V&A XI: Christy Kulasingam / Jasper Arnold / Ilija Krunic / Lachlan Nieboer (sub Alex Pitlarge / Tom Bird / David Pitlarge / Martin Shenfield / Obafemi Shokoya / Christiaan Jonkers / Adam Jacot (skip) / Enzo Nicoli
These two sides began side by side in 1975. One thanks to our founder Nicky Bird to represent an ancient museum full of priceless relics. The other to represent living artists’ London studios whose former players include Dennis de Caires, Martin Bowden, myself, Shaun Mayana and Norman Reid, the last of whom graced us yesterday with his lunchtime presence. So a ‘friendly’ it was!
The charm of the Chilterns is yesteryear yet uncontrived. Spitfires perform their acrobatics, callers still use red telephone booths and Morris Minor Travellers wink flip-out indicators resembling sideburns or unfortunate ears. Today however was given over (the road) to a car park and Gifford’s Circus churning out cheesy pop tunes.
While luckily the abating weeklong heatwave was made tolerable by gusts of wind older team members sat on their pavilion benches like those of the Deep South in their rocking chairs in their porch or chatting like Mediterranean types as they put the world to rights while watching a game of boules.
Our cricket ground, this hallowed square of tracks set in its oval surround cut out of a trapezoid field, behaved better than most this season. Acme’s charming skipper Bahyr decided with myself as V+A’s acting skip not to bother with a toss: V+A not sufficiently quorate at that critical time when most had finished their coffee conversations and general faffing and when actually playing a game of cricket becomes a reasonable proposition.
Cristy (9 runs) and Jasper (14) opened up for the home side and ticked along fairly smoothly despite having to counteract their skilful opening bowler Dipak. By the ten-over drinks break we had 33 runs on an outfield that denied most boundaries. Jasper survived a chorus of appeals from being caught behind. Before long in walked the promoted Ilija who had patiently waited a year and a half to have a chance to build an innings. His two straight drives proved the feature of the morning’s play.
Lunch was prepared by the saintly Stephanie and taken under the trees. All felt reassuringly familiar as Nicky, dressed as Blofeld in coloured raiment, tapped his spoon against his glass to deliver a politically correct address culminating in his thanking the caterer.
After lunch Ilija (31 runs) and Lachlan (22) accelerated the run rate before Lachlan pulled up with a calf injury that took him out of the match. One quick phone call later and Alex Pitlarge jumped out of his rowing boat at Henley and, with Bahyr’s generous blessing, we took advantage of the new ruling on substitutes that allows like-for-like roles. Then Tom Bird, that Tom Graveney of a Number 5 batsman, smacked and pulled a quick 30 runs. Others (including David Pitlarge (25) and last-minute call-up Martin Shenfield (10) chipped in with quick runs and even quicker running while Christiaan polished off the innings with a couple of mid-wicket blows dissimilar, I am assured, from agricultural biffs. Our total of 172 for 7 off 35 overs felt above par given the slow outfield and certainly something with which to bowl (which on this day was our likely stronger suit).
And so it proved. Their innings was restrained: judicious perhaps is generous … wary more like … of the vagaries of the imperfect pitch and the pitch-perfect accuracy of Ilija (7-1-10-1) and Christiaan (7-1-18-1) whose opening double act has now matured into a both threatening and limiting imposition. Wickets tumbled before any partnerships were cemented. Catching by the V+A was impressive: in particular a full-length dive by Shok off Alex Pitlarge that was reminiscent of Gordon Banks negating Pele.
The seven overs after tea bowled by the combination of myself (3-0-12-0) and Enzo (4-0-14-0) went unscathed but it was for Christy and Alex (7-2-17-1) (substituting for Lachlan) to take us comfortably home. So comfortably that all the outfielders were offered the rare chance of a bowl. So comfortably that stealthily, as becomes the silent assassin that he is, Christy (6.2-0-26-5) picked up a Michelle only to be denied his hat-trick opportunity by their number 11 refusing to pad up and thus conceding the game.
They reached 104 runs from their 35 overs: adrift by 68 runs. One forgets what a benefit it is to be the home side, not simply in terms of the supporting fans (thanks Nicky, Stephane and Heather) but from those extra runs gained from our knowledge of the bumps and the outfield and from when to run for the ball and when to concede the boundary.
My double-pronged job as captain was complete in having given action to all and in returning to our president a victory from a team averaging on the day over 50 with the passport. But who can say after today’s performance that some are yet to confront their personal acme. Ancient but priceless!
We retired to The Crown in Pishill where Nicky Bird was discussed at length. We didn’t come to any conclusions.
