With still no live cricket, we continue to look back over the years and we reach 14th May in our ‘On This Day’ in Calmore Sports history. And today we start with a moment of first XI uniqueness.
Havblaing narrowly got past Fawley the week before, we travelled to Hartley Wintney in the 2016 SPCL Division Two season fairly confident. And that confidence was well placed as we made it two from two with a thumping 115 run victory. Electing to bat first, we racked up an impressive 262-8 from our 50 overs with some impressive performances from Ben Moss (30), Ben Perry (30) and a swift unbeaten 31 at the end of the innings from Mike West. However, it was the innings at the top from opener Tam Goodrich that was the highlight. He batted superbly in reaching 99 before attempting to whip one and was caught at mid-wicket – becoming the only Calmore Sports 1st XI batsman in league history to be dismissed one shy of a century (Terry Chilcott was 99 not out against Old Symondian Ramblers at Loperwood in 1983). The home side had little answer to our bowlers – West 3-19, Rose 3-36 and Lavelle 3-17 doing the damage as they were rolled for 147.
Back at Loperwood, the 2s downed Cadnam by 48 runs thanks to Mitch Parker’s 82-ball 71 with David Blake (28) and Allan Hurst (44) boosting the total to 201-8 which was too many for the visitors – containing Paul Jewer (0-20 off 10 and run out by Blake for 14) and Matt Maiden (bowled by Henry for 2 and 0-46 in 7) – as they reached 153-9 – Hurst taking 3-18 and two each for Croft and Henry.
Now here is the match that Fawley Cricket Club have not been looking forward to. It was their first ever Southern Premier League game and they headed to Loperwood Park on 14 May 2011. Put into bat, Fawley made excellent progress in reaching 235-7 in their 50 overs with Lee Wateridge (42*) leading the way and Paul Marks (37), Owamir Afzal (34) and Callum Earl (30) all posting decent contributions against Mark Lavelle’s 3-31. We soon found ourselves 77-5 in reply and staring down the ‘barrel’ at a heavy defeat to the Oilers. Enter … Tom Pegler! The veteran blasted a sublime 97 from 74 balls with 13 fours and two sixes as he and James Rose (52) put on 142 for the sixth wicket to turn the game around. Both were removed before the end but their endeavour ensured we returned a three wicket win from nowhere!
The 2s were at Woodgreen that day and brought a 68-run win home. Luke Gould with 61 and Dave Brandes 31 took us to 195-8 which was way too many for the Foresters after, no doubt, an excellent tea as they made 127-9 in their 45 – Luke Johnson 3-20 and skipper Darren Challis 3-24 doing the damage. The 3s thrashed Milford on Sea 2s at the Old Ground by 6 wickets as Nigel Hill’s 5-38 and Tom Houlder 3-6 removed them for just 107. Ollie Tull with 40 not out and Dave Rose 32 safely took us home. And the 4s made it a full house as they hammered Ampfield 2s by 9 wickets with Stuart Bailey rolling back the years with 70* and Michael Donovan 24* leading the rampage after Keith Woodhall’s 3-15 and Matt Taylor 2-11 bowled the home side out for 110.
One thing that has been missing so far is a reference to the Cross Solent Sunday Invitation Cricket League and, on this day in 1995, we hosted Ventnor at Loperwood Park and won by 7 wickets with a superb century on the board. Batting first, the Islanders reached 194-7 which was a good turn around after Fletcher (51) and DeClerk (74) had added 123 for the first wicket. But a couple of wickets for Steve Brandes and Kurt Donaldson plus one each for Simon Ennew and Billy Sims held them up. We lost Keith Woodhall early and Donaldson and Jamie Winters added very few but Clive Surry blasted an unbeaten 107 and with Rob Budd (53*) led us to a comfortable win in the end.
Going way back to 1983 and having endured a washout against Paultons in week one, we welcomed Hook and Newnham to Loperwood Park and pulled off an exciting 10-run win in County One. Captain Billy Sims (31) put on 61 with Bob Wilcocks at the top of the innings before Terry Chilcott (36) and Martin Newman (29) all kept the opener company as he went about his business in carrying his bat through 42 overs for a well-paced 73 as we reached 183-4. The visitors made their way to 121-1 before Steve Brandes (4-51) and Sims (3-54) tied them up and they fell short of their target.
