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Jump to pages showing scores and reviews from the 2008 season. You can view all of the results for a particular team. Choose the team whose results you would like to see from the drop-down list.
1st XI against Eltham College on Wednesday, July 08, 2009 (home) For the final game of the season King's hosted the Australian touring side from Eltham College having beaten them the night before in a 20-20 game. Eltham batted first and gently negotiated their way to 32 for 1 off 10 overs. However, the introduction of the spinners encouraged greater strokeplay from the young Australians and they started to race along. As they did so three King's players injured their fingers - Younger, Dunbavand and Thompson - with the last two having to leave the field of play as a result. The old phrase catches win matches was never so true and King's dropped 5 chances which did nothing to dent the Australians run rate. They closed on 285 for 6 off their 40 overs with all of the King's bowlers being put to the sword and with Torr picking up 3 for 51. King's started positively with Torr and Coppack putting on 94 for the first wicket before Torr was caught for 53 off just 38 deliveries. Peel entered and tried to do much the same but Coppack perished on 44. King's kept working hard, hitting the ball and running between the qickets in a positive manner but the overall run rate was too high and they closed on 228 all out. 1st XI against Free Foresters on Monday, July 06, 2009 (home) Free Foresters' captain, Cambridge Blue and former King's pupil, Garri Jones won the toss and inserted the home side, challenging the school to post a total and judge a declaration. Glenn Coppack and Oli Thompson began well but Glenn fell first as a ball from the opening bowler got big on him and he was easily caught by King's groundsman and Cheshire player, Iro Da Silva. Adam Dunbavand then came in and with Oli built a solid partnership of 93. Dunbavand's straight driving was crisp and Thompson's judgement of which ball to hit was sound. It took former King's vice-captain Edward Mason's formidable left-arm spin to break the partnership, Dunbavand falling to a catch by yet another former pupil, Andrew Dyne. Joe Benson continued to give Thompson good support, however, and they put on another 30 before Thompson departed. He had played Da Silva's spin really well but, perhaps a little over-confident, missed one while out of his ground and the Lancashire 2nds 'keeper whipped off the bails. Marcus Torr added impetus in the middle order with a brisk 33 allowing Glenn Coppack to declare - 56 overs having been bowled - on 203 for 6. The school began very well indeed, Free Foresters soon reeling at 21 for 4. Marcus Torr's tail was up - two of those wickets were his - Arthur Thomas had reached 20 wickets for the season by picking up Jones and a run-out accounted for the other. But the fifth-wicket partnership of Andrew Dyne and Tom Fearnall proved stubborn, not helped by the school not taking its chances. Powerful hitting from Dyne took him to 48 before Torr, in his second spell, hit the stumps. Then Harry Peel removed Fearnall Jnr in the next over and Free Foresters were only half-way towards their victory total with six wickets were down. Glenn Coppack's post-match analysis was that the Dyne-Fearnall Jnr partnership did for the school. But the contributions of S. Stamworth (38 not out), Iro Da Silva (16) and Fearnall Snr (42 not out) were surely at least as vital. The left-hander Stamworth's cover drive was a joy to behold, Da Silva's clips offf his legs elegant and Fearnall's strokeplay - well, thoroughly entertaining. The lads were disappointed to lose a game they so nearly won but they deserve great credit for pushing a side so rich in experience and quality so hard. We hope for still better against the Australian touring side, Eltham HS. 1st XI against Old King's Scholars on Friday, July 03, 2009 (home) Another final over thriller on a sunny Friday evening; another well deserved victory for the school. The many parents and spectators that saw the game were given a real treat by this absorbing contest. The weather forecast proved more or less correct for once and fine work by the groundsmen and the splendid roll-on roll-off covers meant that play began around 2 pm as soon as rain stopped. OKS captain Jeremy Brummitt had assembled a side both youthful and useful. Michael Roberts and James Clulow opened up and Roberts emerged all guns blazing. Fortunately for the school he played too soon against Marcus Torr who hit the woodwork. Clulow carried on where Roberts left off until Joe Benson picked up his second of three wickets by also hitting the stumps. Simon Ratcliffe at no.5 looked as classy as ever but it was the experience of Willy Lamb (39) and the explosive force of last year's school captain Oli Greening (40) that drove the OKS score upwards and at a good rate. Both played some exquisite shots and it says much that both were only dismissed through run outs. Although the school's fielding was not at its best, both spinners (Benson and Thompson) bowled well even if the bat had once again been dominant, allowing Brummitt to declare, very fairly, with OKS on 182 for 7. In reply the school set out to accumulate steadily, not lose too many wickets, and really chase in the last 20. Mike Roberts trapped Oli Thompson early on but otherwise the plan was well executed by skipper Glenn Coppack and Adam Dunbavand. Dave Atkin's entry into the attack removed Coppack for 19 and then Torr for 2 but Adam was able to bat on, showing great temperament and an ever-increasing array of shots. Well supported by fellow fifth-formers Harry Peel (33) and Joe Benson (19), the school moved on well towards its target. The pace of Andy Morris and Dave Atkin accounted for five of the school's batsmen but the middle order gave Dunbavand great support. His departure for an excellent 66 was something of a concern but a bright and breezy 25 from Ben Williams brushed aside all anxieties, driving the run rate back down with some enterprising hitting. Arthur Thomas and Edward Peel saw the school home in the final over and, as the OKS scorer Saul Marks put it, 'Crash, bang, wallop and it was all over'. 1st XI against Hutton Grammar School on Wednesday, July 01, 2009 (away) Returning to Liverpool College for the final day of the tournament King's quickly became aware that they were still able to win the competition owing to results of the previous day. With this in mind King's strode forward and, unfortunately on a wet wicket, lost the toss. The early overs were permeated with balls breaking through the surface and popping off the wicket which were largely well avoided by Dunbavand and Thompson. Unfortunately one got too big from Thompson to control and he prodded a simple catch to cover departing for 4. A foolish run out followed 10 runs later and King's were in trouble at 29 for 2. However this brough Coppack in to join Torr and some lusty hitting and scampered singles followed before Coppack tried too much fancy footwork and prodded a catch to short cover. Torr now decided to take the attack to the Hutton bowlers climbing into anything pitched up and dropping his back leg to clear the infield with regularity. Wickets continuted to fall at the other end with only two other batsmen getting to double figures and when Torr was out for 81 off 97 balls the innings was quickly wrapped up with King's having scored a slightly below par 161. King's got exactly the start they wanted with the experimental opening bowling partnership of Torr and Benson - a well flighted delivery from the latter breaching the batsman's defence. Hutton continued to score at a steady rate, never getting to far ahead but managing to keep up with the run rate. At 65 for 1 Hutton were looking comfortable but three wickets then fell for 10 runs as the introduction of Ed Peel started paying dividends. His nagging line and length gave little to the batsmen to hit and his opening spell of 5 overs 2 wickets for 9 runs was excellent. Hutton then started to fight back and, following the tea interval, they required less than 4 an over with 6 wickets in hand. The game continued to ebb and flow with wickets falling until the 9th wicket fell at 134 - 27 runs to go with 7 overs left. The Hutton batsmen pushed and prodded, scampered and shouted as they reached 153. Thompson bowled the 44th over, with Coppack uncertain who would bowl the final over with Torr, Peel and Thomas having completed their 9 overs, and switched to off spin at pace. The first 4 balls were dots and with the pressure mounting the Hutton number 11 decided it was time to hit out - he missed the ball and was bowled! King's therefore became one of three sides to tie for the tournament and Ed Peel's final figures of 4 for 17 off 9 overs was a stunning end to the three games. 1st XI against Queen Elizabeth's, Barnet on Monday, June 29, 2009 (away) On a swelteringly hot day in Liverpool King's lost the toss and were put in the field to toil in the noon day sun. The batting side got off to a flier and were scoring well in excess of 5 an over thanks to a huge number of extras with the leg side wide rule being enforced with great regularity. Oldman bowled well without luck with balls flting through the slips until one found the safe hand of Coppack. Thompson was introduced belatedly and started to tie the batsmen down and slow the run rate and wickets started to fall with Torr taking 2 in 2 balls. Oldman was reintroduced towards the end of the innings and started to chip away at the remaining batsmen finishing with 5 for 35 but the total of 211 was exacerbated by a total of 40 extras which could prove decisive. The opening attack of QE, Barnet was a strong one and with the ball seaming around at pace conditions were tough. Coppack had a rare failure being bowled around the back of his legs and none of the top 6 batsmen could find any fluidity in their stroke play. With nearly 10 an over required of the last 10 overs Peel took to the bowling and, with only two wickets remaining took the score from 114 to 154 before smashing 3 boundaries in succession. With the fourth he attempted he unfortunately found the waiting hands of long on but had given King's a real chance with his 54 off just 49 balls. Sadly Oldman was out next ball and the innings closed with King's mustering 166 - 45 behind and rueing the 40 extras that made a huge difference between the two sides. 1st XI against Cheadle Hulme on Saturday, June 27, 2009 (away) After the thrilling victory against the MCC the night before exhaustion, and the fact that 4 men were missing from the victorious side, was always going to play a part. Debuts in the 1st XI were given to Murray, Rory Benson and Edward Peel all of whom performed admirably. King's fielded first in heavy conditions but the tiredness was plain to see in the opening bowling as Cheadle progressed to 50 without loss after 10 overs without any fear of losing a wicket. The introduction of Robinson certainly helped gain a little more control as he chipped in with two wickets and finished with outstanding figures of 2 for 12 in 6 overs. Given that Cheadle finished with 222 for 5 in 40 overs the quality of Robinson's bowling is clearly put into context. Thompson started sprightly scoring 11 off12 balls before he got a grubber which passed underneath his forward defensive and bowled him. After the loss of this wicket wickets started falling regularly with Coppack continuing his tremendous form with 48 off 55 balls before he too fell leaving King's on 68 for 4 with nearly half the overs gone and defeat looking very likely. No matter what they tried the King's batters could not gain any momentum and wickets kept falling until a late flurry from Peel with 19 off 22 balls ensured that King's at least gained a 3 figure score but 105 all out was a poor score and King's will need to regroup before they start their tournament in Liverpool on Monday. 1st XI against MCC on Friday, June 26, 2009 (home) 1st XI against Foyle and Londonderry on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 (home) On a blisteringly hot day with a wicket that had a sheen and promised to be full of runs the visitors won the toss and chose to bat. Over the next two hours the opening batsmen delivered some beautiful strokeplay displaying an eagerness to attack any delivery that was just slightly off line or length. The left handed McCarter played some fantastic shots displaying power with effortless ease as the score rapidly progressed to 100 off 18 overs without loss. It was the introduction of Robinson that saw the first wicket fall with the visitors on 123 and from this point the run rate slowed a little as King's reasserted themselves in the field. McCarter eventually fell for 97 and Peel took an excellent diving catch, with wickets falling steadily King's restricted the visitors to 227 for 9. King's started steadily with an excellent opening partnership of 80 which effectively turned the game into a 20/20 fixture with 140 runs needed. Coppack continued to hit well eventually out for 60 off 73 balls which allowed Torr and Peel to come together for one of the most entertaining and effective partnerships of the season. With 101 needed off the last 10 overs both Peel and Torr displayed their excellent ability to time and hit the ball a long way, not only this but also run ferociously between the wickets. The run rate of 10 an over was maintained well for the first 5 overs but Torr eventually fell, trying to clear the boundary again, for an excellent 40 off just 32 balls. Peel was then bounced and hit which appeared to unsettle him a little although he kept working hard for his team. With the run rate climbing and 30 needed off the last 2 overs the task became a little too difficult and with Peel falling for 48 off 41 deliveries in the final over King's courageous run chase was over. 1st XI against Wrekin College on Monday, June 22, 2009 (away) The trip into neighbouring Shropshire brought a win of the toss and a decision to field on what looked like a green seamer. Certainly the ball was moving around and Wrekin made steady progress reaching 127 for 4 off 29 overs. A total well in excess of 200 looked on the cards until King's rallied in the field and with some excellent death bowling by Arthur Thomas, who took 4 for 37, bowling wicked late inswinging yorkers Wrekin were all out for 184. Unfortunately the uneveness of the wicket appeared to get