Edition 6 Autumn 2011 The Hunts Herald News about the Huntingdonshire County Cricket Club A Very Good Season The Chairman’s Report It gives me great pleasure to report that the 2011 season has been one of our best in recent years. Our overall results are - Played 13, Won 8, Lost 5, but the plain figures do not tell the whole story. Seniors Have Got Talent The Senior side in particular had an excellent season, winning 4 out of 5 games, beating teams from two first class counties on the way. The only senior loss was to a strong Surrey Academy side, losing by 4 runs in the last over. My personal highlight of the Seniors season was Alan Burton’s ton against the Army at Ickwell, especially the second 50 which he scored in 14 balls! U25’s Overturn Neighbours The Under 25’s also had some good results, particularly the last game, where we came back from a losing position to win against our neighbours Cambridgeshire. Admittedly a number of them were somewhat hung over after celebrating their Minor Counties success, but our victory tastes just as sweet. The overall record of the U25’s was won 3, lost 2. U19’s Only Way is Essex The Under 19’s had the only overall losing record, having played 3, won 1, lost 2, but also had one of the most satisfying victories. For the first time since the Under 19 competition started Huntingdonshire beat Essex. A comfortable 5 wicket win at Billericay was a highlight worth having. The Team I would like to thank the HCCC committee for all their work during the season, particularly our Team Manager Hedley Swannell, and our Treasurer/Scorer/Reporter John Walker. Hedley had a very difficult task getting together three different teams for 13 fixtures, and faced some criticism for playing 3 foreign players during the season. I would like to express my full support for the choices. They were all very good players playing locally, our players gained a lot from playing with them, and enjoyed the boost in confidence from the very good season that they helped to generate. A tiny county like ours has to make full use of all the resources available to it!
Simon Black
Balls from Hunts County Bats Once again we are extremely grateful to Hunts County Bats for providing all our match balls.
1 The Hunts Herald The Senior’s Season In the words of our Ace Reporter, John Walker HUNTS START WITH CREDITABLE VICTORY Huntingdonshire 158 for 8 wkts in 47 overs beat Northants II 157 for 9 wkts in 50 overs by two wickets. Huntingdonshire began their new season with a very creditable victory over a visiting Northants second X1 at St Ives. The Hunts young spinners John Carpenter and Rob Sayer led the way as they reduced the visitors’ innings to a crawl reeling off their twenty overs for just 40 runs as well as claiming five top and middle order wickets. County senior debutant Joe Dawborn also claimed his first wicket with a very tight spell and Hunts were left with a modest target of 158 to win. The visitors included five of their first team squad in a very strong line up and Hunts Manager Hedley Swannell was naturally delighted that his side containing both youth and experience had performed so effectively. Conditions were far from ideal with the strong breeze making it uncomfortably cold but Hunts emerged with great credit and their first victory over Northants since 1999. WILLIAM CENTURY SPARKS HUNTS’ SECOND VICTORY Huntingdonshire 327 all out in 49.2 overs beat Royal Air Force 230 all out in 43 overs by 97 runs. The Huntingdonshire Senior side recorded their highest 50 overs score for more than a decade as they defeated the Royal Air Force by 97 runs at Market Deeping. Their third wicket stand of 197 was just ten runs short of their all time record and was compiled by Chetham William (125 in 103 balls) and David Clarke (72) in just 31 overs. The Hunts bowlers gave little away and reduced their visitors to 104 for 4 and from that point on the target always looked beyond their reach. The explosive batting performance of the Godmanchester all rounder saw him plunder 74 of his runs in boundaries including five massive six hits and he was capably supported by Clarke who anchored the innings for around two hours. With only ten runs on the board Hunts had lost their two openers who last year had on this ground set a record first wicket stand for the county of 304. However this early setback paired up the experienced David Clarke and Chethan William making his first appearance for the County. William was first to his fifty in just 40 balls followed by Clarke who faced an additional 23 balls to reach that milestone. William’s maiden Hunts century took him just 85 balls before he was caught out inches inside the boundary looking for his sixth six. Hunts claimed two early wickets taken by young pace bowler Joe Dawborn but as in their previous match the introduction of the spin attack was to prove significant. Rob Sayer bowled his ten overs unchanged for just 31 runs picking up two wickets whilst Richard Acheson tried his luck at both ends also picking up two important wickets. The visitors did try to accelerate as the overs ticked away and there was some lusty hitting but with all the Hunts bowlers bar one picking up wickets the innings was closed after just 43 overs. Joe Dawborn was the most successful bowler with 3 for 25 from seven overs whilst Rob Sayer, Richard Acheson and Chetham William all picked up two wickets apiece.
