It is not often that the West Country is drier than elsewhere but that seems to have been the case on Saturday. There I sat at my computer, after a perfectly reasonable day (and a glorious Sunday), awaiting a large crop of results from the weekend and I was somewhat perplexed to receive an email from one school delighting that they had managed to play a match albeit reduced to 30 overs and wondering whether anybody else had played. There was a full programme of fixtures in Bristol and so I wondered why not?
Went to a delightful lunch on Sunday in the Cotswolds where the hosts reported that they had had a charming covering of snow on Saturday morning. Then I discovered that Clifton had not played at Marlborough (about 40 miles to the East of Bristol) though all other fixtures had been played here.
Thus another disappointing start to the season (sleet stopped play in one) with far fewer results than I expected. Mind you, it is an early start to the term with a very early Easter. Once upon a time the cricket season was reckoned to start on the last Saturday of April.
Discussion of behaviour on the pitch is a burning issue at MCC (re-write of the Laws due in 2017) and I wrote out about this in the new version of Wisden which was published last week. Schools are being invited to take part in a trial of the potential new Laws. Details of this will be sent to all schools in the next few days as well as in next week?s column.
Results:
St Edward?s Oxford spring half-term tour to Barbados
*Lodge 150, St Edward?s 153-3
St Edward’s 217-4 (40 overs), *Wanderers CC 195
*Barbados Schools 162, St Edward’s 101 (A Bishop 5-12)
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*Cheltenham 267 (50 overs)(J Jamieson-Black 130), St Peter?s, York 140
St Peter?s York 145-4 v *Cheltenham (rain)
The Retiring Captain?s XI 135 (40 overs), *St Peter?s, York 136?9
*St Edward’s 174, Oxfordshire Cricket Board 144
*St Edward’s 164, Cryptics CC 92 (J Curtis 5-33)
Gloucestershire U-17 139, *St Edward’s 140-9
Warwickshire Cricket Board U-17 90 (D Lloyd 5-20), *Shrewsbury 92-1
*QEH 101, Wycliffe 105?6
Oxford MCCU 232-8 (50 overs), *St Edward?s 76-3 (rain)
KCS, Wimbledon 159-5 (30 overs), Emanuel 62
*St Edward’s 184-2 (30 overs) (A Woodland 105 not out), Oratory 162-2
Dr Challoner?s GS 152-7, *RGS High Wycombe 115
Oxford University 144-7 (20 overs), *Clifton 125-5
Charterhouse 189-8 (50 overs), *Radley 193-3
*Lawrence Sheriff 73, Queen Mary?s GS Walsall 77-3
Sevenoaks 117-5 (30 overs), *Eltham 88
National Schools Twenty20 competition
South East group 4
Kent College 99-8, Epsom 103-4
Simon Langton withdrew; Tonbridge had a bye
Tonbridge 190-3, Epsom 109-6
Tonbridge win the group
South London group 2
Whitgift 198-3, Wilson?s 64-6
St George?s 114, Reed?s 115-?
Whitgift 199-5, Reed?s 57
Whitgift win the group
South London group 3
*Dulwich 194-4, John Fisher 90
St Benedict’s 89, Hampton 95-1
Hampton 155-7 *Dulwich 136-6
John Fisher 126-5, St Benedict’s 128-2
Hampton 141-7, John Fisher 109-4
St Benedict?s 117-8, *Dulwich 121-5
Hampton win the group
South London group 4
*Eltham 166-3, Ibstock 59
Langley Park 94, Chigwell 95-5
*Eltham 153-2, Chigwell 113
Eltham win the group
South West group 3
*Clayesmore 109, Plymouth 110-5