Hello again! We continue to look back at what happened “On This Day” across Calmore Sports history. Using the information uploaded to CricketArchive from the library of old club scorebooks and scoresheets and also within the club’s statistical database, we can look back through the years to see what happened in our history. Today is May 4 and it would be wrong not to start with this one!
It is May 4 in 2002 and Bashley (Rydal) arrived at Loperwood Park for the opening match of SPCL Division One. Calmore skipper Tom Pegler won the toss (something of a rarity – this was his 3rd toss win in 12 attempts!) and batted first although he probably wished he hadn’t when John Whiting knocked his poles out for 0. However, Mark Boston (33) and Jeremy Goode (19) eased the fears along with James Rose (20). However, it was James Hibberd’s unbeaten 70 against the much-vaunted bowling attack of Whiting, Neal, Nash, Sketchley, Neil Taylor and Andrew Sexton that was the mainstay of our 166-8 in our 50.
The star-studded Bashley side, containing Australian international Luke Ronchi, set about the fairly modest target. Sexton (40) and Ronchi (47) took them to 80-1 before Hibberd got the dangerous keeper and then Knowles lbw to close his 10 over spell with 3-8 with five maidens – positively Wrightyesque (figures and pace!). Wickets continued to fall to Allan Hurst (2-35) and 16-year-old Matt Metcalfe (2-29) as they were reduced to 148-8, still needing 19 to win which came down to two off the last ball, only for Whiting to be stumped by the skipper off Mark Boston to bowl Bashley out for 165 and a one-run success!
Today, in 2013, saw the 1st XI league debut for a fresh-faced 15-year-old – and it was a debut that will never be forgotten. At Tichborne Park, a young left hander called Ben Johns wrote his name in the history books with an innings of 122 not out off 148 balls which led Calmore to a comfortable 78 run victory to kick off the SPCL Division 2 season. Skipper Darren Vann (46) and James Rose (40) were the only others into double figures as we made 268-8 but it was Johnser’s epic ton – still the youngest by a Calmore batsman – which lit up the day. Mike West’s 4-40 as well as couple of wickets each for Paul Proudley and Elijah Turriff-Smith sent Tichborne to 190 all out, but it was the young lads’ day … and he’s not missed a match since!
The first historical scorecard we still have is way back in 1968 when a Calmore Sports side travelled to Fleming Park to play Eastleigh Corinthians in a time-match friendly and came up second despite restricting the home side to just 84-9dec in their 30 overs. Three wickets each for Trevor Lawrence and Michael Newman and a couple for D. Young kept the Corinths in check. We made a solid start with Stan Piper (20) and M. Broomfield (15) taking us to 45-2, only to be skittled for 65 against B. Short accurate bowling – knocking over all of the top five bowled – on his way to 7-24.
Again, pre-the start of the leagues, we used to get our fix playing in Southampton Evening League and 4 May 1970 saw us play on one of the finest cricketing venues in the world …. Mansel Park in Millbrook, taking on AC Delco and losing by 6 wickets. There were no restrictions on bowlers in this 16-over-a-side competition so only four bowlers were used! C. Hopper’s 30 with D.G. Llewellyn 23* helped us to 67-6 but we couldn’t get the win, losing in the last over.
The Third XI travelled to Burley in 1985 in the New Forest League Division 2 and came home from the picturesque ground with a 41-run win. John Bailey’s unbeaten 41 and Stan Piper, now down in the 3s, with 38 helped us to 131-7 in the 40 overs maximum. David Morgan’s 5-26 and single wickets for Tudberry, Geary and Barrett stopped Burley to 90-8.