2 The Hunts Herald UNLUCKY HUNTS LOSE IN LAST OVER Huntingdonshire 226 all out in 49.1 overs lost to Surrey academy 230 all out in 49.5 overs by 4 runs. Wanting just six runs to win off the last over Hunts saw their last batsman run out on the first ball thanks to a brilliant direct hit on the stumps from the boundary. This left Chetham William 119 not out - his second successive Hunts County century as his side were beaten by just four runs. Hunts had recovered from an indifferent start to their innings to get within touching distance of victory against a very talented Academy side full of potential stars of the future. Of course Hunts also had their stars apart from William for they included two of their emerging U17 side bowlers with Joe Dawborn claiming three wickets and Rob Sayer reeling off his ten overs of accurate off spin for just 26 runs and there were four more victims for wicket keeper Chris Budd. William took three of the next four wickets to fall and Hunts looked to be on top before the last two Surrey wickets added a useful 33 runs. Both Dawborn and William finished with 3 for 37 with the other wickets shared. Alan Burton (5) and David Clarke (13) were out early but Michael Cafferkey (45) and William added 76 for the third wicket but after that wickets fell regularly. When the seventh wicket fell Hunts needed 66 to win from 15 overs and with William going well the target looked very gettable. However Surrey spinner Shaun Cousens took three wickets at a personal cost of 30 runs leaving last man Joe Dawborn to aim for a last wicket partnership of 34 from 6 overs to win the match. He hit a tremendous four and then was only inches short of safety in the final over when the direct hit won the match for Surrey. ARMY BATTED OUT OF SIGHT Huntingdonshire 243 for 3 wkts in 33.2 overs beat The Army 242 for 9 wkts in 50.0 overs by 7 wickets. A magnificent performance by the Hunts batsmen saw them reach a winning target of 243 to beat the visiting Army side with more than sixteen overs to spare at Ickwell. It was the County’s third victory in four matches this season and came courtesy of a thrilling century from Alan Burton with supporting half centuries from Michael Cafferkey and Chethan William. Winning the toss and electing to go in first the Army top order batted very solidly and reached 172 for the loss of just four wickets with David Webb (47) and Jonathan Boynton (34) putting on 67 for the third wicket. Chethan William claimed four wickets as he worked his way through the visitors’ tail order. William finished with 4 for 31 and there were two wickets for Liam La Roux whose tidy ten overs spell yielded 2 for 36. Michael Cafferkey was quickly into his stride in the reply scoring 53 in the opening stand of 88. His fifty at a run a ball set the pace and when he was out Alan Burton (102) took up the challenge after a quiet start. His 50 took 64 balls but then he exploded into action with a second 50 in just 14 balls. He was supported by Chethan William who finished on 57 not out to take his three match tally for the County this season to 301 for once dismissed. The Army attack was run ragged and there were more than sixteen overs to spare when Hunts skipper Paul Swannell struck the final two boundaries to confirm victory. It was Hunts most convincing victory for several seasons against a very experienced visiting side. 3 The Hunts Herald LA ROUX CENTURY LEADS HUNTS TO RECORD BREAKING VICTORY Huntingdonshire 211 for 4 wkts in 46.2 overs beat Middlesex Academy 210 all out in 48.1 overs by 6 wickets. The Huntingdonshire senior side completed its scheduled five match programme with a very impressive victory over the Middlesex Academy at Clare College. This latest victory came largely as a result of an excellent century by Liam La Roux and a good supporting