President:
Ted Dexter Esq. CBE
Vice Presidents:
Nigel Allsop Esq.
Simon Barnes Esq.
Major T.A. Bird DSO,
MC Graham Chandler Esq.,
Lady Dowding
Phil Edmonds Esq.,
Tony Fisher Esq.
Ernest J. Franklin Esq.
Andrew J. Fraser Esq.
CMG Sir Alistair Horne CBE
Nicholas J. Jenkins Esq.
Boris Johnson MP
Rt. Hon. John Major
Count Alexander Schouvaloff
Doug Walters Esq.
Bruno Wollheim Esq.
Hon. Vice President
The late Keith Miller Esq. MBE
[“Pressure? I’ll tell you what
pressure is. Pressure is a
Messerschmitt up your arse.
Pressure is not playing
cricket]
2009 Season
Welcome to the V&A Cricket Club (est. 1975), a club that plays friendlies at beautiful Stonor in Oxfordshire, and which welcomes new players of any ability.
Next Match
V&A v. The Jacobite Chancers
Turville Park, Saturday, September 5th
Players: Andy Fraser, Stuart Fraser, Nicky Bird, Rob Taylor, Dennis de Caires, Chris Mouncey-Thear, Peter Linthwaite
Match Report
V&A v. The Hermits
Sunday, August 16, Stonor
THE HERMITS fixture is possibly our oldest, going back to 1976 perhaps [the archivist is uncertain, the scorebooks seemed to have been nicked by trophy hunters]. Many of the original Hermits, named after a pub in North London, are still playing - Tim Squires [my brother-in-law], Terry Blake [skipper] and Jerry 'Chucker' Bevan were all in the field on Sunday and only a little greyer and fatter. Jerry is as combative as ever, Tim may have lost mobility but makes up for any technical deficiencies with keenness, and Terry still looks like a proper cricketer, which he once was, having played for MCC Youth while Head Boy of Radley. But I don't think he would have dropped that skier twenty years ago. Terry's son, aged 13, played, Rob Kir's and Graham Dixie's boys - both original Hermits - also played on Sunday, and Sam Kir batted magnificently. Unfortunately the V&A sperm bank produces girls - Linthwaite, Bird N., Fraser, de Caires have all fathered girls, although my daughter Maria has played and helped win a match against the Jaguars some years ago.
On a lovely sunny day Tom Bird, our captain, lost the toss in a 35-overs match and, for some reason, we were put in to bat. Nixey and Morris, the sort of chaps who will open if you ask them, swished a few balls but both succumbed to a straight one from the unnecessarily tall Will, who is a very good bowler indeed. They went neither forward nor back. Enter Chris Mounsey-Thear, a first-rate cricketer, and Robbie Lawson, that most elegant of batsmen, a joy to watch. They moved the rate along at 5 or so an over, with a boundary an over until Robbie was, somewhat typically, caught off a lazy shot, having lost concentration. He seems to get out for 20 or 30 when he looks set. Dennis de Caires came in and the fluent scoring continued, off good bowling too.
At lunch we were about 100 for 3, I think. Sarah was away - AGAIN - so Bird N. produced the usual fare. And did tea. Sarah has made only one appearance this year and if she wants to keep her job as tea lady her attendance record will need improving. Estelle stepped in brilliantly to fill the void and threatens Sarah's position.
After lunch some good bowling by Sam and Will rather bogged us down, but these things are relative and we were still scoring at 5 an over or so. In trying to push the score along Dennis got stuck, and Chris slowed down, it is perverse how a sense of urgency can lead to mistimed shots and becalm the run rate. In this middle period both batsmen scored 8 consecutive singles, partly due to Terry dispersing his field. A few dropped catches helped our cause, Tim missing a hardish shot at square leg, and Terry dropping a rather simple skier at mid-off he would have snapped up in his prime.
The V&A scorer, alert, meticulous...
20.09.2008
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17.08.2008
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05.07.2008
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