Strollers maintain undefeated record at Chippers

The Strollers extended their unbeaten run against Chippenham on Saturday to 4 successive years undefeated in an impressive display with numerous highlights including, for the first time ever, two centuries in a Strollers innings — more of which later. The match ended in a close draw that, with a little extra good fortune, would certainly have been a Strollers victory.

With a number of regulars absent, the Strollers lineup comprised of something old, something new and something borrowed — in the shape of Amit Shanker, sometime number three bat for the Horizontals, drafted in at the last minute to make up the numbers. Nevertheless the depth of available batting looked so formidable that when Gav won the toss, he opted to bat first. For the first time in living memory at Chippenham the Strollers would have the opportunity to post a total, the theory being to take the opposition out of their comfort zone and see how well their game was suited to chasing — the shoe finally on the other foot so to speak.

Harsh strode out to open the innings with Arif Qawi, who was finally making his Strollers début after threatening to join our ranks for months. The batsmen immediately made the most of a depleted Chippenham attack with Harsh and Arif quickly adopting respective roles as hitter and sheet-anchor that confounded the bowlers with a mixture of stoic resistance and all out assault.

The first fifty was reached without loss in seemingly no time, with Harsh notching up his own half century shortly thereafter thanks to a display of imperious shots all around the park including a mighty six, driven on the up and into the tennis courts! However, in the twelfth over, the opening stand was broken as Arif tentatively stepped into the line of a low one from Hedger and was trapped LBW for 12.

This brought Amit to the crease who looked every bit the assured number three, dispatching his first ball for four. Playing with circumspect care and attention, Amit initially played second fiddle to the swashbuckling Harsh but, as he found his footing, he too hit his straps and the watching Strollers were treated to a display in which their two batsmen in the middle made scoring look, well, easy.

Pausing only for a recharging drinks break, Harsh marched on with his powerful cover drive more than once proving too fast for the deep set field to reach. The hundred partnership was reached with ease as both batsmen opened their shoulders. Harsh’s progress was only stilted as, having seen opposition skipper Simon Heather put down a difficult half chance in the deep, he entered the nineties although whether this was due to nerves or the fact that Amit, passing 50, was now making the most of the strike was impossible to tell.

But there was nothing to be worried about as, with a textbook on drive, Harsh brought up his ton and turned to bask in the applause and admiration of his team-mates on the touch line. Perhaps feeling entitled to chance his arm Harsh sadly only made three more when, with the score on 182, he marched down the wicket to launch a lobbed delivery from Simon over the top, missed and was eagerly stumped by wicketkeeper Alan for 103. But it had been a towering innings that had put his side in the box seat, so it was a contented Harsh who returned to the pavilion for a well earned rest.

Matt was next in and knew that his was a supporting role to Amit who continued to push on. With some neat running between the wickets the 200 was reached without further incident. Amit seamlessly stepped into the role of lead batsman whilst Matt nudged and nurdled well until, having made 15, he holed out to Crispe with a mistimed drive with the score now 229-3.

With one eye on a suitable declaration total Gav gave De Dazzler, next in, the unaccustomed opportunity of ‘having a licence’ to have a hit but unfortunately he was unable to capitalize as he too was caught by Crispe  off Hedger having made a single. With the twin desire of reaching the 250 mark and of seeing Amit chalk up his own hundred, Gav shrugged off a little internal pressure to bring the batsmen off, citing Chippers’ slightly sluggish over rate as a possible tactic to dupe him into premature  declaration.

Unafraid of showing his hand Gav yelled from the boundary that Amit and Graeme, now at the crease, had just two overs to reach both targets. Graeme, scampering in customary style, ran a two to bring up the 250 and then, in the 42nd over, Amit became the second batsmen of the day to reach three figures with a beautiful off drive for four, much to the delight of the watching Strollers. Declaring on a mighty 258-4, the Strollers enjoyed a typically sumptuous Chippers tea in the comforting knowledge that they could really turn the screws on the opposition when it came their turn to bowl.

When the Strollers took the field Simon, suffering from a nasty virus, valiantly ran in for the first over but it was apparent that Chippenham were in no mood to play themselves in slowly and looked to score from the off as Brown flicked the first ball down to leg for four. With barely time to recover from his century, Amit took the second over from the tennis court end and, with impressive accuracy mounted the pressure with a maiden, with the field positioned closely around the bat.