half century by opener Chris Budd – his first at this level. Played in extremely hot conditions both sides produced a competitive match with Hunts having less than four overs remaining when Chethan William struck the winning run. Winning the toss Hunts skipper Paul Swannell invited the visitors to bat first and he must have been delighted with that decision as his bowlers despatched five of the top six batsmen back to the pavilion without reaching double figures. At 70 for 5 Hunts were well on top but opener John Kettleborough was still there and was joined by Paul to add 33 for the sixth wicket. However Kettleborough was bowled by Liam La Roux for 48 and it was then the lower middle order batsmen that dug Middlesex out of their predicament. Paul scored 33, Jones 31 and Podmore 24 as the visitors rallied to 210 all out just eleven balls short of their maximum over limit. Joe Dawborn had made the initial breakthrough taking 3 for 12 and he finished with 3 for 37, La Roux claimed 3 for 44 and Chethan William chipped in at the end with three of the last four wickets to finish with 3 for 37. Facing a hostile opening attack Hunts began cautiously and after Adam Cousins (17) was out Chris Budd and Liam La Roux built the match winning partnership of 121 in 29 overs. La Roux reached his 50 in 81 balls and accelerated needing just 40 ball for his second 50 whilst Budd chipped away patiently at the other end. Budd was first to go for 52 but La Roux and William then added 59 for the third wicket and when La Roux was out Hunts needed just five to win from five overs. Andy Laws was the best of the visitors’ bowling attack reeling of eight overs for just 19 runs and one wicket whilst Podmore and Malazhada claimed the other two wickets.
The Best of Senior XI 2011 Averages
BATTING >25 BOWLING <25 Name M/P Inns NO Runs Avg Name M/P Overs Mdn Runs Wkts Avg William C 4 4 3 325 325.0 Carpenter J 1 10 3 16 2 8.0 Le Roux L 4 3 130 43.3 Dawborn J 5 35.5 4 134 11 12.2 Clarke D 3 3 107 35.7 William C 4 28.1 1 160 12 13.3 Burton A 3 3 107 35.7 Sayer R 4 36 4 107 6 17.8 Cafferkey M 3 3 102 34.0 Cafferkey M 3 8 0 62 3 20.7 Carpenter J 1 1 33 33.0 Townsend T 1 6 0 23 1 23.0 Cafferkey S 3 2 1 33 33.0 Swannell P 5 4 1 78 26.0
4 The Hunts Herald 30 runs or more Three Wickets or more William C 125 v RAF (H) William C 8-1-31-4 v Army (H) William C 119 no v Surrey (A) Sayer R 10-3-24-3 v Northants (H) Le Roux 103 v Middlesex (H) Dawborn J 7-1-25-3 v RAF (H) Burton A 102 v Army (H) Dawborn J 7.5-1-37-3 v Surrey (A) Clarke D 72 v RAF (H) Dawborn J 8-0-37-3 v Middlesex (H) William C 57 no v Army (H) William C 7-0-37-3 v Surrey (A) Cafferkey M 53 v Army (H) William C 7.1-0-37-3 v Middlesex (H) Budd C 52 v Middlesex (H) Le Roux 10-1-44-3 v Middlesex (H) Cafferkey M 45 v Surrey (A) Cafferkey S 33 no v Northants Carpenter 33 v Northants The Development/U25’s Season By John Walker INEXPERIENCE TELLS Huntingdonshire U25 209 all out in 47.2 overs lost to Lincolnshire U25 210 for 7 wkts in 46.0 overs by 3 wickets. In the first match of the defence of their East of England title won last season an extremely youthful Huntingdonshire side were beaten by a Lincolnshire side containing players with Minor Counties experience. There were a couple of spirited innings for Hunts but a late order collapsed left the host side an only modest target and they won with three wickets and four overs to spare. Five of the Hunts side are still qualified to play at U17 level so this will have been some very useful experience with most of them making their debut at senior level. An opening stand of 74 in twelve overs by skipper Michael Cafferkey (26) and Liam La Roux (45) gave Hunts an impressive start but both fell in successive overs to first change bowler Tom Cuthbert. Ben Clement tried to keep the momentum going with