Happy Sunday to you all! Here is the news. There still isn’t any in terms of playing cricket yet! But, as it’s 14th June, let’s see what happened “On This Day” once again. And it was a day of match ups against international players of the future.
Let’s start with this one today as it is not very often you come up against a star in the making. He was only 14 at the time but was already being talked up as the next big thing. He would go on to make 35 appearances for England so far and, when he played in this County One fixture in 2008 for Locks Heath, he was just under two years away from his senior debut in a Southampton shirt having already turned down cricket trials with Hampshire and rugby trails with London Irish.
And Alexander Mark David Oxlade-Chamberlain made an instant impact in this game too, holding onto the catch to remove Steve Dunn in the first over but he couldn’t prevent his side from going down by 35 runs. Not that he is too bothered … he’s a footballing sensation and is dating one of Little Mix! Skipper James Rose hit 51 and Tom Pegler 54 as we raced to 233-8 with assistance along the way from Mark Lavelle (31) and Ben Perry (29), David Lemon taking 4-48 for the visitors. At 100-1, they were going along nicely with Adams (49) and captain Jones (43) at the crease. At 133-5, it needed a partnership and they got it with James Hughes and Oxlade-Chamberlain who put on 42 before the youngster went for a 60-ball 25. Hughes went soon after for 37 as James Rose ran through the tail with 4-45 and Michael Cook 3-36.
The most recent league encounter on this day was in 2014, which was the last year of the three that our 1st XI shared a division with one of our local rivals, Langley Manor. It was their turn to host but we would return home with the win, as we would later in the season too in the return fixture. We would be promoted and our paths haven’t crossed again.
We dominated this game from start to finish. Langley Manor captain Graham Noble won the toss and then saw his side dismissed for just 111 despite Jamie Brown’s battling unbeaten 30 late on which rescued his side from an embarrassing 74-8 as Daniel Croft (2-41), Luke Johnson (2-19) and Matt Maiden (2-33) crashed through the top order and Mike West’s 4-17 finished them off. Josh Holden and Mark Lavelle put on 80 for the first wicket before both were removed in the space of four balls but it was just delaying the inevitable and we knocked off the runs with a mammoth 27 overs to spare. Holden’s 50-ball 44 was to be his final innings for the club as a family bereavement would curtail his season and he returned to Australia the next day.
#FTM
The 1s were back at Loperwood in time to see the end of the 2s put the finishing touches to a dominant win over Fawley 2s. We were put into bat and our innings was based around Tom Perry’s 39 and Paul Proudley with 37 which sandwiched a careful but valuable unbeaten 58 from Paul Henry that took us to 198-6. Skipper Keith Woodhall cut the top off the innings (2-26), Henry got among the action with a couple of wickets as well but it was Allan Hurst’s crushing 9.4-5-16-5 sent them tumbling to 113 and securing an 85 run win.
Our 3rd XI were in Regional 2 West and went down to play the nine men of East Christchurch and we would win comfortably by 7 wickets. Harry Morgan’s devastating spell of 6-3-5-3 and Adam Hargreaves 3-15 did the bulk of the damage after Sam Woodward’s early burst of 2-16 reduced them to 89 all out. Dave Brandes (28) and Jack Nicholson (45*) blasted their way towards the target, which was raised in the 18th over.
The next game was one that could have gone either way and probably should have. It was an all-day SPCL Division One game at home to Bournemouth in 2003, who had a future Australian international in Adam Voges as well as former Hampshire and Gloucestershire all-rounder Richard Scott in the ranks. The visitors won the toss and batted first but soon found themselves 56-5 as Eugene Burzler and Paul Cass both took a couple of wickets – Cass’ pair being Voges caught behind by Stuart Bailey without scoring and Scott bowled for just 7. Geoff Warrington salvaged the innings with 69 which edged his side to 162 all out, Burzler closing their knock out with 5-64. Our reply was a real stop and start affair with Martin Bushell 25, Cass 24 and Tom Pegler 20 all getting in and getting out as we slid to 111-9, still needing 52 to win with Charlie Freeston and Steve Brandes the last pair. Freeston took on the charge and put on 44 – of which he made 37. However, Steve was trapped lbw by Sean Walbridge for 5 and we would fall seven runs shy.