worse, not helped by King's batters planting in front of the stumps, and King's were reduced to 35 for 4 in the 18th over. The likelihood of scoring 150 runs in just 25 overs was slim but King's continued to bat courageously and strike the ball when it was loose. Dunbavand played an excellent innings once he had become use to the wicket and ended up not out on 48 off 65 balls narrowly missing out on 50 when an enormous lofted straight drive plugged and didn't roll over the boundary for the 4 that would have brought up his landmark. He was ably supported at the end of the match by Torr who ended 20 not out but King's will reflect on an early collapse which effectively meant that a draw was all that could be salvaged from the game. 1st XI against Birkenhead on Saturday, June 13, 2009 (home) On a bright day with a perfect wicket and great batting conditions it was a touch odd that Birkenhead won the toss and decided to field - the opening pair of Thompson and Coppack strode to the crease and shone like the sun on this great summer's day. Putting on 40 after fewer than 9 overs with Coppack eventually falling for 35 and a partnership of 65. Benson fell quickly top edging a sweep and the experienced Younger stepped up and starting playing some sumptuous drives. Thompson kept plugging away keeping the score board ticking over until he passed 50. He then opened his shoulders and played some magnificent shots all around the wicket. Younger was run out for 26 and Leech came to the wicket to continue the good work hitting 24 before he was caught off the last ball of the innings. Thompson finished on a wonderful 109 not out, carrying his bat and helping King's to the excellent total of 221 off 40 overs. A super innings and a super chance of winning. King's started strongly with only 13 runs being scored off the first 7 overs and Thomas bowling 3 maidens in his opening spell. Torr took the first wicket with a magical stumping down the legside from Coppack leaving Birkenhead on 49 for 1 after 14 overs and seemingly way off the pace. However some big hitting saw the run rate climb and, whilst King's were always in control, Birkenhead pushed close. Two great catches from Torr removed two of the big hitters and Peel bowled some tight overs to begin with which caused the run rate to rise again. Birkenhead needed 17 off the last over and only managed 10 to leave King's victors by 6 runs. 1st XI against Rydal on Saturday, May 09, 2009 (away) A short trip up the North Wales coast brought the team to Rydal for a clash against their ten man team. With many of the King's team having given their all the evening before in the Mersey Shield final Andy Leech won the toss and decided to bat. This decision brought about the best opening partnership of the year so far of 109 between Thompson scoring 62 off 57 before being dismissed. Benson and Younger entered to make a quick fire 13 and 8 respectively whilst Glenn Coppack carried his bat for 52 not out off just 51 balls. The total of 150 looked like it should be enough off just 20 overs and very soon this was clear. Arthur Thomas opened the bowling with good pace and was unlucky with two nicks sliding through the slip and gully region in his first over. Then James Oldman entered the attack returning for his first game following foot surgery. In his second over he took four wickets - all bowled - with excellent pace and unerring accuracy and Rydal wilted from 14 for no loss to 14 for 4. A very rare quadruple wicket maiden being achieved by Oldman! A short fightback from the Rydal batsmen came to an end when Simon Younger caught Kitchen off Thompson and from 47 for 4 Rydal collapsed to 51 all out with Andy Leech polishing off the tail with some good short pitched bowling and finishing with 3 for 12. An excellent and professional performance by King's in all areas. 1st XI against The Forty Club on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 (home) Despite dire weather forecasts a few days prior to the match, on the day itself the weather was decent enough and Forty Club players and spectators - pleasantly surprised given the rain in Lancashire - arrived ready for another great contest. As winners of the Forty Club Trophy in 2008, the General Secretary himself graced us with his presence, travelling all the way up from Salisbury. Following their narrow defeat in 2008, it was to be expected that the Forty Club side would be strong. All the more credit to the King's bowlers and fielders then, who got a grip on things from the off. It should also be borne in the mind that King's came into this game on the back of a nine-wicket defeat to MTS, Crosby. Captain Andy Leech and Arthur Thomas opened up and both were on song. In successive overs they removed an opener each, reducing the Forty Club to 23 for 2, and their replacements, Marcus Torr and Harry Peel, followed suit a few overs later so that, after only 48 minutes, the batting side were in some disarray at 37 for 4. At this point King's were on top but it was ominous that the Forty Club now had Tony Fare and captain Richard Hope at the crease. Their experience and brilliant batsmanship enabled a recovery to be mounted and the Forty Club went into lunch at 101 for 4. As so often happens the break favoured the bowling side and Arthur Thomas struck immediately, clean bowling Mr Fare for a well made 35. A succession of batsmen joined Mr Hope, who gave a fine demonstration of patient innings construction. Thomas dismissed Messrs Hudson (a former captain of King's) and Mather - both for ducks - and it looked as though Mr Hope would be stranded. King's were right back in it at 101 for 7. A wagging tail kept King's at bay, however, with number 11 Peter Syddal especially obstinate. The Forty Club declared on 183 for 9. King's had bowled and fielded remarkably well. To dismiss nine of the Forty Club side - including four bowled - was a fine achievement, bearing in mind their quality. Catches were held and the ground fielding was generally acknowledged to be excellent. Glenn Coppack behind the stumps once again attracted much praise from spectators for his 'good hands'. To make 184 against a high-class bowling attack boasting the all-time leading wicket-taker in the Lancashire League was always going to be a tall order, but King's showed great character in going for the challenge. Although Glenn Coppack got a leading edge early on, fifth-formers Olly Thompson and Joe Benson batted very sensibly and after fifteen overs King's were 54 for 1. Another thirty or so runs off the next ten overs and King's would need roughly a hundred off the final twenty. King's had got themselves on top once more. Unfortunately, Mr Roscoe had other ideas and, assisted by two lightning quick stumpings by John Sharples, the Forty Club clapped both Thompson (23) and Benson (30) back to the pavilion. Harry Peel didn't pick Chris Hudson's arm ball and Roscoe castled Andy Leech. The Forty Club were right back in it with King's on 74 for 5. The heart seemed to have been ripped out of the King's batting order and, with only eighteen overs remaining and five wickets in hand, 110 runs were still required. Some sides would surely have crumbled at this point but not King's. As the Forty Club have come to recognise, King's bat a long way down and the way that the rest of the batsmen set about their task filled the King's staff contingent with pride. Youth impressed again. Adam Dunbavand made a good-looking 18; Arthur Thomas - what a game he had - finished on 10 not out. Ben Williams and Marcus Torr were positive and promising. The side's only upper sixth member, Simon Younger top-scored with an unbeaten 33 for which he batted really well. This was quite the best innings I can recall from Simon and I hope for more to come. An honourable draw was the result in the end, King's fnishing on 152 for 9. All can feel proud because all played their part, including Srinath Ranjit who fielded well once again, and James Carr who scored magnificently. The Forty Club were generous in the advice and compliments they gave the team after the match, and we are very grateful for that. It was a marvellous occasion and a great and absorbing contest. Once again the match enabled us to learn much both as individuals and as a team about how to play the game and how to live up to its finest traditions. What more could one ask? 1st XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 02, 2009 (home) Fine Bank Holiday weekend weather, a square in great condition, and a successful coin toss by Andy Leech enabling King's to bat first - 'God's in his heaven - / All's right with the world!' Glenn Coppack and Olly Thompson opened up and took King's to 28 without loss after the first ten overs. Unfortunately, in the face of some canny change bowling and astute field settings, they proved unable to press the accelerator in the second twenty overs and by the halfway stage King's had only just doubled their score. After reaching 28 Glenn fell trying to hit out and he was soon followed by Olly, attempting a little paddle, for 31. Joe Benson's rich vein of form continued and he contributed a useful unbeaten 41, with bright contibutions from Andy Leech and Adam Dunbavand. King's finished on 141 for 5, with plenty of firepower, perhaps frustratingly, never deployed. Merchant Taylors batted well and exceeded King's equivalent scores at each ten-over marker. Armstrong, their captain was especially impressive, but each of the top three called well, ran hard and made good shot selections. Merchants were really relying on their bowling however, and, had we batted more like Merchants and carried the attack more to their bowlers, perhaps we could have placed their batsmen under greater pressure. A defeat by 9 wickets sounds pretty comprehensive but the gap between the two sides was not in truth so wide. We will need to learn the lessons quickly from this game, though, as the Forty Club side on Wednesday will surely ask some searching questions of us in all departments. 1st XI against Cheadle Hulme on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 (home) A confident 1st XI took to the field with just one change from the side that beat WGS with Oli Thompson missing the game through illness. A spirited start saw a run rate of 6 an over achieved for the first 5 overs until Coppack fell for 13. The run rate slowed for a short while but then the Captain strode to the wicket at 56 for 3 and then started to dispatch the Cheadle Hulme bowling to all parts including a flat 6 over square leg that didn't rise above 3m off the ground! Andy Leech's 24 off just 19 balls, along with 13 off 9 by Adam Dunbavand, enabled King's to score exactly 100 off their 20 overs for the loss of 8 wickets - a hat trick being taken off the last 3 balls of the King's innings. King's assault on the Cheadle Hulme batting started well with wickets falling regularly and an excellent leg side stumping (off a wide) being taken by Glenn Coppack off Marcus Torr. However, it was the proliferation of wides which would eventually be King's downfall. Only 4 runs were required off the last over with veteran King's seamer Simon Younger called up to use his experience and guile. After four balls Cheadle Hulme still needed 2 runs to win when an easy chance was hit to Arthur Thomas who took a solid catch. One ball left - two runs required. A streaky cover drive followed which allowed the 2 runs to be taken and give Cheadle Hulme the victory. A tight and well fought game but one which, ultimately, was lost through wides - Cheadle Hulme gave away only 5 to King's 16 - a lesson that must be learnt for the next fixture. 1st XI against Wolverhampton Grammar School 1st XI on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 (away) After a disappointing opening couple of games it was with renewed energy (and running between the wicket ability following a stopwatched training session) that we made the long journey to Wolverhampton - hopefully they wouldn't be basking too much in the glory of Wolves being promoted to the premiership. King's batted first with Coppack and Thompson making the best start to an innings this season - this was only stopped when a rush of blood and a desire to hook the opening bowler out of the ground resulted in a skied catch and Thompson departed for 21 off just 29 balls. Williams followed soon after at which point Coppack gritted it out although he too found the going tough at times but scored an excellent 30. Harry Peel then showed everyone that cricket was an easy game as he smashed 32 off just 34 balls including an enormous 6 which very nearly ended up in a DT lesson! Further excellent hitting from Dunbavand (26) and Torr (27) gave King's the excellent total of 161 for 8 in 35 overs. Mr Hughes thought a competitive total would be around 140 so the final total should have been enough. The bowling and fielding was top class throughout Wolverhampton's innings and they never really got started - a superb opening spell from Oldman went for just 11 runs in 6 overs which set the tone. Leech bowled with real fire and pace and the athletic and determined fielding, including 2 run outs from Peel, really did make the difference. When Torr took out two batsmen in two balls this signalled the end for the home side and an amazing catch from Jon Turley really finished things off. Running full tilt from long off to a flat hit he stuck one hand out as far as he could and then celebrated enormously as he realised what he'd just done! In the end Wolverhampton finished off with 131 for 8 - the extra runs scored at the end of the King's innings ending up being the vital difference between the two teams. A superb performance by all involved and a wonderful way to move forward over the coming weeks. 