a positive innings of 43 at better than a run a ball but wickets started to tumble as Hunts went from 90 for 2 to 140 for 6. Rob Sayer coming in at number eight steadied the innings scoring 38 and his ninth wicket partnership of 27 with Daniel Bandaranaike was the second best of the innings. Like their visitors Lincs began well and posted a half century opening partnership through George Neal and Bansal. However the match was put on a winning footing by Bansal (70) and Luke Robinson (44) whose second wicket stand of 91 left them just 69 runs from victory with nine wickets standing and 21 overs remaining. Michael Cafferkey came om himself to take both of those wickets but the Lincs batsmen were able to pick up the runs at a gentle rate despite an aggressive and cheap spell of bowling from La Roux who took 3 for 23 from his maximum ten overs. RODGERS LEADS THE WAY Huntingdonshire Development 141 for 2 wkts in 25 overs beat Norfolk Development 139 All Out in 46.3 overs by 8 wickets.
5 The Hunts Herald Ashley Rodgers scored 49 not out in just 22 balls to guide Hunts to their first Development Competition victory of the season. (You might have noticed the brevity of this report. This is explained by John Walker’s absence, as he was busy cruising around the British Isles at the time. He did offer an article about his holiday with his wife Janet, but I thought that we might save that for some other time, possibly when sleep is hard to come by. ..Editor)
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES THWART HUNTS Huntingdonshire Development 274 for 9 wkts in 50.0 overs lost to Essex Development 295 for 5 wkts in 50.0 overs by 21 runs. Two outstanding individual performances by Essex players thwarted Hunts hopes of a second successive EEDC league victory giving them a narrow 21 runs victory in a high scoring match. Home skipper Harry Ramsden scored a magnificent century and as Hunts chased victory off spin bowler James Ellis-Grewell claimed a hat trick and a final tally of seven for 32 as he took all but two of the Hunts wickets to fall. The match was a credit to both sides and Hunts must be disappointed that their second best ever 50 overs score was insufficient to claim a win. The Hunts top order contributed well and with just 43 runs required from the last five overs they looked to be in with a chance. However Ellis-Grewell took four wickets for no runs in just seven balls and the chance of a memorable victory evaporated. Winning the toss Hunts invited their hosts to bat and having sent three of the top four Essex Batsmen back to the pavilion with just 42 on the board they must have been delighted with their start. However home skipper Harry Ramsden and Rehan Hassan put together a massive fourth wicket stand of 141 as the visiting bowlers toiled in the sun. When Hassan was out for 63 Essex were 183 for 4 with just ten overs left but the acceleration of the scoring rate in the final ten overs that produced a further 112 runs was to prove Hunts ultimate downfall. Michael Kearns’ early spell of six overs brought him 2 for 26 to make him the most successful visiting bowler but special mention for 15 years old Jordan Cafferkey making his senior debut and bowling ten overs for just 40 runs. Hunts reply was positive inspired by skipper Michael Cafferkey who led from the front with a sparkling innings of 65 in an opening stand of 113 with Richard Atherton who made 45. When they were out Leon Le Roux took up the challenge top scoring with 73 and they was an outstanding innings from Ashley Rodgers who hit four sixes in his swift 42 from just 29 balls. However James Ellis Grewell who dismissed the top three Hunts batsmen was in the groove and his last three overs including a hat trick rendered six wickets for just eleven runs – a truly match winning performance.