Six years later and another future international batsman would head to Loperwood – New Zealander Chris Nevin who went on to play 37 ODIs for his country. He showed his class with 69 from 76 balls as he took command of the modest chase for Liphook and Ripsley in 1997. We only made 153 with Martin Kellaway making 45 and Gregg Lewis 41 the only players to reach 20. They lost Richard Hindley early but Graham Durtanovich (47*) and Nevin made light work of knocking off the runs.
A number of very familiar faces were up against us in 1987 on a Sunday afternoon when we hosted Ranks in a friendly match. Ranks – from the Rank Hovis flour mill in the Docks – used to bring a side up to Loperwood every year and this game would be dominated by one man, a player from Lymington with great distinction, Don Whitlock. Ranks batted first and opened with own Terry Chilcott, who played for them in the Evening League and had scored a century the year before. He made 36 before being bowled by Rob Budd but it was Whitlock’s unbeaten 68 which took them to 171-8dec in nearly 50 overs. Nick Holland hit 34, Gary Stinson 43 and Budd 44 as we reached a sound 135-3 before th Lymington man wheeled away and took 6-23 to send us to 155 all out.
We have mentioned it before but there is no better feeling in the club than when all four teams have won their games on a Saturday afternoon – there is that certain buzz about the place. But can you imagine what that would have been like back in 1986? The five-year old Loperwood clubhouse would have been the place to be as the beer flowed long into the night … and probably well into Sunday morning!
It all started with the 1s beating Old Symondian Ramblers at North Walls in Winchester – narrowly. They fell to 32-4 before recovering thanks to John Boniface (61) and John Player (33) to 155-9 – Richard Rogers (3-28) and Steve Brandes (3-26) taking the bowling honours. Bob Wilcocks made 41 at the start of the innings but it needed a special knock from Terry Chilcott, who stood firm when were 92-7 and was joined by Baz Oram (16) in a 50-run stand and knocked off the final runs in the last over to end with 65* from 71 balls.
Back at home, the 2s were at home to Bishopstone and won by a comfortable 81 runs in South West One. Stuart Bailey with 64 and Ben Lyon 61 led the way to our 217-6 before the visitors were held to just 136-7 in reply with Ron Merritt 3-32 and Pete Tudberry 2-45 to the fore.
The 3rd XI were at home to CFL – who I think might have been the precursor to Camelot who were regular opponents in the New Forest League – and they were vanquished by 89 runs down at the Old Ground. Kenny Barrett’s unbeaten 45 down the order raised the score from a precarious 59-5 after Frank Stuttard’s 26 to a more respectable 158-8 but they never got close thanks to an inspired spell from Tony O’Connor who finished with 12-4-11-7 and Adrian Goddard took 2-26 as they were removed for just 69.
And the 4s were also victorious, defeating Michelmersh and Timsbury 2s by 82 runs. Gavin Hopgood’s 63 at the top of the order led the way before Steve Morgan (46) and Paul Willshire (42*) eased us to 178-3 before the trusty opening pairing of Paul Wilkins (3-10) and Iain Bowring (3-21) rushed through the top order and sent the home side to 96 all out.
Rain put paid to much of the weekend’s fixtures in 1980 but the 3rd XI’s match at home to Lyndhurst 2s survived although they only played 20 overs per side. Both Denny Lock and John Robertson made 26 as we reached 106-5 in our 20 before Lock took a couple of wickets to reduce the visitors to 9-2. Topham’s 28 and Gunter 47 gave them hope but a wicket each for Pete Wakeford and Adrian Goddard restricted them to 89-5.
Today’s final one comes from 1972 and the first round of the favourite Romsey Advertiser Knockout – which, of course, was 16 eight-ball overs. There was no bowler restriction so both sides could use their best two bowlers, exactly that they did as only four were used! Calmore batted first and made 93-8 with Ben Lyon’s 18 and Tony Archer 14 dominating early before Ron Merritt’s timely 19 not out late on. Lyon’s outstanding 5-30 and Michael Newman with 3-16 bowled the visitors out for just 51 to book our place in round 2.
But I also think that the scorers should get a special mention for this game, as they were two of the finest purveyors of their art. Scoring for Calmore was the legendary Terry Sweetman and for Romsey – my dear old Dad, Victor Isaacs (just five months before I was born!!).
