Dodgers Cricket Club

Dodgers vs Defra All Stars, 27 May 2026

2026-05-28T14:41:15.507+01:00

Dodgers' unlucky record of rained-off fixtures against this week's opponent, Defra All Stars, has resulted in only one played fixture between the sides in the last ten years (a defeat in 2024). Could we avenge that lone loss this time?

The opposition sent us in to bat, and things started smoothly. Our opening pair of Mike and Kunal settled in nicely and each enjoyed a well-deserved not-out retirement; Mike (25*), who got off the mark with a trademark late cut boundary, and Kunal (27* off a mere 17 balls), who calmly produced six cleanly struck fours. Satya and Karan came in next, and although both batters did well to periodically find the boundary our run rate began to slow through the middle overs against some accurate Defra bowling. Sat ended up caught and bowled attempting to accelerate the pace after scoring 22, while Karan survived to retire at 25* in the final few overs. Will arrived to immediately deliver several big blows, as well as some quick running of 2s and 3s, reaching his own 25* milestone after just 14 deliveries. In the final over Charlie and Brendan cameoed to add a run each, bringing Dodgers to a respectable total of 147.

Abhi and Stockers opened the bowling in our defence, and straight away Defra were trying to squeeze singles off of anything that even grazed bat or pad. No amount of running could withstand Abhi's fiery pace, however, as he conceded only nine runs and took a characteristic wicket (bowled) in his three-over spell. Matt was slightly more expensive in his first over but found a line and length that frustrated Defra, keeping them pinned through first change. Fin stepped in to produce a spell rivalling Abhi's, allowing only ten runs off three overs and claiming a wicket of his own by way of a smart catch by Stockers (fielding at gully). Charlie's spell alongside Fin saw us through the change of ends and at the halfway stage the situation appeared promising. Even without finding the boundary regularly, however, Defra accumulated runs by way of their constant running between the wickets without hesitation- several missed runout attempts and some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding only emboldened this approach. A clinical caught & bowled from Kunal also did little to curb their appetite for pushing hard. Unfortunately in Brendan's brief spell new batter Andy did find the boundary, and often, rapidly pushing his side ahead of the required rate. Satya and Will came in at the death to try and see us through to an increasingly improbable victory, but despite some really crafty bowling from both, including two important wickets for Sat, further issues in the field had the opposite effect of increasing pressure as Defra were bailed out one too many times.

In the end we lost before even reaching the final over, heads dropping in frustration as we walked off, knowing that we had squandered at least a decent chance to take a victory on the night. Fair play to Defra, who never let themselves fall far behind the rate thanks to that tenacious approach to singles and twos. Perhaps if we had taken a wicket via run out early on (Will did brilliantly to hit the stumps on an attempt where the batter was ultimately deemed safe) it could've changed the whole course of the game, but as it was we only really have ourselves to blame for not pushing as hard on the runs in our own batting innings and then failing to find our usual tenacity in the field.

Man of the Match
Kunal 5
Satya 3
Fin 1
Mike 1
Will 1

Scorecard: dodgers.play-cricket.com/website/results/7699329

Dodgers vs Marauders, 20 May 2026

2026-05-22T16:26:08.994+01:00

Ominous storm clouds and a few millimetres of fresh rain presented a foreboding scene to start this week's fixture against Marauders. Who would emerge victorious in this opening contest of the Malins Cup in 2026?

Luckily by the time Mike and Satya walked out as our opening pair, the sun seemed to be settling in as comfortably as our batters. Despite a slow couple of overs, they put on a strong first-wicket partnership of 33 before Mike was out LBW; his 18 still earned him Dodgers' third best score of the night. Satya dug in and found the boundary with more fervour, including a massive six to bring up his retirement at 27*, while Will put away several definitive and characteristic deep fours in his well-made 13. Karan and Jack subsequently found themselves at the crease against a new pair of bowlers, working to keep our rate right around a run a ball. Karan was caught well at mid-on, departing for 6 (including a clinical drive), to make way for Brendan's short-lived stint and its lone run. Jack picked up a few more alongside Charlie, though he ended up caught by the same fielder on a spliced shot. Charlie looked sublime from the start as he accelerated our rate and raced to a remarkable 30* (18)- we seemed to be building a head of steam. Late cameos from Abhi and Fin added 8 and 1, respectively, while Matt's unconventional cuts backward of square (three times? four?) frustrated Marauders fielders. Ralph contributed a well-earned 6* in the final overs and Satya was grateful that padding up again let him add a final run to his impressive total of 28* with the final ball of the innings.

We harboured some optimism of defending our total of 129 as we walked out- how would Marauders fare in these unseasonable conditions? Opening spells from Abhi and Charlie produced a wicket (bowled) apiece but plenty of runs as well, and after five overs Marauders were already comfortably above the rate at 40/2. Jack and Fin came in at first change as runs continued to flow. There were plenty of well bowled dots across those spells, and we were sharp in the field, but Marauders pushed hard on running singles and twos while punishing any bad ball for a devastating boundary. Heads were dropping after nine overs, with the opposition already past 80 runs and cruising. Then, in the last over before the switch, Jack took two very well-bowled quick wickets to give us all some much-needed hope. Sat was subsequently introduced to great effect, massively drying up the runs in his spell (conceding only 14 across four overs and unlucky to end without a wicket of his own) while Jack continued to apply pressure from the other end. Brendan, fielding at gully, produced a direct hit to dismiss a keen runner and turn the screw further. Suddenly Marauders were only knocking a few an over as the field tightened- almost nothing pierced the ring. Spirits were high as Will came in for an economic spell of his own, including another bowled wicket. Stockers tried his best to steer us into a dramatic final over but was unlucky to give up a few too many before we could get there.

In the end Dodgers were about ten runs shy of forcing a truly thrilling finish, but we can hold our heads high having clawed back a defendable position after falling behind the rate early. Fair play to Marauders for running as well as they did- that tenacity to take quick singles and push for two whenever the opportunity presented itself was the difference in the end. Thanks to all those who turned out, including another American spectator in Will's wife Chelsea.

Also huge congratulations to Mike for reaching the 5000 run milestone in his efforts on the night! Not many Dodgers can claim such a lofty accolade, and we'd all like to recognise his contributions as a servant to the club and, even more importantly, a lover of the game. Cricket is better for you and your late dabs to third man Mike- here's to 5000 more runs to come.

Man of the Match

Satya 5

Jack 4

Charlie 2

Scorecard: dodgers.play-cricket.com/website/results/7691014

Dodgers vs HM Treasury, 7th May 2026

2026-05-08T10:59:00.002+01:00

Dodgers gathered on local election day in England, Scotland and Wales, hoping their fortunes might prove to be more favourable than what was forecast for the Labour party. Despite a winning outing on the historic Hackney Marshes a week earlier, Dodgers felt happy to be back for their first home outing of the season, on the goose strewn fields of Kings House.

