Captain's Blog

Axminster Carpeted by Chigwell (Tour 15/6/2008)

2008-06-27T10:02:00.000+01:00

Captain Addison Reports: Having set off early from Lyme Regis with the intention of having a walk around "quaint and charming Axminster" before the game Mitz and I arrived at the ground well in advance of the 2pm start, and well in advance of the remainder of the Chigs bleary eyed mob. Our 5 minute wander around the town seemed to take in all the delights of Axminster that our hung over brains could handle so we despatched ourselves early to the picturesque ground. On arrival we collapsed on a grassy bank overlooking the first team pitch to watch Axminster under 13's finish off their game against some local rivals. Tim and I agreed that the standard of cricket for these youngsters was high enough and shuddered to think what their senior club mates might have in store for us. We were soon to find out as three likely looking members of our oppo came into view on their walk around the boundary. They certainly looked fresher than the majority of the Chigwell line up, which wasn't difficult considering 2 games in 2 days in addition to a months alcohol consumption in 2 nights, but other than that I was confident we could raise ourselves for a competitive game. As the junior game came to a victorious end for the home side, we rolled down the grassy bank into the club house and I introduced myself to the opposition skipper. We decided to get the formalities out of the way and after winning the toss I decided that we would have a bowl, for no other reason than I thought it might allow us to blow away some of the booze induced cob webs and get us into a match mentality as soon as possible. Their skipper informed me that "they were a mixture of 1's and 2's regulars supplemented with 4 or 5 youngsters" I duly passed this information onto the now assembled Chigwell ranks and the lethargy etched across their faces was enough to tell me this could be a difficult task. Nevertheless we took the field and I opened the bowling with Rob Allum coming from the pavilion end. Before the game had started I had discussed the right hand cover boundary with their skipper, he ensured me that the rope would be moved back to allow a more accommodating out field to an already cosy ground, nevertheless this hadn't happened and the ease with which Rob's and my first overs were despatched to said boundary indicated that this could be a high scoring game. The Axminster openers were pretty relentless in their aggressive start helped along with some ordinary and tired bowling from myself and Rob, and afore mentioned short boundary. A couple of forced fielding changes helped shore things up a bit but Axminster had notched up 58 off 10 overs before the first wicket fell to me; a ball which held its line to sneak between the openers bat and pad to rattle middle and off. "Basher" the remaining opener, was joined at the crease by "Burly" and the run fest seemed destined to continue, but Rob had other ideas and had the number 3 caught behind after he nibbled at one outside off, James completing the catch behind the stumps. Wary of more first and second team regulars to come I decided to bowl Rob and myself through our 8 over allotted spells in an attempt to try and keep things as tight as possible. As it materialised their number 4 batsman was one of the youngsters and after some brave, swash buckling stuff he was bowled by Rob to finish off his spell with a deserved 2 wickets. Mitz replaced me and Nick, with a tentative glance at the short boundaries as well as at the free flowing "Basher" still at the crease, reluctantly took over from his younger sibling. The reassurance I tried to offer Nick about potentially being carted wasn't necessary as he and Mitz both bowled very tight spells to keep the run rate well within check. Nick gathered 4 wickets in his 8 overs, the best of which was "Basher" caught behind to a neat low catch by James. After Mitz's spell of 4 overs I replaced him with Wiskin Jr, who in the previous 2 tour matches had bowled well exhibiting prodigious swing reminiscent of Wiskin Sr in the good old days. Despite bowling well in the Friday and Saturday games, Tom hadn't had much return but I thought if he could keep the same shape in this game on a small ground he might get his reward. Sure enough his reward came in historic fashion as his victim, confused and frustrated by the swing he was creating, lashed at a full length ball only to sky it towards mid on. Wiskin senior was on guard and the usual wobbles under the high ball were banished as Graeme took an extra wide and sturdy stance to steady himself, being sure not to ruin the possibility of a proud family moment. One can only be grateful that Linda hadn't arrived at the ground yet, or if she had, at least wasn't watching this magical moment unfold on the field as her unbridled excitement would surely have resulted in Graeme shelling the opportunity. Graeme pouched the red nugget without hesitation and an enthusiastic celebration was enjoyed by all; Bowled Wiskin Caught Wiskin, Bowled Veal Caught Beef, Bowled Go-Cat Caught Whiskas however you want to put it, the moment is part of Chigwell history. The Axminster innings was mopped up with another wicket for Tom and the final wicket going to Brad who had replaced Nick. From a fast and furious start Axminster had been bowled out for 147 within their allotted 40 overs. With a surprisingly small target to chase and after a hearty tea was gratefully consumed, I tore up my original batting order and considered the opportunity to bat those who wouldn't normally spend too much time in the middle; accordingly Tim was joined by Brad for the opening partnership. Unfortunately Tim was soon trotting back into the clubhouse after delaying over a debatable second run in the first over, despite his nimble sprint to make up the ground he couldn't quite do it and without even breaking stride to check for the umpires decision, he knew his fate and accelerated straight over the boundary and in for an early shower. Nige strode out to the middle to replace him and doggedly hung around with Brad for another six overs, unfortunately for him without accruing a score before being skittled. Graham was next to the crease and Brad warmly accepted his next victim, er I mean partner. Despite some tutelage on clear and concise calling from Graham, Brad was guilty of ball watching on the few occasions that the ball left the square, late and confused calling ensued and a few near misses from scrambled singles were agonisingly witnessed at the boundary. Inevitably, as Graham was trying to push the run rate on, another tight single was attempted and he met his end. James was in next and I was sure that he would provide the boost to the run rate that was needed, this didn't materialise and James fell cheaply. Rob A joined Brad in the middle at a time when the score wasn't so much of a concern, however the dwindling number of wickets and overs was. Rob and Brad continued to scratch around with the odd single coming here and there but no real inroads were being made. Eventually Brad's valiant resolve came to an end as he was bowled for 30. Contributing to his score were some proper cricket shots and he did a great job; I think if one of our recognised batsmen had stuck around with him for a bit longer he could have indeed gone on and surpassed his personal best of 38. Nevertheless, well done Brad! Rob O joined Rob A with some 60-70 runs still required off around 12 overs, we were making heavy work of chasing the low total! Rob Allum admittedly batting out of position was experiencing whatever the opposite of vertigo is batting so low down the order, the dizzying effect obviously contributing to his downfall as another connoisseur of the willow fell without reaching double figures. I joined Rob O in the middle hoping to provide the steroid injection that our innings needed. Up until now we had batted poorly but in doing so hadn't really threatened our chances of a win so I was still upbeat that the victory could be secured especially with 3 wickets still in the hutch. Rob and I started steadily building towards the required 5/6 per over required to get us over the line, Rob constantly assuring me that if we stuck it out we'd be ok. Things were on target and I was trying to apply myself as per Rob's advice. With about 6 overs to go "Basher", the Axminster half centurion hero, was tossed the ball by their skipper to try and wrestle the initiative back into their favour. If his bowling was as explosive as his batting then we could have been in trouble, fortunately "Basher" became the "Bashed" as he bowled right in the preferred slot of Rob O; short and wide down leg side. Rob duly obliged and turned the first 2 balls of the over down to fine leg for four. "Basher", slightly peeved at Rob's treatment of his leg spin, decided to try a new approach for the third ball of the over; no run up. This brought immediate results as Robs off stump was pinged from the ground, fortunately for us Rob was still staring at the crease so the ball was adjudged void. Basher continued with the no run up approach, but this time Rob was on duty and normal service was resumed; the 3rd, 4th & 5th balls of the over were guided down to the fine leg boundary for 4, the only the respite to save Bashers Blushes was a dot ball on the last of his over. Consequently Rob had scythed our required total in 5 balls leaving me to edge one for 4 and VICTORY! Always good to have a win to finish off the tour and what a great tour it was. I thought the opposition teams were really friendly and hospitable and I hope the talk of re-visiting next year comes to fruition.