1st XI against Chester County Officers CC XI on Monday, April 20, 2009 (home) The visit of the Chester County Officers saw another glorious April afternoon and a belting cricket wicket provided by the King’s groundstaff – two of whom would take advantage of it during this 20-overs-a-side fixture. There was certainly little surprise when Andy Leech won the toss and batted first. However, our batsmen again appeared undercooked. The County Officers’ bowling attack lacked the pace that undid the top-order on Saturday, but made up for it in experience, especially the canny swing of Head Groundsman Mr Roberts. Lateral movement undid several batsmen, often trying to work the ball square rather than hit straight. Wickets fell at regular intervals and it became difficult to sustain momentum: at the 10-over mark we were 35 for two. After Glenn Coppack had provided a solid start, Arthur Thomas showed glimpses of his potential – including a sweetly struck drive through midwicket for four – before Leech and Marcus Torr increased the tempo. The deft variations of King’s groundsman and ex-Sri Lankan first-class cricketer Iroshan de Silva strangled strokeplay from one end, but Ben Williams capitalised on some looser bowling from the other end to strike a 20-ball 22. Debutant Harry Peel smashed the final delivery of the innings for four and King’s finished on an under-par – but defendable – 90 for seven. In the field, we started brightly. Leech was on song, going past the edge of opposition skipper Mike Rowlands on several occasions. James Oldman appeared to have gained an extra yard of pace since Saturday: he provided a miserly foil and accounted for the opposition’s dangerous-looking guest opener. Thomas, Torr and Thompson kept up the pressure and the County Officers were two shy of our comparative total at the mid-point of their innings. Unfortunately, a combination of dropped catches, loose deliveries and elegant shots from de Silva took the game away from us. He ended with an unbeaten 47 as the County Officers swept to victory with six wickets and two overs to spare. There were bright moments in the field: Peel clung onto a steepler to give Torr his first wicket of the season and Thompson produced a brilliant direct hit from backward point. The extras total was also back within regulation after Saturday’s profligacy. Ultimately, however, we did not make enough runs, nor were we as watertight as we should have been in the field. Wolverhampton Grammar School – away – awaits on Wednesday. 1st XI against King's Macclesfield on Saturday, April 18, 2009 (away) With five debutants in the side and only one member of the Upper Sixth, the inexperienced side which travelled to King’s Macclesfield for the opening game of the season knew that a tough prospect awaited. After we lost the toss and were asked to field first under the April sunshine, Arthur Thomas and James Oldman made early inroads to reduce Macclesfield to 49 for three. A frustrating stand of 106 ensued, as our lack of practice in the field showed: the bowling was rusty and the extras column mounted up rapidly – the two batsmen made just 68 between themselves. However, a double-breakthrough, courtesy of captain Andy Leech, who returned with a hostile second spell after an expensive start, and leg-spinner Olly Thompson triggered a collapse, as 157 for three quickly became 185 for eight. Thompson’s variation and clever changes of pace proved difficult to get away, and he claimed four for 39 from his nine overs. Unfortunately, our hopes of restricting the opposition to below 200 faded during an expensive final few minutes and Macclesfield closed on 226 for nine from their 45 overs. However, an even-paced pitch had offered few demons and we knew that, as long as we used our overs to their full potential, the target was well within our grasp. Our reply is probably best summed up by the facts: after six overs we found ourselves 5 for four; we were eventually bowled out for 63. Some batsmen fell to poor shots, others to good deliveries from the opposition’s lively pace attack. It was left to Leech, Adam Dunbavand – cover-driving and leg-glancing impressively for 15 – and Ben Williams – bravely defying a recently dislocated shoulder – to make double-figures and scrape together our final total. A 186-run defeat is, quite obviously, not the ideal start to the season and exposed our lack of outdoor practice, especially with the bat. Yet there were a number of positives to take from the game: the bowling of fifth-formers Thompson and Thomas, who returned figures of 9-0-30-2, and who were ably supported by the more experienced Leech and Marcus Torr; our ground fielding, which was largely solid, if unspectacular; and Dunbavand’s promising cameo. Thoughts move to Monday and the opportunity to put in a performance much more reflective of the side’s talent in a Twenty20 affair against the County Officers. 2nd XI against King's School, Macclesfield on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 (home)
Macclesfield’s only hope of victory was to get off to a quick start, but there was little opportunity to do so against Luke Robinson and Josh Porter, who both opened with tight six-over spells. Robinson’s in-swing accounted for four top-order batsmen, while Porter would have joined him among the wickets, but for a couple of dropped chances behind the stumps. Macclesfield’s lower order proved more difficult to dislodge, but Turley’s off-spin picked up three quick wickets, leaving Chris Wall – rarely sighted with the ball in his hand – to finish off his final game for school by ‘bouncing out’ their last man. 2nd XI against Ellesmere College on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 (away) Another good victory for the team, but ne which was much closer than it should have been. 2nd XI cricket sometimes lacks the competitive edge that one will find in the 1st XI and this almost cost us today when after being in control for much of the game we almost allowed Ellesmere to run out winners. It seemed to come as something of a surprise to some of the players that they found themselves involved in a fixture where they hard to work very hard to keep their noses in front. Initially we had set ourselves a minimum of 150 from our 30 overs. However, based on the ability of other sides to take runs from our bowling attack this year I suspected that we might need a few more than that. We started well and batting on a good Ellesmere strip posed few real problems. Turley played with assurance throughout his innings and seemed to be timing the ball well. Ciaran Willis timed the ball less effectively and eventually tried a more aggressive approach. This paid off at first when he clubbed a fine four through mid wicket, but the next ball he played the same shot and found himself clean bowled for 9. Turley steadily accumulated his runs and appeared set to go on and get a fifty, but shortly after Willis’s departure he erred when facing the new bowler off whom he had just hit four and he looped a ball to backward point. It was a good 33, but yet again we cost ourselves runs with a moment’s lapse in concentration. When Robinson came in we continued to find it no problem to score at the required rate of five an over, but when he had amassed 23 he also fell to a lapse in concentration. We wanted Luke at the crease for the last five overs, but having again played a positive shot for runs he found himself caught out with seven overs to go. We momentarily lost our momentum, but credit should go to Matthew Willis who hit some fine blows to take us up to a total of 143 before we were eventually all out. 143 was less than we wanted, but after ten overs of the Ellesmere innings we had the upper hand. Robinson had bowled well and had a significant role in keeping them down to about two an over. However, once he came off the other bowlers were less successful in keeping a tight rein on the Ellesmere batsmen, and although the run rate slowly rose they were never far from it. Six, seven, eight an over the rate went up to, but Ellesmere’s batsmen began to rise to the challenge helped by our tendency to bowl short and down leg. With three overs to go they needed 20 and still had seven wickets left, but at that point their top scorer was run out and three more quick wickets were to follow in the final overs. With one over to go they still needed 11 runs, but to his credit Ciaran Willis held his nerve and saw us home. They needed six from the last ball to win, but Ciaran bowled the batsman to leave them on a total of 138. 2nd XI against Merchant Taylor's School on Friday, May 01, 2009 (home) Today’s game against Merchant Taylor’s was played out in good conditions and a solid performance by the team saw us run out winners, but in truth we probably owe our victory to a somewhat fortuitous team selection. We had considered drafting in some younger players for the game once the U.14 game had been cancelled, but with a full team of senior players available to us on Friday we deemed this to be unnecessary. However, team selection is never an easy process in the seconds and illness on Saturday morning to one of our players saw us have to revert to our former plan. In came Matthew Williams whose previous best score as a batsman had been 45, claimed earlier in the week. Today he was to better that significantly with a score of 82 not out, and in doing so he effectively set up victory for the team. Batting first, we accumulated a score of 164 with contributions from Robinson of 29 and Thurlow-Wood with 17 to add to Williams’ 82. We had begun steadily, in fact scoring at just about two an over from the first ten overs, but once Robinson and Williams came together the innings took off at a fair pace. 164 was a good score, but one which would not be insurmountable given a good track and relatively short boundaries. Merchant Taylor’s started slowly in a similar manner to our own innings, but fortunately we never allowed them to increase the tempo of their innings in the same fashion we had. There were moments when they showed themselves capable of hitting some big shots, but on three occasions after playing such scoring shots the batsmen carelessly threw their wicket away the next ball. At least two of these wickets were taken by Choudhry who bowled with good spirit to eventually claim a total of four wickets. Other good contributions came from Chris Garrard who bowled straight and at one point was on a hat trick. Some stubborn late resistance from Merchant Taylor’s saw them amass 121 before they were bowled out with three overs to spare. 2nd XI against Chester Clergy on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 (home) A defeat against Chester Clergy today, but not one we should feel disappointed about. The good thing about sport is that it is often possible to lose and yet be able to take so many positives from the game. That we were chasing more than six an over inevitably put pressure on us, but to have managed a run rate of five an over is to our credit. In fact, with eight overs left and scoring at the required rate with six wickets in hand we might even have considered ourselves to be favourites. The Clergy started very positively and were looking to score runs from the first over onwards. They did well to keep a steady momentum going throughout even though we managed to take wickets with reasonable regularity. Robinson and Willis both picked up a couple of wickets each, yet both bowlers will probably feel they can bowl better. Perhaps the pick of the bowlers for King’s was Porter who took 1 for 21 off 5 overs. Short boundaries enabled the Clergy to push on and a series of sixes due to the short boundaries saw them amass a score of 156 for 7 from 25 overs. The aim behind our innings was to be as positive as we could be and see just how close we could get to their score. It was a philosophy which seemed to pay off from the start with Wall and Robinson chancing their arm and doing very well indeed. Our first wicket partnership put on 65 in just eleven overs before Robinson was caught going for another big shot, but by then he had scored a very creditable 39. Wall went on to score a positive 23, but we let ourselves down with a couple of run outs and as the innings progressed it became clear we would struggle to get up to their score. Yet 127 for 9 was still a decent achievement, and the result might have been different if the Clergy had been able to field a full side and had not been able to call on our groundstaff as guests. The fact that one of them came on to bowl 3 overs for 4 runs near the end of the innings tells a story in itself. The team had been reasonably competitive, but most importantly the boys seemed to enjoy the game. 2nd XI against The Grange School on Saturday, April 25, 2009 (home) For their second game of the season the 2nd XI acquired a few of the younger players from the 1st XI along with Rory Benson from the Fourth Form. However, this seemed only fair as we were playing the 1st XI from The Grange. After two weeks of good weather it was fated that the clouds should gather and the start be delayed by rain, but fortunately we only lost 5 overs a side which saw the game reduced from 25 overs a side to 20. However, batting first with a wet outfield meant we would see the ball slowing down before it reached the boundary, but perhaps this was preferable to batting with a ball which must have seemed more like a bar of soap. We did not start well and lost our first wicket with only one run on the board when Thompson was bowled. This brought Dunbavand to the crease who batted steadily but found it difficult timing the ball on the wet pitch. When Adam was also bowled it brought Thomas to the crease in what was to be the most significant partnership of the game with Joe Benson. Both batsmen started steadily as they grew accustomed to the pace of the pitch, but as the bowlers struggled with the wet ball both grew in confidence. They scored at more or less the same rate until Benson suddenly pressed the accelerator and saw his score accumulate at a turbo charged pace. He played a series of fine shots which saw him hit sixes that were pulled and also hit straight over Long On. Eventually he was to fall for 74, but by then he had put us in a very commanding position. Thomas continued where Joe had left off, but was unfortunate to be caught on the Mid Wicket boundary when he pulled a loose ball with tremendous force. With Choudhry and Johnstone at the crease in the final overs we were able to push our score up to a very impressive 152 for 4 from our 20 overs. Considering we would have settled for five an over at the outset of our innings this score was a real bonus. We took to the field in confident mood, but in a cricket match one player can have a significant influence upon the outcome of the game and thus it proved to be the case with The Grange captain who had reportedly opened the batting for Toft 1st XI in recent times. After 6 overs it was rather a shock to see The Grange standing at 60 for 1. However, at this point George Roberts, the captain, made a significant contribution when he pulled off a great catch from the bowling of Thompson to send their key batsman back to the pavilion for 34 runs. They still had some decent players, but the introduction of Rory Benson and his spin bowling also worked in our favour. It was too difficult for our opponents to keep up with the mounting run rate and we were able to take wickets with regularity. Eventually, captain Roberts concluded the game with 2 wickets in 2 overs as The Grange were all out for 119. 2nd XI against Wolverhampton GS on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 (away) Games against Whilst our expectations of claiming victory were low from the outset of the game, in truth the team played really quite well. Porter and Choudhry bowled well as opening bowlers and each had the opposition batsmen playing and missing. Whilst Wolverhampton were clearly a better bowling side than batting side and they made an immediate impact by claiming the wicket of Wall who was bowled in the first over when he went back to a well pitched up ball that came back at him. We never managed to get on top of their bowling, and although they struggled to take our wickets we were unable to collect runs freely and keep the scoreboard moving. The middle of our innings saw us becalmed with batsmen at both ends struggling to score a run. It would have been nice to have gone down with a flourish, but it seemed that the opposition bowlers were simply too good for us. However, with five overs to go Choudhry came to the crease with a runner due to an injury whilst bowling and he promptly succeeded in setting the game alight. He hit a quick fire twenty not out including a splendid straight six. If he had been able to get in earlier we might have even had the chance to claim an improbable victory. We finished our thirty five overs on a creditable 107 for 5 and although it was a defeat it was good to get our first game of the season under our belt. U15 XI against Results/Averages for 2009 Season on Saturday, July 04, 2009 (home)
