainment. Anti-corruption officials will have looked with interest at Willy’s determination to give Tom Russell catching practice, the beleaguered batsman’s muttered “oh no, not again” being his only defence against charges of “unnatural patterns of play”. Dunny, at the other end, made the most of the chances given to him, but even he had to give best – once – to the cunning (if slightly corpulent) left-arm dibbly-dobblers of the evergrey, constantly complaining Tom W.
Tim Coombe was due to be partnered with Tom Whyte, but the latter pleaded a medical aversion to bat grip rubber, and Willy was offered a second chance to give Tom catching practice. Determined to improve on his previous 7 for three times out, Willy bettered his previous score by ten, but another four dismissals added their own penalty. Tim meanwhile – caressing the ball through the covers in timeless style – added an impeccable 22.
And suddenly it was all over. Almost all had batted, almost all had bowled – even former President Billy King-Harman guested for a hatful of deliveries to Tony and Ian – and all had fielded in their own inimitable style. Vinny O’Neill’s 39 remained the highest individual score, Tom and Tony each managed classy scores of 32 and Dunny’s 34 (reduced to a nett 29 by that one wicket) completed the batsmen’s honours board. For the bowlers, in between querulous complaints, Tom Whyte took a majestic 4-31, followed closely by Vinny’s 3-34… while Ian’s 44 from 4 overs was rightfully the bowlers’ wooden spoon performance (the spoon will surely be put to good use in preparing the feast for future seasons).
The tourists then repaired to a lavish drinks reception generously hosted by Billy and Judy King-Harman at their home which allowed the cold and sore Stragglers the chance to warm and lubricate aching joints while the former President presented a tutorial on the correct method of throwing a hand grenade using old apples (Just as well if the reports on the quality of some of the bowling is accurate – Ed). After continuing carousing at the hotel (until being ordered to bed by the hotel staff) the Stragglers (in more ways than one) awoke on Sunday in a somewhat more sombre mood than the previous evening but after a hearty breakfast and brisk walk along the beach were sufficiently refreshed to wend their way home.
Once again the club owes a debt of thanks to Thornham CC for the generous offer of their precious ground, to Billy and Judy for their wonderful hospitality and to the Chairman for travelling up to Norfolk and braving the driving wind and rain while recovering from a fractured foot.
Neville Cardboard (aka Ian Perry) with some editing.