SPINNERS SEAL IT FOR HUNTINGDONSHIRE Huntingdonshire U25 47 for 2 wkts in 10.0 overs beat Suffolk U25 171 all out in 47.5 overs on faster scoring rate in rain reduced match. For the first time this season Hunts suffered the inconvenience of a match severely restricted by the weather but were fortunate to be left with a small total to achieve for
6 The Hunts Herald victory as the rain returned again. Suffolk could have won the league this season with a victory but their innings was stunted by some outstanding spin bowling to restrict them to just 171 all out. On his debut David Foster took 2 for 24 from ten overs and Rob Sayer, Richard Atherton and Jon Carpenter claimed a further five wickets between them. With just one match remaining against neighbours Cambridgeshire, Hunts can further improve their league position with a final match victory. Opting to bat first Suffolk lost two early wickets ton the Hunts pace bowlers but then Archie Gravell (39) and Ashwin Raj (21) patiently added 65 for the third wicket. David Foster trapped both in the same over and wickets then fell regularly with only Tony Adams (35) showing significant resistance. Richard Atherton claimed wickets in successive overs and the last four wickets went down for just 21 runs as the clouds gathered. Atherton (2 for 12) and Carpenter (2 for 39) took over after the end of Foster’s spell and a target of 172 to win looked very much with Hunts’ capabilities. During lunch the rain began to fall and the drizzle continued for around three hours. The dry outfield absorbed the rain well so it took only half an hour or so after the rain stopped to get the Hunts inning under way. With a maximum of only 30 overs possible a revised target of 105 was set but ten overs had to be completed if further curtailment occurred. Half way through the minimum required the drizzle returned but the players stayed on the field until the completion of ten overs by which time Hunts had moved to 47 for 2 so were declared winners on a faster scoring rate. Ashley Rodgers top scored with an unbeaten 21 and skipper Alan Burton contributed 14 not out – all of his runs coming in boundaries.
CAMBS TAIL END SKITTLED Huntingdonshire Development 172 all out in 44.1 overs beat Cambridgeshire Development 144 all out in 43.3 overs by 28 runs. Batting second Cambs U25’s required just 34 runs to win this match from 12 overs with five wickets in hand and looked certain winners in this local shootout but the Hunts attack claimed the last five wickets for just five runs to record a victory that lifted them to claim the runners-up spot in the East of England Development competition league table. Hunts lost three early wickets with only James Markland (28) showing real resistance to a lively Cambs attack. However a patient sixth wicket stand of 47 between David Foster (26) and Charlie Kearns brought something of a recovery. Kearns was eventually out just five runs short of what would been a deserved half century but the Hunts total of 172 looked insufficient with the Cambs line up boasting several players with Minor Counties experience. Tyler Phillips was Cambs most successful bowler finishing with 3 for 18. One of the more experienced players Peter Richer led the way in the reply reaching a soild half century but like Hunts the visitors lost early wickets cheaply. Richer (51) and Matt Milner (43) compiled a fourth wicket stand of 49 and when both were out Cambs needed just 34 to win. Then came the dramatic collapse as Hunts skipper Ashley Rodgers rotated his bowlers and Charlie Kearns and David Foster obliged as they shared the last four wickets. Kearns took the man of the match tag for his all round display
7 The Hunts Herald
finishing with 3 for 17 and Foster, Rob Sayer and Joe Dawborn all weighed in with two wickets each. Hunts may have surrendered the title they lifted last season but beating two of the favourites in their last two matches saw then finish with a defiant flourish.