After agreeing to an 18-overs-a-side game, Treasury won the toss and elected to bowl, with Mike and Kunal opening the Dodgers batting. The wicket proved to be your typical early May English wicket, with inconsistent pace and bounce. Despite this, Mike and Kunal got Dodgers off to a flyer, with 23 runs scored in the first two overs. Both were unlucky to be dismissed shortly after, however, with Kunal chipping one to a waiting fielder and Mike being bowled by one coming back in through the gate.

This brought Satya and Jack to the crease. After an initial slow start, Satya accelerated quickly, and retired on 28 off 18. There were some particularly bludgeoning shots from Satya, including a dismissive four 4s in a row. Perhaps from chuckling away at the other end due to Satya calling his boundaries as he hit them, Jack's innings was much more patient. With Dodgers wickets falling around him - including Charlie who was dismissed lbw by the umpiring Satya before the opposition had even appealed - Jack too retired on 25*, the highlight of which was a lovely languid drive back over the bowler's head for 4. An excellent cameo from Aaron at the end - including a lovely flick to cow corner for four - meant that Dodgers ended their innings on 123-5. Given the wicket and conditions, Dodgers felt this was a very defendable total, but knew they would have start their defence well.

Abhi and Charlie opened the bowling for Dodgers and delivered the start that was needed. Bowling a fiery spell which left Ralph fighting for his life at times behind the stumps, Abhi took the first wicket with a lovely delivery that nipped back into the Treasury openers stumps. At the other end, Charlie bowled with excellent accuracy, leaving him with the superb figures of 3-1-3-2. This combined spell laid an excellent platform for the next bowlers to continue to turn the screw, with Satya, Amir, Karan and Kunal all taking a wicket apiece. The Treasury just couldn't get the Dodgers bowling away, with all Dodgers bowlers going at under five-an-over. The Treasury finished their chase on 79-7, meaning a comfortable 44 victory for Dodgers was secured. A special shout out must go to skipper Ralph, for keeping excellently on what was a tricky wicket.

Victory over the Treasury made it two wins out of two for the Dodgers in 2026, with Chairman Stockers keen to extend his reign's perfect start when Dodgers play AGCC next Wednesday.

Man of the Match Votes:

Satya - 5

Jack - 4

Charlie - 1

Scorecard - here

The victorious Dodgers (minus Satya who for some reason was chosen not included in the photo by the Treasury photographer!):

Dodgers vs Electoral Commission, 28 April 2026

2026-04-30T17:15:00.005+01:00

Dodgers began our 2026 season with a trek out east to Hackney Marshes. Although the pitches here may be hallowed historic ground, our opponents from the Electoral Commission were making history of their own in their first ever cricket fixture- it was an honour to be their opening opponent!

Komy and Mike opened our batting in a slow-but-steady style, by their standards. Admittedly this had as much to do with a terminally slow astro pitch and a significant number of byes, wides, and other interesting deliveries than it did with any batting difficulties. Both expertly and patiently notched their way up to retire at 25*, but the combined six boundaries between them reveals the challenge in getting even to that score. Jack and Ed briefly shared the crease but Jack was caught well before he could really get motoring; Ed hung around longer, running a series of byes and wowing the crowd with a monster six that flew off the bat- highlight reel stuff. Fin also started his innings slowly but when joined by Charlie he worked his way up to a smart 14; the duo took our total above 120, again with good running that kept EC fielders on their toes. Charlie was bowled in the final over after a cameo of 10 runs in 9 balls, and Will wasted no time in showing off his well honed scoop shot as we finished with what felt a very defendable total of 132. Extras top scored with 42.

Early struggles from the Electoral Commission batters confirmed this quiet confidence. Charlie took a wicket with his third ball and conceded only 6 runs across his spell (including a speculative wide call). Jack had to wait until his second over to nab a wicket of his own, but also only allowed a mere 4 runs in a three-over spell, achieving a handsome economy of 1.33. Will and Finlay continued to twist the screw at first change, allowing only 9 and 7 runs, respectively, and each taking a well-deserved wicket to boot. Ed’s acrobatic catch off of Will’s bowling earned more applause, particularly in light of his wounded hamstring, and Fin bowled his target well with the final ball of his spell. Feeling confident, Ralph called upon Brendan (raw but improving) and Komy (who hadn’t bowled an over in the region of 15-20 years) at second change; Aamir was very unlucky to sustain an injury in the field just before his would-be spell. Komy showed very little rust with ball in hand, and produced a tight spell across three overs. Brendan did concede more runs than all four bowlers preceding him, combined, but with some super sharp work with the gloves from Ralph (and a comically delayed call from a rookie umpire at square leg) he did manage a wicket. That left one over for Ed, who again it should be noted hasn’t played cricket in more years than he can remember- he proceeded to bowl a pacey, accurate maiden over that it’s fair to say has Dodgers itching for another appearance soon.

In the end Dodgers won by a comfortable 61 runs, and the atmosphere as we walked off into the long shadows of the marshes is one of optimism for the remainder of the season. Credit to the skipper for getting everyone out, and in enough time to complete a game before sunset!

Man of the match votes

Komy 6

Ed 4

Scorecard: https://dodgers.play-cricket.com/website/results/7594805

Our victorious ten in the sunset

Ed waiting to walk in, alongside our scorers

Bonus shot of the moon above the Stratford skyline which served as the evening’s backdrop

Dodgers AGM and Awards 2025

2025-11-26T09:43:00.006+00:00

Dodgers returned to a refurbished upstairs room at the Royal Oak in Tabard Street (now with pool table and darts board) on 25 November 2025 for the Annual General Meeting, including the customary review of the past season and a look forward to the year to come. In addition to the usual business, the meeting elected Matt Stockbridge as incoming Dodgers chairman, with Jack Pethick also welcomed onto the management committee as an additional vice-captain (with statistical responsibilities) and Brendan Connell-French (already deputy chief statistician) now sharing the role of social secretary with Tim Laken. The awards for 2025 were announced as follows - with congratulations to Satya for being named best bowler and best batter for the second season in a row, and to Abhi for being named player of the season for the second year in a row as well:

Bowler of the Year: Satyaki Bose

Batter of the Year: Satyaki Bose

Fielder of the Year: Abhishek Appaiah

Newcomer of the Year: Karan Patel

Most Improved Player: Brendan Connell-French

Kim & Jude Award: Satyaki Bose (for our new kit)

Player of the Season: Abhishek Appaiah

Dodgers vs Buckhurst Hill, 21 September 2025

2025-09-22T16:54:00.003+01:00

Dodgers visited Buckhurst Hill on a warm, sunny afternoon to finish our summer; previous forecasts of heavy rain for this lone September fixture were all but forgotten as blue skies beckoned on a lovely stretch of Essex countryside.

The Buckhurst batters may have thought they'd scared off opener Gary when he fled the pitch following an expensive first over- in fact he was on the hunt for spare spikes and emerged from the clubhouse a new man, smashing top of middle stump on his first ball back and proceeding to pin back the early run rate. From the other end Karan charged in for a six-over spell of increasingly unplayable deliveries and was unlucky to emerge wicketless for his troubles. At first change Ralph introduced Charlie and Satya to great effect. Charlie took two crucial wickets: first forcing a false shot from Prateek, who was only able to hole out to Ralph taking a sharp catch at mid-off; latterly he removed Yasin, Buckhurst's dangerous opener, thanks to a highlight reel lunge from Satya, covering large strides at mid-on to reel in the catch. Satya delivered the latest of his trademark tidy spells for Dodgers from the other end, and at the halfway stage BH were just about surviving at 75-3 but with two unset batsmen at the crease.

