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MATCH
REPORTS FOR 2011
1st September 2011: Hampshire Wanderers CC
The Wayfarers won the toss and told
Queries skipper David Haywood they would bat first. Facing the Query
opening pair of Jeremy Wilkins and Dan Jackson they batted steadily and
without incident. Ninian MacGregor was brought on to toss in some hand
grenades and the ploy worked when he had the opener caught by Jeremy
Wilkins: 63 for 1. 7 runs later Tom Grant, who had a very tidy spell,
secured the wicket of the other opener. However the next 2 wickets cost
a lot of runs and it was Simon Campbell who took the 3rd wicket at 162
for 3 and then Ninian struck again tempting the Wayfarers centurion
into a catch. he had scored 115 and the Wayfarers were 228 for 4. A 5th
wicket stand added 52 further runs until the declaration at 3.43pm,
with the Wayfarers at 280 for 4 after 55 overs. Jeremy had bowled 11
overs for 63 runs; Dan 10 overs for 50 ; Ninian 9 overs 2 for 55; and
Sam Ramsey 3 overs for 33 runs: but it was Simon Campbell with 11 overs
2 maidens 1 for 23 and Tom Grant with 11 overs 3 maidens 1 for 41 who
applied most control with the ball.
Our opening batsmen looked for a while as if they were going to
win the game on their own! Tom Grant and Chris Downham enjoyed an
opening stand of 100 in less than 20 overs and when Tom was bowled for
96, the score was 168. He faced 105 balls whilst batting for 110
minutes and hit 15 fours: a great way to finish his Queries season.
They say "get one, get two" in cricket - and never was a truer word
spoken: Chris Downham was clean bowled just 4 runs later! He scored 54
off 68 balls and hit 7 boundaries. Queries were 172 for 2 and the
Wayfarers thought they were back in the game. However a lovely 3rd
wicket stand by Will Thomas and Simon Campbell added 87 runs. Will, who
was desperate for an innings, scored a very useful 35
including five 4s and a 5! Then two wickets fell in quick
succession as Henry Wakefield and Dan Jackson were bowled for 11
and a duck respectively and we were 277 for 5. A minor blip and
in no time at all the extra 4 runs were scored and we had won the match
by 5 wickets and with one over and 4 balls to spare. Simon
carried his bat for 58 which will have done his season's averages a lot
of good!
To win the match we needed 48.2 overs and the final match of our 2011 season finished at 7.14pm.
31st August 2011: Valley End CC at Chobham
VECC, led by James Young, won the toss
and elected to bat. Queries skipper David Haywood opened with Jeremy
Wilkins and Dan Jackson who bowled unchanged for 12 overs, accounting
for one wicket by Jeremy, and conceding only 33 runs. Our fielding in
particular looked to be very sharp and stayed that way throughout the
innings. After 20 overs VECC were 2 down for 57 after Tom Grant struck
in his first over and went on to take 2 for 42 from 12 overs. Dan Ellis
bowled very economically conceding 23 runs in 7 overs. Sam Ramsey had
an off day but still took a wickets. Dan Jackson finished with 6 overs
for 19 runs, but it was Tom Haywood who caused all the damage to VECC,
taking 6 wickets for 59 runs in 8.2 overs. Despite his first over going
for 18 he then took a wicket in his 2nd, 3rd, 4th 6th and 7th overs.
VECC were all out for 232. Queries dropped a couple of close catches,
but the outfield catching was good with Will Thomas taking top marks
for a fine catch at deep long off. Harry Farley also deserves a
mention when he took over the gloves from Neil Clark, who had damaged a
finger, and kept very well.
Harry then opened the batting with Tom Grant and they raced away from
the off scoring 50 off 9 overs. Tom was caught at long on for 33 and
Neil Clark, with heavily bandaged hand, enjoyed a cameo innings of 22
balls for 22 runs before he was given out lbw. Then we had a spate of
run outs which destroyed the middle order: Harry was run out 3 shy of a
half century after a drive from Will Thomas hit the non-striker's
wicket. Will was then run out himself for 3, and then after Dan Jackson
was caught for 14, Phil Wise was run out for 8. We were 133 for 6.
Jeremy Wilkins could not find his Yorkshire tour form and was bowled
for 1. Tom Haywood faced 26 balls for 13 when he was bowled. David
Haywood defended like mad, facing 34 balls and carrying his bat
for 17. He urged Sam Ramsey to stay with him, but Sam was bowled for a
duck, and it was left to Dan Ellis to stay with David for the final 5
overs, blocking 13 balls faced to gain a draw - Queries 167 for 9
at the end of the 47th over.