The Best of Development XI 2011 Averages BATTING >25 BOWLING <25 Name M/P Inns NO Runs Avg Name M/P Overs Mdn Runs Wkts Avg Le Roux L 3 3 0 163 54.33 Kearns C 5 6 2 17 3 5.67 Cafferkey M 2 2 0 91 45.50 Foster D 2 17.3 2 46 4 11.50 Clement B 2 1 0 43 43.00 Le Roux L 3 26.3 4 97 7 13.86 Rodgers A 5 5 2 120 40.00 Burton A 2 8 0 30 2 15.00 Clarke D 1 1 0 31 31.00 Cafferkey M 2 7 1 31 2 15.50 Markland J 2 1 0 28 28.00 Kearns M 4 36 3 95 6 15.83 Foster D 2 1 0 26 26.00 Carpenter J 1 7.5 0 39 2 19.50 Sayer R 3 2 0 51 25.50 Dawborn J 3 24 3 100 4 25.00 Three Wickets or more Thirty Runs or more Kearns C 6-2-17-3 v Cambs (H) Le Roux L 73 v Essex (A) Le Roux L 8.3-3-17-3 v Norfolk (H) Cafferkey M 65 v Essex (A) Le Roux L 10-0-23-3 v Lincs (A) Rodgers A 49 no v Norfolk (H) Le Roux L 45 v Norfolk (H) Kearns C 45 v Cambs (H) Le Roux L 45 v Lincs (A) Atherton R 45 v Essex (A) Clement B 43 v Lincs (A) Rodgers A 42 v Essex (A) Sayer R 38 v Lincs (A) Clarke D 31 v Norfolk (H)
The Under 19’s Season John Walker LINCS LOWER ORDER LEAD THE WAY Huntingdonshire U19’s 198 all out in 45.2 overs lost to Lincolnshire U19’s 263 for 9 wickets in 50 overs by 65 runs. A lower order innings of 56 at better than a run a ball by Matthew Fowler steered Lincolnshire’s U19 side to an impressive 263 for 9 after Like Robinson had top scored with 73. Callum French took 3 for 73 and top scored for Hunts with 46 but the visitors' batting was not good enough and host side won by 65 runs. The visitors must have been very pleased with their start for after the opening bowlers each claimed an early wicket they reduced Lincs to 116 for 6 with more than half their overs used. At that point Ian Snowden (73) and Fowler (56) added 88 for the seventh wicket and the following batsmen chipped in as well. Snowden was out when skipper Simon Cafferkey reintroduced 8 The Hunts Herald
himself to the attack and with seven of the Lincs batsmen falling to catches Hunts might have expected a lower total to chase. Chris Budd claimed three victims behind the stumps and although expensive Callum French was the most successful Hunts bowler but Taylor West also contributed well conceding just 32 runs in his ten overs. West also led the way in the reply with a swift 31 and when the openers went Callum French anchored in scoring 46 before falling to off spinner Harry Clewett. At 154 for 5 Hunts were up with the asking rate but further wickets fell with the last five batsmen contributing just 30 runs between them as Hunts fell 65 runs short of their target. The Lincs bowlers shared the wickets between them with the spinners impressive in restricting the run rate.
HISTORIC VICTORY Huntingdonshire U19 272 for 5 wkts in 45.3 overs beat Essex U19 271 for 7 wkts in 50.0 overs by 5 wickets. The East of England U19 League was formed in 2007 and this was the fifth meeting of these two teams. Essex U19, champions three times in four years, had never lost to Huntingdonshire but the record was firmly put in its place at Billericay with Hunts recording a comfortable victory by five wickets with more than four overs to spare. Essex batted first and set Hunts the highest ever target in this series of matches but with three half centuries the visiting batsmen rose magnificently to the challenge. A first innings of 271 for 7 looked on paper good enough to win after a solid start with all the batsmen contributing and the Hunts bowlers had to toil in the field as the runs piled up. Essex began well enough but lost their first four wickets in pairs and they stood at a respectable 91 for 4 with 20 overs gone. Hunts skipper Jon Carpenter rotated his bowlers in an attempt to restrict the score but only Taylor West (1 for 40) in his 10 overs had limited success. Carpenter himself completed his quote in three spells and was the most successful bowler finishing with 4 for 51 but he was well supported by Liam Le Roux whose figures were 1 for 44. Despite losing Taylor West for 12 the Hunts reply progressed well led by a well constructed half century in just 43 balls by opener Chris Budd. He and Carpenter added 82 for the second wicket and when Le Roux joined Carpenter they kept the run rate going adding 91 for the third wicket and when Carpenter was out Hunts needed just 73 to win with 13 overs remaining. The Essex attack began to look ragged and Le Roux’s innings progressed as he picked out the bad balls to score his runs. He lost a couple more partners but finished the match in explosive style striking two successive sixes to take the total to the required target of 272.
