Buccaneers Cricket Club

In 30-degree weather, it’s no easy decision choosing what to do when winning the toss. The Buccaneers were split: having won by chasing the previous year the captain was inclined to follow the same method of approach whilst the rest of the team were more eager to shelter from the sun, and take to the field when that time came in the hope of cooller surroundings.

Nevertheless, we quickly lost the toss and were put into bat without complaint. Clark succumbed to a jaffa on an unyielding wicket to be removed early – which enabled the fantastic partnership of J. Milne and J. Marsh. Milne Sr was barraged by short balls from the opening bowler which after seeing a few, took them on with relish to all parts to reach his first 50 of the year (and increasing his desire to enroll into next year’s fixture). J Marsh was keen to correct his magnificent 95 the previous year and was clearly in great nick. He played shots that drew outside the patrons watching the Test match inside, who got to enjoy a magnificent knock in reaching his well-deserved ton. Both batters showed gentlemanly spirit and retired in quick fashion after achieving their relevant milestones. In brought O. Robertson and N. Robertson to the middle, with the latter missing a straight one from a young spinner to bring his season to a close, with L. Milne following shortly thereafter. With an average of 1.5 this season, one might have thought the decision to promote O. Robertson up the order was rash and reeked of nepotism. Nevertheless the man in question responded to his captain’s call with a fantastically constructed 50 off no more than 30 balls, finding a rich vein of form that had been absent for the better part of a decade. He was also joined by an important cameo from A. Valentine.

With more than 250 on the board off 35 overs, the Buccs declared and tea was taken to cool off and prepare for the opposition’s innings. The familiar force of Pexton and Robertson took the new rock and a wicket was taken in the first over off the bowling of Pexton. Spirits were high and victory seemed possible, so Okines was quickly brought on in an attempt to improve the over-rate ahead of the 20-over countdown (ECB please take note). Warwick responded with some fantastic bowling that had the opposition guessing the direction of spin and flight and claimed a well-deserved wicket. Important cameos with the ball also came from Brown (Buccs debut), Gibbons and L .Milne with the latter two each grabbing a well-deserved wicket. Brown could have also enjoyed the spoils if it wasn’t for a tough chance that was put down in the slips off his bowling.  

On a day where the ground felt like concrete under-foot, one might excuse some fielding inconsistencies, but the Buccs put on a fantastic performance to maintain pressure and prevent the batsman from ticking over the scoreboard. The highlight must go to Buccs veteran N. Robertson who against all odds managed to get a solitary hand behind the ball diving backwards to claim a scalp for the dangerous Gibbons. Special mention should also go to the most unlikely wicketkeeper of all time, and arguably the tallest in Buccaneers history. Taking the gloves under duress and standing at 6ft 7in, Archie V, may look an unnatural keeper but was impeccable behind the stumps putting his body on the line many a time and demonstrating that dedication trumps ability (0 byes recorded)…

In the end, despite a fantastic performance from the team, the Buccaneers ran out of time with the opposition more than one hundred runs short but four wickets short. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic afternoon played in great spirits and we look forward to returning in 2026 looking for the win.

Sunday 29th June saw a young Buccaneers team meet for the famously picturesque fixture at Brook Cricket Club.

A pub lunch at the neighbouring watering hole before the game and 30-degree heat provided the perfect introduction to Buccaneers cricket for a team bolstered with ringers. With bellies full and the toss won, the day was set up very nicely indeed.

After the captains agreed on a declaration format and a comical bickering between openers A Marsh and M Sutton over who would and would not take the first ball, the match started. The innings began with A Marsh, having drawn the short straw of taking the first ball, falling to a well-directed yorker in the first over, bringing the first ringer P Earle into the game.

Sutton and Earle soon created a solid foundation to build upon, hitting a steady and consistent flow of boundaries. Despite this promising start, Sutton eventually fell after making a well-made 36. In came C Portman who played a sensible knock before chipping one to cover after the ball appeared to stick in the wicket. Ringer number two, B Jacobs, steadied the ship alongside Earle to 154-3 with Earle making his 50 in the process.

