Wed 17 Aug     OMCC     Sports Centre

 

Team - Pete H, Jon, Will, Finley, Milo, Mark Ath, Daz B, Other Mike, Pete T, Mole, Martin K

 

It's back to the Sports Centre for our final midweek game.  Sixteen overs a side is agreed, with a maximum of three overs per bowler.  BP bat as we are still awaiting a couple players, and get off to a great start.

 

Both Other Mike and Make Ath are aggressive from the off scoring at nearly ten an over. Both however perish caught whilst playing shots. Daz B and Pete T continue to push the scoreboard along, and entertain the crowd with some amusing Yes! No! Yes! running.  Pete plays some big strokes whilst Daz accumulates, but both get to twenty-five and retire.  Cameos from Finley, Milo, and Jon mean we set an impressive 135.

 

With all of our regular keepers unavailable Milo volunteers to keep wicket, doing a fine job in fading light.  OM and Will start off well and restrict OMCC to under six an over.  BPs fielding is then suplimented by the arrival of Martin K, who may have just turned up to watch, but who didn't need much persuading to join in.  It helped that he was already dressed in his 'one day' kit of bright pink t-shirt, light tan shorts, and deck shoes.  

 

OMCC pushed the scoring on well in the middle overs but were running out of time. Still needing fifty to win off of the last four overs Jon and Pete T bowled tightly to restrict OMCC.  A comfortable victory followed by a quick exit to the bar before the light totally went.

 

Sat 13th Aug    Eastleigh BC    Riverside Park

With both sides struggling to get a team together this game was cancelled.

Wed 3rd Aug    St Cross House    Sports Centre

Team - Jon, Pete H, Matt S, Daz B, Toby, Howard, Adam, James B, Ethers, Mole

We returned to the Sports Centre on a pleasant sunny evening. One look at the opposition and our mood dropped. Several useful players we recognised from previous encounters were present, along with some rather young chaps in whites who looked like they knew how to play. We chose to field.

Things started well, and Matt S and Pete H kept the score down to 30 off of the first 8 overs. However, new batsmen came in and the game changed. Both Toby and Matt S found themselves helpless as the ball sailed just out of their reach whilst fielding on the boundary. They progressed to 90 off 12 overs.

We were treated to a catch by Mole off of Adam, and a stumping by Ethers off of Howard, but they still set an imposing 134 from 18 overs.

In reply Toby was out the first time he hit it in the air. Doubly frustrating as St Cross had regularly found the space between two fielders whenever they had hit it in the air. Such is cricket when it's not your game. The rather fine opening bowling pair also didn't help matters.

Matt S anchored the innings with a 25 n.o., but at the other end players came and went. We made a battling 67 before retiring to the bar.

Wed 27th July   OPCS   Sports Centre

 

Team: Pete T, Jono, Will. Finley, Milo, O Mike, Ethers, Daz, Toby, Arvind

This was a first for us as we normally play OPCS at their lovely ground at Burridge. Also we normally win, so what could possibly go wrong?

 

We won the toss and decided to bat first on the middle pitch on the plateaux. Despite tight bowling, Other Mike and Toby batted beautifully and we reached 60 without loss before both retired on 25 no. Arvind took up the chase scoring at a run a ball before Pete T hooked the ball cleanly only to be caught on the boundary. Daz then added 25 and we ended on a handy 102 off 18 overs.

 

OPCS openers were high quality and one retired on 25 no which proved to be significant later on! Finley bowled skilfully and took 2 wickets . Milo and Jon then bowled the middle overs and got a wicket each as Uncle Ethers took catches behind.

 

This was going to be tight and Will took 2 wickets and organised a run out with Other Mike to leave them 100 for 9 with one ball to go.

Their opener returned and swept a yorker for a boundary to win it for OPCS.

 

Great game and credit to all involved.

Sat 16^th July    Cavaliers    Riverside Park

We few, we happy few...

Since the Cavaliers undertook their recent recruitment campaign with four handy new players...

The weather was hot and it was great to see Simon back at a game. He kindly scored, supported AJ and growled at several of their fielders if they came near the boundary.
Cavs kindly agreed to bat first – well I think it was kind - and AJ kept wicket for the first 20 or so overs, and did a top job. They also lent us 2 fielders.

