We had an interesting season with the splendid weather of July and August making up for the damp May and our narrow defeat in the Cricketer Cup at Rugby. Our batting let us down badly at Commem and against the Town, and we deserved to lose both games. Our other defeat was at Radley and here we lost on the post after 540 runs had been scored at five an over. Our stay in Sherborne was a great success with excellent weather and good cricket.

Sunday May 11 v Bradfield Waifs at Tisted - Abandoned

Sunday May 25 - Cricketer Cup first round v Rugby Meteors at Rugby - Lost by 17 runs
Rugby Meteors 172-8 (J L Cuthbertson 95*); Sherborne Pilgrims 155-9

There was a lot of rain at Rugby on the Saturday and early Sunday morning and it needed all the skill and hard work of the ground staff for us to be able to start by 11.50. We won the toss and decided to field. Kennedy and Gould opened the attack and soon had Rugby in trouble. When Gould came off his figures were 8-4-5-2 and the score 24-4. N J Wingfield Digby had just replaced Kennedy, and after giving away 12 runs in his first two overs, he bowled steadily and only conceded 14 runs in his last ten. At lunch Rugby were 64-5 off 30 overs with Cuthbertson 35 not out. He had come in at the fall of the first wicket and played a watchful innings.

In the 36th over Rugby lost another wicket, 82-6, but Cuthbertson was still there and in the 40th over he reached his 50 with a four and six in successive balls off Pickering and followed this with another six in the same over. This was the turning point of the innings. After 40 overs the score was 105-6, and with the quicker bowlers nearing the end of their 12 over limit, Cuthbertson was ready to slay the attack for the remaining 15 overs. This he did with some beautiful strokes, the most effective being the lofted drive over the bowler's head. It was only his indecisive running between the wickets and good fielding which kept him from a well deserved century.

Our innings got off to a quiet start and at tea the score was 41-2 off 16 overs. The half hour after tea was critical. After 23 overs the score was 45-4, Harris and Gould being out in quick succession, and our strong position had evaporated. Walker and Pickering put on 26 for the fifth wicket but the Rugby bowlers were too accurate for fast scoring. R M Morgan (21) helped Pickering add 40 for the eighth wicket but the scoring rate was never quite good enough to make up the ground lost just after tea.

Sunday June 8 v Esher at Esher - Drawn
Esher 210-7 dec (C R Segal 50*); Sherborne Pilgrims 188-9 (H R J Walker 63, A D Pickering 62)

Esher were put in to bat and accurate bowling by Skinner and Kennedy, supported by fine fielding, restricted the lunch score to 94-4. Esher declared after three hours' batting. We lost an early wicket but Parker (18) and Walker played sensibly for a second wicket partnership of 38. Pickering then joined Walker in a stand of 93 in 48 minutes which gave us a chance of victory. When Walker was out with 43 minutes left and 79 runs wanted the earlier momentum was lost and we ended up fighting for a draw.

Sunday June 29 v Radley Rangers at Radley - Lost by 4 wickets
Sherborne Pilgrims 267-6 dec (H R J Walker 60, E M R Brown 50*; G N S Ridley 5-113); Radley Rangers 270-6 (C E Comins 78*, Ridley 66)

We won the toss and had first use of a perfect Radley wicket. With a fast outfield scoring was brisk all day. Richard Hughes and Walker put on 103 for the second wicket in an hour but a minor collapse brought the lunch score to 146-5. After the interval Brown and Morgan added 50 in 28 minutes and then Parker joined Brown in an undefeated partnership of 71 in 35 minutes. We declared at 3.15 after 170 minutes at the crease. Our attack was not accurate enough on such a good wicket and, after getting behind the clock at one point, Radley won with three minutes to spare. They had the same batting time as us but whereas our runs came off 60 overs they only required 47. A most enjoyable and interesting day's cricket.

Saturday July 12 v The School at Sherborne - Lost by 22 runs
Sherborne School 151 (H R J Walker 4-33); Sherborne Pilgrims 129 (C B Martin 5-30, E P J F Lyons 5-34)

The School won the toss and with some steady batting set us a reasonable target. Rowe and Walker (29) put on 54 for the second wicket but the rest of our batsmen would probably rather forget about it.

Friday July 18 v Old Sedberghians at Sherborne - Won by 87 runs
Sherborne Pilgrims 205 (P R D Gould 70, T J Boog-Scott 50*; A K Bruce-Lockhart 4-24); Old Sedberghians 118 (N J Wingfield Digby 5-52)

We won the toss and with a good wicket and warm sunshine decided to bat. The lunch score of 85-6 was the result of poor batting rather than brilliant bowling. After lunch we were soon 86-7 but Boog-Scott joined Gould and in 71 entertaining minutes they put on 108. Sedbergh had 165 minutes' batting but steady bowling restricted the scoring and they were never up with the clock. We won in the last over.

Saturday July 19 v Canford Cygnets at Canford - Won by 3 wickets
Canford Cygnets 148 (N J Wingfield Digby 7-62); Sherborne Pilgrims 149-7 (P T Warren 51)

Canford won the toss and at lunch were 93-4; Wingfield Digby bowled a good length and the batsmen failed to get on top. We had three hours to make the runs but our early batting was patchy. Warren and Andrew Wingfield Digby (28) put on 63 for the fifth wicket and saw us safely home.

