Sunday. Sunday 21st June. No kids cricket at the ground today. Fantastic to see training happening all the time now – players of the future, players of now, all preparing in hope of something being salvaged of the 2020 cricket season. You will never forget 2020! In the meantime, here is a smaller look back on events “On This Day” … as there isn’t much today!
Our look back starts in 2014 in SPCL Division 2 and a home defeat to Hartley Wintney – a second home defeat on the bounce to North Hampshire opposition, but it was a game that fluctuated throughout. The visitors chose to bat first and with Jack Hersh (65) and Daniel Plume (45) got off to a decent start but they were pinned back to 125-5. Skipper James Teale’s 46 down the order allowed his side to post 226-8 in the end with Mike West’s 3-49 the pick of the bowlers. At 71-1, we were in control of the chase. Even at 140-4 after James Rose went to 53 and Tom Pegler 36, we were certainly in the hunt. Mark Teale’s 3-33 and a couple of wickets each for Aristides Karvelas and Jack Cockram would ensure we ended 31 runs shy.
It was better news from the 2s trip to Fair Oak 2s as they came home with a 16-run victory. Paul Proudley’s 61 opening the batting, coupled with Ollie Tull steady 23 took us up to 151 all out which was looking under threat at 83-2. But when Paul Henry removed Mitchell Le Tissier (son of, in case you wondered) and Craig Buttle was run out, they crumbled to 104-8 (Henry 4-25). A late stand of 29 brought them back into the contest but the pace of Proudley and Hurst made sure it was a short lived hope.
We have mentioned them previously as a club on the way up and in 2014, they were in Regional Two West playing against our 3rd XI. This season, they were due to be in County One. So to claim 10 points from this match against Winton, despite losing by 141 runs, could be registered as something of a success (even though they only had 10 players!). Skipper Marc Gilmore won the toss and put them in down at the Old Ground and they racked up 297 all out with Ryan Lomax, Darryl McMahon, Adam Hargreaves and Callum Kitcher all taking a couple of wickets. Paul Bowring’s 30 and a quickfire 27 from McMahon at least gave a good start and Lomax’s 26 down the order saw us to 156 all out – a creditable effort given the standard of the opposition.
The 4s had a long trek to Alderholt and won a low scoring game by three wickets mainly down to Ben McCartney and Kaine Stanton. Ben’s brisk 4-15 tore the middle order out and he was well supported by Connor Pengelly’s spin (3-15) as the home side were sunk for 72. Kaine’s 33 opening up was crucial for his Dad’s side but he needed Ben at the end to ensure we got home at 75-5 in just 18.3 overs. Nothing like taking your time!
A trip to Andover – as was commented yesterday – is not something that Calmore enjoy in league action. But a game against their 2s in County One in 2008, maybe not quite the demons that facing their 1st XI have although we came through this low scorer thanks to an inspired spell of bowling from Darren Challis. We were put in and bowled out for just 115 which looked unlikely at 75-8 but for Michael Cook’s 23 and 16 from Roy Walton brought us three figures. It was Roy with the ball with Keith Woodhall that zipped through the Andover top order and racked them to 14-5 before Mike Adams (30) and Luke Graham (51) arrested the slump with a stand of 73. Enter Darren Challis who would remove both in quick succession on his way to figures of 8-4-7-4 which would remove the home side for 102 and seal the 13 run win.
Thank goodness for the old blokes! We might have lost this 2s match against CBBEA by 7 wickets at Loperwood in Regional One South but if it wasn’t for the Chairman and the current President, it would have been considerably worse! Their stand of 59 for the seventh wicket saved us from 30-6 before a mix-up ended Pete’s 98-ball knock of 23 with a run out. Steve went on to make 39 but we were bowled out for just 95. Steve waded in with 2-24 but we lost with seven overs still remaining.
