Though it hasn’t been persistently wet in this first couple of weeks of the season, the timing was such that both weekends were widely rained off. This has caused big problems already with the National T20 competition, the two Sundays being largely wiped out and last Wednesday – the main T20 day in the North – was also mostly rained off. Hence another shortage of results.
Similarly, a new national Under-17 competition – launched by Andy Barnard at Shrewsbury and Rob Morris, formerly of the same parish – has been badly hit. Some teams, including his own, have yet to bowl a ball in the competition, which is being run in co-operation with The Cricket Paper.
In South London, having been rained off the weekend before and with again very restricted time available, one group decided on not a T20 but a T5 (the minimum under the regulations to constitute a match). No doubt it will not be long before ECB (and some Heads) adopt this as the norm for all cricket matches.
I wrote at length last week about the superiority of the declaration game. As if to prove my point, Felsted had a cracker against MCC. After the august club had declared at a formidable 285 for six, the redoubtable Will Buttleman scored a second successive big hundred in reply (140) but once he and a couple of others went in quick succession they should at least have drawn. But number 11 was bowled with two balls left in the game on a tantalising 267, a mere 18 runs short. Fine captaincy by MCC, I’d guess.
Jono Conolly of Brighton turned in some striking figures. In their match against Epsom, shortened because of a late start to 35 overs, he took two wickets in his first spell and then three in quick succession in his second, for only seven runs.
There was a thrilling local derby in Glasgow between the Academy and the High School. In addition to the very close finish in a high-scoring 20-over game (150 for six playing 146 for 5), there was some comical confusion when one Academy player was injured and called for a runner. Such was the excitement and general mayhem that the umpires nearly called a five-ball over but were corrected by the scorers, and further chaos reigned when all three batsmen, as it were, were running between the wickets simultaneously; happily without a run-out occurring, which might have caused some head-scratching.
Results:
*Oakham 284-5 (40 overs), XL Club 77
*High School of Glasgow 149-5 (20 overs), Glasgow Academy 145-5
MCC 240-4 (R Taylor 112),*Ratcliffe 97
Bradfield College 90-9 (50 overs), *St Edward’s Oxford 191-4
*St George’s Weybridge 126-7 (20 overs)(T Slater 5-17), John Hampden GS 129-1
Sedbergh 212-5 (40 overs), *RGS Newcastle 187-9
Monkton 136, *KES, Bath 99 (W Arney 5-21)
Beechen Cliff 71 (40 overs) (J Grant 5-26),*Dauntsey’s 76-0 (Monkhouse Intersport League)
Watford GS 62-10, *St Albans 66-3
St Edmund’s Ware 64,*St Albans 66-4
St Albans 162-4 (30 overs),*Dr Challoner’s GS 126
MCC 271-3 dec (J Shaw 106),*Haberdashers’ Aske’s 168-4 (rain interrupted)
King’s, Gloucester 93,*RGS Worcester 94-7 (Chesterton Cup)
*Wellingborough 110-7 (20 overs), Moulton College 0-0 (rain)
*Sherborne 257-4 (50 overs)(L McLaughlin 105), Marlborough 194-6
QEGS Wakefield 154 (50 overs),*Sedbergh 158-5
*Sevenoaks 83-7 (20 overs), Sutton Valence 84-3
Brighton 151-9,*Epsom 83 (J Conolly 5-7)
