Match Reports
Match Reports
9th July 2016
All was harmony after the previous week when Nick P-G’s reversing of the normal batting order – to give some batting to tail-enders – caused disquiet. We batted first in a conventional 35-over game, opening with Ross and Andy Taylor, who saw off some sound bowling by Acme’s Harris and Saraf, to reach 50 without loss, scoring at a brisk 5 an over.
25th June 2016
A tricky call in the morning, heavy showers forecast from 1 pm. But a chance they would miss Stonor, or at least allow intermittent play.
28th May 2016
I WAS SKIPPER in a 35-over game on a glorious day. I managed to assemble a team of 14 on Wednesday, 13 on Saturday but for some reason when we started at midday we were a traditional eleven. So were the Hermits. They included that nice Mr Palmer who got so cross with us a couple of years back when he called us a bunch of wankers and cheats, after some perhaps over-enthusiastic V&A appealing. He was in the ball park with the ‘wankers’ bit but perhaps ‘cheats’ was unfair. Anyway, he was a bit distressed on Saturday by some umpiring eccentricities and by some facetious banter in the field but he did not combust. I’d had a word with our chaps beforehand and asked them not to be naughty and upset him; and in the main they didn’t, although Nick Emley managed to get up his nose by some […]
7th May 2016
THE ALL SORTS were founded almost 40 years ago by three Old Harrovians, the cricket correspondents Ivo Tennant and Geoffrey Dean (who is also a wine man) and our own Simon Jacot, father of the more famous Louis, and brother of Adam, our skipper for the day. Adam appeared to have lost his razor again. It is always a pity when a middle aged man lets himself go, you don’t get Christiaan turning up in unpressed trousers, or egg on his stubble. Louis told me last week that the All Sorts were ‘like us, mostly old with a few young ones to help in the field.’ Bollocks. The first six All Sorts to turn up were virile young men who promptly started warming up and throwing balls around professionally. They looked fearsomely good, and so they proved. The older members weren’t deadbeats like ours, but ex county or club cricketers. […]
30th April 2016
Tom Bird’s stag game was a family affair, with his fiancée’s parents catering nobly, his Dad umpiring, his Auntie coming for drinks and lunch in that order, his Uncle Nicky skippering for the oppo, his Grandfather rising like Lazarus to watch the game from his car. The day was bright if cold and plagued by occasional rain and hail but no locusts or boils. Tom’s mates were once our Yoof element. Ollie Bamber, Ed Churchwood, Ollie Newton, Andy Sharp, Steve Coltman, Johnny Stokes, Will King, Freddie de Vas all played pretty regularly until work and babies took them from us. Ollie Bamber’s charming wife Sophie was once accosted at a V&A party by one of our more lecherous members who had taken strong drink. I had to explain to our stalwart that Sophie was off the menu. I am afraid I rather let myself down yesterday by declaring my interest […]
12th September 2015
A splendid day to end our season. Charming opposition (alumni of Durham University), a warm sun, no Muzak in the Park, a fine lunch (voted Best Cricket Lunch by AFGM) and tea (both prepared by the Catering Committee: N Bird, N P-G, the Morrises, Jessica, Megan) with only a naturist to disturb the view.
15th August 2015
The game was played on VJ Day. Andy Fraser, who works for Mitsubishi, took time off from his professional duties to endure the unendurable and suffer what is insufferable (as Hirohito put it) and play at Stonor, despite age and infirmity. As it turned out he missed nothing in the slips. But it has come to a pretty pass when I can outrun him in the field. Rupert Morris, however, with two dropped catches, made him look spry. On the way to Stonor, Rupert had been reliving the triumph of his two recent catches, and declaring he was a shoe in for Fielder of the Year. Hubris, nemesis. At one point he loped after a ball that stopped on the boundary. The batsmen ran four anyway. This was a Pritchard-Gordon day. Tom P-G, the opposition captain, had heroically put together a team of young (under 25) athletes. Nick P-G had […]
8th August 2015
After the horrific ending to last week’s match at Turville, it was nice to return to the serenity of Stonor, with no blood on the pitch. Stonor is more Quentin Crisp than Quentin Tarantino.
1st August 2015
We were 11 on Saturday, not 12 or 13 as is our wont. They were 11. A traditional game in an idyllic setting. England at its best, puffy clouds, sun, pleasant company plus Adam Jacot, a delectable tea, a good pitch prepared by the doyen of Turville Park, John Hancock. All a far cry from the horrors of Calais, the M20, swarms of migrants in the boot of my Passat, Grexits, and Jeremy Corbyn.
25th July 2015
The Jaguars were nine but nine fit young butch men. No chance of running 5 to them. A token Dutchman, Wortman, hit a run although I would take ours, skipper Jonkers, on past performances. They won the toss and batted.