Thursday! Nearly the middle of June. Two days away from Saturday. Those whites cleaned? Yes, they have been since September! It’s back to the “On This Day” memories of today, 11th June.
We will start today with a club record. Unfortunately for the batsman in question, it was a record that would last exactly seven days before it was broken again but it was an innings of brutality and class in equal measure. Down at the Old Ground in Regional Four North-West in 2016, the 4s were up against Ampfield and North Baddesley 3s, who rocked up with just eight players. Rather sportingly, they won the toss and asked us to bat first and Michael Donovan took full advantage, smashing 16 fours and seven sixes in a brilliant 164 not out. Owen Fee made 49 as we posted 293-6 in our 42 overs. Finn Blay scooped 2-18 and Max Bailey 2-24 as the visitors were removed for just 84 to give us a 209-run triumph. Rather fittingly, Martin Donovan took the last wicket to fall but it was definitely Michael’s day.
A win in this game in SPCL Division 2 at home to Hambledon was vital. Having lost the previous week to Tichborne Park, which ended our 100% start to the season, it was key that we got back in the winning groove and we did just that with a highly professional four-wicket victory. Hambledon won the toss and batted first, probably knowing our modus operandi of ‘bat and squeeze’! Their South African overseas player Mbulelo Nkomo (47) and James Atkinson (60) moved them comfortably to 153-4 before the spin duo of Mark Lavelle (4-15) and Ben Perry (2-29) took five wickets for just two runs to firmly slam the brakes on and cause Hambledon to stutter to 174-9. Our top three were all dismissed with 55 on the board before an excellent stand of 93 between Ben Moss and Ben Perry. Perry make 38 but Moss went on to a 96-ball 53 as we got home with 15 balls to spare.
One of the prettiest grounds in the New Forest, in the shadow of the Palace, is Beaulieu. And the 3s returned to our own corner of Forest pleasantness with a 105 run win in Regional 2 West. Mark Hardy – who first played on this ground exactly 32 years previously on 11 June 1988 – hit 49 before Mike Cotton’s 26, Ryan Lomax with 37 and a captain’s knock of 54 from Paul Galbraith helped us 223-6. Sam Vidler’s impressive 10-5-22-4 did for the hosts in addition to Tom Pattison’s 2-27 early on.
The 2s lost to Old Netley and Highfield in County 3 South by 51 runs despite Paul Henry’s 3-34 and a couple of wickets each for Allan Hurst, Dave Blake and Storm Anning. George Woodhall’s 52 off 54 balls and 39 from Tom Perry gave us hope but we collapsed to 165 all out.
Our record in SPCL Division 3 in 2011 was an up and down affair – Lost, Won, Lost, Won, Lost in the first five games. By deem of averages, we must have won this one. And we did – beating Fareham and Crofton by six wickets by dint of an excellent chase in a game that saw a first XI match record …. 16 bowlers used! Our seven bowlers kept the home side to 203 all out with Paul Proudley (3-34) and Mike West (3-34) the pick of them. Our chase slipped to 93-4 before Tom Pegler’s powerful 71 not out alongside Brenton Allan’s patient unbeaten 48 led us to the win with 22 balls left in the tank – F&C using nine bowlers attempting to break the 112 run stand!
The 2s were at home to Dorset-based West Moors and a bit of rain cut the game short, not that it really mattered as we had already bowled the visitors out for 100 courtesy of Paul Henry’s 4-31 and Steve Brandes’ 7.5-2-12-3 late on. We were 75-2 when the rains came but were well ahead of the rate.
2005. Parades at Trafalgar Square. Open top bus tours. Cricket hysteria all over the country. Cricket was on everyone’s lips as England finally defeated Australia in the Ashes. Cricket was alive and kicking. Ummmm …. everywhere but Calmore Sports! As we entered week number seven of the SPCL Division 2 season, our record stood at one win – the epic chase against Old Tauntonians and Romsey – four defeats and a washout. Our wait for another win would last …. until 2006! Today’s defeat was a heavy nine-wicket loss at home to St Cross Symondians. James Rose’s 29 and 27 from skipper Paul Cass were the only scores of note as we were bundled out for 117, a target which was knocked off in 24.3 overs with Mark Padwick hitting 64 not out.
