Results and Match Reports 2008
Wiltshire League Matches|Friendly Matches
Wiltshire County Cricket League - Division 1 Results 2008
Wiltshire League Division 1
Bath Civil Service vs Avebury
Date : Sat 03-MayType : League
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 71 all out in 30 overs
Opposition score : 72 for 1 in 25 overs
As with last season, our attempts to find some degree of form before the start of the season have proved fruitless, as evidenced by this drubbing at the hands of Bath CS.
The day started badly, with half of our team falling victim to the terrible traffic in and around Bath, and the Skipper being obliged to bat first on a damp wicket due to a lack of players. Whilst the opening bowlers of Bath posed no particular threat, they bowled accurately and found considerable variation in bounce in the pitch, making life difficult for Avebury's rusty-looking batsmen. And one by one, they fell to the vagaries of either the pitch or their own shot selection. Given that today's side boasted no fewer than 8 recognised batsmen there was no excuse for this performance, and only Rheinberg with a colourful 25 not out offered any sort of resistance.
After a disappointing tea, we emerged from the pavilion to a different day altogether, with the sun finally putting in an appearance and the wicket drying out. Avebury's bowlers looked dispirited from the beginning, and this change in conditions only further lowered the spirits of the visitors. Bath CS batsmen played well, hitting the bad balls with conviction and running well between the wickets. The target was reached with ease, and Avebury will have to play a whole lot better than this if they are to remain in the top flight of the Wiltshire League this year.
Avebury vs Calne
Date : Sat 10-MayType : League
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 154 for 6 in 45 overs
Opposition score : 156 for 5 in 41 overs
Another Saturday, another loss. An improvement over last week's performance, however, as we managed to secure not just one or two but three batting points, and managed to draw the game out to something like its scheduled allocation of overs.
Avebury have faced (and will face) better bowling attacks than this in the future, but appeared somewhat less than prepared for the game, and once again the top order gave their wickets away all too easily and failed to put pressure on the bowling side. As with many of the sides in the league, Calne combine an enthusiasm for fielding with an even greater love of chirruping, the most hilarious performance coming from the opening bowler Whitty, whose histrionics left hardly a dry eye in the house.
An extremely patient (and unbeaten) 64 from Millward, and a robust 26 from Hollister allowed Avebury to post a reasonably defendable total, and the continued fall of wickets throughout the Calne innings gave a great deal of encouragement to the home side. However, a crucial moment came in the 35th over when the Calne captain was dropped by Rhino at extra cover, the fielder subsequently at a loss to explain why he couldn't hold on to what by his standards was a relatively easy chance.
From this point on, the required run rate began to drop significantly, as Calne (and in particular the evergreen J.Gladding) opened their shoulders and knocked off the remaining runs. Disappointment for Avebury once again, but the side will at least feel that they were present and on the field of play throughout the game, unlike last week's effort in which 11 players appeared on the field, only for closer inspection to reveal a collection of cardboard cut-outs.
Avebury vs KC Club
Date : Sat 17-MayType : League
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 138 for 7 in 45 overs
Opposition score : 235 for 9 in 35 overs
Having avoided the moniker 'lowly' for so many years, it is starting to feel like the game is up for the mighty Avebury villagers.
Having failed on successive weekends to post a competitive total, the Skipper decided to field first, if for no other reason than to see if this would reverse the poor run of form. Avebury's bowling and fielding performance was good without being exceptional - Vince bowled extremely well but picked up only one wicket, 'The Force' was not quite able to find his rhythm, and even Alex 'Steady Eddy' Millward wasn't able to exert his usual control. The Chairman once again had more than his fair share of luck in picking up 5 wickets, but in the end our bowling was no match for the flashing blades of the KC Club. No amount of joking about what the initials 'KC' stood for was able to take away the pain of the ball repeatedly disappearing over the boundary, and it was rotten luck for us that Rob Gater wasn't able to find his perfect length at a time whether the KC number 3, 'Yolesey', was finding imperious form at the crease.
The total score of 235 for 9 was always going to be out of reach against a star-studded KC Club side that has attracted the best of the talent from Moredon Royal Oak, Cherhill, Litten Tree and Buscot Park. Once again Dix was rock-solid in anchoring the Avebury innings, and everyone else looked a little rusty. H.Fry in particular must be hoping that the slow and steady knocking in process of his new bat will finally yield some runs. As a whole the top 6 batsmen need to take the game to the opposition a bit more, and roll the dice.