*Durham 166, Barnard Castle 115
Bradfield 190-9 (50 overs),*St Edward’s Oxford 191-4
*Wellington (Berks) 326-4 (50 overs) (J Davies 151), Christ’s College (NZ) 178
*Wellington (Berks) 182-9 (20 overs), Royal Logistic Corps 183-3
MCC 285-6 dec,*Felsted 267 (W Buttleman 140)
*Woodhouse Grove 148, St Aidan’s Harrogate 73
*Bradfield 228-5 (50 overs) (I Malik 109 not out), Stowe 231-2 (C Renshaw 108 not out)
*Christ’s Hospital 99-6 (20 overs), Lancing 100-2 (Langdale Cup)
*High School of Glasgow 150-6 (20 overs), Glasgow Academy 146-5
National Schools Twenty20 competition – cumulative
(some matches in some groups still to be played)
North West section group 3
AKS Lytham 86, Myerscough Preston 90–2
Kirkham 59, RGS Lancaster 60–2
AKS Lytham 143–8, Kirkham 146–6
Myerscough Preston 126, RGS Lancaster 73–7
Myerscough win the group
East section group 2
*Oakham 133-6 (20 overs), Oundle 121-9 (H Tyler 5-14)
Stamford 137-7 (20 overs),*Oakham 123-8
East section group 3
Stowe 117-5, Uppingham 63
Stowe 104-6, Rugby 95-7
West Midlands and Wales section group 1
Newcastle-under-Lyme 101-6, Ellesmere 105-6
*Shrewsbury 105-8, Ellesmere 96-7
Queen Mary’s withdrew
Shrewsbury win the group
West Midlands and Wales section group 2
*Wrekin 112-4, Bablake 69
Bromsgrove 155-5, Wolverhampton GS 34
*Wrekin 75, Bromsgrove 76-4
Bromsgrove win the group
West Midlands and Wales section, group 4
King’s Worcester 125-6,*RGS Worcester 123-8
Malvern 181-2, Warwick 85
King’s Worcester 66, Malvern 67-1
Malvern win the group
South East section group 1
St Lawrence 192-5, *Ashford 128-5
Simon Langton GS 197-3 (E Fox 103 not out), *Kent College 115
South East section group 2 (reduced to 5-over matches)
Charterhouse 43-2, Reigate GS 28-1
Reigate GS 25-5, Cranleigh 29-0
Charterhouse 44-2, Cranleigh 30-4
Kingston GS withdrew
Charterhouse win the group
South East section group 3
*Bede’s 159-5, Brighton College 59
*Bede’s 144-5, Hurstpierpoint 114-9
Hurstpierpoint 144, Aldridge 96
Bede’s win the group
South East section group 4
*Tonbridge 166–4, Skinners 100–9
Eastbourne 102–9, *Tonbridge 103–5
Claremont 131-4 Skinners 98
Tonbridge win the group
North London section group 2
UCS 112, Highgate 92
UCS 65, Merchant Taylors’ 68-0
Moulton withdrew
Merchant Taylors’ win the group
South London section group 1
Whitgift 207-2, Emanuel 71-5
Emanuel 92-8, Epsom 96-2
Whitgift 179-2, Epsom 81-9
Whitgift win the group
South London section group 4
Lingfield 99-9, Caterham 100-3.
Trinity 96, Reed’s 97-0
Caterham 96-7, Reed’s 97-5.
Reed’s win the group.
South West section group 1
Downside 98-6 (20 overs),*Clifton 101-2
*Clifton 124-5, Colston’s 42-2 (9 overs); Clifton win on D/L
South Central section group 1
St Edward’s 175-6,*Dauntsey’s 140-3
St Edward’s 203-5 (H Ward 101), Elizabeth (Guernsey) 149-7
Elizabeth (Guernsey) 112-8,*Dauntsey’s 116-9
St Edward’s win the group
South Central section group 2
Abingdon 106 (20 overs),*Wellington (Berks)Â 107-3
Reading Blue Coat withdrew
Wellington win the group
South Central section group 3
*Bradfield 140-4, Winchester 68
*Bradfield 166-7), John Hampden GS 90-5
The Oratory withdrew
Bradfield win the group
South Central section group 4
RGS High Wycombe 107-8, Lord Wandsworth 109-2
RGS High Wycombe 109-7, Shiplake 110-0
*Radley 181-6, Shiplake 92
Lord Wandsworth 72, Radley 75-2
Radley win the group