Midsummer Day's dream
posted: June 22, 2015

So, on the longest day of the year, in the somewhat less than Arcadian surroundings of Hampstead Garden Extension, the Strollers met the Salmangundi Gardeners for their annual fixture. Last year, the Gardeners, under the cheerful and rotund leadership of Richard Higginbottom, had the better of the day and notched up a win by over 100 runs against a pretty depleted Strollers side. Not so this time round, as a strong Strollers side firing on all cylinders inflicted a heavy defeat of 126 runs. It was a very good all round performance, with pretty much everyone contributing and five catches snaffled. We’re used to dropping a lot so it’s very nice to take chances offered. There were a couple of drops, of course (I’m looking at you, skipper...) but while three of the successful efforts might have been regulation, two were very good and one of those two an absolute blinder (more of that later).

Davey won the toss and chose to bat on a Hampstead wicket that, as usual, offered a lot more bounce than is our usual fare. This writer missed the first hour or so as he was travelling back from Staffordshire, but he is told (mainly by George and Gav) that George and Gav weathered the early storm from Bruce and Tebbutt with calmness and no little skill. George was bowled by Amesbury for 22, and Spencer joined Gav. After being dropped by Bruce at long off, who then indulged in an extended bout of noisy self-flagellation, Gav feathered behind off Monahan, who got one to lift despite modest pace. And that was the last wicket the Gardeners got. The skipper joined Spencer with some 12 overs to go and the score in the region of 120. The next 12 overs generated 120 runs in a display of clean hitting of which Brendan McCullum and Chris Gayle might have been proud.

Spencer reeled off a succession of huge blows, one or two eliciting words of commendation from the ill-used but sporting Monahan. David was not to be outdone and lifted some large sixes over midwicket with his characteristic louche ease. Even when the quicker bowlers were brought back they didn’t fare much better, on one occasion Davey skipping down the wicket to Bruce to flay him through midwicket, à la Pietersen versus Steyn in 2012 (OK, I’m getting carried away). One over from Bruce went for 20 runs, provoking an even longer and more vocal self-abuse session.

Spencer carried his bat for an unbeaten 103, recording his second ton of the season, following a piddling 90 last Sunday, whilst the skipper was 60 not out, leaving our final total a highly satisfying 240–2.

The Gardeners would have had to be on top form and possessing a batsman or two of destructive power to challenge that score, and it soon became clear that neither of the above applied. Simon enjoys bowling at Hampstead and his second ball flew from a little short of a length at opener Hollingsworth’s head, for him to get a thin edge which shot through a seemingly startled Couldrey’s hands, essaying the new 'gloves-held-six-inches-apart' wicket-keeping technique. It would be surprising if this catches on.

Meanwhile, from the other end the superbly built (steady on — Ed) newcomer Keith Chenoweth gave a masterclass in proper bowling. Generating real pace from a languid run up and smooth action, he moved ball away from the right hander and was often simply too good for the batters to get an edge. His eventual figures of 5-2-5-1 give some indication of his total dominance.

Simon caught the shoulder of Hollingsworth’s bat for the ball to loop into the gully where Big Gav took a straightforward catch. If he had missed it, Boughey might have killed him — a scenario that Gav later confessed passed across his mind as the ball described a gentle parabola towards him. In the next over, Keith, after passing the outside edge three times in succession, dug one in a bit shorter at the batter’s chest and the ball spun off to leave Tom at short mid-off with an even more straightforward catch.

Having crawled to 30 off ten overs, Jordan and Aspel were rewarded by the sight of… young Harry Brown. Young Harry, as well know, can generate substantial pace and sometimes a collection of beamers and four balls. This time there was a whole lot of the former and none of the latter. As Gav later observed, it must have been pretty demoralising to see Harry at first change. In his second over he did Tebbutt for sheer pace.

From the other end Kashif bowled a tight and economical line and was rewarded with the wicket of the keeper Spicer when he flashed outside the off stump and Tim took an excellent, high slip catch. But better was to follow. Off the second ball of Harry’s next over, two balls after the first catch, Tim flung himself to his right to take a stunning, diving catch that was going like a tracer bullet. Honestly, if you’d seen this in a county game, you’d have thought it was a bloody good catch. And all done without the All Blacks pouching action.

His reward was to do some bowling, and he claimed the first two wickets of his Strollers career: Monahan, who top-scored with 26, was given out LBW and then Bruce, G was out first ball. As an act of mercy, David put on Tom to bowl little off-spinners and score climbed over 100. But the denouement was close: Harry eventually did the glowering Bruce for pace and then cleaned up Amesbury with a yorker. Victory by the small matter of 126 runs was secured.

Simon Boughey
22.06.15

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