However, following instructions to up the pace with declaration in mind, Earle was caught at mid-off for 60 and the partnership was broken. This brought in the famous L Milne inducing both anticipation and nervousness (everybody’s car windows were now very much in play)…

As per his reputation, Milne smoked Brook’s best bowling around the ground all the while playing proper cricket shots and had made his half century off a ridiculous 16 balls. A class above the opposition, Ludo’s dismissive hitting came to an end only due to a strategic retirement. With B Jacobs ticking over comfortably and a few more runs needed to satisfy a declaration, I.Evans was sent out for a rare batting outing. Not before long, the Buccaneers were satisfied and declared on a total of 231 for 4 off 34 overs with B. Jacobs finishing on 38* and I.Evans 5*.

With the Buccs very content with their first half display, the players tripped back to the pub which they had prepared for the game in and were treated to a lovely tea with the highlight being some gorgeous roast potatoes and gravy straight from the pub’s Sunday menu.

Satiated, the Buccs continued their form into the second innings with I Evans and J Smith bowling tidily in their channels, despite some glorious counter-attacking cover drives from the Brook opener F Cooper. Smith, however, made the initial breakthrough, encouraging another booming drive only for this time to take a feather with M Sutton taking a comfortable catch behind the stumps. Paired with Evans’ tight bowling, Smith took two more wickets in quick succession before the first change in bowlers was made. The first change brought the long-awaited return of the famous Warwick Okines, who started as if he had been playing all season, turning batters (and keepers) inside out. This brought on ringer number six, Hugh “The Bison” Phillipson, and as the name suggests, he charged in and bowled some sharp pace bowling.

The bowling pair, supported by some athletic fielding by A Marsh and some safe catching (excluding a dolly from the usually reliable J Marsh), brought a steady flow of wickets. Soon, Okines and Phillipson had dismantled Brook’s middle-order and the Buccs were into the tail. A tiring Bison led to the return of J Smith in search of his five-fer, however, in the end, it was Wozza’s crafty leg spin which spun the Buccs to a convincing victory and a final visit with the neighbouring pub.

Innings of Buccaneers

A Marsh b J Cooper 0
M Sutton c ? b Sheikh-Thompkins 36
P Earle c ? b M Thompkins 60
C Sutton c ? b Cooper 10
B Jacobs not out 38
L Milne Rtred hurt 50
I Evans not out 5

Extras 32
Total 231 for 4 declared (34 overs)

Bowling

J Cooper 6-1-23-1
F Cooper 7-0-46-0
D Sheikh-Thompkins 4-0-20-1
N Cooper 7.1-0-34-1
S Wells 4-0-25-0
M Thompkins 3-0-33-1
L Soar 3-0-29-0

Innings of Brook

M Thompkins run out 2
F Cooper c Sutton b Smith 19
N Cooper c Okines b Smith 34
S Wells b Smith 1
L Soar c ? b Philipson 3
M Fradgley c ? b Philipson 3
L Fradgley not out 2
D Sheikh-Thompkins c ? b Okines 0
J Cooper c ? b Okines 0
R Bradbury st Sutton b Okines 0

Extras 18
Total 79 all out

Bowling

I Evans 6-1-20-0
J Smith 6-1-24-4
W Okines 6.2-1-19-3
H Phillipson 5-2-10-1

Buccaneers of a certain vintage will have played with club legend Doug Murphy.

For those who didn’t, Doug holds the club’s two highest individual batting innings with 200 vs Adastrians (the RAF Officers) in 1999 and 190 vs The Mote a year later.

Despite being a proud Kiwi, Doug has been selected to play for Australia over-60s in their series against an England over-60s side. This is known as ‘The Grey Ashes’.