Pete opened with Will and Finley and after 10 overs the score was only 32. Finley and AJ then ran out Arvind and we had our first wicket. Saiid was looking like he could be playing at Lords and scored a classy 50 before retiring. Finley then bowled Adam with a yorker and AJ caught Sanjeet off Jon. This bought Mohsin to the wicket and the ball to the boundary quite a bit. Everyone fielded well and Dave Perks heroically came on to help one handed. They ended up with 230 off 30 overs.

'That's good' we all said, 'nice to have a challenge.' ( Ed's note: Not everyone likes quite THAT much of a challenge)

Determined not to go down without a fight, O Mike and Jon put on 50 for the first wicket and OM retired 50 no. The bowling was fierce at times but Will and Finley hit back and with everyone doing their bit we finished on 100 all out off 24 overs.

After that it was the awarding of the trophy by Pete to Richard then off to the Hop.

Thurs 14^th July    Museums    Sports Centre

Team
O Mike, Mark A, Pete, Will, Milo, Finley, Daz, Martin K. Howard, AJ

After two games called off due to insufficient players and one abandoned due to rain it was with a sense of 'How do you play this cricket game?' that we arrived at the summit of the Sports Centre to play our annual Bastille Day fixture with the Museums, nowadays without the constant stream of language school teenagers drifting past which were a feature of this fixture when it was held at Hoglands, and which added a certain continental flavour to the proceedings.

The opponents confirmed that they had also not played for some weeks as they had experienced the same difficulties as we have had with getting enough players, and hence their numbers were swelled with some ringers (uh oh!).

A 'toss' was won by negotiation and Mark & Mike went in to bat, the opponents saying that we'd best bat first to remind them how it was done.

At the halfway point we were on 74 and set fair. Mike & Mark both retired on 25, (not having the brass to get to 24 then hit a six). Foolishly I did the maths to work out the predicted score and got it hopelessly wrong...

The rest of our innings rather drifted away as the ringers came on to bowl and no-one else scored above 12 apart from the faithful Mr. Wides with a stirring 19. The final BPCC score was 115 which, over 18 overs (maths alert!) is 6-and-a-bit per over, a little shy of the 7-and-a-bit which is par for the tiny pitches on the terraces at the Sports Centre. We'd have to bowl well, but we have good bowlers right?

As it turned out our bowlers didn't bowl badly (only 4 wides), we didn't field badly either, the opponents just slowly accumulated the runs, sneakily hitting the ball away from where the fielders were standing. They finally got over the line in the last over.

One point of note was Howard, standing as wicket keeper catching a skied ball, which went so high that there was time for everyone (apart from Howard obviously), to think 'I'm glad I'm not the wickie' and for Howard to work out that there was enough time to take off the gloves and pads for someone else to put on before the ball came down.

So we lost, but we did actually play a game of cricket, so in the end cricket was the winner as we always say when we lose.

Sat 2^nd July     Matt Leggatt X1     Riverside Pond

Fireman Sam at the cricket.

Team
Pete H Toby, Ashley,Robin, Adam, Howard, Simon W (EBC) David (EBC) Arvind* Martin H*

The sun did shine, it was dry enough to play (see earlier), and eagerly we went to play in the knowledge that although we had only 9 on the team list at least that meant that we could play a pleasant game in the glorious sunshine without embarrassment.

Needless to say, things didn't turn out quite like that...

Our first surprise was that Arvind & Martin had also been selected for the MLX1 and naturally they preferred to play on the winning team so we were down to 7 once again. Then Ashley turned up unexpectedly (for us that is, I expect he expected it) to make us 8 again.

Out on the pitch and the clouds hove over the trees like an enemy battlecruiser, grey and threatening rain, which of course they started to deliver before the first ball had been bowled. We squelched off (Editor's note: ran off) after an optimistic 6 balls and cowered from some heavy precipitation.

Someone, whose identity is a closely guarded secret gently leaned against the 'break-glass-without-any-glass unit in the groundsman's office, which proved to be a mistake and the fire alarm sounded, but we managed to silence it shortly before the rain stopped and we were able to wade out to the middle once more.

