It couldn?t last. After weeks of sunshine in most parts of the country, the weather finally broke, a blessing to gardeners and indeed groundsmen. Nevethertheless a huge programme of cricket was undertaken: I write this paragraph on Sunday morning, before most of the weekend?s results come in and already there is a very large number.
It was a week for hat-tricks. As the Master i/c observed, it is the bus syndrome though not for the same reason (there are practical explanations for the bus phenomenon). Haberdashers? Aske?s alone had four in a just over a week in various teams. The names suggest wily wrist spin and an inability to play it but the truth is more prosaic: Ronak Shah, Kushal Malde, Amar Vaghela, Rahil Sharma all recorded hat-tricks but the Haberdashers? star is undoubtedly left-arm spinner Ashley Sivarajah who followed up his eight for 52 against the MCC by taking six for four , conceding just a single boundary in 6.3 overs against local rivals Merchant Taylors’. Bedford Modern?s Daniel Wright also took a hat-trick in his four for 10 but it wasn?t enough to prevent a win by Kimbolton.
It was also a week for big hitting and fast scoring. Regular readers will know that I am not a fan of wall-to-wall overs cricket. I favour a mixture of declaration and overs, a halfway house ? the best solution – being the 110 or 100 overs game whereby the side batting first has to declare at or just over half-time but a draw is still a possibility. The key to declaration cricket is that you have to learn to bowl sides out, not just contain them; it?s much subtler and indeed more interesting.
Sam Mount of King Edward?s Bath is quite a name in West Country circles. Against Monkton Combe, who were fresh from overwhelming Bryanston (see last week), he thrashed 129 not out from 50 balls. He finished the week with 91 not out from 52 balls against Kingswood and 130 from 80 balls against Bristol Grammar School. Ben Spaven of Ellesmere hit a six to win the match. Winchester captain Ollie Mills made a chanceless 118, ending the innings with five sixes in his last six scoring shots, ensuring that Winchester made 42 from the last two overs.
KCS Wimbledon scored 249 in a balanced first innings against St George?s Weybridge with six batsman scoring between 20 and 48 runs but with no one kicking on. Will Grant and Torsten Wrigley opened the batting for St George?s, scoring a measured 146 from 37 overs. When the number three was run out without facing a ball, Rory Snowball assisted Grant in scoring 104 from the remaining 12 overs. Grant?s 143 not out, carrying his bat, from 149 balls ensured victory from 48.2 overs.
In the highest-scoring match of the week, Denstone batted first against Wrekin. Aneesh Kapil and Alex Thomson put on an almost flawless 262, the former scoring 16 fours and five sixes in his 128, while the latter carried his bat to reach 156 not out with 22 fours and six sixes. They declared at 337 for three. Undaunted, Wrekin made a steady start with the opening pair looking safe and comfortable, but their challenge slightly fell apart when the Denstone captain, Jack Warren, broke their partnership and proceeded to work his way through the middle order. The leg-spinner James Kirkham mopped up the tail to dismiss Wrekin for 184.
It seems almost indecent for MCC to bat on past 300 against a school, though their declaration of 305 for five well before half-time was overcome by Eton who won by six wickets with 13 overs to spare, Tom Shaw scoring 165.
Merchant Taylors? (Northwood) tried quite hard to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Chasing Watford Grammar School?s declaration of 195 for five, they were coasting at 181 for three but then lost five wickets to finish on level scores with eight down. The more traditional version came from Glasgow Academy, whose last pair scored 25 chasing only 113 by The High School of Glasgow to win the match. In a similar match, Strathallan?s last pair scored 23 to overcome The Edinburgh Academy?s 164.
Quirk of the week: in a block fixture between Taunton and Blundell?s, the 2nd XI and Under 15 matches were both tied, and all four teams scored 202.
In the National Twenty20 competition, the South East is the most advanced. Portsmouth Grammar School overcame Tonbridge, Brighton and King?s Canterbury to be one match away from reaching the finals day at Lord?s on Friday July 8th.