If you would like to see Doug while in the UK, the tour’s fixtures can be found below. Doug is also hoping to turn out for the club in our fixture vs Lindfield on Sunday 27 July.  If you would like to contact Doug, please contact James Stringer who has his details on stringer.redhill@gmail.com. 

Sunday 15th June saw the Buccs return to Frensham for their sixth outing of the season, in need of a strong bounce back after the difficult day out at Hurlingham a couple of Sunday’s prior. The sun was blazing, the outfield was dry and quick, the toss was won and confidence was high as the skipper chose to have first use of the Frensham deck. 

Kalidasan and Valentine took to the crease and got the Buccs off to a fast start, making great use of the rapid outfield and small boundaries, with some lusty blows initially coming off the bat of Valentine. After Valentine fell in the fifth over, J. Milne took to the crease to join Kalidasan. After wearing one on the back thigh early on, J. Milne got into the swing of things with some quite majestic late cuts and drives through the covers for four, drawing acclaim from the Buccs’ faithful on the sidelines.

After J. Milne too fell to the Frensham opener Findlay for a well put together 18, J. Marsh joined Kalidasan at the crease. Both batted quickly but sensibly and before long, Kalidasan had passed 50, and was no doubt eyeing up a big score. Some lusty blows from Marsh and Kalidasan followed as both took the attack to the Frensham bowling attack. Frensham’s bowling couldn’t help stop the runs from flowing off both bats and before long, the partnership had passed 130. 

After some glorious shots, J. Marsh fell just one short of his half-century, and Sutton joined Kalidasan at the crease, who was approaching three figures. The moment arrived just a few overs later as Kalidasan brought up his maiden Buccs century – going one better from the 93 he hit at Frensham last year. With declaration on the skipper’s horizon, both started to really motor – with some superb shots coming off the trusty MRF of Sutton and some massive hits from Kalidasan. For a few overs it was raining Buccs boundaries, and before long Kalidasan had brought up 150 and A. Marsh had declared with the Buccs on 289-3.

The Buccs took to the field after a quick tea, looking to get stuck into the Frensham top order. Rydon and Pexton took the new ball and both bowled tidily, with Rydon finding the edge of both openers only for the ball to fall agonisingly short of the Buccs corden. The deadlock was broken when Pexton found the edge of the Frensham opener and was duly taken by Kalidasan in the corden (can’t keep the man out the game…). Another Pexton wicket followed shortly after, before skipper A. Marsh turned to more pace in the form of L. Milne and Evans to further move into the middle middle order. Both bowled very tidily, as Frensham’s middle order started to make the most of the rapid outfields. After a dubious ball-change, more Frensham runs flowed before Evans claimed the big wicket of Frensham first-teamer Philimore. Two quick fire wickets from L. Milne followed and the Buccs smelled blood with Frensham at 125 for five.

After a tidy spell, Evans was replaced by the trusty left arm of Leefe who bowled beautifully throughout his spell picking up the wicket of Warren. After L. Milne scattered the stumps once again for his third wicket, A.Marsh brought himself on to bowl, initially bowling nicely claiming a wicket in his first over after a great catch from Pexton in the deep. The Buccs were now just three wickets away from victory, with the overs now counting down with Frensham still needing more than a hundred to win. Boundaries started to come thick and fast for the Frensham lower order as the spin of both Marsh brothers started to get targeted. This continued for the next few overs with the small boundaries which were so friendly to the Buccs top order, starting to become the enemy to the Buccs bowling attack. 

Before long, there was only one over left to play with the Buccs needing three wickets with Frensham needing 29. Skipper A. Marsh gave himself the honour to see out the game for the Buccs – it surely couldn’t go wrong from here, could it? The first five balls went for 6,4,6,6,4 and so Frensham needed three runs off the last to win. A. Marsh fired in a famous quicker ball which was expertly stopped by keeper M. Sutton – the match was drawn (never in doubt said the skipper…). 

A fantastic contest that eventually went right down to the wire. A special shout out must go to E. Kalidasan – a quite sensational knock of 151.

