Detail: 14-08-2022 - Odiham
Result: L by 26 runs
As the wedding / holiday / cricket fatigue season rolls around there are some things you can usually be sure of - death, taxes and widespread unavailability for matches outside of London. It was to my great surprise, therefore, that with 6 days to go we had 14 available to venture down to the beautiful Odiham. Whilst numbers began to drop, a clear theme of a bowler heavy lineup had been set - Wardy, Archie and my 'bowling all-rounder' self seemed to be our top three - a daunting thought with a set of averages that resemble a golf handicap any of us would be proud of. However, as 14 became 7 the requests for 'a gun bat' from Jenks' cricket heavy little black book became 'anything with a pulse than can make it to Odiham on Sunday'. Securing a BNOC (Big Name on Campus for those not down with the kids) like the ever elusive Digby Walker didn't bring the wave of sign ups I'd hoped for and it was eventually Odiham who provided our elusive 11th man, having flirted with the number more times than James' Howe and Leworthy on a night out in Fulham. We therefore arrived in Odiham, with plenty of chat about it being far better weather for a pub garden than cricket, and 9 of the team claiming they batted 3-5. Our Odiham recruit, 16 year old Charlie, only added to the chorus of top order batters - not the last you'll hear of him in this.
Returning from the toss on a solid looking wicket that looked like it was perched sideways on Box Hill, the sun beating down and having even Glenn giving me a look when I passed on that I'd lost the toss and we were bowling first, the day hadn't started brilliantly. However, at the 10 over drinks break and with the score at an unremarkable 40-0, with a couple of half chances and the batters looking uneasy, we could have been forgiven a little bit of excitement. Despite some slightly slack fielding in the concrete hard and bobbly outfield, the Surbiton Express picking up 3 maidens from one end and Tom Hinde, according to Digby's ball-by-ball commentary resembling any number of blond bowlers who debuted before he was even born (Bob Willis being given a particularly confused look - thankfully for the rest of us he did at least know Stuart Broad), steaming in off about a roughly 30 pace run up, the Blues were looking sharp. However as our opening pair began to tire in the heat there weren't many people meeting my eye to bowl first change. One man who did, as you may expect, was Digby. Ever full of the confidence of owning most of West Scotland he arranged his field and set to - although the inability to get the ball to bounce made the time field-setting somewhat irrelevant - tough day at the office, but stepping up when the Blues needed him nonetheless. At the other end I was doing my best to kill all impressions of this 'bowling all-rounder' chat. Having agreed at the toss to a '50 and retire, but go back in later if needed' policy, it was badly timed that, with one opener playing the 'Cef' role, the other retired soon after Digby and I opened our spells. 14 balls of their Overseas Player later and he was back out of the sun too, clearly in a hurry despite his South African heritage. With the ball spending more time in the hedges than on the square, volunteers for bowling were few and far between. Step up Charlie, our Odiham recruit, with some unusual offspin - having said he 'could bowl if you really need' when we were introduced, I savagely threw him on with the recent run rate well above 10. After my underwhelming few overs I wasn't one to criticise but standing at Mid Off and seeing his first two deliveries land nearer Archie at point than the square I was admittedly slightly nervous. By this time Digby had decided that seam up was the way to turn things around, unfortunately much like his leg spin it didn't bounce enough on the strip for us to find out. He did, however, ensnare our first wicket, despite Wardy's best efforts. With likely some words from the hungry batters on the boundary around hanging about, the slightly portly opener called a 'quick' single - he was immediately sent back despite making it 3/4 of the way down the wicket, turning circle of a shipping tanker might help paint the picture. Wardy swooped around to gully, whipping off his glove like a similar aged Jos Buttler - however he only succeeded in (I think) kicking the ball at debutant Alex Jarvis. Thankfully there was someone awake in the field, Jarv managed to release the ball (maybe it could be described as a throw) in Digby's direction and the opener was gone, having almost completed two complete laps of the pitch at a painfully slow rate. Despite his slightly tough start, at the other end Odiham-loanee Charlie had set into a good rhythm, but with our only wicket going down as a run-out and the heat biting the team needed some inspiration. I was going to really embellish this because it was quite a handy catch (and I'm writing the match report), but it was unfortunately overshadowed in the penultimate over of the match. Needless to say, having moved myself into an unorthodox wide Mid On as we packed the short and downhill leg side boundary for their batsman who only seemed to be able to hit that way, Glenn was pretty shocked which I took a diving catch sprinting to my right - not sure if it was that my field placing worked or that I caught it which was most surprising. This was soon followed by an easy spooned caught and bowled for Charlie, his second (and our last) wicket. With Cef not around and the scoreboard beginning to tell its own tale we thankfully didn't get any 'let's see what they have in the hutch boys ', which is good because the next ball went for 6. Controversy doesn't usually follow the Blues, but there must be something in the lack of water anywhere - Hampton Wick's Mankad-gate has swept around the Blues rumour mill quicker than Brando's 'spin' bowling (which for those yet to see it is pretty much the same pace as his seam bowling). This week's effort was thankfully far less divisive and much more amusing, with Charlie whipping off the bails at the bowlers end against his own teammate and being the only one to appeal, loudly, but with the mid-40s farmer who had been slapping it to all parts (100 off 35 last week we learned later on) looking confused leaning on his bat well within his ground - crisis averted and an invite back next year still on the cards. Will (another of our debutants) had perhaps realised by this stage the standard available elsewhere (we almost bowled Archie) and decided to take matters into his own hands, reeling off a sharp 3 overs for 26, which considering what had gone before was impressive - a future bowling all-rounder some might say. By this point some raggedness in the field had appeared, including Sam trying to 'catch' off Charlie using his sternum at square leg, the ball on bone sound we all know so well telling its own tale (and I'd imagine a hefty mark today). Thankfully, with the 'all rounders' having carried us through the middle overs, our opening pair were now back on and with a couple of new batsmen who looked uncertain. A strong finish, only slightly marred by Glenn letting down the bowlers union and dropping what would have been Tom's first (and deserved) first Blues wicket at Fly Slip and Digby being spotted grazing on blackberries from the nearest hedge at 3rd man during the penultimate over as Glenn charged in (thankfully by the captain rather than the bowler, or he may not have survived to bat), and we entered tea knowing that runs were available but chasing a steep 261.