Bradford Town CC vs Avebury
Date : Sat 24-MayType : League
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 121 for 6 in 40 overs
Opposition score : 120 all out in 42 overs
The challenge for me in this report is to be completely impartial, and to keep a winning match report as short as I have managed to keep the previous 4 (yes, including the last game of last season) losing Saturday match reports. So here goes.
Avebury, shorn of one half of their opening bowling attack, fielded first and had early success, with Gater bowling Clive "Everyone's mate" Warren for, apparently, the first time ever in that batsman's long career. Fry H. at the other end did a superb job, conceding under 30 runs in his 10 over spell. The late arrival of the Chairman coincided with further misbehaviour on the part of the pitch, and further tumbling of wickets for the batting side. Pete Force-Jones at the other end enjoyed no such luck, and will want to put today's display behind him and hope for a return to usual form next week. His replacement, the ever-reliable Millers Millward, did a wonderful holding job and kept the flashing blades of the Bradford batters from doing too much damage. The fielding showing a continuing upward trend from previous weeks, with Rhino holding onto a sharp chance at mid-wicket, and Dave Bradfield being in the action almost every over. The Bradford innings closed in the 42nd over with the score on 120.
After a splendid barbeque (or bar-be-cue as the Avebury Sportsfield Association would have it) Avebury edged cautiously towards, and eventually past, the required total, Skipper Dix leading the way with a typically solid 34 not out and playing a Strauss-like role in holding the chase together in full knowledge that this years' batting has been somewhat fragile.
The dominant force in today's game was very much the pitch - very uncertain bounce, and far too easy for bowlers to take wickets. Having the entire fielding side whooping and hollering 'well bowled' as a full length delivery climbs over the batman's shoulder does nothing for the game, and far from being a leveller of teams of differing standards, introduced too great a degree of uncertainty into proceedings to make the contest meaningful.
Avebury vs Cooper Avon Tyres
Date : Sat 31-MayType : League
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 128 all out in 44 overs
Opposition score : 154 all out in 44 overs
Avebury elected to field first on the back of the sound logic of Captain Kipper "It's all very well batting first if you KNOW you’re going to score 200, but if you don't…." So we fielded first and once again H.Fry demonstrated that he can do a more than passable impression of an opening bowler, and his secret weapon (the full bunger towards the head) keeps the batsman (and Neil Hollister) on their toes. But it was Rob Gater at the other end who showed continuing improvement in form, picking up a stack of wickets (6 in total) for a miserly 17 runs. Pete's introduction to the attack was short and relatively painful for those of us watching, as Pete struggled to exercise the demons that have had something of a hold over him these last few games and served up a buffet of balls which were clattered over the boundary. Alex Millward reminded all of us how difficult he will be to replace following the arrival of his baby in July, whilst the Chairman bowled tidily without really looking threatening.
The total of 155 all out looked well within our capabilities, and a bright start from Blake and the Chairman (the subject of some flattering remarks from opposition tough guy Wallington) saw us race to 45 without loss. However, on their demise the rot set in, and despite a fighting 38 from Captain Kipper, the rest of the middle order failed to produce any noteworthy performances and we collapsed under the tidy bowling of the tyre specialists.
After the game, Blake ordered an emergency planning session at the Black Horse in Cherhill, where solutions to our present plight were mooted. Actionable ideas included (i) regular attendance at church (we need Him on our side), (ii) merging with another nearby club (there aren't any), (iii) getting an overseas / ex-pro to come and play (Darren Gough has been making statements about "turning out for some pub team"), (iv) scapping Saturday league cricket and building up Saturday friendlies, (v) introducing all-day games against local teams as a novel alternative to the humdrum of Saturday cricket, (vi) fielding practice on a Thursday night (often discussed, never witnessed), (vii) starting a football team called "Avebury Cricket Club", playing at Avebury, and only playing in the top half of the pitch. None of these ideas will see the light of day, but at least it demonstrates the power of pub chat as a force for driving change.
