Old Blues vs CH 1st XI, Sunday 14th June 2009

Last year in the corresponding fixture, the game was over by tea with an emphatic victory by the school side over a poor performing OB side. We then spent the rest of the day playing a 20/20 match because of how early the match had finished. There was NOT going to be a repeat of this in 2009 unless the result had been reversed.

Having been mocked for the good length of my previous post (something I was never very good at with the ball!) I will try and keep it shorter this time round, but will make no apologies for my verbal diarrhoea.

So, team news. For the second match running we were well subscribed, with enough interest in this match to put out a second side (this has been logged for 2010!). From the victorious side vs Reigate, out went Igolen-Robinson (work?), Maxwell (tennis tournament) and Reeve (holiday) and in came Rob Potter (at last minute from Hurstpierpoint), Neil Green (fresh from a couple of weeks in Spain) and a debut for Dom Roberts. Welcome mate. Finally, our regular scorer George Allen had some car misfortune on the M25 so didn't make it round - this always finds us out as none of the rest of us are very accurate scorers!

True to tradition, the Old Blues batted first on what seemed like a pretty flat track. Mitty and Hugo instantly impressed as an opening partnership taking to some military medium 1st XI bowling. Mitty went after it and Hugo held up the other end, I suspect playing his eye in having played considerably less cricket in recent years than his opening partner. Both batted brilliantly to set us up for a decent score until Mitty was the first to lose his wicket on 74 with over 100 on the board (note the approximations in score due to lack of professional scorers!!). It was a cracking innings containing 12 fours and a 6, and evidence that he is still a class bat. In went Neil "no hundreds for the 1st XI"Green. Having played with Neil in the 1st XI when he was on his LE, it was clear he was going to be the best batsman of his generation. However, I believe in recent times he has become somewhat predictable, to the extent that some of his peers are betting on the outcome of his innings. "He'll bat beautifully and get out in the 30's" is apparently the extent of it.

So, one batsman set, 100 plus on the board and the perfect opportunity to get a big score, Neil started nicely, providing support to Hugo, now with his eye in. Hugo's fine innings came to an end in a jug evasive style, out for 47 when a maiden 50 for the Old Blues was well and truly on the cards. In came Johnny Owens, desperate to make amends for his duck on the previous outing. A lofted four over mid on second ball was enough to calm the nerves. Johnny batted quickly with the style of a man without any form, but flashed and edged his way to 27 before being bowled by the young Sussex U-17 leggie Marsh, who had also accounted for the first 2 wickets. George was next, looking more assured than the previous match and he demonstrated some of his shot repertoire with a couple of lovely on drives. Neil by this time was in his 30's and his forecast demise was due; he did not disappoint, being well caught at gully from a nice late cut - to be fair to Neil, it was a catch the catcher didn't know a lot about but was well taken all the same. Neil out for 36. I can feel a big score coming soon!

The run rate was ticking along nicely, with George batting well, and talk of a declaration was rife. Deano, the Skipper for the day wanted to support our bowlers with a decent score on the board so when George was out for 34, we decided to push the run rate and get to 250. In at the crease were Rob Potter, a self confessed "out and out number 11" and Andy Whittingham. Andy might well have the best average come the end of the season as he is too good a batsman for number 7 or 8 I feel but the side does bat deep. Rob and Andy kept the run rate up and pushed us to 254 for 5 declared off 50. Rob finished not out 9 and Andy not out 11.

This was the first time an Old Blues XI have scored 250 for a considerable amount of time (unless anyone can correct me?) and with all the batsmen getting at least a start unlike the Reigate match, it put us in a great position for not only this match but was a positive outlook for the remainder of the season.

After the interval, Old Blues, and specifically George Hobden started well. Clearly George has bowled at a fair number of the CH XI before, being a leaver the previous year and his opening burst accounted for numbers 1 and 3 for not a lot, and he should have had Satterfield, batting at 2 cheaply but for a put down low at slip by Owens, on his way to the "poo hands" award of the day. Satterfield and Marsh, the aforementioned spinner settled in and took to the slower bowlers. I feel it wouldn't be unfair to say that the Old Blues don't have a top class specialist spinner currently (can I hear calls of "come back Footy?" - surely not!) and in this match, that would have come in handy. Having said that, Neil Green proved once and for all to Howard Holdsworth that his off spinners, do spin... well, one definitely did! The boys in bat turned a losing position to a winning position putting on 100 for the 3rd wicket. Owens dropped Marsh at square leg when he was well set and both went on to register 50's before Satterfield ran himself out for 58.

This left the score with the 20 over bell (we played 20 from half 5) at approx 140, so between 5 and 6 an over to record the win with wickets in hand. Luckily, Richard Stringfellow, still looking for a wicket to open his OBCC account, bowled tidily and George, fresh from his break of overs with restrictions on him until next year came back and set about the middle order. Andy Whittingham bowled a better length and his medium pacers might well become useful as partnership breakers the more he plays for us - he finished with a wicket. Jim bowled as well as he always does and was unlucky to only finish with 1 wicket. In all, 7 bowlers were used with Rob Potter, Dom Roberts and Neil being the other 3. Dom is suffering with his shoulders and this was evident with some short balls, but I hope he will work on this, and Rob was taken on by the batsmen equally, specifically in his first 1 over spell! Neil took a wicket - he bowled the CH number 10 who received the biggest cheer of the day when he scored his first run, it being such a rareity! Star of the day with the ball was George, with 5 for 34 from 14. A great bowling performance.

This meant that the school finished on 200 for 9 having never really gone for the win. The 9th wicket fell with 3.5 overs remaining and despite the Old Boys crowding the bat, the number 11 and Williams, the wicket keeper on debut managed to hold out for a draw. A special mention for Williams, as he is an under-15 player and he kept wicket well and then batted for a long time to finish 23 not out. Deano, perhaps you need to watch out in 4 or 5 years?!

So, 2 games in - a win and a winning draw. Things are looking up. Next year we would love to put 2 sides out against the school so please try and make yourselves available if possible.

Next match up - Eastbourne away. It would be great to get one over on them!