Good day to you, Thursday! Two days to go before Saturday is back again for another weekend of cricket wonderment … where we wonder when cricket will come back in some form or another. Anyway, it’s the 18th June and there were games On This Day in Calmore history starting with this huge blot in the first glory season of 2016.
With four wins from our opening five games, we travelled to Stoneham Lane to play unbeaten Trojans in SPCL Division Two, who had squeezed past Paul Draper’s South Wilts 2s seven days previously. But we were the purveyors of our downfall in this game as we crashed to a horrendous 114 run loss which put a serious dent into our own promotion charge and super charged Trojans’.
We won the toss, put the home side in and bowled well but badly let them off the hook too many times with dropped catches. Daniel Babidge top scored with 34 as they recovered from 46-4 after Paul Proudley’s outstanding opening spell of bowling which brought him figures of 10-3-10-3 – seven of the runs he conceded were wides! Aside from Babidge’s knock, Nigel LeBas made 20 and Jordan Wright 25 which took the hosts to 178-8 with Ben Perry taking 3-38 late on. With the ball nipping around off the pitch, Jamie Donaldson took full effect and with Faisal Rahim crashed through the top order as we slid to 30-7, only Matt Hardy clinging on with 17. A 21-run stand between Mark Lavelle (13) and Tom Pegler (15) did ease the panic but we were still rolled for only 64 – Donaldson taking 5-21, Rahim 2-15 and Mario Mohammed 2-7. Given our lengthy batting line up, with Pegler at 9 and Proudley 10, it was especially disappointing.
This particular player was crucial to their previous victory over us as listed in this “On This Day” series and he would prove it again – Follands captain Craig Procter. In this County 3 South game, Procter came to the crease with his side 43-4 after Allan Hurst’s burst of 3-21. Procter would smash 65 from 61 balls and with Baig (20) and little contributions later in the order would lift his side to 178-9 despite Paul Henry’s efforts of 3-32. We also had a half-centurion in our side as Callum Holloway made 61 off 62 balls with six fours and four sixes but received little support until Hurst made 25 not out as we were bowled out for 145 to suffer a 33-run loss.
The 3s match at home to Dorset Indians was abandoned but the 4s had a long trek to Shrewton 3s in Regional 4 North-West but returned with maximum points and a seven wicket win. Shrewton did well to make 172 having recovered from being 94-8. The last three batsmen all dug in, Nicholson made 28, Mundy 26 and Dancey 13* as Mike Cotton was the pick of the bowlers with 3-63, Tom Pattison 2-25 and Ben Smart 2-17 all helping out. Our reply didn’t start well at 9-2 but Callum Stanton’s excellent 71 not out and Sam Vidler with an unbeaten 51 directed the chase to victory.
It was a Border League night in 2013 and a trip down Winsor Road to play Cadnam and it was one of their old boys who stole the show and I don’t think they liked it very much! Darren Vann’s blistering 85 from just 46 balls with 10 fours and three sixes into the trees along with Paul Proudley’s 22-ball 31 drove the score up to a mammoth 190-5. Cadnam slid to 19-4 as Daniel Croft took 2-9 in three overs which even contained a maiden and James Rose 2-22 before Matt Hardy cracked an unbeaten 66 in 55 balls with five fours and five sixes but it was even beyond him as they closed at 116-6.
Back at Loperwood, the ‘B’ team were up against Whiteparish in Division 2 and would claim a five-wicket win with two players to the fore in the victory. The visitors scored just 81-7 with George Woodhall grabbing 2-17 but it was Adam Hargreaves’ spell of 4-1-9-4, including one of his very good friends Tim Burden, which hamstrung their innings. Skipper Michael Cook was crucial in the reply with his 45 as we got home with 10 balls to spare.
The club was going through a difficult period in the mid-2000s and we suffered another couple of defeats in 2005, including going down to Havant Second XI in SPCL Division 2. Skipper Paul Cass hit 59 and Paul Hurst 22 in our sub-par 173-9. Veteran Mike Edwards scored an unbeaten 54 after Paul Proudley (2-29) and Jamie Winters (2-30) had sent the hosts to 27-3 but they rushed to victory with over 10 overs left in the bank. And the 3s lost narrowly at the Old Ground against Old Tauntonians and Romsey 4s by just 8 runs. Jeff Tyler was the pick of the bowlers with 2-33 as Ian Jerram (40) and Ian Owen (47*) took them to 184-5. Ollie Tull’s 60 and Paul Sealey with 20 did their bit but the young outfit which had Steve Dunn, Ben Perry, Allan Provins, Mark Gardner and Michael Cook in fell just short.
