Match Report
Standard Athletic Club joined the Stragglers at Belmont for the annual fixture in memory of Toby Cox, this year with added poignancy as we also remembered Jimmy Cox, who passed away at Christmas. Batting first, the Stragglers continued in a similar vein as at Milstead – with Matt up first, and runs flowing. Ben Simpson opened with Matt, putting on 56 for the first wicket, before a brief flurry of wickets saw Jasper and Al come together at 82 for 3. A steady start became a master class in brutality, with the pavilion and a couple of cars taking a pounding. Jasper held back on a declaration to allow Al to complete a very accomplished century – 113*, and then managed to club his way to one as well – 102* (which has probably also put to rest the point at which Jasper will stay ahead of Matt in career runs). This is only the fourth time that the Stragglers have managed two centuries in the same innings, the most recent at Otterden also involving Al. The instance before that was also a fraternal affair, when Toby and Andrew Cox scored hundreds at Benenden in 1999. Jasper has now scored 4 Straggler centuries, three of them against SAC, who must be getting a bit fed up with providing the fodder for his cannon. The declaration came at 305 for 3 (2017 is turning into the year of big totals), third highest on record, and the first Straggler score over 300 since 2001.
The Stragglers know all too well how daunting it is to come into bat chasing a monster target, and it gets harder with early wickets. Harry Mann opened his Straggler career with a first ball jaffa, off stump cart wheeling. James Grant was not daunted by the pace, but undone by one angling away, and Ben Simpson was back in his favourite gully position to snaffle the catch. Nick Wright and Seb Leggatt nicked out a couple more and SAC were under pressure at 39 for 4. They had not quite given up the chase, and smacked a few loose balls to the fence, but when Jasper and Harry clung on to catches in the 15th over, SAC went into dead bat mode at 72 for 6. Al Thomas has a habit of frustrating the Stragglers, and he did so once more. It took 8 overs to secure another wicket – 80 for 7; and another 17 before Nick W broke through – 103 for 8; attritional stuff. Jasper rotated bowlers; Patch Clews bowled 29 dot balls only to be taken off, when the 30th was edged for 4. The chances fell just short, the ball following Seb round the tightly packed close field, always just out of reach. After 43 overs in the field (of which 17 were maidens), SAC clung on at 111 for 8 for another gritty draw.
Ground
Standard Athletic Club |
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Route Forestière Royale, 92360 Meudon, France |