Well done Chaps! A Damn Good Try. (Asian away 8/6/08)

2008-06-09T15:31:00.005+01:00

An untypically glorious Sunday afternoon found us taking the scenic drive through the lower end of Walthamstow, leading to Low Hall Farm, scene many years ago of the earliest games in our earliest incarnation as Aural Sculpture. While we have moved on from the 20 over cricket we played then, the rest of the cricketing world has begun to focus more and more on the shortest (unless you count our game with South Woodford last week) form of the game. Asian were our hosts, this being the team that plays on the ground to the other side of the pavilion to the stark multi-pitched field where I cut my cricketing teeth. The ground is much more pleasant, although the pitch was not topographically flat, which was a bit worrying. The trials of getting an eleventh man were only resolved with fifteen minutes remaining until the scheduled start, Imran Ali the late volunteer. Notwithstanding this the team looked a little fragile, and with last week's debacle in mind I was dismayed to lose the toss, certain we would be inserted. Fortunately the Asian captain, Iqy, eased my pain by deciding they would bat first. Rob had arrived uncharactaristically late, falling victim to a dizzy spell just before he was due to set off, and he was clearly nowhere near the best of health. It was certainly out of the question for him to open the bowling, so Frank took the new ball at one end, with Tim supporting him at the other. Frank was a little wayward to start and was smashed for 6 when he dropped his second ball short, but after this he increasingly found his line & length and was very unfortunate to finish his (7 overs for 33) opening spell wicketless, a couple of very tough chances not quite being taken. Meanwhile Tim slotted straight into a Jimmy Anderson style swing bowling groove and claimed the wicket of Iqi, the sole league umpire raising a positive finger in response to our claim for an LBW which was dead in front, if a fair distance down the wicket. Tim bowled his eight overs straight through, he and I mindful of making sure he got some sort of rest between bowling and opening the batting later on. Rob felt well enough to bowl and replaced Frank, Zarghum replacing Tim who finished with the excellent figures of 8-2-26-3 - and the 3 were the top 3 in the batting order. Wickets began to tumble with Richard pouching 3 catches, including a stunner at mid-wicket from a long-hop from Zarghum. At best we had Asian at 120 for 7 and 131 for 8, but the crucial moment was to prove the not out decision to Jamil, who, we are certain, under-edged one to James behind the stumps. Alex heard the nick from the boundary, but the umpire was unmoved. Rob's figures then suffered a bit (final analysis 8-0-49-3) as some powerful batting saw Jamil accumulate a quick 56 before I dismissed him rather fortuitously with one that kept low, hit bat and pad and rolled onto the stumps. An annoying last wicket stand ended with a stumping to leave me with figures of 8-1-30-2 and the Asian innings closed on 180 from 38 overs. Tea was a delightful mixture of sandwiches and biryani, enjoyed picnic style by Chigs as we contemplated chasing a good total given the cloying mixture of long grass and grass clippings of which the outfield was composed. Tim and Rob were unsurprisingly asked to open, James accepting the responsibility of batting at 3. We were undeniably short of batting depth, but hopefully a good start would carry us to victory. Tim again looked the class act, but sadly the vaguaries of the pitch were to see his demise on 20, when Iqi bowled him with one that kept very low indeed. James departed shortly afterwards LBW and from that point on only Imran, apart from Rob, could manage double figures. Rob kept things ticking over, but the required rate was climbing fast and my presence at the wicket only made it worse. I frittered time away, unable to connect with virtually any shot with aggressive intent. I was finally put out of my misery by one that kept low, whereupon Richard arrived to blast 8 quick runs before he was excellently caught on the run by mid on. The game could not be won by this time, so the revised target was to add a batting point or two to our 5 bowling points. Sadly we were unable to achieve the 125 required, Rob the last man out for 58 in the 39th over, with the score on 121, or 120 as it was to become after a post-match scoring adjustment. Man of the Match: Rob for battling on despite feeling so rough.

Chigwell go West Against South Woodford 1/6/2008

2008-06-03T09:35:00.005+01:00

South Woodford once again proved too good for Chigwell in a mismatch at Old Chigs. Their "Sunday drinking weak-medium" side proved that when it comes to a description of team strength their evaluation differs significantly from our own. Having won the toss and put us in to bat they were merciless in dismissing us for 44, only easing back once we were 16 for 7. At least Brad was given the chance to build an innings and he and Frank provided the only Chigwell fun in a stand of 20 for the 9th wicket. Brad was last man out for 15. Frank took the only wicket in their reply, South Woodford passing our execrable total within 10 overs. A couple of chances went down, but it was difficult to be too cross, as it clearly didn't affect the result! Tea was consumed after the game, after which South Woodford slipped away, leaving us to debate how we go about finding an enjoyable conference fixture next time. Perhaps we will have to admit that, shorn of our best batsmen, we are weaker than weak-medium - just plain weak. Flickering away however is a small but steady flame of strength and honour, which will be nurtured over the coming week, ready to fire our hearts for the next game; Asian, and a return to our first ever venue - Low Hall Farm. Man of the match: Alex (scorer) Or Brad if he really wants it - he was certainly our best player. vice Captain Rob Allum gives a more considered and optimistic view... It was a poor result of course, but in defence of our little gang I think it was just one of those days... I walked out to the toss with Rob and the oppo skipper and having then seen the pitch close up, had we won the toss Rob would have inserted SW and things would've looked pretty different. The track was actully wet at that point, and the new ball seaming and swinging would've brought us wickets too.. and with the undeniably slow outfield I think we would have done ok by tea. It gradually dried and calmed a little so conditions would have been easier after tea, and although it's true we had a fairly weak batting line-up this week, we would have made significantly more than 44 in reply.... All in all, we didn't get the breaks - and shit happens. Silver lining is Brad and Frank had a good chance to get some time in the middle and practice for when they'll need to score the winning runs for us sometime soon - Harv got a first chance outing for his new bowling style (shame He won't be on tour to get some more overs in!) - Graham got to bowl! ...and was swinging the ball on a full length comfortingly remiscent of early days Garden CC and bodes well for a spell or two on tour. Forget ahbbadd it.

Chigwell Fall Short, Despite Glorious 123 from Tim (Stallion 11/5/2008)

2008-05-14T14:04:00.000+01:00

Our league adventures continued on 11th May with us playing hosts to Stallion. Once again I managed to arrive later than most of the team, but was able to palm a little of the blame onto Nigel, whose homemade pizza was just about to finish its spell in the oven when I called to pick him up. I won the toss and made the usual league call of fielding first. Our team had a strongish look to it and I was confident we could compete. During the week I had made the schoolboy error of failing to confirm the availability of a schoolboy - Charlie - and we were fortunate indeed that Roger was able to fill in at short notice. Adam was back in the team too, so happy days! Stallion's openers were of the normal league variety; impressively powerful hitters. This type of batsman seems to enjoy the pace that Dom generates, and once again Dom was unceremoniously carted. After 5 overs the score was on 49, 43 of them from Dom�??s 3 overs. Roger meanwhile was proving more difficult to get away. He saw both batsmen dropped off chances that would normally be taken (except the one I dropped, which was virtually impossible!). In Roger's third over A. Rahman was pinned in front and, to Chigwell's immense relief, his gun-slinging partner, B. Mehmood, was bowled by the same bowler in his fourth over. By now Nick had taken over from Dom and was no doubt delighted to have more restrained batsmen at whom to bowl. Roger bowled through his eight overs, his final analysis 2 for 25 even better than it looks. I bowled in tandem with Nick for a while and things were relatively quiet. In my first over Adam executed a superb run out, hitting the stumps from the boundary to leave K. Shazad stranded. Nick trapped W. Ahmed plumb in front in the next over and the score was 101 for 4 in the 19th over. The next two wickets to fall were both good catches by Nick on the boundary, both from my bowling - thanks Nick! Brad and Frank were tried, but neither seemed to give the batsmen much trouble and the run rate picked up as Stallion approached the last quarter of their innings. F. Shazad batted well and made sure their good start didn't go to waste, surviving one difficult chance to Nick off Brad's bowling. Dom returned to bowl his remaining five overs and finally dispatched him for 65 crucial runs. Rob A only got to bowl 3 overs (1 for 16), and as the innings finished on 250 for 9 I had to confess that perhaps I should have given him a full 8 overs. Nigel's reheated pizza was the star of another improved tea, after which Rob A and Tim M girded their loins and strode out to the pitch knowing we needed 6.25 per over to force a win. Whilst not achieving the pyrotechnics of the opening of the Stallion innings the Chigwell openers made an encouraging start, Rob scoring a good 18 before trying to force the pace and edging one behind. Tim, joined by Adam, began to ease through the gears and the second wicket pair added 87 before an untimely run out saw Adam return to the hutch, 30 to his name. Roger was rather unfortunately given out LBW first ball, and the innings was in danger of petering out... but not with Tim at the crease! He had now reached top gear, and was going into overdrive. We needed more than ten per over from the last seven, but when one over went for 20 it looked possible�?� Sadly it was not to be. Tim departed for 123, a second successive league century, another innings full of grace and power. He'd added a little Pietersen to his Gower of the previous knock, and one and all applauded him loud and long as he joined the throng outside the pavilion to see if the lower order could bring the win home. No. I was out first ball and those behind me crumbled, our last five wickets going for ten runs. The crowd were still in good humour as the game ended with Chigwell 37 runs short, players and spectators alike agreeing that it was a fine game of cricket. What our total might have been without Tim I shudder to think, but at least we are proving that we can compete in this league, and that we can have fun in it too. Mitz of the match: Man!