U15 XI against Wilmslow HS on Saturday, July 04, 2009 (home) As Wilmslow High School were coasting towards a comfortable win, two remarkable catches by Ed Peel and Mark Rennie dramatically changed the atmosphere of the match, and helped King's to snatch victory from the jaws of almost certain defeat. For most of the 40 overs this match seemed to be in a constant state of flux as one team would seem to be in control, only for a moment of brilliance or comical mishap to put the other team temporarily back on top. After King's lost early wickets, the ever reliable Rory Benson struck 41 superb runs to give King's the chance of setting a challenging target. He was helped with 12 runs from Ed Peel and 16 runs from the equally reliable Kate Coppack. With the score at 105 for 7 and nine balls left , a total of 120 seemed to be a reasonable possibility. At this point the game turned into almost comical farce as three wickets were lost in eight balls for the addition of only one wide. Therefore the consensus between innings was that 106 runs just did not seem to be enough on such a superb wicket for batting. The Wilmslow openers confirmed this view with a rapid stand of 44 off nine overs. Their captain and County batsman continued to smite the ball to, and over, the boundary so that victory for his team looked inevitable with the score at 70 for 1. However he was then dismissed when Ed Peel dived horizontally to take a brilliant catch in mid air off a skier, and Mark Rennie matched this moment of athleticism when he also dived theatrically to take another catch soon afterwards. The two catches seemed to turn the match as they lifted the morale of the home team and cast doubt in the minds of the new batsmen. With good tight bowling the balance between runs and overs suddenly became a major factor in a topsy-turvy match. With one over left, 8 runs were still required to win. Kate Coppack bravely stepped up to bowl the last six balls and she conceded just 4 runs off the first five, leaving 4 runs to be scored to force a tie. Captain Peel wisely placed all his fielders on the boundary and, amid a certain degree of pandemonium, Josh Murray (fielder) and Kallum Marsden (wicket-keeper) kept their cool, and only two runs were scored to leave King's as the eventual victors. This was a memorable game at the end of the season, and it fully illustrated the fighting qualities and increasing maturity of the Under 15 XI. Every match has contained moments of entertainment, amusement, inevitable degrees of frustration and much individual brilliance. Yet my abiding memory is of the spirit within the whole squad where the contribution of every player, whatever their level of skill, was valued and appreciated by the rest of the team. Eight victories and only four narrow defeats was a fine record, and it has been a privilege to work with such an enthusiastic and talented group of cricketers this term. Many thanks also to all the parents who have supported the team so well from the boundary, to Mr Lunn and Mr Walker for their efficient organisation of matches and to Mr Roberts for giving us such brilliant wickets to play on. Cricket is an even greater pleasure in retirement-JAH please note. ARN U15 XI against King William's College, Isle of Man on Wednesday, July 01, 2009 (home) With King's on the verge of certain victory, a relentless rain storm just before tea prevented further play, and the match was reluctantly abandoned as a draw by the neutral umpires. Kallum Marsden maintained his feisty Festival form with the bat , amassing 87 glorious runs with powerfull shots to all parts of the outfield. He was well supported by Kate Coppack, Owen Dawson, Will Goulbourne and Rich Dawson as the bowlers wilted in the heat. King William's early order collapsed, losing batsmen to suicidal run outs or to the bemusing spin of Rory Benson. Sadly, the rain enforced an early retirement to the pavilion for dougnuts and carrot cake (thanks to Mr Beasley for the excellent Festival refeshments), and the game could not be resumed as the weather eventually closed in. Congratulations to King's for playing mature and sensible cricket during the Festival. The all round contribution from all members of the squad merely reflected the significant progress they have made with their individual and team skills during a very successful season. ARN U15 XI against St Margaret's HS, Liverpool on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 (home) King's came within a whisker of securing victory over a very talented opposition from Liverpool. A score of 170 by King's seemed a useful total, but in truth there were too many 'soft' dismissals, and 225+ should have been easily attainable. Too many batsmen got themeselves out too easily when looking well set for significant runs. Kallum Marsden and Kate Coppack retrieved the innings after a middle order collapse, and Ed Dawson had another stunning and entertaining knock in the last few overs. The Liverpool openers looked confident and powerful, but they both went to two superb catches by Will Goulbourne and Josh Murray to raise hopes of a victory for King's. At tea King's still seemed to be slight favourites with the opposition requiring 80 off 15 overs with 5 wickets left. With the last pair at the wicket, 20 runs were still required, but somehow the batsmen scrimped and scraped their way to pass the target in the 36th over. A great game of cricket, full of 'ifs and maybes', but always entertaining and a credit to school cricket in general. ARN U15 XI against Liverpool College on Monday, June 29, 2009 (home) A commanding performance from a King's team who produced an awesome display of all round power. ARN U15 XI against Bluecoat, Liverpool on Thursday, June 04, 2009 (home) On another perfect batting track prepared by Mr Roberts, our maestro of cricket wicket preparation, there was every opportunity for the King's batsmen to 'fill their boots' with runs. Regrettably, no less than four batsmen were unable to take advantage of the conditions because they were RUN OUT through a combination of personal misjudgement and slick returns by the Bluecoat fielders. Fortunately, Mark Rennie was determined to initiate his lovely new bat with a big score, and he amassed a very rapid 55 with his usual mix of classical and improvised hitting to all parts of the outfield. He was superbly supported by Rory Benson and Owen Dawson who ensured that a challenging target of 176 was set to the Bluecoat batsmen. Once again the wickets were shared between all the bowlers as the opposing batsmen were unable to put together meaningful partnerships against good line and length bowling. Stephen White and Owen Dawson were a hostile opening attack, with Rory Benson, Will Goulbourne, Josh Murray and Ed Peel all picking up wickets in their spells. However the bowling star was possibly Max Imfeld who mopped up the tail with two wickets off successive balls. A memorable hatrick seemed to be imminent, until it was realised that Bluecoat had no eleventh batsman to face the now rampant Imfeld. It was agreed to award Max an 'honorary' hatrick on the basis that he had now become unplayable by any batsman, least of all a petrified No. 11. It was good to secure a victory after the half term break, but attendance at nets has been patchy lately. As we have to play a cup quarter-final and a Cricket Festival very shortly, it would be nice to see a real commitment to personal improvement from the whole team, and not just a select few! ARN (who enjoys a little rant now and again) U15 XI against St. Anselm's College on Thursday, May 21, 2009 (home) Max Imfeld does not always get a chance to impose himself on a cricket match, but his two catches and a wicket in his first over were fitting rewards for his regular attendance at nets practices and loyalty to the school team. The King's openers batted cautiously on a very wet wicket and against some accurate bowling. The slow outfield was also a significant factor in the slow accumulation of runs. However Ed Peel (32) and Mark Rennie (25) accelerated the run rate at just the right time, both batsmen pulling and driving with power and running superbly between the wickets. A total of 94 on a wet, seaming wicket was very acceptable and a challenging target for our opponents. Owen Dawson opened the attack with his most accurate spell of the season, cutting down his run-up and bowling a good line and length. He soon dismissed an opener, and was well supported by Stephen White, Ed Peel and Josh Murray who also bowled tight and accurate spells. However, Will Goulbourne was again the main wicket-taker, taking 3 wickets in his four overs. When Will has the confidence to throw the ball higher and bowl a full length he can be a tricky proposition for any batsman. Congratulations to all the fielders, and especially the Ed and Richard Dawson, who supported the bowlers with athletic chasing and throwing. This was a deserved and convincing cup victory, but the games will become harder from now on. A full turn out at practices next half term is essential if we are to make further progress in the competition, and to perform well in the Colts' Festival. Finally, thanks to Mr Lunn, Mr Walker and Head Groundsman Alen Roberts whose gamble on the playability of the pitch after a week of heavy, often torrential, rain enabled the match to take place. ARN U15 XI against Shrewsbury on Thursday, May 14, 2009 (away) Will Goulbourne has been a talented cricketer 'waiting to happen' this season. However, with defeat looking ominously certain, Will turned the game dramatically in King's favour by taking 4 wickets and 2 superb catches in a brilliant 6 over spell of bowling. His ability has never been in doubt, and it was satisfying for the school coaches to watch him fulfil his true cricket potential when it really mattered. The batsmen had seemingly laid the foundation for a King's victory by amassing 187 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets off the allotted 30 overs. There were many glorious shots including massive 6's for Mark Rennie and Kallum Marsden who shared another entertaining partnership. Josh Murray batted in his usual gutsy manner for 53 retired, Rory Benson rattled up 43 off very few balls, and there were cameo performances from Ed Peel and Owen Dawson. Shrewsbury started the run chase immediately and blitzed a wilting and slightly erratic bowling attack. The odds were heavily in favour of a home victory with the score 143 for 5 , but then Will and Stephen White bowled superbly to contain, and eventually dismiss, some hard-hitting batsmen. The value of bowling straight and on a length was fully illustrated when the last 3 Shrewsbury batsmen were all cleaned bowled in the space of nine balls. Many thanks to Mr Walker for his cricket wisdom and umpiring help, and to the Busy Bus driver for maintaining his driving focus during a very noisy and celebratory trip home. ARN U15 XI against Rydal on Saturday, May 09, 2009 (home) Not the most convincing performance of the season, but determined and skilful batting by Kallum Marsden and Mark Rennie steered King's to victory after an early batting collapse. Nine bowlers were used by skipper Josh Murray and they restricted the Rydal batsmen to just over 100 runs from 25 overs on a perfect batting track. The batting order was manipulated in order to give some squad members an opportunity to bat higher up the order. Unfortunately King's lost early wickets and an unlikely defeat seemed a strong possibility, until the match-winning partnership between Kallum and Mark. ARN U15 XI against North East Wales on Thursday, May 07, 2009 (home) A school XI playing a regional representative team always has the odds stacked heavily in favour of one team, and the final result therefore reflected the much wider choice of players available to NE Wales. However, King's amassed a very respectable total of 132 which the opposition only surpassed in the penultimate over of their innings. Rory Benson was again the star batsman for King's with a score of 70, following his 80 in the cup match the previous day. His straight driving and square cutting were of the highest quality and reflected a player who is in prime early season form. Rory was well supported by Ed Peel and Mark Rennie, although Mark played an impatient shot and was stumped when looking well set for a good score. The bowling was never able to contain the the powerful Welsh batsmen , but once again the opposition benefitted hugely from the 28 extras that were conceded. We really cannot afford to present so many gifts to the opposition, least of all to hungry Welsh invaders from over the border. The skipper wisely took the opportunity to use nine bowlers, and Will Goulbourne, Max Imfeld and Ed Dawson indicated that they have the potential to become more regular members of the attack in the near future. Thanks,as always, to the groundstaff for a superb wicket and to the catering staff for the refreshments. ARN U15 XI against Sandbach School on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 (home) The school library windows suffered constant aerial bombardment as the King's batsmen scored a magnificent 63 runs off the last five of their allotted 20 overs. Rory Benson and Josh Murray were the main 'enforcers' with an entertaining partnership of 87 match winning runs. A total of 159 to win was a daunting target for the opposition, although Sandbach were very positive in their run chase. Kate Coppack, Ed Peel and Stephen White all took wickets with some excellent bowling, and the fielding was again sharp and enthusiastic. Owen Dawson also took two fine catches. The only real concern were the 24 extras conceded as these were nearly one third of the opposition's total score. On another day they might be the difference between defeat and victory. ARN U15 XI against Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 02, 2009 (away)
