You have to be at least 60 to remember Jim Laker taking ten wickets in an innings (and 19 in the match). This astonishing feat ? extremely rare – was reproduced by Jack Oughtred of Oundle who with his slow left arm took all ten Perse School wickets for 48 runs. He followed this by opening the batting but his side only managed to draw.
It slightly puts in the shade another outstanding bowling performance of the week at Reigate Grammar School where Ben Baker took eight wickets for 32 from 12 uninterrupted overs with an inspired spell of off-spin bowling that was too much for John Fisher.
A third very fine bowling performance was by Charlie Farrant of Sevenoaks who, at medium-fast, took seven for 20 against Hurstpierpoint in seven overs. Unlike the spinners, he was restricted in the overs he could bowl under ECB regulations.
Reigate had also featured in an earlier fine match with Christ?s Hospital. Luke Hansford, only 14, scored an impressive chanceless century (124) against Reigate?s excellent spinners (see above). Reigate, pursuing 249, struggled with the pace of Stuart Whittingham, but a stylish 126 from Will Fry regained the initiative. The result was in doubt untl the final over when Christ?s achieved a run-out to win the game by six runs.
Another superb match the previous week saw Winchester entertaining Wellington (Berkshire) on an excellent wicket and outfield. At lunch the home side were 193 for one and so it was disappointing to finish with only 264 for seven in 50 overs. Even more disappointed was Christian Portz whose 107, a second successive century, took him to a final aggregate for the season of 999, second only in Winchester?s post-war history to the Nawab of Pataudi. Details of the Wellington reply are somewhat sketchy but it must have been a magnificent match as they finished just four short.
On this tantalising note, Hugo Darby of Bradfield was on 99 not out when his side needed one to win. At which point the Free Foresters bowler bowled a wide. A moment, I?d have thought, when the umpire should have said he was sorry but something had flown into his eye and he was temporarily unsighted.
This column has always favoured the idea of schools playing different types of cricket, and thus gaining a broad understanding of the game, from traditional declaration games to 50 overs cricket to Twenty20. A rare type indeed these days is the two-innings two-day match which is the closest schoolboys will get to the ebb and flow of a Test match and is indeed, like the latter, the supreme form of the game with its test of character, technique, captaincy, and every other skill the game requires. Cricket is played in the mind as much as anything.
In this admirable spirit, Kirkham Grammar School and Rossall two weeks ago played three days of cricket: a two-day game and a 35-over contest. Scores were published last week but are reprinted below. Kirkham came out top in both contests, and were remarkable for the all-round performance of their captain, Kieran Marmion (also a Irish rugby international), who scored 231 runs over the three days and took five wickets and three catches.
The ebb and flow of the longest form of the game was much in evidence at Uppingham. Shrewsbury scored a massive 366 for one declared, Matthew Cull scoring 150 not out and Stephen Leach 116. Relatively speaking, Uppingham were skittled out for 103 by the end of the first day. So far, so bad for Uppingham. Forced to follow on, they amassed the even more huge score of 483 for five declared in 103 overs, with Henry Hughes reaching an extraordinary 229. With Shrewsbury needing to make 221 in only 23 overs, they managed it with seven balls to spare, finding a third centurion, David Lloyd (122 not out), to lead them there. Breath-taking stuff.
Next week will probably be the final column for the domestic scene, with not only reports on the week?s matches, but also news of schools and individuals who have had particularly impressive seasons. We also intend to publish results from the Sir Garfield Sobers tournament in Barbados.