What might have happened in this match
if Joe Dorgan, Owen Alsop and Tom Weaver had all be available to play
as originally planned, no-one knows. But those that were their gave it
their best shot and we didn't lose. The VECC hospitality was as always
excellent and the Queries enjoyed the bar-b-que after the match.
29th August 2011: The Frogs CC
A lot of rain had fallen on DCC
over the weekend and huge credit is due to John Bedbrook for
getting a wicket fit for play. It was soft and sticky and quite wet at
one end, but it was playable. The Queries skipper Nick Lind won the
toss and inserted the Frogs and once our bowlers started bowling length
and line, it was difficult to score. Will Thomas was not on his best
form and was given only 3 overs, but Dan Ellis plugged away and was
rewarded with 2 wickets for 25 from his 7 overs. Will Langton made a
difference, taking 2 wickets in 12 balls, whilst Sam Ramsey was
expensive going for 13 runs in 3 overs. Neil Clark tried his hand and
conceded 22 runs in 5 overs, and it was left to Tom Grant and Jack
Bramwell to break the Frogs middle order which was putting up a lot of
resistance. Tom bowled 9 overs, with 3 maidens and took 4 for 22,
whilst Jack started with a wicket maiden and finished his 4 overs 1 for
11. The Frogs were all out for 150 in 38.5 overs and their top scorer
was Simon Slabbert who is also a Query candidate! It is testament to
the Query bowlers that 7 wickets were bowled; there were 2 catches and
1 lbw.
On paper our batting order looked strong - Jeff Haywood, Tom Norris,
Neil Clark, Tom Grant, Tom Andrew and Jack Bramwell but they were all
back in the hutch with just 75 runs on the board. The Frogs opened with
2 spinners and left them on for 28 overs - when they swopped one leg
spinner for another! They only introduced a medium pace bowler in the
44th over, and he started with a wicket! Initially it was Jack Bramwell
who showed patience and determination going in at 4 and being the 7th
wicket to fall - and even he only lasted 23 minutes at the crease!
However Will Langton really got his head down and applied himself and
with skipper Nick Lind as partner, they added 41 runs before Nick was
given out lbw. Meanwhile Will reached his half century in 70
balls and with Sam Ramsey added another 15 runs before he himself was
out caught behind for 63 runs. Queries were 131 for 9 with lots of
overs in hand and a required run rate of about 2. However the pressure
of the occasion got to Sam who lofted the ball to long on, only to be
dropped. With 10 runs remaining for a win, he lofted another to the
same fielder who this time made no mistake - and the Queries were all
out for 141 and had lost the game by 9 runs.
The Frogs opening bowler, the spinner, bowled 28.5 consecutive overs
and in their innings they bowled only 6 overs of seam in their 54.5
overs. All credit then to Will Langton who stuck to the challenge
so well for 90 minutes and facing 95 balls. And what a
disappointment for the Queries to fail when they were so close to
a win.
28th August 2011: All Cannings CC
Despite
the weather forecast telling us to expect sunshine and showers, what
hit the game after 40 minutes of play was no shower - the rain came
down in stair rods and the sky went black! Very soon the pitch was
unplayable. We had bowled 10.3 overs and ACCC had scored 27 runs. Dan
Ellis bowled 3 maidens: Piers Foster bowled 3 overs for 4 runs: his
brother Nicholas bowled 2 overs for 2 runs; and new candidate Alex
Barton was the most expensive bowling 2.4 overs for 21 runs. An early
tea was taken at 3.45pm. After
tea the sky cleared and the skippers agreed to start all over again, on
a different wicket, and this time in a 15 overs a side match,
.Queries to bat first. Harry Farley and Tom Norris opened and 8
overs later, with the
score at 31 for 2, the heavens opened again and play for the day was
abandoned. Harry had been caught for 6: Nicholas Foster was caught for
2: Tom Norris was on 23 and Tom Andrew on 3. The match[es]
was/were abandoned as a draw.
