CURDRIDGE vs EASTLEIGH I's - 9th August 2025
Settle down for this one, you’ll need a good ten minutes… Harry get your Thesaurus.
I’ve been saying the games are must win for the last few weeks, and each time we’ve been coming out on just the wrong side (well, with exception of last week against Locks Heath when we weren’t so much as just on the wrong side as on the wrong side, over a hedge, beyond a ditch, down a pathway, round the corner and behind a row of knackered old garages, but enough said about that – you’ll note the lack of a match report!).
Today’s game really was a must win, in the battle against relegation, taking on our close rivals Eastleigh. It must be said that since the start of the season Eastleigh have had a bit of a renaissance, so this was by no means going to be an easy game.
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On a sunny day with temperatures which felt well beyond the advertised 23 degrees (where’s our resident weatherman when we needed him?) the skipper went out and, as is traditional, lost the toss, and so it was that we found ourselves out in the field. Not a bad option to be honest, being able to know what we needed to chase when it came to batting.
With our bowling strike duo of Danny and Monster restored and Craig behind the stumps it felt like we would have a good chance to get amongst the wickets early. Danny opened up with customary accuracy and restricted the runs in the first over, then on came
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A third wicket soon followed as Danny trapped the number four LBW for another first-ball duck. I say LBW – in all fairness, it was actually BLBW (Bat-Leg-Before-Wicket), but the umpire gave it out and for once it seemed like a bit of luck was on Curdridge’s side.
Wickets were falling, but runs were accumulating quickly, too, with boundaries aplenty and extras helping the score along. The number five batsman seemed of the same mind that attack was the plan – perhaps knowing every batting point was vital, and taking advantage of a pitch on which the ball ran away rapidly. The score moved into the 40s with runs going easily at 6 an over, before a piece of magic from Billy captured the fourth wicket; the remaining Eastleigh opener struck the ball towards midwicket and set off for a single - a diving Billy stopped the ball, gathered it in, turned and threw on one knee, knocking over leg stump to run the retreating batsman out by a country mile.
At 43-4 it felt like we were well on top. Next in to bowl was Mike, still involved in a duel with Danny about who would be our top wicket-taker for the season (and neither seeing Mark creeping up on them from behind…). The incoming batsman soon showed his intent in line with the general Eastleigh plan of attack, attack, attack, stepping forward and driving Mike’s first ball high in the air towards Monster’s fielding position at long-off; down it came, right towards him… well, no, right towards where he’d have been if he’d been standing on the boundary, but instead it came down over his head and landed over the boundary for a six. The batsmen took a bit of a liking to Mike’s bowling and the score was rapidly accelerating.
At the other end, a slightly frustrated Danny was finishing his spell:
“One to go” shouted Sam.
“You do realise there are four balls left in the over don’t you?” asked Rob.
“Yes, but I mean one more wicket” replied Sam.
“But we need six more wickets…” thought Rob.
Danny duly ran in, and sharply pouched it out of the air as the batsman sent it back.
“That’s what I meant” said Sam, not at all feeling smug.
I hate it when that happens.
But it does prove, the cricketing gods do exist! And aren’t always perfidious.
With the top 5 batsmen all dismissed it felt like we might be able to wrestle Eastleigh down to a low target, but the batsmen had other ideas as they put up a stand, found the boundaries, and the score pushed ever further towards 200. With Sam and Mark into the attack, though, the breakthrough came, first Sam getting one through to knock the stumps over, and then the other set batsman edging into the gully-ish position where Gary lurched in rapidly and took the catch low down in both hands. Both vital wickets, and even though we were still well in advance of thirty overs it felt like the innings was drawing towards its climax.
Another wicket for Sam followed, before Billy was brought into the attack and claimed a wicket with his second ball (great – I’m now even further down the bowling options!). Some late finesse from the tailenders saw Eastleigh reach the 200 mark, before a diving catch from Billy off Mark’s bowling dismissed the number eleven for the third first ball duck of the innings, and Eastleigh were all out for 203 in just 29 overs – aided and abetted by 35 extras.