Time cricket. It wasn’t really our thing! It certainly wasn’t in 2003 when we were well beaten by Portsmouth by 135 runs. The home side, who had four Hampshire professionals in their side, namely Lawrence Prittipaul, Matthew Keech, Michael Barnes and former Calmore man Lee Savident plus our old favourite Ben Thane and a 17-year-old Jimmy Manning declared after 61.4 overs at 276-8 once Andrew Locke made 88 and Barnes 41 against a 24.4 over spell from Paul Cass which reaped 6-72. It was far too many for us as Savident took 5-22 and Locke 3-35 to remove us for 141, James Rose’s unbeaten 25 and Gary Stinson’s 21 the only scores of impression.
Oh, Hungerford again in 1986 in County One. Let’s just quickly pass over this one as we lost by 7 wickets despite Bob Wilcocks’ 39 taking us to 161-8 and we lost with six overs to spare. But elsewhere, it was three local derbies which brought a couple of victories, including a narrow triumph over BAT.
It was the match in South West One that took our 2s down to Southern Gardens to play BAT Sports. Asked to bat first, the 2s were pinned to 139-9 as West bowled through the innings for 7-51. Stuart Bailey was the mainstay of the innings with 40 and Michael Newman hitting an important 36 when we were tottering at 78-6. BAT were cut to 57-6 as Tufty Taylor bowled 21 overs and took 4-59 but they had some meaningful contributions from White (23), Fiebelkorn (20), Carlowes (27) and West (32) which took the game to the last over, bowled by Ron Merritt (4-51). He held his nerve, dismissed the dangerous May for 14, stumped by Graham Cooper and we held on for a two-run win.
The 3s lost to Cadnam 2s at Lamb’s Corner after Gavin Hopgood made 34 and Kenny Barrett 32* in our 118-7 but it wasn’t enough as the home side got home by seven wickets. But the 4s had a strong win against Paultons 3s at Redbridge School by 80 runs! Paul Willsher hit 58 and Denny Lock 30* as we reached 162-4 before Phil Wilkins took 5-39 and Steve Thomas 3-4 tore through the visitors, bowling them out for just 82.
Our earliest 21 June league fixture came in 1975 in County Two where we accounted for Alton by 27 runs. Paul Hoskins’ 64 at the top of the innings was the mainstay of the 138 all out with 20 from Bob Wilcocks the next best. A typical new ball spell from Tufty Taylor, who grabbed 5-40 with a couple of wickets each for the Newman brothers, Michael with 2-18 and Martin 2-9 ripped the hosts out for 111.
In 1971, we were in the semi-final of the Southampton Parks League competition, the Hector Young Cup where we would face St. George’s Guild at the palatial Hoglands Park. Terry Chilcott hit 54 and Reg Oliver 22 which took us to 110-7 from our 21 overs. A place in the Final beckoned with a good bowling display which was exactly what we got thanks to identical figures from Michael Newman and Keith Bell, who claimed 4-9 as the Guildmen were crushed in 16.4 overs for just 21. Into the next week’s final and a difficult encounter with Southampton Touring Club – you will have to wait until the 29th June to find out what happened!
Today’s last one comes from 1992 and a match at Loperwood between the Sunday 2s and Calmore Wanderers and some performances of brilliance which you could say came from nowhere! It was an all-day game against Vic Loveless’ side and the home side won the toss and elected to bat first. It didn’t go well as the opening bowlers Nelson (3-56) and Jeremy Peters (5-78) reduced us to 34-4 and 68-6. Nigel Hill with 38 and Justin Doyle put on 70 before a sensational late burst of six boundaries in his 40 not out from Mike ‘Beery’ Lockyer took us to 195-9dec. Stan Piper made 40, Cooper 38 and Peters 37 were making light work of the reply and moved serenely to 166-4. Skipper Paul Bowring threw the ball to Jason Maidment, his eighth bowler. 2.4 overs later, he had taken 5 wickets for just one run and removed Peters, Vic Doggrell, Trevor Lawrence, Nelson and Loveless to bowl out the Wanderers out for 171.