BUCCANEERS CC INNINGS

E. Kalidasan – 151*
A .Valentine – 17
J. Milne – 18
J. Marsh – 49
M. Sutton – 22

Total: 289 for 3 dec (33.2 overs)

Bowling

M. Findlay: 14-1-88-2
C. Doran: 6-0-47-0
L. Rhodes: 5-0-48-0
A. Warren: 5.2-0-49-1
R. Doran: 3-0-37-0

———

FRENSHAM CC INNINGS

R. Doran – 17
R. Doran – 36
C. Doran – 0
N. Phillimore – 57
M. Hashir – 0
A. Warren – 18
A. Robertson – 65
M. Findlay – 10
J. Frost – 62

Total 287 for 7 (35 overs)

Bowling

R. Rydon: 5-2-13-0
C. Pexton: 5-0-45-2
I Evans: 5-0-32-1
L. Milne: 8-0-53-2
S. Leefe: 5-0-45-1
A Marsh: 4-0-63-1
J. Marsh: 2-0-24-0

On Sunday 1 June, the Buccaneers ventured to South West London for the premier fixture in the cricketing calendar. The weather was pleasant, and we avoided the rain that was around the previous week. The Skipper won the toss, and elected to have a bat on what looked to be a good wicket. Chris Leech and Angus Berry started well, putting on 40 for the first wicket, with a mixture of clips and errant bowling for Hurlingham. Disaster struck however, with Leechy being dismissed by a ball that nipped back, and number three Steve Moules falling the very next ball. Milne major came in and added to the scorecard, remaining with Angus for a few overs, until holing out at deep midwicket for a dozen. The Buccaneers engine room faltered, with a mixture of good bowling and some dodgy bounces dismissing Sutton and Berry in quick succession. Sutton in particular, short of runs, looked solid at the crease, but got one that kept low from back of a length. When it rains, it pours…

In a precarious position and with 80 on the board, Simon Leefe and Jim Harcourt were at the crease, and began the rebuild. Simon was strangled down the leg side, to leave the Buccs short of 100, and with the team in serious trouble. However, Harcourt batted admirably with the tail, marshalling a zealous, if slightly hungover lower order. On weekend leave from Sandhurst, Officer Cadet Milne (minor) was dropped from his first two balls, but displayed character in a powerful, if slightly agricultural cameo. Crucially, he equaled his elder brother’s score. Good for family dynamics, bravo.

Hamish Robertson rocked up complaining of a hangover, requesting to bat no. 11 to give him time to recover. The Skipper showed no such mercy, and was rewarded with some lusty blows to bring the Buccaneers to 170-8 off their 40 overs. Harcourt 48* steering us to a below-par, but defendable total.

The Buccs took to the field, with Pexton bowling tidily, but without reward. He was the pick of the bowlers in an otherwise testing afternoon for the side. Moules continued his ‘dies horribilis‘, bowling with pace, but was targeted by the oppositions opening bat. With wickets required, on came the spin twins of Leefe and Archie Marsh. Simon, with the newer ball was managing to extract some swing into the right handers (?!), with the mere illusion of turn enough to cause problems for the batsmen.

He was rewarded with a contentious LBW decision from the umpire. All I will say on that, is that it looked good from square of the wicket. Nevertheless, we had our breakthrough, and spirits were high. However, there was no rest for the wicked, as the Hurlingham number three proceeded to continue where his teammates had left off, finding the boundary with ease and pushing the scoreboard on. Well ahead of the run-rate, we were in trouble. Hamish Robertson and Milne (minor) finished the innings, with Hamish bowling with shape and swing but with no reward.

In the end, our score was not enough to out any pressure on the batters, and Hurlingham scored with ease as they cantered to victory inside 25 overs. It was not our day, a combination of a wicket that got better with time, and some good batting by the opposition won the match for them. Nevertheless, drinks were had, and an evening enjoyed by all post-match. Credit to all who played, and came down to support. We will get them next year.

