Vs Knotty Green CC @ Buckinghamshire
29 Jun 2006
Result: Match Drawn
Skipper: Charlie Green
Almost a Victory?
With traffic on the route out of London unnervingly light, Max Bascombe and I arrived an hour early for this game, and - remembering how awful the convenient Red Lion had been the year before - decided to have lunch at the Royal Standard of England just down the road in Forty Green.
Therefore, while other Canbashers drank their Fosters, and grumbled that the Red Lion did not serve food, we drank Belgian Lager (Leffe), Trappist Ale (Abbey) and Pear Cider (Perry), all of which were on tap.
The Royal Standard claims to be the oldest Free House in England and its menu has a 950-year potted history on the back. While drinking, patrons can contemplate the Saxons who used the local well for brewing, the Norman kings' hunters who enjoyed the simple alehouse, and the cavaliers and roundheads who drank there at different stages of the English Civil War. In fact, according to the menu, a dozen cavaliers had their heads raised up on pikes outside the door, and the young Charles II hid in a small priest's hole above drinkers? heads, during his escape to France in 1651, before subsequently escaping to France in disguise.
Charles II formally rewarded the pub by agreeing to a name change from The Ship to The Royal Standard of England, and it is the only pub in the country with the full title. Highwaymen such as Dick Turpin lodged here and used the pub as a base for robberies in nearby Cut-throat Wood.
With match manager Tony Grant sadly injured, captaincy duties fell to Charlie Green, who won the toss and, hoping to make best use of a strong bowling attack, elected to bowl.
After a slightly expensive first over from Simon Burns (7-2-27-0), which went for twelve, we recovered well. Simon unlucky not to take a wicket with some excellent balls on that moved away off the seam. Charlie Green (10-3-23-1), bowling from the pavilion end, bowled particularly well, and was hard to get away. He dismissed Knotty opener Hill, well caught by Jimmy Scott for 22.
Mike Evans (7-3-11-2) came on first change, and bowled as well as I have ever seen him bowl, achieving significant away swing, and bowling very few balls down the leg side. His two wickets came in the space of two balls, and were both LBWs. Whilst the first was perhaps fortuitous (the ball hit the batsman on the full and ricocheted off his toe into his face) there was no doubt about the second, and Mike was unfortunate to have two later appeals turned down.
Of the remaining bowlers, Ben Burns (4-1-21-2) did well, picking up two wickets with yorker length deliveries while the Knotty batsman were looking to hit out, as did Jules Eden (5-1-37-2), who managed to bowl a particularly aggressive Knotty batsman round hst legs shortly after being hit for a straight six. Max (3-0-33-0) struggled to turn the ball on a damp wicket, while Scott (2-0-12-0) and Partridge (2-0-12-0) both bowled towards the end when Knotty batsman were looking to hit out.
Of the Knotty batsman, number five Irvine (75*), was by far the pick. He played some nice shots - when not eulogizing about a session with a nymphomaniac the night before.
By tea, Knotty had reached 187 for 7, and declared. After a brief 20 minute rain shower, Chris Woods (who had fielded in a pair of white shorts and Prada turtleneck) and Tristan Haddow-Allen began the chase. Chris looked comfortable initially, but received a pearler from opening bowler McMillan, and was bowled for 10. The ball had bounced on middle, but hit the seam, moved, and took the top of the off stump.
Frank Partridge came in at number three, and put together a hundred plus partnership with Tristan. Both batted well, working the good balls around for singles as often as possible, and seizing on the bad balls. Tristan occasionally seemed a little hesitant with his running between the wickets, but his fellow Canbashers put this down to a) his being a slow bastard and b) Frank running him out the last time they had batted together.
Tristan was eventually dismissed for 77, caught in the covers off bowler Wood. It was a blow, however we only needed fifty more to win, and with the fast scoring Mike Evans in next we were still confident. However, it was not to be Mike?s day with the bat, and he was quickly dismissed for 1. Jimmy Scott came in next at number five, and he and Frank worked the ball around for a few overs before a sudden shower sent us all scurrying for the pavilion.
The rain seemed heavy, and we were not confident of being able to finish the game. Both, Jimmy - who was bright orange following a recent trip to Mexico - and others changed out of their whites into regular clothes. However, after a fifteen minute break the rain relapsed, and we were able to restart.
