‘CATCHES WIN MATCHES’ but rarely can a side at our level have caught 7 such stunning catches as The Catchiteers did on Sunday. It was the difference between us – we dropped them, they caught them. Some of our ground fielding was pretty wallyish too, not to mention names like Rupert. One could argue that 4 overthrows carelessly conceded proved fatal. As a sign of the Catchiteer’s unwonted brilliance even Rob Noble – hitherto a girlie, a Fotherington-Thomas in the field – not only stopped balls but dismissed our potential match-winner, skipper Dennis de Caires, with a fine, hard catch at mid-on. We played a 30-over game because some of us wilt in the field, and last week it was getting pretty dark at the end when we played 35. As it turned out some of us were so buggered – Dennis (back), Bird (bust toe) – that the end […]

THE DAY WAS RATHER COLD BUT THE CRICKET WAS ALWAYS ENTERTAINING. As we were only 8 when play started (11.50 a.m., not bad) we contrived to bat first in a 35 over game. Rico opened (with a runner) with the ever willing James Nixey. James had just stroked a beautiful ball towards the pavilion when he received a nasty bouncer which he fended off with his forearm, very painfully. Unfortunately it tickled the bail off. Martin Bowden, who was umpiring, did not feel the ball was high enough to no ball, but in truth if James hadn’t used his arm his head would now be in Pishill. Dennis came in and flashed at a couple but we’re used to that and he usually settles down to murder the bowling. But he got a tempting full toss to leg and top edged it to shortish long leg. Enter Bowden who got […]

First a word about the previous week’s invitation game in Sussex. Tony Bird had organised a game at Madehurst near Petworth, on a charming rural ground shaped like a bowl, against the actor Richard Durden’s team, The Invalids – so called because they were formed by two convalescing British soldiers in the desert in WW2. An invitation V&A side came down for the day and the night – at Tony’s house nearby (he and Tom were absent owing to an obligatory family wedding party). The pitch was soggy and the ball held up, so catches to mid-off and on predictably dismissed their leading batsmen cheaply (they went in first in a 35 over game because we were a quorum and they weren’t at kick-off time).Ed, Robbie and Olly Bamber all caught good catches in the deep. Sam Tyson was too good a bowler and was taken off after 4 wickets. […]

THE SUN SHONE for most of the day, but it was damp in the morning and captain Bird N. sent the Talbotians in to bat (in a 35 over game), thinking that the pitch would be easier in the afternoon. A reasonable assumption and, as it turned out, correct. But actually the decision was forced on him because we were a quorum to field and they weren’t – they mustered 6 or so at the time. Dino, the T’s skipper, had phoned early Friday to say they were only 7 which included a little girl and did we want to cancel. No, was the answer, we could provide subs and anyway having 7 by lunchtime on Friday wasn’t too bad by V&A standards. In the event they were 9 and their little girl played for Middlesex. But she was little. And a girl. Yet she was Adam’s nemesis. We began […]

THE SUN CAME OUT. A minor miracle, considering the hail of last week. Nothing about this almost biblical weather surprises. Perhaps a plague of locusts next, followed by boils… Dennis was skip and agreed a 35 over game – quite enough time in the field for some of us. We lost the toss and were sent in – it was a good toss to win as batting became progressively easier. We started badly with James Nixey bowled first ball, and Peter Heathcote run out by Olly Betts who called a quick single to a bloke who does not do ‘quick’. But Tom Bird and Olly had a nice partnership of 30 or so before opening bowler William Bevan, he of the aggressive speed and manner, bowled Tom as he had James. Enter Dennis, who smacked a marvellous 25 to all corners, including a majestic 6. There was an amusing incident […]

I WAS ABSENT LOOKING UP Brigitte Bardot in St. Tropez last week (not literally) so Andy Fraser took over reporting duties. He is sorry if anyone felt insufficiently insulted. The threat of thundery storms of Biblical fury put back kick off until 13.30, so no official lunch but a magnificent tea provided by the family Morris. It was Kitty Morris’s birthday (age undisclosed) so their whole menagerie came and had a day out in the Chilterns. When we arrived they had clearly been enjoying a good, upmarket picnic lubricated by Veuve Clicquot and several bottles of 13% Burgundy. The 13% did the trick for Rupert as he opened with a blistering attack on the (very good) bowling, hitting 10 in the first over. His opening partner Rico Wilson was whacking anything loose but succumbed to a strain and Bird N. came in as a runner, not everyone’s first choice as […]

Another fine day, if a trifle humid. For some reason we had found it tricky getting a quorum – we were 8 on Friday – but thanks to Adam Chataway, the Jaguars very game and sporting captain, who lent us both himself and their best bowler, we had a decent 10 on the day. They elected to bat in a 35 over game. Depressingly, they only had one man over 28 it seemed, and although clearly in bus pass territory he appeared to have most of his marbles, unlike some of our own geriatrics (although old age may be less to blame than substance abuse for our incapacity in the field). The Jaguars started like a whirlwind, being 50 or so for 0 after 7 overs and 130 for 4 at lunch after 21 overs. The wickets had fallen to Rico Wilson (bowled), Shaun Mayana (LBW) and Martin Bowden (bowled […]

A glorious day, with none of the predicted showers, a perfect setting for both the Derby and cricket at Stonor. The ghastly VW rally was, thank God, on Sunday although the tossers in their camper vans were assembling as we played. Martin Bowden lost the toss and The National Theatre elected to bat, a surprising decision in the light of their being a better bowling side, but possibly influenced by the delayed appearance of their most lethal bowler, the lofty Mike Morris (of which more later). They started at a sloth’s pace, which slowed to a snail’s. But they were hampered by a sluggish pitch, humidity that made the ball swing prodigiously and calypso bowling from Jake Warman, who began a devastating spell by bowling gritty opener David Lumsden with an unplayable ball for 2. Truly, it would have bowled Bradman, swinging from well outside off stump to hit middle. […]

THE NASHERS are a pleasant and sporting lot who make the day an agreeable one. From the cricketing point of view they are depressingly young, in their twenties by the look of it. They scamper between the wickets, and throw over-arm. Some of us do, some of us did. Bird N. won the toss and elected to bat as he had to do the lunch in Sarah’s absence. In retrospect he got the batting order wrong. Jake Warman and Dennis de Caires agreed to open but perhaps their aggressive batting style is better served at 3 or 4. Both were out cheaply, Dennis to one that bowled him off his pad. A pity as he was looking sound. Jake was playing nicely when out for 11 – his succession of twos would have been fours but for the uncut outfield. The next 5 batsmen all went for 8 or under […]

THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW TERM heralded a change or two. Stonor have invested in pitch covers on wheels which is a bonus. There is a smart display cabinet in the pavilion, the sort of thing you find in a hotel foyer. Some things don’t change and the kick-off time of 11.30 proved optimistic. We started at 12.30. Midnight C.C. are a very decent and agreeable side of butch men under 30. The Jacobite Chancers are the only other team we play without a single Old Fart. On Saturday we had 5 men over 50 (some the wrong side of 55) and only 3 under 40. Yet there were those among us who looked like they had weathered the winter well, notably Martin and Dennis who had been playing in the West Indies and looked fit. Unfortunately, in Martin’s case this was a delusion as he was crocked and […]