JOE’S EFFORTS IN VAIN Huntingdonshire U19 183 all out in 47.3 overs lost to Norfolk U19 184 for 6 wkts in 48.1 overs by 4 wickets. Despite registering his sides' top score of 70 and taking three Norfolk wickets the Huntingdonshire man of the match Joe Dawborn finished on the losing side. Hunts scored
9 The Hunts Herald
too few runs but ran the visitors close as they achieved their victory with just eleven balls to spare. This was Hunts third and final match in the series and although they had recorded a record breaking victory over Essex in their previous match they were always second best in this rather low key contest. Both sides found runs hard to come by under heavy skies and it was the bowlers who looked on top for most of the match. Even so it was a tight finish and Hunts can be pleased with the number of promising newcomers who were blooded in this three match series. Put in to bat Hunts lost two very early wickets and it was left to Leon Le Roux (18) and Daniel Robinson (23) to steady the innings. When that pair and wicket keeper Josh Bowers were out half the side were back in the pavilion with only 65 runs on the board. Promoted in the order Joe Dawborn settled in for his best innings in senior County cricket scoring 70 in 86 balls and in company with Richard Atherton (31) added 90 runs - the best stand of the match for the sixth wicket. There were still ten overs left after his departure but the last four batsmen added just 15 runs between them as the home side were bowled out for 183 with two and a half overs of their innings unused. For Norfolk Todd claimed three for 26 and the rest of the wickets were shared. With the visitors having only a modest victory total set Hunts needed an early breakthrough but it never came. Norfolk progressed comfortably with Denmark (45) in control until he needlessly ran himself out looking for a quick single. Oakey then took over as the main thorn in Hunts’ side batting for more than an hour for his valuable contribution of 23. The Hunts spinners Richard Atherton and Rob Sayer bowling in tandem slowed down the run chase restricting Norfolk to less than three an over but Hale then stepped up the pace to finish with 34 not out at the close. Joe Dawborn always troubled the batsmen finishing with 3 for 31 from his ten overs and there was a very tidy five overs spell from James Trafford who conceded only 12 runs. It was disappointing for the side to suffer two defeats but the future looks good with the youngsters coming through. The Best of U19’s XI 2011 Averages
BATTING >25 BOWLING <25 Name M/P Inns NO Runs Avg Name M/P Overs Mdn Runs Wkts Avg Le Roux L 2 2 1 95 95.00 Carpenter J 1 10 1 51 4 12.75 Carpenter J 1 1 0 84 84.00 Dawborn J 2 20 3 83 4 20.75 Dawborn J 2 1 0 70 70.00 Cafferkery S 1 7 0 43 2 21.50 French C 1 1 0 46 46.00 French C 1 10 0 73 3 24.33 Thirty runs or more Three wickets or more Carpenter J 84 v Essex (A) Carpenter J 10-1-51-4 v Essex (A) Le Roux L 77 no v Essex (A) Dawborn J 10-2-31-3 v Norfolk (H) Dawborn J 70 v Norfolk (H) French C 10-0-73-3 v Lincs (A) Budd C 53 v Essex (A) French C 46 v Lincs (A) Atherton R 31 v Norfolk (H) West T 31 v Lincs (A)
10 The Hunts Herald Clements Classic Corner Firstly a thank you to our reader, Ann Orak, for correctly pointing out that the record wicket-taker for Huntingdonshire is John Linton not James Linton [reference June 2010 article].