Burbage and Easton Royal vs Avebury
Date : Sat 07-JunType : League
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 259 for 4 in 45 overs
Opposition score : 260 for 5 in 42 overs
Yet another half day examination at the School of Hard Knocks for Avebury CC, who may be getting a little fed up with the way the Saturday season is panning out. Electing to bat first, they made a much better fist of setting a total than previous games, and despite a couple of minor hiccups along the way (Chairman running out a fluent-looking Andy Blake, Henry sacrificing his wicket in the end of innings slog) reached a healthy enough 259 for 5 wickets down. Captain Kipper's knock of 48 in 38 balls is worth a mention for its aggressive intent, but otherwise it was simply a case of hitting bad balls to the boundary and taking advantage of the errors that crept into the home side's fielding.
In the field, Avebury looked to have made the perfect start as Burbage overseas star 'Jit' was caught behind off the fifth ball of H.Fry's second over, but to the disappointment of all the umpire's finger stayed firmly where it was stuck. Whilst the author makes no attempt to justify or excuse the gradual decline in the mood and attitude of the Avebury fielders from this point onwards, he can at least see why a sense of frustration might have crept in. Thanks to a violent innings of 120 from Jit, several dropped catches, and an over from PFJ containing an almost mythical number of no-balls, Burbage reached the total in around 42 overs leaving Avebury rueing their mistakes and in particular an early decision that at least 85% of those on the field of play felt was an absolute shocker.
Avebury vs Spye Park
Date : Sat 14-JunType : League
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 166 all out in 41 overs
Opposition score : 225 for 6 in 45 overs
Hopes were high for Avebury in their first clash of the season with local rivals Spye Park, as early reading of the team sheets showed the dangerous M.Hulse and N.Church to be missing from the Spye line-up.
Batting first, Spye were restricted by tight bowling from Gater and H.Fry, and it was only when the change bowlers came on that the run rate really started to accelerate, notably Millers Millward and Peter "Pete" Force-Jones, both of whom came in for what is colloqially known as a "bit of tap". Errors were compounded as Avebury contrived to drop almost every catch on offer, making things even more difficult for themselves and bringing on another of Rob's famous mood swings.
The Spye total was not huge, but needed some solid performances from the top 5 to get us past it. Unfortunately things didn't go well from the start, as the leaden footed Chairman inside edged a ball from self-styled "Club Legend" Dave Beal onto his stumps. Avebury lost wickets quickly, kept things going with occassional boundaries, but ultimately came off second best despite fifties from both Andy Blake and Alex Millward. Others such as H.Fry will continue their soul-searching as to when the next big score it going to come along. Another fine day, another enjoyable game of cricket, but once again the bitter taste of defeat was there at the end for the Avebury players.
Box vs Avebury
Date : Sat 21-JunType : League
Result : Cancelled
Avebury score : -
Opposition score : -
Further misery piled upon Avebury's Saturday side as we lost the opportunity to field a full strength side against Box. To add insult to injury, Swindon Civil Service beat Cooper Avon Tyres and we are now plumbing the depths of Division One!
Avebury vs Swindon Civil Service
Date : Sat 28-JunType : League
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 192 for 5 in 33 overs
Opposition score : 188 for 6 in 45 overs
There were no doubt many more important games of cricket going on in Wiltshire (or the UK) on Saturday, but few will have had such potential to turn the fortunes of two struggling teams as the encounter between Swindon Civil Service and Avebury in Wiltshire League Division 1. Avebury lost the toss and the Service chose to bat first, with key man Shaun Smith holding the innings together despite the early loss of Mark Spackman, whose nick through to the keeper was only marginally less audible than his rallying cries and exhortations from behind the stumps. Henry Fry did another good stand-in job for Vince from the top end, and Rob kept up the usual high standards from the pavilion end, begging the question as to whether Pete F-J could show any improvement from prior outings. The answer was yes, and we can all rest assured that Pete is on the road to recovery with a much improved display.
The Service crawled to 90 off the first 30 overs, but accelerated well thanks to the evergreen Magnus Painter, who has retired from playing cricket for Swindon CS more times than he might care to admit, but just loves to come out of retirement to pummel the Avebury bowlers once a year. The final total of 188 was impressive, but probably sub-par given the (for once) short grass in the outfield, and an embarrassingly short boundary on one side.
