Tuesday April 28th 2009
Review by Douglas Henderson
Not so much a game of two halves as a country of numerous fractions. The first full weekend of schools cricket ? with the largest number of matches reported that I can ever remember – produced an astonishing array of results from early season total embarrassments to breath-taking run-chases as if it were late June. Naturally, the weather (or lack of covers) played a large part in this, producing either belters or almost unplayable surfaces, even in relatively adjacent places such as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
I normally choose not to highlight embarrassing early-season disasters, but here I make an exception. The High School of Glasgow will have been happy to dismiss their opponents Kelvinside Academy for a paltry 41, but were lucky to squeeze home by a mere two wickets (45 for eight). As always, low-scoring games are the most exciting. The Glasgow Academy were also dismissed for a modest 59, but Stewart?s Melville had some difficulty in reaching their score, losing six wickets in the process.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh?s Merchiston – consistently one of the most successful schools in recent years ? rattled up 329 for seven in 50 overs to overcome Glenalmond, whose admirably spirited reply of 257 for seven would usually be a match-winning score; especially commendable having been reduced to 58 for five. Ollie Hairs for Merchiston started affairs with 96 in 11 overs against a good attack.
Further South, Tonbridge also overcame the 300 mark with 330 for five in 55 overs, Tom Elliott (135) and Josh Payne (105) putting on 207 for the first wicket. Dulwich too responded well with 241 for eight.
Three cliffhangers of the week: Eastbourne started strongly but collapsed from 125 for two to 166 all out. King?s Canterbury by contrast recovered from a wretched start of 45 for six and looked set to win. However, they were bowled out six runs short in the final over. Even tighter was The Oratory?s contest with Warwickshire Under-17s. The latter were restricted by some tight bowling and fielding to 186. Against a strong opening attack from Warwickshire, there was a solid start. But it took a determined innings by Euan Brook (55) and ten from the last over to tie the scores.
In the Chesterton Cup, the Worcestershire 40-over competition founded by the great George Chesterton of Malvern, King?s Worcester were 50 for four chasing the fairly modest target of 118 set by RGS Worcester. A stupendous catch in the deep by Sam Roberts set the jitters going and with Andrew Curtis (son of Tim, the former England player) bowling some mean slow left arm King?s finished two short, though not before a couple of missed catches and the last pair needing six to win..
There were some remarkable bowling figures: Alan Nichols, the Christ?s Hospital offspinner, took five for five but the star of the week was Ravi Patel of Merchant Taylors?, Northwood with the breathtaking figures of seven for eight.
Results (*denotes the home side):
(any corrections may be sent to [email protected])
*Mill Hill 129, Haberdashers’ Aske’s 130-3
*Woodhouse Grove 191-6 (40 overs), Huddersfield New College 171-9
*Merchant Taylors’, Northwood 168-7 dec, Watford GS 58-8 (R Patel 7-8)
*Eton 233-9 dec, I Zingari 162 (F Barber 6-56)
Marlborough 199-7 (50 overs), *Eton 202-1
Cranleigh 164?9 (50 overs), *Radley 109
Cranleigh 77, *Oratory 78-5
*Charterhouse 195-7 (50 overs), Cranleigh 114
*Lancaster RGS 311-5 (50 overs) (M Wellings 150), Newcastle RGS 168 (G Bagguley 6-48)
*Mill Hill 129, Haberdashers’ Aske’s 130-3
*Woodhouse Grove 191-6 (40 overs), Huddersfield New College 171-9
Ardingly 120 (40 overs) (A Nichols 5-5), *Christ?s Hospital 122-2
*Christ?s Hospital 218-4 (40 overs), An Invitation XI 195-7
*Christ?s Hospital 218-8 (40 overs), Rossall 61
Christ?s Hospital 105 (40 overs), *St George?s, Weybridge 106-4
*Hurstpierpoint 124 (20 overs), St.Bede?s 125-5
*Lancing 125-7 (20 overs), Seaford 123-7
Brighton 194-5 (50 overs), *St Bede?s 125
Brighton 265-2 (50 overs), *Ardingly 158
*Eastbourne 166, King?s, Canterbury 160
*University College School 162 (S Schusman 5-39), Haberdashers’ Aske’s 163-4
*Harrow 206-9 (55 overs), Whitgift 100.
