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V&A v The Nomads

V&VvTheNomads-2018

V&A PLAYERS: R Ashcroft [SKIP], A Taylor, N Emley, L Nieboer, T P-G, T Bird, N Constantine, P Goodliffe, A Jacot, A Jones, M Bowden, R Morris (12th man)

Another Saturday at Stonor, another sensational game. We’ve had some brilliant finishes this season, but this one may well have topped the lot, for its many ups and downs, individual heroics, and pure quality.

The Nomads are a serious team, who have been going for more than a century and include several former first-class or professional cricketers, of whom two or three were playing on Saturday. They have several overseas tours every year. Dennis de Caires arranged this fixture before his departure for Barbados, and warned Ross that he would have to pick a powerful team.

Ross did accordingly, and instructed his team to muster at 11am to welcome the visitors – a polite gesture with the added benefit of possibly making their later arrivals feel a little hurried. Was that why Tom Brockton, on winning the toss, decided to bat? Whatever the reason, Ross was surely not displeased, for there had been plenty of rain on Thursday and although the pitch had been nicely cut on Friday, it had a tinge of green and the sky was overcast.

They were well matched, the two skippers, both the epitome of geniality off the field, both ultra-competitive on it. A declaration game was agreed, with 20 overs to be bowled from 6pm. Nicky Bird wouldn’t have liked that – cutting into his evening whisky time. But Nicky wasn’t around.

Nieboer and Jones opened the bowling and made the batsmen thoroughly uncomfortable. It was a privilege to umpire from the Pishill end and appreciate the perfectly pitched outswinger with which Andy Jones bowled one of their openers. After eight overs, the Nomads were 28 for 3. Enter the Nomads’ best batsman, Roscoe Ormiston, whose grey hairs had mostly turned white, but who struck the ball with awesome authority.

There was a brief break for drizzle, then Tom P-G and Martin Bowden came on at opposite ends to offer their enticing mixtures of nip, swing, drift and off-break. Tom Brockton, the adhesive and spasmodically fluent opener and captain, was the first to go, trapped on the back foot in front of middle and leg by the P-G off break. He grumbled as he departed, but apologized most graciously afterwards. The menacing Ormiston was TPG’s second victim, mistiming a pull shot that appeared to have cleared Andy Jones at mid-wicket, only for our hero to run backwards, dive and complete a truly amazing catch. Bowden weighed in with a couple of handy wickets and at 130 for 8 the Nomads looked to be in some trouble.

But wicketkeeper Wahi found an ally in the obdurate Chris Page and the ninth-wicket pair put on 59, allowing the Nomads to declare and set the V&A 190 to win. Our fielding had been excellent throughout, Goodliffe superb behind the stumps, Jacot at square leg diving in all directions with supreme elegance, if imperfect timing. Adam also clean bowled the dangerous Shawl with his first ball.

Both teams had earlier enjoyed a magnificent lunch, courtesy of Megan Ashcroft. Ross’s mum Joan chipped in at teatime with her famous walnut scones. With a little help from her friends, Annette Jacot completed the Telegraph prize crossword, although she won’t ever send it in because she is convinced the winner must always come from Esher, never Ascot.

The V&A response did not start well. Nick Constantine clipped his third ball straight into midwicket’s hands, while Ross had his hands full coping with the pace and movement of Saj Shawl, a paceman of real pedigree. In the fifth over Ross was defeated by late movement off the wicket. Against bowling of this quality, Andy Taylor and Lachlan dug in. With Shawl hitting an immaculate length from one end, they refused to be tempted a change of bowling that introduced the wily spinner Chris Page. After 18 overs, we had reached a meagre 45 for 2, when Andy perished to another fine delivery from Shawl. Andy Jones hit one scorching straight drive to the boundary, then slapped the spinner into the hands of cover.

Enter Tom Bird, never one to hang about, and after a couple of lucky escapes, he began to middle a few, while Lachlan also became more expansive. We entered the final 20 overs precariously poised on 78 for 4. But Bird and Nieboer brought up the 100 and all seemed possible.

Unfortunately, Tom then smote a magnificent drive straight past the bowler and smack into the elbow of the unsighted umpire, Christiaan Jonkers. Poor Christiaan, who had originally been omitted from the team sheet by an oversight, had only popped along to be sociable. Fortunately, he seems to be made of iron, for despite an impact that was clearly heard in the pavilion, he was perfectly happy to shake hands and raise glasses later. A pity he stopped a certain four.

Tom didn’t last long after that, run out going for a rash second run. Meanwhile, Lachlan was moving into top gear, driving powerfully and pulling anything short for four or six. There were one or two chances, but his concentration was impressive. The target was just about within reach, the asking rate around seven an over. The Nomads were looking rattled, as first Emley, then Jacot came in to give Lachlan the strike whenever possible and in due course, get themselves run out. Nick was especially offended that he was declared “out” by a Nomad fielder apparently usurping the umpire’s role. But tension was running high, and both sides could glimpse victory.

In the penultimate over we were 15 short, Lachlan on 95 with the prospect of a brilliant hundred and a sensational win. Martin Bowden was running his heart out, but as the pair went for another desperate two, Lachlan found himself a couple of feet short of the line, run out for a magnificent 96. For a few moments, our sweaty hero was disconsolate that he had not brought his team home. But once Tom P-G had played out the last over, and an honourable draw had been agreed, he allowed himself to smile and reflect on a sterling effort that had held us spellbound for the last hour of a splendid match.

TheNomads-LachlanN

Lachlan’s fell four short of a maiden century. He ran himself out trying to get the V&A over the line.

We can learn something from the Nomads. They are a mixture of old and young, competitive and dilettante. Their eminence grise, Michael Blumberg, makes Nicky look like Usain Bolt in the field. They snap and growl at each other now and then, but mellow nicely in the pub. So let’s keep the mixture right, cherish each other and imagine Tom P-G leading our centenary celebrations in 2075!