I mentioned earlier in the season the exponential growth this year of electronic scoring by schools as promoted by the ECB and strongly supported by Schools Cricket Online. See much more information by clicking on Electronic scoring on the left.
What follows here is a first for anywhere: the Eton v Harrow match with a full statistical analysis, even more than you see on your TV screens for international matches, provided by the nxcricket system. It is quite amazing to realise that all this is provided by a scoring system which is easier to use than a traditional written scorebook. There is also a much fuller report on the match.
The game itself was very remarkable. With rain threatening all day, Eton batted first and were very positive with Teddy James and Jamie Abbott in an opening stand of 94 leading them to a lunchtime score of 144 for one. Henry Hayes followed with a captain?s innings of 83 from 88 balls but was eventually caught on the boundary with an expansive back foot drive. The innings tottered at times and 225 for five after 49 overs seemed a little under par given the platform. At this point Michael Roy entered to dominate the final six overs with a selection of extravagant shots. His 34 from 22 balls ensured a healthy total of 273 for six.
Harrow responded soundly if a little cautiously. At tea on a score of 100 for three from 25 overs, the match was well balanced. Lalit Bose completed a fine half-century but Eton succeeded in keeping him from the strike. The tempo dropped as he approached his century but he achieved it from 118 balls, falling only to a direct hit run-out on 118. It was Hector Whitrow who played the innings of the day when it seemed as if Harrow would fall well short. With 80 not out from only 66 balls, he steered Harrow to a narrow victory by two wickets in the final over.
The continuing rains may have something to do with some strikingly low scores and fine bowling performances, mostly by seamers. Uppingham won the toss and batted, but were bowled out for 98 with James Ilott, son of Mark Ilott of Essex and England, taking four for 17. Oakham scored the runs in 20.4 overs, the prolific Tom Fell scoring 56 not out. In North London, Merchant Taylors? were dismissed for only 73 with Jonny Ellis, a small-framed medium quick bowler taking six for nine, four of them clean bowled; Mill Hill went on to win by nine wickets. Soon after this, Merchant Taylors? reversed their fortunes: Ashil Shah, fresh from a century against John Lyon, destroyed UCS Hampstead with a fast spell of eight for four (including a hat-trick) to remove the opposition for 31 and his side won by nine wickets.
14-year-old Saif Zaib, who also plays for Bucks CCC Under-17 as well as RGS High Wycombe scored a chanceless century (107) against Haberdashers? Aske?s but the total of 166 for seven in 40 overs was not enough to prevent a victory for the home side
It is characteristic of the XL club (whose membership by definition is rather older than the average) to be a strong batting side, with moderate bowling and often appalling fielding. However, even the wise heads of the team playing Lancing were confounded by 15-year-old Mason Crane, who also plays for Hampshire?s Under-15s and Under-16s. Bowling his leg-spin with great control, he spun it both ways to confuse the visitors and bowl them out for 42, taking eight for 11. This followed Lancing?s 253 for 2 declared, with two centurions, Hector Loughton (132 not out) and Nick Bellamy (100 not out).
This column has always favoured the re-introduction of the two-day format, and the inaugural such contest between Malvern and Bradfield was a cracker. On their lovely ground in the Malvern hills, the home side with a strong batting side were confounded by the off-spin of Ryan Higgins (five for 39) to be bowled out for a modest 150, despite Tom Kohler-Cadmore?s fine 81 not out. Bradfield?s reply of 215 for six declared included a useful 73 from Higgins. The same Higgins then took seven for 51 in Malvern?s second innings of 178 all out. With three overs to go, all four results were possible, but Bradfield were bowled out for 97, 17 runs short.
And so to the other cliff-hangers of the week. King?s Canterbury inserted Cranleigh on their own ground and soon reduced them to 18 for five. Something of a fightback then materialised and they reached what cricketers know as ?something to bowl at? in the form of 151 all out before their 50 overs were completed. King?s struggled similarly at 18 for four with Surrey Academy bowler Will Rollings taking four for eight in his opening spell. Sensible batting from George Baker-White (75) steered the visitors towards possible victory, but it eventually took a four from the final ball to secure a tie.
Much consultation of the National Twenty20 regulations followed the last 16 play-off between St Albans and Whitgift (winners of North London and South London respectively). With the scores level at the end of the game, Whitgift won the round having lost only five wickets as against the six of St Albans. In the game itself, St Albans started briskly but were pegged back by some accurate Whitgift bowling in the middle of the innings. 120 for six seemed not quite enough, especially when Whitgift had cruised to 105 for one in 15 overs. Alex Goldstone came on to bowl his slow-medium and ripped out three Whitgift wickets for five runs. A fifth wicket fell in the penultimate over but a vital four was also scored. The last over saw a scrambled single to the wicket-keeper on the fifth ball, and the batsman survived a confident LBW appeal on the final ball with the scores level.
In the South Central section of the T20, excellent batting by John George (96 from 54 balls) gave Portsmouth Grammar School a formidable total of 188 for two. A vigorous reply from Bradfield, 60 from the power-play six overs, made for a good start, but they still needed 60 from the final four overs. Fine hitting from Jack Bransgrove (58 from 27 balls) left 17 needed from the last over. Despite Bransgrove?s six and four, Bradfield finished one short. Portsmouth later lost to Millfield in the quarter-final.