U14 XI against Liverpool College on Saturday, June 20, 2009 (home) Several regular team members were absent, climbing hills as part of their DoE Award, so a rather depleted team took the field against Liverpool College. Liverpool batted first and amassed a very challenging total of 136 off their allotted 20 overs. So the Under 14XI had their own metaphorical mountain to climb if they were to reach this target with so many regular batsmen otherwise engaged. Despite the early loss of the threatening Matt Williams, King's began to accumulate runs steadily mainly via the flashing blade of Ben Sawney who played the innings of his life for a score of 42. John Verity then took up the challenge and crashed the ball to every part of the outfield, including a giant pull for six straight into the distant ditch. The ball was lost, and the five minute break that followed was just long enough to enable the wilting Liverpoool bowlers to recover both composure and bowling length. John was dismissed in a vain attempt to reach the ditch again and, despite an entertaining 16 not out from Andrew Thomas, King's fell just 12 runs short of the target. Many thanks to the Ranjit twins who were drafted onto the team at the last moment, but who each bowled a very tidy over. Also a few words of encouragement for Ben Leman and Matt Roberts. They may not play every match, but they clearly have a natural talent for bowling that could earn them a place in the regular bowling attack if they can maintain their enthusiasm and self belief. Finally, thanks to the players of both teams for providing a very entertaining cricket match for the parent spectators and umpires, and to Mr Lunn whose hard work 'behind the scenes' makes school cricket run so smoothly. ARN U14 XI against Birkenhead School on Saturday, June 13, 2009 (home) A sad exit from the County Cup for a team who were always strong contenders. Birkenhead are a strong team in this age group, and it could have been predicted that it would be a well contested match, which it certainly turned out to be. Andy Thomas and Matt Williams came in, and played agressively, which made the Birkenhead team alter their field early, and put them a little more defensively. Andy was unlucky to get caught quite early on, but Sam Powell came in, and played a forceful but sensible innings. Wickets fell a little too regularly. Matt was clean bowled, and Tom Kearney-Mitchell cauight after hitting a couple of good boundaries. A fine partnership between Sam and Guy put King's in a strong position, but with Guy caught and Sam run out, it was going to be a difficult target. The rate needed was "only" 5 or so an over for the last eight overs, and although Henry Makins and Luke Hughes pushed along well, it was just out of the reach of King's. With two overs to go and 15 needed, it proved just too much, and despite Lloyd's attempt to run 12 off the last ball (he managed two), King's were beaten. This was a disappointing end to the cup campaign for a genuinly talented, enthusiastic and delightful team. Still, there are more matches to play, and more to be won. U14 XI against Heber HS on Thursday, June 11, 2009 (home) Mr Roberts, the school's cricket wicket supremo, produced another 'belter' of a track with matching outfield for this challenging fixture against Heber HS Under 15 XI. Matt Williams and Sam Powell demonstrated their gratitude with a stand of 102 runs, full of glorious strokes straight from the MCC cricket coaching manual. Indeed, one mighty pull for 6 by Sam sent the ball into the perimeter ditch, from which it could not be retrieved. An invoice for the loss may possibly have to be delivered to his parents' address. On such a perfect batting track, 142 was still an attainable target and the Heber batsmen maintained the necessary run rate throughout their innings. However they continued to lose wickets in the run chase and finally ran out of batsmen when still 35 runs short. An encouraging victory for King's, with much to be admired in their all round performance. If I had to be picky, a few too many long hops were bowled and a similar 'extras' total might prove to be more costly in future matches. ARN U14 XI against St Anselm's on Friday, June 05, 2009 (away) Having venues moved at the last minute from St Anselm's to Birkenhead St Mary's CC did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the U14s and, after winning the toss, King's decided to bat. A solid opening partnership between Thomas and Matt Williams put on 37 in just over 6 overs before Williams fell for 17 off 20 balls. At the other end Thomas kept working away whilst wickets fell fairly regularly at the other end until he too departed having scored 35 off 38 balls. Some late hitting by Hughes and Verity pushed the score to a reasonable 102 for 5 off 20 overs but King's would need to work hard, and watch the extras total, if they were to win. St Anselm's started steadily only scoring 18 off the first 4 overs but then started to accelerate and after 10 overs were well placed at 54 for 4 off 10. However, in the 11th over Stanley bowled his 2nd over which led not only to a run out but in bowling two players out in consecutive balls. The game seemed to be turning only for St Anselm's to launch a counter attack which saw them fly to 90 off 15 overs. Aaron Williams then bowled a superb double wicket maiden to have St Anselm's precariously positioned at 90 for 9 with 4 overs left. The introduction of Sawney sealed the game with an excellent catch being taken at mid-on by Stanley and King's won by just 6 runs. But it was the extras, which totalled 25, which nearly cost them the game. U14 XI against Birchwood High on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 (home) U14 XI against Rydal on Saturday, May 09, 2009 (home) Another very strong performance from a team with a geunine desire to be successful. Rydal do not always produce the strongest opposition, but it was very good to see that there was no lack of determination from King's in their will to win, and win convincingly. Having (sensibly) elected to bat, openers Andy Thomas and Matt Williams had to face a quick and accurate opening bowler, who got good lift off a quick pitch. Runs off him tended to be nicks past slip, going for four and he frustrated both openers. A change of bowling from his end brought a much slower and more limited bowler, but as is so often the case, the change caused Andy Thomas played him too early, lofting a simple catch to mid off. Matt Williams was given LBW (to one he hit, about 10 feet down the wicket), and Sam Powell struggled to get in at all, being bowled. At 58 for 3 in 10 overs, King's were hardly in trouble, but it meant it may not have been as easy as anticipated. But a really good 80+ partnership between Tom Kearney-Mitchell and George Okell, with a couple of excellent 6s from George (over a long boundary) put King's into effectively an unbeatable position, George was caught, and soon after Tom very generously retired at 58. Aaron Williams played very well, continuing to push the score along with several very well played boundaries. At 198 with one ball remaining, King's rans two byes, thanks to an overthrow. King's were keen to win by a good margin, and set a sensible, but attacking, field. A careless (and never existent) second run, gave King's an easy wicket in the first over. Rydal's number three played positively and hit several boundaries, and at 24 for 1 off 3 overs, they were just on target. But wickets fell regularly, and once past number six, it was clear that it was a matter of time. Tom K-M bowled his usual line, and took the wickets of the number one and three. Luke Hughes was unlucky not to take a wicket, and Andy Thomas, Cameron Luckas and Ben Leaman taking two each. A very fine performance in the field overall. King's took five catches, not all of them straightforward, and with no missed opportunites, this is the sign of a strong team. The first round cup match is on Tuesday and the same result would be a good start to that campaign. U14 XI against Mosslands School on Monday, April 27, 2009 (home) Another very good team performance in which all played their part, leading to what was effectively a simple victory, The weather meant that the game was in doubt for much of the morning, but the King's players very much wanted to play, and in the end it was a good decision to keep the match on. Despite a few spots of rain, and a very wet outfield, the conditions were overall not too bad. Having elected to bat - sensibly - Andrew Thomas and Sam Powell quickly pushed for good singles, and showed King's intent at setting a strong target. Andrew fell to a good catch with 16 on the board, bringing in Tom Kearney-Mitchell. He and Sam put on a 50 partnership, with several boundaries and notably very effective running and snatching singles, with the fielding being difficult. Sam retired at 30, very honourably, and thanks to him for that. Tom was caught not long after (on 20), and with Ben Sawney bowled on 3, the final partnership of Lloyd Stanley and Aaron Williams pushed quickly to a score of 121 in the 20 overs. Lloyd played sensibly and cautiously for the most part, with some fine careful shots, and Aaron showed real class with several textbook strokes. This target was always going to be challenging for Mosslands; Tom and Ben opened, and the opposition found it difficult to score at any rate, Good fielding and mostly "line and length" bowling meant that wickets fell with regularity and none of the Mosslands players were able to get into double figures. Tom took 2 for 0, in his three overs, and Harry 3 for 6, all of his bowled, showing the necessity for a good line. Lloyd took a very fine catch as keeper, off the back of the bat, and diving to the other side. Very well done! Alex Johnstone, Matt Roberts and Ben Leaman all contributed to the bowling, with Matt Williams taking the final wicket with only 30 runs scored. Overall, the team showed a strong spirit and a really good attitute to what was always going to be a good win. There is much more challenging opposition on the way, but the potential for success was very much seen in this match. U14 XI against Grange on Saturday, April 25, 2009 (home) Cricket is a real team game, todays fixtures have been played and completed with great team effort. I must start thanking certain people who have helped to make the Cricket happen this weekend. Firstly the D T department have been more than helpful with shaping bats, fielding ramps etc. Sister Catherall, Steve Beasley, Alan Wright and his staff along with the Chemisty lab technicians; all have played a part today. The ground staff turned out such exellent playing conditions, I am very grateful to all. To steal a line " winthetosspostascorebowltheoppositionout" is the way cricket should be played, having lost the toss we were asked to bat. The opening pair played very well, Sam(19) played some excellent driving shots, Matt(45) a captain's innings, support from Luke Hughes(15) and Alex Johnsone (13 n.o) all contributed very well to the total of 109. The Grange bowled with a lot of control, only to two wide balls being bowled in their twenty overs, an example to follow I think gentlemen! The weather improved for the second innings, Tom Kearney Mitchell and Luke Hughes opening the bowling, Luke with three wides and two wickets in his first over - more consistency is needed. Aaron Williams and Andrew Thomas both bowled well, as did Lloyd Stanley. For me the pick of the day was Ben Sawney who bowled just on a spot without too much effort then let the ball do the work. The Grange batted well reaching a total of 95 for 7 making us think at all times. This was a good fixture played in difficult conditions with an opposition that made us work hard for a good result. Thank you gentlemen for your effort today. NW U13 A XI against Wilmslow HS on Saturday, July 04, 2009 (home) A great way to end the year; George Nott demonstrating he has good batting technique and power and Guy Dunbavand managing to allow everyone to have a bowl despite King's having got 'bogged-down' in the middle of the innings, ultimately scoring 20 runs less than would have been wished. Being unsure of the relative strength of the sides Wilmslow graciously suggested King's bat first. The unorthodox method of deciding the batting order (names drawn out of a hat) meant that the fast bowling duo of Curtis and Nott had the pleasure of opening. Matt played very well before receiving an excellent seaming delivery from Bond which bowled him. George took a while to settle in, but when he did he played beautifully, 4's aplenty leading to an unbeaten 43, Mr Lunn insisting on retirement after being in for 10 overs. Unfortunately the support proved less assured, albeit against some good bowling. Alec Davies was bowled by a fast, straight delivery, and Craig Evans was stumped, unwisely 'dancing' down the track to the impressive Baker, the pick of the Wilmslow attack. Brad Kilner looked in 'good nick', being more disciplined in shot selection, before seeing a backward defensive shot spin back onto the stumps. A determined innings by Cook followed, though he struggled to get the ball away, with Henry Makings and Guy finishing off the innings with customary power. 