Stonor CC (23/04/2023)

 

Result: DRAW

 

RAIN RUINS INTRIGUINGLY-POISED CONTEST AFTER REINFORCEMENTS WINGED IN

 

WCC 135 for 8 (39 overs)

Boyce 13, H. Husaini 3, Shimoga 11, Hogben 19, M. Orwell 14, Sackville-West 16, Dunne 10, Sharma 22, Douglas 2, d’Inverno 1 not out 

Extras 20

Kavanagh 7-2–13-2, C.Hunt 1-23, R.Hunt 1-3,  J. Hunt 1-6 Powell 3-12

 

Stonor CC 25-1 (9.4 overs)

Earle 14 not out

Orwell 5–2-14-1, Sharma 4.4–1-9-0, 

Catches: Shimoga

 

Our warring party for the season opener comprised only nine players. As our vehicles crept around the glossy outfield toward the paddock behind the pavilion, we noticed Hon Sec in animated conversation with a strapping six footer. Chris Douglas knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he pounced on Glenford Boyce; a V&A cricket club player whose match at Stonor the previous day had been washed-out but had come along as a spectator. 

 

Before you could say ‘gift-horse’, we’d found ‘Boycey’ a shirt and some trousers, and Steve Dunne even donated his long-sleeved sweater. 

 

Once again Skipper lost the toss and we were inserted. RAF-man Boycey opened the batting in a languidly-correct style, accompanied by a bustling Husaini. This year, we offered decent resistance against Kavanagh’s deadly in-swingers, but the pitch was as devilish as ever, and the ‘Enders found themselves 34-3 after 15 overs, despite a more steadfast-start. The middle-order added some urgency with Hogben, Sackville-West and Dunne taking back the initiative. Bhuvan was the most bullish, hitting three fours and a six to round off our innings; 135 for 8, a creditable effort on this surface.

 

Tea was a delicious, classical spread, punctuated by the poignant presentation of a young salix sapling to Stonor’s groundsman, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. The Weekenders were warmly invited to participate in the ceremony that took place on the pavilion's veranda. Some of WCC remembered the nonagenarian’s tricky off spin from the 1990s. 

 

Grey clouds gathered overhead and rain looked likely, but in unknown quantities. We took the field and a last minute field adjustment brought immediate success, as NJ was moved from a frankly-pointless-mid-on to an attacking-gully. Second ball of the innings, Mayo hacked at a back-of-a-length ball and carved it straight into Shimoga’s diving grasp. 

 

Fellow opener, Cripps, was hit on the toe in front of middle stump but the umpire was unmoved by our appeals. He gave his tacit verdict with a stony stare into middle-distanced oblivion, waiting for our cries to subside before the game could continue. The resumption was brief, as Stonor’s skipper shrewdly pulled us from the arena at the first sight of drizzle, which quickly became a downpour. Stonor finished 25-1 after nearly 10 overs; it might have been an intriguing contest if the April showers hadn’t intervened, especially if Boycey had hurled the cherry.

 

We finished off, tucked-up warm in the pleasantly old-school Rainbow Inn, where Jean did her usual trick of serving up hot, freshly-cut chips as we braced ourselves for a return to modernity.