President's Game

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PRESIDENT’S ELEVEN V CHAIRMAN’S ELEVEN

President's Xl 232 for 7 55 overs Chairman's Xl 224 all out 51 overs

On a beautiful hot August day the President's Xl once again triumphed over the Chairman's team by the narrow margin of just 10 runs.

Mr Colin Barber the President won the toss, inspected the wicket, considered bowling, but just as W.G. Grace advocated, reconsidered and elected to bat.

Darren King, dragged out of premature retirement, opened the bowling for the Chairman from the pavilion end and immediately got the ball to move around off the seam. The 11 am start certainly made stroke making a watchful exercise.

Chris Perry took the new ball at the other end and dropped on a nagging length from ball one. He soon started to get the ball to lift and turn and make things difficult for the openers, left hander Adrian Ward and Northerner Alan Wynne.

With Brett Hanson guarding the back-ward point area in a manner likened to Paul Collingwood it was slow going and the President was soon one down when seamer Darren King got one to nip back and bowl opener Adrian with just 14 on the board. This brought the prolific Mark Ralph up to the oche and it was obvious that he was looking to unleash a salvo of attacking shots off the unsuspecting King. But it was stalemate. So after beating the bat on several occasions King was removed from the attack by the tactically astute Chairman and replaced him by the purveyor of in-dippers, Paul Jones. The plan worked and soon Ralph was lofting a simple catch to King at mid-wicket.

However Wynne, down from the Yorkshire leagues and guesting for the day -made a resolute 20 before departing allowing number four Matthew Jones access to the greensward.

At this point Brett Hanson overheard the word “Yorkshire” and decided it was time to head home for a helping or two of this famous pudding in the form of Toad in the Hole - plus trimmings! The crowd were buzzing - would he be able to maintain his Collingwood-like presence at backward point after his mid-day repast?

And Jones junior is a canny cricketer; he quickly weighed up the situation and took advantage of this deficit in the fielding line up and played ball after ball through this sirloin and cooked-batter void. With a little application and a big chunk of fortune he managed to top-score with 77 (including several sixes) prior to being trapped absolutely, perfectly, plumb in front, right back on his stumps, - ball nowhere to go - by David Ward. An entertaining knock – but was it profligate in its execution - would it be enough? Some of the crowd seemed disgruntled. And now Hanson was back on the pitch, full of pudding but at his Tiger-like best, patrolling the gulley like a scrap-yard Alsatian, runs would be hard to come by. Had Jones thrown a winning position away? Jones’s place at the crease was taken by another guest Stuart Hardy who, with the help of some scrambled quick singles and straight drives, amassed a crisp 32 before missing the only straight one in the last four years from Andrew Silsby. Simon Parson added a lusty, unbeaten 29, and Marcus Shelton (13) was bowled by a low, non-bouncing in-cutter.

Derek Thompson – the Irchester legend made a brisk 11 and Paul Bates – drafted in at the last minute - 5 not out. Brian Summers and Neal Perry did not bat. Darren King 2 for 28. David Ward 2 for 41.

A decent score; 234 for 7 in 55 overs – now it was “game on!”

In reply things were going well for the batting side and an easy win for the Chairman looked on the cards.Despite a hostile spell from Matthew Jones, father and son Paul and Mark Carter put together an opening stand of 74 before the more senior member of the family was caught by Adrian Ward off the bowling of off-spinner Wynne for 32. The more junior Carter, was then adjudged LBW off Wynne and the batting side were no longer in the ascendancy. Liam Bates hung around for 52 and put on 40 for third wicket with the rejuvenated Hanson before Adrian Ward trapped the latter in front lbw before giving him a verbal send-off and a push in the direction of the pavilion. (Letter received!) Chris Perry stroked a majestic 37 including numerous boundaries but Ward meanwhile was making inroads into the lower order. Ian Whiley from the Boot made a classy 1, Paul (I think I’ll hit it up in the air now) Jones a characteristically gritty 7 and Andrew Silsby a boundary-laced 12.

With all-rounder Andy Luck unfortunately injured and unable to bat it brought the last pair to the crease with 18 was needed. But the President’s skipper Brian Summers marshalled his troops well and his well-set field kept its nerve despite the deficit being whittled down to just ten runs. So when Adrian Ward caught and bowled Darren King for 2 leaving David Ward 6 not out, it sealed the win with the score on 224, and meant the President would keep his hand on the Cup for another year. Adrian Ward finished with 5 for 35 off 12 overs. He was well backed up by veteran Derek Thompson who took 1 for 14 off 4 overs.

The Club would like to thank the day’s sponsor Joe Piggott along with all the vice presidents and other sponsors and supporters who made the Day possible, not forgetting our playing guests who travelled from far and wide to take part.

Also a special “thank you” to the catering team of Katie Shelton, Gemma Luck, Lucy Rendell and Les Underwood who worked tirelessly all day to ensure we were able to enjoy the wonderful array of food they provided.