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Jump to pages showing scores and reviews from the 2009 season.
1st XI against Old King's Scholars on Friday, July 04, 2008 (home) This was, quite literally, an event-ful match, sadly not always for the right reasons (I shall come to that later). The unveiling of the new 1st XI best batting and bowling honours board was scheduled as the main event off the field, a victory for the School was hopefully going to be the main event on it. However, the youthfulness of the OKS side that began to assemble indicated that this was not going to be a foregone conclusion. Clearly, the OKS were intent on avenging last year's victory for the School, with no less than seven of their players dating from the post Mellor-Neeves era. Skipper Oli Greening invited the OKS to bat and Mike Roberts and Andrew Sissons began steadily against the School's opening pair of Andrew Leech and Marcus Torr, promoted in the absence of Richard, the younger Sissons. Both Leech and Torr bowled really well but on this occasion it was the extra pace of Leech that earned the early breakthroughs, which came in his fourth over when he clean bowled Roberts and Peter McLoughlin. The left-handed Robert Batey now came to the crease and, like the opener he used to be in his schooldays, he began to establish himself and settle the ship. The School, although spendthrift with extras, were not going to make it easy, though, and a superb forward-diving catch by Tom Fearnall prised Andrew Sissons from the crease off the bowling of Ben Cooke. Charlie Aston came and went in the same over, well held by Jacob Newman at slip, and though Calum Rigby struck some pleasant shots, Cooke persuaded him to attempt a pull to one that kept coming in to him, only for the stumps to be broken. Twelve runs were added before lunch, but the School had had a very successful morning which was reflected in the scoreline of 98 for 6. With the honours board about to be unveiled, Andrew Leech and Ben Cooke were vying for the best bowling of 2008, Leech being credited with the unusual dismissal for a fast bowler of a stumping, when Dave Atkin wandered out of his crease as he attempted to play the ball and keeper Glenn Coppack hit the stumps from 20 yards. A true Boughton Hall wicket, as Atkin later pointed out. After a few words from the Headmaster, Adrian Neeves and Harvey Mellor - masters i/c 1st XI cricket from the mid-1970s to the mid 1990s - unveiled the new honours board. The OKS side included three players whose names appear on the board - Andrew Sissons (twice), Dave Atkin and Tom Bellis (twice). Which were the best ever performances and whether the 1st XI on the day included the bowler who would produce the best performance of 2008 were moot points. Certainly, although competition for this year's best batting was understandably stifled by PJ's 139 not out against Rydal, the possibility of overcoming Richard Sissons' 4 for 17 against the Forty Club is very much a 'live' contest. A remarkably subdued Tom Bellis rejoined an ever more assured Rob Batey after a splendid lunch (thanks to Mr Beasley and his staff and also to CAOKS for erecting the marquee). The rivalry for best bowling performance was negated by some splendid rearguard OKS batting and only one more wicket fell - that of Bellis, again well caught by Newman at slip off Cooke. As Andrew Leech ruefully pointed out, modern bowling restrictions are weighted in favour of the slow bowler, but even he conceded that Ben's return of 4 for 40 off 16 was a fine achievement and he was a little unlucky not to collect a 'five for'. The sad event referred to earlier occurred shortly after the arrival at the crease of OKS captain Jeremy Brummitt. As he set off for a run, his Achilles tendon snapped - "like a gunshot" he said - and poor Jeremy had to be carried from the field. Medical examination confirmed that his Achilles tendon was ruptured and he will need surgery next week. We all wish him a full and speedy recovery. Dave Atkin took over the captaincy of the OKS and the eighth-wicket partnership of Batey and Wainwright prospered, both batsmen injecting entertaining and necessary impetus. What turned out to be a perfectly-judged declaration came at 178 for 7 after 52 overs. Leech and Cooke had been the wicket-takers but Torr, Dyne and Turley all bowled tidily and there was good support in the field, catches being held, and good stops being pulled off by the likes of Ciaran Willis, Andy Dyne and Tom Fearnall. Ben Cooke and Jacob Newman, the school's third opening pair of the season, established a solid platform, putting on 40 before Bellis had Cooke caught behind by Rigby. Bellis had been the destroyer of the OKS in this match last year and in the minds of the 1st XI was perhaps the greatest threat. Yet it was the wily left-arm spin of Nick Guest that proved the undoing of so many of the School's batsmen. Glenn Coppack played the ball back to a grateful Guest and Jacob, having once again done all the hard work and reached 24, allowed a field change by Atkin to worry him sufficiently to offer a catch. Greening, Dyne, Leech and Fearnall all looked to bat positively but surrendered too cheaply and Guest added to his haul in a post-tea spell of 8-3-19-6. If I am honest, I wasbeginning to fear that my disappointment and sharp words on the journey back from Wrekin the other day had had little effect. 70 off the last 15 overs was perfectly do-able ... but with just two wickets in hand? It needed some magic. And some magic is what Simon Younger and Jon Turley conjured up. Simon batted with a discipline and belief he has not shown before in the 1st XI, something perhaps stemming from his unfortunate dismissal on Monday and his lowly position in the batting order today. Simon had something to prove - and in his last game for us this season he certainly did so. But Simon needed a partner, someone to hold an end up, yes, but at over four an over - at times, more - also someone who could put bat to ball. Step up, Jon Turley. Jon's sturdy defence is well-known but it was his attacking play (he hit three 4s and two 3s) and invention that were revelatory. His reverse sweep for 4 when Atkin had the field seemingly impregnable brought a loud and deserved cheer. Both he and Simon showed great sense in their shot selection, calling and running between the wickets as they added 69. Off the last over the School required 6 to win. Turley struck a 3 and two byes were run. Scores level. But, in attempting the winning run off the penultimate ball, Jonathan was run out, despite his human cannonball head-first dive. Ciaran Willis now joined Simon Younger, who was on strike for the last ball. Batey in, bowls, anything could happen, Simon swishes and misses. It's not on target, though, and it's too quick for wicket-keeper Calum Rigby to take, crossing the rope for four byes. An absolute thriller and a deserved victory in the end for the School. Loyalties are often divided in this match but on this occasion it would surely be true to say, as the President of CAOKS remarked, that "Cricket was the winner!" (I promised I'd quote you, Steve.) 1st XI against Wrekin College on Monday, June 30, 2008 (away) This is a new fixture for us so we did not know quite what to expect. Certainly, the setting at Wrekin is spectacularly lovely and the spacious pavilion has a timeless quality about it. Although Wrekin does have covers they had not been used after Saturday's game so the track marked out for our game had been exposed to weekend rain. The toss - won by Wrekin - therefore turned out to be significant and the King's opening pair quickly found themselves battling for survival on a spiteful wicket that was exploited to the full by both Wrekin pacemen. Ben Cooke and Tom Pearson-Jones did admirably well, using soft hands, hitting the bad ball and running hard between the wickets. Tom survived a chance he hit in the air round the corner but he couldn't survive an LBW shout from Van Brede and King's were 25 for 1 in the eighth over of a 105-over game. When Ben Cooke also fell to Van Brede and captain Jacob Newman came and went in the very same over, King's were looking very fragile at 34 for 3 with only twelve overs bowled. Things didn't get any better as a succession of batsmen came to the crease only to depart for not very many after varying lengths of stay at the crease. The lower order showed some spirit, carrying the attack to the Wrekin bowlers as the pitch began to ease. Andy Leech struck two sweet boundaries and seemed to be entirely comfortable. Off-spinner Hammond induced Leech to play one back to him, however, and his innings was over all too soon. Meanwhile Richard Sissons batted in similar fashion, choosing which balls to punish and which to block, and doing so to very good effect. At number nine he turned out to be our top-scorer with a chanceless and well-made unbeaten 33. It was largely thanks to Richard that King's progressed from 76 for 8 at lunch to 106 all out, though mention should also be made of Jonathan Turley, who held out for quite some time before he got a snorter from Van Brede in his second spell. All out for a little over 100 in 43 overs. Confidence cannot have been high but King's did their best to conceal their doubts and both opening bowlers were really fired up. Sissons in particular bowled superbly and he was perhaps unlucky to pick up just the one wicket. Although there were plenty of shouts and occasional false shots, by now the pitch was much more benign (especially after the heavy roller had done its job during the change of innings). The spinners were unusually profligate and could not add to the wickets tally and nor could a more miserly Marcus Torr. Although Richard Sissons returned for a second brief spell, Wrekin were by then well on course for victory which came a little before tea was due to be taken in the nineteenth over. This was most definitely not King's finest hour and we know that excuses will not suffice. We must take responsibility. As Coach Walker put it, (with very few exceptions) we didn't turn up. There remain four, hard games this season and the standard has to be picked up. It would be a pity for a side with so much potential to squander it and allow the season to fizzle out. Earlier today PJ, perhaps thinking ahead to future exploits at Harrow, was quoting Old Harrovian Winston Churchill. Taking a leaf out of his book and to paraphrase the great man: "We must never surrender!" 1st XI against MCC on Friday, June 27, 2008 (home) 1st XI against Free Foresters on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 (home) 1st XI against Birkenhead on Saturday, June 14, 2008 (away) Birkenhead won the toss and eagerly took the opportunity to have first go on a good, bouncy batting track. When Lancashire 2s player, David Hurst, clipped the first ball sweetly off his legs for 4, it looked as though King's were going to be in for a hard afternoon. And so it proved. But there was an alternative script that very nearly got written. Andrew Leech, buoyed by recent successes and the prospect of promotion at his club, bowled quite superbly and, although runs came freely at the other end, after half an hour he had reduced Birkenhead to 42 for 2. Hurst was then joined by North of England batsman, Andrew Clarke. He looked very out of touch, however, and Hurst was beginning to look less secure. And then he offered a chance. It was a very hard chance, the ball coming down from a great height and with the fielder running across a 'hilly' part of the outfield and close to a fence. 50 for 3, with Hurst out and Clarke looking uncertain, and I would have fancied King's chances. Unfortunately, it was not to be and the game swung towards our opponents. Hurst and Clarke, batting with ever more assuredness, put on 178 for the third wicket. Hurst was eventually out for 121, well caught by Marcus Torr off Richard Sissons, who showed character in coming back strongly in his second spell. Ben Cooke bowled well without reward but, as with other bowlers, more defensive field settings are needed at a slightly earlier stage against batsmen in the ascendant. And though there were honourable exceptions - Sissons, Torr, Williams spring to mind - fielding overall was not at its best today. Birkenhead's final over took the score from 267 to 283 as Clarke tried (but just failed) to reach his century, but the effect on our morale was just the same and heads were down in the King's dressing room before tea. The King's openers, Ben Cooke and Tom Pearson-Jones, began steadily, taking the score to 40 before Cooke was caught in the slips. The slips and keeper had already spurned a few offerings but this catch was to begin a spate of similar wickets as Birkenhead bowled short and sometimes wide and King's batsmen offered catching practice. Tom Pearson-Jones made a patient and well crafted 24 before succumbing in this fashion. The other route to success was surely to carry the attack to the bowlers. Andy Dyne can always be relied upon to take this route and he did not disappoint on this occasion. Although a little more restrained than usual, his 49 included seven 4s and was, as his innings always are, highly entertaining. By this stage Dyne was batting for his own and King's pride - King's were not going to win. The lower order, though, followed his lead (and my pleas) to get something out of the game for themselves and for the team's future. Ben Williams made only a handful of runs but he looked comfortable and showed that he has the potential to be a 1st XI batsman of quality. Simon Younger rode his luck (we need to cut out that leading edge shot) but his 16 included some lovely strokes and footwork. It was Andrew Leech and Marcus Torr, though, who were most successful in responding to the situation. Their clean hitting, positive approach was very good to watch and signalled that these two fifth-formers have very bright futures as 1st XI all-rounders. They couldn't win us this game, but there will opportunities for that in the future and I am sure they won't disappoint. King's lost the game, beaten by a side containing two extremely good batsmen. There is no disgrace in that. Indeed, there was much in this game for us to be positive about. My counterpart at Birkenhead thought our bowling attack the strongest of any school they have played this year - his words, not mine. A team score of over 200 was perfectly respecable off 40 overs and runs were shared around, indicating strength in depth. The ninth wicket partnership of 68 between Andy Leech (44) and Marcus Torr (31 not out), for both of whom this was their top score so far, showed promise for the future. These were really positive things which we can take out of this game and which we should focus on before our next - equally challenging - game agianst Free Foresters. 