Ralph was kept busy thanks to his second change, where both Aamir and Kunal took wickets thanks to two more chances at mid-off (one high, one low) to round out a wonderful hattrick of catches for the skipper. Aamir provided another jaffa that completely beat Vansham- the batter could do nothing more than flick the ball straight above his head, where Komal's catlike reflexes resulted in a one-handed take to leave the home side six down and struggling. Kunal saw out his full spell alongside a three-over experiment from Brendan, who brought out the slowest of slow balls (Sam Curran eat your heart out) to deceive Karthik. Despite waiting about an hour he still swung too big too early and was trapped on the pads LBW- in his shock the bowler failed to appeal but was saved by calls from Komy and others who made sure the umpire had no choice but to put up his finger. Some textbook death bowling from Charlie concluded the innings with Buckhurst Hill managing a final total of 172-7.

Dodgers rocketed off to a strong start in reply, with Komal and Mike putting together a 50 partnership within 7 overs. Just when it looked like the BH bowlers were well and truly deflated, our pair having smashed boundaries to all parts of the ground (see wagon wheel for kaleidoscopic evidence), Mike missed one as was dismissed LBW for a solid 27. Kunal joined Komy at the crease and the two continued Dodgers' dominance, punishing every bad ball alongside plenty a good one, exchanging the strike fluidly while taking turns to pick out sixes into the car park or the wedding marquis tent or any number of thorny bushes along the boundary. The two both retired in the 17th over at 50* and 53*, respectively. Such it was that Dodgers found themselves requiring only 40-odd runs with half of the overs still to bowl. Satya was promised sensible batting from Karan, who promised to rotate around the former's big hitting- just when it seemed they might cruise home to an early victory with such a strategy, Karan was bowled by BH captain Ramesh (for 5 runs) to bring our own skipper to the middle. Ralph also fell victim to his inswingers, alas, getting bowled himself only two overs later (for 2 runs). Brendan therefore scrambled into his gloves for an unexpected late cameo (2*), surviving four more deliveries from Ramesh to hand the strike back to Satya. Tired of watching wickets fall at the other end, Satya put the match to bed with three consecutive boundaries in the penultimate over and a glorious maximum for the win, finishing 26* from only 16 balls.

Sun still shining, thanks to our quick run chase, we walked off the green for the final time in 2025 with heads held high and smiles aplenty, though not without a note of a bittersweet knowing it will be seven long months before we take to the field together again. The author wishes everyone a healthy and restful winter- thank you for allowing me another year of match reporting! Dodgers finish the 2025 season with 11 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw; this makes 2025 our ninth consecutive winning season, well done all!

Man of the Match votes

Komal 4, Kunal 2, Ralph 1, Aamir 1

Scorecard: https://dodgers.play-cricket.com/website/results/7062230

Dodgers vs Putney, 26 August 2025

2025-08-28T14:50:00.000+01:00

With daylight hours drawing in at the sunset of our season, Putney hosted Dodgers for another fixture of The (Village) Hundred. And in the spirit of the shorter format on the night, I'll try to keep this report shorter as well.

Mike and Komal opened the batting. The former was given out LBW on 17, leaving the crease in characteristic frustration, while the latter sublimely made his 25* with brief partnership cameos from Will (4 and stumped, a sweet boundary before skipping down) and Jatinder (3 and bowled, a welcome return in his first fixture of the season). Brendan was run out on 0 by Sayer's accurate direct hit but gave way to Fin who put together something special with Abhi. Although our big-swinging bowler fell on 11, Fin hung around until the end, joined by Matt (4 and bowled, crunching his first delivery to the leg side rope), Aamir (1 and LBW, unable to replicate his Supes heroics), and John (0 and unlucky to be run out without facing a ball). Fin's 17* featured a monster six in the final over, our only maximum of the innings, and brought us to the hopefully defendable total of 105. That said, Komal was still the only Dodgers bat to outscore our faithful friend E Xtras, who finished on an impressive 20.

Putney were well contained by openers Abhi and Will, ticking along at the required rate until Abhi expertly found the edge of Mawby's bat and Komal adjusted in an instant to take a professional catch behind. Proper cricket on display! Sayer batted well to retire at 25* but Putney's scoring slowed with Clinton and Jones in the middle; they found themselves only slightly ahead of the rate at the halfway point in the midst of solid spells from Stockers and Aamir and subsequently John and Fin. Abhi, upon being brought back into the attack, bowled an absolute jaffa to remove Jones and literally shattered off stump into pieces in the process. To our chagrin, this did bring Sid to the crease- we could only watch (as much as fading light would let us) as he proceeded to find the boundary early and often despite the best efforts of our bowlers. Fin was able to force him into catchable positions twice in an over, but after watching Will shatter his thumb attempting the first Brendan's subconscious survival instinct kicked in and the second bounced harmlessly for two. As Sid retired on 25* Putney were well and truly in the driver's seat, but Dodgers did bring the game to the final ten balls thanks to some sharp fielding (including a nice stop from Brendan in the covers to prevent them winning on a stylish boundary). They ultimately secured a much more underwhelming victory by leg bye, with Clinton finishing on 18*.

Abhi and Fin both batted and bowled smartly to earn two MotM votes apiece, but Komal deserves this week's prize for his commanding and chanceless 25*, without which there might not even have been 100 balls to face, let alone bowl, and his great work behind the stumps.

Man of the Match votes: Komal 6, Abhi 2, Fin 2

Your stalwart XI

Abhi poses with his destructive handiwork

Dodgers vs Superstars, 21 August 2025

2025-08-22T14:48:00.000+01:00

Dodgers arrived at the final Chiswick fixture of the season, our 35-over decider against Superstars, to the sight of leaves covering the far boundary; this autumnal omen provided the perfect reminder not to squander our chance to secure the Ken Block Trophy for another year.

Satya set the tone by smashing the first ball of the innings over Gary's head for four- he was unlucky to be caught in only the second over. Karan came in and scored fluidly with his crisp drive technique, but a fuller ball from Supes debutant Ankit slid under the bat to remove him for a well-made 25. Jack arrived ready to build a partnership with Mike, still hanging around and inflicting damage despite a lingering injury, and the two steadied the ship and kept the score ticking over until a Shane Warne-esque leg break skipped past Mike (limping back with head held high-ish for his 25). Brendan swapped his runner's floppy hat for a batter's helmet but found his legs less capable defending a wicket than darting between them, getting trapped LBW to give Sandeep two scalps in one over. Stockers and Ralph made important (and swift) contributions of 19 and 14, respectively, before both fell to the accurate off-spin of Saad, all while Jack stood strong (and sweaty), carrying on his scoring despite a worsening hamstring twang. He very much earned his retirement at 50* but with plenty of overs left to see through, Dodgers were still short of a par total. Aamir therefore walked out not looking to merely survive but to thrive with the bat as he steered a valuable partnership with John. The pair added scores of 20* (Aamir) and 8* (John), and John finished the innings just as Sat had started it, with a beautifully struck shot racing away for 4 glorious runs.