One over later the characteristic sound of a fire engine broke the peaceful afternoon and your correspondent, with a feeling of dread certainty that he would be proved wrong, very much hoped that there was a real fire or at least a real cat up a real tree somewhere to prevent us the second embarrassment of the day, but you guessed it, it was not to be.

Half an hour of contrition to the surprisingly unsurprised firemen allowed Skippy back on the field just in time for the heavens to open once more and the game to be called off permanently.

After which there was some discussion as to whether the bowling figures should be recorded for posterity, so here they are:

Overs   Wickets   Runs   Fire Alarms set off

Pete H       2           0            5          0
Adam        4.3         0          15         1
Simon W   3           0           11         0

Thurs 30^th June    The Vine    Sports Centre

Originally intended as a carefully controlled scientific experiment to find out if we always lose to the Vine on account of home advantage on their 'entertaining' pitch at Bursledon Rec. This fixture became the second in a row to be cancelled due to us being unable to field a team.

Weds 22nd June    OMCC    Sports Centre

Cancelled due to us being unable to get enough players

Sat 18 June    Cavaliers    Riverside Park

Team - Toby, Jon, Will, Finley, Mike L (Other Mike), Howard, Pete E, Mark, Pete T, Martin Kelly, Mole

Encouraged by our recent victories we return to the Ashes Series against The Cavaliers. With Pete H unavailable Jon steps in to captain and brilliantly loses the toss. We are batting.

Toby and Other Mike open and get us off to a good start. We are 30 for nought of the first ten, and up to 59 of the first fifteen. Other Mike then takes a chance with a quick single to Arvind and was run out by some distance, having made 28. No one really expected that (the run-out, not the 28 runs), and we immediately start to make noises about how drug tests might be the way forward. Toby as usual just gets on with things. He opens up and charges towards 50 before retiring.

Comedy moment of the day was the Cavs keeper attempting to return the ball to the bowler and hitting Finley on the head instead. Luckily he was batting with a helmet (as indeed do many of the team these days), and no harm was done.

We are looking on course for 130 but some good late hitting by Pete T (25) and Will in particular mean we get to 146. A good score, but the outfield today is quicker than normal, so we will need to bowl well.

Finley and Other Mike bowl well without much success. We do however get two early wickets via run-outs. At half way we are in the driving seat but Cavaliers do have wickets in hand and an unusually long batting line-up. What we needed were some wickets, and they came from a reliable source, with Will and Pete T both chipping in. Good to see the age of the fast bowler is still with us, even if the age of the fast bowler means they will ache in the morning.

The run rate is up to six and over, but The Cavs are matching this and begin to look favourites. Jon takes a good caught and bowled but with Matthew Brown batting the Cavs remain favourites.

We are treated to an over from Pete E due to a slight miscalculation earlier in the day (no one said this captaincy malarkey was easy), and left with Jon and Other Mike to finish up. The Cavs are eight down but manage to sneak home with an over to spare.

Awards to Other Mike for fine bowling and an aggressive 28 (he should perhaps always play with a hangover), and Toby.

With the Ashes gone we joined several of the Cavaliers in The Hop Inn to toast their success. The trophy is just on loan guys. We will see you again next year.

Wed 1st June    St Cross House    Sports Centre

Team - Toby, Pete H, Will, Finley, Milo, Daz B, Adam, Mark, Mike L.

After our first win on Saturday, we approached our game against St Cross at the Sports Centre with something approaching confidence. The weather didn’t really catch the mood and was so overcast that Jimmy Anderson would have got into our team…if we were one short.( aren't we always?- Ed)

We batted first on the grounds that it was already dark, but Toby and Other Mike were seeing the ball well, and got us off to a flying start. Both hit sixes and ran every single on offer and retired with the score past 50 at the half way point. Mark and Finley carried on where they left off and there were some great shots. The St Cross fast bowling got a bit wild so extras also had a good game.

So after our 16 overs, the scoreboard showed 115… honest.

St Cross have a strong batting order but Pete struck early having their key player well caught in the covers by Milo. Other Mike then bowled the other opener (seemed appropriate really) and after tight spells from Will and Jon, St Cross were behind the rate. Adam bravely bowled 2 of the final overs and we ran out winners by 20 +.

After carefully avoiding the drug testers (called in by St Cross) we adjourned to the pub.

