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Result - Stragglers of Asia

Sun May 18th Grannies win by 7 wickets

Match report

Sometimes things happen in a game of cricket which are so utterly remarkable that it takes a while for those who witness them to be able to describe them. This was just one of those games.

With that excuse for the delay in producing a match report out of the way, let me begin...

It had been a tough build-up to this game for the Grannies. Hugo (the original skipper) had been sidelined due to pressing social commitments, and in the week leading up to the game four players had dropped out due to injury. As a result, the Grannies arrived at a glorious Ascott Park hoping (against hope) that we would have a team of 10. Happily everyone arrived (eventually), and to even things out the Stragglers were shy of one player as well.

The Stragglers won the toss and decided to have a bat, and when they took lunch at 153-2 that looked to be an excellent decision. In the morning Gerald Slocock had bowled accurately and was unlucky not to pick up a wicket, while Tom Gibbs and Jonathan Garforth (the team�s overseas professional) had picked up a wicket each, both of which were well caught by Rob Cranston behind the timbers. In truth, though, it was not looking great for the Grannies as they sat down to a hearty meal.

What that lunch consisted of is already lost to the mists of time, but whatever it was certainly agreed with the Grannies� collective constitution. In a turn of events rarely seen with Grannies� sides, the fielding team improved dramatically in the second session of the day. Mike Fernie and Oli Glass tied up the Stragglers� batsman immediately after lunch, and although Lyons went on to complete his belligerent hundred, they were starting to look a little ragged.

The turning point in the innings came, however, when Garforth and Gibbs came back on for their second spells. Although both of them looked rather weary, from what your correspondent can only assume were long net sessions the night before the game, they both managed to summon up enough energy to charge in for a few more overs. Gibbs removed Lyons, who perhaps unwisely decided to give young Thomas the charge. After that, with Tom pleading for �just one more over� on at least three occasions he proceeded to pick up two more quick wickets. At the other end, Garforth, swinging the ball prodigiously, and reminiscent (as ever) of a 1950�s county cricketer, just missed out on a hat-trick, but still picked up three quick wickets. The Stragglers declared, with their number 10 presumably not wanting to face the Grannies� new found combination of Gibbs and Garforth, who returned figures of 4-48 and 4-49, respectively. From 153-2 at lunch, the Grannies had restricted the Stragglers to 228-8 declared.

At the break between innings, the skipper wandered around the dressing room asking if anyone fancied opening the batting with him. From a dimly lit corner Stephen Hornsby looked up, and said that he was happy to give it a go. Decision made. The question now was whether 228 was going to be enough for the Stragglers.

It became clear very quickly indeed that it was not. Despite losing the skipper and Garforth, early, to two particularly ugly shots, Stephen�s statement that he could �bat a bit� was rapidly shown to be something of an understatement, as he proceeded to utterly destroy the Stragglers� attack. The Stragglers were not helped by one of their opening bowlers breaking down in his second over, but in truth it would have made little difference. It seemed as if almost every ball that Hornsby faced flew to the boundary, to every corner of the ground, and when he was joined at the wicket by Kamal Chibber (our very own, self-styled, Ravi Bopara) the two of them had the idiosyncratic scoreboard turning round at such a rate that the scorers simply could not keep up. Tea was taken after 10 overs with the Grannies on 92-2.

Sometimes an interval can break batsmens� concentration. Not these batsmen; not in this game. Yet again the Ascott Park tea-ladies did the Grannies proud, and after tea Hornsby and Chibber just kept piling on the runs. Balls disappeared over the boundary with astonishing regularity, and although Chibber fell for a well made 58, caught on the square leg boundary wishing that he had managed just one more Shredded Wheat for breakfast, Rob Cranston rounded off an excellent performance, as wicket-keeper batsman, with a breezy 17*.

The Grannies had unbelievably knocked off 228 in 31 overs, to win by 7 wickets, with the game finishing just after 6pm - a result which they could barely have dreamed of at lunch, just five hours earlier.

Little doubt then about the Man of the Match - Stephen Hornsby: a one man destroyer of bowling attacks. His 133* was certainly the best innings that I have seen played by a Granny, and one of the best innings I have seen in amateur cricket. The Stragglers� bowling attack was perhaps not the strongest that the Grannies will face during the course of a season, but Stephen�s variety of shots, timing, and clean hitting were something to behold. It also left the captain extremely thankful that he had not put Stephen at his initial position of 7 in the batting order.

So, in summary, a famous victory for the Grannies, in beautiful surroundings, on a glorious sunny day. What more could one ask for? For those of you answering that question with a chorus of �a match report written in a timely fashion�, your correspondent can only apologise.

JBS

Match info



Location
Ascott Park Estate,
Wing,
Aylesbury