Sissinghurst

Match Report

Rather disappointingly, the early summer weather, which had just touched 30^o on the Chairman’s garage three days earlier, had given way to a cold wind from the north-east to meet the Stragglers with the temperature heading towards 11^o. The Stragglers openers, Angus Hay (on debut) and Archie Brown, set off briskly, treating good balls with respect and comfortably finding the occasional boundary. Angus (16) managed to miscue a pull, gratefully held by the bowler, with the score on 43. Oscar Pullen joined Archie and upped the rate a notch, before Archie (33) edged the change spinner through to the keeper. Archie Brealy followed shortly thereafter, his off stump rearranged (87 for 3), which brought Benny Smallwood, fresh from his half century at Tonbridge, to the crease. Benny seems to have recovered from his habit of waving at inappropriate balls early in his innings (one wild swish today was followed by an innings of care and occasional carnage). Bennie and Oscar were building some real substance, when the first of a series of remarkable catches intervened. The Sissinghurst leg-spinner bowled the rankest of rank long-hops and Oscar (who might have hit it almost anywhere) smacked it hard and straight to a longish long-off, who held it well, while damaging his thumb (134 for 4 in the 21st over). This brought Joe Gordon to the crease, with a bat, which looked as if it had seen better days, until Joe hit the middle, and you could hear why Joe was keeping this bat alive. Joe and Benny took quiet advantage of some of the younger fielders, although the Sissinghurst attack continued to bowl a good line and did not give a lot away. Joe reached his half century in the 33rd over, followed by Benny one ball later. Benny seems to have a thing for scoring 52 in 2025 and duly fell at 52 for the second game in a row – a partnership with Joe of 97. Hugo came in for a final hurrah, and the innings closed with Joe undefeated on 68, the Stragglers at 256 for 5.

The first Sissinghurst wicket mirrored the Stragglers (miscued hook off Rufus Pullen), which was taken (of course) by the ‘right man’ at square leg, Archie Brown. Rufus (2 for 18) was rewarded again with an LBW decision, but this brought together two batsmen who were up to the challenge, smacking short balls smartly to the western boundary (not very far from the wicket). However, cometh the hour, cometh the rank long-hop, this time delivered by skipper, Kieran (2 for 32), and the rather ominous looking number three smacked it hard and straight to Oscar. Straggler fielding was generally of a high quality all afternoon – two slip catches were held, the first by Archie Barwell, who had a worryingly surprised look on his face, when he realised that he was holding the ball, and Sedi Mookapele (on debut and who had bowled a tidy, economical spell earlier) holding on more conventionally. Oscar got in on the act again, with a comfortable catch diving forward close to the bat, and then with a remarkable effort, already pencilled in for consideration for the champagne moment. With Archie Brown offering temptation, Oscar crouched at a very short mid-off, poised for the nudge from the bat. The batsman had other ideas and launched the ball hard over Oscar’s head, except that Oscar sprang like a lynx to intercept the ball one-handed, much to the batsman’s amazement. The only egregious drop was off Angus Hay’s first ball for the Stragglers, when the well-set bat hit a rather gentle effort to Rufus, who become a tangle of diving arms and legs, which did not emerge with ball. A flourish from the final two wickets took the total past one hundred, and matters were brought to a close when Hugo (2 for 7), getting fed up with prodding defensive shots to his quicker stuff, changed arms and was immediately rewarded, the total 128 and the margin of victory the same.