Dodgers had reason to feel positive about our final score of 189, and as the smell of yeast wafted over the ground on a breeze from the Fuller's brewery, we walked out to defend it with our spirits high.

Those sprits were lifted even higher when Satya bowled James amidst a sharp opening spell where he had Superstars properly pinned down. Karan contributed nicely from the other end, frustrating Saad by forcing him to settle for dots, and by the time our first change bowlers arrived Supes were behind the rate. Both Saad and Ankit began to find their rhythm, however, and it took a bizarre ball handling moment (and a long umpire discussion) to remove the former and break their dangerous partnership. At drinks Superstars found themselves ever so slightly ahead of the required rate, and we knew we were headed towards a tight finish.

Aaron had a brief cameo in which he smashed two quick leg side boundaries before John got the better of him on a great bowled; he was replaced by Sandeep, who got off to a worryingly rapid start. Tensions flared when Sandeep top edged behind to Ralph but was spared on a very late no ball call, only for Aamir to find his edge for another well taken keeper catch again with the very next ball- shouts of "Justice!" were reportedly heard from Mike at mid-wicket. The author would like to add his own American phrase "ball don't lie" to the lexicon for these serendipitous moments. Aamir went on to bowl Barry amidst a crucial 7-0-34-2 spell that kept us in the contest, complemented by a short spell from Brendan who eked out four overs at 24 runs thanks to some tips from Sat (coaching check in the mail). Matt was reintroduced to take two big wickets: first Chris Mountain, stopped before his left-handed strokes could take too much from our total. Alas, despite (or perhaps thanks to) the best efforts of Brendan and Karan sprinting around the outfield to save every run, and an essential maiden from Satya, Supes required only 7 runs from the final 12 balls. Stockers didn’t flinch: he brilliantly bowled Gary, who was out for only 2 when cruelly denied his favoured leg-side shot, and finished with two dramatic dots.

Superstars therefore found themselves needing only 5 runs from the final over, but in the words of Sat in the field: we had to make them get there. Ralph naturally turned to the trustworthy arm of our chairman, who, with decades of experience against our rivals, was the obvious choice to see us through to the finish. John's first ball clean bowled Paul, splattering the stumps as the striker attempted to finish the game with one shot. Amidst the celebrations Dodgers realised that this brilliant moment did bring Ankit back to the crease, still sharp after retiring at 52*, and suddenly discussion turned (almost unbelievably, to this giddy cricket fan) to whether we should give him the single to trap Mike Duggan on strike. Goodbye village cricket, hello test match strategy! But Ankit wouldn't cooperate- he absolutely creamed his reintroductory delivery into the covers, where it surely would've flown to the boundary in a blink if not for the game-saving stop of Jack fielding about 4 yards off the square. Some might (harshly) describe it as a drop, but in the eyes of this author it was nothing short of spectacular fielding, not least as I was the closest fielder and would've had to make the long, sad jog to collect the would-be victorious ball. Ankit then turned down an easy single, leaving Supes still in need of 5 but now with only three remaining. John’s next ball found Ankit slightly panicked as he forced a mistimed nudge to Paul Dollin at square leg… for a moment everything froze but in the late-game panic we had generated, both batters found themselves flat footed at the middle of the wicket, such that Paul was able to easily throw to Ralph who demolished the stumps in a victory sealing run out.

There we have it! An adrenaline-pumping, heart-in-mouth finish to a great game of cricket, in which Dodgers persevered to win by just four runs and retain the KBT for another proud year. Looking back to when the chasers needed only 40 off of about 60 balls, things may have seemed dire but we never gave up. And sure, maybe we did snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But every effort from the whole team, all the tired legs, all the injuries, made this win possible. Well done especially to MotM runner up Aamir for a great knock at number 9 and an excellent spell with the ball, and to our deserved winner Jack for his match winning 50* alongside his impenetrable wall performance in the field, both in spite of a perennial hamstring injury that couldn’t hold him back from greatness when it was thrust upon him.

Man of the Match votes: Jack 6, Aamir 4

And our scorebooks:

Dodgers vs Roehampton, 17 August 2025

2025-08-18T12:40:00.010+01:00

A warm August afternoon welcomed Dodgers to Putney Heath (which at 55m is the second-highest elevation ground in our rotation) for our annual 40-over fixture against Roehampton.

NJ opened the batting with Mike - both were grateful to have Brendan in as a runner due to Mike's injury. They started well to put on 40 together before Mike was caught at backward point, bringing Jack to the crease. An even stronger partnership saw our second pair add another 86 runs, with NJ falling right on the stroke of drinks to a stunning catch at the absolute apex height of the 12-year-old fielding in gully; NJ's 70 (62) was the best score of the day, and a worthy entry in his ever-growing list of powerful knocks on this ground. With refreshments came Dodgers debutant Kunal, smashing 41 quickfire runs off of only 34 deliveries to complement Jack's well-made 31. Satya and Brendan did well to (just about) survive the spell of Roehampton danger man Neel Biswas while taking runs where they could find them off of Baloch the Younger. Looking to accelerate in the final overs, Sat was bowled for 24 while Brendan and Dilpreet were run out pushing quick singles. Raj added 10 runs of his own and helped steer us home alongside Abhi, who contributed a crucial 20 (15), and took advantage of some eyebrow-raising field placement, to position us nicely with a respectable total of 236.

The sun continued to beat down as Dodgers began our defence, but you wouldn't know it looking at our opening bowlers. Abhi kept the batters pinned down as usual, while Jack began his spell with 16 consecutive dot balls before finding the edge of Hunter (caught well by Mike at first slip)- that's how to get them behind the rate early! John and Dilpreet continued to apply the pressure at first change, with Dilly deservedly trapping Shiv LBW as the home team continued to find runs scarce. Kunal and Satya came on to tighten the screws even further and took a wicket apiece to put us in a very strong position at the halfway drinks, with Roehampton slumping to 74-4. If their first four batters looked rattled, however, then Neel and Zain looked anything but... their all-important partnership brought the game back into the balance as they found their rhythm against Kunal and Satya. Even the seasoned bowling of NJ struggled to slow their boundary-rich assault on our total, while the significantly less seasoned bowling of Brendan was properly punished; Ralph stepped in to take an over for himself to help slow the tide. With a partnership nearing 100, and our total feeling less secure by the minute, the skipper reintroduced his trusty opening pair into the attack. The breakthrough finally came from Abhi, as he removed both batters in consecutive overs to put Dodgers back in the driver's seat. Jack bowled Newton to properly open up the tail and was followed by Kunal and NJ taking a further wicket each as the required run rate crept back up from 'worrying' to 'safe'. Roehampton's young talent was run out pushing for two in the penultimate over, and Dodgers could finally complete the exhale which saw us secure a victory by 19 runs.

