V&A XI:Christiaan Jonkers, Ben Horan, David Pitlarge, Christy Kulasingham, Chris Mounsey-Thear, Sean Gleason, Perry Gleason, Jasper Arnold, Ilia Krunic, Jarneil, Mehran

This fixture was due to be played against “Bandits”. They cancelled and Chris Mounsey-Thear managed to salvage the game, engaging worthy opponents in the form of Sky CC. The visiting side apparently hail from Edmonton and its environs. Its members were concerned that it would take a long time to drive to Stonor, so requested a late start with the game then due to commence at 1200. At 1145 the full Sky CC XI were on the outfield in a well drilled circle having grown up catching practice while about half of the home side mooched around waiting for the other half to arrive.

This was the eighth fixture of the season. All have started, seven have finished and, of those, all have been defeats for V&A.

 A triumvirate came together to deal with the team’s dismal record so far: Christiaan Jonkers was assigned to deal with the martial aspects on the field and bring resolve and precision; the ever persuasive Adam Jacot was the recruiting officer; just about everything else fell to CMT including provision of those most important commodities, victuals and joie de vivre (both supplied in abundance on the day).

Adam shone first in his role – not only did he manage to secure a full team by Wednesday, when he himself pulled out he already had a strong substitute lined up, Ilia Krunic. Two V&A players were, as the Aussie commentators say, “on day-boo”: Mehran and Jarneil. Both were welcome additions to the side and appreciated the spirit in which we wish to play. We were also graced by another father and son combination – Sean and Perry Gleason.

V&A batted first. I opened with Ben Horan.  Sky’s bowlers probably reflected a greater diversity in approach than V&A’s openers. From the Henley end, Lakhan attacked the stumps more or less every ball often firing it in at the block hole. All of this at reasonable pace with accompanying sound effects for anything other than a clean hit by the batsman.

At the other end Stella could swing the ball,  but had no control over his line. He frequently drifted wide of off stump, accentuated first by natural away swing and then by his own decision to bowl around the wicket and adopt a diagonal line from the return crease to something like second slip. Of the 22 wides bowled by Sky, at least half were delivered in Stella’s opening spell. Wides became something of a theme during the day. There was, however, no severity in Umpire Bird’s calling – these really were wide wides.

Aided by Stella’s line, Ben and I put on 50 – a reasonable foundation, particularly when compared with most of the V&A starts this season.

Having seen the opening bowlers off, Jarneil entered the attack, adding a retro touch with some vintage slow left-arm from the Henley end. He maintained good control, claiming both the openers. Mehran politely asked me whether I was done by the spin or the flight – I had to confess I just missed the ball.

The batting then went awry with the third, fourth and fifth wickets falling at 56, 75 and 86 respectively. Along the way CMT upped the tempo with characteristic gusto, completing a breezy 19, including four boundaries.

Lunch was taken at 25 overs with the innings delicately balanced. CMT excelled as always with the catering. Nevertheless, lunch did seem a little muted. Our guests ate very quickly and evacuated their end of the table before Nicky could give his usual speech of thanks. Annette Jacot speculated, not quite sotto voce, “…perhaps they have been forewarned”. This with a twinkle in her eye and a rather naughty smile. If the late Brian Johnson had been commentating, this might well have been the champagne moment. Nicky remained seated but also typically urbane and witty, essaying an uncontroversial definition of “the professional Yorkshireman” for the benefit of the Huddersfield born Jarneil.

The cricket resumed. Perry Gleason was fourth out, having played correctly and sensibly. He was replaced by his father who looked poised to introduce the necessary acceleration with an impressive strike back over the bowler’s head but departed shortly after.

We now had to see whether Jasper could combine with our debutants to build a reasonable score.

First up was Jarneil. He refused to take guard, choosing instead to show all three stumps, with space for a couple more each side. This was coupled with an extravagant backswing and an apparent intention to hit every ball either to Reading or to Oxford. Pretty quickly he sent the ball travelling north, some part of that journey, with an extravagant swipe to long on for 4. However, the inevitable rattle of the inviting wicket followed with only a single added to his score.

Jasper has just about perfected his adoption of the “gnarled pro” persona, adding a few bruises while in the field, although the muslin thin T-shirt with a plunging neckline he was sporting was anomalous. The stroke play and resolution at the crease were as good as always. However, he needed energetic support.

Enter Mehran with the seventh wicket down at 86 and the overs running out. He proved to be the perfect foil for Jasper. He had enviable batting qualities- high forearm and a very straight-bat, with excellent timing and intelligent placement. His unique gift, however, was more mystical: he cast a spell over Jasper inducing the latter to run energetically and without rancour. The scorebook records, in lurid pink, that the partnership contained not only many twos but even a three.