Sunday, 25 May saw the Buccaneers travel to the beautiful Betchworth for their fourth clash of the season. A timed game was agreed upon, with the cut-off set at 20 overs after 6pm. As it turned out, the Buccs didn’t need nearly that long to make their point.

First-time skipper Max Sutton promptly lost the toss and the Buccaneers were invited to pad up and bat first. The opening pair of A. Valentine and L. Milne looked promising until Valentine kindly donated his wicket after a neat 14. An all-Milne partnership was briefly teased but never realised, as J. Milne made a cameo appearance, failing to nudge his season average beyond a solitary run.

Debutant M. Burrows then joined L. Milne at the crease, and the pair got the scoreboard ticking along nicely. Alas, Burrows fell for a stylish 26, chopping on a delivery that really ought to have been left well alone. L. Sutton popped in for a quick single-digit contribution, before M. Sutton entered looking to get off the mark for the season after a golden duck the previous week. He did just that—his dozen runs modest, but his timing impeccable, managing to take lunch still in pads, thus giving off the aura of a lengthy innings.

The theme of fleeting partnerships continued, as no one quite stuck around to build with L. Milne, who—true to form—was making it look all to easy. One gem in the lower order came in the form of C. Sutton, who carved a handy 19. L. Milne, however, was the undisputed star, peppering the boundary and reverse sweeping for fun, bringing up a magnificent 124 and carrying the Buccaneers to a commendable total.

With just an hour to go before tea, the Buccaneers took to the field with boundless enthusiasm and the new ball entrusted to the Robertson brothers. They bowled with poise and precision, but the Reigate openers clung on stubbornly. In a fine act of sportsmanship, M. Sutton took a sharp catch down the leg side, only to admit it hadn’t quite carried. The batsman was duly recalled—an honourable nod to the spirit of the game.

Tea was taken with Reigate scoring at a leisurely pace and the Buccs wicket column still depressingly empty. A whiff of defensive intent lingered in the air—Reigate, it seemed, fancied a draw.

Enter C Sutton who broke the deadlock with a peach of a delivery that clattered into the off stump. A Haines-Moss swiftly followed up with another scalp, tempting the other opener into a skied effort that found L. Milne loitering with intent underneath.

Reigate’s wheels began to wobble. They managed just 48 more runs before shutting up shop, clearly more focused on blocking out than blazing away. Cue the spinners. C. Buchanan removed their “gun batsman” for a duck—much to the delight of a field now smelling blood.

But the true revelation came in the form of golden-armed M. Burrows. Brought in as a batting option, he turned out to be a leg-spinning sorcerer of Archie Marsh proportions, snapping up a marvellous five-wicket haul and dragging the Buccaneers to the brink of glory.

With one wicket left and time slipping away, the final overs arrived. A. Haines-Moss was handed the ball, with two overs to go. With three balls left in the over, Reigate’s number 11 inexplicably decided to launch one down the ground—straight into the safe hands of a grateful Buccaneer. And that, as they say, was that!

A fantastic contest that went right down to the wire. Special plaudits to L. Milne for another sublime ton, and to M. Burrows for announcing himself in some style—with both bat and ball.

Buccaneers’ Innings:

L. Milne – 124
A. Valentine – 14
J. Milne – 0
M. Burrows – 26
L. Sutton – 7
M. Sutton – 12
H. Robertson – 12
A. Haines-Moss – 10
C. Sutton – 19
O. Robertson – 6
C. Buchanan – 0*

Total: 258 all out

Bowling

Wood: 10–1–55–2
Walsh: 8–1–41–1
Mitchell: 6.3–0–32–3
Elbrow: 9–1–51–3
Sayers: 8–1–46–1

Reigate Pilgrims’ Innings:

Burgess – 39
Elbrow – 48
Watson – 0
Cherion – 16
Unnamed Player – 3
Choudhury – 0
Hudson – 6
Walsh – 24
Unnamed Player – 0
Mitchell – 6
Wood – 4

Total: 163 all out

Bowling:

H. Robertson: 6–1–25–0
O. Robertson: 6–2–25–0
C. Buchanan: 7–1–37–1
A. Haines-Moss: 9–3–17–2
C. Sutton: 4–0–11–1
J. Milne: 4–2–4–0
M. Burrows: 9–0–27–5
L. Milne: 8–3–21–0

The Golfing Society enjoyed two days of mostly good weather this week in Kent playing Littlestone and Sene Valley.

