Standard Athletic Club

Match Report

After all the talk of record-breaking chases and even unbeaten seasons, after the victory at Hurlingham, the wheels came spectacularly off the Straggler juggernaut on a glorious sunny day at Belmont. The fixture, played in memory of Toby Cox, member of both clubs, holds a special affection for those who knew and played cricket with Toby.  In fifteen seasons, SAC had won only two games previously, the inaugural game in 2010, and the two day game in Paris in 2014 (always the opportunity for a slightly different side to turn out on day two). Today the Straggs were not able to deal with some fiery SAC bowling and subsided to a first defeat in a decade.

The day had not begun well for Match Manager, Will.  Waking up with only 9 players (quite a few injuries during the week) was something of a problem. Fortunately, by 10.15, Freddie Falcon had been recruited. The final place took Straggler recruitment to a whole new level, as within 5 minutes of the start of play, the Chairman was approached by a gentleman carrying a fold up chair, who asked if we would mind him watching. When he responded in the affirmative to, “Can you play? Would you like to play?”, the final team member was swiftly kitted out with whites, and we welcomed Ed Green (no, not that Ed Green) for his Straggler debut.

Having had such a good start to the season chasing any target on offer, the Straggs were content to be in the field, albeit still lacking Harry Churchill, freshly arrived from Oman, and driving a car, which lacked a key function normally expected of a car, mainly the ability to drive briskly down the road.  The SAC openers began slowly, flirted briefly with five runs an over, and then settled into what became a pattern of resolute accumulation at four runs an over for the remainder of the innings.  We were to be in the field for a long time and needed to take wickets. Straggler opening pairs of Nick Baines (his first spell for some time) and Albie Tremlett were seen off, and it needed a tiring SAC opener, Alastair Thomas, a long-time thorn in the side of Straggler attacks, to start sweeping from an off-stump guard for the Chairman to make the first break through (56 for 1).  The innings drifted on, with some smart running between the wickets and the field increasingly defensive (eleven players in the field very helpful in this regard, than you Ed), before a second chance was taken – a low, slow full toss gently scooped to Henry Theobald at mid-wicket (99 for 2). Bowlers were rotated, KP, fresh from success at Hurlingham, turned the ball square, but was repelled; George Long produced some wonderful flight and loop to confuse the batsmen; and Harry Churchill, once he had addressed the Neame predilection for bowling head-high beamers, bowled a tight line. And finally, wickets began to fall.  The returning Albie caught an edge, which, possibly to his surprise, was well taken by the diving Will behind the stumps. Henry induced a leading edge to short fine leg, where George grasped the ball gratefully to his chest.  In his second spell, Nick B (2 for 36) was upping the pace and smacked one into middle stump. But the afternoon ground on, runs an occasional excitement, as the 50th over in the field came and went. The Chairman was brought back for a second spell, and suddenly, with George at the other end, it was all over, the last four wickets falling without addition, the Chairman finishing with 5 for 25 in his 11th over.  216 all out seemed like a pretty good outcome, and an achievable target in just over 40 overs.

How wrong that assumption proved. The Master Brewer and Freddie F marched to the wicket after a particularly good tea, and facing an opening pair who were swinging the ball both ways, began with care. Jonathan unleashed a handful of classic shots before falling for 12.  From then on, the fragility of the Straggler batting was exposed. KP was giving a harsh call by umpire Harry, Freddie fell to another beauty, and it was left to Will and Henry to build something of a partnership. However, when Henry fell with the score on 37 for 4 in the 16th over, any realistic chance of a successful chase had gone. Will would have nothing of that and continued to manage the strike and hit the occasional boundary. But they were too occasional, and, although Albie held on for 7 overs, the end looked inevitable. Will (on 28) could not contain himself, when spin was finally introduced, and march down the wicket to offer opposition skipper, Henry Colburn, one of the easier stumpings of his career. Nick Baines hit a couple of good boundaries, remaining undefeated on 18*, but the end came in the 29th over, the target still well over the horizon, and the Straggs all out for 87. The margin of defeat, 129, is the 15th largest in Straggler history.