2nd XI win hastily arranged friendly at Marble Hill CC

Friendly
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 180 for 5 (30 overs)
Marble Hill CC 150 all out (29.5 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI won by 30 runs

At 10pm on Friday night Stoke’s 2nd XI were fixtureless after Alleyn & Honor Oak’s concession.

A late call in response to an advert placed by Marble Hill CC, a complete unknown quantity whose only ‘League’ cricket is played in the Last Man Stands T20 Competition, (click here for a link to the site, playing conditions and stats – http://www.lastmanstands.com), was well received by an enthusiastic opposition captain, grateful for the chance of a game after having his original fixture called off, then his replacement opposition also not being able to raise a side. Were the Stoke players willing to travel? Not easy to ascertain in view of the hour…

Calls to the captain and players the following revealed nine of the original eleven were happy and well enough to play, a tenth was called up but an eleventh proved elusive. Nevertheless, game on, and off to Twickenham they travelled leaving a justifiably grumpy Club Secretary at HQ cursing the late cry-off and needing to find hungry diners for the tea prepared.

The Stoke players arrived at the ground to find no opposition, but the extortionate hourly parking charges were a contributory factor to their late arrival. Handshakes were exchanged, Andy Page called correctly and the players set up camp in the shade on a hot day.

A search for the changing room proved a fruitless one. Contrary to original advice, the public loos were the only option other than a quick change on the outfield. The players opted for the latter. A comedy moment led to a further delay in the start…construction of a gazebo was abandoned as the original 40-over contest was reduced to 35!

When play started, the home bowlers put local knowledge of their artificial wicket to good use, bowling back of a length and finding decent bounce. One ball pitched up to Malcolm Dickson was crashed through the covers for four, but in the next over, Marble Hill’s best bowler, K.Patel got a ball to lift and Dickson could only dolly the ball up to gully off the shoulder.

Richard Jackson and Peter Phipps made steady progress against the bowling, advancing the score to 30 by the start of the eighth over when Jackson, (15), edged first change Barnes’ first ball to the keeper.

This brought Olly Trower to the crease. Small in stature, but big in terms of technique and patience; he was not intimidated by the back-of-a-length tactic used by the home bowlers.

65 runs were added in the next eleven overs before Phipps was bowled by the returning K.Patel off the last ball before drinks for 15. 95 for 3 after 19.

At the drinks break, with the over rate slow, a further reduction in the length of the match to 30 overs per side meant that Stoke needed to go through the gears. Jase Earl hit a nice four before skying K.Patel’s final delivery moments later, (K.Patel 7-1-27-3); but Trower and Nico Spreeth gave the innings the required momentum.

A further 42 runs were added, during which time Trower passed the half-century mark off the 42nd ball he faced. He departed for a Stoke senior career best 65 from 56 balls faced with ten balls with the total on 152.

The final three overs saw Page and Spreeth, (22no), plunder another 28 runs. Page cracked 17 from just eleven balls faced to close the innings on 180 for 3; a total boosted by 38 extras.

Tea was an interesting affair. A Sainsbury’s carrier bag full of crisps and mini-bites looked a poor show; but over the yonder two local delicatessen employees appeared with baskets of baguettes, gleefully gobbled up by the players. £30 was requested after the match. A rare bargain given some of the poor efforts we’ve been served up this year by some clubs.

So, suitably refreshed, Stoke returned to the field. Earl and Ralph Coleman bowled well in tandem to restrict the scoring. Coleman struck an early blow when A.Patel hit to Alistair Curran; and the pair conceded just 22 runs from the eight overs they shared.

With runs to play with Page introduced Baz Medlycott into the attack. He backed up the openers’ efforts and was unlucky not to take a wicket. The pressure he created allowed Curran, (4-1-18-1), to claim a first wicket in senior cricket when Page moved well to take a good catch at extra cover to account for Wright.

More changes saw Spreeth and Page himself share the next two wickets to fall. Barnes hit Spreeth for a four to take his score to 39; but Spreeth, (1-26), bravely tossed the next ball up and was rewarded when the batsman holed out to Earl in the deep.

Page, (1-24), picked up the wicket of Scales for 17, well caught by Dickson who would go on to keep a clean sheet behind the timbers.

With the asking rate pushing ten per over, home captain Austin tried to push the score along, but was well restricted by the returning Earl. Scales did find the boundary three times in quick succession, but was castled by Coleman, (6-2-19-2.)

Earl’s consistency finally paid off when Spiro was bowled for duck. This left last pair Austin and Watts the task of finding 34 runs from the final over. Medlycott came back to bowl it and proved to be an effective death bowler, conceding just two singles before Watts, (11), skied to Page at mid-wicket to close the innings on 150. Austin was left stranded on 27 not out.

By taking his wicket Medlycott, (1-20), completed a full-house of successful bowlers. On a hot day, all the bowlers were backed up by a keen fielding display, (one short, remember), notably from Trower who saved may runs with his tireless boundary running.

So a quick towel-down and change, (no shower facilities), was followed by a trip to the pub over the road. The sides got to know a bit more about themselves and liked what they saw, their affection for the game and the ability to get the match on at such short notice led to plans to try and play a T20 fixture at Stoke next season.

A win for Stoke and the spirit of cricket.

Next week, another attempt at a Surrey Championship fixture sees Oxted & Limpsfield due to visit the Stoke Rec…subject to another unforeseen event disrupting the 2nd XI’s already disjointed campaign!

Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11591696

Link to Marble Hill CC : http://www.marblehillcricketclub.co.uk/