11 golfers took part for a number of prizes each day – including overall stableford score, nearest the pin and a bonus nearest the green in two on the second day.

Littlestone played benignly with little wind, although a few heavy showers among the sunshine dampened a few spirits.

We enjoyed a comfortable stay at The Imperial Hythe and dinner at The Waterfront, serenaded by a singer and watching Spurs rightfully win some silverware.

Sene Valley is a hidden gem (and tremendous value) with lightning greens and challenging changes of elevation.

A worthy, but not entirely popular winner of the two day meet was Paul Thompson with 66 points.

Winner on day one (Littlestone) was James Stringer (points) and Bob Palmer (nearest the pin) and day two (Sene Valley) was Paul Hobson (points and nearest the green in two), Bob Palmer (longest drive) and winner of nearest the pin and the Mog Mug/Hack-Spud tankard was Doc Holliday.

Blazing sunshine, a rock hard pitch and outfield heralded a runfest at the Park. Play was delayed somewhat by the need to clear a bucketful of goose sh*t from the square and when it did start, the Buccs umpire only lasted four overs before ageing knees forced an early retirement. However, when the Dills started their innings they duly tucked in. Ben Mackintosh timed the ball sweetly and hit good and bad balls alike ferociously hard. James Marsh bravely stopped one with his thumb and fielded left-handed thereafter.

At 125 for 0 the Buccs were struggling until pace and guile from Ludo Milne and Archie Marsh respectively stopped the rot. Ludo had two clean bowleds as well as a good shout for an LBW while Archie took the crucial wicket of Mackintosh who fell for 93. Charles Pexton made no mistake at mid on when Mackintosh skied a leggie from Archie and took the difficult catch comfortably. Archie bowled with great control and mixed up his deliveries. Harry Mann was undone first ball by one of Archie’s well disguised express deliveries. Archie finished with figures of 4-53 and crucially the Dills runaway innings rather ran out of steam.  Alex Rydon bowled tidily and picked up one wicket before securing a run out by deflecting a shot onto the stumps, clearly a deliberate act. The Dills finished at 208 for 9.

The Buccaneers’ innings started as unpromisingly as our efforts in the field. Jeremy Milne had barely wiped the last crumb of cake off his whiskers before a good ball from H Mann shot under his bat. The skipper decided to leave a perfectly straight ball and Archie and Max Sutton also fell cheaply. Enter the freshly crowned Buccaneer of 2024, Ludo Milne, and Sussex Over 60’s finest, Rob Rydon. Both took advantage of the unusually quick Sheffield Park outfield and clobbered the tiring attack, both falling just short of well deserved 50s. Crucially, they had staved off the embarrassment of a 100-plus run defeat. Sadly a mix up led to Ludo’s early departure, run out. This brought David Close to the crease where he played a vital role keeping Rob company and firmly declining to run any threes. Quite rightly. The two of them kept the innings going nicely until a second miscommunication led to Rob’s downfall, run out.

At that stage the Dills must have thought the job was done. But they hadn’t accounted for the one-armed bandit, James Marsh, who came in and stroked the ball to all parts. He accumulated 50 in no time before a good ball from Ollie Mann ended his entertaining innings. A slightly reluctant Jeremy made his way slowly to the wicket, generously invited back by the Dills on the basis we were a man short. Unfortunately the journey was wasted as another good ball from Ollie did for David and the innings closed on 178 all out, some 30 runs short.

