Honours even at Chippenham
posted: August 17, 2015

And so to Chippenham, for our annual pilgrimage to the loveliest but often least productive of grounds.

Our games at Chippers have been rewarded with one win in ten years, and the others have followed a fairly predictable pattern. Chippers bat first, and score something in the region of 235 runs for the loss of three wickets, before declaring in good time for tea. After a stupendous tea, the Strollers get off to a stolid start, fall behind the rate and then, belatedly, have a dart at going for the runs. Wickets tumble, a loss beckons, and we eventually hold on for the draw.

While the 2015 version of this template departed a little from the script the fundamental verities were unaltered: we still attained a noble draw. But the departures were noteworthy: we took six wickets – more than this writer can recall - we had a more convincing sally towards the runs in the past, a loss was never really on the cards, and, crucially, if a certain catch had been taken by a certain wick-keeper at a certain time, then we might very well have bowled them all out. Oh, and the tea was a bit less stupendous than normal.

Davey won the toss, and, in time honoured fashion, inserted the oppo. Simon arrived a few minutes late with Boughey senior in tow with sandwiches and thermos flask, so Kashif opened the bowling with Viral before Boughey Jnr joined the party for the fourth over. In yet another departure from the standard hallmarks of the Chippers game, the pitch offered more to the bowlers has been often the case, and Viral, swinging the ball a long way, bowled Sadler in the second over. Shortly thereafter, Simon, who had beaten Siggsworth four balls out of six in his previous over, had long-time Chippers batter Simon Heather caught behind off one that popped a bit off the pitch.

This bought in Charlie Rattley, the Saffa who played for us a year or two ago. He’s a very good bat, and he was clearly in the mood. He and Siggsworth rattled along at a very healthy rate, and Simon was taken out of the attack after suffering some punishment. Viral also went for a breather, and the scoring slowed a little with the pace taken off the ball as Kash returned and Ron was also brought into the attack.

The crux of the game, the moment de crise in fact, occurred shortly after Rattley had got his 50. He shaped to run Kashif down to third man, and edged it behind. In went the ball to Davey’s gloves… and out again. Oh dear. It was a sharp chance, and our poor skipper was clearly crestfallen.

There were to be no more chances until Siggsworth edged Kashif to first slip and Tim took another good catch, to add to his lengthening catalogue of excellent slip catches this year. Len Hyatt almost departed to his first ball when he too edged to slip but Tim couldn’t hold on to the difficult, low chance.

Lennie now blocked every chance while, at the other end, Charlie continued to find all parts of the boundary. He passed his hundred until, on 122, lofted the ball high to long on. It was the sort of catch that in the past we would have doubtless dropped, but Tom never looked like dropping it. A few balls later, Ron took an absolutely superb running, tumbling catch to dismiss Ward, making ground from mid-off to mid-on to take the ball dropping over his shoulder off Spencer’s bowling.

After a smart run out and the briefest of cameos from skipper Al, the Chippers innings was closed at 224 – 6 – in the mean range of Chippers scores but with the loss of more wickets.

George and Gav walked out to face the opening bowlers, both of whom were pretty lively and pretty good. Ward shaped the ball away from the bat, while Siggsworth worked up a good pace from the other end. He begins his run up with an arresting long, delicate, stride, like a man stepping across a large puddle (John Arlott, eat your heart out) and, with Ward bowled unchanged for 18 overs. Gav and George played and missed a good deal, but also cut and drove well. After those first 18 overs, we were 50-odd runs without loss, so a good start had been made but we clearly needed to step on it if we were to make the 225.

Gav and George departed in the same over, to the same ball: playing back to a big-turning off-break from Hedger. This brought the meat of the middle order to the crease – and we batted deep on this day. Of the 11 players, only Boughey could be described as a non-batsman, and even he’s pretty useful (what? – Ed). So it was now that the accelerator could be hit and the runs made.

Unfortunately, the Strollers innings never really hit top gear, through a combination of good bowling, bad luck and, perhaps, some innate caution. Ron looked in the mood but got a very good yorker from Rattley which started outside off and hit leg from. Charlie is apparently a bowler not a batsman; you could have fooled me. Viral also looked in the mood and crashed Hedger through mid-off for a boundary for a gesture of intent, but then got out in the most unfortunate of manner. The off break turned into his pads, jostled around a bit, rolled towards the stumps, before Viral helped it on its way by prodding the bat at the ball in an effort to move it from his wicket.

Spencer, so often our saviour, was stumped for 32, and that left Tim and Kashif a little too much to do. Both batted well, and scored 30s, but the innings had petered out. That 224 was never really in danger, and as the last ball was bowled, the Strollers were on 181-6.

And so to The Tharp, for the traditional last act of this traditional day. It had been a more rewarding and enjoyable game at Chippers than some we have known, and, but for a vital moment or two, might easily have gone our way. 

Simon Boughey
20.08.15

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