The author has used his editorial liberty to omit several drops made in the course of our victory, though would like to note they were equal in measure to the drops Roehampton accumulated while fielding. Ultimately this was a well-fought victory and a great team effort, so who needs to remember the blushes that happened along the way. That being said, our deserved Man of the Match was...

Abhi 5, followed by Kunal 4 (a stellar debut!), Jack 1, NJ 1

The full match was captured on film by Roehampton, as below. Disregard the 'broadcast vision unavailable' message at the start of the recording - play starts around the 18 minute mark:

Dodgers v LT Dinos, 12 August 2025

2025-08-13T10:20:00.004+01:00

One of the hottest days of the year did not deter the Dodgers from assembling at Chiswick for our annual encounter with the LT Dinos, in what gradually turned into a pleasantly balmy evening. So keen were some of our younger players that they even managed a net before the game to get their eye in. Captain Ralph lost the toss but we were put in to field first anyway, so all was well.

Jack and Dilpreet opened our attack with accuracy and economy, Jack taking the first Dinos wicket with a nice clean-bowled. They were replaced after six overs by Matt and Finlay, the latter on debut for Dodgers, and the screw was turned still tighter. Brendan maintained his exceptional fielding record in the face of some committed hitting by the opposition, including a crafty misfield that allowed Jack and Ralph to run out the dangerous Dinos no 3. John and Satya took over bowling duties and bagged five scalps between them, with Satya picking up a double-wicket maiden on his way to the commendable figures of 3-1-14-3. We had restricted the opposition to 97 for 8 off their 18 overs, which felt well below par on a flat pitch with a fast outfield.

We welcomed back Komal, playing his first Dodgers game of the season, to open with Mike, and before long the two of them were scoring freely. Mike opted to get most of his runs in 2s, which meant rather more running between the wickets than the heat would have recommended, but both retired unbeaten, with Komal flicking a towering six over long-on on his way to 28*. Karan took over batting duties with a number of crisp boundaries, including a delightful cover drive and a mighty six which allowed him to retire on the perfect score of 30* (sealed with a professional acknowledgement of the crowd's applause). Brendan was unlucky to be bowled by one that sneaked under his bat, leaving Jack and Satya to guide us past the Dinos' total with three overs to spare. A gentle game for an August evening, and a convincing Dodgers victory.

Man of the Match votes: Karan 5, John 4, Finlay 1, Satya 1

Dodgers v Kensington Wanderers, 7 August 2025

2025-08-08T10:45:00.001+01:00

An overcast sky and two combined flocks of geese (Canada and Egyptian) greeted the Dodgers on their return to Chiswick to face the Wanderers. We lost the toss but were put in to bat - an intriguing decision on the opposition's part, given the low light and late start. Astroturf and some very short boundaries (chosen by us) suggested a high-scoring game in prospect.

Charlie and Mike opened our account briskly, with Mike notching up numerous crisp fours on his way to an unbeaten 25. Charlie hit a towering six before being bowled by a cultured inswinger, while Jack was unlucky to be dismissed without scoring by one that jagged back. This brought Will and Satya to the crease, each of whom proceeded to plunder the Wanderers bowling mercilessly before retiring unbeaten. Special mention is due for one of Will's sixes, which sadly crashed into an unobservant pigeon on the full and left it comatose, at the very least. Brendan took over batting duties with Abhi, the latter offering three high catching chances to the opposition on his way to an unbeaten 26. Matt and Captain Ralph rounded off the innings in style, with Matt guiding some very elegant square cuts to the boundary before clubbing a final six. We had finished on a total of 172 for 3, which seemed a pretty reasonable result all told.

Jack and Abhi launched our bowling attack with vim and vigour, despite a slippery run-up surface made all the more treacherous because we were not allowed to wear spikes. Jack made a double breakthrough by removing the Wanderers' two openers, the first nicely caught behind by Ralph, while Abhi bagged his own wicket by bowling their number four. Charlie and John took over as first change, the latter making amends for his expensive two overs by taking a catch off Charlie in the covers, until Satya and Will finished off the game for us with the Wanderers still 34 runs adrift. The rapidly fading light rendered fielding almost impossible at the end, which makes Abhi's three steepling catches even more commendable than they would otherwise have been. A good victory against a team that always includes a considerable amount of talent.

Man of the Match votes: Will 5, Abhi 3, Satya 2

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Dodgers v South Bank Strikers, 22 July 2025

2025-07-23T11:55:00.000+01:00

Rain briefly threatened to upset Dodgers' match against South Bank at Turney Road, Dulwich, but after a short delay we embarked on a most enjoyable 18-over encounter against an opposition we know well.

Charlie opened our account alongside Mike, captaining the side in Ralph's absence, but both were contained by some excellent bowling from the Dean brothers. Savan and Dilpreet came next to the crease, with the former playing an important anchor role for almost the entire rest of the innings. He was duly joined by Satya, who raced to an unbeaten 29 with three exceptional sixes, and Abhi, who decided to make his way to this week's retirement in fours. Will and Niket finished off our innings with some crisp boundaries, leaving us with a respectable total of 122 for 4. Not insuperable, but sufficient for us to put up a brave defence.

Abhi and Will launched our attack with their customary accuracy, although South Bank opener Nas showed his ability to hit any ball out of the park when he connected. Satya and John dialled down the pace and turned up the pressure, with Satya dismissing two of the middle order and John bowling the resistant opener in a pleasantly economical spell of 3-0-11-1. Aamir and Niket tightened the screw still further, so that South Bank were soon requiring over 10 an over. Savan delivered the coup de grâce with a smart run-out off his fingertips onto the stumps at the non-striker's end, with the result that we won by a good 14 runs - an excellent team effort in the field, with Charlie strong behind the stumps throughout.

Man of the Match votes: John 5, Abhi 2, Satya 2, Charlie 1

Dodgers v Windsor Great Park, 20 July 2025

2025-07-21T10:55:00.001+01:00

Overnight rain did not dampen Dodgers spirits as we set off for the premium game of our season in the glorious surroundings of Windsor Great Park. The outfield looked much as it was: a parched surface drenched by a sudden burst of precipitation, but the covered wicket seemed more promising, despite the continuing presence of showers. Dodgers went in to bat with high hopes.

NJ and Mike started off our innings nicely, riding out a great deal of uneven bounce and pouncing on the occasional bad ball, so that by the drinks break at 17 overs we had a solid platform to build from of 67 for 0. Mike's dismissal for 28 off (erstwhile Dodger) Milind brought Jack to the crease, while the loss of NJ for 47 saw Karan come out to join him. Accurate bowling and excellent fielding made it increasingly difficult to find the boundary, however, with the result that our run rate dropped and wickets began to tumble. Will, Idrees, Ralph and Gary all pushed the total onwards so that we finished on 137 for 6 - much lighter than we would have hoped, but not bad given the conditions.