Draw Draw, Not War War (Hadley Wood Green 4/5/2008)

2008-05-08T09:30:00.002+01:00

Having told the team to assemble at 1.00pm for sight screen duty, I arrived at 1.30pm to genial and well deserved abuse. I trotted into the changing room after handing over the cable ties to a band of trusty men, who headed across the pitch to the rusty sight screen, thankfully already roughly in place at the plum end. In the time it took for me to hop into my kangas the sheet had been fixed wrongly to the frame of the sight screen, it requiring my attendance and superb management skills to detach it and rotate it through 90 degrees. Thereafter in a trice the grey-screen was fit for service. Next task, duly accomplished was to win the toss. Tradition has it that in this fixture it is always wise to field first, but despite the risk of being unable to bowl the opposition out later on I chose to bat, thinking us the stronger team. Dan, the HWG skipper, was pleased to get his preferred option without having to win the toss. Harvey was not keen to open, so in the absence of Rob, I promoted Nick to join John as opening pair. The innings started as I sped to Mace in Chigwell to buy a battery for the match clock. It soon became apparent that Hadley Wood were a little under-strength, and their bowling was a bit limited. Nick and John settled in, but the slow pitch and mostly slow bowling didn't make it easy for them to score quickly. After 20 overs we had 71 for 0 on the board and really needed to kick on. John grew unhappy with his bat and called for a replacement. I risked him using my blade, but after finding the middle with his first two shots it betrayed him and he spooned one to Jim Wallace at cover and was out for 42. Nigel had been promoted to number three and he didn't disappoint, soon overtaking a frustrated Nick. It was during this partnership that a delighted crowd witnessed an all run 6, which must have had the batsmen puffing! Eventually Nigel perished for 42, with the score on 139. Charlie took his place, but with so little pace on the ball he too struggled to score quickly. The opening bowler returned, which seemed to suit Nick for a short time, two boundaries lifting his score to 43 before one sneaked through his defence and toppled the timber. Harvey joined Charlie and kept things ticking along, but after 40 overs we had only 173 on the board, which I felt was way below what we might have expected given the gentle attack. On 22 Charlie holed out to square leg and departed with his usual good grace. James and Harv had taken it to 217 from 47 overs when James was bowled for 19, at which point I declared the innings closed. Harv finished unbeaten on 25, having shrewdly picked out the same fielder with successive pulls for successive drops. Tea was supplemented by gratefully received contributions from Richard (scones with cream and jam), Linda (fruit cake) and Nigel (spicy noodles) and for the first time in Old Chig's history drew compliments from the opposition. Perhaps it was the excellence of the scoff that led to a 30 minute tea break which deprived us of ten minutes in the field, which may in the end have made a difference to the result. Mike Davey never seems to fail against us, but he and his partner Mr. Bolt showed little urgency to attack the total set, although that wasn't easy with Dom firing on all cylinders, and Frank keeping it tight at the other end. The lack of ambition, driven apparently by poor totals in their previous fixtures, soon made the game unwinable for HWG and by the time Brad took the first wicket we were in the 22nd over with a paltry 34 on the board. The Chigwell bowlers couldn't get past the stonewalling, and instead merely improved their economy rates. Mike fell in the 32nd over for 39 runs, my arm ball hitting the stumps. Towards the end of the innings the prodigious spin I was finding started to make inroads, but it was too little too late. Dan was sent on his way thanks to a superb catch at slip by Dom, and James completed two more stumpings to add to his earlier one off Brad. The HWG innings closed on 103 for 6 from 45 overs. I finished with 5 for 21, which was a source of slightly muted pleasure for me, given the game overall had been rather dull. But never mind! Alex, back to Old Chig's for the first time since the disturbing events of last summer supplied a couple of jugs courtesy of his mother, which was a great gesture, greedily consumed. James bought another following his 3 stumpings, and mine for 5 wickets was held over until next week - honest! Man of the match? Nigel for a good pacy knock when it was badly needed.

An Epping good win for Chigwell 27/4/2008

2008-04-29T11:42:00.003+01:00

27th April 2008 marked an historic day in the history of Chigwell Cricket Club as we chalked up our first league win. (The previous week was no less historic for being our first league fixture, but as we were soundly spanked on that occasion, a lot less enjoyable). We had a strong looking team, which made looking at the weather forecasts through the week more painful than normal, as they were unremittingly awful. It was only on Sunday morning that they began to change, and suggest there was a chance that at least some play was possible. Various members faced with long journeys contacted me to try to avoid a potentially pointless trip, but the rain held off until we all arrived, at which point it decided to get going. The weather radar at the Met. Office had predicted that the rain would be short-lived, and by golly, for once, they were right! No heavy shower was going to prevent our planned fielding practise and we went through our paces, mindful of how poor catching had stymied a good start last week. The umpires set a start time of 2:15 and I planned our strategy, based mainly around fielding first. When the coin landed the wrong way up I feared the worst as Epping decided to let us bat. Now I know I have always preferred bowling first, even in friendlies, but the league rules really do seem to favour that strategy, especially if the game loses any time to the weather, which was a distinct possibility. On the other hand, in our previous two games we bowled first, conceded a large total, and failed with the bat, so perhaps losing the toss wouldn't be too bad�?�. A lot depended on us getting off to a reasonable start, and that task fell to Rob and Tim. It wasn't long before hope started to rise, both openers looking comfortable at the crease. They did a great job of keeping the scoreboard moving, mixing the odd boundary with smart running. It's not always possible to achieve, but it gives the whole innings momentum when we don't stall at the start - particularly in a 40 over game. Rob fell LBW, a tight looking decision, but one more likely to be given by a neutral umpire than the batsman's team-mate we would normally have standing in a friendly. The score at this stage was 39, Tim doing the majority of the scoring. John joined him at the crease and was happy to play a supporting role to the star turn that Tim's innings was becoming. Tim batted beautifully. I remember his big ton against North Park on the postage stamp at Woodford Wells, but this innings eclipsed even that as he combined touch, timing and power, batting like a latter-day right-handed David Gower, to bring up a majestic century to the delight of his team-mates. Eventually he was to fall - to a mistimed pull shot �?? in the 30th over for 113, with the score on 154. Many of the opposition made a point of shaking his hand as he left the field, and of course the congratulations from his team mates knew no bounds - or not many anyway. The batting order was re-jigged and the more powerful stroke players were sent in. John had to retire from the fray with a pulled calf muscle and James, Oli, Dom, me and Nick did our best to keep the runs flowing. We finished on 210 for 5, a very respectable total, but with only 56 coming in the last 10 overs perhaps fewer than it might have been. A proper quality league tea was scoffed by all as I considered my bowling options. John was unable to take the field but fortunately Charlie had been brought along to watch, and was willing to take the role of substitute fielder. The plan was for Dom's searing pace and Rob's nagging accuracy to leave Epping well behind the run rate, taking a couple of wickets or so along the way, leaving it clear for the rest of the bowlers to finish things off. I had been reckoning without the clean hitting of an outstanding opening partnership for Epping. Mr. Whiting showed particularly aggressive intent, while Mr. Singh was not too shabby either. Four overs into the innings and the score was 31 for 0. Dom had gone for 23 in 2 overs and I had no choice but to try plan B �?? take the pace off the ball�?� Nick had expressed a preference for the other end, so I replaced Dom, while Rob persevered at the other. The partnership continued apace, and now what seemed like crucial chances were being dropped. At 100 for 0 from 13 overs the game was disappearing fast, and all Tim's great work with the bat seemed wasted. The team was sick and needed a doctor. Enter Nick. His first over saw the first wicket, as J. Whiting missed with his swipe and was well stumped by Paul. "OK, let�??s turn this juggernaut around" said Dom. "OK, this is where it starts" said I. We�??ve both seen the "Chigwell Burn" before and memories of miraculous comebacks against W.G. Gracefully, Brighton Beamers and Gidea Park & Romford dared to creep into my mind. Next over from Nick and suddenly Mr. Singh was gone, falling to a great catch, held millimetres from the turf by James diving forward at mid on. The juggernaut was slowing. While I toiled through the rest of my spell and gave way to Brad, Nick claimed wicket number three, Tony Clarke raising the finger to a confident LBW shout. Nick�??s fourth over was merely a maiden, but he made up for it with two wickets in his next over, another LBW and a dollied catch to James off a full toss, J. Newman departing first ball. In the excitement I didn't even think to bring the field up for the hat-trick ball, although my mind wasn't too confused to realise that Nick now had 5 wickets in as many overs, and would be buying beer for us. By the end of his allotted 8 overs he had claimed another victim and his figures read 8-2-21-6. An outstanding, astonishing performance. The juggernaut was now partway down the exit slip-road, approaching junction 27. Young Mr. Tatlow and Mr. Butt now began to dig in, and from 144 for 6 the score inched forwards, there still being plenty of time for the Epps to win the game. Brad, Frank and Rob were unable to break through, but thanks to the earlier (forced) decision to take Dom out of the attack we still had 6 overs of something fiery to offer and before long Tatlow's patient vigil was brought to an end as leather missed willow, and hit ash. 182 for 7, with 7 overs to go. The satellite navigation system in the juggernaut was giving unclear directions: "Rejoin Northbound for Epping�?� take the Southbound exit for Chigwell�?�" And then, in Dom's next over, came the moment. 199 for 7 became 199 for 8 following a concerted and upheld appeal for LBW�?� and we had won! Bit of a surprise to hear that Epping had not found an eleventh man, and that one of the original 10 had had to leave early due to illness in the family; I hope it was nothing serious. So victory to Chigwell, joyously celebrated by all twelve Chigwell players, together with Owen and Nigel, who had nobly arrived to support us. Team pictures were organised, once Tim had been dragged from the toilet, and after showers, jugs and laughter filled the Epping air, while the older members thought of how far we'd come from the days of Low Hall Farm. And the juggernaut? I can't be bothered to pursue that tortured metaphor anymore. Come to think of it Dom might have said "OK, let�??s turn this tanker around"�?� Men of the match: Tim Mitzman and Nick Allum. Never was finer service given in the pursuit of strength and honour.