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Another excellent tea including homemade cakes was provided by the skipper, before it was our turn to bat, with another new-look opening partnership provided by Rob, and Mark Emm back in the side after a conversation which apparently went like this:
Skipper: “Are you available?”
Mark: “Only if you’re desperate”
Skipper: “See you on Saturday”.
Nonetheless, Mark is an experienced campaigner, and duly took the strike for the first over. The Eastleigh bowlers kept things quiet for the first few overs, using unpredictable bounce, keeping the pace off the ball (despite the rather long run-ups) and not offering much other than extras, as the first five or six runs came from wides before Rob swept a no-ball for four. After four overs with the score only on 12 it looked like the type of innings which might go down to the wire, but knowing we had plenty of batting in the hutch seeing off the openers and letting the Eastleigh players get frustrated in the heat was a solid plan.
The score began to flow upwards as both Rob and Mark finessed their way around the bowling, keeping there or thereabouts with the five-an-over needed. The score progressed into the 20s, then the 30s, and the 40s. ‘This seems to be going ok’ thought Rob – usually the signal for him to do something silly and get out. But, no, despite the occasional edge, which today found the space rather than the fielders, things carried on smoothly as the 50 partnership was reached. With the score into the 70s a polite ripple of applause rang out from the pavilion as Rob reached his 50 (“blimey” thought Rob “50, already?!”).
However, Eastleigh finally struck, a change of bowling and with his first ball the new Eastleigh bowler picked up Mark LBW after a well-crafted innings which had seen off the openers and several overs of their replacements.
In came Billy fresh from his standout day in the field. With just under two overs to drinks, Rob’s advice was to have a look, go nice and easy, get through to drinks and see where we are then. Ok, replied Billy, and then hit his first ball for six.
‘That’s the way, nice and easy’ was Rob’s comment.
Billy then struck a beautiful cover drive for four, and an over which had begun with a wicket had already conceded 10 runs. At drinks, the score was over 100, and less than 100 needed from the next 20 overs.
More bowling changes came, to no avail, as Billy decided the ball really belonged on the other side of the boundary – in several cases on the other side of the trees beyond the boundary. Eastleigh had no answer to this assault, and meanwhile Rob carried on accumulating runs steadily. With the run-rate going at 10 an over, Eastleigh’s resistance was broken and it was becoming only a matter of time before the win came. Billy reached a rapid 50, and with just 10 or so runs needed something was bound to give. You know, cricketing gods.
It duly happened to Rob, of course, as he played a very tired non-shot (I wouldn’t even call it a shot, I think I just hung the bat there and kind of hoped the ball would hit it) and lost his off-stump, dismissed for 97. Many accusations of jug-avoidance followed (to be fair, had I known I was in the 90s, I’d have probably got the jitters and been out anyway…)
In went Jules to finish things off, with Craig padded up and next in really hoping nothing silly happened. In a bit of an anticlimax a change of bowling by Eastleigh saw 6 extras in an over take us over the line. A vital win and 24 points, leapfrogging Eastleigh in the table. Three games to go, and the fight is back on.
Next Week: Away to Trojan IIIs, sitting just above us in the table, another must-win.
Thank you to Hayley for coming and taking over the scoring, fresh from her victories at the New Forest Show (two trophies and a best in show – applause all-round).
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Man of the Match: Last time I made a decent score the team awarded man of the match to my new bat. This time, whilst I have to admit to being pretty pleased with 97, Man of the Match goes to Billy for his all-round performance: a rapid 55 with a strike rate of nigh-on 200 took the game away from Eastleigh, alongside his wicket, catch, and run-out.
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Champagne Moment: This of course goes to Billy for the afore-mentioned run-out.
Donut of the Day: No-one really did anything that daft today. So we will roll over...