RNVR Cricket Club

Scorecard

The Guards CC v RNVR Cricket Club on Sun 08 Jun 2008 at 11:30
RNVR Cricket Club Won by 96 runs

Match report Best laid plans….

I am not sorry for the fact that we no longer play at Knotty Green (see eyes passim).

That is though undoubtedly my fault. We now no longer play the Guards at Burton Court. A great shame as it's an amazing central London ground. The Guards, on horseback (naturally), even have a jog around if you're lucky. The Royal Hospital, Chelsea forms the backdrop.

Make no mistake, the Guards cricket team is a better side than the RNVR but we all know the best teams in sport don’t always win. Liverpool had 97 points in 2019 to testify to that. Even the All Blacks in 1973 got beaten by a ‘North of England’ side. Indeed, the same year, Brian Clough told his Leeds United team to ‘throw away all their medals’. They did; and got beat because they wouldn’t play for him. They loved Don Revie too much.

So how do you overcome a patently better side?
Firstly you need a plan, and then you need to execute it. ‘Perfect planning prevents piss poor performance’ to quote an old SAS maxim.
By chance you happen to (you absolutely had to) win the toss, then with deliberate and soul destroying intent (could your side really bat the time?) bat for 68 overs in 32 degree heat in order to frustrate the hell out of the opposition (who are professionally trained to be unflappable); then open with two spinners (one of whom happens to be one of their best players and is playing for you) and the old ball, of course.

Finally take the new ball and clean up. Most of them are exhausted/frustrated/angry in about equal measure. Oh, and quite a few of them are not used to this sort of thing. Simple.

For this to happen everything has to drop perfectly. Whilst the architect can design the house the team have to build it. Tim Hardman batted for what seemed like hours for 7. ‘Hardman hill’ it became. Crichton and Dale with a hard fought 50 odd for the 4th wicket. Bill with 41* at no.9. Sixty-eight overs was clearly too long in an ordinary game, but what could I do? This wasn't ordinary.

Once he got to work on the old ball, Simpo got through their openers with the score at 37. After that he was was irrepressible. The arm ball to get their star no.3 was a beauty. And when Will took the new ball it all fell into place. At 65-6 there was no way back. I'd like to apologise to Anthony now, for the stumping, but a die was cast.

Sometimes the best teams don’t win – it just doesn’t happen very often. It would be nice to go back though one day, if only to watch.

Paul Ford, Hurstpierpoint, 2020

Andy Craig observed:
Love the fact that my only contribution that day was to trouble the scorer with my name.....

Scorebook Note. Tim Hardman batted for at least 36 overs

RNVR Cricket Club RNVR CC Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
212		        
Tim Hardman ct &b Woods 7
Anthony Massey ct Dixon 10 1
Charles Perkin lbw Parry 5
Ben Dale b Liddell 43 4
Charlie Crichton b Liddell 34 3 2
Andy Craig ct Liddell 0 1 0
William Buckland ct Mallet 29 3 1
Paul Ford ct Woods 13 2 1
Bill Allen Not Out  41 6
Rupert Vaughan ct Woods 8 1
Rob Simpson Not Out  6 1 1

The Guards CC Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Dixon9.05616.000.67
Mallet10.0219119.001.90
Parry13.0332132.002.46
Woods16.0349316.333.06
Giles7.011600.002.29
Croftman7.005300.007.57
Liddell7.0132310.674.57

The Guards CC Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
16b  
for 10 wickets
16
116 (26.4 overs)		     
Woods b Simpson 18
Mackann ct Simpson, Buckland 31
Friers (?) b Simpson 0
Croftman ct Simpson 10
Pim b Buckland 0
Peargood lbw Simpson 0
Liddell st Ford, Buckland 18
Mallet b Buckland 15
Parry b Simpson 0
Dixon ct Simpson 5
Giles Not Out  3

RNVR Cricket Club RNVR CC Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Rob Simpson13.425869.674.24
Ben Dale5.002900.005.80
William Buckland8.012245.502.75