St. Lawrence & Highland Court

Match Report

On the hottest day of the year so far, the Stragglers found themselves in the field at Highland Court in conditions which would have done Karachi proud – hot, humid and with a hard, fast, unforgiving outfield.  A long afternoon loomed.  Toby, bowling with ferocious pace on the back of a heavy night, removed an off stump early on, but the next pair coped more than adequately with whatever Patch M chose to test them.  A century partnership was brought up with a six just over Toby’s head at long-on, but unphased, Archie Brown turned the next one the other way and the batsmen kept walking.  Patch Clews (2 for 35) proved, as Botham did so often before him, the value of the strategic long hop (straight to Toby on the fence), and then produced an absolute jaffa, to find the finest of edges through to Theo.  Will Evans sowed enough confusion to pick up another key wicket. Nick Wright (2 for 62) returned for a second spell to remove a couple more as Highland Court headed to a declaration – the hotter the conditions, what more Nick seems to be asked to bowl by his captains.  Straggler catching in the deep was faultless, Toby taking two and Fred Sharp two more, both of his while looking directly into the sun, and Arthur Collins, apparently oblivious to the concrete conditions, threw himself at everything that came his way at short extra.  Tea proved an exceptionally welcome respite, with the declaration at 251 for 7 from 40 overs.

The Straggler chase stuttered somewhat at the outset, with Arthur finding the single he had needed so badly at Egerton (he fell for 99 that day) before being adjudged plumb.  Ben followed shortly thereafter, the score at 22. Joining Fred, Theo, using a vintage Black Cat bat, unfurled some glorious drives, finding gaps in the field where none seemed to exist, but he fell for 26 just as the partnership seemed well settled.  Toby (same bat), batting up the order with a target in mind, just could not resist the loop of Will Hilton and drove high and hard to the longest boundary only to find that he was a yard short and a fielder in place, gone for 34.  When Fred (57) did much the same in the following over, the score now 132 for 5 with 13 overs remaining, the chase was effectively over.  Cometh the hour, cometh the batsmen, and, in a show of remarkable, and very un-Straggler like, maturity, Will Evans and Archie Brown put their heads down and batted for the draw.  They still managed a partnership of 55, seeing off bad balls very effectively.  A late moment of jeopardy came with the first ball of the final over, when Will (26) could not resist another gently flighted ball to offer Guy Hilton a high return catch.  Patch Clews, the master of the moment, marched to the middle, connected with the ball as required, and, with Archie (28*), saw the Stragglers safely home – 187 for 6, and a satisfactory draw.

With Theo’s departure to the land down under later in 2024, we may have witnessed his last Straggler appearance for a little while.  A wicket keeper of significant ability (38 career catches and 31 stumpings), a close fielder whose remarkable catches (48) remain long in the memory, and, on his day, a batsman of rare elegance (2,964 runs and 4 Straggler centuries), Theo will be missed, and we wish him well in Australia.