Date Search

64 records found

Thursday 02 July 2009

Match Report

Lord's Taverners XI v Gloucestershire Invitation XI

Frocester CC, Gloucestershire

To view match scorecard please click here.

Match report:

For the time in a while, Frocester Cricket Club and not Cheltenham played host to the Western Regions match this year, located in a picturesque village on the edge of the Cotswolds near Stonehouse the club has had much success in past seasons finishing champions of the Western league.

On a glorious morning the team’s starter to arrive, the Taverners team captained by Ian Salisbury included, Neil Burns, Mark Hardinges, Chris White, Richard Ellison, Will Rudge, Roger Tolchard, Manish Bhasin, Ronnie Williams and Frazer Hines and reserves Andy Stovold and Mike Tredgett.

There opponents were captained by Mark Alleyne the newly appointed coach to the MCC and former Gloucestershire captain. His team include a blend of former county players, Dean Hodgeson, Tony Wright, Rob Cunliffe Owen Dawkins and youngsters Will Partridge, Sam Birch, Giovanni Gayle, Lou Gegg and Nitesh Patel all who have represented counties at junior or second team level.

After lunch playing 30 overs per team the Taverners decided to bat. Openers Neil Burns and Will Ridge the former Gloucestershire player put on 36 before Burns was caught by Hodgeson off the bowling of Patel for 14. Mark Hardinges joined Rudge and took the score to 53 before Rudge was caught by Gayle again off the bowling of Patel for 31. Richard Ellison and Hardinges pushed on to 99 with some hefty blows before Hardinges was stumped off the bowling of Birch for 32.
Chris White joined Ellison and the run rate started to fall, Ellison holed out to Partridge off the bowling of Dawkins for 30 when the score was 120. Roger Tolchard joined White and with the score at 127, White was skittled for 9 off the bowling of Wright. Manish Bhasin was removed for a duck and Frazer Hines franticly trying the get the ball off the square finished the innings on 7 not out with Roger Tochard on 27. After the 30 overs with the score on 157 for 7 there were whispers around the ground of ‘that’s not enough’.

Mark Alleynes team opened with Dean Hodgson and Will Partridge. Before a run was scored Will Rudge’s pace was too quick for Hodgson and sent his off stump flying out of the ground. Giovanni Gayle joined Partridge and the two youngsters’s really batted well steering their team score to 41 before Partridge edged a ball to Reggie Williams the former GCCC keeper off Chris White for 15. Captain Mark scored a brisk 17 before again edging a ball to the keeper off the bowling of Manish Bhasin. Gayle went on to score 53 when the score was 93 for 4. Tony Wright added 7 and a partnership between Nitesh Patel (33) and Rob Cunliffe (29) that the Taverners could not break took the score to 147 only need four runs from Lou Gegg to seal the win off the penultimate ball of the 30 over. A tight finish but a win for Mark Alleynes team by four wickets.
There then followed a most be interesting event. One of the corporate guests offered £100 if he could face an over from the Taverners fastest bowler. Ian Salisbury assembled his team on the field and Adrian Hopson a local solicitor dressed in a Red wig and shorts took guard. What Adrian didn’t know is that his colleagues also had a wager on the over; if he was bowled with the first ball they would donate £ 50 to the charity, £ 40 from the second and £ 30 thereafter.  Will Rudge the former GCCC pace bowler was elected to bowl the over. He removed Adrian’s stumps three times during the over and the Taverners made £ 200 in just one over, not a bad return!

A sporting dinner followed, on a very warm evening with men dressed in DJ’s 340 guests were entertained by Kevin Connelly and Barry Williams. A big thank you must go to John Duncan who was MC all day and during the dinner, also umpires and scores.

The officials of the club worked so hard including Nick Trainor the former Durham and Gloucestershire player now coach at the club and it was so successful they have invited us back next year.

Diary date – Thursday 1 July 2010, Frocester Cricket Club, Gloucestershire.

Mike Tredgett

...Back