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Hurlingham Club - Saturday 11th September 2004
The role of match manager is not an easy one, and in this fixture Vance demonstrated some of the pitfalls that are to be avoided. In his enthusiasm to avoid problems, he sent a terse reminder that we had an early start and were to be at the ground at 10.30am, "and that means you, Barkle!" were his words. And there at 10.30am, the entire Barkle clan, washed and dressed, present but no match manager. A tardy 15 minutes before the off up strolls Vance, red from embarrassment not exertion. More was to follow, as the fielders and umpires were about to step onto the field of play only 9 fielders could be counted, a fortunate 10 minute shower allowed a sweating Don "from Geneva" Hudson to sprint around the boundary, quick change and join the rest of us as we got the game under way. No amount of rain could save Steady...
Entering The Hurlingham for the first time, we needed a map and directions to find our way to the ground from the main gate such is the size of the site. Once found we were pleased to see possibly the hardest track we play on in one of our latest fixtures. The Kiwi curator was heard to mutter that if you don't score 300 on this then you shouldn't be playing. So Vance won the toss and elected to offer them the first use of this hard, fast, true wicket with reasonably short boundaries - yep not an easy role.
Their opening bat then proceeded to take apart the bowling attack. Anything short was cruelly dispatched, anything full equally treated, only the most pinpoint deliveries worked, and we weren't up to too many of those. The pre-lunch session saw Martin (Sam variety), Thompson and Lester all suffer to some extent with only 2 wickets snared for 138 runs. The opener who was getting all the runs was rumoured to have played a warm-up game the day before against the Sri Lankans such was his dominance. Although why he needed to warm up for a game against us ... We enjoyed the wonderfully smooth outfield that we played on, it was bowling green quality and a joy to field on, really flat. Other than the one steep incline that Barks found as he sprinted after a cover drive, the sudden gradient caught him unawares, he stumbled, almost fell but recovered and stayed upright to do the fielding. Searchers were later unable to find the slope and The Hurlingham Club is now offering a reward for the slope as they want to set up a climbing wall. The bruises on Barks' thighs he swears were due to the stumble and the muscle injury was to slow him up for the remainder of the match - those who know Barks may have different explanations.
The post-lunch session really was action filled through to the declaration, with some outstanding spin bowling from Holden (0-38), Barkle (0-16) and particularly, Hudson who grabbed 2 wickets from 30 off 11 overs, including their bat who played county cricket for Hampshire, superbly caught by Sam. Unfortunately Hudson's final over went for 20 and he retired to the outfield to think about the run chase to come - perhaps he could have thought a bit more deeply. In a fast finish Thompson clean bowled the opener who got 80 odd runs, and then Lester managed to winkle 2 wickets in 2 balls, the latter a caught and bowled that showed unfeasible agility and a length of arm that would startle a gibbon. The hat-trick delivery looked to have been successful with Perky whipping the bails off for the stumping, but Marty's eagle eyes spotted what the slow-mo replay could only have picked up, that the toe of the batsman's boot was indeed in contact with 2 blades of grass behind the popping crease - a fine decision. And so to the final act of the innings, their late smashing bat skied one to long leg, and Singleton, whose lip had been unbuttoned, looked certain to claim a sitter but he tripped over his acerbic, lawlerly tongue and grassed the opportunity. Harry S. was later heard to ask his father what hubris meant, answer came there none.
274 to chase, some late season sun shining, a hard and true track, 40 to 45 overs to be bowled - life doesn't come with many opportunities this good. Singleton looked as if he meant to seize this one with both hands, batting strongly. Keyse gifted a catch to gully bringing in Hudson whose straight driving was a pleasure to watch. But then, disaster, wickets falling at 43, 53, 57, 65 and 74 saw LNZCC reeling at 74 for 6 with at least 25 overs still to be played. Some Hurlingham players were heard to ask if LNZCC were going to put up the shutters and play for a draw, The Chairman snarled from the boundary, "we don't do that". And indeed, enter dashing swashbuckler, one Sam Martin who smote 108 runs including 4 sixes, from 67 balls (his hundred coming from only 59) to bring the game back towards us. An innings with some fine strokes, some bludgeoning batting and just a little luck was Sam's maiden century and the jugs tasted sweet at the after-match. Sam was supported well by the crippled Barkle (21) who with Sam put on 105, and then by Steve Lester who ended with 38 not out off 34 balls. Steady, having arrived so late proceeded to be late reacting to each delivery and Marty was hard-pushed to give him not out to a succession of LBW shouts. The third in the over got him and then the redoubtable Holden strode in. We only needed 27 with 5 overs to get them, but Richard succumbed to their most venerable bowler and we fell just short.
On a wicket as good as this for batting the bowling attack did a fine job, and Sam's effort to take up the slack with the bat got us within reach of victory. Our thanks to Justin Murray who set the fixture up for us and to The Hurlingham Club for hosting us. A fine day's cricket topped off with a bbq at the Singletons where Pip's asparagus and strawberry salad made up for Mike's performance earlier that same day, although with Mike scouring the Singleton cellar to bring out a top wine to finish off with, he did go some way to redeeming himself.
Scoreboard Hurlingham 273-7 (57.3 overs) LNZCC 247 All Out (38.4) Hurlingham win by 26 runs
Batting Runs Catches Stumpings Mike Singleton 17 Richard Keyse 7 Don Hudson 18 Pete Tippen 4 Shaun Perkinson 4 Sam Martin 108 Andrew Barkle 21 Vance Thompson 0 Steve Lester 38* Mike Stead 0 Richard Holden 0
Bowling O M R W Sam Martin 13 0 77 2 Vance Thompson 9 1 42 1 Steve Lester 9 1 47 2 Richard Holden 9 1 38 0 Don Hudson 12 1 50 2 Andrew Barkle 5 2 16 0 |
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