CURDRIDGE CRICKET CLUB 1853-2025

Saturday dawned rather grey and dreary, and the forecasts of rain from earlier in the week looked like they might be realised. Adding to the impending sense of doom was the discovery that the only person on the team with a key to the clubhouse was Mike Punt… In a shock turn of events, by the time players were arriving the sun was out, Mike had turned up in good time, and all looked set fair for the afternoon’s cricket.

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Standing in as skipper today, Dom soon found he had inherited Jule’s inability to toss well, and Curdridge were sent into the field. Opening up the bowling were Messirs Candy and Hillman – Stu trying to get in as many appearances before he departs on a free transfer to a team in France, taking with him all the cricketing skills he has learned from Curdridge… we’ll leave that there shall we.

A lot of effort for little reward from the opening bowling partnership, as the Clanfield openers scored at a steady pace, and some indifferent fielding helped their total accumulate. Few chances were given by the batsmen – an opportunity for a caught & bowled bursting through Stu’s hands, and one slow bouncer shaving past the stumps by a matter of centimetres. Changes in the bowling brough no reward, as Dan Clark and Tom Mould (more on him later) were brought into the attack. The opening partnership went past 50 and headed towards 100.

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Dom deciding things needing changing – bringing Rob on to bowl explain that it was time for something a bit different and Rob was the bit different option. Not entirely sure how to take that…

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At drinks Clanfield at reached 103 without loss, a steady rate of 5 an over and looking ominous to pile a big score onto a pitch which had already delivered 850 runs in two matches. However, with the score at 111 Rob tempted the batsman out of his crease, and with sharp work behind the stumps Craig had the stumping and the partnership was broken.

 

It was about this time, with Mike bowling from the other end, that things took a turn in an unexpected direction. Sadly dear readers the writer of this tale did not witness the events which took place but recounts them here from first hand sources. Mike’s bowling was despatched into the trees for a six by the number three batsman (that’s not the unexpected bit). A handful of the Curdridge players followed it in to retrieve the ball. This took some time. After some rustling amongst the bushes, a sight never before beheld in the annals of Curdridge appeared. Like something out of a bad docudrama about prehistoric man, or an Attenborough nature documentary gone hideously wrong, emerging from the foliage came Mr Mould, bare chested, carrying his shirt, and accompanied by the very-much unsuppressed mirth of his fellow ball-seekers. It occurred that Tom had managed to find the only part of the stream next to the pitch which actually contained water, and mud, and probably some other stuff too. Having relied on a branch to take his weight crossing the stream once too many times, that branch decided it had had enough, and in went Tom, face first, for a quick dip, accompanied by a cry using language, I’m told, that won’t bear repeating here. Proudly striding across the pitch, brand-new shirt held in his hands covered in mud and soaking wet, trousers, socks and shoes likewise, all we can say is that this event is certainly not something Radar had forecast… Naturally, the skipper then insisted that this, alone, warranted a match report. So I shall hasten through the rest as otherwise this will be slower than my batting.

 

Once play resumed, Rob got a second breakthrough, bowling the Clanfield batsman whose 6 had precipitated the Tom-Stream Incident. The not-out batsman reached his 100, and generously retired to give others on his side an opportunity to bat. This certainly helped restrict the Clanfield scoring, as they had continued at a reasonable pace but never managed to accelerate, and the new batsmen were contained by the Curdridge bowling, although the fielding remained shoddy in places. Further wickets fell, with Tom, none the worse for wear, swooping in from cover with a direct-hit run out, Sam picking up a wicket, and Aman another with the first bowl of his spell as he said ‘aiming at the stumps…’. The final opportunity of the game came from a spiralling shot high into the air. With a confident shout Stu got under the catch, and, practicing for his move to France, promptly dropped it faster than a Frenchman drops a rifle.

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Clanfield posting a total of 204-4 after their 40 overs, it felt a very gettable target for the Curdridge batsmen, and a good effort to restrict them after a very solid start. The retirement of their set batsman helped, but a number of fielding errors had gifted the batting side runs which shouldn’t have been, too.

 

Onto the Curdridge innings; shaking up the batting order a bit Dom sent in Rob and Sam Cave to open; Rob because after his last, short-lived, batting “display” he clearly needed the time at the crease and Sam on the back of his runs last week. With 5 an over needed the innings opened slow and steady. Having learned from the first innings, Clanfield quickly took the pace off the bowling, and whilst runs came steadily they came slowly, at 10 overs no wickets down but a little shy of the pace at 43-0. Nonetheless, the 50-run opening partnership came, before Same was caught at cover trying to lift the ball over the field, but a good 21 had contributed to a solid platform to build on with engine room of the batting order still to come. In came Dan at number three, with Rob still grinding out an innings at the other end. Soon finding his rhythm Dan was quickly striking the ball to all parts, with a rapid 38 accelerating the score, before he was stumped when Sammy interpreted the quizzical look from the Clanfield keeper as an appeal and up went the finger, much to everyone’s surprise – not least Dan’s. With the score at 129-2, 75 runs were needed from the last 15 overs, and with Rob still occupying one end of the crease Dom came in at the unfamiliar position of 4. Dom soon picked up were Dan left off, runs flowing freely, and a change to pace by the Clanfield bowlers gave Rob a bit more freedom, a couple of good overs bringing up Rob’s 50, and the required run-rate heading in the right direction. A fine catch from a Clanfield fielder running and taking it low down saw Dom dismissed for 25, which brough Aman to the crease. His first words to Rob were ‘I was falling asleep over there’… He then proceeded to despatch the ball around the ground, intermixed with comments to Rob such as “go for the glory shot”, “I’ll give you the strike”, and “I’m not wasting any balls here”… Two kamikaze singles later his attempts to run Rob out failed, but his rapid 32, and Rob carrying his bat for 58 not out, saw Curdridge reach the total with three overs to space, making it three wins from three in a set of April friendlies none of which were marred by rain. 

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Next week, the league begins with an away game versus Eastleigh Warriors.

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Man of the Match: It would be self-serving to award this to myself, so Man of the Match goes to Tom Mould, for his athletic efforts to combine Cricket with Wild Swimming.

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Donut of the Day: The award of course has to go to Tom Mould, for managing to find the only bit of the stream which actually has water in it, taking a dive into it, and ruining his brand new Curdridge shirt.

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Champagne Moment: A dual award this week. Andy, umpiring, watching the ball go into trees during Curdridge’s innings and with impeccable timing and panache shouting “Radar” as he pointed in the direct of the ball. And to salvage something from the day, to Tom for his swooping direct-hit run out.