1st XI against Rydal on Saturday, May 10, 2008 (home) Old scorebooks and Mr Mellor now consulted, I can tell you that Messrs Casey and Spencer made over 250 without loss against the Forty Club in 1989 - the same game in which Jeremy Casey made 157 not out. Bad luck Tom and Ben - if it had been a 40-overs game you might have done it because you could have accelerated a little more sedately! Although the fixture card had this game down as a 1.00 am start, 10 am was still pretty early –especially for one upper sixth member of the team who appeared to have been dropped off by a milk float (a stylish milk float, obviously). The grass was still heavy with dew and so the toss was going to be interesting. Our pre-match debate in the dressing room was rendered academic when the Rydal skipper called correctly and inserted us, contrary to my opposite number’s instructions apparently. Ben, meanwhile, continued to advance towards his second fifty of the season and this milestone was reached with some nimble footwork to drive the ball straight for four. This came up in the twentieth over, with King’s on 132 without loss and PJ on 67 not out. Some mathematically-challenged members of the team felt that the run rate had slowed during the second ten overs; in fact it had increased – from 6 an over to in excess of 7. The run rate off the final ten overs was a whacking 11.5, showing what can be accomplished when batsmen are well set and the team has wickets in hand. And it wasn’t all big shots. Excellent calling and running between the wickets, putting pressure on fielders, also made a significant contribution as our opponents found it hard to withstand the onslaught. Tom’s second hundred of the season came up in the 26th over, when King’s were on 188 and his partner was on 70. Tom is the first King’s player since 1996 to make two hundreds in a season (Kieron Ollier made 101 twice that year) and it was clearly going to be a day for the record books. I shall consult the old scorebooks and quiz the elephantine memory of Mr Mellor next week, but certainly I cannot recall an opening partnership of 200 before. This was achieved in the 28th over, PJ smiting another six round the corner (followed by another four balls later). Then Ben Cooke went past previous bests for King’s (73 v. Stockport) and his club, but fell on 76. It took a good catch to get rid of him, taken one handed above point’s head. In some years 76 would be high enough to be the best score of the season, so Ben can feel proud of his knock which set King’s firmly on the path to victory. His 76 was made off 78 balls in a little short of two hours and included nine 4s. The score was 217 when Ben was out and, amazingly, PJ remained hungry for more and seemed keen to reach 150. The penultimate over went for 16 and the final one for 17 as Tom bludgeoned his way to an unbeaten 139 (with Jacob Newman in a supporting role, making 9 not out off four balls). PJ’s total was the highest score for King’s since Jeremy Casey’s undefeated 157 against the Forty Club in 1989, overtaking centuries by such illustrious figures of the past as C.N. Hudson and Greg Barrett. Tom’s innings lasted a shade over two hours, was decorated with seventeen 4s and six 6s, and was made off just 98 balls. 1st XI against The Forty Club on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 (home) A thriller! A victory for the school with one wicket standing and just eleven balls remaining. Glenn Coppack's 17 not out was calm and assured (great - and brave - footwork to come down to meet the ball with men crowding the bat and the bowling tight) and Richard Sissons, the hero with the ball, gave his team-mates an object lesson in how to bat - at no.11. His 14 not out was equally welcome, contributing exactly half the 28 runs for the ninth wicket that saw King's home. 1st XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 03, 2008 (away) 1st XI against Stockport Grammar School on Saturday, April 26, 2008 (home) 1st XI complete 4th victory from 4 matches played so far this season. I should like to add my thanks to Nigel for helping me out and to James, as well as say thanks to JAH, ARN and RGW for sorting things out in my absence, and not least to Oli for writing the above report and for leading the side so well. 1st XI against Wolverhampton GS on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 (home) King’s showed no alarm, despite being inserted on an uncovered pitch. King’s batted first in both the previous games and it is a formula which has so far met with success. That said, Oli Greening would have put the opposition in had he won the toss, hoping for a drying wicket. And conditions did improve, with the sun making its debut appearance this season and reaching a temperature comfortable enough to persuade one or two members of the team to roll up their sleeves and hope to catch a few rays – not that they take much persuasion. While this was going on, the small matter of getting in on a track softened up by the overnight rain was occupying the minds of our opening pair, Ben Cooke and Tom Pearson-Jones. Apart from a luscious cover drive for four off the second ball he faced, Tom struggled to find his timing and had to battle through a protracted unproductive spell. It was good news, then, that for Ben Cooke the conditions seemed appealing. He unleashed several big shots, hitting four 4s and an impressive 6, and he was the dominant partner almost until the point when he was dismissed leg before with the score on 71. This is the sort of solid platform a team needs from its openers and Ben’s 39 was an enormously valuable contribution. The fecundity of the next partnership was even greater. One hundred and nineteen runs were put on by PJ and Jacob Newman for the second wicket in a little over an hour. Jacob made 32 off 37 balls and he very much played his part in this partnership, running well with PJ and supporting him as he found his touch and achieved mastery in the contest between bat and ball. Tom’s 113 included two 6s and ten 4s and these boundaries showed both elegance and power in turn. There were also plenty of singles and twos, as Tom worked the ball around and showed the value of good calling and running between the wickets. His century was the highest for the 1st XI since Scott McCormick’s 113* in 1995 – my first season running the 1st XI – and only the third since then. It was the first by a fifth-former since Greg Barratt’s unbeaten 104 against King’s Macclesfield in 1990, back in the day of declaration cricket. Historical context sets Tom’s innings apart, then, but it must be emphasised that his knock was something special to behold and it was pleasing to see all his team-mates willing him on and really appreciating his achievement. Our opponents’ recognition was also right and proper, and something to be applauded. 1st XI against King's Macclesfield on Saturday, April 19, 2008 (home) 1st XI against Chester County Officers CC XI on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 (home) It was when I had to scrape the ice off the car windscreen this morning that I really knew the cricket season was upon us. Still, cold as it was (and it WAS cold), at least we had a game. Thanks must go to Alen Roberts, King's Head Groundsman, for kindly arranging a fixture against his club, Chester County Officers, when our original opponents let us down. (Thanks, too, to Mr Cooke for scoring the first innings in impossibly cold conditions and to Messrs Neeves and Routledge for assisting me with umpiring duties.) King's were invited to bat first and debutant Tom Pearson-Jones made an instant impression, making an attractive 31. His pull for six was enjoyable but it was an off-drive all along the ground for 4 that had the cognoscenti nodding approvingly, given the sodden state of the turf. Tom's calling and running between the wickets set a very good example and he literally 'made' runs this way. Ben Cooke was his opening partner and he looked to be in no trouble until he received one from the opening seamer who just moved one enough to find the edge of Ben's bat. Enter vice-captain, Jacob Newman, promoted now to no.3. Jacob, too, looked to be in no difficulty and he compiled a solid 23 before the April pitch persuaded him to offer a simple return catch to the bowler. Glenn Coppack was another batsman to be promoted and although he is certainly capable of doing well as a top order batsman, this was not his day. A partnership of 32 followed between two senior players, Andy Dyne and captain Oli Greening. Like PJ before them, they called and ran positively and looked to score off every ball. Oli's 21 came up very quickly and he was the dominant partner when, unfortunately for King's, he was castled. Andy Dyne took up the challenge, however, and in his inimitable fashion he hit and nudged and bustled his way to a splendid 52 while a succession of partners came and went at the other end. Of these, new-boy Andy Leech was most noteworthy. His 11 runs at no.10, and the way he made them, suggest that he won't be batting at no.10 forever. Simon Younger looked like he might make a few but it was not to be. Although King's could not manage to use up all the allotted 40 overs, their 167 was a pleasing total in the conditions and the boys went to tea happy. The new ball was given to Andy Leech (running up the hill) and he made his point in the first over by taking the wicket of one of the opposition openers, caught and bowled. Two more wickets were to follow and Andy finished with excellent figures of 6-1-26-3. Oli Greening opened up at the top end (captain's prerogative, Andy!) and although he took a while to settle he was right to persevere for he picked up two good wickets (both bowled), the second of which was a real peach of a ball. The remaining wickets were shared around. Fifth-formers, Richard Sissons and Marcus Torr, showed much promise and were rewarded with one and two wickets respectively. Senior pros, Andy Dyne and Ben Cooke, each grabbed one, and Jonathan Turley bowled economically but without taking a wicket on this occasion. There was an energy and purpose about King's in all departments of the game and not least in their fielding. Anything remotely catchable was taken (Marcus did well even to get his fingers to one, which I don't count - although the fines master may see things differently) and the throwing quickly improved after a couple of run-outs were missed and the team adopted the advice of new coach Damian Lewis to cheer one another on and encourage one another to do better. Certainly, the side's athleticism in the field owed much to Monday's hour-and-a-half intensive training. Crucial, as ever, in this was the wicket-keeper. Like all good wicket-keepers, one hardly noticed Glenn and although his name does not appear on the scorecard his role in the team's success was essential. It was the best of starts for the team and though there are improvements to be made in some areas (let's cut down further on the extras, please), confidence should be high going into Saturday's game against King's Macclesfield. 2nd XI against Ellesmere on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 (home) What a splendid way to bring the 2nd XI season to a close: a 30 run victory under a sunny, blue sky with a warm breeze wafting across the playing field. This is how we all imagine playing cricket. In the end it was a comfortable victory, but one which the team worked hard to achieve. King’s batted first and after a slow start the opening pair of Turley and Fearnall gradually upped the pace and began to score at a steady rate of four runs per over. Just as Fearnall was getting into his stride he fell victim to a long hop which he pulled powerfully into the hands of square leg with the score on 58. Andrew Roberts came in and together with Turley they maintained the momentum. After our slow start it looked as if 130 might be a good target on a slow pitch with a fair amount of bounce if the bowlers chose to apply themselves in order to extract it. However, as we began to look increasingly comfortable against the Ellesmere bowling we set our sights on a score of 150. The hope was that we could get through to the last 10 overs and with ample wickets in hand push on to reach what would be a challenging target. Frustratingly, just as our batsmen looked set they got themselves out. Both Turley and Roberts fell in reasonably quick succession which meant that new batsmen Wild and Pool had to establish themselves anew. Having got their eye in they both did a good job of taking the attack to Ellesmere. Both were out for 24 apiece, but by then they had shared in a positive partnership of 41. Perhaps the highlight of their shots was a lofted “drive” from Pool which hit the sight screen as it flew over the boundary for a 6. Finishing our innings on 140 for 6 we had fallen just short of our target, but it was still a fair amount of runs to post. The early Ellesmere batsmen looked capable of playing some good shots, but they struggled as they consistently lost wickets once they appeared to be set. A special mention should go to Wild whose run up grew increasingly lopsided due to a limp after sustaining an injury whist batting. He bowled extremely well and each of the Ellesmere batsmen found it difficult to sore runs from him. He did not take a wicket, but his early efforts succeeded in stifling the attacking intent of the opposition. Wickets were taken by Andrew Roberts, Ciaran Willis, Fearnall and Turley. Once again Matthew Willis impressed with his quick hands in taking a stumping off Roberts’ bowling and dismissing their top scoring batsman. Despite a late flurry from Ellesmere, King’s ran home comfortable winners when we finally dismissed them in the final over for 110. 