106 looked on the low side, but disciplined bowling and good fielding brought down the run-rate to leave Wilmslow always chasing the game. As stated above, all contributed with the ball and the catching was excellent, Rahul's deep, high catch at square-leg being the pick of them. It was a pleasure to shake the hands of the whole team at the end who have contributed towards a most enjoyable summer. There have been regularly 25 or more players at nets and the opportunity to select strong 'a' and 'b' teams has meant that there have been some wonderful performances in both sides since the end of April. I wish all the squad an enjoyable summer. RL U13 A XI against AVERAGES on Saturday, July 04, 2009 (home) U13 A XI against on Saturday, June 27, 2009 (home) Another tremendous performance for this fine group of players, particularly as the main strike-bowler and a couple of others were unavailable. Peter Boothroyd opened magnificently, showing what careful placement, great timing and fantastic running between the wickets can do to push along a score. He was ably assisted by Jack Webber, growing in stature every game, Ollie Church and Matt McClelland, with Matt Curtis unfortunately run out having made a poor decision to attempt a second run. The innings finished with an aggresssive 'knocks' by Guy Dunbavand, Craig Evans and the impressive Henry Makings. Despite having a promising looking opener in Arnott, Cheadle Hulme never looked like getting anywhere near King's total. Guy Dunbavand set the tone with great work to run out Cheadle Hulme's other opener and the combination of economical bowling, strong fielding and a positive atmosphere allowed King's to put sufficient pressure on the opposition that the middle-order capitulated then collapsed, with a curate's egg of an over from Matt Curtis - 8 balls, 2 wides and 3 wickets being the final nail in the coffin. This team has been outstanding for the majority of the year and it is hoped that the disappointment of the (relatively) early departure from the Cheshire Cup will spur the squad on to produce even more consistent excellence next season. U13 A XI against Liverpool College on Saturday, June 20, 2009 (away) U13 A XI against Birkenhead on Saturday, June 13, 2009 (home) Despite the comfortable victory over Birkenhead earlier this season in the cup this was never going to be an easy match, with 3 of our 'go-to' players, Henry Makings, Matt Curtis and captain Guy Dunbavand playing for the U14s. Craig Evans ably stepped into the captaincy boots, though he failed to improve on Guy's luck in losing the toss. Birkenhead chose to bat, the conditions being near-perfect. Unfortuantely for Birkenhead, however, George Nott was in an uncompromising mood and after finding his range in the first over he 'skittled out' two players in a double-wicket maiden. Jack Peake contributed well in support, as did Matt Anthony, who, despite a few problems with direction at the start and end of his spell, showed his potential with a fantastic maiden, with the bounce he generated being particularly impressive. Alec Davies, typically, bowled a good over to allow someone to change ends, picking up a nice wicket in the process. It was also great to see Rudi MaCloskey bowl, after having impressed in the 'b' team. The pick of the bowlers, however, was Craig, picking up his wickets through flight and accuracy, assisted by Peter Boothroyd. Fielding looked good today, with some excellent run-outs, though impatience did lead to a couple of mistakes; with Birkenhead picking up several singles with some outstanding running between the wickets. James Hattersley also kept very well, deputising for Henry. The target of 82 looked eminently 'getable' and so it proved. James Hattersley, looking promising as an opener, made a great start and was unfortunate to be run out. Alec Davies showed great patience in building his innings and anchoring the side. Jack Webber looked in great form and struck one wonderful shot through mid-wicket. Unfortunately, however, it was caught by a simply incredible flying catch, the like of which one would be impressed with at Lords (hard luck Jack!). Luckily Matt McClelland steadied the ship and hit a tremendous unbeaten 31, with Peter Boothroyd helping at the finish after Alec played-on with 13 still needed. A great perfromance, where all contributed. Goodluck with the exams; nets on Thursday and match next week-end - lets finish the season with some good performances. U13 A XI against Altrincham GS on Wednesday, June 03, 2009 (away) A very disappointing result in the cup, with King's losing narrowly to a disciplined, able and hard-working Altrincham GS team. One could spend a long time reviewing the game, but the loss can be attributed to one thing alone; concentration. The fact that King's gave Altrincham 37 runs from extras was basically the difference between the sides (indeed, King's scored more runs 'off the bat'). It would be easy to think that the blame lies with the the bowlers here, but general sloppiness also played its part, with few of the players having solid games in the field. A prime example of this is the fact that Altrincham ran four runs twice after poor throws, one of which was missed by 4 players 'backing-up'. As always, there were some good performances and mention should be made of Alec Davies' and George Nott's tight bowling, and Guy Dunbavand and Peter Boothroyd's excellent 75 run partnership. One should also mention the fact that King's had a really 'good go' at achieving the required score, particularly on a wicket which had variable bounce. What the players must note, however, is that good individual performances don't matter so much when the team loses - the only scores that count are the ones detailing the teams' totals. Despite the loss there is no doubt that this is a talented group of individuals who will play much better this season. Losing is part of learning in sport and, while it is disappointing that this happened in a cup match, and that a poor performance coincided with meeting a very able opposition, I very much hope that the team will emerge stronger if it considers the below points it needs to work on: Bowl for accuracy rather than speed Be more focussed both in the field and bowling Always be positive Every single ball of a 20 over match must be 'an event' - treat each one seperately and with total concentration. Make better decisions with both in the field and when battingTrain/warm-up with the same intensity required in a match - we were a lttle rusty after half-term/cancellation of the Bluecoat game - more concentration in the warm-up may have allowed for a better start. This weekend offers a great opportunity to exorcise the bad memories of this match, particularly as 3 of our representative players are missing, and that the b team also have a game, so most of the squad should get a game. U13 A XI against NE Wales on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 (home) Another good performance, though we are now at a point where the team needs to look at areas for improvement to get to the 'next level' - but more of that later. This traditionally tough fixture vs NE Wales proved to be eventful and enjoyable, partly due to the change of format with the game being played over a maximum of 65 overs, the first side to bat having an enforced declaration if still in after 35 overs. Our opponents won the toss and, unsurprisingly, chose to bat on another fine looking wicket. Their openers, Davies and Hughes, looked in 'good nick' and got off to an impressively calm and assured start, something which we hopefully learned from. However, the conditions were difficult, with the bowlers running into the wind getting an impressive amount of swing. It was Jack Peake, taking over from Matt Curtis' impressive opening spell, who finally made the break through, getting a leading edge as the batsman tried to force the ball onto the leg side. Jack showed impressive agility in diving to gratefully gather the ball. The next wicket fell to Olly Church, who put in a telling seven over spell, Matt Curtis clinging on to a sharp chance at point. Neither space, nor my literary skills, allow the rest of the innings to be described in great detail, but a combination of excellent fielding, tenacious bowling and the continued positive atmosphere developed by Guy, saw wickets continue to fall. The three run-outs were the result of smart work by all concerned, and the 2 late wickets by Alec Davies, who mopped up the tail, showed the value of line and length when used by a thoughful bowler. While the bowling out of a representative side reflected extremely well on the team I was concerned with the number of extras given away and how that might impact the chances of victory. Unfortunately, this was a contributory factor. King's fell 16 runs short and the 11 run difference in extras given away by King's did make a huge difference as the big hitting James Hattersley, finally given the chance for a bat, would surely have given King's a decent chance. However, good batting was still very evident. Matt Curtis and Guy Dunbavand got us off to a good start, batting sensibly in 'seeing off' the disciplined opening pair of Murdoch and Lucas. Unfortunately. Matt lost his wicket when his foot slid forward when playing forward. Craig Evans looked in fine form until caught and Peter Boothroyd and Henry Makings were both in their usual solid form. In the end, however, the target drifted away and credit must be given to the tight bowling of NE Wales. So another positive result, a great day and a chance for all to perform. So, how about targets for improvement to go from good to great? *Once in, stay in and aim for 40 runs *When there are two runs on, run the first one hard and be decisive. *Play sensibly, but when the ball is there to be hit HIT IT HARD. *Bowl more consistently and cut out the wides. *Think about keeping the score ticking over, a handful of extra ones and twos can make all the difference. *If there is a chance to win, GO FOR IT, but do it early enough. If all can focus on these, as well as the many things we are already doing well, the season will hopefully get even better. RL U13 A XI against Rydal Penrhos on Saturday, May 09, 2009 (home) This was another fine performance for the U13 side, especially given the fact that four of the regular 'a teamers' were absent as they were playing representative sport ( 3 cricket for North East Wales, one Northern Hockey). Their replacements all contributed well, which augurs well for the rest of the season. Rydal won the toss and chose to bat, which proved to be a challenge against the duo of Peake and Nott. George was 'bang-on' right from the start with a 'maiden' which rather intimidated the opener, his height allowing him to achieve considerable bounce. Jack struggled initially a little with his line, however, once he sorted this out his pace, even into the wind, allied with a good length of delivery, saw him get the first wicket in his second over. A smart run out by Henry Makings kept the pressure on Rydal, this was especially important as his accurate under-arm throw dismissed their most dangerous batsman for a duck (he scored 70+ in his last 2 innings). A double-wicket maiden from the in-form Peake followed and, despite a couple of their lads starting to play aggressively, the rest of the wickets fell at regular intervals. Mention must be made of Will Cook's coolness in taking a tricky catch and his two wickets gained through achieving impressive spin. Matt Anthony's extremely unorthodox method of catching a well hit on-drive also merits comment; it is clear that his goalkeeping training came in useful, though I think he is glad that footballs are rather softer than cricket balls! The total of 54, given the ability of the King's batting order, looked easily achievable and so it proved. Guy Dunbavand led admirably with 25 not out, which was pleasingly error-free. He was well assisted by Henry Makings, who is yet to put in a poor performance this season. The only disappointment was that 3 lads were unable to contribute much with bat or ball, though it should be made clear that all have contributed to the positive, supportive attitude which runs through this team. The regular cliche will be employed here and the fact that 'you are only as good as your last game' must be taken on board. NE Wales will provide a stern test on Tuesday in what will be a longer game of at least 30 overs. This is ideal preparation for the cup match vs Altrincham GS which has to be played before half-term. Well done again lads for a great performance, and thank you for making Saturday mornings so enjoyable. U13 A XI against Birkenhead on Thursday, May 07, 2009 (home) What a pleasure it was to see this talented team achieve a strong win against a much improved Birkenhead side. Guy Dunbavand won the toss and chose to bat, a sensible decision in the cup, though conditions were difficult with a cross-wind likely to make batting challenging. The initial aim to 'see-off' the opening bowlers unfortunately only lasted until the second over with Matt Curtis caught while attempting to drive, soon followed by Guy who was rather unluckily bowled off his legs. Luckily the strength in depth of this team allowed the next two, Evans and Makings, to settle, safe in the knowledge of their own competence and, indeed, those following in the batting order. All was looking 'rosy' until a bizarre dismissal followed, though one which must be mentioned owing to the great sportsmanship shown by Henry Makings. A wide delivery was bowled which Henry lashed at only to follow through and hit his own wickets. The incident was missed by the umpires, but Henry decided to 'walk'. For one of 13 yrs of age to do this in a cup match takes great maturity for which he deserves great credit. Wickets continued to fall; however, all contributed to keep the score 'ticking over' and a tremendous 9th wicket stand by the uncompromising duo of 'Clubber' Kilner and Matt McClelland gave King's a great score of 120. A tremendous opening spell from both George Nott and Matt Curtis put paid to any thoughts of a Birkenhead victory, with both being accurate and hostile. However, the realisation that King's were on top didn't lead to any complacency and although a couple of difficult catches went down the ground fielding, effort and throwing were high class, with George Nott's run out being top quality. I look forward greatly to Saturday, when the absence of out NE Wales players will give a chance to others(both