Shaftesbury vs Horningsham

14 June 2009

We had enjoyed our first taste of Sunday league cricket. The opposition in our first two games had been good company, and the results had gone our way. So could we make it three out of three by beating Shaftesbury today? Could we, in the absence of five of the excellent Horningsham side that beat Mere two weeks ago? The absentees included both opening bowlers and three key batsman, most crucially Nick Pope.

Indeed the selectors had spent the previous three days in a desperate hunt for eleven men, with a total of fourteen players and potential players injured, away, or otherwise unable or unwilling to play. It was close to midnight on Saturday night before the eleventh man was finally pinned down. Come Sunday, thirteen turned up.

Connor Hawthorne was lent to the opposition who had shown up with only ten. Finn Gunning very kindly stepped down.

It was another baking hot afternoon, and most of us appeared to be hung over or worse. When we won the toss, the head may have said bowl, for fear that our weakened batting may not be able to set a defendable total, but the head-ache said bat (specifically, bat low down the order and sit in the shade until then). Which we did. Angus arranged a batting order around his need for rest, and also for lunch, relegating himself to 4, then, when our second wicket fell after only 8 balls, with the score on 3 and his mouth still full, to 5. Ollie Moore obliged by hitting several boundaries in a quick 27, to follow his fifty last week, in a partnership of almost 50 with Paul Grugeon, who played one exquisite off drive, all timing and transfer of weight, and no effort. They then both fell in quickish succession, replaced by Angus (who never finished his lettuce) and James Oborne, who played it safe for some time. The latter was then disconcerted to find the bowler at one end had been changed without anyone telling him, and was caught flaying in confusion at a wide long hop, returning to the pavilion to be barracked by his family. At this point Horningsham were in danger of failing to reach 100. But our captain's head began to clear, he began to time the ball, and he ended up playing a fine and vital innings of 82, ably supported at the end by a rapid 28 from Nick Hughes. Chris Chapman on debut hit what many observers believed to be a four with his first, indeed only, scoring shot. Frank Bailey landed an excellent biff before being last man out. We failed to bat out our overs but were relieved to have made as many as 182.

Still, in conditions where 230 was a par score, this was a tough total to defend. Sam was, as ever, hard to score off, and Angus gave us a chance with 3 quick wickets in the middle of the innings. At one point the game almost seemed to be creeping our way. Connor deserves mention for a well directed edge for a four to fine third man. We fielded with commitment and dropped no catches, but crucially, our catchers in the deep never quite reached skiers, of which there were many. Sadly our best catcher, Ollie, was never in the vicinity as he was bowling when most of them went up. And according to the scorebook we bowled 15 wides, which looks especially bad when they beat us with 12 balls to spare.

Talking of scorebooks, the man who said they never lie had never seen ours. Our batting total adds up to 188, and Shaftesbury's to 181. Like our performance on the day, a little bit off. But the result was a fair reflection of the game.

So our unbeaten run is over, but it was a good game, and the opposition were a good crowd. The TCL adventure remains a success.

J.O.