First League Win!

2008-04-28T00:02:00.003+01:00

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud (South Loughton 13/4/2008)

2008-04-18T13:40:00.006+01:00

Chigwell and South Loughton's pitch were the losers as twenty-two determined men ignored all good sense and saw through a bizarre game of cricket. "Oh boy!" we thought as the morning showers made way for a brightish start to the season opener. South Loughton won the toss and wisely decided to bat first, the odds being that the game might not go the distance. The openers hung around for quite a while, but scored at a modest pace, the slow pitch and outfield seemingly not conducive to an aggressive approach. Although it had started bright enough one of the heavy showers promised soon arrived, and the teams left the field as heavy hail began to sting their faces. No one seemed keen to call the match off, so shortly after the rain stopped the still intact opening pair took to the field, followed by the umpires clutching a decidedly small looking bag of sawdust. Brad and Nick bowled extremely well in their spells which spanned the hail-break. Nick bowled through his eight overs for a mere 15 runs, and saw his brother drop a tricky running chance into the bargain [It was a dolly - Ed.]. Brad went for just ten in his first five overs and took a wicket, our first of the season when Mr. Farthing misjudged a full toss, skying it to Nigel, whose safe hands held a fine catch, which was the icing on the cake of his dedicated fielding. Brad's sixth over cost as many as his previous five, and it was clear that having preserved wickets in hand South Loughton were now poised to attack. I continued the wicket taking trend in inducing a top edge from a full toss, James holding on well at square leg. The South African middle order, and in particular Mr. Obendaal drove the score upwards. He hit five 6's and no 4's, which showed how hard it was to score with ground shots, the wetness compounded by the lush outfield, mysteriously longer than the grass beyond the boundary. Frank eventually dismissed the doughty Mr. Henman for 56 with, yes, a full toss - this one dipping just enough to clip the top of leg stump as Frank stifled an apology. In the last over I broke the trend by bowling the number 5 with one that pitched! The innings finished on 184, a fine total given the conditions. Tea was well timed as the heavens re-opened and it looked extremely unlikely that play would resume. Sadly for Chigwell's dignity the sky became less grey, while the pitch was becoming Les Gray, plus all the other members of Mud. We batted poorly, for sure, but the conditions were ludicrous. The area around the crease was awash, and foot movement, usually such a vital component of a batsman's skill, became unwise, it serving only to cause skidding and destabilisation. We probably needed tiger feet rather than spikes to bat properly on that. Suffice to say we were all out for 63, extras top scoring with 17, me next with 16. Was it worth it? Just about in that it was good practice in the field, and great to see some of the non-netting faces again. So; onward and upward to league cricket. We will need a lot of strength and honour for that!

Borrowed Seamer Stitches up West Essex 9/9/2007

2007-09-11T11:23:00.000+01:00

West Essex 9/9/2007 It was a shame for the batsmen that I failed to win the toss, as I would have batted first. Colin the West Essex skipper elected to instead and I envisaged a difficult few hours chasing the ball over the sizable outfield. I had reckoned without Roger Braithwaite, a guest from F&H, who wiped out 4 of the top 6 in an aggressive spell yielding only 12 runs in 6 overs. Rob pinned the aggressive opener, A. Ali, LBW just when it looked like he might smash a very quick and large score. After that things were always under our control and I was happy to spread the bowling around as West Essex recovered to 119 all out from being 68 for 8. John's impressive double growl appeal secured a positive LBW decision against 80 year old Stan to close the innings. After another tea that put Old Chigs to shame, we addressed the task of scoring 120 in a maximum of 38 overs to win. No need for rushing, but Daree is a pinch-hitter and so is Richard, and both found the pitch unsuitable for such methods, particularly Richard who got a straight on that didn't bounce much. Enter James who played a great knock, his partnership with Rob realising 100 runs to win the game. The Uzi was certainly firing and James used it sublimely to score 60, even having the nous to pick out 80 year old Stan for the one chance he offered. We won by 7 wickets with 13.3 overs to spare. Rob finished on 37 not out, a well judged anchor role given the low total required. After the game Rob Allum was presented with the president's cup, which he won last season. The absence of a club dinner robbed him of a more formal presentation, but his sheer weight of runs and excellence at catching, not to mention his parsimony with the ball made him a deserving winner.

GPR Settle for Draw after BGC Ton 2/9/2007

2007-09-03T11:22:00.000+01:00

Gidea Park & Romford 2/9/2007 A decent batting line up, so I decided, on winning the toss to bat first (for once). John and Rob faced a decent opening attack, and with John's favourite spot at backward point astutely blocked after one crashing boundary a slow but steady start was made. After 19 overs John fell for 28 with the score on 60 and Rob was joined by DaRee, our Caribbean guest. After a period of trying to swing Nigel's railway sleeper DaRee called for a lighter bat, and reluctantly I had to proffer my own underused blade. So mixed feelings for me as the scoring rate suddenly exploded. From 73 for 1 off 25 overs we eventually reached 245 for 3 in 42 overs, taking 2 hours 50 mins. Rob finished on 122 not out, Daree smashed a brutal 58, with a short break mid-innings when he felt unwell. It was a superb century by Rob, who more than made up for a careful start by smashing 4 sixes and numerous fours towards the end of his knock. Some GPR players felt we had gone on too long, but I was keen to exceed last years total which brought us a draw with the scores level in a game we had looked like losing. With Rob having batted through our innings I couldn't really open with him, and with Adam carrying an injury and Zarghum fresh back from a 2 month holiday, our opening attack lacked penetration. Zarg did take a wicket eventually, but only 3 wickets were to fall in total as GPR initially raced away, then inexplicably stopped trying to win, ending up only 20 or so short of our total. Their opener scored a century too, 121 not out, but refused numerous singles and went through a long period of not attempting any aggressive shots. We bowled 42 overs, which was the same number as we had received; an asking rate of 5.88 per over, which is not excessive on that flat track. Still, at least we didn't offer them the draw...

Wanstead Haven't the Heart to See it Through 26/8/2007

2007-08-29T11:18:00.000+01:00

Wanstead 26/8/2007 Won the toss and inserted Wanstead on the grounds that they were likely to be a stronger team than us. This proved to be an unpopular choice with some. I'm not sure if their score of 271 for 8 after 2 and three-quarters hours made it a wise call or not. I took 4 wickets, which ameliorated my boredom if no one else's. In reply we faltered badly at the start of the innings, which soon left us with no chance whatsoever of winning the game, so we had a bit of fun - Harv scoring 31 not out - until Wanstead grew bored and offered us the draw with 4 overs to go and 6 wickets down! I've never seen that before, but a very Wanstead move. It caused dismay and dis-harmony in our dressing room, Nick upset that Harvey had accepted the offer. I don't think Harvey was at fault excepting that he should really have consulted Nick as his batting partner, however if repeated in any future game, I think the offer should be rejected as a matter of principle. So Bore draw...

Chigwell dazzle in the drizzle (Hainault & Clayhall at Home 19/8/07)