*Merchiston 329-7 (50 overs), Glenalmond 257-7
*St George’s, Weybridge 152 (J. Strachan 5-44), Grasshoppers CC 76
*Downside 52, Colston’s 55-1
Kingswood 214 (N Prettejohn 5-23),*Wycliffe 132
*Kingswood 195, Dauntsey?s 150
*Gresham’s 210-6 (40 overs) (D. Smith 102 not out), Norfolk Under-17s 205-8
Gresham’s 148-9 (35 overs), *Norwich 149-8
Wisbech GS 246-2 dec (A Price 107 not out), *Gresham’s 219-1 (D Smith 110 not out)
Lord Wandsworth 235-9 (40 overs), *Royal Grammar School, Guildford 190
Reigate Grammar School 157 (50 overs), *Royal Grammar School, Guildford 158-3
King Edward’s, Birmingham 149 (50 overs), *Shrewsbury 152- 4
*University College School 162, Haberdashers’ Aske’s 163-5
*Giggleswick 212-5 (40 overs), Durham 181-9
Blundell’s 230-9 (50 overs), *Millfield 2nd X1 232-6 (S O’Neil 156)
Gloucestershire CCC Academy 226 (50 overs), *Millfield 228-5
Warwickshire Under-17 XI 186, *Oratory: 186?5
*Oratory: 186 (30 overs), Bloxham: 144
*Bradfield 90 (T McGeer 6?15), Oratory: 93?2
Kirkham GS 94, Hutton GS 95-3
Kirkham GS 55, Stonyhurst 56-0
Stonyhurst 192 (20 overs), Kirkham GS 125-9
Oundle 229-6 dec (R Osmond 108), *Uppingham 142-8
*Woodhouse Grove 200-9dec, RGS Lancaster 180-9
Caterham 153 (40 overs), *Lancing 157-5
*Wellingborough 190-5 dec, Uppingham 138-7
*Wellingborough 199-7 dec, Magdalen College School 178 (D Bunn 110)
Filton 215-5, *Queen’s, Taunton 172-5
Monmouth 289-3 (O James 157), *Queen’s, Taunton 140
Belvedere 260-6 (35 overs), *St.Columba’s 102
*Bedford Modern 147, Haileybury 151-5
Downside 52, Colston’s 55-1
*Bancroft’s 237, Colfe’s 71
*Fettes 179-6 (35 overs)(J Frost 6-71), XL Club 140
Fettes 255-6 (45 overs), *Edinburgh Academy 207 (K Gammell 6-29)
Shrewsbury 255-3 (50 overs)(D Holden 139), *RGS Worcester 147
RGS Worcester 182 (50 overs), *Bromsgrove 177 (A Curtis 5-39)
Chesterton Cup Rd 1:
RGS Worcester 118 (40 overs), *King’s, Worcester 116
Clifton 280?4 (50 overs) (J Barnes 107 not out), *Dean Close 124
Dr Challoner’s GS 153-4 (30 overs), *St Albans 110
Magdalen College School 173 (40 overs), *Perse 174-3
*Norwich 246-8 dec, Perse 247-4
Kelvinside Academy 41 (C McInteer 7-12), *High School of Glasgow 45-8 (G Clark 6-13)
*Glasgow Academy 59 (30 overs), Stewart’s Melville 60-6
Tonbridge 330-5 (55 overs)(T Elliott 135, J Payne 105), *Dulwich 241-8
Free Foresters 130, *Tonbridge 131-6
*St George’s, Weybridge 197-8 (40 overs), Kingston GS 86
Christ’s Hospital 105 (40 overs), *St George’s, Weybridge 107-4
Christ?s College, Finchley 112 (40 overs), Forest 113-3
*King?s, Bruton 28, King?s, Taunton 30-0
Lord Wandsworth College 235-9 (40 overs), *RGS Guildford 190
*Lord Wandsworth College 254-7 (50 overs), Reed?s 134 (J Richards 7-34)
King?s, Taunton 209/2 (20 overs) (C Meschede 120 not out), Plymouth 103/6
Bryanston 117/6 (20 overs), King?s, Taunton 120/3
King?s, Taunton 168/4 (20 overs), *Sherborne 124/5
Sevenoaks 125-8 (40 overs), *St John?s, Leatherhead 126-4
Judd 106-7 (40 overs), *Sevenoaks 105-9
*Sevenoaks 171-7 (35 overs), Vine Old Oaks 111 (E Woodhouse-Darry 5-22)
Rossall 79 (40 overs), *Sevenoaks 80-1
Sevenoaks 111-8 (20 overs), *Caterham 108-8
St Edmund’s 87 (E. Woodhouse-Darry 5-13),*Sevenoaks 88-5
*Rugby 188-9 dec, Radley 191-5
MCC 191-8 dec, *Rugby 179
*Rugby 250-6 dec, Bedford 251-5 (J Kettlebrough 116)
XL Club 162-7 dec, *Haileybury XI 164-2
*Bedford Modern XI 147, Haileybury XI 151-5
Privateers 231-5 (35 overs), *Haileybury XI 235-6 (B Lane 118 not out)
Worksop 273-6 dec, Oakham 197-7
KEQMS Lytham 63,*Sedbergh 64-1
*Barnard Castle 168-8 (50 overs), Sedbergh 169-5
Filton 152, *Clifton 155-5
*Sutton Valence 148-4 (40 overs), St. Bede?s 150-2
Abingdon 153 (H Gurney 5-28), Stowe 78
Cheltenham 264-5 (50 overs) (C Wootton 122); *Sherborne 265-5 (T Cooke 129 not out)
*RGS Newcastle 229 (50 overs), Barnard Castle 230-2 (S Lister 105 not out)
*Enfield GS 75, St Albans 77-6
*Taunton 211-8 (50 overs), Bristol GS 81 (A Dibble 5-9)
Bancroft’s 260-5 (40 overs), *Bishop’s Stortford HS 135-3
*Bancroft’s 237, Colfe’s 71