Armadillos innings

B Mackintosh ct C Pexton b A Marsh 93
Noah b L Milne 40
H Lloyd b L Milne 12
R Proctor run out 5
L Russ b A Marsh 0
H Mann b A Marsh 0
O Mann lbw A Marsh 0
J Harding ct J Milne b S Leefe 6
A Mondail ct & b A Rydon 8
Mackintosh not out 19
J Mann not out 9

Total 208 for 9 (35 overs)

Bowling

R Rydon 7-0-52-0
C Pexton 6-0-51-0
L Milne 7-1-23-2
A Marsh 7-1-53-4
A Rydon 4-1-9-1
S Leefe 4-0-16-1

Buccaneers innings

A Rydon b H Mann 21
J Milne b H Mann 0
L Milne b B Mackintosh 47
A Marsh b O Mann 1
R Rydon run out 41
S Leefe b O Mackintosh 0
M Sutton ct b O Mackintosh
C Pexton b Noah 2
D Close b O Mann 7
J Marsh b O Mann 50

Total 178 all out

Bowling

H Mann 7-0-38-2
O Mann 7.1-0-38-3
O Mackintosh 4-2-9-2
Noah 4-0-28-1
J Harding  6-036-0
H Lloyd 5-1-23-0

Armadillos won by 30 runs

After a couple of years of unfortunate wash outs the Buccaneers returned to the idyllic Follie’s Farm for a 40 over slug fest.

Follie’s Farm were sent in to bat on a scorcher of a mid-May Sunday. Rob Rydon and Ilija Krunic opened up the bowling with style. Rydon holding tight one end while Krunic took two wickets at the other leaving Follie’s 9 for 2 wickets after four overs.

A third wicket fell five overs later which brought together the strong batting partnership of Henry Grant (Follie’s skipper on the day) and Guy Gibson. They worked the ball well and put on a 70 run partnership in the middle of the Follie’s innings. Grant went onto make a very well batted century before falling for Nelson (111) to an Angus Berry delivery, caught Kalidasan sharply in the deep midfield. At the end of the allotted 40 overs Follies farm posted 241 runs.

A delightful cheeseburger and rosé tea was taken before Berry and Kalidasan took to the field to open up the Buccaneers innings.

Both Berry and Kalidasan took the time to get their eyes in before then started to cart the ball around to all corners of the ground, making use of the fast dry outfield as well as a few sixes for good measure. A fantastic opening partnership of 148 before Eswar fell to a remarkable single handed catch and fall from the leaping Andy Salmon of the opposition, for a good 61 runs scored. Michael Harms came in for quick thrash in front of his on-looking parents, then Krunic number 2 came to the crease. Berry was the dependable and impressive constant in the middle for the Buccaneers, staying out there for 37 overs in the heat, hitting his famous glorious cover drives, straight drives and violent swashes through mid-wicket and beyond. He eventually ran himself out gallantly chasing every last run to try to chase down the required 242. He walked off the pitch to a jubilant standing ovation, respecting and celebrating the most wonderful century (116 total scored) his first for the Buccaneers and first for over a decade.

Rydon and Metcalfe had the task at the death of around 11 an over, and despite some lovely shots and resulting boundaries, the Buccaneers ended up 9 short in what was a thriller of a match and a stunner of a day.

Innings of Follies Farm

T Palmer ct ? b Rydon 22
A Salmon ct ? b Krunic 0
J Parsons ct ? b Krunic 0
H Grant ct Kalidasan b Berry 111
G Gibson ct and b Ward 29
D Bell ct ? b Berry 19
J Black ct and b Berry 19
F Gibson b Hobbs 16
A Black not out 9
D Rowland not out 5

Extras 13
Total: 241 for 8 (40 overs)

Bowling

R Rydon 8-3-35-1
I Krunic 8-1-21-2
L Ward 6-1-41-1
A Berry 5-0-30-2
R Hobbs 6-0-44-2