We needed twenty five runs off six overs to win, and it being a timed game, Knotty needed to prevent us scoring these in order to salvage a draw. Things started badly with Jimmy being dismissed for four, however when - in the penultimate over - Frank eased the Knotty bowler though the covers for two successive fours we thought we had won.
Three runs were needed from the last over, and we were gifted one run off the very first ball: Charlie Green dropped the ball down on the off side, and a petulant Knotty fielder (angry at having two LBW decisions turned down in the over before) kicked the ball in the vague direction of Third Man.
Charlie and Frank then attempted a quick single off the third ball of the over, however some sharp fielding by Knotty got the ball to the wicketkeeper just before Charlie made his ground, and ran him out for 3. Next in Simon Burns: two runs needed from three balls.
Opening bowler McMillan, who had been brought back for the finish, bowled a quick ball out side off stump. Simon tried to launch it over cover but missed. Knotty appealed for a stumping, but to no avail, the umpire adjudging that Simon's back foot had not left his ground. Two runs needed from two balls.
Next ball: a repeat performance. Again, McMillan bowled a quick ball out side the off stump, and again Simon tried to get forward but missed. Again, an appeal for a stumping was turned down. Two runs needed from one ball.
Last ball: McMillan - realizing that Simon was struggling with the light - bowls the same delivery. Simon charges this time, but again misses the ball, and is stumped for none. An excellent finish, but a Canbasher win it was not to be. Match Drawn. Frank finishes 63 not out, an excellent knock, and unlucky not to have taken us home.
We spent the journey home googling different members of the Canbasher team. Your author would like to stress that he has not released an album of Yorkshire Country music album, and that this must have been an entirely different James Hindle?
Team: Green (captain), B Burns, S Burns, Haddow-Allen, Partridge, Bascombe, Woods, Evans, Eden, Scott, Hindle (wkt)
Scores:
KNOTTY GREEN CC 187-7 declared. Irvine 75*, Evans (2-11), B.Burns (2-21).
CANBASHERS 186-4 Haddow-Allen 77, Partridge 63*
RESULT: Match drawn.
With traffic on the route out of London unnervingly light, Max Bascombe and I arrived an hour early for this game, and - remembering how awful the convenient Red Lion had been the year before - decided to have lunch at the Royal Standard of England just down the road in Forty Green.
Therefore, while other Canbashers drank their Fosters, and grumbled that the Red Lion did not serve food, we drank Belgian Lager (Leffe), Trappist Ale (Abbey) and Pear Cider (Perry), all of which were on tap.
The Royal Standard claims to be the oldest Free House in England and its menu has a 950-year potted history on the back. While drinking, patrons can contemplate the Saxons who used the local well for brewing, the Norman kings' hunters who enjoyed the simple alehouse, and the cavaliers and roundheads who drank there at different stages of the English Civil War. In fact, according to the menu, a dozen cavaliers had their heads raised up on pikes outside the door, and the young Charles II hid in a small priest's hole above drinkers? heads, during his escape to France in 1651, before subsequently escaping to France in disguise.
Charles II formally rewarded the pub by agreeing to a name change from The Ship to The Royal Standard of England, and it is the only pub in the country with the full title. Highwaymen such as Dick Turpin lodged here and used the pub as a base for robberies in nearby Cut-throat Wood.
With match manager Tony Grant sadly injured, captaincy duties fell to Charlie Green, who won the toss and, hoping to make best use of a strong bowling attack, elected to bowl.
After a slightly expensive first over from Simon Burns (7-2-27-0), which went for twelve, we recovered well. Simon unlucky not to take a wicket with some excellent balls on that moved away off the seam. Charlie Green (10-3-23-1), bowling from the pavilion end, bowled particularly well, and was hard to get away. He dismissed Knotty opener Hill, well caught by Jimmy Scott for 22.
Mike Evans (7-3-11-2) came on first change, and bowled as well as I have ever seen him bowl, achieving significant away swing, and bowling very few balls down the leg side. His two wickets came in the space of two balls, and were both LBWs. Whilst the first was perhaps fortuitous (the ball hit the batsman on the full and ricocheted off his toe into his face) there was no doubt about the second, and Mike was unfortunate to have two later appeals turned down.