new to the team, and those within the a's) to 'step-up' and help us cope. RL U13 A XI against MTS Crosby on Saturday, May 02, 2009 (home) A tough first game of the season which ended in the tightest of results, with the scores tied, though technically considered (by Mr Lunn at least) as a victory as King's only conceded three wickets for their score of 92 as opposed to Merchant Taylor's five. Guy Dunbavand won the toss and elected to bowl as the conditions were a little damp and King's put in good performance with the ball; Matt Curtis and George Nott restricting the scoring of the dangerous opposing openers to little over 3 runs an over in the first section of the innings. Solid ground fielding contributed to the positive start as did the wonderful support the players offered each other. Despite the physical strength of a couple of the Merchant Taylor players the score continued to be restricted and wickets taken at regular intervals kept the target achievable. It should be noted that Brad Kilner's couple of wickets came at a vital time, as did the run out of the opposing captain. So, 93 to win in 20 overs, an easily 'getable' score given the King's batting strength. However, a combination of good bowling by Barton and Butler, first change bowlers, unsettled the King's players - the combination of good line and length and tricky spin started to frustrate and captain Guy Dunbavand was dismissed by a sharp catch on the leg side. This brought Craig Evans into bat who played well for 11 until he was bowled by a difficult delivery. At this point the total was starting to look better than we had thought though the sensible play of Henry Makings and Peter Boothroyd saw King's approach the total. Despite a few scary moments their running between the wickets led to 7 being required from the last over. A single followed by a sweetly struck pull for three meant that 3 from 4 balls looked on. Unfortunately their captain was able to bowl a couple of 'dot balls' in the following 3 balls. So two to win of the last ball. Luckily Peter Boothroyd managed to get bat on ball for a single for scores tied result. The team all contributed to what was a great first morning of cricket. It is hoped that lessons are learned and that King's are more clinical against Helsby HS on Tuesday and, more importantly, against Birkenhead in the Cheshire Cup next Thursday, U13 B XI against Birkenhead School on Saturday, June 13, 2009 (away) In technical terms this was not a game for the cricket purist, but for those who participated in it as a player it was one which became increasingly exciting as it drew towards its close. It was so pleasing to see the interest and enthusiasm of the players and everyone appeared to enjoy the opportunity to participate in a close and competitive fixture. With The team fielded well for the duration of the It would have been a shame if King’s had lost this game, particularly when we had to lend the opposition three fielders for the duration of our spell of batting. However, we got off to a slow and unsteady start losing wickets with some sense of regularity. Hogg made a quick ten runs with some hard hitting and cook also made ten in a rather more patient fashion. Kerr came in later to hit a useful nine, but the middle of our innings saw us lose four wickets for only eight runs and for a spell it seemed as if we would hand victory to the opposition. The batting of Arjunan Ranjit and Kerr went some way to steadying the ship assisted by the wayward bowling of The fact that we were able to reach 61 for 7 meant we could look somewhat more positively at achieving the winning total of 73. Eventually Pickering and Ananth Ranjit saw us home with an over to spare to secure a two wicket victory. U13 B XI against on Thursday, June 11, 2009 (home) U13 B XI against Bishop Heber 'a' team on Thursday, June 11, 2009 (home) U13 B XI against U13 b Results on Saturday, June 06, 2009 (home) U13 B XI against Tarporley HS 'a' team on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 (home) U13 B XI against MTS Crosby on Saturday, May 02, 2009 (home) U12 A XI against Wilmslow High School on Saturday, July 04, 2009 (home) After a spell of hot weather the U.12 side took to the field under grey skies and had to endure a bout of rain, but nothing served to diminish the spirits of the side in what was their last game of season against Having won the toss King’s chose to bat and both openers looked confident and in how they approached the game. Captain Powell played some nice shots and looked capable of getting a good few runs, but he chose to play the wrong shot to a ball which cramped him for room and he was only able to loft the it to midwicket. Once Powell departed his role was taken over by fellow opener Jones. Like Powell he played some authentic cricket shots and never got lulled into the belief that you have to go for big shots that fly in the air to the boundary. Instead, he kept the ball under control and gradually accumulated a very good 27. During his spell at the crease he was ably backed up by Once Jones was out, Wright came in to play the most significant knock of the team’s eventual score of 112. The team would do well to consider the manner in which Jonathan scored his runs. He never panicked, but looked to score off practically every ball he faced. Of his first 21 runs 19 were scored in singles. This was a combination of clever shots and good running. Having got to 21 and with overs running out he cut lose rather more expansively hitting three fours as he went on to score 40 before getting out in the final over. With our final score on 112 for 8 after twenty overs, this was essentially the innings that tipped the balance of the game in our favour. Wilmslow’s reply started well, but it soon became clear that their main threat came from one player who fulfilled the roles of opening bat and opening bowler. He was to go on and score a creditable 38 playing a series of well timed shots, but apart from his contribution they did not offer a great deal more as a batting line up. However, the King’s bowlers also stuck to their task well and deserved to take wickets. The spin bowlers took the lion’s share of the wickets with Wright taking 2 for 10 and Ecroyd 3 for 14. Famoriyo also played a significant role towards the end of the Wilmslow innings taking 2 for 6. Once their opener was out the other batsmen quickly followed him and we wrapped up the Wilmslow innings in the fifteenth over with their total on 72 all out. Although Mr Hargreaves was not present to see his team win, he would have been pleased not only by the victory but also by the manner in which the team played. This was a good way to bring the curtain down on the season. U12 A XI against King's Macclesfield on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 (home) Take a bow, Oliver Moore! Two tremendous spells of bowling at the beginning ( wicket second ball) and end of the innings ( wickets fourth and tenth balls) helped reduce Macclesfield to 38-4 off ten and then contain them once they had escaped. Jonathan Wright with 1-4 off his first nine balls helped greatly in a fine first half for us. BUT, we let bowling and fielding slip to concede 95 off the last ten. We wilted in the sun - under which many had played at lunchtime. Silly! In batting, we were 18 off two overs, but the loss of Jack Powell was crucial and we never regained momentum. Five players run out was not at all clever and reflected a mental weakness which cricket will always expose. At times, some players lacked the pride and effort needed for representative cricket. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Liverpool College on Saturday, June 20, 2009 (away) Sent off to Liverpool at the remarkably early hour of 8 a.m., the team suffered mentally. Sheep-like they followed one another into the toilet, lemming-like into the wrong dressing-room and six overs into the match were 24-5. This was going to be not only the earliest match in the history of King's cricket - the sun had hardly risen through the miasma of Merseyside- but also the quickest: defeated by 10, home at 10.40 and have a game of football or go shopping. Rapid early dismissals were due to PLAYING ACROSS THE LINE. This has now become a PUNISHABLE offence ( enjoy your cricket!) : guilty parties will be forced to watch England's 20-20 demise or the new Arsenal video, 'Well, I think this will be our year.' George Thompson strides out advising Kitty Abberton to play straight and they put together a most wonderful match-winning partnership of 51. Kitty had the power, George the shape, of shot - indeed we all need to LOOK AT, COPY and PLAGIARISE George's off-side drive and buy into it as a safe and beautiful scoring strike - and both showed great MENTAL APPLICATION. Well done. This set the scene for another PARTNERSHIP - so crucial, lady and gentlemen, and something to strive for. Jonathan Wright and Sam Ecroyd took the game away from Liverpool by plundering 38 off the last six overs. Sam hit strongly and I loved the cover-driven single when he hit and ran in one movement. THAT is what I have been trying to develop with you all. Jonathan created runs out of nothing, indeed two runs out of an innocuous push thanks to an overthrow, a feat which greatly heartened Mr H. and was then surpassed by two to the keeper!!! GREAT cricket, gentlemen. Our total gave us confidence to bowl and Oliver Moore ' hit the crease' (thanks Mr Hughes) well and was helped to his 3-wicket haul with an outstanding catch by Matthew Holland. Kitty needs greater consistency of line but chipped in with three wickets and debutant Kayode, rather too nervous, claimed his first. Funny old game, but beautiful and very , very educational. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Birkenhead School on Saturday, June 13, 2009 (home) Congratulations to Jonathan Wright who took four wickets in four balls to help reduce Birkenhead from 35-2 to 38-9. (James Ingleby- Jones whose excellence in nagging length and accuracy brought him two in two and a near hat-trick was the other destroyer.) I am delighted for Jonathan whose rhythm was good and who had the confidence to pitch the ball up and I hope he will go forward from here. He, too, will be delighted with Jeevan Kurakkal whose astounding catch at mid-on brought Jonny his fourth wicket. Mr Litotis, the opposition coach, was generous in his praise. 'Well bowled King's' was said at the end and in between innings he congratulated Matthew Holland on the quality of his shots. Interestingly, Matthew only scored 5 runs - including a superb off-drive for four - but the shape and technique were seen and for Matt and for us all the lesson is work hard on these aspects because you will fulfil potential in the future. Mark Breese is doing so with a stylish innings including two boundaries, though he will do well first to remeber and then to forget his first shot!! If he can toughen mentally and build an innings he will score a lot of runs. Jack Powell scores a lot of runs, though I felt his was a sleepy innings which did not convert ENERGY into concentration, front-foot contact and running. The back-foot dab is an unproductive shot. All that said, I acknowledge the power of five boundaries and two 3's. In addition, we have thoughtfulness and control in the field and Jack is beginning to lead a forceful team. Three 3's were run by Sam Jones and his pace, aggression and exceptional fielding make him a potent performer. i would like him to play straighter, relax through the off-side and BUILD an innings. If he works hard at technique in batting and bowling , he and Jack can destroy teams. At present, Sam needs to be selective in the selection of shots and the ir force. Oliver Moore, like all good opening bowlers, dismissed the opener ( with his first ball) and the number 11 with what was his last. Kitty Abberton bowled 5 overs, the last two of which looked like fast leg-spin and showed her at her most comfortable. This augurs well. Everyone batted or bowled today, with numbers 9, 10 and 11 bowling fourteen overs between them. Perfect. The opposition was not strong, but I think all felt that we were running positively and fielding aggressively. This is a big step forward. Well done. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Calday G.S. on Tuesday, June 09, 2009 (home) We were well beaten by a skilled and savvy side, boasting an excellent opening pair of batsmen - congratulations to Messrs Hughes and Reeve who batted nearly flawlessly - and a variety of bowlers including right-arm, left-arm over and round, all of whom BOWLED A CONSISTENT LINE AND LENGTH. Only James Ingleby-Jones matched them in this respect and four bowlers were taken off after one over because they could not be offered another, such was their waywardness. This is poor and you need to WORK at this individually. There were, however, some good features in the field: George Thompson was athletic and composed as 'keeper, Jack Powell and Sam Jones fielded really well, Oliver Moore and Matt Holland saved a run by supporting each other in a boundary chase, Sam Ecroyd saved a single with a dive - AND this is what we must aspire to all the time. In batting, we missed too many balls - so the eyes need to work harder. This resulted in four batsmen being bowled including our two big strike batsmen, Jack ( whose six was the shot of the match) and Sam. On other occasions, we simply did not make contact and scored 0 - there is no momentum here and we were poor at hittingandrunningforoneinthesame action (sic) and lost the opportunity to wrest the initiative. STRAIGHT! Let's play and bowl straight - and let's straighten out our behaviour too. Some of you are sinking. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Bishop Bluecoat on Thursday, June 04, 2009 (home) Well done, lady and gentlemen - even though you lost. You took it to the fourth ball of the last over ( courageous again, Kitty, and we don't expect miracles!) and my brief view of the match, confirmed by parental voices, was that the fielding was much sharper. SO, you gained a good result in your improvement and that is all I can ask and hope to help you effect in reports and coaching sessions. Improvement and, indeed, real style and quality were evident in your running and your partnerships ( 43 between George and Sam, 31 between Matthew Holland and Mark Breese, each stand including a run 3). The two are important and go well together. George's running and sense of cricketing nous and urgency gained him promotion to number 3 and he responded splendidly with runs and exceptional running. There is an example here to us all. So too is there in the sense of justice for James Williams who, uncomplainingly, neither batted nor bowled on Tuesday, but took two wickets in this match. Thank you and well done. Sometimes a rotation policy penalises unfairly and that was certainly true today: you generally and Jack Powell in particular were severely denied by Jack's contribution of one over and no appearance at the wicket! Bluecoats were let off lightly; let's hope he and we make Bury and Calday ( Cup Match Tuesday at home) pay greatly. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against St Anselm's on Wednesday, June 03, 2009 (home) Congratulations, courageous Captain Kitty! It was a brave decision to bowl the last over with four wanted for the victory and the last pair at the crease and Kitty gained her reward by taking the last wicket while conceding just a run. There was, rightly, great joy at the result, a reminder that we need to work hard for the cause and that seemingly small matters, a wide here, a miss there can be very costly. We had posted a decent total after a fine opening stand of 56 by Jack Powell and Jonathan Wright, characterised by excellent running which gained the initiative. Good running and hitting by James Ingleby-Jones and George Thompson at the last showed good cricket nous and added invaluable runs. Most of you can learn from their intelligence and industriousness. In the field we were far too wayward and inconsistent in bowling and hard work will be needed in the nets on Friday. We embarrassed ourselves too with some sloppy fielding and field-placing. ( 1 or 4?) That said there were fine efforts to effect three run-outs. Sam Jones's fielding was outstanding and Kitty, Oliver Moore and Jack ran the ball down well. James Ingleby-Jones did very well with line and length - and let it be noted , was duly rewarded - and Oliver Moore bowled a vital maiden over as well as scoring 11. We are pleased , but must not be complacent and we all have much to think about. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against North-East Wales on Monday, May 18, 2009 (home) Considering our first seven overs went for 44, limiting the representative side to four an over off the next 18 was good work. Sam Jones's hostile spell, including a wicket-maiden, and James Ingleby-Jones's accurate overs which also claimed a victim gave us a foothold in the game. We also began to come alive in the field after looking and MOVING like soporific statues. We field TO TAKE WICKETS and athleticism and body-language are crucial. We are predators! Well done, Kitty, for becoming more central in presence and voice at the death. Jack Powell responded well, but must remeber at the death to bowl middle-stump yorkers and not give any width. It was a significant moment when Sam Jones ran out a batsman off the last ball: run saved, determination shown. Bowlers and 'keepers need to take responsibilty for the field - and for adjusting it. It was criminal to start with some of the positions we did and there seemed little thought about pressure or defence. This is a thinking game and we all need to work hard. The 'keepers did quite well but greater physical and verbal energy is needed to set the standards for the side. Batting, we were well in control at 70-3 , 85-4 and 96-5, but lost wickets when we needed to continue PARTNERSHIPS. Kitty Abberton and Jonathan Wright ( congratulations on carrying your bat and withstanding spin and speed) had wrested the initiative with a stand of 36 when a rush of blood turned the game. Kitty is too talented to let nerves force her into all-out aggression and patience is crucial to building innings. Mark Breese and Matt Holland helped in further stands , both characterised by good , sharp running. Irrationality and impetuosity cost us wickets in running, BUT the intensity and cleverness of much of what we did - short singles and pushing hard for two's- was impressive and a vast improvement on previous strollings. In the end we failed to bat out our overs and so transfer the pressure to the fielding side, but we looked a cricket team today and played a proper match. Thanks must go to the groundstaff for providing a wonderful arena and to the parents who supported so well. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Rydal School on Saturday, May 09, 2009 (away) Rydal will be the first to admit that, their Welsh international aside, their team comprises journeymen, learners, but IMPROVERS. In most respects, they had a pretty triumphant day. King's need to get rid fast of some foolishness, arrogance, complacency, thoughtlessness because at 71-2 after 10 overs, Rydal had reduced us to an embarrassing shambles, our performance little short of shameful. The first ball of the match resulted in a wide and a bye; two further wides and byes followed in the same over and they were 14-0. The first ball of the second over was a no-ball. We need preparation, pride and precision; you had a practice on Friday with a focus on positions, fielding and lines on 5-4 and saving 1 or 4 and the heads were not turned on for the match. The bowler, keeper and captain need to take responsibility. Fielders need to move athletically and aggressively, because they can score by saving runs, and they can take wickets. THIS IS A WAKE-UP CALL. On debut, James Williams bowled us back into the match with three wickets. He needs consistency and some bouncy confidence in run-up and follow-through, but flighted well and turned the ball. to limit Rydal to 28 off the last 10 was a good effort. Sam Jones and James Ingleby-Jones bowled much better second spells. James took a very, very good slip catch, quick and low, off George Thompson's bowling ( useful when line and length are consistent) to dismiss the International and that turned the game. Our throwing-in was poor and body language listless though. The pitch, low and slow, was not easy and we all need to WATCH the ball ON TO THE BAT. Simple - but not practised because we are not tough enough mentally. EYES and FEET - movement , a stride, get in line. These are the priorities, NOT hitting the cover off the ball. Sam, Kitty and Mark were bowled missing straight ones; Kitty's dismissal was nearly fatal for us ( singles to give Jack the strike was all that were needed) and she needs to give her wicket away more dearly. Her first scoring shot - off her first ball - was sheer class, punched over mid-on for four. Sam Ecroyd played a balanced, timed drive for four which must be his ( and others' )model - LET'S ALL TRY TO HEAD THE BALL TO ACHIEVE CONTACT AND WEIGHT-TRANSFER - Jeevan Kurakkal looked to play straight and get in line and clipped a beautiful boundary square of the wicket. There is great potential here and sprinting between the wickets will help his feet to dance when batting. In the end, Jack won us the match and lifted us from a very deep hole. He hit seven 4's and two 6's, none of them slogged. His two slogs missed; each could have cost us the game. There is a lesson in this Jack; one of two I gave on Saturday and the other was tht his fiercest opponent will be himself. Congratulations on a stunning display, Jack. Patience, technique, shape and timing must come before power as they did most of the time on Saturday. (Indeed they will translate into power.) You can score 30 in the last three overs, so battle it out if you have to scoring three off the first three. Whenever you are in , we can win; if you are out, there will be a doubt. No pressure then! Enjoy -as we all must, but we need to put more IN to draw much OUT. Yours in sport, JAH U12 A XI against Merchant Taylor's Crosby on Saturday, May 02, 2009 (away) A disappointing start to the season for the A team, but with many positives and lots to learn. Having lost the toss, we were put in by Merchant's (not what captain Jonny Wright would have wanted). Merchant's had the advantage of having played (and won) two previous matches, and it showed in the early stages. Their fielding was tight, and bowling was just a little bit too strong for our batsmen to push runs along. Sam Jones fell, to good ball, in the fourth over, with only 6 runs on the board. The low run rate was not over caution, it was down to a difficulty in striking the ball well enough to push through the infield. Jack Powell came to the wicket, and he and Jeevan Kurakkal put on a good stand of 23 runs. Jack hit our only boundary, and when Jeevan fell, it caused four more wickets to fall with only one run being added. Although 6 of our eight wickets were "bowled", there was very little loose play or poor shots in reality, and that is cause for encouragement. Even so, not many runs were scored off the bat, and sadly extras was top score. King's finished on 50 for 8. This was almost certainly not going to be enough runs. However, there was a good and positive spirit, and the team felt that early wickets would get them into a strong position. The opposition batsmen were capable, and were able to push the rate along with some ease, despite mostly accurate and careful bowling. Spirits kept high, and the loss of their (very good) opener, well bowled by James Ingleby-Jones, was a good sign. However, their number three (possibly not technically good, but strong and hitting well) found the gaps (and with only ten in the field, it showed), and pushed them to what was in the end a relatively easy victory, with plenty of wickets and overs to spare. No discredit to bowlers or fielders, though; no chances were given. There was a lot to learn in this match, and I am sure that the team did so. They played in a genuinely good spirit, and even though it was clear they were going to lose in the final couple of overs, they were looking for wickets and stopping runs. Batting was better than the runs suggest, and the fielding was generally effective. Nine wickets is a large loss, and may have been accurate on the day, yet it only needed a couple of players to put in a strong performance, and the match may well have been very different.; another 30 runs could easily have been enough, as may a couple of wickets. It will be interesting to see this team develop thoughout the years, as tey surely will. U12 B XI against Wilmslow on Saturday, July 04, 2009 (home) U12 B XI against Birkenhead on Saturday, June 13, 2009 (home) King’s looked to dominate this game from the start and on an excellent wicket we bowled with accuracy and generally good technique. The opening breakthrough was delayed by some dropped catches (“Soft hands!”) but when David Daly took a good catch at midwicket off the bowling of Luke Thompson the King’s team moved into another gear. Cameron Faulkner keeps the seam in an excellent position and has much potential. The captain, Theo Clarke, made himself the outstanding contender for ‘man of the match’ with his accurate off-breaks and he took an impressive hat-trick. So delicately were the bails removed for the ultimate wicket that the celebrations were somewhat muted by a moment of confusion but this is an impressive feat. It was almost matched, however, by Justin Bellis who took two wickets in two deliveries but ran out of opponents to dismiss! A comprehensive opening partnership by Clarke and Daly who both hit the ball cleanly was enough to put the result beyond doubt although we did push for another three overs after the match was won to get some much needed practice. This has been my only chance to see this team but I am certain that there is much ‘A team’ potential to be realised. More importantly this is a supportive, charming and positive team who encourage and support each other in the right manner. JCH U12 B XI against MTS, Crosby on Sunday, May 03, 2009 (away) Report to follow U12 B XI against Mercant Taylors' School, Crosby on Saturday, May 02, 2009 (away) U12 B XI against Grange u12 A on Saturday, April 25, 2009 (home) The problem with cliches is their name! Styled 'truisms', they would be much more respected. " Catches win matches " is a cricketing truism and the five taken today ( none dropped!) demonstrated that. We needed to field well and Josh Kresnyak set the tone off the first ball when, astonishingly, he pouched a fine-leg hit after making ground to the ball. James Williams held on to a square-leg stinger - I suspect his hand still hurts! - and then took another at mid-wicket, Matt Holland clung on to a sharp return off his own bowling and Kitty Abberton caught with aplomb a strong hit to deep mid-off to end the match. SPLENDID, lady and gentlemen. As a fielding side, we ALL need to think about POSITIONS: saving 1 or 4; how do we split the 9. Then, aggressive and athletic movement is the order of the day. Modern cricket has elevated fielding to a position of high consideration in a player and a team. Josh did not score a run or bowl a ball, but I think he won us the game and will be selected - as may others - for fielding. We had no runs to play with so I asked Max Carstensen to concentrate really hard as keeper: he conceded NO byes. Excellent, Max. We needed to bowl them out and Cameron and Matt clean bowled two each , Matthew one and David gained a leg-before. SO, bowl at the stumps. Well done. We were greatly indebted to the three A players for our total. Matt Holland timed the ball beautifully and I hope he remembers that is more important than force. Jeevan Kurakkal lapped fours with panache and WATCHED the ball. Mark Breese played with a lovely high elbow in his driving and shaped his shots wristily. For him, quick feet are the key: in making a FULL-stride movement and in running every run quickly. In heavy rain these gentlemen scored 40 runs between them. Only 5 other runs were scored off the bat (!!) and Kitty, unbeaten, scored 4 of those. She kept in and played determinedly and the late runs were crucial. While she was in , we put on 22 runs. We won by 20. Point made, I hope. Eight of us were BOWLED - so we need to watch the ball and get in line; get ourselves In before we over-ambitiously get ourselves out. Our running led to dismissals too and this is a crucial aspect of the game. We need to back up more, decide and call better and run faster. There is much to do, but much has been achieved. Thanks and congratulations to you all for playing and practising ( some of you three times) this week. Yours in sport, JAH, CJC 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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