RNVR Cricket Club

Scorecard

Staplefield CC v RNVR Cricket Club on Sun 27 Sep 2020 at 12.30
RNVR Cricket Club Won by 8 runs

Match report 35 over match
Hylton Phillips steps up to replace Ben Dale as match manager and has to create an X1 to visit Staplefield for the first time, and then by chance 3 of the X1 to face us, with requests at 7am on the day for a fourth. It was every bit as marvellous as any RNVR game can be, as correspondent Ford takes up.


‘Never in Doubt’

Staplefield is a new fixture for the RNVR. Neatly settled between Handcross and Cuckfield it is conveniently located not far from the A23, the ‘smart’ motorway that has taken so long to complete it is no longer deemed ‘smart’ – a jolly little ground sandwiched between the Jolly Tanners and the Victory Inn, though not named after Nelson’s flagship, I’m told.

Sport is an unpredictable dish and served cold, as it was on this last of late September afternoons, skipper Hylts will be reminded of Dave Bedford, caught by the Finnish policeman Lasse Viren, but only after Viren had fallen during the Olympic 10,000 metre final. Viren got up, chased him down and broke the world record to boot. In sport, the fat lady has to sing, so to speak.

Staplefield could only muster 7 and so a series of horse trades resulted in Saunders ‘ying’ to Hillmans ‘yang’ and Frano (locally sourced) stepping up for the oppo. This still left 10, so a Last Man Stands (LMS) was negotiated and Vinay did most of the extra fielding. He even caught one (and refused another).

RNVR started slowly and only really got going when CC finally go off the mark after 16 balls and Hylts (the smiter of Outwood, recently Leigh and a few other places) tee’d off from the off. An eighth wicket partnership of 67 with a perfectly paced 50 not out for CC (although that may have taken two attempts) took the RNVR to 178, which on a pitch of moss and debris could have been worth double that. It gave the skipper something to work with.

Not wanting to let his foot too early off the proverbial brake, (surely you mean accelerator? ....Ed) skipper Hylts opened from the Victory end with strike bowler Vinay, up the hill and into the wind. Undeterred by all the elements against him, and still a little undercooked after an early season illness, he proceeded to blow away the top order. Saunders was most profligate, a little too impetuous at one short of a length and rather gave his wicket away. He will learn.

But 25 for 3, 25 for 4 and 25 for 5 it was time for Kumble and Harbhajan (read Crichton and Hardman) to toss up some grenades.

Hardly a Hyderabad burner (in fact the only burner visible was Vacher’s Bunsen, with which he made tea, of the builder’s variety, mid-match), and despite taking a wicket apiece, the equation remarkably turned to 13 required off the last two overs.

‘But that’s ok’ thought the skipper, 'I still have one from Vinay' – only he didn’t, he’d miscounted. Fortunately, Bridges bowled a beautiful penultimate over which meant the skipper could save his own bacon, with his own bowling. Victory then from the Victory end vs. HMS LMS who needed 12........
The first ball was a rather ‘stiff’ wide (but Joff’s been there too) and after that several good balls just short of a length, HMS LMS sank rather tamely thus saving the skipper’s face. A great game and a maiden 50 for LMS, who happened to be the club’s Chairman, Rhys Hutchings.

So that’s next year sorted then.

In these COVID times an outdoor end of season speech from CC the highlight of which seemed to be 44 subs from 44 players. Doesn't £1,760 buy you an awful lot of mediocre cricket balls? But 7 wins, one tie and 8 defeats seems a rather good return from early July, given we thought we may never play again and a round of applause for ‘poacher’ Vacher (got any rabbits?) for a superb fixture list. I, like many others, I think, have enjoyed these days out. They make a truly welcome change from the doom of zoom.

Pleasingly, Frano was awarded the Hensher Cup and whilst he’s taken most wickets he's also been the most improved. All down to Peleton I’m told but thoroughly deserved and a shame his 3-22 (including 2 wicket maidens) for the oppo today won’t be recorded in the RNVR annals. It is here.

There was still time for a few Harveys in the Tanners followed by a rather sanitised end of season dinner in the Red Lion at Handcross. so sanitised in fact that the ‘rule of six’ groups could have been sat in the Tanners and the Victory, so far apart were they in the Red Lion.
But a Victory’s a victory. Not that there was ever any doubt…..


Ex-skipper Ford. Hurstpierpoint, 2020.





RNVR Cricket Club RNVR CC Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 2w 3b  
for 7 wickets
6
178		        
Tim Hardman b Rameez 13 2
Theo Hughes ct Francis Potter 0
Vinay Kumar st Sadler, b Francis Potter 38 5 1
Alex Beard b Francis Potter 1
Colin Bridges ct & b, Mike Saunders 22 4 1
Laurie Cadle ct Sub (Vinay Kumar), b Mike Saunders 11 35 1 31.43 2
Charlie Crichton Not Out  50 48 6 104.17 2
Mark Pepler b Rizlan Rizaq 4 10 40.0
Hylton Phillips Not Out  31 18 1 2 172.22
Paul Ford  
Davinder Ranu  

Staplefield CC Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Richard Bull5.003600.007.20
Francis Potter7.032237.333.14
Rameez7.0216116.002.29
Mike Saunders 5.021427.002.80
Neal Sadler5.004000.008.00
Rizlan Rizaq5.003300.006.60
Rhys Huthchings1.001200.0012.00

Staplefield CC Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 8w 1b  
for 9 wickets
10
170 (35.0 overs)		     
Mike Saunders ct Crichton, b Kumar 13 25 2 52.00
Faizal ct Crichton, b Ranu 4 11 36.36
Thomas Hillman b Kumar 1 7 14.29
Hamden + ct Bridges, b Ranu 4 17 23.53
Rizlan Rizaq ct Cadle, b Kumar 0 3 0
Richard Bull ct Cadle, b Ford 7 16 1 43.75
Neal Sadler * + b Hughes 23 24 3 1 95.83
Rameez lbw Crichton 12 12 2 100
Rhys Hutchings Not Out  68 56 9 1 121.43
Francis Potter ct Phillips, Hardman 17 17 3 100
   

RNVR Cricket Club RNVR CC Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Vinay Kumar7.021334.331.86
Davinder Ranu6.0120210.003.33
Paul Ford4.0016116.004.00
Theo Hughes3.0018118.006.00
Tim Hardman5.0047147.009.40
Charlie Crichton6.0042142.007.00
Colin Bridges3.00900.003.00
Hylton Phillips1.00300.003.00