Avebury’s chase was full of intent and purpose, with the two openers running well between the wickets and taking the score past 60 without incident until Blake was caught for a well crafted 21. Alex Millward looked, for about the first time this season, a little scratchy as he edged a wide one early on, and Captain Kipper was hugely unlucky to be run out from a drive which ricocheted onto the stumps off the bowlers hands. With 300 runs from 4 innings the Chairman was looking very comfortable indeed but made the mistake of missing a straight one, leaving Avebury tottering at 90 for 4. With a combined average of a shade under 15 in Saturday cricket this Summer the smart money was on yet another disappointment from the hitherto classy middle order of Gater and H.Fry, but today’s performance might just have been the fillip that their season needed, as they knocked off the bulk of the remaining runs with consummate ease. H.Fry departed for 38, but Gater (43 not out) and the irrepressible N.Hollister steered lowly Avebury home.
Avebury vs Bath Civil Service
Date : Sat 05-JulType : League
Result : Abandoned
Avebury score : -
Opposition score : -
We played quite a bit of this game in the rain, batting first and scoring a not very impressive 180. It then started to rain quite heavily but we played on nonetheless in order to try and get a result, and went out to field. Unfortunately the wicket started to get pretty trashed as a result, and Rob, Vince and the Chairman were forced to run in off a couple of paces whilst bowling. Eventually the umpires decided enough was enough and brought proceedings to a premature halt, with the visitors well placed. Ultimately though, the weather was to be the winner once again.
Calne vs Avebury
Date : Sat 12-JulType : League
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 123 all out in 41 overs
Opposition score : 124 for 3 in 26 overs
Much hilarity. Calne CC all pumped up, chests puffed, eyes alight with the fire of revenge burning deep within. The reason? They were all in a bit of a stew because someone had written (on these pages) that their bowling attack wasn't the best we had faced this season.
Err..OK. Still don't think it's worth going whinging to the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald about! First interesting question this raises: Were we factually accurate? I would say so. I mena, think about how many great bowlers are playing for other clubs in this league. Imagine trying to pick your top 5 bowlers. Hmm. For opening bowlers I would go with KC Club's Gouws, plus Nick Church of Spye Park at the other end, then bring on Rob Gater of Avebury, Ben Weber (formerly of Cherhill, now KC Club) and Mark Hulse from Spye. I do not think you can take issue with this fact.
Second interesting question: The G&H article (embarrasingly shown to me by my mother!) states that the afore-mentioned article was "all the motivation they needed". Good point, but do you really need to get "motivated" to play a game of village cricket? Is that what it is all about? Are you absolutely sure?
Anyway, let's focus on some more pressing matters shall we? Whilst you have all been following "major" sports stories in local papers, European equities hit a 3-year low this week with another downward move of 2%+, the third in the last four sessions. Sell-off in US Financials and plummeting Asian markets offered enough of a backdrop for a weak open in Europe led by the banking stocks as the market continues to speculate that we are yet to see the bottom of the credit crunch. Bottom line? Another very tough week for Europe. Looking ahead, we can no doubt expect further market volatility in the coming sessions (VIX broke through 30% on Wednesday) and the question remains how far markets are from a turning point.
Where will it end? Hopefully on a cricket pitch in Wiltshire!
Friendly Games
Avebury vs President's XI
Date : Sun 20-AprType : Friendly
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 257 for 4 in 40 overs
Opposition score : 249 for 4 in 40 overs
The build-up to this traditional opener to the Avebury Cricket Club season was full of intrigue, with rumours flying that the President was poaching formerly loyal 'club' members and that bribes (including the offer of a free round of golf) were being made. Whilst none of these rumours were ever substantiated, the President's line-up this year, including Perkins, Timmins, Fidler, Fry, H., Ogbourne, Two Thomases, Startup and Chatfield, certainly begged the question as to who would actually turn out to play for the Club. The absence of Gater and Hollister further depleted reserves, and when Dan Kubler rang up on Sunday to send his apologies (Dan - hope you are fine by the way) the Skipper was certainly scratching his head as to who would be joining him on the field.
In time-honoured fashion the Club batted first, and despite giving plenty of catching practice Fry D. and Blake pushed the score to 75 without loss before Fry D. was bowled by a cutter from Ogbourne, who was clearly smarting from the ignominy of having been consigned to a second change bowler in the President's attack. Blake was joined by Dix, and the two thrashed and slashed their way to a century partnership, with Dix in particular showing early season form. Blake's eventual demise for a well made 35 brought the last of Avebury's recognised batsmen to the crease, and Rhino did not disappoint as he added a breezy 38, supporting Dix as he cruised to a splendid (and indeed chanceless) hundred. Duncan was out cheaply but some frantic running between the wickets from the final pair (Pletts and Rhino) saw the Club to a healthy 257-4 in their allotted 40 overs.