2007-08-22T10:32:00.000+01:00

The prospects were not good. Heavy rain overnight showed no sign of relenting, although the forecast had been for showers, albeit prolonged and heavy. After a typically late Sunday breakfast I toddled down to Old Chigs to survey the damage. The rain grudgingly stopped as I arrived and with the possibility of Jim cutting a strip near the higher and drier end of the square, I took the decision to "give it a go". The unlikeliness of any play had had its effect on the team. Owen had completed a monopoly board pub-crawl - 26 pints from Mayfair to Whitechapel (he missed Old Kent Road). This led him to text James on Saturday night saying he would be in no fit state for Sunday, and that he was "on a promise". Sadly for Owen his excessive consumption of alcohol made whoever it was withdraw this promise; no doubt Owen would have asked if he should stop touching her at that point. Meanwhile Dom, the ex-bun butterer, having completed the sale of his and Tilly's café, led the normally retiring Tim M wildly astray, until they eventually crashed at 6.00am, confident that the rain had ensured Sunday would be cricket free. How they must have enjoyed my text at 11.30 advising them that we were still going to play! At least they made it, albeit on the cusp of lateness, a feat not attempted by the Hairy Love Monster. I won the toss and after wide consultation decided to bowl. The pitch was damp, but actually held up pretty well considering; the bounce was generally consistent and there was no extravagant lateral movement. A rather ashen Dom opened the attack, Adam firing the bullets at the other end. A brave but mis-timed pull by the H&C opener, E. Alexander, soon brought the first wicket, Charlie comfortably catching him at mid on. This was Dom's first wicket, but despite his usual classy bowling no more came for him in this spell. M. Shinn, the number three bat, showed attacking intent, but picked out Tim with a slap to extra-cover, to give Adam a wicket. The classiest looking batsman was undoubtedly the number 4, F. Alexander. He played some lovely shots and looked good enough to take the game way from us, but thankfully on 25 he decided to advance down the wicket to Mitz, yorked himself, and was bowled. Rob A replaced Dom at the plum end, but for once went unrewarded for his efforts. The day before he had claimed 6 wickets for a single run (which he claims was actually an unsignalled leg bye) when playing for the F&H thirds, so his wicketlessness came as a bit of a surprise. Even more surprising was the fact that Nick wasn't given a bowl, instead Brad and Charlie in tandem claimed 2 wickets apiece. Brad broke a blossoming relationship between the remaining opener, B. Hoskins, and P. Shinn, the latter caught by me at mid off when I dived forwards and just got my fingers under the ball. Two steps forward when the ball was in flight might have made it easier! Brad's other wicket was B. Hoskins, finally departing for 39, caught behind by James. He nobly walked, (it's good to walk), although the umpire was in the throes of turning the appeal down. Lucky he went or there might have been an eruption. Charlie's first wicket was from his first ball, a wide one outside off. S. Glasse did extremely well to reach it at all, and again prevented a lot of controversy by walking, the umpire mysteriously claiming that he had called a wide before the batsman hit it! A routine stumping for James secured Charlie's second wicket and H&C stood at 103 for 7. A period of quiet cricket followed as a necessary reconstruction was attempted by our opponents. I replaced Brad, but proved ineffectual and by the standards of the innings, expensive. Fearing they might extend the innings to compensate for the low score I brought back Dom and Mitz, who efficiently polished off the innings . Mitz bowled Mike, their skipper for a hard earned 22, and Dom took the last two wickets, the batsmen by then trying to hit every ball. U. Shafiq tried tracking him, but sent a catch to me at mid off. The innings closed courtesy of a fine catch by Nick at third man off a skied slash outside off stump by D. Austrey, who had also grafted well for 22 runs. Nick's catch rounded off a much improved display in the field; hopefully this improvement will be sustained until the end of the season. We experienced a really dreadful tea - it has become so embarrassing to have to ask for £35 from the opposition for the dried unimaginative excuse for decent tuck; we will have to raise this issue - again - with our landlords. An all Allum opening pair were first to reply for Chigwell. Nick having missed out on a bowl was delighted to receive the ball of the day, which uprooted his off stump; at least I think he was, as he thanked me profusely on his return to the gallery. Enter Richard, and the entertainment commenced. An innings which combined swish and swashbuckle, interesting buttock swaying (avoiding the leg side deliveries) and exquisite hand eye co-ordination, produced six fours and a glorious 6 before he was caught at deep mid on. He had scored 35 by then, and had entertained us all royally. James was unable to match this feat and perished caught & bowled attempting a back foot force. Rob had assumed the anchor role and was happy to see Tim arrive at the crease. Despite Rob taking the majority of the strike for the early part of his innings Tim went through the gears and chalked up an imperious 50 before Rob made an unfortunate call and ran him out. By this time however the game was up, and Adam and Rob finished things off without further drama - except a slight confusion as to the point at which the H&C score had been exceeded, which resulted in us facing one more delivery than was strictly necessary. Rob finished on 39 not out. The innings closed with some 14 or 15 overs to spare in a persistent drizzle, which rather dampened the victory celebrations. A fine team performance by ten man Chigwell, and a victory by 6 wickets. Richard's innings was superb, but man of the match goes to Tim for his 2 wickets, his catch and his excellent half century.

Chigwell Crawl, Three Caps Soar (Home 12/8/2007)

2007-08-15T10:54:00.000+01:00

Paul asked me how we did against Three Caps on Sunday 12th August. This was my reply... Terribly! I think our performances are steadily declining, and there was a definite defeatist feel to the aftermath. We need to bounce back and quickly from this mire, and I hope to begin that process next Sunday. We did score 190, but it took 3 hours �?? albeit only 42 overs were bowled in that time. Three Caps won by 9 wickets and no catches were taken. A series of what transpired to be duff decisions by me as captain didn�??t help either �?? especially not bowling Adam enough, which will be corrected next time�?�

That will have to serve as the match report - It's always great to play cricket, but some games are best forgotten.

Hey-Ho Me Cricket! Woodford Green is the Place....29/7/2007

2007-07-31T11:52:00.000+01:00

After all our years of local cricketing endeavour we finally got to play on the oldest cricket ground still being used when Woodford Green CC welcomed us to their historic home. A cricket field since 1735 the venue will have seen few more comprehensive victories than our 9 wicket win, and not many more frustrated batsmen than Richard, the Chigwell number 4 who never got to build on his swashbuckling effort of the previous week. The suggested early arrival for fielding practice never quite materialised, leaving Frank and I to make the most of the opportunity to fling the practice ball about, and bruise each other's hands. Unsure of the standard of the opposition and the reliability of the pitch, I won the toss and chose to field. We were rather short of batting, and were down to ten men as Imran had called at one o'clock to report a hamstring injury, suffered that morning playing football (vile game!). I planned to give Rob a fairly short spell as opener, supported by Frank at the other end, but Rob bowled well and justified his 10 overs. Frank was unlucky in that he continually bowled to the more aggressive batsman, who swiped a couple of sixes over the short offside boundary. He might have holed out had I placed myself right on the boundary rather than 10 yards in, or if I were a few inches taller. Alan the Woodford Green skipper perished to a catch at slip by me, a real rarity, and the result of canny planning by Rob. With the ball and the conditions right for swing bowling, Ritchie replaced Frank, and caused problems straight away. It took a while for the second wicket to fall however, and the score had progressed fairly rapidly into the eighties before the BGC finally got to bowl to the aggressor, who almost immediately fell to a well taken return catch. This wicket seemed to break open the floodgates and Chigwell began to claim regular victims. Rob finished his 10 over spell with 3 wickets for 27 runs. Ritchie claimed two victims, the second a superb piece of work by James to stump an overbalancing batsman. Brad bowled an economic 5 overs for 16 runs, his one wicket (a smart slip catch by Rob) prompting Monty Panesar like celebrations. He was unfortunate to be taken out of the attack, but I figured the pitch looked good for spin, and the slope meant that Nick had to have that end. Nick probably didn't bowl at his best, a few short ones being dispatched to the square leg boundary, but he did claim the important wicket of the Woodford Green number three, who through the carnage, had racked up a respectable 77. He was bowled, beaten in the fight by a floated delivery. Having seen each of my previous two overs - one bowled to Joe Rudkin and one to Graham Hancock - dispatched for 20 runs each, I was delighted to find a responsive pitch and less talented batsmen when I started my spell. The innings ended with me taking successive wickets, one with a long-hop (LBW) and one with a ball that was so wide the umpire still signalled it despite the batsman somehow managing to hit it back to me for a caught and bowled. The umpire changed his signal and the innings closed on 161 - a good recovery by the Chigs, and a distinctly gettable total. In the end it was a very comfortable Chigwell innings, Rob and Adam putting on a stand of 133 for the first wicket. Adam true to form was the more cautious of the pair, but eventually was out for 46. Rob progressed to 87 not out at the close, with James, the only other Chigwellian given the chance to bat, making a comfortable 14, including the winning hit for four. Woodford Green were amiable hosts, and a few beers were sunk in very good company. A good performance from the ten man Chigwell team; most catches were held and the bowlers exploited the conditions well. Man of the match: Rob Allum - 87 not out, 3 wickets for 27 and 2 catches...

Adam the Rock as Chigwell Stodge a Draw (Coopersale Away 22/7/2007)

2007-07-24T12:25:00.000+01:00

A nice day, but the game was rather poor due mainly to the "village rules" that removed 30 minutes from the game and discouraged a sensible declaration from Coopersale. Village rules mean that the first side bats for 2 hours 30 mins, the second side gets an hour and then "the last hour" - almost invariably 20 overs - to bat. I suppose it is possible for the first side to declare, but that doesn't usually happen, so whereas a side getting to 250 by, say, 4.30 in a normal timed game would declare early and have longer to get the wickets, Coopersale had only 36 overs to get us out, and were unable to open up the game sufficiently to keep us interested�?� We were set 246 to win, and once we had made a slow start we clearly had no chance of winning, and stodged it out. Graham Hancock wasn�??t best pleased with our game plan, but what can you do when it's impossible to win? It was a bit like the good old days of Coopersale, when the team seemed to be totally dependant on GH - just as well he isn't quite fit to bowl or he might have added a few wickets to his 91 off not many balls, including 20 off the only over I bowled. He did have support from Coopersale's number three, who had set the ball rolling earlier with a meaty slogging session, surviving at least two presentable chances which were shelled by Richard and myself. Indeed our fielding was generally poor, and we really are capable of much better. Perhaps we should arrive early for the Woodford Green game and practice. Notable Chigwell performances came from Richard, who was given free rein, and used it to smash 36 runs, and Adam, who despite cat-calls from the boundary urging a more aggressive approach, followed the captain's preferred route and left the wide ones, of which there were many. Adam was finally out seeking 9 runs from the last over to get to 50. Nick and I consolidated our averages and we finished on 179 for 7. We enjoyed the warm hospitality of Coopersale, and the cold lager of their fridge, whilst mulling over the rather inadequate nature of the day's cricket. Still, after all the games we have lost to the weather this summer it was a pleasure simply to take to the field. Man of the match: Adam Peters, our new member!

