Sunday last Rioteers visited one of only 2 New Forest clubs still on our fixture list, Cadnam CC, the other being Bramshaw. What, I wonder, happened to Bashley Rydal, Beaulieu, Bransgore, Brockenhurst, Burley, Fawley, Hinton Admiral and Lyndhurst to name those I can remember?
Cadnam is a typical NF ground: sylvan setting, rustic pavilion, though recently renovated, and with a much anticipated provision of an excellent tea.
Despite these attractions, we struggled to raise a team until Campbell extracted yet another rabbit out of his hat, Oscar made a welcome return to the team and Cadnam generously loaned two players. In the event, our two septuagenarians were not required, enabling them to perform the functions of umpire and scorer.
Before your correspondent proceeds with too much detail, let him remind you that Sudip has already informed us that the whole match is on film on Cadnam CC’s website.
Rioteers batted first with a sound opening partnership between Sudip and Martin until the latter was unfortunately run out. Sudip went on to play some delightful on drives in his 26. The opening partnership served to see off Cadnam’s excellent opening attack: pace from the pavilion end, accuracy at the other.
Cadnam’s Jack Hinton came in at 3 but he was gleefully stumped as reward for his willingness to play for the opposition.
There followed an excellent stand between brothers Archie and Bertie each of whom went on to score half centuries before retiring in the true sport of Sunday cricket. We all know how devastating Bertie can be so it was good to see him play himself in before firing a fusilade of sixes into the surrounding woodland. Archie was the perfect partner (though it is doubtful if the participants themselves would describe it thus) in that he combined judicious defence with powerful drives along the ground.
Finally, Cadnam’s Watkinson and our own Campbell provided some fireworks at the c of the innings to boost the final score to 259 for 3 off 40 overs.
There followed a truly wonderful tea in the best tradition of the retired Val’s exalted reputation. Superlatives cannot do justice to the hospitality we received: let us simply offer our sincere thanks to all concerned.
A score of 259 allowed Campbell to give no fewer than 10 of the Rioteers the opportunity to bowl. Oscar opened with a tidy spell of induckers at medium pace. He fully deserved the first wicket, a Yorker that clean bowled the opposing skipper. By contrast, at the other end Roberto provided a little more variety: some deliveries dispensed with any use of the wicket, others would have been lethal on the wicket a couple beyond the one upon which we were playing. However, after a few words of self admonishment (at least your reporter thinks that is what he was saying) Roberto settled down to bowl well and take a wicket.
Of the other bowlers, the two loanees did well: Jack Hinton and Whitehorn (apologies: first name not known) each took two wickets whilst newcomer Simon Long from Trojans took another.
However, the star of procedings after tea was Cadnam’s number three batsman, Peter Biddlecombe who also made a fifty before retiring. His patient and technically correct innings included shots rarely witnessed in Sunday cricket: the most delicate late cuts, so pleasing on the eye. Peter also deserves congratulations on producing such a good batting wicket after such a miserable spring.
In the end Cadnam ran out of overs at 166 for 7.
Rioteers won by 93runs, more than they actually scored in the previous week’s ignominious defeat.
Finally, an apology from your correspondent to Campbell which those of you who played at Hyde End will find ironic: I should have upheld your appeal for LBW with a superb leg stump Yorker!