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V&A CC v Stonor CC
25th August 2024
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V&A CC v The Refreshers CC

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V&A Tom Bird (SKIP), Adam Jacot, Alex Pitlarge, David Pitlarge, Jasper Arnold, Owen Gundry, Otto Gundry, Jonny Urwin, Doug Gordon, Robin Hayley, Dominic Scott 

Refreshers  152-6.  Pitlarge 2-27,  Jacot 2-15, Hayley 1-21
V&A 136 all out. Arnold 59, Bird 47.  Richard Jory 5-23

On Saturday the 14th a hand-picked and carefully selected band of brothers (enhanced at the last moment by most of captain Bird’s extended family) took on The Refreshers, apparently a bunch of lawyers who clearly knew a thing or two about the rules (or should one say ‘laws’) of cricket, comprising 7 men and 4 women – who proved to be their secret weapon if not with the bat, then certainly with the ball taking two if not three of the first few wickets when it came to their turn to show how things should be done.

One of the Birds seemed to win the toss and so the mighty V&A took to the field with as they say the sun shining brightly over the Stonor valley and the deer wandering nonchalantly across the parkland with all set fair for a fine day of cricket.  Pitlarge (junior) – taking a break from his main task of catering – opened the bowling with his 30 yard run-up; ball after ball raced past the surprised batsman (not a word one should use these days but can slip in with ‘bats-women’ coming later). With Otto Gundry pounding in at the other end, V&A looked as if they might have the opposition in their grip but the Refreshers showing much talent (for lawyers), ducked and dived, putting a good few runs on the scoreboard, in part as a result of various dropped catches. Then one wicket fell and in came the first of the lady batters, a veritable Olympic runner but was (inevitably perhaps) run out. A couple more wickets fell before lunch.

This, as always, was the highlight of the day with catering by Pitlarge (junior) ably assisted by his sous chef Pitlarge (senior) with a fine roast beef, stuffed peppers and salad (more details available on request – but this is not a restaurant review), accompanied by various well-chosen wines including a particularly memorable Pinot Bianco.  This may have been the reason why after lunch The Refreshers, clearly much refreshed, started to put on runs in earnest with a notable 58 by one young barrister – whose concentration was clearly not shaken even by Bird (very senior’s) lunchtime remarks including an array of irreverent (and irrelevant) anecdotes – leading to a reasonable total of 156 after their allotted overs.

The V&A then took to the field with Robin Hayley, dapper as ever with wing collar and cufflinks, and then a brace of Pitlarges in succession.  Sadly, though the V&A had asked their recent young recruit, one Dominic Scott, to umpire and every time the ball seemed to go anywhere near a pad with the stumps somewhere behind, up would go his finger and out the poor batter would trot.  Luckily though Bird T (not the oldest nor the youngest Bird in the park that day) with Arnold J steadied the ship with one scoring 47 and the other 59 and the game was nicely in the balance.

But shame oh shame, what then befell is a tale of woe indeed!  With Bird out with 30 still to get, then Arnold with 20 to win from 2 overs… had the V&A’s talent run dry? First one wicket fell, then the very next ball, another; and when Scott strode in to stop the rot (with a new bat he had just been suckered into buying from Arnold), he too was caught first ball giving the whooping Refreshers a hat trick.  And there was worse to come! Owen was the last man in (borrowing the same piece of willow but not bothering to pad up) and was again out first ball so 4 in a row! The Refreshers had won the day with the modest V&A licking their wounds realising that, once again, they had much to be modest about!