Tuesday July 14th 2009
Review by Douglas Henderson
When people learn what I do, they assume I zoom round the country watching masses of schools cricket matches. The truth is more prosaic: it is all done by e-mail, only possible because of modern technology in, effectively, the last ten years. Sadly, I am the only person covering schools cricket, which I do obviously for this website but also for Wisden.The Daily Telegraph long since gave up, but The Times carried my results and commentary from 2004- 2008 (all available on this website?s archive). Essentially, the problem with The Times was that the whole thing had grown too big for them to find space in the printed paper, but I hugely valued the support they gave to Schools Cricket.
It was, therefore, a delight to do what people think I do and visit two end-of-term festivals. I first visited Tonbridge to watch them defeat a strong Millfield side. The Tonbridge score of 315 for nine ? and Tom Elliott reaching 1000 for the season with a magnificent 157 – ???was formidable for anybody, but the Millfield side, extremely talented, gifted them several wickets by holing out to full tosses and the like, and were bowled out for 257. The two touring sides also had a thriller with Kent St from Australia inching to a one-wicket victory over Michaelhouse (South Africa).
On to the Royal Grammar Schools festival based at RGS High Wycombe where I thought that all the RGS Schools congregated, but somebody told me that there were more than six. It took a lot of driving to reach the three grounds which were spread around the Buckinghamshire countrsyide, but all three grounds I visited ? Little Kingshill, Bledlow and Little Marlow – were absolutely charming. Full results shortly.
Meanwhile Durham spent some ten hours on the road to play Malvern. The visitors lost both openers in the first five overs and had six wickets down for 39. Struggling on a turning wicket they were all out for 110. Will Meredith with left-arm orthodox spin had bowled unchanged for figures of 17-3-42-6.
In reply, Malvern had 39 on the board before they lost their first wicket, and 111 seemed an easy target. But wickets began to tumble and Malvern reached a precarious 84-6 by lunch. After the break Malvern progressed to 103 before losing their seventh. Michael Turns, the Durham captain, took the eighth wicket with the scores level when James Ritzema held a fine edge ankle height at slip. The final two wickets fell to Andrew Elliott bowling off-spin when Turns took a catch at slip and two balls later Lewis Hall caught a prod at short leg. 110 all out and the match was tied.
Almost as tight a game was at Kirkham. Bury Grammar School were struggling on a difficult wicket and had reached only 72 for six when 17 were taken off the next over and they finshed on exactly 100 all out in their allotted twenty overs. Kirkham started at six an over but three quick wickets fell. A recovery ensued to reach 75 for five but with 20 needed from the last three overs, Bury bowled a maiden. Kirkham responded with 13 from the penultimate over but with three needed from the final ball, they could only scamper a bye to the wicket-keeper, this finishing one short.
Haberdashers? Aske?s recorded their 16th win from 20 matches.