Hadley Wood Grin - Then Groan (10/7/2007)

2007-07-12T11:22:00.000+01:00

T'was a happy band of Chigsters who arrived in sunshine at the Hadley Wood Cricketing Arena. Everyone was on time and all were eager to make up for the loss of our previous two fixtures to the June Monsoons. I won the toss and reverted to type - bowl first. HWG are notoriously difficult to bowl out, so I considered our best chance of winning was to chase a score, not wickets. Considering the weather of the previous 3 weeks the pitch looked pretty good too. Mike Davey and Jim Wallace opened the batting with Zarghum and Adam Peters having first go with the ball. Both bowled well, with Adam in particular finding a degree of swing and the edge of the bat several times. Jim seemed to be living a charmed life as the ball whistled through the slip/gulley area on several occasions, but never to a fielder. The HWG openers scored at a reasonable rate, a run a minute for the first hour, until eventually Mike's wicket fell, bowled by a corker from Richard "scar face" Hannan in the middle of a decent spell. Jim, having ridden his luck, made the most of his opportunity and took his score beyond 50. Mike De Villiers, aka (to us) Cruella, batted steadily but never quite got going. Pete claimed his wicket in the end, Nigel pouching the first of two catches which helped to make up for his earlier drop. There followed a productive spell for Chigwell as wickets fell and runs were scored slowly. Brad had Jim caught at gully for 70, while Dan, HWG skipper went for a duck, unable to cope with the drift and turn of his Chigwell counterpart. I finished with 3 for 19 from 9 overs, which was flattering, but I'll take it! The tonk was on for the last few overs; HWG clearly had a target of 200 in mind and declared on that score. Some Chigwellians thought the innings had gone on an over or two too long, but subsequent events made Dan's decision seem justified. The usual fine tea was scoffed, and we contemplated scoring 201 in about 40 overs. "Five an over, we can do that..." was the vibe of the eager Chigwell leather-beaters. Before long however victory seemed extremely unlikely; John departed to the first ball of the innings, Mr. Turner doing his stuff as usual. Rob A followed, out to an ugly swipe across the line. A short innings for the BCG, and I'd not asked him to bowl either, so an unusually quiet game for him. Nigel followed for a duck and the score was 14 for 3. We'd been here before! The fourth wicket pair was Adam and James, a lot rested on their shoulders. They bore the weight superbly and gradually but unmistakably the balance of power began to shift. Both posted half centuries in a stand of 108, it taking a marvellous piece of fielding by MDV to end the partnership, Adam run out for 60. 122 for 4 became 122 for 5 when Pete joined John and Nigel in the duck pond. The run rate was still at 5 an over thanks to Adam and James, and as I joined James we felt positive about our chances. To my relief I found that the ball seemed to be finding the middle of the bat, and that the bowling offered sufficient opportunity to score at the required rate. Dave Turner returned and I did find that he was reasonably quick, and could indeed move the ball, one or two jaffas seaming away from my groping edge. James mixed prudence with bludgeonry, while we both survived the odd chance that, if taken, might have exposed our tail, although I think we had enough talent in that tail to finish the job. So it came to pass that we needed 3 more runs to win from 3 overs and one ball. I saw that one ball out with a strange nothingy shot, but as the field changed the thought occurred to me for the first time that James might be within reach of his century. He struck the first ball of the antepenultimate over through wide mid-off; we ran hard, wanting to finish the game on that delivery. We thought the excited shouts from the boundary were solely in anticipation of our excellent victory, but no! They were also in celebration of James registering his 3rd Century for the club - 101 not out; a really fine innings, and a matching winning effort. I scored 33 in our unbroken stand of 79 for the sixth wicket, captain and vice-captain bringing home the bacon. So the mood was jolly as we exposed our pants to the Hadley Wood air, changing back into our civvies on the outfield. Nobody could quite be bothered to shower at the tennis club where we go for drinks after the match, so we were home, but not hosed on this occasion. Hadley Wood were gracious hosts as always. A pleasant bottle of beer or two were quaffed, many as part of James "jug", which must have been expensive. I only hope being awarded man of the match for his dazzling ton helps compensate him.

CX n.o. for FCC (Woodford Green 10/6/07)

2007-06-14T11:18:00.000+01:00

Woodford Green at home (of course) on 10th June 2007. A fixture that will live long in the memory of the most excellent Mr John Clifford, for it was this game where he scored his first ever century; a magnificent innings of timing and subtle touches on his favourite old Chigwellians pitch. Alan of Woodford Green surprised me when, on winning the toss on a warm summer's afternoon, he chose to field first. I was relieved not to have to face the irritation of the Chigwell troops, but aware that this reflected a lack of confidence on the part of Alan. Next step was to decide on a batting order, the side replete with talented willow-wielders. After much consideration I gave the openers' slots to Rob A and John. Rob had performed well on difficult pitches and deserved a crack at an innings on the Old Chigs shirt-front; John had had no luck so far this season, but has been batting well and similarly deserved his opportunity. Of course I could have made a case for Alex, Harvey, James, Oli or Nick too, but that's captaincy for you. I was not disappointed with my choice. Rob and John settled in, then tucked in to the bowling. The odd ball bounced a bit early on, but with this storm weathered, and a very difficult chance off John to backward square survived, progress become smooth. A century stand was achieved by the 24th over, and half-centuries were soon posted by each partner, Rob winning the race by an over or so. On 57 Rob fell to a juggled catch at square-leg having picked out the fielder with a well hit pull. 129 for the first wicket was an encouraging start! Harvey entered the dance-floor and looked pretty good, especially his straight six, a beauty into the car park. While he was whistling his way to 37 in 27 balls, John was retaining his composure and continuing to accumulate quality runs. The 55 run stand for the second wicket ended with Harvey sending another attempted heave high into the air, to be taken by the keeper. Alex took the bull by the horns and continued the assault, scoring 10 off 5 balls before hitting one in the air to mid-off, the third wicket falling on 200. As Oli joined John in the combat zone, all thoughts on the boundary turned to the possibility of a ton for John. It seemed likely as the now mud-streaked opener (he had dived to avoid a run out a little earlier) was showing no signs of fatigue, and seeing the ball like an over-inflated fluorescent football. As the moment neared the comrades around the scorebook prepared to acclaim their hero, but John, apparently, was unaware of how close he was. When he pushed the single that took him to three figures he had to ask Rob, the bowler's end umpire why we were all cheering. "That's it mate - that's your ton!" exclaimed Rob. John sank to the ground at first. We thought he might kiss the Old Chigs turf, but after holding his arms and bat aloft he rose and leapt on Rob clinging koala-like to the BGC for what seemed like minutes. What I didn't realise at the time was that this was not just his first century for Chigwell, but his first century for anybody! Hard to believe, given his talent, but there you are: a life ambition achieved, and in such style. The innings closed on 253 for 3, Oli hitting 24 in no time, including 5 boundaries. A powerful batting display from the team, with plenty in the tank, lets keep it up for the rest of the season! It was certainly a long way from the nadir of our batting performance at Broxbourne! The quality of the tea at Old Chigs seems to have improved a little too, thankfully. The teams took their time over eating it and the benefit of a slightly early declaration was squandered. Ultimately the second innings was an anti-climax, with Chigwell unable to extract 10 wickets from the Old Chigs feather-bed. Tim Hall opened the bowling, with me at the other end. We tried to keep Woodford Green interested, but they never really got near the rate. Brad and Nick bowled well, Brad taking a wicket thanks to another stupendous catch at slip by Rob, Nick taking 3 after an early struggle to find his length. In all 5 wickets fell and the game petered out. But what did that matter as we sat supping from the jugs of John and Rob, watching the sun set over the Buckhurst Hill horizon? John had achieved his ambition, and now he revealed his next; for Chigwell to appear in the village cup final at Lords! Might need a bit of work that one... Man of the Match.... Rob Allum for his unstinting support of John during his celebrations. Oh, all right then - John, obviously, 110 not out!