2nd XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 03, 2008 (away) 2nd XI against Stockport Grammar School on Saturday, April 26, 2008 (home) This was a game that it might be unfair to say we should have won, but it was certainly a game that we had the capability of winning. In the end we lost by 35 runs, however if players want to improve they need to look back over the game and evaluate where we lost it. We got off to a good start as we bowled first in a 35 overs an innings match. After 15 overs On paper it looked as if we lacked depth in our batting line up, but once again we got off to a positive start. Williams and Ciaran Willis were positive in their approach and kept the score board ticking along. Williams looked in good form and will probably be disappointed that he was out for just 13 with the score on 33. Willis kept the momentum going and did well to notch up 17 before he was out with the score on 56 for 2. After getting his eye in Wall also got into his stride and was unlucky to find a fielder when he had scored 14. He and Wild had begun to put a modicum of pressure on the opposition at the point at which the third wicket fell with the score on 84 for 3, however five balls later we had lost two more wickets to leave us on 86 for 5. Rather than being in a position where we could invite our big hitters in to push for victory we had given our wickets away cheaply to bad balls and had handed the initiative back to On the day the best team won, but with a little more cricket savvy we could have reversed the outcome. 2nd XI against Wolverhampton GS on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 (home) At last the sun shone over the King’s cricket field bringing with it a good competitive game against Wolverhampton GS. It is so much more invigorating to spend the afternoon under blue spring skies dotted with occasional clouds. It makes the grass seem greener and undoubtedly it makes the cricket more enjoyable. Due to the unavailability of a number of players the selection committee had to sit and was pleased to discover that we were still able to field a competitive side. It is gratifying that in a side without any obvious star players everybody is capable of making a positive contribution. So it proved from the outset with Oldman and Andrew Roberts posing regular problems for the Once again Ciaran Willis bowled well and claimed two important wickets. In one of these he was ably assisted by his brother Matthew when he claimed a stumping. Matthew has quick hands and whenever he stands up to the stumps he looks capable of claiming a stumping. As such he will always place an element of doubt in the batsman’s mind. With Jonathan Turley keeping a tight rein on the opposition with his spin bowling we were able to keep the score in check and Wolverhampton were only able to score 130 fro 6 off their 35 overs. In response, King’s got off to a sound start with openers Williams and Turley putting on 42 for the first wicket. They showed patience, but were prepared to put the bad ball away when it arrived. However, as so often happens, having lost one wicket we lost two and soon found ourselves on 43 for 2 after Williams was dismissed for 22. Both Ciaran Willis and Wall showed good sense in choosing to steady the ship. They showed restraint when facing slower bowlers who used the pitch to good effect. When The significant partnership came when George and Andrew Roberts were at the wicket together. George adopted the steadier role of the two whilst Andrew chanced his arm rather more with the bat. They complimented each other to good effect. The turning point in the game came when George and Andrew were both dismissed before the end of the innings, but Pool and Rankin saw us safely home. In fact, having got our noses in front victory arrived with a patient inevitability as we finished on 131 for 6 with two overs to spare. 2nd XI against King's Macclesfield on Saturday, April 19, 2008 (away) In the dark months of winter it is the thought of playing cricket in the summer that keeps us going. The warm breezes blowing across an immaculately cut King’s playing field, soft golden sunlight, the expansive blue skies above and the high flying larks serenading us- such is the ideal that we dream of in January as we begin indoor nets. I am afraid the reality cuts a much harsher picture and Saturday at King’s Macclesfield left us in no doubt of the fact. A cold day was made much colder by a biting wind blowing in from the Peak District. Not once was there the threat of sunshine breaking through the concrete grey skies that stood above our heads. We have known warmer days in December! And yet the game was good enough to keep the well wrapped spectators interested right up to the final ball of the game. King’s Macclesfield are traditionally very strong opponents and so it proved today. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, their opening batsmen proceeded to put on 92 for the first wicket. They batted confidently, but at the same time it would be difficult to criticise our bowlers who did well to keep them from breaking totally free and putting the game out of reach. Both Hatfield and Powell were having their first bowl of the season and despite some initial rustiness they regularly challenged the batsmen. Able support was provided by Peel and Roberts. Roberts, who was captaining the side for the first time, will have been pleased with his return of 6 overs for 22 runs. The significant breakthrough came from Srinath who bowled tidily early on in his spell and took a good caught and bowled to dismiss their opener. Not long afterwards with the score on 100 we took our second wicket with Ciaran Willis dismissing the other opening batsman. His figures of 6 overs, 1 for 14, reveal how instrumental he was in keeping their score down to the final 142 for 2. At one point it looked as if they might even push on to score something in the region of 180. All aspects of our fielding were positive, whether that be wicket keeping or throwing the ball in from the boundary. It was good to see the team adopt such a positive attitude throughout, despite the cold that chilled to the bone. We knew we had to be positive when batting, but we got off to the worst possible start with the loss of Peel from only the second ball of the game. He was deceived by the slow pace of the pitch and scooped a short pitched ball into the hands of midwicket. Williams came in at number 3 and was positive from the outset. He put on a sprightly 17 before he played across the line and was clean bowled. Powell is a batsman capable of scoring quick runs, but as this was the first time he had picked up a bat since last summer he found it difficult against the quicker bowler who pitched one up to him on off stump and bowled him through the gate to leave us at 25 for 3. What followed was a period of rebuilding from Ciaran Willis and opener Joe Benson. It was understandable that we would fall behind the scoring rate, and at one point we were scoring at only 2 runs per over, but both batsmen showed maturity and they realised that there was a point when they would have to take a risk and break free from the shackles imposed by the Macclesfield bowlers. Willis took the initiative and began to open his shoulders and hit through the ball to good effect. The highlight of his fruitful innings of 24 was two consecutive sixes. He was dismissed by a tremendous caught and bowled, but he had allowed the side to gather momentum which the other batsmen were able to carry on. Hatfield and Roberts came in with a positive frame of mind and throughout this period Benson looked to keep the scoreboard ticking along. Inevitably, we had to take chances if we were going to get near the Macclesfield score and Benson was unluckily run out for 33 following a mix up with Pool. However, it was good to see Pool did not allow his head to drop and as the innings drew to a close he produced some fireworks that almost saw us pull off what would have been a remarkable victory. Off the penultimate over he hit 14 leaving us with 15 runs required for victory off the final over. With every fielder back on the boundary we were never going to achieve that victory, but to his credit he gave it a go and still managed to score 10 runs. We went down by 4 runs in the end, but the team collectively deserve a pat on the back for the manner in which they approached the game. Every single player made a real contribution. Hopefully, none of the players, unlike me, were still feeling the cold in their toes five hours after the game had finished! 2nd XI against Chester Clergy on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 (home) What wonderful way to begin the cricket season: a three run victory which was decided with the last ball of the game. Chester Clergy were the opponents on a day which might have been mote appropriate for football than the English summer game. Ice on the cars in the morning, a chill wind blowing across the outfield at the outset of the game and a playing surface that the ground staff had made to look superb, but in truth in places it felt like a suet pudding. It was an occasion when it would have been sensible to heed the advice of wilderness survival experts to adopt as many layers of clothing as possible. King’s were first to bat and were grateful to Fearnall and Williams for getting the team off to a good start. They only looked in trouble when one of the slower bowlers came on and forced them to wait and watch the ball after pitching before deciding which shot they had to play. They put on 40 for the first wicket, but at that point we rapidly lost further wickets and soon found ourselves struggling at 77 for 7. Eventually it was up to George and Andrew Roberts to make the most of the last ten overs in order to bolster our score to a challenging 131 for 7. We did well to reach this total as George Roberts came out to bat to face the third ball of a hat trick and received a corker of a leg cutter which pitched on middle stump and comfortably missed the off stump. Roberts rounded the innings off in fine style with a straight hit six which landed just in front of the sight screen. The Clergy made a good start themselves despite some decent bowling from Andrew Roberts and Captain Fearnall. The batsmen were quick to punish any lose ball which invariably went for four. The Clergy built their innings steadily and challenging bowling by spinners Choudhury and George Roberts failed to keep them in check. However, the breakthrough came when Choudhury bowled their opening batsman to make the score 75 for 2. Two overs later George Roberts chipped in with a deserved wicket to put extra pressure on the opposition. King’s seemed to be on top as the overs counted down, but the Clergy never let the run requirement get out of hand. A fine six off Williams contributed to the Clergy requiring only seven from the final over. Fearnall took a wicket early in the over and he was able to keep his head and deny the batsmen the runs they required to claim a good victory in an entertaining game. U15 XI against Christleton High School on Thursday, July 03, 2008 (home) The first thing to do is issue an abject apology on behalf of the team to the ground staff who prepared a surface which deserved so much better. Asking for some positives to put in this report one suggestion was the excellent work of Alex Austin in the score box and he certainly deserves our gratitude for his help this week. Cautioned against allowing our thoughts to be dominated by one player we did exactly that. Early wickets were taken by Arthur Thomas during a spell of well directed bowling but when we had the chance to catch Jack Williams at slip on 44 we did not take it (nor again on 52) and he went on to make another 48 runs, coincidentally the number of runs which would have brought victory. Having reduced a good Christleton side to 147 all out we had put together a winning position. Unfortunately this was probably the most disappointing batting performance I have witnessed at this level and we were all out for 100. The only sign of quality was a useful contribution of 43 by Harry Peel who recovered some of his form. 8 players were caught with all but one playing poorly chosen and executed shots and there was a rather miserable run out. Still, we did play well for the first two days of the festival and I am sure that the experience was still a positive one. U15 XI against King William's College, Isle of Man on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 (home) This was an authoritative performance to say the least, finished off in a hurry as black clouds appeared ominously from across the border. There was never any real doubt about the result after an impressive opening stand by Arthur Thomas and Oli Thompson which was characterised by good shot selection and aggressive running. After lunch Adam Dunbavand and Joe Benson made sure that the momentum remained with the batting side by taking every available opportunity to steal runs. This was an important aspect of our game today because we have lost that crucial momentum too often. Early wickets fell in the King William’s innings to some very disciplined bowling. I was greatly encouraged by our desire to win comprehensively today as it sets us up well for the important clash with Christleton. U15 XI against Liverpool College on Monday, June 30, 2008 (home) U15 XI against Calday Grammar School on Thursday, June 12, 2008 (home) This excellent result for King's was spearheaded by a superb match-winning 3rd wicket partnership of 98 runs between Harry Peel and Olly Thompson. Both played patient and well constructed innings supported by excellent running between the wickets and gradually they wrested the initiative away from the Calday GS bowlers. This was a particularly significant victory as Calday had beaten King's twice in cup matches over the previous two years. Arthur Thomas opened the bowling with a fiery spell of fast bowling and Dom Thurlow-Wood bowled his usual line and length so that Calday were always struggling to maintain the early run rate after batting first. The fielding was a mixture of the good, the bad and occasionally the ugly. Fortunately 'the good' was represented by three run outs which put the visitors on the back foot towards the climax of their innings. The 'ugly' was represented by the 18 extras conceded which could easily have cost us a victory on another day. However, this performance was a fine response to the disappointment of losing the cup game two days earlier, and good preparation for the Colts Festival which starts at the end of this month. ARN/NW U15 XI against Birkenhead School on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 (home) This was another titanic contest in the long history of cup cricket matches between King's and Birkenhead. King's had a superb start with a 67 run opening partnership between Olly Thompson and Arthur Thompson. However the final total was probably at least ten runs below what should have been achieved as the innings failed to accelerate soon enough. In reply, Birkenhead lost an early wicket (caught Harle, bowled Robinson) but then accumulated runs steadily until a further wicket (bowled Thompson) was lost at 30. A match-winning partnership developed, despite some accurate bowling from King's, and the third wicket fell with only 12 runs to score from 12 balls. King's applied the pressure with some clever field placing, but Birkenhead were prepared to take risks and the winning hit was made with just two balls to spare. Thanks again to Mr Walker for umpiring. Next match: v Calday on Thursday start 3.00pm at home. The friendly v Birkenhead on Saturday has been cancelled. ARN U15 XI against Shrewsbury on Thursday, May 15, 2008 (home) [A convincing victory over powerful local rivals, Shrewsbury-match report to follow shortly.] U15 XI against Rydal on Saturday, May 10, 2008 (home)
