External Links
| Designed by: |
| 1965 |
|
Played 16: Won 5, Lost 5, Drawn 4, Abandoned 2.
Sunday May 16 v Bradfield Waifs at Minley Manor - Lost by 6 wickets
Shields batted extremely well and received good support from Newman, but an extended interval for lunch and rain altered the picture. In going for quick runs we lost our last seven wickets for only 37 runs. The Waifs were left with a stiff target but our bowling was below standard and some of the fielding was distinctly idle. The Waifs could not be contained and they won with four minutes left. Sunday June 6 v Esher at Esher - Won by 5 wickets Esher made a quiet start on a hard and fast wicket, but with the score at 31 Skinner struck with three wickets in an over. The batting was sedate after this and lunch was taken at 78-4. After a hospitable interval Esher lost a quick wicket but then Dean and Timperley showed us how to do it by putting on 63 in 38 minutes. The last few wickets refused to fall and eventually Esher declared after 195 minutes' batting. Although this left us only 135 minutes it was a fair declaration as Esher were very short of bowling. Brown and Constant had 58 on the board for the first wicket in even time, but wickets started to fall and when Alan Smith joined Gould 104 were wanted in 61 minutes. With some intelligent striking and good running the Esher attack was demolished, and the stand was worth 101 in 48 minutes when Alan Smith in trying to put the winning hit into the road missed a straight one. Saturday June 19 v The School at Sherborne - Lost by 141 runs The day started badly when the School won the toss and had first use of an easy paced wicket. Our bowling was wayward in direction and Rowe was able to score at his leisure. Our batting was a series of disasters and we can only mention the keenness of the School fielding and congratulate them on ending the long run of draws in this match. Sunday June 27 v Radley Rangers at Lincoln College, Oxford - Drawn A game of many fluctuations with a most exciting finish. The Rangers innings was held together with a stand of 159 for the second wicket by Hole and Gardiner. They both gave several hard chances but took advantage of this and played attacking strokes. Barber and Kennedy bowled very steadily for 85 minutes after lunch and deserved more wickets than they got. We wanted 95 an hour and Morgan and Harris laid the foundations with 62 for the second wicket. We were always just behind the clock until Parker and Carwardine produced 27 runs in seven minutes. This left 23 to get in 20 minutes with five wickets left. It was a question of "getting them in singles" but the pavilion clock had been out of order all day and Parker, not realising the simplicity of the task, was out to a good catch and Carwardine and Kennedy followed in quick succession. Geddes was run out and Barber marched to the wicket for the last over with the score 219-9. Had he been given any instructions? No, this was not a Test Match! He missed the first ball by several feet and hit the second over the bowler's head for six. With a mixed assortment of strokes ten came from the last over and we were left four runs short of victory. Saturday July 3 v Hampstead at Hampstead - Drawn Hampstead produced an extremely strong side and, on winning the toss, batted first scoring 176-2 in 102 minutes before lunch. Our first success came at 36, but the second wicket put on 140 of which Alwyn scored 122 including five sixes and sixteen fours. The wicket was at the extreme end of the square resulting in a very short boundary on one side. Nevertheless, this was a fine innings, although he gave a difficult chance at four and was also missed at 35 and 97. Sproule played a solid innings but perhaps the most attractive knock came from Goonesena whose 69 in an hour produced some magnificent strokes. Hampstead declared at 3.30 having batted for 169 minutes, leaving us a run rate of just over 100 an hour. In 49 minutes' batting before tea Brown and Whiteway put on 46 without being parted, and the first wicket did not fall until 96. Brown, having been missed off the first ball of the innings, scored an excellent 60 and Whiteway and Harris continued steadily, the latter being unbeaten at the end with 50. We were never up with the clock and, in the event, did well to gain a draw. Saturday July 10 v Old Wykehamists at Warnford - Won by 9 wickets We won the toss and elected to field but this was an awkward decision as the side was not complete for half an hour. (When will people realise that 11.30 start means just what it says and that the traffic on a Saturday is no longer an excuse for being late?) The Wykehamist batting was unusually weak and in playing across the line they fell victim to Wakely's steady bowling; he bowled throughout the innings except for a change of ends. This enabled Gavin to hurl down three very fast and inaccurate overs which got him two wickets. After lunch (63-4) Wakely and Harris shared the bowling and on such an unpredictable wicket the Wykehamists were soon out. Whiteway and Constant opened steadily, and Harris continued in the same vein. The winning run came just before tea and it started raining soon afterwards. Friday July 30 v Old Sedberghians at Sherborne (Terrace) - Drawn This was Sedbergh's first visit to Sherborne and it produced a miserable wet day but an amusing game of cricket in the mud. Dorset were playing Berkshire on the Upper so the match took place on the Terrace. We won the toss and after a late start had plodded to 52-6 at 3.15 when it rained hard. The ground was really unfit for any further play, but the Sedberghians had been washed out at Clifton the day before and so were very keen to play. The match restarted at 4.45 in hazardous conditions and we had no trouble in scoring 64 in 55 minutes. The Sedberghians had 100 minutes batting and made a confident start but at 42 1 wickets started to fall in the chase for runs. What could have been an exciting last over was denied by the umpire's watch. Saturday July 31 v Canford Cygnets at Canford - Drawn We won the toss and batted on a slow wicket. 