Not a Winning Draw, not a Losing Draw, but a Drawing Draw. (Ingatestone 3/6/2007)

2007-06-07T09:41:00.000+01:00

A glorious summer's day provided the canvas on which was painted the most sporting of drawn games, neither side showing quite enough control at some times, and not enough adventure at others. With the toss conveniently lost, Ingatestone got stuck into the opening attack. Frank displayed signs of an indulgent Saturday night as his first two balls pitched somewhere near his feet and drifted gently wide. After an expensive first over Frank steadied himself and bowled well, but alas no wickets. Rob A was harder to get away at first, but steadily the runs scored from each over increased and things began to look ominous. There was a massive contrast in style between the Ingatestone openers, the right hander spanking all and sundry to all compass points, the left hander prodding a defensive bat at most offerings. Ritchie - great to have him back - replaced Frank and bowled 2 maidens at the prodder, then went for 14 in his next over to the tonker. So the opening stand was at 73 or so, with tonker looking imperious. Who you gonna call? The partnership-breaker. Brad bowled one ball to the lefty, which went for a bye, then struck first ball to the right-hander! It did require the help of an amazing athletic one-handed catch by Imran at deep square-leg, but Brad produced once again when it mattered. Imran set a fantastic standard in the field, one particular dash around the boundary to prevent a four equalling the catch in its excellence. With tonker gone the run-rate fell dramatically, the prodder in particular finding it hard to score. Wickets fell too, and the game was suddenly transformed, with Chiggers holding the upper hand. Brad completed a fine spell, a catch from Richard securing a second wicket for (in Nigel's words) the "Relationship-breaker". I took 3 wickets, which was enjoyable in itself, but included the left handed opener and opened the way for more aggressive batsmen to smash my bowling, and that of Richard (who had one caught and one dropped by the skipper at deep mid-off), to the boundary and beyond. This also coincided with panicky fielding which yielded a few over-throws and mis-fields. Eventually the innings was declared on 212, probably about par. We bowled 43 overs in 2 hours and 50 mins, which isn't an impressive rate notwithstanding the heat and the frequent ball-hunting in the nettles or bushes beyond the boundary. The young ladies in what Rob described as "the peanut gallery" did nothing to help. A slightly prolonged tea was followed by a brief opening partnership between Rob A and John, the latter departing to the ball of the day, jagging back to wriggle between bat and pad. Never mind John, Old Chigs next week! Alex was once again stylish and graceful, and looked set for a big score before misjudging a second run and departing run out. The decent opening bowler continued to weave his spell, which finished with four consecutive maidens. Nigel and Rob formed a doughty pair, and when the ball was hit it always seemed to go to a fielder, or in one instance was smashed (by Nigel) into the arm of his batting comrade at the non-striker's end. Thus the first 22 overs produced something like 50 runs and it was a daunting rate of about 8 an over that was required in the last hour. With the opening bowler out of the attack the runs began to flow, but progressively virtually the whole fielding side was pushed out to patrol the rope, and boundary scoring became difficult. Nigel eventually perished for 23, victim of one of the few catches that stuck - at least 8 were dropped - and James joined Rob in a spirited chase for the line. Rob finally fell for 83 hard-earned runs, and Imran came and went, perishing in the sort of run out that desperate run chases engender. I joined James, but by then the game was up, with 24 required from the last over, all fielders still on boundary patrol. The innings closed on 200, scored from 42 overs, James on 42 not out. In all 412 runs were scored for the loss of 10 wickets during the course of the game and it was by no means a boring draw. Man of the match - Imran for his superb fielding display, especially the catch that put some fire into our bellies.

Chigwell Home and Hosed by 6.30 (Hadley Wood Green 6/5/07)

2007-05-10T09:43:00.000+01:00

There's no place like home... there's no place like home... there's no place like home... Chigwell CC clicked its heels together three times last Sunday, and the team was transported back to the land of victory. After three defeats, the last two sound spankings, Hadley Wood Green were beaten by six wickets with the whole of the last hour to spare; even the christening party which occasionally spilled onto the field of play couldn't dampen the reignited spirits of the Chigwell XI. Ironically things started badly, with the toss being won by HWG. Their skipper chose to bat, much to the irritation of many Chigs, whose "bat first" lobby had been in keeping with my own opinion. We appeared to have a strong batting line up, and HWG seemed to be a little short in the bowling department; certainly no sign of A. Randall, a thorn in our sides all too often in the recent history of the fixture. Rob Allum and Tim Mitzman were entrusted with the new ball and claimed an opener apiece. To Tim fell the prize wicket of Mike Davey, a quicker ball rifled through the gate, the extra velocity perhaps generated by the disappointment of seeing him survive a difficult chance (to Oli at second slip) the previous ball. Jim Wallace departed after Charlie took a good low catch at point off the BGC. Around this juncture we witnessed the start of the Rob Allum catching master class. His first catch was probably his best, at slip to Brad. Great positioning and reflexes, a steady hand and eye combined with a seemingly telescopic arm to dismiss Blake. Rob went on to take three more excellent catches; the rest of the team took a further three - at last a good catching day for Chigwell! Not too much resistance was realised by Hadley Wood, Chaddha alone shone with a quick-fire 36 before Brad induced a drag back onto his stumps; two important wickets for Brad in an eight over spell for 34 runs. Just one somewhat less important wicket for me, Oli making good ground to a ball scooped to mid-on. Nick did what he is so good at doing - tied the batsmen down, then got them out. He finished with 4 wickets for 16 runs in 6.5 overs. Charlie was brought into the attack two overs too late, and showed my mistake up for what it was by bowling a wicket maiden first over. Nick's last wicket and Rob's last catch brought enforced closure to the HWG innings and Chigwell "enjoyed" their poor value, unimaginative tea, contemplating a target of 141. John was surprised first ball by a delivery that lifted alarmingly at him, but relieved sighs went up as the ball looped short of any fielders. Harvey began to show signs of talented stroke-play, before he failed to get on top of a cut and rather chipped it to gulley. Enter Oliver who was in no mood for a marathon innings. He had crunched 30 runs from 16 balls when he fell trying to repeat the mighty six he had smitten the previous delivery. He was well caught by Coburn off his own bowling from a shot that went straight up into the air and took a long time to come down. John continued his love affair with the Old Chigs pitch until he perished in an action replay of Harvey's dismissal. Seventy-seven for three might have caused the jitters, but Mitzy, extremely ably assisted by Nigel who seems to be improving with each innings, steered us to within sight of the promised land of victory. Tim's lapse on 38 caused no problems for Chigwell, indeed it gave Paul the chance to cream a couple of fours through the covers to end the game an hour or so before the scheduled close. Nigel scored 17 not out, a mixture of sensible defence and clinical clouting. An easy win then in a game where everyone played their part, victory achieved without the need for compromise on our preferred cricketing methodology. Chigwell man of the match: Rob Allum - I can't remember anyone taking 4 catches in a match as an outfield player before!

Chingford Snaps

2007-05-09T00:45:00.000+01:00

Robbie O took some pictures of the Chingford game.

The Wandering Fox Stumbles into Chingford (29/04/07)

2007-05-02T23:15:00.000+01:00

A good start to the day and my skippering career was had by winning the toss. With a strong batting line up, a short boundary, and the recent warm spell I was tempted into having a bat. My decision was, in honesty, swayed by the fact that we had made a pig�??s ear of chasing in our previous 2 games, so why not have a bat. What�??s the worst that could happen�?� The opening pair of Harvey and the cheating wotsit looked comfortable enough and whilst runs may not have come freely, neither seemed to be in too much discomfort out in the middle. The terror of WG then begin to open his arms to carve a few away nicely before getting trapped by one that seemed to keep low. With kidneys now seemingly in full working order but with an ageing body creaking under the exerts of Saturday cricket, Allum, R. strode to the crease and it was soon business as usual, solid defence with scoring opportunities pounced upon. Harvey looked good until he picked out the fielder whilst attempting to pull one to the boundary. Next came the welcome return of Mitz for his first game of the season together with the familiar sound of leather on garden fences. In typical style, Snooty progressed briskly and with a blossoming partnership beginning to develop, Chigs were still in with a good chance of setting a competitive total. However, after holing out for a jug avoiding 45, today�??s debutant skipper stepped out knowing that a captain�??s innings was needed to settle the listing ship. Unfortunately, facing the wily McGreggor, I had the usual problem of how exactly to deal with proper line and length bowling. Solution, pad up and go after the other guy. Fool proof. After departing following the unusual experience of a mid-innings explanation to the boundary of the benefits of sitting in a wooden box to write down numbers, my worst fears of choosing to bat first were beginning to be realised. Nick fortunately provided some much needed ballast to the innings but perhaps lacked the security of knowing there were many more to follow and was a little hamstringed on what was already a wicket that had so far proved difficult to score off. Thankfully Chigwell rallied and whilst our total may have been a lowly 156 on a day when somewhere around 240 was required, we had at least salvaged some pride by batting our time and we even enjoyed a touch of bun smearing by our prodigal son. After a typically splendid Chingford tea, the skipper now realised that after having completed the task of picking a batting order, he now had to choose his bowlers carefully and work out how to set a field. Without wanting a volley of sweet northern dialect, I threw the ball to Miss Milly to open the bowling and hoped and prayed for a devastating opening spell. Not far off! The opener�??s middle stump was soon disturbed and the fox hoped that the bugles that he had heard earlier in the afternoon had been a false alarm and the hounds would be avoided for another day. No such luck unfortunately. Dom continued to bowl well with accuracy and pace and Paul cleared up nicely behind the sticks. However, on a day where luck and slip-catching avoided him, Dom was left with his solitary scalp. Frank bowled well, and whilst not claiming any wickets, went for a relatively economical 28 off his 5 overs and showed a great deal of promise for the rest of the season. However, with such a small total, bowling changes had to be made for fear of letting the game drift away. Mitz and Rob found no assistance on what I should have realised wasn�??t a seam-up wicket. Whoops, oh well. Remembering at least that spin works, Nick halted the run rate and turned the match once again into a semi-competitive occasion. Brad, in turn, immediately repaid faith by claiming his wicket and was unlucky not to take a second. However, once the young lad Peek had decided that he had seen enough he polished off the game, and Nick�??s figures, to ensure that Chigs were finally put out of their misery. How do I remember the first time? Was it the worst time? No, I hope not. Simply, we did not set a high enough total against a strong team and were stuffed from there on in. Lessons have been learnt but hopefully, with time to lick its wounds, the fox will be able to venture out of its den once again some time this season to lead us, next time, to victory. Man of the match: Rob Allum