Although we were able to take control of the game very early on this was a very absorbing game of cricket, recorded in detail by the very fine and much appreciated scoring of Mr Robinson. Wisely choosing to bat on a good surface, despite the heavy early dew, Oliver Thompson and Arthur Thomas got off to a good start against some accurate bowling. Rydal fielded well in the early stages only starting to drop chances later in the innings and they retained their discipline throughout, only bowling one wide in 25 overs. However, with an opening stand of 63 on the board Arthur went unselfishly trying to push the run rate. Phil Rimmer came to the crease and impressed with his apparently effortless hitting to all parts of the field and with Oli playing the sort of twenty-twenty inspired shots which might have had me expelled from prep school in a more genteel age we rapidly moved on to 178 for 3. This was always going to be a difficult total to chase although our bowling did lack penetration at times. Good catches were taken by Luke Robinson (who was also unlucky not to hold an excellent effort off his own bowling as he landed, not spotted by the Rydal umpire, but by the spoilsport JCH at square leg) and most spectacularly by Alex Austin using his arms rather than the more orthodox hands. Matt Harle also proved to be an able deputy behind the stumps. However, we did spill some half chances which might have been critical in a tighter game. This was a very enjoyable morning and I will miss my Saturday outings for much of the rest of this term. JCH U15 XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 03, 2008 (away) The only friendly loss for last year's U14s was against MTS Crosby and so there was plenty to play for. With King's in the field, it was clear from very early on that MTS were going to go for runs, and excellent running between the wickets in the first few overs put King's under pressure and a high target looked inevitable. Their no.1 batsmen, taking as much of the strike as possible, pushed their run rate along rapidly, hitting the ball hard and timing well. Ollie Thompson, bowling particularly well into a strong wind, slowing them down somewhat, but it wasn't until the 14th over that the first wicket fell to a good stumping from Adam Dumbavand off Harry Peel. Another wicket fell two overs later (in which time they had put on 20 runs, only one of them to the new batsmen), to a very fine run out thrown in directly from about 30 yards by Ollie Thompson. The rate slowed slightly, another wicket fell tothe second stumping of the day, and the return of Phil Rimmer saw their opener eventually clean bowled. A final score of 147 looked good; on analysis, 83 to one batsman and 20 to extras maybe showed how much one player can dominate a match. With a couple of dropped half-chances and too many boundaries (inevitable with 10 men) this could have been considerably lower. King's batting started tentatively and both Arthur Thomas and Joe Benson found it dificult to score. MTS bowling was good and the fielding was tight, restricting King's to a little over two an over for the first ten. Both openers fell to caught behind. Phil Rimmer was his usual positive and powerful self, hitting a couple of strong boundaries but was bowled to one which kept low. There began the King's recovery, with an excellent partnership between Harry Peel and Ollie Thompson. Both hit hard, took quick singles and pushed for two, and managed to score boundaries with MTS increasingly putting the field out, showing a genuine variety of shots to put on 50 in a little over 7 overs. Pushing for around 10 an over meant wickets would fall and Harry and Ollie were both caught looking to hit over the infield. With 30 needed in just over two overs, it was going to be tough for the remaining batsmen, although Dominic Thurlow-Wood showed stong and positive play wih several boundaries. It was too much to ask for King's, but Dominic's boundary to the final ball of the match received such a response from the King's team it could have been the winning run - a fantastically cheeky shot not from any book - any better answers than reverse cut-hook over point welcome. This was a disappointing loss for King's. MTS took their chances and scored well, and six an over is always a challenge even for a team with such depth in batting as this one. After a very slow start, for King's to get within 10 runs was an achievement. U15 XI against Mosslands High School on Thursday, May 01, 2008 (home) A magnificent innings of 75 by Phil Rimmer, including four 6's into the All-Weather pitch, enabled King's to set a tough target of 131 to the visiting batsmen. The rest of the King's batsmen failed to adapt to the slow wicket, playing their shots too early and lifting easy catches to mid-on or mid-off. Fortunately the bowlers were able to keep Mosslands behind the run rate so that inreasingly risky shots were necessary to score runs. The fielding was always enthusiastic, and the captaincy of Olly Thompson as astute as ever, so that victory was inevitable once the main run scorers had surrendered their wickets in the run chase. Thanks to Mr Lewis for helping with the umpiring. ARN U15 XI against Stockport Grammar School on Saturday, April 26, 2008 (home) This was a most enjoyable afternoon of cricket. As the lieder of the music festival faded away to be replaced by a more native sound in the form of a brass band the English summer began for the U15s. Choosing to play on the Junior School wicket was a good choice, with the shorter boundaries not really distorting a good display. Oliver Thompson made the right choice in deciding to bat and despite offering a couple of early chances which a first choice keeper might have taken he looked to move his feet well and adapted to the slow wicket. He was ably supported by Arthur Thomas who did offer one chance to an indecisive field but then showed the form he has promised in the nets this winter. At present he looks the part as an opening batsman. In truth the Stockport players had little to offer in reply to such excellent batting apart from their good humour and some unconventional fielding which led to at least one injury. An opening partnership of 119, followed by a brisk 22 from Phil Rimmer, put the game beyond reach. However, we did lose some momentum and at times did not look to attack the ball wide outside the off stump with wickets in hand, no slip, a new convert to the art of wicket keeping behind the stumps and overs running out. Wickets were shared around after tea although perhaps the pick of the bowlers was the miserly Dominic Thurlow-Wood who was denied two wickets by dropped catches, despite the sound advice of the team to the onrushing fielders to “Catch it!”, clearly something they would not have attempted to do without those wise words being offered. Well done on victory today but tougher challenges await. JCH U14 XI against Cheadle Hulme School on Thursday, May 22, 2008 (home) The King's total of 113 runs seemed to be a challenging target for Cheadle Hulme School. 15 overs later, and with 5 overs to spare, the opening batsmen had passed the target with relative ease. Indeed it was a day for opening batsmen, as Josh Murray and James Dermott had scored 79 valuable runs at the start of the King's innings . With hindsight, a score of nearer 140 would have been a more appropriate target on a superb batting strip and a huge outfield. Unfortunately the King's batsmen were not quite able to accelerate the scoring rate after a very brisk start, and wickets were lost rapidly in the last few overs. The visitor's opening batsmen played superbly, but in truth they were fed too many short balls which were promptly dispatched to the boundary with uncomfortable regularity. This is an aspect of the game that the Under 14XI need to work at as only good length, accurate bowling will enable us to beat teams of this quality over the next few years. ARN U14 XI against Rydal Penrhos on Saturday, May 10, 2008 (away) It's not fair or accurate to make assumptions about Rydal, but past experience shows that they usually do not provide too strong a competiion. King's hoped to make a match of it, by putting on a good target and the seeing what could be done with the ball, but to King's disappointment, Rydal won the toss and elected to back - with the inevitable early conclusion. The mist, the damp wicket and wet outfield were always going to make batting difficult, making the decision all the more strange. Josh Murray as captain shared the bowling around well and set careful fields. From the outset, Rydal made heavy weather of their batting and failed to take many opportunites to take runs. James Dermott bowled with a good line and pace - as usual - and Ben Spaven also opened, giving up his spin for pace, and got some very good swing - too good for the batmen really. In reality, Rydal only had one effective batsman, and disasterous running saw him and two other of Rydal's top four run out. At 12 for 6 in the ninth over, it looked to be over, and although Rydal didn't stage much of a comeback, they eventually pushed themselves to 40 all out. Rydal were evidentally short of some usual players; two of their team had not played before and their no.11 neve held a bat until he walked onto the pitch. Swinging and missing, he was inevitably stumped off his first ball. 15 of their 40 come from extras, but with a very wet ball there is little blame to the bowlers. Josh Murray took himself off after one over, following the "worst ball of the season"; one which slipped from his and hand and flew over the batsmean's head - by about 20 feet. Changing the batting order to reflect the low score, King's opened with Josh Murray and Max Imfeld. Rydal had a very effective opening bowler, clean bowling Josh in the first over. Edward Dawson came to the crease, and with the wicket and outfield drying - and good display of batting and running - Max and Edward were able to see King's home easily in 9 overs, Max finishing on 25no and Edward on 6no. With an early finish, Rydal generously agreed to play on to 20 overs and this allowed King's to have some batting practice. For the record, Max was caught for 32, Edward bowled for 24, Richard Dawson run out (not grouding his bat) without scoring, James Dermott bowled for 10, and Ben Spaven and William Goulbourne 23 and 1 no respectively. U14 XI against Tarporley High School on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 (home) U14 XI against Stockport Grammar School on Saturday, April 26, 2008 (away) For the third time in succession, King's batting has not allowed us to get into a winning position. This time, winning the toss, Captain Ben Spaven wisely elected to bat and we were hopeful of being able to put on a good score in the 20 overs. Stockport bowling was not particularly strong, and openers Kallum Marsden and James Dermott were unlucky to lose their wickets; Kallum particularly being bowled to one which kept very low. Ed Peel and Ben Spaven both played their shots too early on a slow wicketand were caught and King's were in trouble at 12 for 4. Owen Dawson and Mark Rennie steadied a little and scored fluently, but with Mark run out, and Alex Way-Rider bowled playing across the line, King's were 28 for 6 after 10 overs. This allowed a very good partnership between William Goulbourne and Kate Coppack (20 n/o and 9 n/o) to develop, and they played elegantly and very effectively, with excellent running. King's ended the innings on a respectable 76 for 9. Although King's managed to reach a target which made a match of it, 76 was probably 10 or 20 under. Ed and Kate opened the bowling, and with yet again a very positive attitude in the field, Stockport were tentative. They found it difficult to push along any rate and their openers fell cheaply. After 10 overs, Stockport were exactly the same score as King's (28) but having only lost only 2 wickets. Owen Dawson bowled their strong number 3 but two successive overs containing a couple of boundaries meant the balance was very much in Stockport's favour. With only 2 runs needed and seven wickets remaining in the final two overs, King's were never going to win, but it was made more exciting with a very fine maiden from Ed Peel. The