“Darley Completes Magnificent Tour”
Match: 29
/ 503
Lost
by 7 runs
|
Team |
Total |
|
Bridgetown CC |
144 - 6 |
|
M. Reeves
2 - 3, J. Hoskins 2 - 31 |
|
|
|
|
|
FFTMCC |
137 - 9 |
|
J. Cartwright 40,
I. Howarth 21 |
|
|
One of the more
memorable places on recent tours was of course Bridgetown CC, a delightful
and evocative little ground cut into a steep hill in the Exmoor National
Park, accessed by a small wooden footbridge over the River Exe. It was voted
Britain’s Loveliest cricket ground in 2002, although it probably wasn’t raining when the chap who reviewed it happened by.
To be fair, even in the damp it’s an eccentric and quintessentially English
affair, with one side of the ground sloping some ten metres above the wicket
and a thatched pavilion balanced precariously in one corner like a village
drunk teetering on a barstool with his last quart of ale.
A sheep (inset) plugs the hole in the dam with its
head. Given it was wet and
given Mr Hoskins can’t differentiate between half one and half two, a quick pint
at the Badger’s Holt was followed by a slower pint at the Badger’s Holt to kill
some time awaiting the arrival of the hosts – an assemblage of youth and
paunch, but mostly youth, with an infant thrown into the cocktail who barely
came up to your waistline (who would tend the stumps). Andrew Darley would
skipper the day and of course lose the toss, and then have Reeves (3-1-3-2)
and himself (3-0-15-1) throw down the early soggy exchanges. Both were
excellent and perhaps a slight worry regarding the home teams’ strengths had
him change through his bowlers fairly pronto. With Hoskins (6-0-31-2) also
among the wickets, Bridgetown now slid worryingly to 59-5 and the very real
prospect of endorsing uber-flan now loomed high on the Captain’s horizon.
A rare sight, someone looking down on Tall Bob. Thankfully, the hosts
had a very talented young batsman in their team as did The MAD have a very
untalented leg spinner in their team. Whether T. Sparks is related to one H.
Sparks is unknown (the latter spanking 105 against us fifteen years ago just down
the road at Timberscombe), but a truly lopsided scorecard would reveal this
lad totalled 70.14% of the home team’s runs (101* out of 144-6) after he
feasted on a bargain hamper of dairy delights lobbed down by Mr Timms
(6-1-59-0). To be fair to Gary, the ball had swelled quite considerably after
a quick dip in the Exe (off his own bowling I might furtherly add), and he did
pull it round in his final over (maiden) bowling some real rippers to that
infant keeper. Setting the bar high, Gary.
Having dispensed his own buffet, Timms (cap)
looks to restock. A delightful tea of
scones and sarnies was timed beautifully with the return of the sun, players
stripping down to their pants and thongs before sinking beer on the bank. It
was a shame the game had to continue at this point, because I think the consensus
was just to get sloshed and bathe in the aura of an intoxicating little
ground not bettered anywhere in the UK. All good things must
end….
Pearson (batting) watches as Joe stands on the
ball in mid-flight. The MAD reply was built
around the wall-like defences of veteran Mr Cartwright (40), immoveable
mostly because he cannot move. Pearson (13) looked in tune before he went out
of key, as did Dave Shorten (17) whose increasingly erratic innings became so
erratic he forgot how to bat. With Turner (3) ran out strolling to the safe
end and overs slowly vaporising, this “piss easy run-chase against a clearly
inferior team” had become exactly not that.
Joe chalks Bridgetown off his bucket list. Howarth (21) would smack
a few before finding the guy stood tallest on the ground at deep cow, a feat
of batting lunacy copied with aplomb by Rundle (17) only a few overs later. Saturday’s
hero (Carter) went walkabout for 1, whereas Reeves (2) and Hoskins (1) just weren’t very good. This all left Timms (6*) staring grimly
at the striker’s end as Skipper Darley attempted to smack the final ball of
the match for eight. He didn’t, of course he didn’t,
but at least he survived one ball, an achievement to better the rest of his
Tour. Congratulations then to
Bridgetown Cricket Club for their wonderful hospitality and camaraderie on
the field, it is always such a pleasure to visit and contest a game. Thank
you also to the kind people of the locale who organised all the teas and made
it all another memorable day.
