What more could a captain ask for? Winning the toss and batting on a belter of a pitch at Hurstpierpoint in the bright sunshine. At 12 for 3 and still missing three of his team he could have asked for a lot more. Chakravarti (Sujay), Mann J and Leefe S all departed without troubling the scorers and Burstow D had bowling figures to rival Stuart Broad. Andy Morgan, using all of his fifty years of Buccaneers playing experience, steadied the ship and along with Alex Rydon put on a few runs. Then Burstow struck again and Hobson P (after negotiating heavy traffic from London) entered the fray. The Milnes, at this stage, were rushing to the match after the captain had rung them and found them still in their pyjamas. After years of playing in the fixture they had thought it was on the Sunday. Doh.
Rydon R joined Hobbo after Andy had missed a straight one and hung around until lunch. After a fine three course lunch, they were able to up the tempo and Rydon chanced his arm, eventually succumbing for 61. Hobbo continued his fine form for the season but was out for 53. This bought Milne J and Milne L together and father and son put on a fine display (apart from the running between the wickets). Freddie Bjorn came in at number 10 and smashed the ball to all parts of the ground and Leefe C ‘closed’ proceedings with a fine 0 not out without facing a ball. All out for 219 at 3.30pm.
Rydon R opened down the hill and was amazed to find one of his deliveries being taken at third slip. Let me repeat that. A Buccaneers’ catch taken in the slips. A Buccaneers’ catch taken at third slip! After this excitement, batting continued as usual and Bjorn F was deposited to most parts of the ground that he had earlier found with his bat. As tea approached, OHJ’s looked comfortable at 47 for 1. Then Rydon R bagged another couple of wickets and Leefe C , with flight and spin, induced a catch in the covers and tea was taken in much better spirits with the OHJs at 52 for 4. After a fine selection of sarnies and cakes, the Leefe combo bowled in tandem to good effect. Wickets fell at regular intervals, mostly caught by Hobbo. When he wasn’t catching them he was involved in the bowling part. A fine stumping by Morgan followed as well as a regulation catch in the covers by our substitute fielder. However, the fact that we had a substitute fielder couldn’t be regulation. The fact that it was Chunky Gouldstone (in the Hurst 1st XI in 1964, as evidenced in the pavilion) who ‘caught’ it and the fact that he allowed it to hit his chest before using his hands made it less regulation than usual. A bit of biffing by the tail enabled the captain to employ another young spinner and Milne L wrapped up proceedings with a ball that clipped the top of off stump. The OHJs cricket week ended with the lowering of the flag, accompanied by the Last Post, and most of the team repairing to the New Inn to sample fine Sussex ale and relive Chunky’s catch.
A RYDON CT WELCH BWL BURSTOW 26
Sj CHAKRAVARTI CT WARRENDER BWL BURSTOW o
S LEEFE CT MOULTON BWL BURSTOW 0
MANN J LBW BURSTOW 0
A MORGAN BOWLED SIMKINS 15
A HOBSON BOWLED SIMKINS 53
R RYDON CT MOULTON BWL SIMKINS 61
J MILNE CT CHADWELL BOWLED BURSTOW 11
L MILNE LBW HALL 19
F BJORN ST WARRENDER BWL BURSTOW 19
C LEEFE NOT OUT 0
219 ALL OUT
P MCGAHAN 13-1 -61-0
D BURSTOW 12.1-4-38-6
S SIMKINS 11-3-50-3
S HALL 11-3-20-1
F WILSON 6-1-36-0
OHJs
J PILGRIM CT HOBSON BWL RYDON R 4
E WELCH CT MANN BWL LEEFE C 32
S WARRENDER BOWLED RYDON R 9
B MOULTON LBW RYDON R 1
S HALL CT HOBSON BWL LEEFE C 20
M LOWNDES LBW HOBSON 30
D BURSTOW CT SUB (GOULDSTONE) BWL HOBSON 0
F WILSON CT HOBSON BWL LEEFE S 5
P MCGAHAN STPD MORGAN BWL HOBSON 16
S SIMKINS NOT OUT 21
N CHADWELL BOWLED MILNE L 9
ALL OUT 150
R RYDON 7-3-16-3
F BJORN 3-0-23-0
C LEEFE 9-1-45-2
S LEEFE 10-0-33-1
P HOBSON 7-3-18-3
L MILNE 2.4-0-14-1