Our defence started most promisingly, with Jack picking up two key wickets in his first three overs and Idrees bagging one in his second. Yet this brought together the dangerous pairing of Umair and Milind, who proceeded to build a partnership of 113 that swiftly took the game away from us. Gary, Will, Karan, NJ and Aamir toiled away but the afternoon was now warmer and the pitch drier, so boundaries began to flow. Our hosts passed the Dodgers total with a dozen overs to spare, Milind top scoring with an unbeaten 75 that had offered us no chances. Special mention for Ralph's exceptional keeping behind the wicket, and many thanks to John's nephew Tobias for turning out to field for us at short notice in place of the injured Harry. We were well beaten, but it had still been a most pleasant day's outing.

Man of the Match votes: NJ 4, Idrees 3, Jack 3, Mike 1

Dodgers v Green Sox, 16 July 2025

2025-07-17T10:21:00.000+01:00

The Dodgers descended on Turney Road, Dulwich, for this season's encounter with the perennially powerful Green Sox, in what turned out to be a closely fought and exciting contest. Captain Ralph lost the toss and we were put into the field.

Abhi (entered in the oppo's scorebook under his new surname Papaya) opened the bowling with Charlie, the latter taking our first wicket - and the middle stump out of the ground - with the third ball of his spell. Thereafter the Green Sox batsmen dug in and made good use of the short leg-side boundary, until Satya and Will came on as first change and bagged a wicket each. Gary contributed the champagne moment of our fielding effort with a Stokes-like direct-hit run out before coming on to bowl himself. Savan and Niket then took up the cudgels as our final pairing until Abhi took a wicket in the last over to finish with the exemplary figures of 4-1-7-1. The Green Sox total of 144 looked impressive but not impossible on such a fast outfield, especially given the depth of our batting line-up.

Satya and Charlie opened our account with the bat and were soon scoring strongly against the accurate Green Sox bowling. Charlie was caught hitting skywards (see video footage below) and Niket, replacing him, was unfortunate to be stumped off the first of two very competent leg spinners, while Satya would eventually retire unbeaten after a succession of boundaries, including a towering six over mid-wicket (also caught on video, below). Tamal, guesting for us from Putney, hit two brilliant fours before being dismissed in the deep by an unbelievable running catch, Aamir became the second of our batters to be stumped off some tricky Green Sox bowling, while Will progressed to a neat 27 not out. Abhi came in to score two sixes off his first two balls, 24 off his first nine balls and a further six from his tenth, retiring unbeaten on a spectacular 30* which swung the game right back in our favour. Ralph, Savan, Gary and John found it difficult to score in more than ones and twos due to the still accurate Green Sox bowling, and all but Gary perished while trying to hurry the score along. This opened the way for our retirees to return, however, and our hopes of a swift victory were raised further when Satya cracked a glorious six over the leg-side boundary. Even when he was well caught off the next ball, we still had confidence - but Abhi was also caught before being able to get going again, which left just Will and Gary to bag us the six runs needed to win. With the light fading, we managed three further runs before Will was bowled in the last over. We finished two runs short of our target, but it had been a very enjoyable contest and the game was the winner.

Man of the Match votes: Abhi 10, Will 1

Dodgers v St Peter's Dads, 9 July 2025

2025-07-10T09:30:00.008+01:00

The Dodgers assembled at Battersea Park on a warm July evening for the return match in this season's rubber against the Fathers of St Peter's School. The previous week's encounter at Chiswick had seen over 300 runs scored, but a newly watered Battersea wicket suggested that this would be a much lower-scoring affair. Captain Mike (deputising for the day) lost the toss and we were put in to bat, which was helpful given the low number of players we had present at the start time of 6pm.

This shortage of able-bodied individuals led to the unusual sight of Chairman John striding out to the middle first up alongside Mike, a pairing that promised experience if not the quickest running between the wickets. St Peter's Dads had positioned almost all their fielders on the ropes from the start, which made boundaries hard to come by, so the scoring rate was dangerously slow. Mike retired unbeaten and John was eventually bowled out for a laborious 20, at which point Dilpreet, Abhi and Rajesh took up the cudgels for us. NJ moved the score along sharply with some excellent shots, including a towering six off a no-ball, and Satya added a spectacular straight six of his own to take us towards the close. Charlie also hit out nicely, with the result that we finished our twenty overs on a total of 133.

Conscious of the need to respond strongly, Will and Jack got us off to a devastating start by removing three of the St Peter's openers within the first four overs - including a dramatic caught-and-bowled that involved Jack flinging himself fearlessly onto the rock-hard turf. Dilpreet and Aamir took over as first change and kept the pressure on, with St Peter's finding it as tough as we did to score boundaries. Abhi, Satya and Charlie all bowled tidily from the Power Station end and wickets continued to tumble, so that when NJ bagged the final batsman in the last over the oppo were still 20 runs adrift. Special commendation to Rajesh for his excellent wicket-keeping, and to Mike for his flawless captaincy. A great team effort, and a most pleasing victory.

Man of the Match votes: NJ 7, John 1, Mike 1, Rajesh 1, Will 1

Dodgers v St Peter's Dads, 2 July 2025

2025-07-03T10:25:00.000+01:00

The late-June heatwave had relaxed its sticky grip just in time for Dodgers to take on St Peter's Dads in the pleasant sunshine of a Chiswick evening. Standing in briefly for Captain Ralph, en route from the train station, Vice-Captain Mike won the toss and elected to bat first on a good pitch with a lightning-fast outfield that offered the prospect of many runs.

Our opening pair of Charlie and Mike started off in blistering form, dispatching the bowling to all corners of the ground before each retiring unbeaten in quick order. Karan, Jack, Brendan and Dilpreet kept the score ticking over nicely, with several cracking boundaries and much good running between the wickets, while Satya and Abhi notched up the run rate still further, the latter opening his shoulders to send the ball flying over the long-on rope for a glorious six. John and Aamir raised the average age, if not the tempo, before Ralph was nobbled by a nasty one and Mike had to reappear as first retiree for the last ball of our innings. We finished on the grand total of 181 for 5, but given the speed of the outfield this was far from an insuperable score.

And so it proved. St Peter's Dads began their innings as strongly as we had ours, scoring freely off John's second over while Charlie held them down more economically. In keeping with the spirit of the encounter, Ralph rotated the bowling to ensure ten of the team would have at least one over each, so that Jack (channelling his inner wrist-spinner) and Aamir soon found themselves called upon to take over as first change. The Dads were aware of the need to keep the scoreboard moving, however, and by the half-way mark were fully up with the required run rate. The introduction of Karan and Dilpreet slowed their advance as wickets began to tumble, until Satya and Abhi effectively put an end to their chances of catching us. Ralph and Brendan closed the game out neatly between them, with Brendan bagging an early wedding present through his smart run-out at the bowler's end. Special commendation to Ralph and Charlie for their fearless wicket-keeping, the latter performing a series of acrobatic dives that would not be out of place in this month's World Aquatics Championships. It was a most enjoyable game, with well over 300 runs scored, and we look forward to the return fixture at Battersea Park next week.

Man of the Match votes: Abhi 4, Charlie 2, Karan 2, Satya 2, Dilpreet 1

Dodgers vs Superstars, 26 June 2025

2025-06-27T22:43:00.005+01:00

The 2025 campaign to retain the Ken Block Trophy began with zeal on a breezy June night. Following a few successive years of victory over our rivals, we walked out with an attitude of quiet confidence.

