End of term ‘House match’ report.
Rydon Royals A*
Stringer Super Kings C
After sterling work by James Stringer in gathering enough Buccaneers and ringers for the annual end of season clash (and ancillary work by Simon Woolfries in coordinating lunch and tea with the Dog and Pheasant) all was set for a prompt 11.00am start in glorious sunshine. However, Bob Palmer was late and as his car contained four players we had to wait for the strike bowler to pitch up.
First delivery at 11.30am and all was tickety-boo with the world. Bob and Paul McCann bowled a tidy opening spell and accounted for ‘China’ White and Simon Leefe. However, in the new political climate where Conservatives can bed down with Liberal Democrats, Jim Harcourt can play for the Royals. And play he did. In a masterful display of man management, Rob coaxed the best out of Jim who played a powerful yet controlled innings. Apart from a sharp chance off Adam Wyartt, who was having his ludus horribilis, Jim ground effortlessly through the gears. Phil Hobcraft, with a welcome return to the fold, took up where he had left off and complimented Jim with a range of classy shots all round the wicket. When he had had enough, Rob Rydon joined proceedings and showed his limited range of aerial leg side assaults (hitting a parked car – luckily on the first bounce), before falling to a sharp catch in the gulley by Paul Hobson off Bob. Apart from Jim showing his lack of fitness and running skills, the sparks continued to fly as he dispatched all and sundry for a well deserved century. Will Digby and Sandy Henderson (accounted for by Ben Kee) and finally Miles Collin kept Jim company at various stages, with Warwick Okines being kept in reserve. So a declaration came at 227 for 8 with half the day done.
Was it enough? Probably. Did the Super Kings (Players) have the skill to fend off and dispatch a mainly public school attack? At tea the answer was definitely no, with Stringer and the Chakravarti brothers back in the hutch at 21 for 3. Half an hour after tea the answer was still no as the Super Kings slumped to 35 for 7. The Sherborne pace attack had been replaced by the crafty spin twins from Radley and Haileybury (Leefe and Okines) and all looked lost for the Players. However, grammar school boy Richard Gwynn was not going to be beaten by Dave Cameron’s palls and dug in doggedly with the classy Paul Hobson (another Buccaneer back from exile). With ten overs to go, it looked like they had done enough to hold out for the draw. However, Rob had other ideas and was keen for a beer. So, returning down the hill, he had Hack caught behind with his first ball and castled Bob Palmer with his third. Adam countered the triple wicket maiden with a lusty blow through the vacant third slip area, but fell soon after to Paul Hobcraft’s crafty spin.
All out for not many, and a great evening of non-gloating (far too well brought up) for the Royals in the pub.
Innings of Rydon Royals
S White b McCann 5
S Leefe b Palmer 5
J Harcourt not out 120
P Hobcraft b Carter 31
D Close lbw Carter 7
R Rydon ct Hobson bPalmer 30
W Digby ct Morgan b Kee 2
S Henderson lbw Kee 0
M Collin not out 6
Extras 19
Total 226 for 7 dec
Bowling
R Palmer 11-1-49-2
P McCann 10-1-34-1
A Wyartt 3-0-24-0
J Carter 7-0-31-2
P Hobson 8-1-43-0
B Kee 4-0-18-2
R Gwynn 2-0-13-0
Innings of Stringer Super Kings
J Stringer lbw Rydon 1
Subir Chakravarti b Rydon 9
Sujay Chakravarti lbw Digby 10
P Hobson not out 37
A Morgan ct Hobcraft b Leefe 4
B Kee ct Digby b Okines 0
J Carter b Leefe 0
P McCann b Leefe 0
R Gwynn bct Harcourt b Rydon 4
R Palmer b Rydon 0
A Wyartt ct b Hobcraft 0
Extras 5
Total 76 all out
Bowling
R Rydon 6-2-14-4
W Digby 5-0-8-1
W Okines 8-2-11-1
S Leefe 10-5-11-3
M Collin 5-2-11-0
P Hobcraft 4-0-13-1