{"id":754,"date":"2019-08-27T22:43:07","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T22:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioteers.net\/?p=754"},"modified":"2019-08-27T23:18:19","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T23:18:19","slug":"rioteers-cc-v-longparish-cc-25-august-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioteers.net\/?p=754","title":{"rendered":"Rioteers CC v. Longparish CC, 25 August 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Where were you when Stokes beat the Aussies?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Rioteer faithful (that unlikely fan base) travelled\nvarying distances to the quintessential, idyllic cricket ground of Longparish –\nfrom 200 yds to 12,000 miles in the case of Damian\u2019s cousin Diane from\nAustralia.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile at Headingley, Australia had removed Root early\ndoors and Bairstow had also fallen \u2013 the Ashes were as good as lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As ever, the sun shone on this part of rural Hampshire in\nthe water meadows along the River Test \u2013 home of Mayfly Gin (quick plug for my\nfriends who launched their Gin this weekend \u2013 available at Caviste and the\nLeckford Farm Shop).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before play began, the Rioteers gathered in the dressing room where skipper Martin said a few kind words, before Jim Shea and then Damian said a few more, even kinder words and presented a bottle of bubbly (wrapped in the Financial Times) to Sam Cook who had joined the team this season, in his mother\u2019s footsteps, and contributed so fully with bat, ball and more importantly Rioteer spirit all summer, with this his final hurrah before returning to Auckland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin lost the toss (I think) and the Rioteers were put\ninto the field.  Bertie opened the\nbowling from the Hurstbourne Priors end and found the edge with his second ball\nwhich flew to the big birthday boy bucket hands Bickers who joyfully caught the\nball behind the stumps.  Brother Archie\nbowled from the Plough end with equal pace and menace.  Both brothers picked up a couple of wickets\nbut also combined to pull off an exceptional run-out.  Bertie bowled and the batsman edged along the\nground wide of Archie at slip, who managed to stretch, pick up and throw the\nball with alarming velocity to the bowlers end to throw down the stumps \u2013 with\na small deviation off Bertie\u2019s hand, though I am assured it would have hit\nanyway \u2013 Archie said so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile at Headingley Buttler and Woakes had been\ndismissed and another nail was in the coffin of the little urn (not sure if\nthat works) needing over 100 runs with 3 wickets left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longparish made steady progress through Luke Benzing, who\ntop scored for the hosts with 31 runs, and Sam Gardner – but couldn\u2019t quite\nbreak free as the Rioteer bowlers kept a nagging line and length.  John Hall\u2019s un-erring accuracy earned him 2\nwickets in this middle spell, while Sam\u2019s off-spin at the other end tied the\nhosts down and he, too, picked up the wicket of danger man Luke B. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile at Headingley Broad and Archer had gone, England\nhad tried hard but over 70 runs left with one wicket remaining – impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another brother bowling combination ensued in the form of\nskipper Martin and yours truly, though I was inexplicably taken off in my prime\nafter only 2 overs.  However, I am\npleased to say that Jonathan Arnold, making his debut for the Rioteers against\nhis son Ben playing for the hosts, took over from the Plough end and bowled\nbrilliantly with figures of 4 overs, 2 maidens, 1 wicket for 2 runs.  Negotiations are taking place to arrange a\nmore permanent transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jim Shea also showed us what we have been missing this\nseason with an array of unplayable deliveries in what was the most memorable\nover of the match.  To put Jim\u2019s over into\ncontext, word had reached the middle that \u201cmeanwhile in Headingley\u201d Stokes had\ngone berserk with the bat and had brought England to the brink of victory.  Every ball Jim bowled was followed by anxious\nlooks to the boundary where the Longparish team were gathered around a mobile\ntelephone.  At least twice, their\nreactions conveyed the Aussies had won only for emotions to be catapulted the\nother way when shouts of \u201cHe\u2019s not out\u201d raced across the outfield.  