25th August 2011: Hinton Charterhouse CC
Despite the threatening weather a full
afternoon's cricket was played. The Queries won the toss and skipper
Tom Grant elected to bat, sharing the opening batsman duty with David
Haywood. They had put on 43 when David was caught at slip. Vaughn
Williams joined Tom, and together they dominated, and enjoyed a stand
of 114 before Tom was caught for 85. His 50 came in just 40
balls, and overall he hit eleven 4s and one 6. Newcomer Jack
Bramwell joined Vaughn who by this time was in full flow scoring his 50
in 43 balls and converting this to 100 not out in a further 21 balls.
He hit eleven 4s, and four 6s - an excellent achievement. Jack
was bowled for 10 in a 3rd wicket stand of 16, and Tom Andrew joined
Vaughn for the remaining 6 overs and a stand of 78 runs, of which Tom's
contribution was a creditable 20.
The Queries' innings with the ball was as emphatic as their
innings had been with the bat. Dan Jackson struck 3 times in his
2nd over leaving Hinton 16 for 3 after 4 overs. Later Sam Ramsey struck
twice in his opening over and Hinton were reeling at 51 for 5. Whilst
other bowlers toiled up the hill with only Tom Grant taking a
wicket, Sam took a further 3 from the other end, finishing with figures
of 8.5 overs, 5 for 30. Hinton were bowled out for 118 runs and the
Queries had won by 133 runs. Only the opening Hinton batsman, Peter
Borton, put in a performance batting throughout their innings and
carrying his bat for 86 runs. No other Hinton batsman scored more than
7 runs.
All the Queries' bowlers bowled well and tied down the opposition
effectively. Dan Ellis bowled 4 overs for 19 runs: Dan Jackson 3 overs,
3 wickets for 8 runs: Hugo Tilney 5 overs for 8 runs: Geoff Ramsey 5
overs for 22 runs: Sam Ramsey 8.5 overs, 5 wickets for 30 runs: Tom
Grant 3 overs, one for 12: and Jack Bramwell two overs for 17 runs.
23rd August 2011: Potterne CC at Potterne
Lots of rain overnight and in the
early morning, plus the fact that the rain got under the Potterne
covers, meant that this match had to be cancelled because the ground
was unfit for play.
21st August 2011: The Grannies CC at Devizes
Despite a few drops of rain in the
late morning, this turned out to be a lovely day fro cricket, the likes
of which we have not seen for some time. The Queries lost the toss and
Grannies skipper, and Query, Dom Fry elected to bowl first.. Our
opening stand of 40 from James Illingworth and David Haywood looked
promising but the swinging ball was causing some problems and James was
caught behind for 27. David then partnered 6 other batsmen who
came and went cheaply, until Simon Campbell joined him at 113 for 6.
Once Simon got into his stride the runs started to flow. David was
caught for 46 having faced 131 balls, with the score at 168, leaving
Dan Ellis to help push the total to 212 when Simon declared the
innings. He carried his bat for 69, and Dan for 8. The total was
somewhat inflated by 32 extras, mainly byes, which we were grateful to
receive!
The Grannies opening stand of 61 sounded a few alarms but when Simon
Cambell caught and bowled the opening bat, the Queries were back in the
game. Their number 2 bat lasted nearly 3 hours but others came and went
- and particularly so when Harry Waddington was brought on the bowl.
Harry bowls at a decent pace and straight, and when he took 4 wickets
for 19 runs in 7 overs, the game turned in the Queries favour as the
Grannies fell from 97 for 2 to 150 for 7. Two more wickets from Tom
Grant and another from Simon Campbell, and the Queries had won by 20
runs bowling the grannies out for 192 after 46.1 overs and with 4.5
overs still available.
Harry Waddington 7-1-19-4 [4.75]: Tom Grant 10.1-2-30-3 [10]: Simon Campbell 7-2-13-2 [6.5]: and Ninian MacGregor 7-0-41-1
17th August 2011: Hinton Charterhouse CC
This match was not played owing to rain. It has been re-scheduled to the 25th August.
14th August 2011: Farley CC at Farley
A bright sunny day greeted the Queries
at this small and picturesque ground, and with 5 of the home side also
being Queries, this was destined to be a friendly and 'family' day. The
Queries, skippered by Jon Moore, won the toss and inserted the home
side. The opening bowlers Angus Haig and Pieter Groenewald - a guest
from Namibia - conceded only 13 runs from the first 6 overs and Farley
knew that they had a challenge facing them. Angus finished with 2
for 21 from 9 overs, and Pieter 2 for 12 from 6. Will Langton was first
change and conceded 34 runs from his 8 overs including one wicket
whilst Dan Ellis was even more economic conceding just 16 runs from his
7 overs, also with one wicket. Charlie Palmer bowled his leggies taking
2 for 45 from 8 overs and 'veteran star' off spin bowler enjoyed a very
mean spell of 4 overs, taking 2 for 7. Farley were bowled out for 152
in their 42nd over. Charlie's 2 wickets were catches, Will Langton's
was a c&b and all the others were clean bowled.
