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Result - Hurlingham Club

Sat Jun 12th The Grannies lose by 92 runs

Match report

I really, really, really want to win this game at least once. Don't let this act as a spoiler for what will unfold though.

I'm pretty sure M Schutz hadn't gone to bed, but apart from him everyone else was as fresh as could be hoped, excited to have made the cut following a rigorous selection process that comes with such a prestigous fixture. We had 11 players, found some spare whites for Mikey Schutz, were invited to toss as a formality, and mentally prepared for some long hours on the plush lawns.

6 balls later, O Butler had a wicket maiden, and with strike partner H Wilkinson we kept Hurlingham to 34/1 off 9. It can't last forever though, and emboldened from recent flukey form I took on 1st change. Form is clearly temporary though, and I retired myself at 38-1 off 12 balls. R Bethwaite provided a foil to my bowling though, with a solid supporting act from H Frankpitt. The reality is though, once you get in on that track the ball becomes pretty big and the wicket doesn't rush on. Hurlingham had a serious batting line-up and despite our best efforts made it to 200-2 by lunch. No one likes bowling after lunch, particularly not after a Hurlingham spread. We ploughed on admirably though, and J Woodcock prised out the centurion, and was followed up by H Frankpitt having his man caught behind for 17. This particular man bowls 80mph+ though, and knew his man - spoiler alert, he got his revenge having Frankpitt for a golden duck.

Now cooking on gas, Hurlingham went full steam ahead. Woodcock ploughed on supported by Mikey Schutz, Butler, and Bethwaite. The declaration was nigh though and they called it at 305/5, with Woodcock sneaking a 2nd wicket.

306 is a big total to knock off, but we had a good 90 mins or so before the 5pm 20-over mark. S Northcote-Green clearly wasn't thinking this though, and blasted 47 off 23. At 51-1, his partner, Will Hooker, looked prety confused when K Schutz joined him at the crease... Northcote-Green had marmalised the attack - picking on the true opener and the token medium pacer in equal measure.

The true opener is an old faithful though, bowling left-arm over in a sweater and hooping the ball at will - not easy to face. K Schutz fell cheaper to his magic, and T Kerridge joined Hooker. Kerridge stoicly soaked up deliveries at one end whilst Hooker started to get into his groove and we had 100 up in the 17th over - pretty much bang on track and game on. Good things don't last forever though, and Hooker fell also to the left-arm swing machine and I traipsed out. Perfect timing it seemed - we'd exhausted 1st and 2nd change by this point, and Hurlingham felt it time to unleash their not-so-secret and frankly inconspicuous 6'6" weapon. With gas at one end, it's unsurprising that Kerridge mistimed the other bowler soon after, and out came J Woodcock to face the music. I wouldn't call it a tuneful response from James and myself, but we did enough to see off the pacer and started to build a partnership. Having seen off the quick though, Woodcock was outsmarted by the spinner, and with Grannies then 162/5, it was a case of starting to show our intentions, stick or twist. H Frankpitt made that decision for us, bowled for a golden in 'revenge-gate' as previously mentioned, and twist we did. Despite being ably assisted by Mssrs M Schutz, Bethwaite, Wilkinson, and Butler, we were all out in the end for 213 off 35 overs. Who knows, a different day and it could have been a different story. It was a flowing game though, and some serious cricket played.

We were admirably hosted during and after the game by the Hurlingham crew, but I think the fact that the Grannies only left when the sprinklers came on is evidence enough to suggest who won the bar. We even carried on elsewhere, playing full red-ball cricket (helmet, pads, and all) underground at Il Pagliaccio's until the early hours. A memorable day for all, and I promise next year we will get the win.



Match info

If you're late I'll get the peacocks to chase and hunt you down

Also played: Tom Kerridge

Location
The Hurlingham Club,
Ranelagh Gardens,
Fulham,
SW6 3PR