Thanks to Jasper and Mehran’s harmonious partnership, V&A ended up with 162 – defendable, but I was haunted by the images earlier from Sky’s catching practice and the player who could hit the ball one-handed halfway to the moon.

Sky opened the batting with the experienced Jarneil, who had probably been the pick of their bowlers.   His batting technique was more eccentric. He seemed to shape up for a reverse sweep every ball, only then to line up in a more conventional fashion at the very last moment- disconcerting for gully and point, close in. This particular tick might explain why the ball was frequently trapped between the inside edge and one of his legs with the ball dropping between his two feet. The V&A all seam attack, whether by accident or design, fed this successfully, which was then reflected in the run rate – about one run per over even after 15 overs.

The individual figures for the opening overs were impressive. Christiaan gave away only five in his first four overs, although that was bettered by Ilia’s first four which only went for two, and this after a full-on football session in the far corner with his two sons for most of the V&A innings in the first half of the day.

Christy and Sean Gleason came on as first and second change respectively and were equally steady. Christy, as ever, bowled a consistent wicket to wicket line with his usual reward – in this case clean bowling two batsman. A word about Perry Gleason, who was next up. He bowled quickly and with good carry. He stuck to his task and is a great prospect.

As Jarneil’s batting showed, he clearly has a theatrical touch. Perhaps this was a reaction to the various Yorkshire tropes floated at lunch. He came on to bowl and delivered a few tidy overs. In the event it was he who brought Jarniel’s vigil to an end. A lofted shot presented a caught and bowled opportunity, accompanied by a shout of “no” (although whether this was the batsman or one of the fielders was not clear to me at least). In the same way that Jarneil eschewed a guard earlier, he chose to abandon the orthodoxy of taking a couple of steps back to make the catch a comfortable one, favouring something approaching a back flip in order to make a successful grab as he crashed to the ground. Tremors were felt and Jarneil departed for a painstaking 5 in what would have been about the twentieth over.

There is at least one type of inversion not uncommon in our kind of cricket – the batting order. Often, the joys of removing the top order quickly fade mid-innings as the best batsmen reveal themselves in the middle or lower middle order. The counterpunch, when it came, was from Stella, batting at six and possessing a terrific eye, fast hands and the ability to run quickly. He scored a rapid 50. Probably the turning point of the match was his dismissal when he sliced the ball to gully for Ben to parry and then to catch. Ben looked composed throughout and we can only assume that this was how he chose to take the catch.

There was batting to follow, but the V&A bowlers stuck to their task well. The strike rate had increased significantly during Stella’s innings and with other strong batsmen still at the crease, six overs out, Sky’s task still looked very achievable.

Wides had become an important consideration. Views differed and were vocalised by umpires and fielders alike. This was perhaps surprising: the captains had agreed on a convention in relation to wides at the start of the match. Lawyers will tell you that any agreement should always be reduced to writing. As a matter of candour, and honesty amongst friends, I believe that this usually makes matters worse. And more expensive. But it is not to be discouraged.

The wides debate was joined by a disputed LBW, with further animation –a gnarled pro is probably not the best mediator – but the cricket was engaging and the teams and umpires managed to move on in good humour and spirited competition returned.

Through all of this, the V&A bowlers retained reasonable control ensuring the run rate remained above a run a ball.

The game was now becoming very close. The V&A XI was spurred on by its loyal support. Adam and Annette, seated on the bench looking down the valley watched attentively, with some gentle coaxing from Adam.  Meanwhile, Ilia’s mother knitted with increasing intensity in the pavilion, her son’s skilful bowling tightening V&A’s grip on the game in the dying overs.

Drama continued with a towering six just out of the reach of Perry Gleason at long on, sparing him from the agony of having to try to catch it.

The game approached its climax, albeit with one further controversy. Capt Jonkers, economical throughout, wanted to get his final over in to add to the six he had bowled. This was challenged initially challenged by Sky – “seven, seven” they protested, believing that was how many overs Christiaan had already bowled. Christiaan’s thirst for detail and Oxford mathematics degree positioned him well in this conflict and his seventh over went ahead. However, a further twist – a momentary loss of control saw first a six and four. Sky were closing in again.

That was the last alarm and as the final over progressed it seemed that V&A had done just enough, earlier on, which proved to be the case.

The signed endorsement for the Sky innings in the scorebook records that “Stoner CC won by 6 runs”. Contemporaneous but misleading; no one should suggest that this was anything other than V&A’s first triumph of the season. Earlier in the day South Africa had defeated Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at Lords. Less than three years ago, South Africa were washed away in the final two tests in England amid suggestions that they were done for as a Test nation. One of the joys of all sport is the reversal of fortunes. Is this the beginning of the V&A revival? Some of the young blades will be returning for the next fixture bringing the average age of the team crashing below 50. The triumvirate will step aside for the imperious Nick Constantine to take control… Bet against this team at your peril.