CURDRIDGE vs CLANFIELD 1's - 27th April 2026
Another sunny late April afternoon, which started out warm and got warmer as the match continued, much to everyone’s surprise, even our resident weatherman. On a pitch which looked as though it hadn’t been played on at all last week, and for which there were already concerned murmurings about needing some rain (!)
Jules strode out and immediately things started to go wrong when he had the audacity to win the toss, overturning centuries of tradition and doubtless bringing the ire of the cricketing gods down upon us.
Nonetheless, in went Rob and Dom to open the batting, and a quick start saw the score progress to 13 from the first two overs. Thereafter, Rob decided he’d had enough time at the crease, chopping on to his off stump and trudging off the pitch.
No sooner had he got his pads off than Dom picked up a full toss and managed to hit it right into square-leg’s hands, leaving the score at 13-2. Dom’s face said all the words he (mostly) restrained himself from saying…
The replacement batsmen were Jules and Jack, who had put up the fight last week that started to build our total. However, disaster struck when Jack edged through to the slips and the innings was teetering on 23-3. Not the practice you want your top order to be getting the week before the first league game of the season.
However, Jules was fresh off a 50* last week, and out strode George, promoted up the order after his valiant 0 not out last week from no balls faced. Choosing to bat sensibly, Jules and George began to build the innings, with Jules picking up runs where others had struggled and George playing with that rarest of things at Curdridge, a straight bat. Runs began to flow as both batsmen plundered the bad balls, and the score moved into the 50s and beyond in the face of canny bowling. As drinks approached, the score was looking healthier still, before George lost his stumps to leave us 71-4 after 20 overs. A solid innings, though, helping the rebuilding of the innings.
Up next was Alan, and he and Jules continued to push the score onwards; Jules reached a second 50 in a row, and retired, clearly in good form before the league begins (cricketing gods, I invoke thee with the power of putting the mockers on it…).
In strode Mike, and the score continued upwards before Alan was caught for 27 with the score on 138, with 7 overs left. It would be down to the bowlers to get us up to a competitive score, and Mike and Tom set about this with aplomb, beginning to plunder the runs, particularly Tom as he lofted straight drives down the ground, and both batsmen pushed for runs at every opportunity. This did, it has to be said, involve each of them gradually turning brighter shades of red and leaning ever further over their bats as they sprinted the 2s and 3s.
Chances for run-outs came and went to no avail for Clanfield, Tom showing his effort as he put in a dive like a hippo seeing a particularly lovely patch of mud only to hit a tripwire on the way in, but getting home safely nonetheless.
The attacking partnership pushed the total over 150 and up to 170 before Mike was bowled, with Tom following soon after, caught for a swashbuckling 25, Dan, Adam and Sam added to the runs, Dan being stumped off a wide but the score reaching 186-8 after a very shaky start, and a target to bowl at.
Dan and Tom opened up the bowling, and kept things quiet for the first few overs; indeed, Tom’s first ball was dropped by Jack behind the stumps, and the opportunity for a stumping in the same ball was also missed.
The reprieve allowed the Clanfield openers to settle in and, despite tight bowling, the score began to grow. A change was called for, and in came Mike, only for his first over to be plundered for 13 (now, I saw this only because it felt like my first over was the worst of the match, but as it turns out, statistically it wasn’t; it just looked like it…).
George came in from the other end, but having exacerbated an injury to his quad had to stop bowling after one over, though continuing in the field for the rest of the innings. Mike’s second over was also plundered and change at both ends was called for.
With Adam at one end and Sam at the other, the score, which had rocketed to 60 from 11 overs, was curtailed, and the breakthrough finally came when Sam struck and Dan took the catch. Coupled to the retirement of the other opener who had reached his 50*, the bowlers and good fielding were gradually inching us back into the game, particularly with Sam having found his bowling arm again.
Adam picked up Clanfield’s number three, who barely troubled the scorers (although I’m reliably informed that that expression is in fact a fallacy), and at drinks the score was 90-2, with 97 still required from the next 20 overs.
On came Rob to bowl, and after two overs diplomatically suggested to Jules that perhaps it might be a wise thing if someone else were to have a go, with the total required now rather lower.
Having exchanged the pads with Alan again, Jack came in to bowl, only to see his first over also despatched just as damagingly as the prior overs.
Sam, however, kept us in it, wheeling away at the other end and picking up vital wickets, bowling the set batsman and then taking a sharp caught & bowled, ending his spell with cracking figures of 8 overs, 3 maidens, 3 wickets for only 7 runs conceded.
Dan and Tom came back in to try to keep the breakthroughs going, and a wicket for Tom this time again increased the pressure, but with the score mounting it was going down to the wire. It was during this spell that Dom scored a direct hit on Tom’s face as the ball bounced up from a throw and Tom waved it through onto his eye… ouch…
With the score on 179 after 35 overs, and Clanfield needing only 7 runs from 5 overs, the writing seemed to be on the wall. In an act of desperation, Jules brought Mike back onto bowl…
In two balls it was all over, with the batsman sending the ball twice into the carpark.
.
.
.
Right, now that Mike has spat out his tea in outrage, I’ll tell you what actually happened, though it pains me, oh how it pains me, to do so…
With the first ball of his returning spell, a top edge from the batsman was skied, but Jules got under it and another wicket fell as he took the catch out of the sun.
A dot ball followed, then 2 runs, and only 5 needed. However, the next ball saw the stumps go flying and Mike had his second wicket of the over.
A further dot followed, and then on the last ball of the over a shout for LBW went up, and so did the umpire’s finger.
Sickeningly, Mike had taken three wickets in an over and kept us in the match.
4 overs to go, 5 runs needed, 2 wickets needed.
The pressure went over to Dan in the final over of his spell, and it was becoming a dual as to who would give away the winning runs or find the vital wickets. Dan kept the pressure up, conceding only a single and tossing the ball back to Punter.
He couldn’t could he?
No. He couldn’t, but cracking bowling under pressure and only another single conceded. 4 runs needed from 2 overs, but Jules was looking around to find someone to take the 39th over, finally settling on himself as the best bet (given earlier events, a wise choice).
Jules kept us in it right to the last over, with 3 runs taken. The scores level, and Mike ready for glory to rescue an unlikely draw, needing to defend one run from six balls.
With 5 balls left of the over, it was all over this time, as the first ball of the 40th was sent out of the ground and over the boundary at the Hillman End (there you go Sam, Stu got his mention) to seal the victory for Clanfield.
A close-fought game, which at the start of our innings looked like it could easily have been a capitulation, but steadfast batting and a late attack, combined with [some] of our bowlers finding their form, took it all the way to the finish. Sam’s 8 overs kept us in the game, and some great bowling in the face of pressure at the end, with a good effort in the field.
A loss, but one which should stand us in good stead for the start of the league (if only, for some of us, as motivation to turn up next week!).
Once again thank you to Jan for scoring, and this week to Jon, Mark, Mike and all other pitch experts for preparing the pitch.
Next week: the league begins, with an away fixture which is virtually at home, against Eastleigh at Botley Rec, 1pm start.
Champagne Moment: much as I grit my teeth in saying so, I think it goes to Mike for his three-wicket over.
Donut of the Day: No-one really did anything that daft, I’m sorry to say, so I fear this week the award rolls over.
Man of the Match: plaudits to Mike for his batting and second bowling spell, to Tom for his attacking innings to drive our total onwards, but this week it has to be shared between Jules for his 50* which let us rebuild the innings, and Sam for his bowling spell which brought us back into the match.