Sunday July 20 v Sherborne Town at Sherborne (Terrace) - Lost by 6 wickets
Sherborne Pilgrims 110 (A F G Brimble 4-36); Sherborne Town 114-4 (D M Daniels 50)

This was our usual pathetic batting performance against the Town. The wicket had several cracks in it but, although Brimble bowled well, we surrendered too easily. The Town had little difficulty in occupying the crease and taking the runs as they were offered.

Monday July 21 v Somerset Stragglers at Sherborne - Won by 4 wickets
Somerset Stragglers 197-8 dec (H W Gregor 81*); Sherborne Pilgrims 198-6 (J M Wingfield Digby 67, P N C Rowe 61)

Apollo 11 landing on the Moon and a riotous evening had left us in a rather weak state; losing the toss and fielding on a humid and overcast morning did not help matters. The Stragglers batting was unenterprising and it took some scientific heaves from Gregor to give them a respectable score. Gent and Wingfield Digby gave us a good start with 59 in 43 minutes before tea. Rowe continued the good work and when he was out we wanted 44 in as many minutes with eight wickets left. We did our best to make a nonsense of it and won in the last over.

Tuesday July 22 v Dorset Rangers at Sherborne - Drawn
Sherborne Pilgrims 302-4 dec (H R J Walker 96, G P Gent 94, P N C Rowe 62); Dorset Rangers 196-8

We won the toss and on a beautiful day it was a question of how quickly we scored against a moderate Rangers attack. Rowe and Gent knocked up 94 for the first wicket in 73 minutes, and then Gent and Walker added 157 for the second wicket in 55 minutes. The first ten overs after lunch produced 98 runs. Such rapid scoring made the declaration difficult and we stopped at 3.15 after 165 minutes' batting leaving the Rangers half an hour longer. When they had reached 50-3 we missed two vital catches which cost us valuable time. We had plenty of runs to play with but were not clever enough to persuade the Rangers to have a go. We had batted well but, in the context of this game, probably too well.

Wednesday July 23 v Old Cliftonians at Sherborne - Won by 120 runs
Sherborne Pilgrims 252-5 dec (C S Carwardine 58*, P R D Gould 50*, P N C Rowe 50); Old Cliftonians 132 (P V Frampton 5-28)

Clifton won the toss but, seeing the totals of the previous day on the scoreboard, decided to put us in. Gent (22) and Rowe put on 66 for the first wicket and at lunch we were 132-3 scored in 100 minutes. Gould joined Carwardine soon after lunch at 140-5. They both survived early chances behind the wicket and making the most of their luck put on 112 in 65 minutes. Clifton had three hours' batting on an easy wicket but they played unconvincingly. Frampton's bowling and several good catches gave us a comfortable victory with three quarters of an hour to spare.

Sunday July 27 v Old Tonbridgians at Tonbridge - Won by 51 runs
Sherborne Pilgrims 178 (R J A Hughes 66; J G W Davies 4-52); Old Tonbridgians 127 (C S Fleetwood 74; P R D Gould 5-42)

We won the toss and on an excellent wicket Richard Hughes and Walker gave us a good start. The latter was well caught for 22 just as he showed signs of repeating last year's great innings. Parker quickly followed, attempting former glories, and Hughes was out for a most valuable 66 just before lunch. Gould failed to survive the last over and when, after the interval, two more quick wickets fell it was left to Kennedy to come to the rescue. With an OT batting side of no mean calibre, and plenty of time left, our total looked inadequate, but Gould thought otherwise. With the help of four good catches by Everett behind the wicket he destroyed the early Tonbridge batting and after 90 minutes the tea score was 52-6. A stand of 72 for the seventh wicket improved matters but then Yeldham and Kennedy, who had both bowled well, wound up the tail.

Saturday August 9 v Bluemantles at Tunbridge Wells - Drawn
Sherborne Pilgrims 238-7 dec (D J D Mills 67*, R C Constant 64, P R D Gould 56); Bluemantles 146-9 (R R Bairamian 57)

We won the toss and in 100 minutes before lunch made 99-3 thanks to a fine innings from Constant. Two wickets went cheaply after the interval and at 110-5 Gould and Mills embarked on a partnership of 93. The Bluemantles lost a wicket in the first over but we failed to dislodge Bairamian soon enough and our bowling never got on top.

Saturday August 30 v Hampshire Hogs at Tisted - Won by 6 wickets
Hampshire Hogs 152 (C W Yeldham 4-35); Sherborne Pilgrims 153-4 (A D W Robertson 54*)

The Hogs won the toss and, with a shortage of sleep after their Annual Ball, decided to bat. At 69-4 a prolonged lunch interval was taken. This appeared to revive the Hogs as Fuller (26) and Cox (15*) became very aggressive. Shields had sent down six overs for four runs but the next two overs produced 21 runs. Rowe gave us yet another good start, and when we looked like faltering Robertson produced some splendid batting, hitting three towering sixes.