A gold standard tea from Carol Scattergood improved the mood considerably and allowed all players to forget, for a few minutes, the biting easterly wind that continued to whip down the ground throughout the day. The second half of the game started slowly, with President's openers Chatfield and Fidler starting slowly but confidently, Chatfield in particular looking to make the most of his game after a 4 hour drive from the bowels of Cornwall. Sadly he perished for 21, but there was no stopping Fidler as he and Timmins rolled back the years to rack up an enormous partnership for the second wicket, with Fidler in particular scoring at an impressive rate and making Fry D. feel even worse for dropping him on 4. The demise of Timmins (to an excellent catch from S.White) brought Fry H. to the crease, and the bowling of Force-Jones, Pletts, Nelson, Duncan and Fry was something of a buffet for these two batsmen, who filled their paper plates with a variety of drumsticks, vol-au-vents and mini sausage rolls. Fidler's hundred, his first, was a
marathon effort and the perfect platform for the President's XI to cruise to their first victory in many a year, but the run rate continued to climb towards the end of the innings and the eventual demise of Fidler for 107 and Fry H. for 63 pushed the odds firmly back in favour of the 9-man Avebury. Some lusty blows from Thomas W. and Scattergood pushed the President's score to within 20 runs of the target, but time was not on their side and they ended 9 runs short of the required total.
All in all, a very closely-fought encounter between two evenly-matched sides. The Club's top order played solidly and protected one of the longest ever tails in the history of this fixture; the President's men responded superbly and took the game right to the wire. On a day dominated by the bat, only 2 bowlers (Ogbourne and Force-Jones) managed 2 wickets, whilst 7 batsmen scored over 30 and two (Dix and Fidler) went on to make big hundreds. A great days cricket and a great opener to the season.
Avebury vs The Badgers
Date : Sun 27-AprType : Friendly
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 162 for 8 in 40 overs
Opposition score : 134 all out in 39 overs
The Badgers didn't get off to the flyer of a start they had last year, and Avebury had the better of the opening salvos, choosing to bat and racing along at five an over. However, following flighty 20s from Fry D. and Blake, the big guns of Dix, Gater and new recruit Ben Griffin failed to explode and it was left to Scattergood (32), Pletts (20), Guy Perkins and Trevor Startup to push the score along towards something respectable. In the end, 162-8 was probably about half what this batting line-up would have felt it could have achieved given (and I do not wish to cause offence here) a relatively benign bowling attack. For the record, there were a record 42 extras in our last innings against the Badgers - things were much improved this time round.
The Badgers' response was similarly positive, with the ball flying to the boundary too many times, particularly off the bowling of Avebury Legend Pete Force-Jones, whose initial spell wasn't what he would have hoped. Guy Perkins kept it tight, as did Rob Gater who managed to find some early season form despite pleas of lack of match fitness. However the introduction of Ben Griffin from the top end and Fry D. from the bottom end slowed the run-rate and put additional pressure on the Badgers. The boundaries still came, but at ever-increasing intervals, and the re-introduction of Pete F-J and Trevor Startup mopped up the tail, with the Badgers 28 runs short of the target.
Possibly the highlight of the day was the tea, brilliantly prepared by Janice and team, who had gone to the trouble not only of producing a dazzling array of sandwiches (including some wonderful Chicken Tikka) but also of labeling them correctly and thereby making sandwich selection much simpler. Add to that a fantastic selection of cakes, and two huge trays of scones with jam and cream, and you have the recipe for an awards-winning cricket tea. The big question will be whether the existing holder (S.White) will be reading this report and taking copious notes?
The Badgers were making noises about a return fixture in London next year - was this an idle threat or is there substance to it? You can take the cricketer out of the village, but you can't the village out of the cricketer....
Avebury vs Marlborough
Date : Sun 04-MayType : Friendly
Result : Cancelled
Avebury score : -
Opposition score : -
Although the rain held off in the morning it started at about 12.30 and at 2pm it seemed to have settled in for the afternoon so the game was called off.
