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Result - Wiltshire Queries

Sun Jun 26th Grannies lose by 5 wkts

Match report

Grannies - 182 All Out [in 39.5 overs]
J Marsh 57
J Garforth 52
D Fry 20
J Brierley 11

Queries � 183-5 [in 38.5 overs]
M Fernie 2/31
J Staniforth 2/44
J Garforth 1/28

The Grannies lost the toss and were put in to bat in this 40 over match. James Marsh and Simon Baldey opened the innings but we were soon in trouble, with Baldey, debutant Sam Burrett and James Brierley all falling cheaply as we struggled to get the ball away on a slow pitch (and equally slow outfield), where pace off the ball became a key factor in the Queries� success, the early Grannies order not playing straight enough in the difficult conditions against some accurate bowling from opening bowlers Adi and Tendayi and well-flighted slow bowling from Jones and McGregor, so that after 20 overs we only had 56 on the board for the loss of 3 wickets.

Meanwhile, James Marsh was making it look relatively easy until he too succumbed to a cross-batted stroke for a well-crafted 57.

Dom Fry contributed 20, before Jono Garforth scored a typically aggressive 52 off 29 balls. Jono had had to work in the morning, as he had to finish a document concerned with Brexit, and so didn�t arrive until the 26th over of our innings, and came in a little later than originally planned, at no. 8, but managed to help us post a competitive score of 182, after we had been 118 for 6 when he came to the crease in the 31st over.

After tea, it started to rain and never really stopped for the whole of the Queries innings, which didn�t help us, although this is not an excuse, as we dropped a couple of catches during a 2nd wicket stand of 110, and they always had wickets in hand, even though it became increasingly difficult to grip the ball. We had restricted their scoring well for the first 15 overs to about 3 an over, with good opening spells from Jono Garforth [1 for 28 off 8 overs, including 2 maidens] and Tom Gibbs [0 for 25 off 5.5], followed by some tidy bowling from Fry [0/27 off 8 overs], bowling left-arm spin for a change, in an attempt to take the pace off the ball as the Queries had done so successfully. Jon Staniforth [2 for 44] and Mike Fernie [2 for 31] each picked up a couple of wickets and at the end of the 34th over the Queries still needed 47, so we were feeling quietly confident that we would be able to restrict them, but the Queries� skipper, Jack Bramwell, had other ideas and with some very clean hitting scored 40 off 16 scoring deliveries to win the game for them with 7 balls to spare.

Coincidentally, the Grannies score at the end of their 34th over had also been 136!

All in all it was a good, close game, played in a very good spirit, and in spite of the weather and disappointing result, I think everyone enjoyed it.

A very big thank you to Dom Fry without whom we would not have had a game at all, as the Queries only had 5 players, and Dom was able to provide them with 6 players and us with one, in addition to himself, from his club, Avebury CC. Fortunately for everyone involved, Avebury�s original game for the same day had been cancelled, due to the opposition being unable to raise a side, so we are clearly not the only club who has been finding it difficult getting sides out this year! Thank you too to the Avebury players who agreed to play for one or other side.

The game should have been played at Larkhill, but we played it at Avebury in order to be able to accommodate Dom�s Avebury players.


Match info

One of the very very best cricket fixtures the Grannies play - against Wiltshire's biggest wandering club, the Queries. The venue has changed this year from Devizes to The Royal Artillery Ground at Larkhill,near Amesbury.

Also played:
Sam Burrett (c)
Greg Dix (guest player from Avebury CC)

Location
The Royal Artillery Ground,
Larkhill,
SP4 8QT

How to get there
The entrance to the Royal Artillery barracks is about 600m to the east of the post office, which is on the road called The Packway. The road you take into the barracks is marked as Glover Road. This takes you up to a security post where you will have to sign in - and the folk there can direct you to the ground which on the map is the green patch immediately above/behind the post office.
If coming from London, take the M3 then A303 to Amesbury. At the Countess Roundabout take the 3rd exit onto Countess Road/A345. At the 1st roundabout [after approx 1.5 miles] take the 1st exit on to the Packway. After approx 800m turn right into the barracks at Glover Road.