Honours even in Mill Hill thriller
posted: May 19, 2013

It was pretty remarkable to be able to play any cricket at all on Sunday, as on Friday night the Strollers team sheet consisted of seven names. Indeed, at one stage, the idea of a union of forces between the Strollers and the Beamers was contemplated by respective captains – which, if it had been consummated, would have represented a diplomatic volte-face every bit as arresting as the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939. Fortunately, it came not to pass, as players suddenly declared availability. Most notably, Davey agreed to come straight from the morning session at Lord’s and arrived in jacket and tie – an unusual sight for any Stroller, but for David represented the first time he has worn a tie since 1995.

Secondly, the day dawned brightish and sunnyish and remained so until stumps had been drawn. Skipper Boughey was able to escort debutant Mark Pelham to and from the game with the top down on his mighty Mazda MX5 – another first for the season. The all-round vision afforded by this enviable perspective did not, however, allow for easy finding of the Cholmeleians ground in Hendon, which seems as carefully hidden as a commando training camp in 1943.

As Betts senior and junior were not due to join till 3pm the Irregulars skipper Charles Trevor sportingly agreed to dispense with the formalities of a toss and give the Strollers first bite of the cherry in what was a timed game, rather than our more familiar 35 overs. Spencer and Graeme opened, with Spencer rapidly finding the middle of the bat against Chipperfield who began to depart to the furthest reaches of the ground and beyond. The score went up by leaps and bounds for the first few overs and Chipperfield began to manifest signs of obvious distress.

However, in truth, batting was not that easy. The pitch was very slow and given to inconsistent bounce, while, under the warmer and heavier skies, Simon Gray demonstrated considerable swing and sharper-than-it-looks pace through the air. He had Spencer caught behind for 26 pushing forward outside the off stump – perhaps anticipating the in-swinger – and shortly afterwards newly married Tim Sturm was unluckily run out. Matt was also out caught behind off the edge and his cap while Graeme chipped to point for 21 and Davey was bowled by the slower-than-it-looks loopy off-spin of Robert Kyrakides. Young David collapsed in the outfield grass and was long silent before opining that it had not been worth leaving Lord’s early for.

With five down for not much than 50 and run scoring challenging, some retrenchment was required and that was provided by an excellent half century partnership between Gav (27, top scorer) and Dickie (26). Gav played some lovely shots off Kyrakides in particular, including a cover drive for four and a huge lofted straight six in successive balls.

The skipper had been looking for a total of around 175 before declaring but the option was taken from him by another rapid tumbling of wickets. Gav, who had looked in no trouble, was run out by yards after a fielder suddenly appeared from behind the square leg umpire to snaffle the ball. Dickie went soon after, Tom made 12 and débutant Mark 8, including a delightful back foot drive for four, but that was pretty much all she wrote and the Strollers were dismissed right on 5pm for a laboured 156.

That never looked to be enough runs, but we had counted without one of the best bowling displays by a Strollers bowler in recent memory. Charging in up the slight hill on a not particularly helpful surface, Tom Harvey’s figures at the end of two spells of sustained hostility were 13-4-50-5, and four of his wickets were bowled.  The first was opener Miller, who, after surviving and caught and bowled chance, saw his off stump uprooted in the next delivery.

Spencer, bowling at the other end, constantly asked questions of the batsmen and was unlucky not to end with more than his two wickets for 37 off 14 overs. Graeme also bowled tidily and it was a delight for the skipper – unable to bowl himself – to be able to use only three bowlers at the top of their game.
Actually, there were four bowlers, but debutant Mark may want to forget his one over. All the rudiments of line and length appeared to desert him for a succession of high loopy full tosses that plopped harmlessly somewhere in the outfield or multiple-bouncing-eventually-trickling no balls. At times the skipper feared that the over might never end.

It should be said, in mitigation, that Mark had not bowled for many a long year, and did enough by his batting, athletic fielding (Really? – Ed) and by his general demeanour to demonstrate that he has a long career as a Stroller ahead of him. If he wants it.

That over was not the only comedy moment of the innings. There was another, but one with much greater import for the game and one that also appeared less than 100% entertaining at the time. With the Irregulars in retreat, obviously intimidated by Tom, Yash Singh lofted one from Spencer high and straight. With the ball appearing to fall straight into Tim’s hands at short midwicket, David decided to bring the gloves to bear on the situation and charged headlong into Tim, with the latter despairingly calling “Mine.” There then followed what a cheap novelist might call a “sickening thud”, both Strollers were deposited in the grass while the ball rolled un-shepherded into the outfield. It was a crucial moment.

At number six came in Alex Gray, by some measure one of the youngest of the Irregulars and one who had earlier suggested by his litheness in the field he might be able to play a bit. So it was to prove and his second ball sailed over the bowler’s head for a boundary. But Strollers bowlers and fielders (and skipper, perhaps…) did a very good job of keeping him off strike or restricting, for the most part, his savage hitting in the V to singles while at the other end wickets tumbled regularly.

For a short time, all four results were still possible but as the Irregulars fell further and further behind the asking rate survival became clearly their main intention. With two overs to go Robert Kyrakides strode out with one wicket needed for victory and tension running at fever pitch. With all fielders round the wicket, he saw out the last over like Glenn McGrath at Old Trafford in 2005 and a great game ended with honours even and celebratory pints of frozen Carlsberg.

Simon Boughey
21.05.13

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