Results:
Correction: the last score last week should have read:
The Grammar School at Leeds 257-6 dec, Woodhouse Grove 198-6
This week?s results:
*George Watson?s 143?8 (35 overs), Edinburgh Academy 144?8
*KCS Wimbledon 249-7 (50 overs), St George?s, Weybridge 250-2 (W Grant 143 not out)
*Wellingborough 235-6 (45 overs), Princethorpe 208-9
Forty Club 182-5 dec, *Bedford Modern 183-3 (H Thurstance 107)
Stamford 200 (50 overs), *Bedford Modern 195-8
Watford GS 195-5 dec, *Merchant Taylors’, Northwood 195-8
*St. Paul’s 271-4 dec, Merchant Taylors’, Northwood 219-7 (J Phillips 103 not out)
Monkton Combe 155-6 (20 overs), *King Edward’s Bath 159-3 (S Mount 129)
*Abingdon 261-7 (50 overs), RGS High Wycombe 111
Oratory 120 (40 overs), *Abingdon 121-7
MCC 185, Malvern 186-4
MCC 222 (A Sivarajah 8-52), *Haberdashers’ Aske’s 226-6
MCC 238?3 dec, *The Grammar School at Leeds 181-9
*Denstone 337-3 dec (A Thomson 156 not out, A Kapil 128), Wrekin 184
Durham Pilgrims 197, Durham 198-1 (R Burdon 119 not out)
Rugby 152-5 (20 overs), *Warwick 153-2
Uppingham 146, *Stowe 147-3
Oundle 180 (40 overs)(P Morrissey 5-33), *Uppingham 121
*Haberdashers’ Aske’s 148-7 (20 overs), Aldenham 125
*Ratcliffe 142-8 (35 overs), King?s Grantham 143-4
*Stowe 248-1(35 overs)(A Birkby 112 not out, B Duckett 102), Bedford Modern 193-8
*Felsted 295-6 dec (J Wells 108), MCC 205-9 (J Foley 5-40)
Clayesmore 91, *Bryanston 92-4
Suffolk Under-17 230-7 (40 ov), *Framlingham 232-3
MCC 285-3 dec, *Framlingham 286-3 (B Wright 125 not out)
Gentlemen of Essex 227-6 dec, *Framlingham 183-9 (K Williman 102 not out)
Winchester 222-3 (35 overs)(O Mills 118 not out), *Canford 185-7
Whitgift 236-2 (35 overs), *KCS Wimbledon 127-9
Old Whitgiftians 309 (50 overs), *Whitgift 246-9
*Wellington (Berks) 223-7 (50 overs), Whitgift 63
Merchant Taylors’, Northwood 204-8 (30 overs), *Enfield GS 102
West Buckland 155-7 (30 overs), *King’s, Taunton 156-3
Kingswood 130, *King Edward’s, Bath 135-3
Christ?s Hospital 203-9 (40 overs), *Lancing 181-8
*RGS Newcastle 146, Durham 148-5
Wiltshire Queries 201-5 dec, *Monkton Combe 202-4
Monkton Combe 205-4 (40 overs), *Kingswood 48-4 (Monkton won on D/L)
*Merchant Taylors’ (Northwood) 75 (A Sivarajah 6-4), Haberdashers’ Aske’s 77-2
*Queen’s, Taunton 248-2 dec (L Kenworthy 103 not out), Forty Club 156-8
Exeter 124-8 (40 overs), *Queen’s, Taunton 125-4
Trent 298 (M Proctor 120 not out, M Fitzpatrick 5-31), *Hymers 253
*Kirkham GS 245-4 dec (A Galley 100) , Merchant Taylors?, Crosby 100-3
*Clayesmore 178-7 (25 overs), Warminster 70-8 (rain)
*High School of Glasgow 113-9 (35 overs), Glasgow Academy 116-9
*Winchester 167 (50 overs), Cranleigh 168-6
*Colfe’s 190-9 (40 overs), Bancroft’s 188
Forest 199-6 (45 overs), *Bancroft’s 174
Bancroft’s 183-5 (35 overs), *Chigwell 110
St Albans 253-6 (40 overs) (G Scott 109 ), *Bancroft’s 256-4
*Dauntsey?s 241-5 (40 overs), Lord Wandsworth?s 90-5 (rain)
Bedford Modern 132 (40 overs), *Kimbolton 133-7
*Tonbridge 273-8 (50 overs), Eastbourne 210
Trinity 180-6 (20 overs), KCS Wimbldeon 181-6
*Taunton 244-6 dec, XL Club 120
Taunton 197-9 (50 overs), *Blundell’s 165
*Clifton 198 (50 overs), Taunton 127-5 (rain)
*KES Bath 188 (S Mount 130), BGS 71-0 (rain)
*Sevenoaks 70 (20 overs), City of London Freemen?s 72-2
Hampton 257-8 dec, *Dulwich 259-4 (A Alleyne 178 not out)
MCC 185-6 dec, *Rossall 131-7
Rossall 200-6, *Stonyhurst 156
MCC 305-5 dec (N Ferraby 128 not out), *Eton 309-4 (T Shaw 165 not out)
*Radley 240-7 (50 overs), Eton 146 (A Hearne 5-14)
Clifton 262-8 (50 overs), *Bristol GS 77 (R. Miller 5-17)
*King Edward?s, Bath 188 (40 overs) (S Mount 130), Bristol GS 77-0 (rain)