As Jim trundled up to bowl his last ball he\nlooked like a spent man, drained of emotion, but as the ball left his hand a\ngreat cheer arose from the pavilion heralding the impossible had become\npossible, England had defeated Australia and Jim had completed his over,\nconceding just 3 runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is clear that both the Jameses have been under-used in\nthe bowling attack this season \u2013 but there are still 3 games to go.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking of underused resources, the Rioteer bowling record\nholder was never even taken out of his wrapper. \nClearly Richard \u201cBraz\u201d Brazier was being kept up the skipper\u2019s sleeve in\ncase of a Longparish counter attack.  But\njust as it seemed Martin Bearpark was on the brink of doing just that, his\npartner succumbed to Bertie\u2019s final ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brazier, however, cannot be kept out of the action and it is\nimportant to properly describe the athleticism and bravery that belied his\nyears as he ran in from mid-on and dived headlong to pick up the catch of the\nday \u2013 well that\u2019s how I remember it.  4\ncatches were held during the afternoon with no drops recorded.  The other catchers may have to reveal themselves\nto the editor (thanks Damian) as I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t remember, but I think\nBertie had one and perhaps Martin the other? [If you reckon you got a catch\nand have been cruelly under-represented, please call our customer complaints\ndepartment on the number not provided. Ed.]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tea followed the Longparish inning that finished on 139 with\nMartin B the not out batsman on 15.  And\nwhat a tea it was.  Even though the\ntemperature was in the 30s, the delicious cakes, heartily filled rolls, fruity\ntarts, bountiful crisps, lashings of cold cordial and hot tea were consumed\nwith relish.  Thanks to Jonathan and\nClaire for a magnificent and much appreciated feast \u2013 more reason to finalise a\ntransfer deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martin sent in Archie and Sam to open the batting \u2013 Sam\nbatting in his final Rioteer match of the season in front of his\ngrandparents.  The Longparish attack was\nstrong and accurate but Sam was in in \u201call or nothing mode\u201d.  Last week his first shot went for six, the\nsecond was out.  Sam began as he left off\nlast week, while Archie took up his uncle\u2019s mantle with a steadier\napproach.  Sam chanced his arm and a few\ndifficult chances went down, and there was a chance that those chances would be\nrued later.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nathan Smith broke through for Longparish removing Archie\nwith an LBW appeal that even his uncle could find no fault with as he raised\nhis finger \u2013 the score 45.  The raised\nfinger brought Damian into the fray who was clearly hyped up with the emotion\nthat followed England\u2019s victory barely an hour before.  It was clear by the glint in his eye that he\nwas Ben Stokes, but sadly had forgotten the first few painful, patient,\nwatchful hours that marked the beginning of Stokes\u2019 epic knock.  After a cleverly worked leg-bye, Damian\nlooked to launch his first ball from Will McDermott \u2013 only to hear the death\nrattle as the ball evaded bat and imploded into the timbers sending the bails\nflying \u2013 the score 46.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damian\u2019s demise led to the aforementioned Birthday Boy\nBucket Hands Bickers striding out to the crease.  Dave showed all his experience and great\ntouch as he kept his end ticking over and ended on a commendable 18 not\nout.  At the other end, however, Sam had\nstepped up a gear and had swapped edges for full blooded drives off the\nmiddle.  To their great credit, the young\nLongparish bowlers did not waiver and stuck to their task, bowling good\nlines.  However, every dog has his day,\nand this was surely Sam\u2019s as every swing connected and the scoring gathered\npace and victory was assured in fairly quick order with a final six from Sam.  That shot not only saw the visitors\u2019 home but\nalso brought up a tantalising 99th<\/sup> run for Sam \u2013 or so we thought\nuntil a recount of his score showed that he had indeed scored his maiden\ncentury \u2013 a great knock.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both matches were duly celebrated after the match at The\nSwan in Barton Stacey (the Cricketer\u2019s having closed after Sunday lunch).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to Longparish for being great hosts once again and\nlook forward to 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rioteers next match is a joint affair with the Raqueteers on Saturday 7th<\/sup> v Catus  (Andy Mills match manager) and the following day Sunday 8th<\/sup> v Chute (Damian match manager).<\/p>\n\n\n\n