Minal vs Avebury
Date : Sun 11-MayType : Friendly
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 239 for 7 in 40 overs
Opposition score : 113 all out in 30 overs
No-one likes a one-sided game of cricket - even when it's your side that wins. However, when set against the memory of last year's tragic loss to Mildenhall, the result regains at least some of its sweetness.
Avebury batted first and took full advantage of a short boundary on the top-side of the ground, and as the sun continued to beat down the going only got tougher for the Mildenhall outfielders. The ever-present Nicky Cook's bowling appeared to have lost some of its zip and vigour, and Nick Parkinson-Hill seemed to be trying to bowl too fast, and wasn't swinging the ball with the apparent ease of last year.
Although the total was a good one, we are all aware that Mildenhall possess some extremely dangerous batters, and one old chestnut in the pavilion was overheard saying that 239 was "nowhere near enough" and that "Avebury needed at least 300" to defend. Happily for Avebury, neither of these statements proved to be the case.
Some steady opening bowling from Perkins and Startup kept Mildenhall from having a runaway start, and when Nicky Cook skied a Perkins long-hop into the waiting hands of Kubler at deep mid-wicket, Mildenhall's chief architect of a successful chase was safely back in what modern writers call the 'hutch'. Some resistance was witnessed, but Avebury continued to apply the pressure, and the Sunday Skipper's decision to bowl himself for a few overs was inspired, as he picked up a rare hat-trick (the second this season for Avebury following PF-J's earlier effort) and a fourth wicket just one ball later. Not the closest of games but a gentle pat on the back to the Avebury Sunday XI for making it three wins out of three this year.
Avebury vs Bradford Town CC (Sunday XI)
Date : Sun 18-MayType : Friendly
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 181 for 5 in 36 overs
Opposition score : 180 for 7 in 40 overs
To use David Lloyd's oft-quoted phrase, Bradford Town "flippin' murdered" us last year, amassing a gargantuan total which we lacked the firepower to chase. This year they were kind enough to bring a much more balanced side, with a blend of youth and experience that Avebury would dearly love to be able to emulate.
Tidy bowling from Perkins, Force-Jones, Nelson and Pletts ensured a steady fall of wickets, and the late introduction of the medium pace of Gater and some dibbly-dobblies from the Chairman kept the scoring rate down. Avebury's cause was also furthered by Bradford's very kind decision to loan us some of their younger and more mobile players, which further frustrated the batting side's attempts to break loose from the shackles.
Bradford's final score of 180 in their 40 overs was a good one but eminently gettable, and Avebury took full advantage of some wayward bowling, Rhino and Kubler getting the chase off to a lightning fast start. Another solid knock from Dix ensured smooth progress towards the total, and excellent banter from both sides throughout the game ensured a great day out for everyone.
Avebury vs Lechlade
Date : Sun 25-MayType : Friendly
Result : Cancelled
Avebury score : -
Opposition score : -
A heavy band of rain moving in a Northerly directly from the South of England put pay to most of today's matches across the region, and Avebury proved to be no exception.
Avebury vs Swindon Civil Service (Sunday XI)
Date : Sun 01-JunType : Friendly
Result : Match drawn
Avebury score : 144 for 9 in 40 overs
Opposition score : 173 for 6 in 47 overs
That this match even took place is testament to the good nature of Dave Bradfield, who not only agreed to play in the game the night before, swelling our numbers from an unworkable 8 to a respectable 9, but also to the (perhaps under duress) willingness of Ashley and his friend George to play too, which took us to our full complement.
Swindon CS elected to play a time game format, and certainly from the way their innings got going you might have thought they were happy to bat the entire day, as runs proved (as they had yesterday) hard to come buy on a slow wicket and a lush outfield. The usual steady stuff from Guy 'Percolator' Perkins and Trevor 'Sagalout' Startup kept the batsmen in check, and support bowling from Martin Pletts and Adam Duncan allowed Swindon CS to score enough runs to be competitive without ever really looking like assembling a mammoth score. Eventually, after a whopping 47 overs in the field, Swindon CS decided to call it a day and we all trooped off for a fine tea prepared by Ann Ogbourne - another one to add to the shortlist of best teas of the Year.
