It’s Saturday! In the normal world, it’s Game Day. The 1st XI were due to renew their rivalry with Basingstoke and North Hants at Loperwood, the 2s were heading into the Forest to play New Milton 2s while the 3s were off to Stoneham Lane to play Trojans II and the 4s were down at the Old Ground expecting Old Netley and Highfield III. Of course, this is the unique 2020 season where none of the aforementioned matches will take place. So, instead, we continue to look back on the events of previous Saturdays and others of the 23rd May.
The fixture computer wasn’t the friendliest in 2015 for the first XI as, for the second week running, Mark Lavelle’s side were sent up the M3 this time to face Hartley Wintney in the fourth match of the SPCL Division One season. Lav won the toss and put the home side in and Paul Proudley soon had them 22-3 before their Australian import Aaron Wivell came in and took a liking to Steve Wright, who was bowling to the small straight boundary – and became only the second Calmore bowler in 1st XI history to go at over 10 runs per over having bowled 6+ overs (the other was Woody at home to Portsmouth in 2010). New South Welshman Wivell smashed 98 in 75 balls with 10 fours and 7 sixes before holing out to Lavelle off Rose and Danny Flanders hit 41 before he was ‘well caught’ by Cal Holloway off Mike West – care to elaborate on the catch? They posted 255 with Proudley the pick of the bowlers with 4-52, Mike West 2-47 and Ben Perry 2-17 – both stumped by Michael Donovan. West’s 35 off 26 balls at number 9 was the top score with Holloway’s 32 and Ben Johns’ 30 close behind but we would lose by 48 runs to seal a third defeat in four.
Back at home in County 3 South, the 2s welcomed Fawley II to Loperwood and their decision to bat first was probably a wrong one! Harry Morgan took both early wickets but at 57-2, they were quite content. Even at 79-4 and with Storm Anning hobbling off mid-over, the visitors would have been moderately pleased. Enter our sixth bowler … Paul Henry! Along with his captain Dave Blake (8.3-4-11-1), they sent them crashing to 85 all out with the ever reliable gentle-pace bowler recording figures of 5.4-3-5-5. 10 overs later and the game was over, Blake mauling 48 off 33 and Matt Taylor 29 off 27 showing no mercy!
Away from Saturday action, we had a Wednesday game for the ‘B’ team in the Border League Plate in 2012 with two incredible performance seeing us to a one-wicket win for Daniel Croft’s 10-men. At 88-3, Whiteparish were looking good for a decent total until Tim Packer’s 45 was ended by Matt Taylor who then took another … and another … and two more – to claim figures of 5-12 in three overs which saw the visitors only make 95-8. Surely that wouldn’t be too much trouble to chase that down? At 64-8 (remember we only had 10!), we were staring down the barrel at an early exit. Step forward George Woodhall! Needing 15 off the last over, he carried the side with 32* off 19 balls, with three sixes taking us to victory with two balls remaining!
Was this the start of things to come? As mentioned in yesterday’s OTD, Sunday friendlies were a dying breed but a trip to Cadnam – and the promise of some lovely cake and scones – is always a draw. And we had one such trip in 2010 which we won by 48 runs with a superb ton from opening batsman Michael Wallace, who, as is the norm in these games, retired out with exactly 100 to his name. Ben Perry struck 31 and Paul Galbraith retired hurt with 27 as we made 224-5 in 40 overs. Paul Jewer’s hosts only reached 176-9 in reply with a couple of wickets each for Tom Houlder, Luke Johnson and Ben Perry.
In County One in 2009, the 1st XI welcomed Bramshaw to Loperwood and sent them home with a six wicket defeat. Electing to bat first, the visitors were soon 9-2 as Paul Proudley trapped John Wall and captain Hart lbw within the space of three balls. Regular wickets continued to fall but they were let off the hook by James Martin’s lusty unbeaten 35 which drove them up to 194-9. What was slightly bizarre about this innings was seven of the 9 wickets to fall were bowled or lbw (and one was run out) but we also threw down 31 wides … talk about spraying it around! Proudley ended with 3-33 (8 wides) and Mark Lavelle 2-36 (6 wides). Bramshaw tried eight bowlers but they had no answer to Paul Cass who smacked 16 fours in his 87 and skipper James Rose 12 fours in a 62-ball 67 as we won with 16 overs in the bank.
For the 2s, it was a dominant performance at Woodgreen that saw us come home with a 98-run win in Regional 1 South. Dave Rose, with an uncharacteristically patient 91-ball 53 alongside Mike Cotton’s 34 and a couple of 20s from Paul Henry and Steve Brandes took us to 188-9 in our 42 overs. After, no doubt, a superb tea, Roy Walton destroyed their top order claiming 5-17, Henry grabbed 3-20 and c Walton b Brandes finished the innings with the last two dismissals to skittle them for 90.
There was another crucial win in the ‘oh so nearly’ season of 1998 up at Burridge which could have gone either way. Batting first, the home side made 221 with Pete Tugwell top scoring with 44 and Zimbabwean all-rounder Gary Brent hitting 37 but it was a good bowling display from Graeme Lyon (3-45), Paul Draper (3-59) and James Hibberd with 3-43 late on which kept the score down. Hibberd and Gregg Lewis shared a stand of 112 which put us firmly on track but Paul Jenkins ripped both out in quick succession on his way to 6-68 and we were reduced to 191-8. Fear not, Clive Surry (31*) was still at the crease and he received superb support from Steve Brandes (14*) which saw us home with an over left.
Played 3, won 2 – that’s a pretty decent start to the season and especially with this commanding win at Chapel Gate, confidence would have been really high in the early part of the 1992 season. Little did we know then that we would only win one more game that year! But this win at Bournemouth was a particular highlight, especially for that man Brandes again and also Stuart Bailey. The home side were bowled out for 128 with Mr. President running through the lower order with 4-16 after Alan Walker (2-28) and Ian Chivers (2-23) did the early damage. Bailey, who had taken five dismissals behind the stumps earlier, hit an unbeaten 35 and with skipper Graham Cooper (29) saw us to the win.
In 1987, the 1s lost at Portsmouth and Southsea by 34 runs despite Paul Sealey’s 5-35 but the 2s triumphed at home against Broadchalke by 9 wickets in South West 1 with Tufty Taylor taking 3-29 and Ray Hurst 2-41 in the visitors’ 127-6. Mark Hardy and Mike Kellaway added 86 for the first wicket – both hit 45 before Hardy and Paul Hoskins (26*) eased us to the comfortable win.
Our earliest scorecard on this day we have came in 1970 when we received a touring side from Andoversford near Cheltenham and I am sure they had a good day out despite the 78-run defeat. Stan Piper (33) and Martin Newman (29) top scored in our 151-8dec. Keith Bell took 4-31, Michael Newman 3-17 and Vic Loveless 2-8 tore through the Gloucestershire side for just 73.
CALMORE SPORTS BIRTHDAYS:
2001 – Charlie Gent
1963 – Andy Cooper
