With terms ending either the previous week or last week in independent schools, the ?season? came to a depressingly damp close in most parts, with a few festivals here and there. There is no doubt at all that the weather was the worst we have experienced in at least 40 years. Exceedingly damp Mays yes, and infuriatingly glorious Septembers and Octobers yes (?Indian summers? and ?grounds too hard for rugby?), but nothing like this. I spent much of last week looking at submissions for the schools section of Wisden and a most depressing experience it was. The more ironically inclined may remember that I sent a circular from ECB in late March about how to deal with what was likely to be an excessively dry summer (memories of 1976).
One note of glorious thanks goes to David Kirby who retired at the end of term as Master in charge and coach of St Peter?s York, a role he took on in 1969, having played for their 1st XI for five years and subsequently captaining Cambridge and Leicestershire. Schools (and English) cricket owes a great debt of gratitude to such selfless servants of the game. It is not often realised that this has traditionally been for no financial reward whatsoever in the case at least of those who are full-time teachers of academic subjects. Nowadays slightly different perhaps with the development of Directors of Sport and such roles.
Another vote of thanks goes to Lorna Pointon who did all the hard work in setting up this website but has now had to resign because of pressures on her time elsewhere. We have had a few problems recently with gremlins in the works (no fault of Lorna?s). These are in the process of being sorted out as I write this but it is maddening when malware and the like are simply dumped on you by some faraway soulless computer. So apologies for those of you who have been inconvenienced by this. I discovered in the course of dealing with it that Mac computers and other Apple devices tend to be hardly touched by such infiltrations. These pirates apparently prey upon weaknesses in Microsoft software, and school computers in particular tend to have very sensitive protection devices.
In the ?BOWS? festival (see below), Oakham?s opening bowler Jack Crace, aged 16, took six for 24 against Brighton, including a hat-trick in this third over and three wickets in four balls in his seventh.
?Results:
St Paul’s (Aus) 56, *Durham 59-1
Bedford Modern 240 (35 overs), *Wisbech GS 148-6
*Woodhouse Grove 242-4 dec, Old Grovians 243-5
*Woodhouse Grove 121-5 (20 overs), Old Grovians 122-6
MCC 219-4 dec, *Wellingborough 168-7
King’s Ely 114 (B Wall 6-15), *Wellingborough 119-0
*Dulwich 202-8 (45 overs), Taunton 203-6 (T Abell 116)
*Dulwich 229 (40 overs), Eastbourne 117
*Haberdashers? Aske?s 240-5 (40 overs), Brighton GS (Aus) 195-7
*Devon Dumplings CC 227-5 (40 overs), Haberdashers? Aske?s 171-7
*Woodhouse Grove 207-8, Warwick 61-0 (rain)
Bishops Diocesan College (RSA) 173-8 (45 overs), *Shrewsbury 174-1 (only match of Silk trophy)
MCC 231-6 dec, *Cranleigh School 76-3 (rain)
Charterhouse 199-6 (40 overs), *Cranleigh 166
*St John?s Leatherhead 105 (50 overs), Cranleigh 106-1
*Christ College, Brecon 138, Llandovery 139-3
Christ College, Brecon Old Boys 197-6, *Christ College, Brecon 195
BOWS festival (Brighton, Oakham, Wellington, Sedbergh)
Brighton 124 (J Crace 6-24), Oakham 17-1 (rain)
Sedbergh 194-6 (35 overs) v Wellington (rain)
Wellington 143-6 (20 overs reduced from 50), Oakham 109-9
Sedbergh 123-7 (20 overs reduced from 50), Brighton 48
St Peter?s York festival
St Peter?s York 240-6 dec , King?s Bruton 124
Christ?s Hospital 186 , City of London Freemen?s 187-7
City of London Freemen?s 115, St Peter?s York 116-4
King?s Bruton 195, Christ?s Hospital 193
King?s Bruton 195-6 (35 overs), City of London Freemen?s 136
St Peter?s York 226, Christ?s Hospital 17-0 (rain)
St Peter?s win the Festival