Dodgers got off to a slightly slow start with the bat, as NJ fell for only 13 and Mike found the boundary less often than he’d like. A slight collapse in the middle order saw Dave, debutant Dilpreet, and Brendan lose three wickets for only 6 total runs, with Hoggins’ crisp cover drive accounting for the majority. Luckily there was plenty of runs to come down the order, as Mike, accelerating in style, and subsequently all three of Charlie, Satya, and Ralph made their way to retirement at 25* (or beyond). Stockers and Abhi also chipped in with fast contributions during the final few overs, helping us reach a respectable total of 165.

Superstars struggled early and often in reply, consistently losing wickets before any batters could establish themselves. Abhi and Charlie opened and inflicted damage almost immediately; Charlie bowled batsmen one, two, and three while Abhi bowled number four and had Gary caught off a sharp take from Brendan, surprised to find himself fielding at mid off but just about holding on. Satya came in with a mind to wrap things up quickly, and had two fast wickets: one LBW followed by a brilliant catch by Matt above his head in the covers. Brendan had a cameo over in which he took his first Dodgers wicket, thanks to Dilpreet comfortably catching Boulby at mid-on, and with much warm celebration from the team. Satya returned to clean bowl two more for good measure and so the game finished with the sun still relatively high in the sky. Extras top scored for Superstars, at 13, as they managed a total of just 40 runs.

This did mean both innings concluded before Chairman John could contribute with either bat or ball, but he made up for it by staying sharp in the field, and perhaps more importantly, getting in a round at the bar.

Man of the match: Satya 4, Brendan 3, Charlie 2, Ralph 2

(NJ tried to split his vote four ways, and Mike went 50/50, but I’ve taken the executive decision to use rounded whole numbers here instead for ease)

Dodgers vs Fleet Street Strollers, 19 June 2025

2025-06-20T18:03:00.002+01:00

While not quite the longest day of the year, Dodgers' evening against Fleet Street Strollers is the closest we'll come to playing on the solstice this season- with poplar seeds drifting through the air and a murmuration of gnats on the boundary, it certainly felt like summer had arrived.

What also arrived was competent batting from Strollers, who opted to bat first owing to a lacklustre turnout of only 7 players. Of those (let's not say magnificent) seven, there were three in particular who carried them towards a solid, if chasable total of 149. Gregor, Glen, and Freddie all retired not out- luckily our opening bowlers Jack and Satya got their last laughs by taking the wickets of the G-men when reintroduced for the final two overs. That pair also took another batter each earlier, with a late run out courtesy of Stockers rounding out our wickets. Valuable spells from KJ, Will, Matt, and Karan who all battled well against the middle order. Of their big three only Freddie survived the innings, which featured several sixes over a very short leg side boundary, with Aamir the unlucky bowler trying to protect it.

Set 150 to win, Dodgers hungrily took to the chase with some optimism. Will got off to his typical flying start, including a flashy scoop shot, before being caught in the deep- KJ fared similarly, crunching a four and a six and almost immediately picking out the same fielder (Glen). Mike survived a first ball wobble but couldn't overcome the ~10 run ceiling plaguing our top order, which also claimed Karan after he guided two shots expertly to the off-side boundary. Remarkably for the Strollers, all four wickets fell to one bowler: Findlay. Satya and Jack arrived at the crease with Dodgers in precarious circumstances, but after settling in they made a commendable combined effort to rescue our situation, retiring not out together with the match in a winnable (if still challenging) position. Matt and Charlie didn't quite find the run rate required, but when the latter failed in the final over, with Dodgers needing 20 from five deliveries, captain Ralph nearly pulled off the impossible when he hit back-to-back fours to great celebrations on the sidelines! The miracle was not meant to be, sadly, and we finished a few runs shy.

As for our author, I'm such a fan of fielding that I volunteered to do it for both teams- and perhaps a bit too well for our opposition! Jack and Mike can attest to some precise placement denying valuable Dodgers boundaries, but at least I've done the sportsmanship of village cricket proud...

Man of the Match votes: Satya 6, Jack 5

Dodgers v Marauders, 11 June 2025

2025-06-14T16:04:00.008+01:00

[Match report courtesy of Captain Ralph]

Following the loss of our ‘home’ fixture a couple of weeks prior due to inclement weather, we were grateful to play ‘away’ albeit still at Chiswick against sometime friends, Marauders, on a balmy summer's evening. Skipper Ralph lost the toss in keeping with the season to date, and Marauders chose to bat first on what appeared to be a decent wicket. Dodgers welcomed a couple of new recruits in both Tom and Cam (both via Will), and handy recruits they would prove to be. 😊

Abhi and Jack opened, and both bowled with skill and, in Abhi’s case, no little pace, taking a wicket apiece. First change were Charlie and Satya, the former managing to take 3 for despite initially struggling to find a decent length, whilst Satya in rare circumstance was subject to some heavy tap from opposition skipper Usman, who ended on 44 not out. Will and Cam then combined to great effect to close out the innings, taking 2 well deserved wickets each and keeping Marauders down to an eminently chasable 103.

Our reply began with Charlie and Mike getting us away well, the latter bowled by a decent one nipping in, and Mike playing nicely off his legs in his usual style to retire on 25 from 19. Following Charlie’s dismissal, Cam then showed prowess with bat as well as ball, scoring fluently and playing shots all around the wicket, which led to his own retirement in quick time on 25 off 16. Friend of the club Dave H managed to bowl Karan early, which was a shame as he looked in good touch and had got off the mark with a sumptuous straight drive which promised better things. Debutant Tom, playing some Connell-French-esque hoicks to leg, and Stockers then dovetailed nicely to keep us ticking over at a good rate, meaning we reached our target in good time with in excess of 4 overs to spare, earning themselves well deserved red-ink in the process. Following our comfortable victory the majority then retired to the bar for a well earned beverage of choice.

Man of the Match votes: Cam 8, Tom 1, Matt 1, Mike 1

Dodgers v Tilberg Regents, 4 June 2025

2025-06-05T09:47:00.004+01:00

Early June drizzle greeted the Dodgers as we assembled at the Turney Road ground in Dulwich for our annual fixture against the perennially powerful Tilberg Regents. Dodgers took the field first, and were soon shown just how strong a team we were facing as the Tilberg openers raced to 43 off their first three overs. Abhi and Satya bowled with persistence, however, with Abhi taking three excellent wickets - all clean bowled - and Satya claiming another via Captain Ralph's smart catch behind the stumps. Charlie and Krishnal took over as first change and bowled tidily, but the oppo made good use of the short boundaries and kept the scoreboard ticking over rather more briskly than we would have liked. Aamir and Will continued to make inroads into the Tilberg batting, with Aamir claiming a second wicket when the ball flicked his little finger and he ran out the non-receiver at the bowler's end. Yet this only brought their talented opener back to the crease, where he proceeded to cause havoc once more. The Regents' eventual total of 187 looked ominously unobtainable, even in the evening sunshine.