The Queries innings began at about 5.00pm after an excellent tea and
with the final 20 overs starting at 5.45pm openers Tom Grant and Ian
Perry had time on their hands. However 3 boundaries from Tom Grant in
the opening over indicated that was not going to hang around. Although
he lost partners Ian Perry for 11 and Will Langton for 8, both lbw to
balls that kept low, Tom was unusually deliberate and careful with his
shot selection as he scored 84 not out. The skipper Jon Moore produced
some very graceful shots, scoring 28 from 29 balls and the match was
won with 8 wickets in hand and with 8 overs to spare.
There was one very concerning moment when Farley player and Query Dan
Gibson badly damaged his ankle whilst fielding and was subsequently
driven off to hospital. The outcome is not known, but we all hope that
he will make a full recovery soon.
11th August 2011: Collingbourne CC at Collingbourne Ducis
The day was wet, drizzly and overcast
and the fact that a 35 over game was concluded was testament to the
willingness of both sides to stay out on the ground despite the rain.
Even when the umpire Howard Moore suspended play, the Collingbourne
players never left the field! The Queries won the toss and elected to
bat on a sticky wicket that had taken a lot of rain, and continued to
do so! Batting was not easy in these unpredictable conditions and Tom
Weaver was the first to go, bowled for 21, with the score at 37.
Tom Palmer was the second wicket, caught for 13 and Namibian
guest Pieter Groenewald the third for 2. Will Thomas, who had opened
with Tom Weaver meanwhile scored steadily and when he was out caught
for a very useful 56, the score was 100. It was still 100 two wickets
later! Then Pete Cole, Ian Perry and Simon Campbell pushed the score up
to a more respectable 199 for 9, with a last wicket stand between Simon
Campbell and David Haywood with them competing for the biggest 6!
The Queries opened their bowling spell with Dan Ellis and Simon
Campbell, and Dan was the first to make a breakthrough when he had Tom
Grant caught behind. The Collingbourne top order, and especially their
skipper Owen Sheppard scored well and quite freely, but when Pieter
Groenewald bowled Owen and then took two good catches at deep mid
wicket off the bowling of Sam Ramsey, the scoring faltered at 119 and
they were never able to make a partnership and recover their poise. All
out for 162, Hugo Tilney and Sam Ramsey had taken 3 wickets apiece, Dan
Ellis 2, and Pieter Groenewald 1, and the Queries won by 37 runs.
8th August 2011: The Incogniti CC at Devizes.
Uncommonly the Incogniti, starting out on their "Mid West
Tour" fielded a weak side and the Queries were strong. Incogniti
won the toss and elected to bat, reckoning without the Queries opening
attack of Jeremy Wilkins and Owen Alsop. Whilst Owen 'contained'
the batsmen from his end conceding just 6 runs from his first 6 overs,
Jeremy went after them and took 4 wickets in his first 6 overs. Bowling
unchanged for 12 overs each, Owen then took 4 wickets in his next 6
overs. With some very economic spin coming from candidate Paul Roberts
and from Jeff Haywood, the Incogniti has no answers and were all out
for 118 runs in 48.2 overs.
When Queries opened with Will Hopton and Jeff Haywood, taking 25 from
the first 5 overs, the writing was on the wall. A weak shot to leg saw
Jeff getting caught for 20 in the 13th over, after an opening stand of
47. Neil Clark then joined Will and it took them just 7 overs to
close the match out. Will carried his bat for 43, and Neil for a rapid
fire 57. Queries had won by 9 wickets.
Mention should be made of John Beavan's stint with the gloves which was
very good. He conceded just one leg bye in 48 overs, and had a
good game. We hope to see lots more of him in the future, which for him
as a keeper looks really promising.
3rd August 2011: Glamorgan Nomads CC at Corsham CC
This is always billed as one of our
1st XI matches and skipper Vaughn Williams had assembled on paper a
team of some strength. However key players falling out within 48 hrs of
the match caused major difficulties and on the day we fielded 10
players. An 11th player was found from Corsham CC, skulking
around the pavilion, and dragooned into the Queries XI. The Queries won
the toss and elected to bat, opening with Tom Shaw and Harry Farley.