Sat 28^th May    Eastleigh BC    Riverside Park

Team - Pete H, Jon, Toby, Andy Day, AJ, Arvind, Matt S, Finley, Pete E, Mole, Will, Adam

Fielding first BP welcomed back AJ and Andy Day to the team. With twelve players on show BP used squad rotation in the field. Once he found his length AJ picked up a wicket. Andy Day was also back in the groove after retiring from cricket to take up golf, and with Finley continuing his fine form BP started well.

Will was as usual keen to press home our early pressure and called for slip not to be moved to gully. Skip was reluctant, stating 'It's not that kind of a game'. However, with AJ moved up the next delivery naturally caught the edge and AJ took a great catch. We thus fielded the rest of the match with a slip in place, as no-one was brave enough to suggest taking it out.

At drinks BP had Eastleigh five down and were looking good. Eastleigh took the opportunity to even up the team numbers by poaching AJ (having been bowled out by BP). He thus joined the ranks of players who have both bowled for and batted against us in the same innings. A surprisingly common occurrence at the rather informal level we attempt to play at.

Jon and Arvind chipped in with wickets, and we bowled Eastleigh out for eighty-four. At this stage we looked favourites, despite the pitch being of the 'hard to bat on' variety.

In reply we naturally lost wickets, and found AJ rather a handful. We also managed to find him in the field with unerring regularity. Still, runs were added and we kept on creeping up to the total. We got the run rate to under two an over and managed to maintain that for some time. This was not a spectators delight, with boundaries very hard to come by.

As we got closer wickets continued to fall. Things stabilised when two of our 'guest' players went out to bat (its funny how often that tactic works). Adam and Matt S dug in and saw us over the line with several overs to spare.

The day finished with our traditional refuelling stop at The Hop Inn, but this time with the added pleasure of being able to celebrate a victory.

Thurs 19^th May    Deportivo    Sports Centre

Team - Pete H, Mike L, Howard, Will, Finley, Milo, Jon, Arvind,Toby Daz, Pete E

The Chaps with the Bats (With apologies to Dr Seuss)

The sun did not shine It was too wet to play.
But we'd booked up the pitch so we played anyway

I went there with Arvind and Ethers and Jon
and I said 'How I wish that the sun hadn't gone.
'Too wet to play cricket in the mizzly rain.'
But we found ourselves out in the field once again.

So all we could do was to bowl Mike and Will
And hope that the ball didn't fly down the hill.

And then...Something went CLUNK!
How that clunk made us jump!
I looked and I saw Milo pick up the ball,
And run a man out (well, it was a bad call)
And we said 'Hooray! That's one more to fall.'

'We know it is wet and the sun is not sunny
But get a few more, we'll be down to the bunnies.'

'We can play a good game' said Big Daz with a grin.
'We can get 'em all out just as soon as they're in.'
(Authors Note, two opposition batsmen retired not out on 25, so poetic licence has had to be deployed in this instance)
'We can get 'em all out, just watch them all fall,
They'll scarcely get any runs, hardly at all.'
(Author's note: See previous author's note)

Then Jono & I had no doubt what to do
We brought ourselves on for an over or two.

But their batsmen said: 'Great! These bowlers are crap!'
We'll get a big total and then it's a wrap!
They cannot bowl length and they cannot bowl line
We'll cart 'em all over and that'll be fine.'

'Now! now! Have no fear.
Have no fear about that,
Your bowling's not bad,'
Said our opening bat.
'For we can just haul them back in,' Toby claimed,
If we put Finley on, and then they'll be contained.'

'Slow him down!' said our wickie,
'This is no fun at all!
Slow him down! Slow him down!
I can't see it at all!'

'Have no fear' said the Skip,
'For no runs will befall,
I'll field down at third man
To scoop up the ball.
With fine leg on one side,
On the other a slip.
But that is not ALL we can do!'
said the Skip...

'Look at them! Look at them now!' said the Skip
'Those boundaries off me were only a blip,
We can get these guys out, send them back to the hutch,
We can send them right back before they've scored much.
And look!
Even Arvind runs after the ball!
But that is not all!
Oh, no, that is not all...'