MCC 250-6 dec (C Wake 125*), *Oundle 240-9
Oundle 180, *Uppingham 121
*Oundle 229 (60 overs), Rugby 127-9
King?s Chester 191-7 (30 overs), Rydal 0-0 (Rain)
*Stowe 248-1 (35 overs), Bedford Modern 201-8
Bedford Modern 133, *Kimbolton 134-7
Dollar 165-9 (30 overs), *Strathallan 168-2
The Edinburgh Academy 164, *Strathallan 165-9
Malvern 203-8 (50 overs), Wellington 204-7
Wellington 208 (A Boobbyer 101 not out), Whitgift 63
Wellington 199 (50 overs), Harrow 127
Marlborough 150 (50 overs), Wellington 151-6
St Albans 253-6 (G Scott 109), *Bancrofts 256-4
*St Edward?s, Oxford 229-7 (50 overs), Bradfield 231-3 (P Woodford 119)
King?s, Ely 164-9 (35 overs), *Wellingborough 166-0
Felsted 169, *Haileybury 171-4
*Uppingham 190, Bedford 192-9
*Woodhouse Grove 76-0 v Manchester GS (rain)
National Twenty20 competition
King?s Canterbury 248-3, Dover 85
St Lawrence 120, St Edmund?s Canterbury 124-2
King?s Canterbury 163-8, St Edmund?s Canterbury 134-7
Dover 162-4, St Lawrence 163-7
King?s Canterbury win the group
St George?s, Weybridge 132-6, Whitgift 126-8
St George?s, Weybridge 145-7, Hampton 151-6
St George?s, Weybridge 151-6, Epsom 153-1
Epsom 136-6, Hampton 139-4
Whitgift 156-7, Epsom 142
Whitgift 115-9, Hampton 107-8
Hampton win the group
*St Edward?s, Oxford 67, Abingdon 73-3
Dauntsey?s 137, Magdalen College School 137-5
*St Edward?s, Oxford 158-4, Dauntsey?s 113-8
Magdalen College School 106-9, Abingdon 107-2
Abingdon win the group
Lancing 120-9, Brighton 122-4
St Bede?s 90-9, Brighton 91-7
Brighton win the group
Lancaster RGS 133-7, Rossall 114-7
Sedbergh 232-4 (S. Dutton 126 not out), QEGS Blackburn 65
QEGS Blackburn 175-6, Rossall 173-2
Lancaster RGS 125-4, Sedbergh 126-3
Sedbergh win the group
Bolton 192-3, KEQMS Lytham 157- 6
Kirkham GS 128-6, Arnold 131-2
Arnold 101, Bolton 102-3
Kirkham GS 176-7, KEQMS Lytham148-9
Bolton win the group
King?s Macclesfield 212?2 (T Foreman 120 not out), Manchester GS 165
Cheadle Hulme 166?5, Stockport GS 164-6
King?s Macclesfield 165?7, Cheadle Hulme 104-9
Stockport GS 166?4, Manchester GS 167?1
King?s Macclesfield win the group
King?s Chester 218?4 (A Thomas 106), Merchant Taylor’s (Crosby) 124
Liverpool 104-2, Bury GS 105-6
Merchant Taylor’s(Crosby), 208 Liverpool 100
Kings Chester 246-3, Bury GS 87
King?s Chester win the group
*Barnard Castle 111-5, Durham 112-6
(round not yet complete)
Portsmouth GS 170-3, King?s Canterbury 88
Brighton 114-8, Tonbridge 120-3
Portsmouth GS 154-6, Tonbridge 138
Brighton 151-8, King?s Canterbury 141-5
Portsmouth GS win the South-East section
Blundell’s 196-4, *Taunton138-7
*Taunton 194-8, King’s Taunton 164-9
*Taunton 123-8, Queen’s Taunton 97-5
King’s Taunton 138-7, Queen’s Taunton 89-9
(round not yet complete)
KCS Wimbledon 146, Dulwich 147-4
Trinity 203-6, Dulwich 204-6
Trinity 180-6, KCS 181-6
Dulwich win the group
Oundle 140-7, Uppingham 127
Stamford 128-7, Oundle 129-4
Oundle 160-6, Rugby 155-7
Oundle win the group
*Felsted 183-6, King’s Ely 110-6
The Leys 76, The Perse 80-2
*Felsted 175-8, The Perse 121-9
The Leys 187-1, King’s Ely 66
*Felsted 135-7, The Leys 92
King?s Ely 94-9, The Perse 96-5
Felsted win the group
*Bristol GS 152-9, Wycliffe 146-8
Bristol GS 103-8, *Clifton 105-1
(Round not yet complete)
Langdale Cup
St Bede?s 253-1 (20 overs) (C Jackson 114 not out), Seaford 89
Worth 146-6 (20 overs), Seaford 111
Worth 66-8 (20 overs), St Bede?s 69-0
St Bede?s win the group
Eastbourne 187-5 (20 overs) (P Aldridge 99), *Christ?s Hospital 147-4
*Eastbourne 205-7 (20 overs), Brighton 126-8
Eastbourne win the group
*Hurstpierpoint 100-7 (20 overs), Ardingly 105-3
(Round not yet complete)