Charlie and Will opened our account with the bat, the latter falling early to one that clipped the top of leg, the former proceeding nicely until caught in the covers for 14. Mike notched up four crisp boundaries before also being caught, while Simon fell in like manner - indeed, Tilberg fielded well throughout our innings. Satya and Krishnal now took over and built an excellent partnership, with Krishnal lofting two magnificent sixes over the ropes before retiring unbeaten. Brendan, Abhi, Ralph and Aamir were unable to stave off the inevitable, however, and Chairman John failed to manoeuvre the returning Krishnal back on strike before being bowled himself. We were well and truly beaten, but (on the positive side) we did finish within 100 runs of their total.

Man of the Match votes: Krishnal 9, Abhishek 2

Dodgers v Putney, 20 May 2025

2025-05-21T09:20:00.003+01:00

The Dodgers assembled on a sunny May evening at Chiswick to take on the perennially strong Putney Cricket Club, with whom Captain Ralph agreed that we should bat first.

Charlie and Mike started us off with confidence, scoring swiftly until the former was well caught on 14 off a skied off-drive. Mike was removed for 17 by an even more spectacular one-handed catch at square leg, whereupon Diago and Will took over batting duties, each retiring unbeaten with scoring rates in excess of 150 (and, in Will's case, a good many scoop shots to boot). Karan, on debut for Dodgers, also started strongly before being stumped out of his crease, while Brendan hit out effectively to record his highest total yet of 20 not out, the last couple of overs in the company of Dave. As the photo below indicates, we reached a final score of 137 for 3, but the boundaries were short and the outfield quick so there were no grounds for complacency at the turn.

The Putney openers set about chasing down our total with a will, with Manav showing his considerable batting talent against us rather than (as last week) for us. Charlie and Will bowled accurately with both pace and movement through the air, but it was not until Diago came on at first change that we secured our first wicket. Ralph then raised our hopes with an exceptional catch behind the wicket off another swinging delivery from Diago, but the champagne moment of the innings came with Brendan's direct hit from square leg to run out one of the dangerous Putney batters, just one of his many fielding accomplishments of the evening. Matt, Aamir and Karan each bowled in their turn but the oppo stayed up with the required run rate throughout and romped home to a seven-wicket victory with more than three overs to spare. We were well beaten, but it had been a thoroughly enjoyable game.

Man of the Match votes: Brendan 8, Diago 2, Will 1

Dodgers v HMT, 9 May 2025

2025-05-09T22:06:00.004+01:00

A Dodgers squad bolstered by several Putney players took on the combined might of the Treasury and Cabinet Office on a sunny but still chilly Chiswick evening. In contrast to the previous week, we managed to start soon after 6pm and agreed on 18 overs a side, with the aim of finishing before the light was totally gone. Having won the toss, Chairman John (deputising as captain) decided we should bat first - notably because we were still a couple of players short at the start.

Manav (on debut for us from Putney) and Charlie opened our account brilliantly, permitting the first over to pass as a maiden before launching a fearful barrage of shots to all corners of the ground. As a result of this onslaught, which saw both batters return unbeaten to the pavilion in quick order, we raced to 75 without loss off just the first five overs. Also guesting from Putney, Ehsan was unlucky to be trapped LBW by one that kept low, at which point Sid and NJ took over the attack and pushed us past 100 before each passing 25 and retiring in their turn. Spurred on by a group of his personal supporters, Brendan hit out with aplomb before being bowled for 10, at which point Suj (also on debut from Putney) and Amit steered us towards a powerful total of 158 for 2.

Jack and Suj launched our bowling attack with pace and accuracy, the former claiming our first victim in the opening over, but HMT dug in and built a steady response without losing another wicket until the half-way mark. Will and Amit took up the reins on first change and kept the run rate under control; yet the opposition were by no means out of the game as we headed towards the final third. With Manav and NJ sharing spin duties between them, the decisive intervention came through Sid's bowling as he claimed three key wickets and thus put an end to any hope of a last-minute HMT come-back. In the final analysis, Dodgers won by something over 20 runs - a great team effort, with contributions across the board.

Man of the Match votes: Sid 5, Charlie 2, Manav 2, NJ 2

Dodgers v Kai Dragons, 29 April 2025

2025-04-30T17:15:00.001+01:00

The first game of the 2025 season saw the maiden appearance of the new Dodgers branded kit, thanks to the exceptional work of Satya over the closed season - hence the fashion parade in the photographs below. The cricket was a mixed bag by comparison, largely because we started considerably after 6pm and the Dragons insisted on attempting a full tournament of 20 overs each, which was never going to be possible on an April evening quite so far north of the equator.

The Dodgers innings started ominously, with both Charlie and Jack falling to some excellent bowling in the first over without troubling the scorers. Dave, Mike and Brendan stopped the rot with some lusty hitting before Satya and Will formed a scintillating partnership together, each retiring unbeaten (and in Satya's case, with two spectacular sixes to boot). Matt and Abhi maintained the intensity, the latter being replaced by Captain Ralph after being run out unselfishly at the end, and we finished with a commendable total of 129 for 6 off our 20 overs - far better than we could have expected at 37 for 4 from our first 10.

By the time we took the field, the light was already fading fast. Abhi and Jack bowled well but the Kai openers were aware they had to score quickly if they were to have any chance of chasing down our total, and hit out with a will. Wickets began to tumble, however, with Abhi bagging a brace, Jack one and Charlie taking three of his own when he came on at first change with Satya. By now the light had disappeared altogther and we played on in pitch darkness, until common sense prevailed and a draw was declared. The champagne moment in the field came with Abhi's one-handed catch in the deep off Charlie's bowling, taken over his head with all the nonchalance of a professional. All in all, a nice start to the season on a gloriously warm evening, with the hope of many more such to come.

Man of the Match votes: Satya 7, Will 2, Charlie 1, Ralph 1

L to R: Captain Ralph, Charlie, Brendan, Jack and Will

Satya and Matt

Abhi and Mike

Our excellent new logo!

Dodgers AGM and Awards 2024

2025-01-25T10:30:00.005+00:00

Dodgers returned in force to the upstairs room at the Royal Oak in Tabard Street on 3 December 2024 for the Annual General Meeting, including the customary review of the past season and a look forward to the year to come. The awards for 2024 were announced as follows - with particular congratulations to Satya for being named best bowler and best batter in one and the same season, and to Abhi for being named player of the season in his first year playing for us:

Bowler of the Year: Satyaki Bose

Batter of the Year: Satyaki Bose

Fielder of the Year: Brendan Connell-French

Newcomer of the Year (joint): Will Peters and Abhishek Appaiah

Most Improved Player: Harry Woodage

Kim & Jude Award: Brendan Connell-French

Player of the Season: Abhishek Appaiah

Dodgers v Putney, 27 August 2024

2024-09-24T17:23:00.001+01:00

Rather a drubbing at the hands of Charlie's mob on a dark evening most notable for some immensely large sixes by Niket, who was sadly playing for Putney rather than Dodgers. Exceptional bowling by Abhi and strong resistance with the bat from Jatinder could not save us. The scorecard (link below) has the details.

Man of the Match votes: Abhishek 6, Jatinder 3, Gary 1

Scorecard