I thought last week would be the final column of the season, but this week has produced two remarkable stories, and several results from post-term festivals.
At King?s Macclesfield, the home side scored 853 runs in three games and conceded only 144. But the most extraordinary part of the week was the performance of Magdalen College School from Oxford. Every batsman from Sir Donald downwards has been out for a duck several times and there is no logical reason why they should not all fail on the same day, especially against bowlers and fielders with their tails up; every coach?s nightmare. Here it came true.
Against Barnard Castle, Magdalen had scored a more than respectable 240 and on the second day a massive 307 against Edinburgh Academy. On the final day they were bowled out by the hosts for 14, a figure which I presumed to be a typo. The bowlers for King?s were their openers Jonny Marsden (six for seven) and Tom Foreman (four for six). It rather recalls the occasion when the full mighty sixties West Indies side were bowled out for 25 by Ireland, which may have had something to do with legendary Irish hospitality the night before.
At the Tonbridge festival, the home side?s captain Fabian Cowdrey scored 195 against touring side Newington from Australia and in doing so surpassed the previous school records of his father Chris and grandfather Colin. He and Tom Harvey (126 not out) put on 332 for the third wicket in a monumental 55-over total of 434 for four. The next day Tonbridge came down to earth, being beaten by Millfield who in turn had had a remarkable tie with Kent?s Under-17 side.
Dauntsey?s Festival
Xavier (Aus) 193 (40 overs), *Dauntsey’s 195-6
Kirkham 281-7 (40 overs), Pembroke (Aus) 194
Pembroke 174 (50 overs), *Dauntsey’s 178-4
Xavier 375-7 (50 overs)(M Beaton 106), Kirkham GS 236
Xavier 203-4 (20 overs), Pembroke 163-8
*Dauntsey’s 158-9 (20 overs), Kirkham GS 90
Pembroke 138-9 (20 overs), Kirkham GS 144-6
Xavier 159-6 (20 overs), *Dauntsey’s 76
King?s Macclesfield Festival
King?s 284-9 (50 overs), Edinburgh Academy 85
King?s 294-7 (45 overs), Barnard Castle School 45
King?s 275-5 (45 overs), Magdalen College School, Oxford 14
Tonbridge Festival
Kent Under-17 184?6 (40 overs), *Tonbridge 187?6
*Tonbridge 434-4 (55 overs) (F Cowdrey 195, T Harvey 126 not out), Newington (Aus) 113
Millfield 298-5 (50 overs) (W Jenkins 133), *Tonbridge 208
Newington 152 (40 overs), Millfield 153-3
Kent Under-17s 210-6 (55 overs), Millfield 210
Newington 138, Kent Under-17s 139-3