Results:
Perse 170 (J Oughtred 10-48), Oundle 127-7
Clifton 293-7 (50 overs), *Queen?s, Taunton 131
*Clifton 249-7 (50 overs), Malvern 252-3
Sherborne 197-9 (50 overs), *Clifton 201-5
*Clifton 229-9 (50 overs), Bromsgrove 167
Colston Basset 241-8 (40 overs)(B Evans 121), *Ratcliffe 242-2 (M Phillips 130)
Bury GS 94, *Kirkham GS 95-1
XL Club 277-6 dec, *Dauntsey’s 278-3 (J Mynott 109)
Nudgee College (Aus) 272-7 dec (M Dolan 114), *Denstone 192-8
MCC 255-5 dec, *Denstone 255-8
Old Ratcliffians 219-2 dec (K Smith 130 not out), *Ratcliffe 115-9
*St Edwards Oxford 107, Denstone 108-3
Berkhamsted 149-8 (40 overs), *Bedford Modern 150-1
MCC 242-9 dec, *Bedford Modern 217-5
Old Boys? XI 141 (20 overs), *Reigate GS 142-6
Emeriti 279-6 dec (F Bainbridge 105)(T Foulds 103), *Ratcliffe 207-9 (M Phillips 105)
*Stowe 187-7 (40 overs) (A Birkby 101), Woodridge College 187-6
Oakham 240-9, *Stowe 241-4
Wellingborough 117 (J Gurney 6-30), *Stowe 119-2
*Radley 171, Stowe 172-2
Wellsway 160 (40 overs), *Christ?s Hospital 163-6
MCC 223-7 dec, *Christ?s Hospital 224-7
*Denstone 346-6 (50 overs)(C Beech 158 not out), XL Club 180
Durham School 117, Durham 6th Form College 87
Bristol GS (50 overs) 161, *RGS, Worcester 164-4
Bristol GS (50 overs) 173, *King?s, Taunton 174-2
*Queen?s, Taunton 240-8 (50 overs), Bristol GS 198
*Queen’s, Taunton 266-6 (40 overs), Richard Huish 165
*Queen’s Taunton 256-9 dec, Old Queenians 256-8
*Reigate Grammar School 226-8, John Fisher 120 (B Baker 8-32)
*King’s Taunton 221 (40 overs), Old Aluredians 192
Wellington, Somerset 160 (35 overs), *Christ College, Brecon 108
Wellington, Somerset 166-6 (35 overs), *Hereford CS 167-9
*Wells CS 179-5 (35 overs), Wellington, Somerset 182-6
*Bradfield 145 (50 overs), Marlborough 148-1
*Bradfield 241 (P. Woodford 147)(40 overs), Bradfield Waifs 229-8
St John?s College, Johannesburg 224 (50 overs), *Bradfield 216
Free Foresters 176-8, *Bradfield 177-4 (H Darby 99 not out)
Radley, 267-4 (50 overs), *St Edward?s, Oxford 114
DI Yeabsley’s XI 274-5 dec, *Haberdashers’ Aske’s 210 -7
Fraser Bird XI 220-9 dec, *Haberdashers’ Aske’s 213
*Bancroft’s 119, Haberdashers’ Aske’s 120-3
Summer Puddings 147, *Dauntsey?s 148-3
A. J. Palmer?s XI 236, *Dauntsey?s 237-8
Old Dunelmians 165-6, Durham 162-8
*Woodhouse Grove 234-6 (40 overs), Prince Henrys GS 163
*Grammar School at Leeds 264-9, Woodhouse Grove 241-8
*Woodhouse Grove 259-8, Old Grovians 263-4
MCC 174, *Dr Challoner’s GS 176-5
*Merchant Taylors?, Northwood 168-8 (30 overs), Dr Challoner’s GS 169-3
Shrewsbury 366-1 dec (S Leach 116, M Cull 150 not out), *Uppingham 103&483-5 (H Hughes 229), Shrewsbury 221-4 (D Lloyd 122 not out)
*Eton 253-7 (55 overs), *Scotch College Melbourne 257-5 (C O’Beirne 102 not out)
*Hurstpierpoint College 171 (35 overs)(C Farrant 7-20), Sevenoaks 173-5
Silcoates 175, *Ratcliffe 177-1
*Dauntsey’s 236, Wiltshire Queries 237-9
Ipswich 40 -6 v *Felsted (rain)
*Oundle 181, Felsted 187-7
Uppingham 191 (S Thakor 111), *Felsted 193-2 (J Wells 110 not out)
*Rossall 171-9 & 201-6, Kirkham GS 180 &192-6
Kirkham GS 217-6 (35 overs) (K Marmion 104) *Rossall 130 (A Galley 5-14)
Merchant Taylors’, Northwood 140-8 (40 overs), *Stamford 144-2
*Cheadle Hulme 209-5 (35 overs), Denstone 210-0 (T Bamford 107*)
Stowe Twenty20 festival
Warwick 140, Yarra Valley Grammar 88
Kimbolton 97-8, *Stowe 101-3
Kimbolton 139, Yarra Valley Grammar 140-1
Stowe 171-7, Warwick 78
*Stowe 142-6, Yarra Valley Grammar 145-1
Kimbolton 154-8, Warwick 119-8
3rd place play off
Kimbolton 117-9, Warwick 118-6
Final
Yarra Valley Grammar 129-6, *Stowe 130-9