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Hurlingham Club - Saturday 10th September 2005 Hurlingham had put LNZCC on trial when we first played them in 2004. We’d graduated to a penned in fixture for this, our second year, invited back to play on their surreal grounds in Fulham. LNZ turned up with a player availability list that could have produced two teams, amongst our number where three pregnant partners and a posse of children who spent the day among the 42 acres. Having negotiated the gatekeeper, where car registration and guest names were required, a final mile of wilderness stood between the cricket pitch and ourselves. The journey took us past numerous tennis courts and croquet grounds whilst we dodged the peacocks. The team arrived on time at 10:30 in full blazers. The groundsman, a former first class New Zealand umpire, had revealed that the ground had literally been a pond 24 hours earlier with drainage covers floating to the corners of the ground. Hurlingham were put into bat, on what was a remarkably hard ground. Ramster took the new ball and bowled to 2 slips and 2 gullys on a perfect line outside off stump. Stephen (I’ve not got a batting average) Lester then opened from the other end, surely in his debut as an opener in any form of cricket. During the previous week some fine sledging occurred between the North and South sides. This week the sledging was carried against our own team with Singleton (making a keeping comeback) and Burgess talking notable rubbish. The openers bowled unchanged for an hour as they constantly drew false shots and beat the bat. Missed stumpings and dropped catches kept the sledging flying within the slip cordon. The skipper came under some severe sledging from the double act, when putting down two screaming chances within the cordon (journalistic license). Ramster bowled for nearly 2 hours unchanged and claimed 4 wickets in the process. Lester had been less lucky with a couple of chances going begging. Hurlingham went to lunch slightly before schedule, when a brief torrential downpour ended the 2-hour session 10 minutes early. Lunch was served within the impressive Georgian complex. Fishy took advantage of the coronation chicken, salmon and dill compote. Singleton talked us through a new game called Currie House cricket, designed the previous day. It involves nan bread for keeping gloves and onions baggies as a ball. Thus giving us a wonderful insight into a city boy’s day out to the Oval. Phil (expecting) Bartle got into stride after lunch using the
atmospheric conditions to gain some wobble. Sam (35 off of 21 the previous week,
having been dropped on 4) Martin was captaining Hurlingham and came in at 6.
Samuel played his characteristic role throwing the bat successfully when given
any room. He used local conditions to his advantage when cover driving to under
the birch tree and set off. Lester and Ramster showed inexperience and poor
technique in their quest to find the ball. Four runs had been completed before
the ball was finally retrieved. Kevin (I’ve given up my tickets to Stamford Bridge) Marshall wrapped up the innings claiming 2 wickets. LNZ had bowled well to contain a threatening Hurlingham side. Martin’s index finger was called upon twice to double his tally this year to 4 LBW’s. Surely a record for the club stalwart. As ever the decisions were correct. Tea was literally wheeled round on trolleys and the boys contemplated a run chase of 208 off approx 45 overs, whilst consuming salmon, cucumber and roast beef sandwiches. Samuel opened up the innings and ironically charged in off his 5-yard run up at former South Island ‘3peat’ teammate and witnessed his first delivery crash into the picket fence at long on. LNZ were off in their pursuit. However he was soon out attempting a Trescothickesque flick to 3rd man. Matt Expecting-Fanning carried on gathering runs and was joined by DC-Smith who soon slotted a cover drive for 6 off of their other somewhat slippery opening bowler. Thunder clattered away at an alarmingly close distance and lightning struck a little too close for comfort. LNZ’s quest was brought to a premature finish after 7 overs with the score at 40-1. Hurlingham had generously invited us to attend their End of season dinner and were nearly outnumbered when 27 of us snapped up the opportunity to do so. There was however a few hours to fill first. The team retired to the ‘Polo Bar’ and consumed jugs at an alarming rate. Things were looking ominous when DC-Smith got a large round of whisky in. The meal saw a vast number of LNZ blazers and even the
matching suit from Richard Holden who had earlier paraded it at The Oval. The camaraderie between both teams was exemplary throughout the day and evening. Hurlingham could not have been better hosts, even to the extent of serving up a rack of lamb and New Zealand wine for dinner. When Trevor Campbell first devised the concept of LNZCC back in 1952, it was surely with the ideal that such fixtures could be played. Scoreboard Hurlingham 203 All Out (40 Overs) LNZCC 33 - 1 (Match Abandoned)
Batting Runs Catches Stumpings
Mike Singleton 5 Richard Keyse DNB Richard Fish DNB Vance Thompson DNB 1 Steve Lester DNB Kevin Marshall DNB Ryan Edwards DNB Philip Bartle DNB
Extras
9 Bowling O M R W
Ryan Edwards 13 1
58 4 (caught, bowledx2, lbw) |
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