It’s another chance to look back over the archives and today is 19th May.  So instead of a trip to Wellow and Plaitford in the Border League, we take the chance to go into the past.

We start just two years ago and the home game with Portsmouth in SPCL Division One in 2018.  Electing to bat first, Matt Hardy’s 24 at the top of the innings stood out as we dropped to 62-5 before Paul Proudley’s patient 42 along with Darren Vann (22) and James Rose (29*) which lifted us up to 191-7.  With the wicket taking plenty of turn, skipper Mark Lavelle opened with himself – only the second captain in first XI league history to do that after Paul Cass in 2005 at Rowledge.  Along with Steve Wright (10-5-16-2), they reduced Portsmouth to 57-5 and with Rose (1-39), Mike West (2-30), Dom Ducellier (2-24) and Jimmy Manning (2-8), they sent the visitors packing for 149 to return a 42 run success and our first win of the season after the heavy Ventnor loss and a no-result at Andover.

The 2s travelled to Woodgreen in County 3 South and came home with a 47-run win.  Batting first, Adam Carty with 58 and Sam Dempster with 24 were the mainstays but we slid to 143-7 before skipper Tom Perry hit 28 and Paul Henry an undefeated 23 drove the score up to 190-7.  Callum Stanton’s run out of former South Wilts opener Russell Rowe for just 7 was a big blow to the hosts and the ever reliable Henry (4-35) squeezed the life out of the hosts and they only reached 143-8 in reply.  The 3s had a home game at the Sports Centre with New Milton 3s and Sam Vidler’s 10-men recorded a 21-run win.  Mike Cotton hit 53 and Vidler’s hard-hitting 42 down the order took us to 140 and the skipper’s 2-27, alongside Harry Morgan (2-27) and Tom Houlder (2-4) brought the visitors down but the star was Darryl McMahon with 3-22 as they were downed for 119.  The only defeat of the day was for the 4s at Bishop’s Waltham 4s despite Dan Eckton’s 56 and 2-11 by Ryan Carty.

Going back to 2012 and SPCL Division 3 at Loperwood.  We won’t dwell too long on this game against Liphook and Ripsley as only Steve Dunn with 20 and Mike West 15 reached double figures as we were bowled out for 74 as L&R skipper James Richards returned figures of 7-5-3-5!  Peter Woodland’s 45 not out in 102 balls safely saw them home.

The 2s went to Hambledon 2s in County Four South and lost by 38 runs.  It was that man Henry again to the fore as he took 4-38 with the ball and with Darren Challis 2-14 and skipper Steve Brandes 2-6 saw the home side crash from 101-1 to 139 all out.  25 from ‘The Dog’ was the top score in the chase as we slid to 42-6 on our way to 101 all out – Brandes with 21 was the only other score of note.  The 3s enjoyed a better day though at home to Sway 3s, winning by 77 runs.  A captains innings from Paul Galbraith with an unbeaten 58 and 21 from Glen Kinchington took us to 176-7 before George Woodhall rushed through the top order with 4-21 along with Martin Donovan (2-18) and Adam Hargreaves (3-36) finished the innings.

It was a narrow loss at home to Portsmouth and Southsea in County One in 2007 for James Rose’s men although it could have gone either way throughout the contest.  At 162-1, the visitors were in cruise mode but Pete Clark (2-32), Rose (3-29) and Mark Boston (2-43) squeezed them to just 208-9 in their 48.  Gordon Pritchard, our Aussie overseas player from our ‘twin club’ Melbourne-based Brunswick, hit an excellent 63 and with Rose (57) took us to 114-1.  Paul Dew’s 5-31 put paid to our hopes although Clark (15) and Roy Walton (13*) did give us some hope before the former became Dew’s fifth wicket to give them a five-run win.

Back in 2001, we were in SPCL Division One and welcomed Hungerford to Loperwood and after two washouts against South Wilts and Burridge, it was good to finally get some cricket!  Tom Pegler won the toss and chose to bat first and he enjoyed himself as he and Jeremy Goode added 142 for the second wicket.  Tom went for 61 but Jez continued to a brilliant 129 – our fifth highest individual score in SL/SPCL as we piled on 243-7 from our 50 overs.  However, two county professionals – Toby Radford of Middlesex and Sussex with 68 and Jason Laney of Hampshire hitting 99 put on their own 138 for the second wicket to put them on course.  But Glen Motchall – another of the Brunswick exports – took 3-33 and Mark Boston 2-56 ensured it went down to the last over and, indeed, the last ball but they just got home by three wickets.  Unfortunately for Jez, this 129 is the 1s’ highest score in a losing cause.

In our first ever Southern League season in 1990 and a win over Alton and the ‘Cliff Estall’ loss to Bournemouth already logged, it was a home game against Petersfield next up for Steve Brandes’ outfit and it would result in a four wicket loss.  Rob Budd with 36 and Chris Garrett 25 not out stood out in our mediocre 144 all out which the visitors passed with two overs to spare despite Estall’s 15-3-27-1 and a couple of wickets each for Garrett and Kevin Marshall.

The 1s match at home to US Portsmouth in 1984 in County One was abandoned by the 3s hammered Broughton by 159 runs!  Ron Morrell hit 83 and Dean Faulkner 47 as we put together 214-5 in 40 overs which was way beyond the hosts as they were dismissed for only 55 with Pete Wakeford 3-12, John Olsen 3-19 and Geoff Graham 3-15 doing the damage.  But the 4s were well beaten at Pennington 2s despite Denny Lock carrying his bat through 40 overs for an unbeaten 54 as we made 127-8.  Phil Wilkins took 2-46 but the home side won with ease.

Bowled Hurst.  A regular feature of scorecards back in the 1970s and 80s.  Of the 247 wickets he took for the first XI, 114 of those had their stumps rearranged, an impressive 46.15% of his haul.  On this day in 1979, we played against two ‘work’ teams.  The first team were up against Courage (Alton) and the twos welcomed Ford Sports to KGV.

Batting first, Courage reached 134-8 in their 42 overs – with all eight of their dismissals being bowled, a Calmore league record!  Ray Hurst took 6-38 and Michael Newman 2-9 as they struggled but Terry Chilcott didn’t as he hit 59 not out in knocking off the runs.  Back at home, the 2s ran through the Car Plant by six wickets, mainly thanks to Pete Wakeford who took 7-49 in Ford’s 111 all out.  John Ennew led the reply with a steady unbeaten 64 as we won with ease.

We get to mention John Ennew again but this time in the opposition!  In a friendly match in 1974, ‘Postie’ opened the batting for the Balmoral Inn with Terry Trodd and top scored for them with 17 as the visitors, who also contained Billy and Tony Sims, were beaten by 61 runs.  Martin Newman with 44 and Jimmy Gill 30 took us to 118 but the Pub team were skittled for 57.

CALMORE SPORTS BIRTHDAYS:
1972 – Paul Draper