MATCH 15 Virgin XI/ Nomads CC v Holmesdale Sunday June 29th 2.00pm Montreal Park, Worships Hill, Riverhead, Sevenoaks, Kent
Result: Nomads won by 7 wickets
Toss: Holmesdale
Umpires: David Mason
Scorer(s):Various
Debut: None
HOLMESDALE CC Innings
M Melbourne bowled Thorns 0
R Redden lbw b Sargent 32
M Bryant c Sargent b A Smith 121
S Smyth bowled O Smith 17
D Dunnett lbw b Sargent 0
B Bacux c Alexander b A Smith 36
H Bryant c J Lascelles b A Smith 1
S Salter lbw b A Smith 4
L Levett not out 10
G Gill bowled A Smith 5
J Jhala bowled A Smith 0
Extras (b8.lb3,w9,nb3) 23
TOTAL (All out,39.4 overs) 252
Fow:1-13
Bowling-Thorns 8 0 55 1,H Lascelles 5 1 22 0,Blumberg 6 0 44 0,Sargent 8 0 36 2,O Smith 7 0 62 0,A Smith 5.4 0 18 6.
NOMADS CC Innings
J Lascelles lbw b Smythe 41
J Lane lbw b Gill 14
K Alexander bowled Smythe 54
K Thorns not out 78
A Smith not out 35
Extras (b4,lb4,w20,nb6) 34
TOTAL (3 wickets,38.4 overs)256
Dnb:P Brown,C Sargent,O Smith,ME Blumberg,H Lascelles,(Absent P Bell)
Fow:1-39,2-93,3-174.
Bowlers-Gill 8 1 43 1,Levitt 5 0 22 0,Salter 2 0 19 0,H Bryant 5 0 45 0,Smythe 8 0 37 2,Melbourne 7.4 0 25 o,Jhala 3 0 27 0.
Thorns & Smith excel at Holmesdale
An excellent batting performance by the old Virgins saw them through to victory against a typically young, enthusiastic and talented Holmesdale team. Batting first in a 40 over game, Holmesdale looked like they were going to run up a cricket score (I think I may be confusing my sporting analogies here) after a 100 run plus partnership for the 2nd wicket, only to be pegged back towards the end of their innings by a fine spell from Andy Smith, celebrating his 112th birthday. Their no. 3 bat made a very good 121, aided considerably by a gesture of quite magnificent sportsmanship by the Virgin captain (albeit one accompanied by cries of "you must have gone in the head, you old twat" from his team mates), who re-called the aforesaid batsman who had been given out lbw by Mr. Dodgy Umpire (of whom more later) after hitting one in the middle of the bat. But it was a dazzling performance from Andy Smith, for whom it would appear the phrase "long-in-the-tooth" was invented, with his cunning mix of off-spin and er.. off-spin that turned what appeared at one stage to be a total headed for 280/290 into a much more gettable 252.
Virgin got off to a good steady start with Jeremy Lascelles and Jamie Lane (batting together for what appeared to be the 2000th time) before Lane was triggered by Mr. D. Umpire. However momentum was not unduly lost with Lascelles and Keith Alexander putting on more than 50 in good time before another shocker by our favourite man in the white coat sent Lascelles on his way, thereby giving the lamentable official a michelle of dreadful lbw decisions. But these Virgin boys (boys?) are made of sterner stuff these days, and an excellent measured innings by Karl Thorns, sharing a partnership of 81 with Alexander, and then an unbroken one of 82 with Smith A. (belying his 125 years of age) saw us home in the penultimate over. Champagne Moment? Probably Smithy's effortless pickup over square leg for 6 off their quick bowler, making a mockery of the fact that he turned 147 yesterday.
Oh, and Spain beat Germany in the European Championship, making it just about the perfect day.
Both sides played as ten although Holmesdale fielded eleven most of the time.The Holmesdale coach was recalled to Australia that morning because of a family bereavement. Nomads/VirginXI played ten because Andy Hill suffered an escalator injury,Charles Peerless a damaged toe, David Buiste slept away without his cricket gear and Doc Bell arranged a 'quality' day with the family! Thus 14 became 10!
The game was switched from Holmesdale to Sevenoaks Rugby Club to make way for a Women's club match. However Weybridge Ladies scratched so we found oursleves back at Worship Hill plus an umpire who had been booked to take the women's game.
Previous Matches
2003 Nomads/Virgin won by 4 wickets
2004 Rain saves Holmesdale Drawn
2005 Holmesdale won by 9 wickets
2006 Holmesdale won by 5 wickets
2007 Match Cancelled Rain
Holmesdale CC Web site
Posted on 22/05/2008
by Michael Blumberg