25 years ago today in 1995 saw an all-day friendly match at home to US Portsmouth which would result in a six-wicket victory courtesy of an excellent century from Simon Williams. Services batted first and declared after 46 overs with 245-7 as Dave Hibberd took 3-18 and Kurt Donaldson 2-20. We lost Donaldson early but a super stand of 166 between Williams (103) and Mark Boston (81) was the backbone of the innings which took Gary Stinson’s side to victory.
Spinners. In the last 30 years or so, they have been the key to a lot of our success and not for the first nor the last, it would prove crucial in this County One game down the road at Paultons in 1994. 1,420 wickets have been taken by spinners since 1990 at 19.80 average and a strike rate of 31.64 while the seamers have more wickets (1,867) at 24.09 (s/r 39.31). Tom Pegler’s 49 was the mainstay of our innings but with good support from Stuart Bailey (36) and Chris Garrett (38) down the order took us to 213 all out. Colin James’ 50 was the platform for Paultons before the spinners came on. Kevin Marshall’s 4-25 and John Shepherd 4-46 sent Paultons from 89-1 to 134 all out, the final wicket falling to Graeme Lyon who had controlled at the start of the innings with 2-27.
It was a lot more clear cut for the 2s in County Four at home to Compton and Shawford as we racked up a 142-run victory on the back of a sensational run-a-ball century from Mike Durand. He batted through the full 45 overs and made an undefeated 115 with 12 fours and a six and received solid backup from skipper Gary Stinson (24), Keith Woodhall (20) and Mark Hardy (32) as we reached 231-6. Barnes and Igglesden put on 55 for the first wicket but were bowled out for just 89 as Mark Boston (5-21) and Sean Eckton (4-32) steamed through the Winchester sides’ line-up.
Things weren’t so good for the 3s as they were thrashed by Exbury by 113 runs despite what you could call an all-round effort from Tony O’Connor and Dave Ransley! O’Connnor took 2-46 and Ransley 3-28 but it didn’t prevent the visitors making 244-7. We soon found ourselves 40-7 against Dyer’s 5-25 before Tony cracked 35 and Dave, batting at 11, 14 not out which took us to 131 all out in the end. And the 4s really should have won at Pylewell Park 2s but managed to lose by 1 wicket. Jamie Winters hit 43 and Simon D’eath 22 but Ray Hurst’s side only made 127-7. The home side were reduced to 106-9 with Neil Dennis (2-30), Terry Walton (3-39) and Graham Phelps (3-19) doing the damage. But the Foresters last pair scampered the remaining 22 runs to seal the win.
Harp Lager – ask your parents! But it was brewed right here in Hampshire at the Bass Brewery in Alton. And for a number of years, their cricket team were regulars in the Hampshire League, originally as Courage (Alton) and, until 1998, Bass. We played them often and this game in 1988 was one to remember for Adam Carty. Gary Stinson’s 53 and Jimmy Gill with 50 moved us to 236-6 and the home side were bowled out for just 99 with young spinner Carty taking the incredible figures of 6-8, the best figures for the club in seven seasons.
If you have read through this OTD series, you will know we love a stat (is that a surprise when you know who’s writing them!). This next stat is one that should never be broken in a first XI game … but you never know! It’s County One in 1983 and a full strength Calmore side travelled to Bath Lane to play Fareham. Our season had started with a couple of wins, a couple of defeats and a couple of washouts. This game would go down in history as it lasted only 21.5 overs from start to finish. In just 14 of them, we would record our lowest ever score of 28. Yes, that’s right … 28! Jimmy Gill top scored with 7 and Michael Newman 6 as Kimber claimed figures of 7-4-4-5 and Wyatt 4-24 in the rout. Fareham needed only 7.5 overs to knock off the runs and win by 10 wickets which left all scratching their heads. What makes this game even more crazy is that, seven days later against Old Symondian Ramblers, we would score 230-2!
Today’s last one is a classic! A Sunday Second XI friendly match in 1989 up at Loperwood against a team called Grasshoppers, made up from a number of players from Michelmersh and Timsbury and a couple of teachers who had the misfortune of educating both myself and Mark Boston at Mountbatten School. The visitors batted first and were bowled out for 121 as Nigel Hill took 3-29, Paul Draper 2-3 and Mark Boston 2-10. Our chase was cut down to size by Bonzer (4-19) and Anderson (4-36) and at 75-8, we were looking doomed. However, Andy Buckle – John Buckle’s son – smashed a quick-fire 32 and took us to the brink before he went with seven still needed. The thing is, Andy put on 41 for the ninth wicket. And the batsman at the other end ….. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ….. it’s bloody Johnny Boston! With 15-year-old Nigel Hill’s 6 not out, they saw us to a one-wicket win. John had scored 8 not out – for the record, Paul Draper scored 0. Bloody Draper ……..
