Here is the latest offering from our series on “Calmore Sports On This Day” – and we have moved onto May 5. We are looking back at the uploaded scorecards on CricketArchive and on the club’s statistical database. So what happened today?
Today, on this day in Calmore Sports history, is something of a landmark as May 5 in 1990 marked the club’s first ever match in the Southern League when we welcomed Alton to Loperwood Park for our bow having sealed the HCL Division One title under Steve Brandes’ guidance in 1989. And we marked the occasion with a comfortable 46 run victory.
Electing to bat first, Gary Stinson (54) and Dave Parsons (79) put on 101 for the first wicket. Rob Budd (39), Stuart Bailey (45) and former Hampshire seamer Kevin Emery (26*) took us to a challenging 260-5 from our 48 overs. Even though Paddy Heffernan hit 87, he didn’t receive much in the way of support – with the exception of 40 extras – and were bowled out for 214 – all five bowlers taking two wickets each, Cliff Estall, Emery, Chris Garrett, Brandes and Kevin Marshall. It was to be a false dawn … we lost the next four games!
Our earliest league game on this date was just down the road at Whitemoor Lane in HCL Division One 1979 – and it was a low scoring epic too which the home side just managed to get home by 1 wicket. 25 from Terry Chilcott, 23 for Ben Lyon and 12 for Billy Sims were the only double figure scores and Goldbey (5-37) and Mansbridge (5-26) as we were rolled for just 86. Yet another five wicket haul for Ray Hurst (5-26 in 21 overs) ran through the Paultons batting line up with only Whittington (39) showing any resistance but Mansbridge and Davis managed the six runs they needed for the 10th wicket to win the game with two balls to spare.
In 2007 on this day saw the start of the HCL Division 1 campaign with a trip to Lymington 2s but, despite scoring 280, we were crushed by 7 wickets! After skipper James Rose won the toss and batted first, we found ourselves 74-5. We were rescued by Mark Lavelle’s first XI best score of 32, a 47-ball 42 from keeper Stuart Bailey, a patient 37 from Ben Perry and then the only half-century by a number 10 in Calmore 1st XI history from Roy Walton, from only 41 balls took us to 280 from 46 of their 48 scheduled overs – a total boosted by 68 extras including 53 wides! But eight bowlers couldn’t make any headway as Rutherford (78) and Greatrix (114*) put us to the sword.
There was quite a wet weekend in 2012 but the fourth XI got a game in and beat Hythe and Dibden 3s at Blackfield in HCL Regional 3 SW by 84 runs thanks to an unbeaten 80, carrying his bat, by 14-year-old Ben Johns who was joined by 15-year-old George Woodhall (33*) to take the 4s to 169-4. Hythe were skittled for just 85, thanks to Marc Gilmore’s 3-10, Mark Taylor’s 2-8, Tom Pattison (2-28) and Jack Nicholson (2-6).
There seemed to be quite a bit of wet weather around – the 2s match in 1979 in HCL South West 2 against Porton Camp, the HCL Division 1 home game with Paultons in 1984, the home SPCL Division 1 game with South Wilts in 2001 and SPCL Division 3 game at home to Tichborne Park in 2012 all falling foul to waterlogged pitches.
All of this brings us to 5 May 2018. Both the 2s match at home to Winton and the 4s game with Fair Oak 4s were both called off. The 3s went off to Godshill and returned home with a 6-wicket victory. Godshill were bowled out for 116 with three wickets each for Ben Perry and Dave Blake while Adam Carty grabbed a couple. The 3s made light work of the chase with Callum Stanton’s 41 leading the way.
The 1st XI kicked off their SPCL Division 1 season – as the reigning Champions – with an overseas trip to Ventnor. The basic facts are that Ventnor won by 97 runs, recovering from 141-6 as Cheek (52) and Dye (59*) took them to an imposing 290-8 in their 50 overs – James Rose the pick of the bowlers with 4-67 and Lavelle 2-44. Only Ben Johns, with 67, scored twenty or more as we were bowled out for 193. But there is more to this story … Wrighty, it is over to you!