All aboard for Chigwell Village! (Broxbourne 22/4/2007)

2007-04-26T10:37:00.000+01:00

It all started so well with the Broxbourne skipper generously agreeing to a timed game, after the now ubiquitous debate. They normally enjoy a 45 overs a side game and it soon became apparent that they were well suited to that, or frankly any other form of cricket. Rob and Frank opened the bowling, but the openers for Broxbourne weremerciless and Frank in particular suffered a mauling - 4 overs for 50 runs -ouch! To add insult to injury he had had to watch a presentable chance go down at point early on in proceedings. Richard was brought on as first change and was also put to the sword, as the opening stand raced to 134 in the 16th over. At this point Richard claimed his first wicket for the club - a catch in the covers for James - which marked a watershed in the innings. As captain I turned to spin in the form of Allum (N) and myself to hopefully stem the ludicrous flow of runs. I had replaced Allum (R) who under the circumstances had bowled economically (6 overs for 32). Taking the pace off the ball worked well, and several of the supposed better batsmen of Broxbourne perished carelessly, safe in the knowledge that a big score was virtually inevitable. Brad took a routine catch at backward point, and then swooped in a manner reminiscent of Collingwood at his best to execute a direct hit to run out Broxbourne's number 3. All in all Chigwell performed very well in this period of the game; Imran saved a boundary and ran into a thorn bush, suffering several nasty cuts and scratches for his devotion to the cause. He then took a fantastic catch at mid-on, sprinting from mid-wicket to dismiss the Broxbourne opener who clearly had his eye on a ton. Nick proved the class bowling act, taking 5 wickets including 2 in 2 balls at the end, leaving him on a hat-trick for next week. The penultimate wicket featured a remarkable catch at "cow corner" by James; as the ball was arcing towards him a stray tennis ball from a game of boundary cricket rolled in front of him, followed by an oblivious fielder from beyond the rope. James stood firm and pouched an excellent catch, despite the distractions. One ball and one wicket laterBroxbourne made a very fair declaration on 236 for 9 in the 40th over. Tea was taken, it consisting of some delightful hot pizza, bread, cheese and cake - and eventually, when the milk arrived, tea. It is probably best to gloss over the Chigwell innings, but the details were; all out for 74, Rob A scoring 30, next best Charlie on 8. There were many soft dismissals, none softer than my own, batting at number 11, a full-toss gently guided back to the bowler, via a leading edge. A shame we batted so poorly after such a spirited fight-back in the field. I hope that next year we might take a slightly stronger batting line up to this fixture, and show the good people of Broxbourne that we can do a lot better. Chigwell man of the match: Nick Allum 11.2 overs 2 maidens 36 runs 5wickets (and not out batting) - just enough to make up for the dropped catch!

Cruising; Then a Bruising (South Loughton 15/4/2007)

2007-04-23T10:47:00.000+01:00

Summer arrived early, the cricket season arrived bang on time; suddenly we weren't talking about cricket related issues anymore, Chigwell CC was playing the first game of the season. The team assembled on time, the captain arriving twice, the second time with his shirt and match ball. Thus having proved myself a tosser, I proceeded to apply my skills further. A difficult discussion followed with the South Loughton coin spinning executive, his side wanting a 40 overs a side game, me having to explain that with Chigwell fielding a weak team, a timed game would suit better. Reluctantly, but magnanimously Andy agreed and bore the brunt of South Loughton disgruntlement. At least they were happy with batting first on a scorching April afternoon, inserted by me in time honoured tradition. Rob A was entrusted with the first over, and Frank, on debut, with the second. After the first 8 overs the South Loughtonians were 35 for no wicket and I chugged through a few bowling alternatives in my mind. A further 8 balls later the score read 36 for 3. Rob started the party with an LBW, Frank then announced his Chigwell arrival with a wicket, Brad taking a very good catch at mid-off. In case we hadn't heard the first announcement Frank then castled the S.L. number four. It was very soon after this that I denied him a third wicket by failing to even go for a very simple catch at mid-wicket - sorry Frank! Rob claimed a second wicket courtesy of a near wide being somehow deflected onto off-stump by the hapless batter, a deserved reward for some effective bowling. I changed the bowling at both ends after eight overs a piece, Nick at Rob's end and Alex, also on debut, replacing Frank. Nick repaid me by immediately dismissing the guy I had neglected to catch out earlier, and went on to produce the kind of quality display that sees him atop the "wickets taken" table year after year. He finished with 4 for 35. This included the final wicket to fall, that of the estimable T. Henman out for 58 in a total of 142, top scorer by 45 runs. Alex struggled a little to find the right length, but showed promise. Brad, honed by his single net session 2 months ago, bowled an economical and effective spell; 8 overs for 22 runs and 2 wickets. Assisting in this was the excellent Charles Rudkin, adding wicket-keeping to his impressive cricketing CV. He took two catches, the second, off Brad, a particularly smart piece of work down the leg-side. The Chigwellians stepped up to the paper plates at tea confident of victory, but wary of the early season nature of the pitch - slow and a little variable in bounce. Rob A and John opened the batting, starting with due caution, eking a run an over for the first eight overs. John played the shot of the day, an exquisite extra-cover drive, but was bowled by a good ball on 15. Alex dug in for a while, but unfortunately was caught going after a full toss. Owen scored a couple before being bowled and things were looking decidedly dodgy. Nigel, showing purpose and maturity, added 60 with Rob to seemingly right the ship, but once Rob had perished for 47, to Mr. Baker, things fell apart dismally. From 102 for 3 Chigwell capsized and sank without trace, ultimately dismissed for a total of 130, losing the game by 12 runs, the aforementioned Mr. Baker claiming 5 wickets for 4 runs in 6 overs. Thus ended an enthralling game with which to start the season. A great shame for us to lose of course, but there are plenty of positives to focus on: The bowling of Frank, Nick, Rob and Brad; the batting of Rob and Nigel; the keeping of Charlie. Chigwell man of the match - Rob Allum

Winter Ends

2007-04-03T01:09:00.000+01:00

The closed season has all but passed. Easter weekend is the perfect time for snorting linseed oil and scraping off the remains of September's St John's Billericay pitch from your boots. No doubt Sir Tim Rice will be ironing his flannels, but we shall proudly iron that sticky stuff around the hem of those nylon slacks that kept falling down last season and prepare for our 2007 curtain-raiser: South Loughton, away, 2.00pm, Sunday 15th April. Book Early!

Nightmare on Stock Road (St. John's Billericay 24/9/2006)

2006-09-25T10:59:00.000+01:00

What a terrible nightmare! First I dreamt I was mad enough to choose to bat first on a pitch cut only 2 minutes before the game started. Then I watched in despair as a procession of Chigwell's finest departed for next to nothing. When I finally went in to bat I found the attack moderate and the pitch so slow there was time for a fag break between the ball pitching and reaching the batsman - my perfect pitch! 13 untroubled runs later I was left stranded with the score on 61 all out! I can imagine I must have been crying out in my sleep at the pain of watching all our batsmen loop the ball carelessly into the air, and squealed in a kind of envious agony to see a team which was capable of pouching every catch offered. It all seemed so real when we took to the field and managed one wicket and 3 dropped catches before St. John's Billericay completed the rout with a six over square leg. Thankfully I woke up this morning and realised it was only the disturbed nocturnal workings of a frazzled mind, and I still had the joy of taking on St. John's to come. Better ring Nigel, make sure he's ready to be picked up... Hang on... the paper - it's the Guardian... that's not published on Sunday. Oh my god!! It's Monday! Which means... AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!