Under 15s vs Stokenchurch, 20th May 2005

Ian Walter

On Friday 20 May Ley Hill’s under 15s began an amazing sequence of three away games in five days! What would Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex say!! But our boys are made of much sterner stuff than pampered millionaire footballers.

This gets more like adult cricket by the week! Despite a very late cry-off at 4.30 (for a 4.40 meet!) and another remembering the wrong meet time by about 45 minutes, miraculously we still made it to Stokenchurch in good time.

The trip west on the A40 saw dark clouds ahead (roughly over Stokenchurch cricket ground it transpired) but we were able to start on time with umpires Graham Harrison and the local vicar keeping at least one eye above them, not only for signs of heavier rain but also for low flying red kites, which swoop ‘vulture like’ around the ground. Their numbers seemed to increase when head colt’s guru Dave Peterson and Keith Lowe nipped off and brought back some fish and chips, much to the disgust of our nutritionally well-nourished team!  

A good toss to win and bat first. Craig and Ollie Runswick opened the innings very soundly against a county opener (a 14 year old who also opens for their men’s first team on Saturdays…take note Ley Hill selectors) and sound, but less ferocious,  bowling from the other end. We had about 36 on the board in the ninth over when the umpires, conscious that we were playing on Saturday’s first eleven strip, decided to adjourn in the face of persistent drizzle.

Then the covers came on! Yes, I kid you not, the covers! Stokenchurch is as well equipped a ground as there is (apart from parking)!

Fifteen minutes later we were back out and it was time for the Hill to get a move on if we were either to (a) finish the match or (b) avoid a dodgy Duckworth Lewis calculation in the event of each team bowling at least ten overs.

As it turned out we finished our innings. Craig went for 21 and Ollie for 10 before Stephen Walter and Ben Ford provided some impetus with a partnership of 41 in five overs. They also each made 21. The innings ended in deepening gloom with Sam Harrison and Paul Boden at the crease and the score on 103 for 5. Respectable but possibly not enough!

A quick turn round and by now the red kites had arrived in numbers and the ground resembled a scene from Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’ with umpire Harrison in particular looking increasingly uncomfortable, possibly because he was the only person on the field old enough to have seen it!

When Stokenchurch replied Javed Ahmed bowled one of their openers (possible bad news as it let in the county man who could also bat a bit) but in the third over, with the game well poised, the heavens really did open this time and we were left to watch ‘Lords-like’ well rehearsed routines as the covers went on again.

So with Stokenchurch stranded at 20 for 1 and less than ten overs bowled the honours were shared and it was a point each. Put the Duckworth Lewis book away.

Now for Marlow Park on Tuesday and Great Kingshill on Wednesday!! Two very tough games.