Results (*denotes the home side)
(any corrections may be sent to [email protected])
*Kirkham 89, QEGS Blackburn 90-1
Bury GS 100 (20 overs), *Kirkham 99-8
Rossall 20/20 Festival
St Bees 92-8, Kirkham 93-1
*Rossall 128-9, Kirkham 129-1
QEGS Wakefield 115 (40 overs), RGS Lancaster 116-6
RGS Festival at High Wycombe
RGS Colchester 68, RGS Lancaster 72-1
(others to follow shortly)
*Nottingham HS 221 (50 overs), Bedford Modern 222-3 (A Craig 115 not out)
Old Bedford Modernians 213, *Bedford Modern 210-9
RGS Colchester 156 (50 overs) ,*Bedford Modern 158-4
Woodhouse Grove 237 and 158-4 dec, *Warwick 142-1 dec and 131 (A Hewitt 5-30)
*King Edward?s, Edgbaston 143-6 (40 overs), Repton 147-3
*King Edward?s, Edgbaston 170-9 (40 overs), OEA 153
King Edward?s, Edgbaston 258-4 (50 overs) (J Cornick 131 not out), *Nottingham HS 257-6
*King Edward?s, Edgbaston 233-8 (56 overs), Chief Master’s XI 232-9 (H Ismail 5-60)
Durham 110 (W Meredith 6-42), *Malvern 110
Haberdashers’ Aske’s 229-6 (40 overs) (N Selvakumar 103), *Exeter CC 199-6
Haberdashers’ Aske’s 213-9 (40 overs), *Exeter School 206-9
*Devon Under-16s 148, Haberdashers’ Aske’s 149-6
Tonbridge Festival:
Kent St (Aus) 219-9 (50 overs), *Tonbridge 94-1 (rain)
Millfield 139, Michaelhouse (RSA) 38-5 (rain)
Michaelhouse (RSA) 207-8 (45 overs), *Tonbridge 186
Kent St (Aus) 75, Millfield 79-2
*Tonbridge 315-9 (55 overs) (T Elliott 157), Millfield 257
Michaelhouse (RSA) 201, Kent St (Aus) 203-9
Tuesday July 14th 2009
Update from the Sir Garfield Sobers Festival in Barbados
STANDINGS as at July 14th after five rounds
ZONE A
Queen’s Park (TRI)
14 pts
Dominica Schools (DOM)
14 pts
Sedbergh College (UK)
12 pts
Phoenix Academy (B’DOS)
12 pts
Convent Garden School (GUY)
10 pts
BCL Juniors (B’DOS)
6 pts
Nottingham HS (UK)
0 pts
ZONE B
Foundation (B’DOS0
14 pts
Lester Vaughan (B’DOS)
14 pts
Combermere (B’DOS)
14 pts
School of the Nation (GUY)
12 pts
Presentation College (TRI)
12 pts
St Lucy Secondary (B’DOS)
10 pts
The Lodge School (B’DOS)
10 pts
Solihull School (UK)
2 pts
St Mary’s College (TRI)
2 pts
Results from Sunday July 12th 2009 (all matches intended as 40 overs)
Round 5
Combermere 267-6 (39 overs), Lodge 195
Queen?s Park 119, BCL Juniors 106
Solihull 172-8, Presentation 174-2
Convent Gardens 185-6, Nottingham HS 171
Sedbergh 226, Dominica Combined Schools 227-8
Lester Vaughan 207-7 (35 overs), Foundation 211-9
Results from Friday July 10th 2009 (all matches intended as 40 overs)
Round 4
Results from Thursday July 9th 2009 (all matches intended as 40 overs)
Round 4
School of Nations 175, Combermere 144-6
St Lucy 214-8, Solihull 107
Lodge 161-7 (35 overs), Lester Vaughan 162-8
St Mary?s 94, Foundation 95-4
BCL Juniors 204-7, Sedbergh 205-6
Queen?s Park 142-8, Convent Gardens 114
Trinidad Under-17s 199, Dominica schools 185
Round 3
Combermere 141-6 (reduced to 20 overs), St Mary?s 74-5
Solihull 80-4 (rained off) v School of Nations
Lodge v Foundation ? rained off
Phoenix v Sedbergh ? rained off
St Lucy v Presentation ? rained off
Convent Gardens v BCL Juniors ? rained off
Trinidad Under-17 v Queens?s Park ? rained off
Results from Tuesday July 9th (all matches 40 overs)
Round 2
St Lucy 165, Lodge 167-7
School of Nation 137-9, Presentation 138-4
St Mary?s 90, Lester Vaughan 91-1
Solihull 109, Foundation 111-3
Convent Gardens 98, Phoenix 100-3
Dominica 207, Queen?s Park 123
Sedbergh 192-4, Trinidad Under-17 161
Results from Monday July 6th (all matches 40 overs)
Round 1
Dominica 267-5, Convent Gardens 131-9
Sedbergh 112, Queens Park 113-6
Solihull 205-6, Lester Vaughan 208-4
BCL Juniors 195, Phoenix Academy 145
Combermere 149-9, St Lucy Secondary 146-9
Lodge 220-7, Presentation 208
Foundation 117, School of the Nation 120-4