first ball of the last over was well driven past the infield and Stockport ran two. Overall, the two teams were well balanced and a seven wicket win probably flattered Stockport, although it is clear again that King's need more batting practice if we are to do ourselves justice. U14 XI against King's School, Macclesfield on Saturday, April 19, 2008 (away) King's School Macclesfield always provide strong opposition for the first match of the season; on a bitterly cold and windy day in Macclesfield, this year they proved to be too strong. With King's Chester in the field to begin with, it was essential that we could limit their top order batsmen - and to our credit we bowled and fielded magnificently. With James Dermott and Kate Coppack opening, Macclesfield found it difficult to get into any rhythm and Ben Spaven changed the bowling effectively to keep the run rate down. Wickets were hard to come by initially, but a superb catch from Mark Rennie - a high, hard hit ball right on the boundary with very cold hands - saw the breakthrough. Owen Dawson clean bowled their very good number one, and with a fine run-out (a direct hit almost from the boundary by Josh Murray), and another excellent catch from Kate, the Macclesfield tail appeared. Six wickets fell for only two runs, in a great spell of bowling from Rory Benson and Ben Spaven. The last couple of overs saw the inevitable "hit out" but with the final wicket falling with the final ball, Macclesfield were all out for 111. The fielding, bowling and whole attitude of the team could not have been better. Sometimes, a relatively low target is more of a challenge than a high one and it proved to be here. Our batting certainly goes much further down than Macclesfield's and we definitely have enough talent and ability to reach this one. But, no King's player really got in, and it is difficult to find much positive to report. No-one played particularly poorly, but there was a great deal of caution and tentative play and our wickets fell with disappointing regularity. It is true that the pitch didn't help, and a variable bounce could go part way to explain the six wickets that fell to "bowled", but we lacked care and determination, and with Kate being the only batsman to get into double figures - just - we slumped to 61 all out in only the seventeen over. An unfortunate result to a match that we were in control of after the first innings. Yet, there was a great deal to be taken from this and I am sure that even though spirits were understandably down the team can be positive and look forward to success in future matches. U13 A XI against Wilmslow High School on Saturday, June 28, 2008 (home) Watching the Under 13XI this season has provided non-stop entertainment for all their supporters and this superb match was another 'cliff hanger', with the result in doubt until the last ball had been bowled. Fortunately, King's emerged as winners, mainly due to some excellent batting, especially by Matt and Aaron Williams who shared a stand of 72 runs, and some fine catching. Both Sam Powell and late substitute, Stephen Rimmer of J3A, held their respective nerves to hold on to steepling catches to dismiss two batsmen who looked to be guiding Wilmslow to victory. Aaron Williams also kept his nerve when he was asked to bowl the last over of the match with the opposition requiring only 7 runs to win. To his credit, Aaron sent down six straight balls from the back of his hand to restrict the frustrated batsmen to just 3 runs and give King's a very narrow and hard fought victory. ARN U13 A XI against King's, Macclesfield on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 (home) Over 350 runs scored in an Under 13 match is a tribute to the quality of cricket played by both these talented teams. Last year the Chester Kings were beaten by their Macclesfield opposites in the County Cup Final, and this was another titanic struggle in glorious playing conditions. Despite ultimate defeat there were many postives to be taken from the overall performance. For a start , 8 Macclesfield batsmen scored only 44 runs between them and this reflects some fine bowling, especially by spinners Aaron Williams and Andrew Thomas. Unfortunately one batsmen was just too strong and powerful for us (should he have been in the Under 15XI?) and he bludgeoned 131 not out off 30 overs (but why was he not 'retired' at 100 to give other team members a chance to bat?). Chester Kings made a superb reply when they batted and passed 100 with just 2 wickets lost. As the pressure grew to accelerate the score rate some wickets were lost to some 'airy fairy ' strokes, but a final score of 154 for 8 was a brilliant effort in the circumstances. In the final analysis the difference between the two King's teams was one just player but in all other respects this was easily our best performance of the season. ARN U13 A XI against Bluecoat School, Liverpool on Monday, June 16, 2008 (home) With the King's score reading 51 for 0 off just 4 overs, the possibility of a total in excess of 200 runs appeared to be a strong possibility. However a number of enforced retirements and more accurate bowling 'restricted' the final total to 171 off the allotted 20 overs. In reply, the Bluecoat openers replied in kind and had rapidly accumulated 57 runs off just 5 overs-a tribute to the harder, faster wickets and outfields being prepared by our playing fields' supremo, Mr Roberts . However, once Aaron Wlliams broke this partnership with his wily legspin, the innings lost momentum and nine further wickets fell for the addition of just 37 runs. The fielding was much improved and and the catching almost faultless, including a dynamic catch at full stretch by Ben Sawney. ARN U13 A XI against Birkenhead School on Saturday, June 14, 2008 (home) On a perfect morning for cricket two evenly matched Under 13 teams played a match of very high quality. Indeed it was a match of constantly changing fortunes where the result remained in doubt until the last few overs. Birkenhead batted first on a well paced wicket surrounded by a lightning fast outfield, but the six King's bowlers produced their most accurate spells of the season to restrict their opponents to 105 for 7 wickets. Perhaps opener Llloyd Stanley deserves particular praise for his figures of 4 overs, 2 maidens, 1 wicket for 4 runs. In the King's reply Sam Powell set off as if he was determined to win the match in 10 overs by smashing 11 runs off the first six deliveries. However , the opposition bowling gradually slowed the run rate so that King's still needed 40 off the last 5 overs. Unfortunately, skipper Matt Williams was then run out when he looked set to guide his team to victory and, although Andrew Thomas made a brave attempt to chase the runs, King's fell just short of their target. The Under 13XI can take heart from this match as it was probably their best all round performance of the season and this reflects the progress that the team have made over the last two months. ARN U13 A XI against Mosslands on Saturday, June 07, 2008 (home) A fine result for a team reduced to just 8 players through late withdrawals and poor communication re a clash of school and other commitments. However this squad has resilience and ability in equal measures, so that they made light of the handicap by amassing a rapid fire total of 98 and then dismissing the opposition for just 44 runs in 14 overs. Aaron Williams was outstanding with bat and ball, driving gracefully through the covers for his 26 and then bewitching the opposing batsmen with his flighted leg spinners. Matt Roberts also showed his prowess as an emerging spinner with 3 wickets for hardly any runs conceded. As Matt also took a catch and ran out a batsman with a diving stop and direct hit on the stumps, he was certainly a major contender for the man of the match award. With just 8 fielders available the fielding had to be athletic and the catching secure, and the team did not disappoint with some fine returns to wicketkeeper Williams and several superb catches. Birkenhead School next Saturday will probably provide a much sterner test, and a team of 11 players who actually turn up will be an absolute necessity. ARN U13 A XI against Rydal on Saturday, May 10, 2008 (home) King's just about deserved to win this very competitive cricket match, but the result was in doubt until the last couple of overs. King's batted first and ,after the loss of five early wickets, defeat for the home team seemed to be the most probable outcome. However, a superb display of batting by George Okell and Tom Kearney-Mitchell retrieved a desperate situation. Their partnership was built on judicious selection of solid defence mixed with excellent running between wickets and finally aggressive stroke play. A total of 97 for 6 wickets was a challenging target to set, but only if the bowlers could maintain their line and length. Unfortunately the bowlers found this to be an impossible task as 24 wides in the score book clearly demonstrates! Such wayward accuracy could have resulted in defeat in most matches, especially as a host of catches also slipped through our fingers. Fortunately the straighter balls managed to take the opposition batsmen by surprise as they were reduced to 47 runs for 5 wickets. A mini batting revival then took place but Rydal were ultimately unable to accelerate their innings and finished 20 runs short. A second victory in a row was very welcome but we are still too reliant on individual brilliance rather than all round team performance. If nothing else, a much better attendance at fielding practice would probably benefit the catching skills! ARN U13 A XI against Helsby High School on Tuesday, May 06, 2008 (home) Another hard hitting innings of 61 by George Okell enabled King's to set a challenging target of 114 runs from their allotted 20 overs. Helsby started nervously and lost early wickets against our usual mix of pace and spin. However , Waring attacked the bowling with ferocious power and amassed a score of 71 before he was dismissed with a fine stumping by Matt Williams. Fortunately the rest of the opposition batsmen could not cope with the accuracy of the King's bowlers who were well supported by athletic fielding. This was a well deserved first victory of the season, but the batting still needs to develop more resilience so that the run scoring is not dependent on just one or two batsmen. As Damien says: "We all have to bat." ARN U13 A XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 03, 2008 (away) Whilst the team was not helped by being two players short that in itself would not have been sufficient reason to excuse a poor batting display against a Merchant Taylor’s side that looked of comparable ability. Having been asked to bat sensibly for the first ten overs of a twenty over game in the hope that we could have a bash at scoring runs off the final ten when we had wickets in hand, we proceeded to bat without any real thought or application. With a series of loose shots to full tosses (and a silly run out when we attempted a run with the ball in first slip’s hands who was no more than five yards away) we saw ourselves bowled out for a grand total of 19! Granted that in normal circumstances we would have had another two batsmen, but we had pressed the self-destruct button much earlier. Praise should go to Williams who came in and batted with thought and conviction and helped himself to 12 runs at the end of the innings. As expected, MTS knocked the runs off quickly for the loss of only one wicket. Unfortunately that arose when the ball rebounded off the head of a guest fielder and landed in the hands of mid-on ten yards away-ouch! With ample time left the teams took part in a twelve overs a side game. MTS batted first and scored 44 for 6. Williams and Hughes both bowled well and posed problems for the batsmen. They were as good as any of the bowlers on display. This time the pep talk to the batsmen was taken on board when we went into bat and it was good to see both Powell and Thomas bat with conviction and authority to see us knock off the required 45 runs for victory with only one wicket down and three overs to spare. If there is a lesson to be learnt from today it must surely be that batsmen must guard the time they have at the crease much more tenaciously if they do not wish to spend the game watching others perform. U13 A XI against Bramhall High School on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 (home) Only cricket can produce such a nail-biting conclusion to a sports fixture: one ball left to bowl with King's requiring one run to tie the scores at 104 runs each. However a cricket result is rarely as simple that. If the scores are tied the team losing the least number of wickets would be declared the winners. As King's had already lost one more wicket than Bramhall the batsmen knew that 2 runs were required for victory, otherwise a tied result would be a defeat. The doughty Lloyd Stanley had the unenviable task of facing the last ball, having only just arrived at the crease. The atmosphere all around him was electric. As time seemed to stand still he pulled strongly to the leg side and set off for the winning runs. Unfortunately a smart pick-up and throw enabled the wicket-keeper to remove the bails before the second run could be completed. The tie was a defeat and elimination from this season's County Cup. Bramhall HS were a very competent cricket team with some outstanding players, however odd fielding lapses enabled them to set a more challenging target than necessary. King's fell behind the 5-an-over run rate, but a magnificent knock of 29 not out by George Okell rescued the innings and provided a glimmer of hope as the finale to the match approached. Unfortunately George was not able to take enough of the strike in the final overs to ensure that the best batsman on the day finished on the winning side. Cricket can be a very cruel but effective teacher when the whole game is condensed into just one ball at the very end of the match. ARN U13 A XI against Stockport Grammar School on Saturday, April 26, 2008 (away) The Under 13XI must hope that J Downey of Stockport GS does not bat against