That is what we all thought.
That is what we all sought.
But they knocked a few runs as the innings closed down,
And some of our players, they started to frown
And Daz tumbled over as he chased a hard shot
He said, 'Do I like this?
Oh, no! I do not.
This is not a good game,' said Big Daz as he lit.
'No, I do not like it, not one little bit!'

'Now what must we do?' said the Skip, 'Show some spine!
'Now look at this total!
They've scored ninety nine!
But Toby & Mike
They can knock off a few,
Then it will be up to the others of you.
We should get these runs coz. the ground is quite small.
We should get these runs if we're lucky at all.'

So we started our innings.
Mike scored quite a lot
And Finley & Will
They played some big shots.

And the other team worried
'We do NOT wish to lose!'
And so,' said the other team's boss,
'So
So
So...
I will show you
another good bowler I know!'

Then the better ones bowled,
They joined the attack,
And most of our batters were sent right on back.
They were sent right on back
With scarcely a run.
From my place with the score-book
It didn't look fun.

Then Milo said, 'Look!
There's no reason to fear.
Uncle Ethers will see us right home,
Do you hear?'

'With a four and a single, a four and a one
He's batting with Howard
Our work's nearly done!'

'Now run this run fast!' Howard cried.
'Do you hear!'
But Ethers was run out.
So far yet so near!
So, as loath as I was
I walked on quite slow,
We just had knock off eleven or so.

Though as fast as we could,
We ran a few ones.
There was never enough time to get the last runs

At the end of the day
We had scored ninety two,
'Did you have any fun?
My wife asked, 'Well did you?'

Though you might think I had plenty to say
It was wet and we lost. Had it been a good day?

What should I say of it?
What SHOULD I do?
Well...
What would YOU do
If your wife had asked YOU?

Sat 14^th May    Cavaliers    Riverside Park

Team - Jon, Pete H, Will, Mike L, Howard, Martin K, Ed, Finley, Ethers, Mole

Going into the opening test match against the Cavaliers BP unveil a new opening partnership of Ed and Mike L (a.k.a. Other Mike). Having got us off to a solid start we suffered what can only be termed a batting collapse. Now, we are not unfamiliar with batting collapses. Indeed, most BP innings feature one, and sometimes two. What was special about this one was that the whole team got involved. We went from 15 without loss to 51 all out.

In our defence (possibly the only defence on display) The Cavaliers bowled beautifully. They did not bowl a single wide in the twenty odd overs it took to dismiss us, and only conceded 3 extras in total. They held the only (difficult) catch given, and fielded tidily.

Defending a small total is nothing new to BP, and we started well. Finley and Mike L bowled with intent, and both were unlucky not to pick up at least one wicket. Finley did fashion a run-out to remove one of the Cavaliers new openers. We could not add to this but kept it tight in the field and made the Cavaliers work for their runs. In the end 51 was well short of a defendable target, and Cavaliers finished comfortable victors.

After awards for Finley (bowling) and Mike L (batting) it was off to the Hop to lick our wounds, sup our beer, and hoover up crisps by the bag-full.

Thurs 5^th May The Vine Bursledon Rec

Team - Jon, Pete H, Mike L, Mark, Will, Finley, Milo, Toby, Ethers

So the start of the new season, and our traditional opener against the mighty Vine.
Could we beat them for the first time, or would we just enjoy the free food at the pub anyway?

It was sunny (bit of a surprise) and we had nine as Daz had lost a tooth. Presumably this was in a bar brawl, but he's not saying much. It was debut day for Milo Whale on what is pretty much his home ground. After our traditional catching practice ( 2 cars suffered light damage) , The Vine batted first in the 16 over a side contest. They got to 30 odd before Pete H had their opener smartly caught behind by young Ethers. Jon then got a wicket , caught by their own loan fielder. Mike bowled some very cheap overs (in a good way)
while Finley generated real pace and got 2 wickets and a run out. They closed on a handy 99-5.

We opened well with Toby and Mark but the bowling was tight. Other Mike then came in and hit a brilliant 30 no, and with Toby took the score to 50+. Following the Simon Morris model, Mike got to 24, then hit a 6! Will and Finley took it on and Milo scored his first runs to add to his outstanding fielding, but in the end we came up short at 75-7.

A good game and sausage and chips in the pub. Very BPCC

2016 Summary

Won 3

Lost 8

Drawn 0

Rain etc. 4