Avebury’s response was led by a fine century opening stand from the Chairman and Dave Bradfield, the latter looking in fine form before being run out. The presence of Rheinberg as a Sunday Special added a touch of quality to the middle order, but wickets continued to tumble and it was left to the last pair of Martin Pletts and Trevor Startup to grimly hang on for a draw, with Swindon CS needing just one wicket to pull off what at times had seemed like a very unlikely victory.
Highlights of the day: Bradders hitting a fine 23, Ashley clinging on to a great catch at mid-on, the Chairman receiving a royal send-off from one of the Swindon CS players "You get out!!!" and Ann's ginger cake with real pieces of ginger.
Marlborough vs Avebury
Date : Sun 08-JunType : Friendly
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 240 all out in 40 overs
Opposition score : 270 for 6 in 40 overs
A new look Avebury Sunday side took the field in blazing sunshine to face the might of Marlborough. On a placid pitch and with enormous boundaries life was always going to be hot and sweaty for the fielding side, and we all spent a lot of time chasing leather as Marlborough compliled an unchaseable 270, the run charge being led by numbers 1 and 3. Highlights from the fielding side's perspective were the 'discovery' of bowling sensation Tim Jephson, a great fielding performance from Simon "It keeps following me around" White, a debut from Bradders wife's friend Chris, and a solid bowling display from James Neve. The champagne moment though went to Martin Pletts, taking a spectacular one handed catch at long on off the bowling of 'Young James', on loan from Marlborough for the day.
Avebury made a much better fist of chasing this gargantuan total than readers of this web-site might have expected. Skipper Rob led from the front with a 55, well supported by Martyn Fidler and Mighty White; Neil Hollister hit a typically unpredictable 53, the Chairman made it 150 runs in the weekend, and Captain Kipper made 13 runs down the order, leaving Avebury's most prolific batsman stranded on 9,999 runs for Avebury. Our final score of 238 was nothing to be ashamed of.
All in all, another fine days cricket, some good runs scored by the hitherto struggling Gater and Hollister, and a moment of utter hilarity as Avebury requested a large turd be removed from the field of play.
Avebury vs CS Nomads
Date : Sun 15-JunType : Friendly
Result : Avebury lost
Avebury score : 120 all out in 35 overs
Opposition score : 191 for 6 in 40 overs
Avebury's Sunday XI prolonged their mid season dip in form as they succumbed to the CS Nomads, whose innings was, as ever, held together by the evergreen Hendy Alleyne, who has still not lost any of his appetite for smacking long hops out of cricket grounds!
Their total of 181 was easily gettable, and relied on a solid start, sensible play from the middle order and some controlled swooshing from the last four. Unfortunately, we were probably a bit too focused on Martin and Lou's tea (surely a contender for the annual award?) to put this carefully worked plan into action. The start was good enough, but with the demise of the Chairman for 50 with the score on 110, things went a bit haywire. Dix and Gater, those stalwarts of the Sunday middle order, muffed their lines, and the spectators were left wondering where the runs were going to come from. Time and time again promising partnerships were undone, and CS Nomads' canny introduction of their opening bowler in the last quarter of the game ensure that the pressure stayed firmly on the home side.
A lovely day out, marred somewhat by the result, and once again by the very amateur looking four inch grass on the outfield!
Bishops Cannings vs Avebury
Date : Sun 22-JunType : Friendly
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 260 for 7 in 40 overs
Opposition score : 193 all out in 36 overs
On a bright but very breezy day, Avebury lost the toss and were invited (to their surprise) to bat. Ostensibly this was because BCCC were not very strong in the batting department, but the presence of several league players in their side led us to believe that only a score well in excess of 200 would suffice.
Kubler and the Chairman tucked in to some wayward opening bowling, with Dan racing to 27; Will Thomas made a fluid 25 before hammering one straight to cover; John Moore was the unfortunate recipient of another run-out involving the Chairman. Dix held the back of the innings together with a solid 50, and other contributions for Ian Thomas, Tim Jephson and Rob Gater (OK, not many from the latter) saw us to 259.