them again this season. J Downey entered the contest with the Stockport total at 32 for 3 and the match swinging in our favour . He promptly smote four 6's and five 4's in a personal score of 48 not out to enable his side to coast home with five wickets to spare. After being invited to bat first King's batting lacked conviction, and and it was mainly due to aggressive knocks from Matt Williams and Luke Hughes that we achieved a useful total of 94 runs. To be fair, the opposition bowling was accurate and occasionally hostile, so attacking shots were mainly limited to the last five overs. The calling and running between the wickets still require refinement as these are essential skills in limited overs' matches. After a slightly inaccurate start the bowlers began to make inroads into the Stockport batting, aided by a stupendous catch from Peter O'Brien. I doubt that a better catch has ever been seen on the Stockport playing fields, and it will remain as one of the highlights of this and many other cricket seasons. It is ironic that it was this catch that brought the match winner to the wicket-and the rest of that tale has already been told. ARN U13 A XI against North East Wales on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 (home) This was an encouraging start in the trial match against the representative team of North East Wales. The bowling was a mixture of the good, bad and occasionally wayward, but at least everyone had a chance to ease the winter stiffness from their shoulder joints. The quick bowlers worked hard but struggled to make a breakthrough on a very slow wicket. The spin bowlers -Arron Williams, Andrew Thomas and Matthew Roberts-used flight and guile to slow down the run rate and give the batsmen a reasonable target to chase. However, the 35 extras conceded almost equalled the losing margin, and greater accuracy of line and length will have to be a major focus of the coaching scheme this term. The batsmen found the wicket too slow to play attacking shots and only Matt Williams (16) really came to terms with the opposition bowling. This team has enthusiasm and talent, but the match demonsrated the advice given at the first outdoor net practice that there will be no substitute for hard practice this season. ARN U13 B XI against King's, Macclesfield on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 (home) We fielded first, and started brightly, Alex Johnston taking a wicket in the fourth over (a good slip catch by Nathan Evans). For the next three or four overs we kept things tight, but gradually the opener, and now joined by number 3, both got their eye in and began to accelerate the run-rate. Some laxness and indiscipline in our bowling and fielding (and possibly team spirit?), plus the odd dropped catch, began to be punished as the runs mounted. Number 3 had made 44 runs in a partnership of 90, when a smart catch by Jonny Verity behind the stumps off Jack Stirrup ended their run-spree. This seemed to inspire us to tighten up again, and better focus enabled us to contain things rather more. The opener finished on 52 not out, and batted very well indeed, whilst everyone of us bowled (including the 12th man!), albeit with mixed success. At under 6 runs an over, the target was achieveable with some sensible batting, but unfortunately a combination of some poor shot selection, bad calling, and one pretty tall and quick opposition bowler soon had us at 11 for 4, and before long 34 for 7. A partnership of 49, however, from Nathan Evans and Ben Kresnyak, put some respectability on the score, with Ben's 31 being the pick of our innings. We just need to find a little more consistency with bat and ball to win games like this. MJP U13 B XI against Birkenhead School on Saturday, June 14, 2008 (home) Saturday’s B team game versus Our fielding did not look convincing due to a tendency to lose concentration and wander out of position with regularity. Fielders did not make the captain’s job an easy one due to a tendency to field where they wanted to rather than where they had been told to field. Similarly, we ended up with too many people wanting to tell others where to field rather than leaving it for the captain to decide. It was good to see us take a couple of wickets before the end of the game, but by then U13 B XI against Abbeygate College U13 A XI on Monday, June 09, 2008 (home) Fortunes swayed from one side to the other throughout this exciting tussle between two well matched teams. King's lost early wickets but captain Alex Johnstone remained resolute at the crease and accumulated a useful score of 19. He was well supported by Cameron Luckas (18) and Jack Stirrup (10). However six 'ducks' indicates a less than convincing batting display by over half the team and a sounder defensive technique is clearly a high priority for those players. 88 was a useful score and Abbeygate would have to bat well to surpass it. Once again, King's seemed to be on top with the score at 45 for 5 but this yo-yo match had further twists of fate as Abbeygate recovered to 80 for 5 and a match -winning position. However Jack Stirrup was brought back into the attack and he promptly removed two batsmen in successive balls for the second time in the match. Tom Hall also picked up a wicket from the other end and it was 'game on' again for the last few overs. With the spectators biting their nails, Abbeygate just managed to scramble home with two wickets to spare. Overall, this was a much improved performance by the Under 13 B team and they could easily have snatched victory in an exciting 'nail biting' finish. Thanks to Mr Walker for umpiring and the groundstaff for the pitch. ARN U13 B XI against Christleton HS U13A on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 (home) This match was a steep learning curve for the Under 13B XI in their first game of the season. Batting first we simply did not score enough runs despite the superb wicket and a fast outfield. This can be partly explained by a lack of match practice, but there are also deficiencies in basic technique that need to be addressed in the nets. O'Brien and Luckas opened the bowling with lively pace, and each claimed an early wicket . But overall the bowling was too wayward and 21 extras were just too many to concede with a total of only 60 to defend. Alex Johnstone took a smart catch at slip and captained the side with authority. The fielding and throwing also need refinement, but at least we have played a match and got the season under way after a false start last week. The next scheduled match is on Monday 9 June against Abbeygate. Thanks to Mr Walker for umpiring. ARN U12 A XI against Stockport G.S. on Thursday, July 10, 2008 (away) No send-off trophy for Mr Neeves, but as a wise and sporting aficianado of competitive arenas, he will be the first to appreciate the tightness of the match, the quality of the play and the celebratory quality of the event which displayed skills and character on both sides. He WILL be rewarded by that. 8 wicket defeat, ' tightness of match' - is the reporter mad?! Well on April 25th King's BEAT Stockport by 8 wickets in a tight match which went to the last over! Today was a replica, but Stockport won. Why? We bowled slightly more short balls and we had five of the first six overs in the driving rain. 16-2 off 6 was potentially disastrous and to lose Guy Dunbavand so early for so few ( 50 n.o. in April!) was a blow. The characteristic dynamism of the opening overs was understandably not achieved. The 50 -run partnership between Peter Boothroyd and Henry Makings was wonderful. Energetic, inventive and intense, the pressured running and inventive strokeplay hauled us to respectabiilty. Magnificent! As was the fielding performance. Olly Church , Matt McClelland and Jack Peake showed attack and great arms, Tom Armatage kept well and his athleticism effected one run-out. Peter Boothroyd, an Exocet whippet, claimed another to add to two overs of controlled spin and claim the MotM at least for King's. Captain Guy bowled really well and captained with acumen and aplomb. He is an all-rounder of special talent, a Trescothick and Sidebottom rolled into one. Thanks to Guy for all he has shown and shared. We LOST, but won plaudits , admiration , real appreciation for our quality play. One can ask for little more. Thanks to the players and parents . The team is a pleasure and reward in itself; the presents a delightful bonus. Yours in sport, John Hargreaves U12 A XI against Sandbach School on Friday, July 04, 2008 (away) Olive Seersucker is not the new Wendy Wimbush ( erstwhile BBC scorer) of King's cricket, but rather the delightful fashion Mrs Curtis chose to complement Sandbach's sward. Son Matthew and I agreed it was quite an entrance though LATE ! - having missed his first two boundaries. Matt was equally colourful as, pirating Caribbean-like, he buckled and swashed his way, to a six-boundary innings and yet another 50 opening partnership. He was out in the eighth over and we had 55. CRUCIAL. Frankly, our batting was becalmed - ok there was uneven bounce and swing - but our feet were too static and our heads did not think enough about pushing the ones. Far too many dot-balls when we were in the early ascendancy meant Sandbach felt they were still in a match they had been batted out of. And, wickets fell. We were 94-4 off 17 overs and on the way to losing. Craig Evans to the rescue! 20 ( 2x6 and 2x4) off the 18th over plundered off his legs high over square -leg and mid-wicket turned the game - for the third time. The first was Matt's, the second was again Craig's. Sandbach had taken the third of three quick wickets when Craig arrived. Immediately, he hit three boundaries, two of them with sumptuous, straight off-drives uphill through long grass. He had kick-started us. He and Guy Dunbavand then bowled a superb opening spell: the first two overs maidens, a wicket each and Sandbach were 24-3 off 8. CRUCIAL. Enter Matt Curtis to bowl a great spell with 2 maidens in his first three overs and the ball to oust the dangerous Seebridge. Henry Makings pouched the catch, one of three assists - a regular occurrence when behind the stumps. George Nott frightened me and the batsmen and gained wickets with his second and fourth balls. He is dangerous and could be unplayable when he finds a consistent and fuller length. To GRACE the final, ( at King's Macclesfield on Thursday at 1.30), we will need to improve on batting and nous, though we were again strong in the field and looked a team with drive and focus, led well by Guy who was clever with his keeping their danger-man away from the strike. CONGRATULATIONS! [ STOP PRESS - GRANGE GAME TOMORROW STARTS AT 9.30 PLEASE SPREAD THE NEWS] Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Wilmslow on Saturday, June 28, 2008 (home) 'A chance to shine?'. Missing five of the usual suspects proved to be a game too far for us on Saturday. In truth we were well beaten, only numbers 8-10 in the batting order showing any inclination to put runs on the board in response to a total that would have presented our regular top order with a challenge. Restricting the opposition to three runs off the first two overs was as good as it got. Our bowlers proceeded to leak runs, including those deriving from 14 wides and no-balls, while too often our fields were inappropriate to the bowling and the preferred scoring areas of the batsmen. Ali Coley fielded exceptionally well but too often we bowled short and well set batsmen were able to play across the line with ease. When we finally piched the ball up towards the end the field was still set for short bowling and we suffered accordingly. In response we seemed to be completely oblivious to the need to keep the ball on the floor and only try to go aerial with big shots. McClelland, Church, barber and Kilner gave tame catching practice while Hattersley and Webber played grandiose cross batted shots to straight balls and departed accordingly. Poor Alec Davies was run out without facing before Armatage, Peake and Colet rescued us from the embarrasment of 27-7 by adding 59 runs in two decent partnerships. Bowlers must bowl a fuller length, it's no use holding your head when pulled to the boundary for the nth time. Edges can be saved by alert fielding, long hops get what they deserve. Basic attention to the follow through and a genuine attempt to keep the hand behind the ball at the point of delivery should eliminate the wides, while I'm afraid bowling no-balls at such a gentle pace is utterly unforgiveable. Skippers need help in this respect. Ollie had a hard time trying to set fields but we can be more pro-active. Never follow a slavish 'bowling order'; if a bowler bowls poorly and you have at least seven others, then take the bowler off. Watch incoming batsmen with far more attention to where they are trying to hit the ball- none of the opposition first three even assayed a drive yet we had a silly mid off; mid off, mid on and straight midwicket in place while by my estimation at least 60 rune were plundered square. Much to learn from and much we can all improve on. BRFR U12 A XI against King's Macclesfield on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 (away) This was a most emphatic and impressive win and a real team effort as everyone batted or bowled. Congratulations! It is good to have bowled out a side and three batsmen run out and two stumped ( well done, Henry) suggests we are fielding to attack and dismiss. It reminds me too that with Olly's leg-spin and Pete's off-breaks, Jack's left arm and Craig's swing, we have a varied and attractive attack. Yet again, the virtue of batting first was apparent and yet again we were given a good start of 37 by Guy Dunbavand and Matt Curtis. Craig Evans took the opportunity to remind us what a very good batsman he is. He was denied a deserved fifty by the long grass, especially on his straight drives. Coach Walker - to whom I give my many thanks- was impressed by the STRAIGHT drives. Cricketers are! Well done, Craig. This was a slow surface so 5.5 an over was a good rate. Craig and Guy did well with three boundaries each and I was delighted to see Craig and James Hattersley each hit a 6 as their last scoring shots. That is good acceleration. BUT please remember the 39 singles. They help a lot and coach Walker was once again impressed by our running. This has transformed our performances in the last month. Well done, all. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Bridgewater High on Thursday, June 19, 2008 (away) Congratulations to ALL on a wonderful win. I say all because the intensity of pressure exerted by the XI in the first 10 overs of Bridgewater's innings was outstanding. Only one bye -well done, Tom Armatage- a fine catch from James Hattersley and strong all-round stops from a well-placed field. Well done, Guy. 11-0 after 4, 28-1 after 10 meant we had a stranglehold. Four of the first 10 overs sent down by Messrs Evans, Dunbavand, Makings and Curtis were maidens and they bowled quite excellently with aggression and control .Craig Evans was perfection with controlled away swing and trapped a county player in front. Henry was so unlucky not to bowl batsmen or catch an edge and Matt was straight and fast. It was so good! So too - again - was the batting. 42-0 off 7 , 62-0 off 10 and on Matt Curtis's departure at 68, the initiative was firmly with us. Matt was as good as I have seen him, his second scoring stroke, a cover drive was just perfection and shows why he is not there to pinch-hit but to play. Guy was not in touch, one sumptuous off-drive for four aside his timing was awry, but yet again his contribution was massive - 36 runs , having taken us to 83. And what do you do when you go from 77-1 to 85-4?! You send for Pete Boothroyd to knock and scamper and increasingly hit with great panache off the BACK foot. A splendid and vital innings this which helped James Hattersley to a late flourish aided by wonderful running from Oliver Church. Boy -did this look like a cricket team! It deserves to grace the final and if we were beaten in the S-F I would back our conquerors to take the Cup. WELL DONE, ALL!! Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Birkenhead School on Saturday, June 14, 2008 (away) Another day, another game, but yet again it was ready made for one of those typical winthetossbatfirstworkhardacceleratepostascoredauntthe oppobowlwellfieldtightlytakeearlywicketsdominatethegamewin matches so WELL DONE on completing two such triumphs in a week. Coach Walker - I feel like Scolari with this many backroom staff - reported admirable urgency in the start to the innings and excellent running throughout. An ode to joy! Thank you, players all. Master-scorer and Correspondent Church ( Senior) emphasised the scoring-rate ( 36 off 4 and 58 off 8) the quality of partnerships ( 59 for the third wicket, 60 for the fourth ) and the aggressive running of Pete Boothroyd and Henry Makings, the latter appearing in both partnerships. Henry's first 19 runs were in singles or 2's which he used to maintain the momentum. after numbers 1 and 2 went in successive balls. This was a great effort at number three. Pete hit three fours in his first 20 runs as he adapted yet again to the aggressor role. THIS was the MATCH-winning partnership. James Hattersley hit a two boundaries and a 3 in his first seven scoring strokes. Obviously, acceleration was ON. On the fielding front, it was good to see two batsmen run-out and five caught ( two by the keeper - well done, Henry). We also opened well and struck early: 1-3. 7-5 18-6 - game over! Well done you lads! Yours in sport, JAH ( pp Coach Walker and Correspondent Church) U12 A XI against St Anselm's on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 (away) 'Good game , good game ' as Bruce Forsyth used to intone as we won by a length comfortably greater than Bruce's startling proboscis. Sunlight, hard wicket. it was ready made for one of those typical winthetossbatfirstworkhardacceleratepostascoredauntthe oppobowlwellfieldtightlytakeearlywicketsdominatethegamewin matches and Guy was right to take first innings. Yet again opening bowler Matt Curtis did not have a bowl,but yet again opened the batting opened the batting and yet again established a 60-run opening stand. (This allowed father on the boundary to ramble reminiscingly and muse through memories, coming up with the fact that he ( ex-St Anselm's ) shared this same field once with MR ROUTLEDGE. What a good and LONG memory!) Mr Routledge in turn would have enjoyed Matt's energetic and forceful tip-and-run cricket. He worked hard in running and made Guy work hard too. Matt played some fine drives ( let the left hand dominate, Matt) and gave great impetus to the innings. Mosslands bowled tightly and fielded excellently 16 off 5 21 off 6 and only 8 boundaries in 120 balls. The field was massive, but we ran our threes. GOOD. There were two significant and match-winning injections of pace. Guy came down the wicket , lofted over the infield and we went from 37 to 59 in three overs. Pete Boothroyd was promoted to three and his hitting and scampering brought a partnership of 36 in 5 overs. Well done. He scored 10, but had transformed the game and 95 off 15 was a match-winning platform. And in the field? The fielding was good. Matt McClelland held a stinger at mid-on ( well done Captain Guy for moving his man deeper) and Matt Curtis delivered an Exocet return from the 400m start to strand a startled batsman. The opening bowling by Henry Makings and Craig Evans was accurate and energetic and 19-4 after six meant, essentially, Mosslands had lost. (they were talented , soirited and socially very pleasant - great opponents.) But this was Dunbavand Day. Max, as tall in inches as he is old in years - five?- showed the team on the boundary how to bat , Barbara navigated , and fed and watered the Coach ( smoked salmon was on offer - NB supporting parents) and Guy transformed the game. He will be the first to admit to the value of his running and striking partners, also to the need to drop or place balls into spaces for singles or more to move the score on - more wrist work is needed - but his footwork and striking of the ball were impressive, crucially so. i am sure he will accept he was the match-winner. Well done, gentlemen. Everyone batted or bowled ( or kept!) and this was an impressive team effort. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Mosslands on Saturday, June 07, 2008 (home) I was delighted by the impetus of our opening 7 overs. 46 runs were aded by Messrs Curtis and Evans who hit straight and CALLED and RAN well. This was excellent cricket, gentlemen. With Guy Dunbavand, this will be a crucial trio to wrest the initiative from stronger opposition. Guy himself , hampered by a knee injury, decided boundaries and sixes were the thing and he accelerated us very well late on, He was able to gain and retain the strike thanks to some excellent hard and selfless running from Matt McClelland - well done- who himself struck straight and heartily at the last. So, running and acceleration, practised Friday came good today. I was pleased by a lot of the bowling. Olly Church bowled a consistently fuller length in his six overs and had a chance dropped. Bradley Kilner conceded his first run off his 24th ball and James Hattersley deserved his wicket fro bowling a full length into the wind. Tom Armatage was rewarded for his efforts behind the wicket by bowling a batsman with a crafty leg-spinner. ( He had taken off the pads!) Tom made some fine stops an look the part as a keeper. Practice will make perfect. Well done, everyone. Thanks for playing. Commiserations and best wishes to the injured Ali. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against N E Wales on Monday, May 19, 2008 (home) A loss by 31 runs in a game in which we conceded 20 wides and fifteen byes in the total of 44 extras. This is the same old story.There is not enough discipline in the bowling, though Guy Dunbavand and Craig Evans reduced the opposition to 22-2 off 7 and Olly Church took 1-1 off three overs. Jack Peake was strong and economical, his third over a heroic maiden, having been brought back to stem the tide.Elsewhere there were fatal disasters: 5 wides off the first ball, overs going for 9,10, 11, 13 and 15. 58 off five is simply too many. In batting, we were two behind NE Wales after 12 at 54-1, but were never given easy overs off which to score heavily. Running cost us dearly. We do not sprint all runs and should. Had we done so we would have scored more and saved Craig's wicket. We need to look for singles and push into gaps or drop the ball dead. Guy was never in touch and missed too many 4-balls but credit to him for building a base of 62 and making a stand of 42 with James Hattersley. Bradley and Matt enjoyed a fine stand of 27 and Matt showed clean striking strokes and excellent calling and running. His was an exemplary innings. We really need to improve skills. The season is approaching its zenith and we can be good at our best , but more consistency is required in bowling and running. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Rydal on Saturday, May 10, 2008 (away) Football is known as 'The Beautiful Game' , but watching GUY Dunbavand time and punch the ball through the covers was equally aesthetic. Had he not politely retired, he would have placidly plundered a hundred today. Henry Makings joined him in a 50 partnership in which the running improved. Henry hit powerfully the bad ball but timing and balance were sometimes awry on a slow pitch and I have suggested slightly quicker feet, a little longer stride and bending the knee more. Another partnership (of 40 ) arrived , this between Ollie Church and Matt Curtis as we accelerated in the last overs. They ( and others) will have learned how runs can be taken once ( any) contact is made if partners are ready and this is the basis of acceleration, not air(y) shots. Matthew is a powerful hitter and could prove a major influence in an innings if we need to up the run-rate. He needs to watch the ball for longer and could consider moving his feet to go down the wicket to bowlers. I was impressed by Ollie. All his first four deliveries were difficult balls but he showed sound concentration and technique. He has a classic high elbow which means he hits straight and that is essential for the future. We were more attacking in the field, though again prone to pitch short. I was pleased by Jack Peake's last three overs where he pitched the ball up and took a wicket. This should give him confidence and I believe he was helped by Guy's 6-3 field. Nine overs came from spinners and Ollie , and Pete Boothroyd generally bowled with flight and a fuller length. Ed Russell tried hard behind the stumps and had success. It is not easy to keep to eight different bowlers and he concentrated and handled well. Feet are the key. Well done , everyone, and thanks for playing. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Helsby High School on Tuesday, May 06, 2008 (home) Congratulations on some fine batting and CONCENTRATION from Craig Evans. It was hot at the crease and he batted for over an hour. Impressive too was the support from Matt McClelland which established a crucial PARTNERSHIP, in turn demoralising the opposition fielders. Coach Lewis reported that the running had been considerably better and I am very pleased by that; it adds so much to the impetus of a game. 17 of the opposition total - nearly 50%!- came in extras so there is still a great need for consistency and accuracy. This will allow Guy to set more attacking and precise fields and pressure the batsmen more. At present, noone bowls to a 6-3 field and I really believe we should be able to. We caught six batsmen out - Ali Coley's catch was outstanding- and only missed one chance and I was pleased with the work of Alec Davies and Henry Makings in effecting the run-out. Well done and thanks for playing. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 03, 2008 (home) A comprehensive victory, in the end, but one that really was far closer than a 10 wicket win with four overs and five balls to spare would otherwise suggest. Bowling first we were faced with a very slow pitch and a keen wind. Matt Curtis opened well bowling a good length with good pace and control while Ali Coley struggled a bit with the uphill nature of his task. Anything remotely short sat up and a decent batsman (Master Apel) took advantage. 