In one of their first known matches, Huntingdonshire took on the All England XI at Huntingdon in August 1851. The All England XI, founded by William Clarke in 1846, consisted of the leading players of the day and regularly played odd matches against cities, towns and small counties. Thus Huntingdonshire fielded 22 players in a three day match at the evocatively named ‘Turnip Piece’ in Huntingdon. Contemporary portraits of the game indicate that the ground was on the same site as the County Gaol which is a similar location to the current Huntingdon & District Cricket Club.
The All England XI, containing many household names, batted first. They were led and managed by Clarke, founder of the Trent Bridge cricket ground, a Nottingham publican and one of the first cricketers to make a fortune out of the game. In his team were, amongst others, John Wisden founder of the eponymous Almanac, Julius Caesar a prominent batsman, Tom Box the top wicketkeeper of the day and right arm round arm fast bowlers James Grundy and William Hillyer.
Despite this array of talent they were bowled out for 43 with the wickets shared by the Huntingdonshire professionals William Buttress and Alf Diver. Buttress, who took 8 wickets, was described as a right arm slow medium bowler and liked an alcoholic beverage or two. Famously he was once found ‘in his cups’ up a tree at Lord’s when it was his turn to bat! The Huntingdonshire side struggled to 30 against the bowling of Grundy, who returned the impressive figures of 12 for 11, and Wisden with 8 for 13.
Huntingdonshire’s 22 comprised at least three professionals along with a number of players from Cambridge and local cricketers from the more esteemed walks of life. These included George Fitzwilliam MP for Peterborough, John Montagu the 7th Earl of Sandwich, the Rev Frederick Cheere from Papworth Everard, Henry and William Thornhill from the land owning Diddington family, Thomas Ulph Secretary of St.Ives Cricket Club and William Ekins a Huntingdon chemist who played for the County for 21 seasons.
All England hit 114 in their second innings and bowled out Huntingdonshire for just 61 of which 22 were scored by Henry Grist, their third professional. In a match consisting of 248 runs, 270 overs were bowled [four balls per over] of which 139 were maidens, eight batsmen recorded pairs and only six batsmen reached double figures …… those were the days!!
Kevin Clement Next: Post war …… the golden era of Huntingdonshire cricket.
11 Newsletter edited by Simon Black (01480 475553) Match Reports and Statistics by John Walker The Hunts Herald A Quote from the HCB Dinner Guest Mike Gatting, the former England captain, will be guest of honour at the Huntingdonshire Cricket Board dinner at Holiday Inn West, Peterborough on Friday 4 November 2011. Tickets cost £30 each. With that in mind here is a quote from the man himself. When asked ‘Do you feel that the selectors and yourself have been vindicated by the result?’ Gatting replied ‘I don't think the press are vindictive. They can write what they want’ For more details about the dinner see www.huntingdonshirecricket.com/page6.html
HCCC Committee
Acting Chairman: Simon Black (01480 475553) Secretary/Membership: Sandra Mitcham (01480 301679) Treasurer: John Walker (01480 477295) Team Manager: Hedley Swannell (01487 832328) Other Members: Kevin Clement David Summers If you can spare a little time (6 meetings per annum) to help out on the HCCC committee, contact any committee member. We will be only too pleased to see you. Ballderdash God and the Devil arrange a cricket match and the Devil puts a huge bet on the Sponsorship outcome. ‘You’re very confident,’ says God. ‘I’ve got the finest players ever born HCCC are currently sponsored by: on my side.’ ‘Yes,’ replies the Devil. ‘But Roy Shutz I’ve got all the umpires.’ Hunts County Bats Erratum Cambridge Building Society Throughout his reports John Walker has If you could possibly provide some more referred to Leon Le Roux as Liam La Roux sponsorship, no matter how small (or and various other combinations. We big), please contact our Treasurer, John apologise to Lyon for these errors. Walker
AGM coming up
The AGMs of both the Huntingdonshire County Cricket Club and the Huntingdonshire County Board will be held on the 24th November at Abbots Ripton Village Hall, starting at 19:30. Everyone welcome. Remembering Gary Whitbread 12