Of the remaining bowlers, Ben Burns (4-1-21-2) did well, picking up two wickets with yorker length deliveries while the Knotty batsman were looking to hit out, as did Jules Eden (5-1-37-2), who managed to bowl a particularly aggressive Knotty batsman round hst legs shortly after being hit for a straight six. Max (3-0-33-0) struggled to turn the ball on a damp wicket, while Scott (2-0-12-0) and Partridge (2-0-12-0) both bowled towards the end when Knotty batsman were looking to hit out.
Of the Knotty batsman, number five Irvine (75*), was by far the pick. He played some nice shots - when not eulogizing about a session with a nymphomaniac the night before.
By tea, Knotty had reached 187 for 7, and declared. After a brief 20 minute rain shower, Chris Woods (who had fielded in a pair of white shorts and Prada turtleneck) and Tristan Haddow-Allen began the chase. Chris looked comfortable initially, but received a pearler from opening bowler McMillan, and was bowled for 10. The ball had bounced on middle, but hit the seam, moved, and took the top of the off stump.
Frank Partridge came in at number three, and put together a hundred plus partnership with Tristan. Both batted well, working the good balls around for singles as often as possible, and seizing on the bad balls. Tristan occasionally seemed a little hesitant with his running between the wickets, but his fellow Canbashers put this down to a) his being a slow bastard and b) Frank running him out the last time they had batted together.
Tristan was eventually dismissed for 77, caught in the covers off bowler Wood. It was a blow, however we only needed fifty more to win, and with the fast scoring Mike Evans in next we were still confident. However, it was not to be Mike?s day with the bat, and he was quickly dismissed for 1. Jimmy Scott came in next at number five, and he and Frank worked the ball around for a few overs before a sudden shower sent us all scurrying for the pavilion.
The rain seemed heavy, and we were not confident of being able to finish the game. Both, Jimmy - who was bright orange following a recent trip to Mexico - and others changed out of their whites into regular clothes. However, after a fifteen minute break the rain relapsed, and we were able to restart.
We needed twenty five runs off six overs to win, and it being a timed game, Knotty needed to prevent us scoring these in order to salvage a draw. Things started badly with Jimmy being dismissed for four, however when - in the penultimate over - Frank eased the Knotty bowler though the covers for two successive fours we thought we had won.
Three runs were needed from the last over, and we were gifted one run off the very first ball: Charlie Green dropped the ball down on the off side, and a petulant Knotty fielder (angry at having two LBW decisions turned down in the over before) kicked the ball in the vague direction of Third Man.
Charlie and Frank then attempted a quick single off the third ball of the over, however some sharp fielding by Knotty got the ball to the wicketkeeper just before Charlie made his ground, and ran him out for 3. Next in Simon Burns: two runs needed from three balls.
Opening bowler McMillan, who had been brought back for the finish, bowled a quick ball out side off stump. Simon tried to launch it over cover but missed. Knotty appealed for a stumping, but to no avail, the umpire adjudging that Simon's back foot had not left his ground. Two runs needed from two balls.
Next ball: a repeat performance. Again, McMillan bowled a quick ball out side the off stump, and again Simon tried to get forward but missed. Again, an appeal for a stumping was turned down. Two runs needed from one ball.
Last ball: McMillan - realizing that Simon was struggling with the light - bowls the same delivery. Simon charges this time, but again misses the ball, and is stumped for none. An excellent finish, but a Canbasher win it was not to be. Match Drawn. Frank finishes 63 not out, an excellent knock, and unlucky not to have taken us home.
We spent the journey home googling different members of the Canbasher team. Your author would like to stress that he has not released an album of Yorkshire Country music album, and that this must have been an entirely different James Hindle?
Team: Green (captain), B Burns, S Burns, Haddow-Allen, Partridge, Bascombe, Woods, Evans, Eden, Scott, Hindle (wkt)
Scores:
KNOTTY GREEN CC 187-7 declared. Irvine 75*, Evans (2-11), B.Burns (2-21).
CANBASHERS 186-4 Haddow-Allen 77, Partridge 63*
RESULT: Match drawn.