Innings of Buccaneers

A Berry run out 116
E Kalidasan ct Samon b Grant 61
M Harms ct ? b Rowland 19
M Krunic run out 4
L Ward ct? B Bell 0
J Milne run out 0
R Rydon not out 13
W Metcalfe not out 6

Extras 13
Total: 232-6 (40 overs)

Bowling

D Rowland 8-1-26-1
A Travis 8-1-46-0
F Gibson 4-0-24-0
A Black 3-0-11-0
T Palmer 2-0-16-1
O Bell 7-0-51-1
H Grant 8-0-45-1

About 10 minutes from the town of Farnham lies the quaint village of Tilford, and after last year’s debacle, the Buccaneers returned looking to even the score – and the game did not disappoint.

We won the toss and due to the sun shining, the tasty beverages, and his fixed position at 11, the Match Manager opted to bat first.

Marsh and Clark got things off, but alas there were a few cobwebs and the opening bowlers performed with discipline (unlike that of traditional curtain raising performances) and thus managed to remove Marsh, Milne and Kalidasan in quick succession. All of a sudden it was 9-3 off 3 overs.

Valentine confidently blocked out the hat-trick ball but was soon bounced out by the very smart T Windsor. It was looking slightly ominous at 25-4 off 8 overs and somewhat similar to last year’s performance.

Enter debutant Ben Hayes wearing much borrowed kit and a spotless MCC jumper. He took a Baz Ball approach reaching a quickfire 42 including seven well struck fours. He battled well with G. Clark to take the team to a much more respectable total of 89-4. Nevertheless, Hayes succumbed to a commentator’s curse (by someone who shall remain nameless) and Clark fell the very next ball for a toiling 19.

Pexton and A Marsh offered some encouraging shots, supporting L. Milne but were removed in quick fashion with O Robertson also following suit. The late order collapse brought Robertson Sr to join Milne Jr to the crease with the score at 141-9 off 27 overs (with the latter on 28 not out). Evidently concerned he may not hit the heights of his performance last season due to the ability of his partner, Ludo went on the offensive, hitting an array of boundaries including six 6s which prompted a rapid emptying of the nearby car park. Due to the slow over rate, the Match Manager had warned of his intention to declare on the bell of 15.45 and even the striking of three consecutive 6s as Ludo raced to his century couldn’t convince the man otherwise. Ludo ended on 93* with the Buccs on 226-9 off 33 overs.

A short tea followed with the highlight being O.Robertson depriving the umpire of the last sausage roll, a decision which he would end up regretting.

The familiar pairing of C. Pexton and H. Robertson took the new ball and some tidy cricket was played – both managing to remove the bails of an opener in quick succession. Enter Robertson Jr. He bowled some steady lines and lengths before an opposition batsman (turned on-field umpire) overturned an initial decision of LBW (appealled by the batsman due to his bat being involved). The umpire reminded Ollie that sausage roll theft, whilst on the face of it a harmless act, is one that is rarely without consequence. Decision overturned.

Nevertheless, he grabbed his deserved wicket a few overs later, again finding the middle stump and removing R. Seabrook for four. He was later replaced by Ludo who found a bit more zip off the pitch. Meanwhile, some ‘quiet’ conversations occurred with the non-striking batsman, prompting a minor delay and change of action for Ludo to some nice off spin, which took another wicket.

At the other end, Archie M toiled away and claimed two wickets on a spicy pitch – including a sharp catch from stand-in but impressive keeper Kalidasan. The young batsman graciously walked having been given not out onfield. A Valentine also grabbed his second ever Buccs wicket (we won’t mention the four previous balls).

All of a sudden the score was 208 for 7 needing 19 off three overs. Conscious of the earlier unprecedented ‘conversations’, H Robertson took up the role of off spinner and claimed two wickets thus prompting a nailbiting finish. A few tough chances in the field fell short and the game ended in an entertaining draw with Tilford finishing on 215 for 9, 12 runs short of their target.

Beers with the opposition followed and all left in good spirits