Amit’s accuracy posed the Chippenham batsmen all kinds of problems with a barrage of LBW shouts lucklessly failing to yield a wicket. Despite his best efforts, Simon was noticeably suffering so, after just four overs he was brought off and Graeme was introduced at the tennis court end to allow Amit to switch and take Simon’s place. Chippenham’s batsmen made the most of the disruption as Brown looked to drive whilst Wright, in typical fashion, offered unerring resistance and a frustrating habit of hauling the ball round the corner behind square.

The fifty was reached and the batsmen settled into a healthy run rate. For all his tenacity, Amit looked as though he needed a break so Gav turned to Harsh to take over and so began a war of attrition with spin operating at both ends. The ominous prospect loomed of the first hundred being knocked off without loss before the onset of the last twenty overs but, thankfully, with the score on 96 the breakthrough came as Brown drove uppishly at a slower delivery from Harsh and was dismissed for 49 as he drilled directly to De Dazzler who did well to hang on to the catch.

Darren Hughes, next in, clearly looked to be a man a mission as he charged between ends, puffing his partner out. But Alan did well to keep up and continued to work the ball down the hill where Dickie, Deavs, Arif and Jake were doing an excellent job patrolling the boundary, saving valuable runs. Darren, usually a very sensible batsman, swung in his eagerness to push towards the target and was eventually worked out as Graeme skidded one through his defences, dismissing him for 17 with the score on 123. Alan powered on, now driving straight until, off a loose delivery from Graeme, one such shot was skied to long on where Harsh waited, watched and caught the prize wicket!

This brought Chippenham skipper Simon to his crease who indignantly shrugged off early shouts for an LBW and a caught behind, and got down to the business of the chase at hand. Riding his luck, Heather was fortunate to see a potential catch in the deep shelled by Amit off Graeme’s bowling, and he dug in with assured determination to meet the required run rate.

However, his partner Sadler never looked comfortable in the middle  and, having made 6, he was stumped off Harsh’s bowling with some reflex footwork from Matt, fittingly in keeping with a day that also heralded the start of the new football season. The excitement mounted as, next ball, man of the hour Harsh collected a third wicket bowling Crispe through the gate. The Strollers eagerly closed in for the hat-trick ball but, despite a strong LBW shout, Harsh was denied yet more glory and Hall survived.

Heather and Hall then mounted a laudable effort to chase down the target as, with a combination of well put-away boundaries and good running Simon in particular powered ahead. With both Graeme and Harsh tiring somewhat, Amit was reintroduced into the attack and, for the first time in the day De Dazzler was brought on. The tension mounted as, with six overs remaining in the day’s play, the 200 was reached and there was the distinct feeling that Chippenham had the sniff of a chance.

But the fears were allayed as Hall, always looking the unsteadier component in the partnership, had a sudden rush of blood to the head, took an enormous heave at De Dazzler and sent the ball skyward. When it came down inside the boundary there could be only one man waiting …and it was of course Harsh who held his nerve and collected the ball into his chest to the delight of his team mates.

By now, only two results were possible — the draw or a Strollers victory — and with pressure mounting round the bat Amit finally saw his efforts rewarded as he skittled youngsters Shimmons and White in the same over. The game entered it’s final act as, with the score on 209-8 De Dazzler stepped up to bowl the last over. In a mirror image of the endgame of so many clashes at Chippenham, this year it was the Strollers’ turn to crowd the bat with four slips, two gullies and men in at ‘silly’. But despite the pressure, Simon Heather, playing for pride in this ‘Clash of the Chocolate Execs’, steadfastly shut out the last six and, in a day that had seen so much drama, the innings closed in quiet fashion.

The win may have been only just out of our reach but, as the sides walked off all involved felt they had taken part in a great game of cricket and skipper Gav, delighted with his team’s performance, returned to the pavilion contented that not only had the Strollers maintained their unbeaten record at Chippers for another year but also that the current streak now extends to five straight games undefeated. Yes, the Strollers of 2008 are hard to beat!

Gavin Richardson
17.08.08

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