Barnesbury Eagles (+Dodger) v Medroc/M25 (+more Dodgers)
27 June 1999
Orpington
Medroc/M25/Dodgers 100 all out
Barnesbury Eagles (+ Dodger)101-3
Barnesbury Eagles (+Dodger) won by 7 wickets
Batting/bowling stats – unavailable (thankfully)
Report
Extending their current on-field performance to encompass off-field organisation as well, a nadir was reached as 10 Dodgers (Priest, Brown, Roper, Leach, McBarron , Hilary (J)) and guests (Jason Marchant + 1, David Gilbert, Tony Whitrod) travelled through torrential rain to Orpington to find that, somehow, the Barnesbury Eagles were expecting to play Medroc/M25, rather than us. Apparently, we don't appear on their fixture list until 25 July.
After much swearing, it was agreed that John Adey (and child) were wholly to blame for the debacle, and we adjourned to the Colditz-like pavilion for a cup of tea (and in the case of the Eagles, something a little stronger). After a warming drink we reconsidered – it was unfair to burden the child with the sins of his parent: Adey was wholly to blame.
But all was not lost. For some, the afternoon was redeemed by Medroc/M25, who, exhibiting a BOCS-like organisational talent, had turned up with only 6 (beautifully kitted-out) players. Jumping at the opportunity, five Dodgers/guests – Hilary, Roper, Gilbert, Marchant and chum – agreed to play for them. Drawing the short straw, McBarron and Brown offered to umpire. Drawing the shorter straw, Leach was slotted into the Barnesbury team for what turned out to be some 30 overs of close-catching fun.
Priest lit another cigarette in the pavilion and Whitrod disappeared off home. The weather, which had at one stage looked terminal, started to ease, and we started play.
Interrupted by only one nasty rain shower, the usual Barnesbury attack did its usual thing, with Jimbo and Anthony (the younger and older Afro-Caribbean quicks) carving into the Medroc/M25/Dodgers early order. A brief respite was had whilst a new fast bowling prospect bowled a combination of bouncers, beamers and four-run byes and wides, before Naim and Jarnail – quick full pitching balding bloke and slow tubby bearded left arm spinner wrapped things up. No real glory for the dodgers, with both Hilary and Roper going cheaply, although Jason Marchant's mate did well. With a second ball duck against the tubby bearded bloke, David Gilbert revealed that his talents lay other than as a batsman. Medroc/M25 demonstrated that their 6 did not include too many batsmen. Barnesbury demonstrated their sportsmanship by putting your correspondent closer and closer in to the bat until, with Roper flailing at the spinner, he refused to get any nearer to the bat.
Going in to bat in miraculously brilliant sunshine, Barnesbury sought to finish the game off swiftly, and reached their total with some twenty overs to spare. Highlights were some very hostile bowling from Marchant's companion (we really ought to borrow him again if we can); Bertie, the Barnesbury captain, being bowled by a full toss, and complaining that it was a beamer because he ducked down so low that it flew over his shoulder; Stumpy the wicketkeeper/opener hitting Marchant's mate straight back over his head for six; and Medroc/M25 demonstrating that their six didn't include any fielders either, with a succession of misfields and fumbled catches. Roper bowled, but – I think – failed to take any wickets. Hilary didn't contribute to the Medroc/M25/Dodgers attack.
An excellent tea at £2 a head, no mention of a match fee and a very pretty ground made it a worthwhile Sunday (even if playing for the Eagles meant that your correspondent was denied a chance to demonstrate his inspirational batting or bamboozling mastery of the dark arts of spin).
But someone does need to check that fixture list for the rest of the Summer is ok. And if we do play Barnesbury on 25 July, we'll need to put out our best batting line-up –their bowling form looks pretty ominous.
Matt
28 June 1999
27 June 1999
Orpington
Medroc/M25/Dodgers 100 all out
Barnesbury Eagles (+ Dodger)101-3
Barnesbury Eagles (+Dodger) won by 7 wickets
Batting/bowling stats – unavailable (thankfully)
Report
Extending their current on-field performance to encompass off-field organisation as well, a nadir was reached as 10 Dodgers (Priest, Brown, Roper, Leach, McBarron , Hilary (J)) and guests (Jason Marchant + 1, David Gilbert, Tony Whitrod) travelled through torrential rain to Orpington to find that, somehow, the Barnesbury Eagles were expecting to play Medroc/M25, rather than us. Apparently, we don't appear on their fixture list until 25 July.
After much swearing, it was agreed that John Adey (and child) were wholly to blame for the debacle, and we adjourned to the Colditz-like pavilion for a cup of tea (and in the case of the Eagles, something a little stronger). After a warming drink we reconsidered – it was unfair to burden the child with the sins of his parent: Adey was wholly to blame.
But all was not lost. For some, the afternoon was redeemed by Medroc/M25, who, exhibiting a BOCS-like organisational talent, had turned up with only 6 (beautifully kitted-out) players. Jumping at the opportunity, five Dodgers/guests – Hilary, Roper, Gilbert, Marchant and chum – agreed to play for them. Drawing the short straw, McBarron and Brown offered to umpire. Drawing the shorter straw, Leach was slotted into the Barnesbury team for what turned out to be some 30 overs of close-catching fun.
Priest lit another cigarette in the pavilion and Whitrod disappeared off home. The weather, which had at one stage looked terminal, started to ease, and we started play.
Interrupted by only one nasty rain shower, the usual Barnesbury attack did its usual thing, with Jimbo and Anthony (the younger and older Afro-Caribbean quicks) carving into the Medroc/M25/Dodgers early order. A brief respite was had whilst a new fast bowling prospect bowled a combination of bouncers, beamers and four-run byes and wides, before Naim and Jarnail – quick full pitching balding bloke and slow tubby bearded left arm spinner wrapped things up. No real glory for the dodgers, with both Hilary and Roper going cheaply, although Jason Marchant's mate did well. With a second ball duck against the tubby bearded bloke, David Gilbert revealed that his talents lay other than as a batsman. Medroc/M25 demonstrated that their 6 did not include too many batsmen. Barnesbury demonstrated their sportsmanship by putting your correspondent closer and closer in to the bat until, with Roper flailing at the spinner, he refused to get any nearer to the bat.
Going in to bat in miraculously brilliant sunshine, Barnesbury sought to finish the game off swiftly, and reached their total with some twenty overs to spare. Highlights were some very hostile bowling from Marchant's companion (we really ought to borrow him again if we can); Bertie, the Barnesbury captain, being bowled by a full toss, and complaining that it was a beamer because he ducked down so low that it flew over his shoulder; Stumpy the wicketkeeper/opener hitting Marchant's mate straight back over his head for six; and Medroc/M25 demonstrating that their six didn't include any fielders either, with a succession of misfields and fumbled catches. Roper bowled, but – I think – failed to take any wickets. Hilary didn't contribute to the Medroc/M25/Dodgers attack.
An excellent tea at £2 a head, no mention of a match fee and a very pretty ground made it a worthwhile Sunday (even if playing for the Eagles meant that your correspondent was denied a chance to demonstrate his inspirational batting or bamboozling mastery of the dark arts of spin).
But someone does need to check that fixture list for the rest of the Summer is ok. And if we do play Barnesbury on 25 July, we'll need to put out our best batting line-up –their bowling form looks pretty ominous.
Matt
28 June 1999
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