Being dismissed Obstructing the Field is one of cricket’s great ‘unusual moments’. It happens very rarely and hadn’t happened to an England international batsman since 1951. But in this County One home game with Romsey in 1994, it did! It will probably comes as little surprise that the player involved was the effervescent Simon Williams. On a hot and sunny day, we won the toss and batted first and sat back to enjoy a superb opening stand of 211 between Williams and Rob Budd. Both brought up centuries – the first time in a 1st XI game for the club and the first of only three occasions of two centurions in an innings. Williams reached exactly 100 and Budd went on to 105. Their stand was ended in bizarre fashion. “I blocked one just in front of me from Dave Keeping and was looking for a single but got turned down half way. I was probably going to be run out and just kicked the ball away as the fielder closed in.” Up went the appeal and off walked Simon.
No doubt, there was plenty of chatter in the pavilion at tea as we reached 247-6. There were plenty of nerves that our total wasn’t going to be enough as Romsey skipper Max Smith made 106 and Adam Hayes 37 taking the visitors to 145-1 and then Nigel Bungay was taking a liking to the short straight boundary as he smashed a quick 54 – predominately off our captain bowling up the hill. His dismissal, lbw to John Shepherd who had also taken some punishment (1-74) was crucial and they fell just eight runs short in the end.
On the same day, 26 years ago in Regional 3 West, it was a match for our 3s at Southern Gardens against BAT Sports 2s with some very familiar names in the opposition, to the point of it being an ‘Old Boys Reunion’! Martin Donovan won the toss for the 3s and elected to bat and it was an innings full of starts – Dan Pearcey with 29 the top scorer ahead of Terry Chilcott (27), Donny (26) and Paul Grinham (25) as former Calmore man Dave Lock (Steve’s brother) took 3-27 and Dave Mather 5-37 to restrict us to 141-9. The BAT reply got off to a flyer with Steve Morgan pummelling three sixes and four fours in his 55 at the top of the order but when he fell to Tony O’Connor (2-39) at 76-3 the door was open. Donny took 3-44 and Steve’s older brother Dave Morgan 2-13 sent them to 119-7 – including Dave Bourne for one – but they managed to just about get the win with Mather (12*) and Turner (8*) at the crease …. and Dave Johns waiting with his pads on! Apparently, we won the ‘Boat Race’ afterwards though!
Running between the wickets. It is always a dangerous pursuit – especially if you are running with me at the crease! But this match, in the New Forest Cup round 1 in 1973 at the King George V against Milford-on-Sea took kamikaze running to a new level. We won the game by 10 wickets after bowling out the visitors for 55. I say bowled out – five of their side were run out! Pete Wakeford took 3-7 in four overs before Stan Piper (19*) and Ben Lyon (34*) knocked off the runs in just 10.4 overs.
I know this is a Calmore Sports “On This Day” but it would be really remiss not to mention this Border League game from 1985 at home to Michelmersh and Timsbury. We won the game by 16 runs but the honours of the day went to the Michelmersh bowler Peter Barnes who returned the incredible figures of 5-1-27-7 in a 15 over contest. But not only that, he claimed a hat-trick too, removing Stuart Bailey, Tony Archer and John Ennew with the last three balls of the innings which closed at 89-8 – Ben Lyon hitting 54. It was still too many for the visitors who reached 73-7 in reply but it was still definitely a day to remember for Mr. Barnes.
We have often said that things are very different back in the 1960s and 1970s and one such thing was the plethora of ‘work’ based teams and on this day in 1960, we played British Rail Institute at Fleming Park. In 1966, we were up against British Transport Club, also at Fleming Park. And in 1969, in the first round of the Romsey Advertiser Knock-Out, we were at home to South Coast Dairies, who had a young lad opening the batting and the bowling called R. Hurst, who scored 22 and took 2-42. Name sounds familiar …. could it be?