Debutant Jarv, with Archie as the senior bat, made their way into the middle to face the opening pair of Pococks (4 in total, including Daddy Pocock the Captain, lovely touch). Dealing only in boundaries, the 7+ an over looked very achievable on the fast outfield and wicket that was holding up. Unfortunately Archie's season of woe continued, bowled for 8, bringing in Sam for his annual Blues appearance (hopefully more regularly after what followed). Jarv and Sam started with 1s and 2s but soon the runs were flowing and the confidence on the boundary edge growing, with allegedly a further 6 top order batsmen to come. Jarv was next to go for a very promising 29, caught as he tried to keep up with Sam at the other end. Digby was next in, swinging hard early doors and keeping the run-rate achievable. Their first change brought on the not quite-Mankaded farmer, who it turns out had a few strings to his bow. Whilst Sam was utilising the pace on the ball, Digby began to struggle and eventually did his best Jason Roy (RIP) impression and failed to hit himself out of a rut - but for a creditable 22. Jack's day didn't get any better after a long 35 (it seemed much longer) behind the stumps, caught at backward point for 1 off what he had described only 2 overs before as 'absolute pies'. Will was next in and began to show why he didn't fancy bowling, showing good touch and supporting Sam well with some quick running between the wickets and well taken boundaries. At this point we looked well set but realised after Sam heaved a huge six down the ground that he'd just made it on to 44. A quick call from the boundary to let him know, with the implication of perhaps tucking a couple away and going big again later in the over. In what can only really be described as a Bat-Drop moment he promptly heaved the next one over cow corner and made his way to the boundary with a wry smile - the boy can bat. Vez made his way out to the middle, he was probably walking but he's so quick it looked a lot like anyone else's run. He and Will kept the scoreboard ticking over, with Vez doing his best to overtake Will every time they ran more than one - but it was to be his downfall. After a sharp 19 Will called Vez through for 2 on the throw from the boundary - with that pace and on a usual throw a fair call, unfortunately it was to their best fielder who pinged one above the stumps and Vez was well gone. With 11 an over needed a captain's innings was required, whilst supporting Will through the trauma of running Vez out - with a Stokes-esque catch already taken it was time to shine. It coincided with a change of bowling to their new recruit, a returner to the game of cricket after many years (bravo) who had bravely umpired the majority of their innings with an apparently epic hangover and we'd called early was a clear 'run on the fielding' option. I tried to calm Will down and assure him that if he had a decent look there was likely some runs off this bowler - he didn't fancy that and spooned up the first ball to midwicket, bringing in young Charlie. So often the undoing of the Sunday cricketer, Odiham were using their change bowlers and with pace off the boundary was being found far less regularly as the rate crept up. Charlie, having earlier declared himself a top order batsman and wanting to take up most of the match report, was not exactly pushing for two when he might take himself off strike and was becoming more and more irate with himself that he could only hit 1s to the fielders. My ability to balance child care, a 12+ an over run rate and a loopy 'spinner' turned out to be lacking - full beans of a swing to cow and an inside edge onto the stumps, 'unlucky bat' from the keeper didn't really settle my woes. Glenn was quick to slap 4 off his first ball but was left chuntering in the next over as he was triggered by Digby - umpire insisting after play it was plumb. Tom, endearing himself further to Glenn having claimed he was 'very much an 11' strode out with the rate looking big and knowing Sam was ready and raring to come back in, said he would swing hard. Swing hard he did, quick 4 and then a couple rescued by fielders and a quick fire 6 had got us back up and running (ironic because Charlie wasn't running at all between the wickets, it was now at best a trot to the muffled fury of those on the boundary). Tom swung hard again and my catch was overshadowed - Butler, the farming quick bowler / big hitting bat taking 2 steps backward and picking what would have been Tom's first six ever 1 metre in front of the rope, casual as you like 1 handed with no celebration. The muted celebration may have been because that meant Sam, who had spent the middle of the innings making him look very ordinary, was now back in and he had some overs to bowl. 6-4-6 followed by a casual 1 to farm the strike - too easy. 27 needed off the last, a big ask but on this form not impossible. Butler to bowl and the boundary was buzzing with excitement, pace on, a little erratic - another huge chase on 4 days for the Blues? Not to be this time, first ball yorker skittling the stumps. A fantastic team effort with lots of debutants, some great performances, some work to do on the bowling depth and lots of friendly handshakes afterwards - you're welcome Fixture Sec. Whilst it isn't all about the taking part and is all about the winning it wasn't to be this time, thanks a lot for all those who turned up in the heat though, hopefully another Sunday of cricket enjoyed nonetheless.
*Highlights*
Bowling
Glenn - 7-3-23-0
Tom Hinde - 7-0-27-0
Loanee Charlie - 6-1-37-2
Batting
Sam - 66 (including a 50 retired)
Will - 36
Jarv - 29
[updated 18 11 2022]