Couldrey and Brown the chief assasins as Strollers gun down the Fallopians
posted: September 2, 2013

To be honest, when one looked at the team available for the game against the Fallopians and compared it to the probable strength of the opposition (a cursory glance at the Fallopians’ website gives evidence of a difficult season), a win always seemed rather likely. In fact, had it not been forthcoming the skipper was prepared to spend the subsequent three or four days in catatonic grief and self-loathing. 

But no-one could have envisaged the scale of victory. The Strollers amassed 335-5 off 35 overs, beating by three runs their highest ever total in this format of the game. This was probably at least 100 runs too many for the Fallopians and they never really threatened to get close to the asking rate of almost ten an over.

The principal architects of what was an extremely satisfying win were David Couldrey, who scored his début century and came within a few overs  of carrying his bat through the innings, and Harry Brown, who blew away the middle order to secure a fivefer. Harsh was also back to his brutal, uncompromising best, smashing 83 runs in a whirlwind innings during which the Fallopians visibly wilted.

The middle order provided no relief, with Ron dashing his way to another fine fifty and Spencer contributing an unbeaten 36. By the time the innings concluded, it looked as if ‘mental disintegration’ had set in for the Fallopians. This is exactly what the skipper had hoped. A savage approach one might think, but the Strollers have been on the wrong end of more than a few hidings this season and this was payback time.

It all started very differently. Gav, fresh from his career best at Chippenham, was bowled second ball with one that came back down the hill. But any optimism that the Fallopians might have felt was quickly dashed as Harsh set about the bowling with merciless zeal, dispatching the bowling to the most distant regions of the main pitch at NLCC. He was particularly punishing to anything short of a length and struck five fours in succession in one over.

At the other end, offering a sweet contrast in styles, David caressed the ball to the rope with a succession of late cuts and beautifully timed clips off his legs. He did not disdain the direct approach, however, and once struck a full toss back over the bowler’s head into the sight screen.

The second wicket fell at 130 when Harsh, seeming odds on for a century, was bowled with one that kept low. Ranamit joined Davey at the crease and though the scoring rate slackened off a little the Strollers never got mired. Ron introduced his now familiar energy and quick running (an approach which has left several older Strollers wide-eyed with consternation) and score kept pushing ahead. When Davey was finally bowled for 113, Spencer came in, and knocked off a quick unbeaten 36 against a visibly demoralised attack. At tea, with 335-5 on the board, the Strollers had every reason to feel happy with their afternoon’s work.

Fallopians opener Peter Frisbey was beaten by pace by Joe in his first over and as the Strollers met in the middle to celebrate, the skipper offered the heart-warming injunction ‘No mercy, no mercy” to his team-mates. Scoltok played and missed an unfathomable number of times to balls that whistled by the outside edge of appeared to go through the stumps, before he clipped to cover where Spencer held the catch. Only skipper Suhail offered any real resistance, smashing his way to a classy 76 before he lofted one to midwicket where Gav clung on (when it clicks, it all clicks – Ed). Bruce was the happy bowler and it was a tonic to see him back in whites.

Older Strollers might have been feeling the merciless approach adopted by the skipper a bit much. However,  he had an able and far less squeamish ally in a feisty, lanky 16-year old called Harry Brown who demolished the trembling middle and lower order with fast, full and straight bowling, some shorter stuff just to let them know who was boss and plenty of eye-balling. Just the stuff the skipper loves to see and wishes he could still do.

The rest of the wickets fell in a heap and the Fallopians collapsed to 143 all out with ten overs still to go. In fairness, it has to be said that they had struggled to get out a side at all for the game, with plenty of absences, and they were well below par strength. Opening bat Peter Frisbey, who had worked especially hard to get the fixture on and to whom we all owe some thanks, confided in the bar later that he normally bats 10 or 11 but had been pressed into service as an opener.

And so to the bar, where an unusually jocular Strollers crew repaired, drank pints of lager and told and retold tales of derring do.  David and Harry (whose combined age is, an alarmed skipper suddenly realised, some way short of the oldest Strollers) were toasted by all, and Davey celebrated in a manner familiar to those who had accompanied him to Malta – by voiding the contents of his stomach over the terrace and onto the barbecue equipment below. Happy days.

Simon Boughey
02.09.13

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