Tour
is over for us now, But
it will always be there. To
the end of our days. The
MAD will be back for tales of drinking and adventure (and a small dose of
sport) in 2020 at a location unknown. First Test update: Day Four,
Edgbaston – England 374 & 13-0, Australia 284 & 487-7. England trail
by 384 runs. ‘Batting Lunatic’
|
*
Statto Scorecards
|
Far from the MCC versus Bridgetown CC Played at Bridgetown, 4 August 2019 Bridgetown CC won the toss and
elected to bat Bridgetown CC won by 7 runs Far from the MCC debuts: n/a |
19 / 503 30 over match |
|
Team |
Bridgetown CC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
T. Sparks |
retired |
101 |
(79) |
14 |
2 |
- |
|
2 |
J. Davis |
b Reeves |
0 |
(2) |
- |
- |
1-6 |
|
3 |
J. Matravers |
b Darley |
3 |
(10) |
- |
- |
2-17 |
|
4 |
B. Kennel |
b Reeves |
3 |
(6) |
- |
- |
3-20 |
|
5 |
D. Cross |
c Darley b Hoskins |
3 |
(24) |
- |
- |
4-47 |
|
6 |
H. Gliddon * |
c Shorten b Hoskins |
0 |
(19) |
- |
- |
5-59 |
|
7 |
F. Stevens |
c Turner b Pearson |
27 |
(29) |
3 |
- |
6-140 |
|
8 |
M. Matravers † |
not out |
0 |
(6) |
- |
- |
- |
|
9 |
J. White |
not out |
4 |
(6) |
1 |
- |
- |
|
10 |
K. Cross |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extras |
W1, LB2 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 6 wickets, 30 overs) |
144 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Darley |
3 |
0 |
15 |
1 |
5.00 |
|
|
2 |
Reeves |
3 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1.00 |
|
|
3 |
Hoskins |
6 |
0 |
31 |
2 |
5.17 |
|
|
4 |
Rundle |
6 |
2 |
9 |
0 |
1.50 |
|
|
5 |
Shorten |
3 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
3.33 |
|
|
6 |
Timms |
6 |
1 |
59 |
0 |
9.83 |
|
|
7 |
Howarth |
2 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
5.50 |
|
|
8 |
Pearson |
1 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
4.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: T. Sparks retired at 140-5 (28 overs) |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Team |
Far from the MCC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Batsman |
How Out |
Total |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
FOW |
|
1 |
J. W. Pearson |
c and b Glidden |
13 |
(19) |
3 |
- |
1-24 |
|
2 |
J. A. Cartwright |
c Sparks b Stevens |
40 |
(70) |
5 |
- |
5-105 |
|
3 |
R. P. Turner † |
run out (Gliddon) |
3 |
(12) |
- |
- |
2-33 |
|
4 |
D. Shorten |
c Sparks b Stevens |
17 |
(30) |
3 |
- |
3-70 |
|
5 |
I. Howarth |
c J. Matravers b Stevens |
21 |
(19) |
3 |
- |
4-105 |
|
6 |
G. Carter |
run out |
1 |
(4) |
- |
- |
6-109 |
|
7 |
M. K. Reeves |
b Kennel |
2 |
(7) |
- |
- |
7-119 |
|
8 |
M. S. Rundle |
c J. Matravers b Sparks |
17 |
(11) |
2 |
1 |
8-131 |
|
9 |
G. J. Timms |
not out |
7 |
(6) |
1 |
- |
- |
|
10 |
J. D. Hoskins |
b Kennel |
1 |
(2) |
- |
- |
9-137 |
|
11 |
A. Darley * |
not out |
0 |
(1) |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
Extras |
NB1, W8, LB1, B5 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
(for 9 wickets, 30 overs) |
137 |
|
|
|
|
|
# |
Bowler |
Overs |
Maidens |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
|
|
1 |
Davis |
5 |
1 |
17 |
0 |
3.40 |
|
|
2 |
Gliddon |
5 |
1 |
18 |
1 |
3.60 |
|
|
3 |
White |
4 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
5.00 |
|
|
4 |
Cross |
6 |
2 |
22 |
0 |
3.67 |
|
|
5 |
Stevens |
5 |
1 |
30 |
3 |
6.00 |
|
|
6 |
Kennel |
4 |
0 |
20 |
2 |
5.00 |
|
|
7 |
Sparks |
1 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
3.00 |
|
|
MOTM: M. S. Rundle Champagne Moment: M. S. Rundle’s maximum
into the trees (but not the river) Buffet
Award: G. J. Timms’ unsavoury melted
jelly babies in Aldi low fat cream MAD
Moment: R. P. Turner being run out at
the non-danger end |
Opposition:
V096 / 02 Ground: G087 / 02 Captain: C027 / 03 Match No: OT / 035 |