29 in six overs represented an excellent start for Merchant's but Guy Dunbavand and Alec Davies pulled it back, bowling six overs between them, taking two wickets for just eight runs. After this Merchant's could not get past a rate of three an over. Matt Curtis took a very good catch to dismiss one opener- hit hard at face height to mid off- he never flinched and held on coolly. This effort was equalled by Ollie Church off Guy and then with the introduction of Ollie and Matt McClelland; Guy took an excellent catch diving forward at extra cover to hold on to a very difficult chance. Guy, Alec, Ollie, Matt and Bradley Kilner all took a wicket each while Pete Boothroyd bowled probably the best spell and James Hattersley the most frugal before Matt Curtis returned and was harshly denied a wicket before Henry Makings wrapped up the session with two wickets (and three wides) in one over. Generally we bowled well, but too many of us 'put' the ball there with little gather, swing and follow through, thus too many deliveries were ill directed or short. This will matter in tighter games to come. A total of 27 extras out of 80 scored highlights the problem. Ed Russell did well behind the stumps and our ground fielding was of a high standard throughout, with Ali Coley also taking a catch and Henry Makings almost pulling off the catch of the millenium from a hard hit pull behind square leg. Our spinners bowled well, a biting wind and slow pitch meant we had to pitch it up, but even more vitally we have to get the ball above the batsman's eyeline. In reply we were in truth, composed, clinical and careful. A partnership of 80+ is telling. I suggested to the boys (Henry and Guy) after they passed 50 that it would be a shame to get out. They ground on, Henry the more fluent at times (rare praise) while Guy showed his class by playing out a maiden from a very good leg-spinner with complete sang-froid. We played three shots from memory that were poor, trying to hit the ball too early on a slow turner and were reprieved on each occasion- our three chances stuck and that may have been the difference. Merchant's bowled well- better than us (just nine extras)- and always stuck to their task led by a sporting and intelligent young man who did not deserve to lose by ten wickets. Guy and Henry were unfazed however and were always up with the rate and tellingly ran three threes, our opponents never managed one, and were more adept at picking up singles, rotating the strike were necessary. So a very good victory but there is more to come as a bowling unit, just nine wickets against Stockport and Merchant's tells off a lack of ruthlessness, and we must all improve the swing of the arm and the follow through to aid accuracy and pace. Well batted with our second partnership of 70+ in three games and onwards and upwards. BRFR U12 A XI against Heber on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 (home) In truth a poor performance in places (notably our running which was lackadaisical especially for byes) against game but limited opposition. Having won the toss our start was hampered by poor running from the first over which we allowed to pass without troubling the scorers. Openers have the first opportunity to score runs, not to play themselves in and use up overs which we would score off later in the innings. This must be our mindset, it's not slogging which is needed but a willingness to move our feet and play the ball into gaps while waiting for a poor ball to come along. Only one boundary in the first 15 overs of a 16 over game shows up another pressing problem. I lost count of the number of times a King's batsman failed to move his feet to a ball outside off stump, swung, missed, and then replayed the shot correctly without the inconvenience of actually having a ball to hit! Backing up is vital. Silly stretching backwards with the bat grounded as the ball is delivered fools no one. Walk with the bowler in his last few strides and start your run as the ball is delivered, too often the shout was 'No!' as the ball went towards a fielder, who missed it but was able to stop a single because our runners weren't looking for the run. Memo to JAH. A lungbusting game of tip and run is called for on Friday. Every first run must be run, not ambled. Only Henry Makings and Guy Dunbavand escape this criticism. Craig Evans piled on a useful unbeaten 22 in our last few overs to set a target well in excess of our opponent's abilities. Opening bowlers must be more ruthless regarding aiming for and hitting off stump. This goes back to using your front arm and following through across your left hip (for a right arm bowler). Matt Curtis bowled a good opening spell while Henry Makings bowled straight and was rewarded with three wickets in two overs. Craig Evans was the quickest and most accurate while James Hattersley, Ollie Church (who put every ball in the right place) and Ali Coley all picked up wickets. Fielding award goes to Rhys Dowinton who kept bravely and picked up two in the midriff which illustrated that he is getting into the right position but the hands need to be cupped together to receive the ball rather than being clapped together at the last second. Rhys also made some ill-directed bowling much better by making a number of good leg side stops- never easy on an artificial track. Good catches were held by Ali Coley and Pete Boothroyd. All in all a decent work out which leaves everyone with something to think about and work on for the tougher challenges that lie ahead. BRFR U12 A XI against Stockport Grammar School on Saturday, April 26, 2008 (away) A fantastic game of cricket between opponents who traditionally enjoy close games. This match was a tale of two opening batsmen. For Stockport Master Hughes batted quite beautifully to lead his team to a good score of 101/2 in twenty overs posting 57 before leaving in the penultimate over. Powerful and precise off his legs he punished anything too straight and hammered shots through point whenever the ball was dropped short. We bowled decently, but symptomatic of our bowling was four (sometimes five) good deliveries followed by a long hop or wide which allowed Stockport to score at a good rate throughout. Pick of the bowlers was Evans who managed to concede just nine runs from four overs, but all of our bowlers (nine in total) should look to hone their actions, especially their use of the front arm and a sweeping follow through, in order to concentrate on off stump. Our fielding was generally good with Henry Makings doing a fine job behind the stumps and Matt Curtis keeping batsmen honest with his strong arm. Olly Church took a good catch and although we dropped two our groundfielding was good and the team was excellently led by the skipper Guy. In reply our fans probably felt we were always behind the rate. However the totals of both teams were identical after 7 overs (30); 10 overs (40); 15 overs (67) and after 18 we had 91 to our opponents 90. Stockport started magnificently in the field , conceding just one run from the first seventeen balls. The eighteeenth was the first remotely off line and Guy whipped it through square for four. An equally precise shot to the off in the next over had this coach purring with delight. Leaving a lot of very good balls, defending straight with head over the ball and bat under control, Guy looked a very good player, as still at the crease and as precise in his shot selection as Tom Johannson (the highest praise I can give to a King's batsman). Evans gave excellent support and the stand was worth 31 when he rather unluckily slapped a pie straight to square legs. After surviving myriad excellent deliveries it was a shame to get out in this manner. Matt Curtis then managed to attract a beauty first ball leaving us 32/2 with 70 needed to win off 11 overs. While Guy batted beautifully James Hattersley settled in. He managed to do more than merely rotate the strike in scoring off seven of his first twelve balls and together they started to bring the total into sight. It was gratifying to see such a mature approach to a stiff target. Nothing slogged, five dot balls played calmly followed by a single on two occasions. Stockport also ensured that eight players got a bowl before turning to their opening bowlers to close out the match. In fact twenty runs came from thirteen balls to leave us victors with five balls in hand and James the delight of smashing the winning boundary through the off side. Both sides deserve great credit for a hard fought game in excellent spirit. On a purely selfish level it was a privilige to have the best seat in the house while two excellent batsmen went to work, while Hattersley and Evans and messrs Woodside and Schofield from Stockport can also look back on their contributions to a wonderful game. BRFR U12 A XI against N.E. Wales on Saturday, April 19, 2008 (home) First, many thanks to all who contributed to the playing and staging of the game: groundstaff, players and parents. The return match needs to see a dramatic change - of weather and home performance. Both need to be much hotter! That said, we were missing some batsmen, though we capitulated rather too tamely from 23-1 and we used eleven bowlers, many of whom were on debut. Guy Dunbavand was the best of these ( he bowled five; the rest two each), showing energy and good line uphill and into a strong wind. I hope the match experience will help all the others to concentrate on delivering each ball with good technique. We bowled in delivering the ball physically, but I want to see more mental strength . Craig Evans, Matt McClelland and Jack Peake did deliver, however, some excellent balls. Please remember, bowlers, that YOU need to take responsibility for line, length AND field (5-4, 6-3), so think before you bowl. The bowlers need to be helped better by the fielders. Tom Armatage did well behind the stumps and Matt Curtis, Ali Coley and Guy all showed real energy and skill, but we need to be a wave when walking in. Remember WE ARE FIELDING TO TAKE WICKETS. In that context, I felt we needed more close-in fielders to pressure batsmen in their early stages. Batting technique needs further practice, ( so let's look to Tuesday ) , but we need to start with the resolve NOT to give our wickets away cheaply. We need to work hard at making the bowlers work hard.That said, Guy looked excellent and Craig Evans played straight as our only batsmen to reach double figures. Both were dismissed by excellent catches, one by Peter Boothroyd (!), and can consider themselves unfortunate. We would have reached three figures ahd they established themeselves fully. The return match will be interesting, a yardstick by which to judge our improvement. Thanks again for playing so selflesly and supportively. Yours in sport, JAH U12 B XI against Wilmslow High School on Saturday, June 28, 2008 (home) Well done to all the players today- Wilmslow's included. It was their first match, a first game of cricket for many and they showed spirit , skill and good grace. King's performed very well indeed. Everyone batted and bowled and the fielding yielded four wickets run out , two thanks to Matt Anthony's fabulous direct hits. Only four wides were conceded so we were bowling very much straighter and that was encouraging and I am delighted that debutant Ian Iersten claimed a wicket. I was impressed too by William Cook's leg-spinning of the ball - a real advace her and to take ten wickets was a splendid effort. George Nott imposed himself on the game with fast bowling and fierce hitting but , after we had lost him caught ( BALANCE/WEIGHT,George)the four boundaries in the partnership of the Ranjit brothers were crucial. Two of them were lovely shots by Ananth, the third a lovely leg-side clip by Arjananth. ( I cannot tell the twins apart, but I am told I have the identities right!!) Nets on Tuesday. Yours in sport, JAH U12 B XI against King's Macclesfield on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 (away) Wonderful!! Everyone batted or bowled, the attempt to give Ali and Tom some batting practice paid off handsomely. Ali is an aggressive batsman and seven fours on a slow wicket is a significant effort. BUT the partnership yielded 70 runs and that is all-important. Coach Hornby singled out Rhys Dowinton as the pick of the bowlers, a pleasing development from Rhys. Bowlers need to consider the 29 wides conceded as part of 67 extras. this means there were 32 runs only off the bat. In that case it would be worth hitting the bat more often!! Yours in sport, JAH U12 B XI against Birkenhead School on Saturday, June 14, 2008 (away) 'It was the best of times; it was the worst of times' Beautiful Birkenhead in a sunny sylvan setting. Skipper Matt Anthony did well with bat, ( aggressive contact from the first) , ball ( accurate opening spell) and , above all for me , with THINKING about fields and batsmen. Well done, Matt! Cameron Winter opened and was unbeaten as we reached our target 60 runs later, having hit the shot of the day through mid-off. There is great potential here if he manages to combine feet ( STRIDE) and eyes. George Dermott threw down the wicket from 35 yards - excellent - and Jack Barber took an excellent square-leg catch and dismissed another batsmen with a direct hit. It is this sort of pressure and intensity that creates sporting wins - and upsets. On the downside, 18 wides and 2 no-balls at 2 runs each GAVE the opposition 40 runs!! They scored 19 runs off the bat in 20 overs. MUCH greater discipline is required and perhaps some change of style and direction: I liked - in the post-match practice session - George Dermott's off-breaks and Will Cook's leg-breaks. Practise these from now on! the two batsmen dismissed MISSED ordinary , quite slow, straight balls. It is now JUNE and watching the ball carefully on to the bat needs to be practised! We must not give up our wickets cheaply. Thanks for playing; don't forget to practise hard on Tuesday and we have a new challenge on Saturday. Yours in sport, JAH U12 B XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 03, 2008 (home) U12 B XI against Stockport Grammar School on Saturday, April 26, 2008 (away) We were well beaten and I was disappointed by the lazy and sleepy mental performance of the team. Hard practice is needed to find some self-respect and to achieve a standard which can represent the school. The first ball brought a run-out, thanks to Niall Barrow's stop and sensible throw, but thinking, fielding positions and fielding were lax and the bowling too inconsistent thereafter. (22 wides, 5 no-balls!) Asked to watch the ball carefully, batsmen responded by being clean bowled for six dismissals. One who did apply himeself was Alec Davies who opened the innings and did not leave until the team had scored 86. He is a strong hitter, whose best shot, indeed for me the shot of the day, was his cover-drive for four. Significantly this had much more to do with shape and timing than force and Alec could place balls for more frequent runs. Cameron Winter put on 29 for the third wicket with Alec, a really good partnership, and he shows good shape in his shots. He must not move his back foot to leg - ever, please!! ( He also held a difficult catch at cover so there is much potential here.) George Nott's fireworks late on - two 6's and four 4's - were impressive and exciting and brought respectability to the score. His bowling at his best was unplayable and I hope he will bowl more consistently and with a fuller length on Tuesday for the A team. So, gentlemen, there is much improvement to demand from yourselves; you can't really have fun being so flat and slapdash. So let's work hard in the nets on Tuesday. Yours in sport, JAH If for any reason you can't find what you are looking for, have a look in our alphabetical list, or contact us on the following e-mail: info@kingschester.co.uk |
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If for any reason you can't find what you are looking for, have a look in our alphabetical list, or contact us on the following e-mail: info@kingschester.co.uk