On Finals Day, St Bede’s will play Sedbergh in the morning, while Millfield play Shrewsbury after lunch. Date and time are this Thursday June 28th at the Arundel Castle ground, 10.00am start. Visitors are warmly invited to come and watch some of the strongest schoolboy cricketers in the country on this lovely welcoming ground.
Results:
*Monkton Combe 173-7 (40 overs) (J Arney 107 not out), Beechen Cliff 138
*Wellingborough 127-5 (20 overs), Northants CCC Under-17 101-9
Ipswich 153, *Perse 157-6
*Uppingham 98, Oakham 101-1
Eton Ramblers 303-6 (50 overs) (E Farley 137), *Eton 208
*Winchester 161 (50 overs), Eton 115 (Winchester won by 24 runs D/L method)
*Eton 271-7 (50 overs), Hampton 200
*Lancing 253-2 (H Loughton 132 not out, N Ballamy 100 not out), XL Club 42 (M Crane 8-11)
*Stowe 183, Westminster 163 (R White 5-25)
XL Club 143-4 dec, *High School of Glasgow 144-3
MCC 275-1 dec (A Dalton 102 not out ), *Christ College Brecon 153
*Kirkham GS 176, XL Club 139
MCC 194-8 dec (G T Cork 5-27), *Denstone 142
RGS Newcastle 126, Durham 128-7
XL Club 132-9 dec, *Dauntsey?s 133-1
Oakham 146, *Stowe 150-3
*St John’s Leatherhead 193-8 (50 overs), Reigate GS 115 (C Glanville 5-14)
Shrewsbury 328-7 (50 overs), *Warwick 186
*Whitgift 186, Dulwich 145
Lancing 178-9 (40 overs), *Brighton 93
KCS Old Boys 142-9 (40 overs), *KCS Wimbledon 143-9
Taunton 264-8 (50 overs)(T Abell 114), *Sherborne 220
Eltham 211-8 (50 overs), *Felsted 172
Dauntsey?s 269 (50 overs), *Bryanston 101
Charterhouse 189, *Wellington (Berks) 151
Merchant Taylors’ 73 (J Ellis 6-9), *Mill Hill 74-1
*UCS 31 (Ashil Shah 8-4), Merchant Taylors’ 32-1
*Eton 273-6 (55 overs), Harrow 274-8 (L Bose 118)
RGS High Wycombe 166-7 (40 overs) (S Zaib 107), *Haberdashers’ Aske’s 167-4
*Bristol GS 167-5 (35 overs) (D Tailor 103) v QEH bristol (rain)
*Cranleigh 151 (50 overs), King?s Canterbury 151-8
Wales Under-17 165, *Millfield 166-4 (W Jenkins 101 not out)
Judd 78, *Sevenoaks 79-8
Merchant Taylors, Crosby 84, *Lancaster RGS 84-0
Old Lancastrians 201-7, *Lancaster RGS 119-8
*St Edward’s Oxford 262-3 dec, Cheltenham 134-1 (rain)
MCC 191-7 dec, *Clayesmore 126
Kearsney (RSA) 50, *KCS Wimbledon 54-5 (C Kirsten 5-21)
Cheadle Hulme 156-5 (40 overs), *Denstone 158-7
*Brentwood 76 (A Bhatt 5-8), Ipswich 80-1
Ipswich 163, St Joseph?s Ipswich118
St Edward’s Oxford 205-9 (50 overs), *Canford 85
*Bedford Modern 220-8 dec (K Cunningham 109), Haileybury 170
*Aylesbury 96, St Albans 102-2
Magdalen College School 98, *Rugby 101-1
*Bradfield 240 (50 overs), Marlborough 183 (G Simpson 5-51)
*Malvern 150 (R Higgins 5-39) & 178 (R Higgins 7-51), Bradfield 215-6 dec & 97
Lancaster RGS 185-9 dec, Giggleswick 105-8 ( T Whitehouse 6-56)
National Twenty20 competition: London section final
St Albans 120-6, Whitgift 120-5 (Whitgift win having lost fewer wickets)
National Twenty20 competition: South region final
Whitgift 125-9, St Bede’s 126-3
St Bede?s will represent the region on Finals Day
National Twenty20 competition: East Midlands section final
Felsted 157-5, Bedford 135-9
National Twenty20 competition: East and West Midlands region final
*Felsted 123-8 (H Lewis 5-20), Shrewsbury 127-3
Shrewsbury will represent the region on Finals Day
National Twenty20 competition: South Central section final
Portsmouth GS 188-2, Bradfield 187-6
National Twenty20 competition: South West and South Central final
Millfield 123-5, Portsmouth GS 87
Millfield will represent the region on Finals Day
National Twenty20 competition: North region final
Sedbergh 123-5, Woodhouse Grove 59
Sedbergh will represent the region on Finals Day
ESCA Lords Taverners Colts Under15 trophy national quarter-final
Portsmouth GS 91, Pontarddulais Comprehensive 95-3