50-1 was a healthy start but 78-4 at lunch disclosed a liking for hard wicket shots. The runs came more freely after lunch with Brearley and A.L. James (28) putting on 60 in 50 minutes, although the scoring rate could have been much higher with some better running. The Cygnets made a steady start but just before tea Geddes got three quick wickets. After the interval we did everything except take a wicket. When a violent storm brought play to an end an hour before time the Cygnets were hanging on with five wickets left. Sunday August 1 v Sherborne Town at Sherborne (Terrace) - Abandoned Monday August 2 v Somerset Stragglers at Sherborne - Abandoned Tuesday August 3 v Dorset Rangers at Sherborne - Won by 169 runs Constant and Marshall batted fluently after some hesitation in the opening overs. The Rangers bowling was never more than steady on a "fish-paste" wicket and was poorly supported in the field. The openers put on 178 in 130 minutes. Kennedy and Porter bowled with plenty of life and at tea (44-6) the Rangers innings was in ruins. Good fielding brought two run-outs and the game was over by 5.30. (Porter started with seven maidens, conceded three runs in the next, finishing with a further maiden: analysis 9-8-3-3. The scorebook carries Dick Chignell's comment "This was not a great spell of bowling" to which the bowler could only reply "Good enough for the occasion".) This was a poor match after two blank days. A six-a-side contest was arranged which proved amusing for spectators and exhausting for participants. Wednesday August 4 v Old Cliftonians at Sherborne - Won by 43 runs We were put in to bat on a wicket still damp from overnight rain. The score of 89-6 at lunch was a fair reflection of the morning's play. Some good batting from Alan Brown (24) and Carwardine was not well supported. Carwardine was out soon after lunch and when Alan Smith (29) joined Curtis the score was 115-8 and we were in trouble. The wicket was getting easier but this must not detract from their excellent batting which put on 63 in 45 minutes. Curtis played the fast bowling very well with singles into the covers and lofted drives, and was helped by Alan Smith's good running. The Cliftonians were left 165 minutes but, although the wicket rolled out easily, their batting was not of a very high standard and only Millar offered any resistance. The innings closed ten minutes before time. Thursday August 5 v Wiltshire Queries at Fovant - Lost by 49 runs Once again we were sorted out by a side that made better use of the conditions. The sporting character of the wicket did not produce the respect and application that was required and the penalty was paid. The Queries innings was in danger of ending quickly with the score at 68-6 but a stand of 56 frustrated us and even with the last four wickets falling for only six runs, 130 was the total we faced. Our innings was a succession of poor shots and hard luck stories and only Gent (25) got his head down and played the bowling on its merits. Friday August 6 v Hampshire Hogs at Winchester - Won by 98 runs We won the toss and batted on the best wicket of the tour so far. Alan Brown (17) and Hughes had 53 up for the first wicket in 45 minutes and after lunch Parker (21) and Gould put on 52 for the fourth wicket. 170-4 with Gould in fine form gave hopes of a large total, but after he left wickets fell rather foolishly in the chase for runs and the Hogs were set 74 an hour. Their innings did not get off to a good start and Kennedy bowled with hostility. In his third over he took two wickets, the second of which was with nearly an unplayable delivery. He continued to subdue the Hogs and enabled Gould's spin to find the chinks in some uncertain batting. Saturday August 7 v Bluemantles at Tunbridge Wells - Lost by 7 wickets We won the toss and batted on a perfect wicket. The first over from Heroys was sensational. Only two balls pitched but they were straight yorkers and hit the stumps. Two more wickets fell quickly and after 20 disastrous minutes the score was 18-4. Walker (28) and Cannon-Brookes stemmed the collapse, and with Beeney getting 36 in 25 minutes the score was a more healthy 128-6 at lunch. The innings folded up after the interval and we were left with the simple fact that the first four and last four wickets were responsible for only 35 runs. The Bluemantles had plenty of time to get the runs and, although the third wicket fell at 59, Heroys was equal to the situation and saw his side home with a polished innings. Porter and Gavin bowled steadily but our total was not nearly enough on such a good wicket. Sunday August 8 v Old Tonbridgians at Tonbridge - Lost by 113 runs The Tonbridgians won the toss and made a sound but rather subdued start on a wicket that was slow for the Head. Gavin and Porter bowled well and restricted the score to 75-3 in 80 minutes before lunch. Porter (2-70) had a 19 over spell and was unlucky not to claim more wickets. He frequently beat the bat and no one was happy facing him. Maley bowled tidily and proved too accurate for the Tonbridge tail. Langdale once again was the backbone of their innings but he started slowly and, if an easy chance had been accepted when he was 26, the innings must have closed for well under 200. Apart from this chance our fielding was very keen and Newman held a hot one at first slip. Our innings was a disappointing performance. On a wicket that was starting to take spin, Gracey and Aers bowled too subtly for some timid batting. Whiteway played well and Gavin enlightened the last moments with four classical boundaries. He made it look so easy but, to his credit, had to admit he was not so good at stopping the straight ones. |