NOMADS CC v Stowe Templars at Stowe School Buckingham Monday July 20 11.30 am     

 
 Annette Tiberghien and Nomads watch Nomads indifferent batting on curious Stowe pitch

Result: Nomads won by 16 runs
Umpires:B Wilson and
Nomad Debutants:Sunil Patel,S Henwood,E Hughes
Nomad MAN of the MATCH: Chris Ledger 
  
NOMADS CC Innings
K Alexander st Grice   b De Winter  2
M Marshall  c Bowman   b Smart      1
S Patel     lbw          De Winter  3
C Ledger    bowled       De Winter 12
S Henwood   bowled       Bowman    39
N Lamb      bowled       Bowman     0
E Hughes    c & b        Bowman     7
GC Lamb     c Bendal   b Bowman     1
V Gavin     lbw       Croom Johnson 1
ME Blumberg not out                 0
Extras     (17b,8lb,14w,0nb)       39
TOTAL      (9wkts,43.3)           120
DNB: Absent C Heron Injured
 
Fow:1-6,2-12,3-12,4-36,5-49,6-79, 7-88,8-108,9-119
 
Bowling-L Smart 9-2-21-1,B DeWinter 10-2-15-3, Croom-Johnson 11-3-27-1, Bowman 11.3-1-26-4, Bendell 2-2-0-0.
 
STOWE TEMPLARS Innings
M Bowman         lbw         b Marshall 19
C Stopford       st Hughes   b Lamb     12
R Large          bowled        Ledger    1
M Turner         lbw         b Ledger   11
I Bondell        st Hughes   b Lamb      1
A Pearson        bowled        Ledger   34
L Smart          lbw           Ledger    0
N Grice          c Alexander b Ledger    0
OP Croom Johnson lbw     Lamb            0 
B De Winter      not out                10
Extras    (3b,4lb,7w,4nb)               18
TOTAL     (9wkts ao,29.2 overs)        104
DND:Stowe Templar missing
 
 Fow: 1-34,2-42,3-54,4-55,5-84,6-85,7-85,8-88,9-104
 
 Bowling-Marshall 6-0-27-1,S Patel 7-2-18-0,Ledger 9.2-0-25-5,GCLamb 7-1-31-3.

There were 21 wides bowled in the match  

  Ledger bowls Nomads to Victory on a Bizarre Day at Stowe   

Matches at Stowe School have traditionally been high scoring affairs. A couple of years ago Nomads declared at 279-1 and lost, even the Hon Sec hit 98* not long ago in a rain reduced 30 overs each match. Lots and lots of runs are the norm. This year was very much the exception.

We played on a pitch a long way from the pavilion and it looked ghastly. But appearances often deceive and further since some Nomads were late Nomads batted first.

Wickets fell like a pack of cards aided by the remarkable and erratic lack of bounce. The innings was steadied by a resolute Ledger holding up one end while the classy Henwood attempted a one man rescue act. Young Ed Hughes also hung around for a bit. Such was the disarray of the Nomads innings and this was an all day match, that Templars persuaded themselves to bowl Bowman to give us some runs and them a total to chase.

On his day Bowman may well bowl excellent leg breaks and googlies but on this Monday his control was abysmal. Yet whatever was lacking in control was made up for and a half by the pitch as the ball squirted, popped, stopped and dribbled towards Nomads batsmen. As a result Bowman had an excellent day’s bowling. His last wicket being Charlton Lamb driving in the air off a second bounce half volley.

Henwood top scored with 39 while the Nomads Hon Sec/Skipper on the day was the sole batsmen to avoid the carnage. Luckily for Nomads there were 39 extras- equal top score! 14 of these extras were wides and the umpires were being kind which indicates the quality of this devastating bowling to saying nothing of the Templars nocturnal habits the night before.

Faced with this low total Templars were confident and looked forward to an early finish and celebrations. At 50-2 they had every reason for such confidence. Matt Marshall did remove an opener and Charlton Lamb with flight and guile was enticing the batsmen into error at the other end after an accurate spell from Sunil Patel. But it was the introduction of Chris Ledger which turned the game round.

Ledger claimed a back injury and did not wish to bowl but the skipper persuaded him to have a go. His first ball or thereabouts was dead straight and had the the useful characteristic of never leaving the ground. He had bowled a disgruntled Large and his smile was such as to indicate 'rotten back' or not he was going to continue bowling.

A fair number of similar deliveries were to account for four more Templar batsmen, in particular, Pearson who threatened to win the match. Both sides played with 10 on the day although cricketing friends seemed to come and watch and depart perhaps unimpressed with the pitch that day. After several ducks De Winter lodged fast at the crease and with Pearson had put on 16 when Ledger produced that coup de grace -another non bouncing ball to remove Pearson albeit off an ambitious shot in the circumstances.

Extras were 18 a tribute to Hughes' fine ‘keeping on this track and he completed two very smart stumpings.

Nomads Templar Ollie Croom Johnson* was adjudged lbw off Lamb’s bowling for a duck. It looked good to everyone else from the bowler’s end umpire to fine leg but Ollie was unimpressed. When a triumphant Nomads team left the field Ollie exclaimed grumpily “ a great day for the umpires". Hmm”. Well yes, they had penalised the bowlers for 21 wides in all, signalled 28 byes and leg byes, shouted no ball 4 times, given 3 stumpings and yes 6 lbws..a busy day's work indeed.

This Nomads side was not the strongest to visit Stowe but it was a par 250± ish batting line up on a normal Stowe pitch.

Well played everybody especially Man of the Match Chris Ledger and many thanks for the excellent hospitalty provided by the Templars