The 2009 season was as the proverbial curate’s egg, good in parts. The bowling attack lacked the ability to run through sides, but managed to contain the opposition in most instances. The batting, however good it looked on paper and in spite of 4 centuries, regularly failed to deliver, with good starts not converted and a number of notable collapses. One exception was in the final game, when a Straggler side of 9 chased down a target of 266 at Hollingbourne. Batsmen and bowlers tended not to perform on the same day, but the Stragglers were blessed, unusually, with a superfluity of wicket keeping talent, and rarely have the bowlers been so well served behind the stumps. Not many Straggler match managers of any era have had to choose from a starting line up with four keepers.

For the first time since 1996, no games were affected by the weather, although four were lost late in the season due to cancellation. Match Managers made sterling efforts to put out full sides, and in only one instance was a cancellation due in part to a paucity of Stragglers. Many of the new recruits of the past couple of seasons played during the summer, but it is clear that to be sure of having XI players, the pool of talent needs to be large.

Champagne Moment

As ever there were a number of contenders for the Champagne moment (or moments) of 2009, notable among them Patrick Mitchell’s fine catch at Goodnestone to remove Simon Mount for the second year in succession; Jonathan Neame finally getting his man at Provender having been deposited in the field frequently in the previous 2 overs; Toby Cox for his display of brutal batting, smiting 7 sixes in three overs at Bishopsbourne; the record 4th wicket partnership at Beneden between Bertie Berger and Matt Smallwood; and Harry Thomson’s 6 off the final ball of the season to complete the dramatic victory at Hollingbourne.

However, the award for the 2009 Champagne Moment goes to Nigel Snape for passing the career record of the founder, Wyndham Fletcher, during the game at Wellesley House, to become the leading Straggler run scorer. Nigel has found a new lease of life, regularly running 3’s, and with 4,915 career runs to his name.