BCCC's reply was full of youthful exuberance as they sought to out-fox the unfoxable Guy "The Percolator" Perkins and Trevor "The Metronome" Startup. Trevor picked up a wicket off a rare full toss, Guy was tidy but wicketless. Will Thomas demonstrated that his bowling has improved immeasurably from last year with three wickets, one of which was BCCC's star player who plays Saturday cricket at Potterne! Tim Jephson bowled a genuinely mixed spell from the pavilion end, combining rank long hops with unplayable yorkers to create a unique blend that always had the opposition batsmen guessing. Scott bowled some good deliveries from the top end despite suffering from occasional long hop syndrome, but the real star of the fielding side was John Moore, who combined athletic fielding in the third man area with accurate throwing to secure a run-out, and snaffled a couple of wickets with some accurate bowling. Avebury brought Gater and Will Thomas back to finally finish things off and get back to the Crown as quickly as possible.
Avebury vs Swindon United Churches
Date : Sun 29-JunType : Friendly
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 138 for 6 in 29 overs
Opposition score : 137 for 9 in 40 overs
Will keep this one short in the interests of time (never something to worry Swindon United Churches, whose over rate puts one in mind of the West Indies sides of the 70s and 80s). S.U.C. batted first but never really played the big shots and the run rate stayed stubbornly below 3 an over. The usual consistency from "Sagalout" Startup and Guy "The Percolator" Perkins was much admired, but the star of the show was undoubtedly Rob Minton on his debut for Avebury, who picked up three wickets and held onto a smart catch.
Tim Jephson bowled well from the bottom end but won’t readily be putting his hand up to bowl from the top; Martin Pletts bagged his first ever LBW in a "real" game of cricket, and Dan Kubler behind the stumps reminded us all of what a valuable asset he is as an outfielder. John Moore had an attack of the yips and went for 9 off an over, none of which came off the bat. The total of 137 was not problematic in theory, but Avebury’s Sunday batters have a long and happy tradition of screwing up these sorts of situations, and when Dix was bowled in the third over it looked like being another of those days, particularly as this was followed by Tim J’s demise to a "bit of a swoosh", Rob Minton missing a straight one, Whitey doing the same thing, and Dan being (let’s face it) run out by Rob Gater. Only Martin "The Rock" Pletts held the innings together with another defiant not out, and this solidity allowed Gater and latterly the Chairman to knock off the runs.
The highlight of the day, cricket and weather aside, was another fantastic tea from Whitey (and Fizz and Gillian) which is currently well in contention for the coveted title of Tea Of The Year. Whilst the carrot cake, lemon drizzle cake, potato rosti and fresh raspberries were all impressive enough in themselves, it was the addition of a full array of sandwiches on malted grain bread, with fillings including beef and tomato, ham salad, cheese salad and much much more, which really tipped the scales in its favour. Early season contenders have suffered something of a knockback today as one of the big guns has come out with a display that has set the gold standard for village cricket teas, and will take some beating.
Swindon Civil Service (Sunday XI) vs Avebury
Date : Sun 06-JulType : Friendly
Result : Cancelled
Avebury score : -
Opposition score : -
Cancelled due to a continuation of the previous day's rubbish weather.
Avebury vs Fulham Taverners
Date : Sun 13-JulType : Friendly
Result : Avebury won
Avebury score : 180 all out in 40 overs
Opposition score : 156 for 9 in 40 overs
A fantastic game of cricket against the Touring Tavs. A sprightly start from the Tavs, on a damp wicket with the home side asked to bat, saw Kubler and Perkins struggle against some excellent and accurate bowling. Eventually Guy was bowled and Dan fell LBW, and despite the odd boundary we continued in this vein with Ian Thomas playing round a straight one, and Rob Gater failing to get get off the mark before swooshing at a straight one. Greg Dix and debutant David Liddiard added some much needed backbone to the innings, and in the later stages of the game some clean hitting from Rob Minton and some entertaining running between the wickets got us to a passable treble twenty.
The Tavs' reply was well-paced and fluent, and at the twenty over stage they were extremely well placed (at 92 for 2) to cruise to an easy (and quite mundane) victory, despite some tight opening bowling from Rob Minton and Guy Perkins. However, the introduction of Rob Gater, Henry Fry and the Chairman slowed the run-rate down and resulted in the fall of one or two more wickets. However, it was the debuatant Liddiard who proved to be the difference between the two sides, stiffling the run rate with his off-breaks and putting an end to an excellent knock from the Tav's star player, Angry Nick.
Despite further big shots from the Tavs, the run rate climbed too quickly, and the Avebury bowlers dragged the game over the line, with Scott Nelson also bowling well at the death. All in all a fun game of cricket, and a welcome win for Aveubry who have struggled against the Taverners in recent years!