The Nomads opened with a very good out swinger who was joined by
another very good in swinger at the other end. Tom Shaw went clean
bowled for 8: Harry went second, also clean bowled; and Tom grant, in
his usual hurry blasted 21 before being clean bowled for 21. Queries
were 3 down for 50. Will Thomas was caught for a duck - 51 for 4 - and
we had real problems. The Nomads skipper brought on two young teenager
spinners which enabled Vaughn Williams and Tom Weaver to get some runs.
Tom gave a leading edge catch for 21, and Vaughn was caught for 46.
James Roué kept his head well down to score a more than useful
79 and whilst Jeremy Wilkins and Ben Hodder went cheaply, Dominic Fry
plundered a quick 59 to make the score look reasonable. So when the
young borrowed Corsham player was out caught, Queries ended their
innings on 257 all out.
By contrast Dom Fry's bowling caused the Nomad openers real problems
and when he took 2 wickets in 2 balls, having the Nomads 30 for 2,
Queries morale lifted. But the next pair put on 132 as Query bowling
failed and only a lucky top-edge catch behind the stumps gave us a 3rd
wicket. The 4th wicket, a youngster Nomad, was sacrificed by an older
player and then 2 experienced players coasted home with over 6 overs to
spare. Nomads had won by 6 wickets and one or two Queries were left
wondering where their performance was found wanting.
Jeremy Wilkins bowled 7 overs for 30 runs: Dom Fry bowled 12 overs,
with 3 maidens, taking 2 for 53: Tom Shaw went at just more than
10 an over for 5 overs: Tom Grant bowled 10.5 overs for 67: and Tom
Weaver bowled 7 overs for 41 after he had swopped his keeping gloves
with Vaughn Williams.
The good news is that we have discovered a cracking good keeper in Tom
Weaver - for that is his main skill - and we hope to see him in our
sides many more times to come.
1st August 2011: Gloucester Gipsies CC at Stowell Park
MM Phil Wise went through all the
hoops trying to get a team together for this match and lost 3 key
players in the three days leading up to the day. Nonetheless the
Queries found an XI and were put in the field when the Gipsies won the
toss. A guest Richard Bucknell opened the bowling on a dry and green
track and scoring was slow - 16 from 10, and 55 from 20. In fact the
Queries bowled 40 overs in the 84 minutes before lunch by which time
the score had risen to 132 for 1, with the other opener retired hurt. A
further 27 overs were bowled after an excellent lunch, and the Gipsies
raised their score to 265. Tom Grant, Jake Bunday, Phil Wise and Alex
Davidson all took one apiece with all the wickets being catches.
In his now trademark style of batting, Tom Grant set off as quickly as
he could only to be bowled in the 5th over for 24. His opening partner
Alex Davidson had already been bowled for 14. Queries were 40 for 2.
Candidate Tom Weaver played some great shots before he too was bowled
for 10 and it was left to Harry Farley to steady the ship with a super
63 in the 30 overs he batted for.. Nick Bunday stayed with him for 28,
and after candidate John Beavan was caught for 10, Harry and skipper
Phil Wise pushed on. Harry was eventually out caught with the score at
169. Things were looking difficult, but Phil and Simon Campbell
stuck to their task and in a thrilling stand of 98 took the game
to the line and eventually won it for the Queries with 7 balls to go.
Queries had won by 4 wickets.
31st July 2011: Valley End CC Sunday XI
This was a new fixture for us, arising
from our annual match with Valley End CC. The Queries under
skipper David Haywood won the toss and elected to bat, opening with
Will Hopton and Kieren Chivers. These two soon got into their stride
and the runs flowed quite well until Kieren was adjudged lbw for 16. BJ
Cole joined Will and tried to move things along but was promptly
stumped for 4. The Neil Clark joined Will and they added 73 before
Will was clean bowled having scored a good half century. Neil then
dominated, accompanied briefly by candidate Ben Hodder [6] and then Ian
Perry [1] and when Tom Grant came in at 7 they forced the pace
significantly, the latter trying to get his half century before Neil
could reach 100. In the end Neil carried his bat for 100 and Tom for 42
and the innings was declared after 40 overs at 244 for 5.
Our bowling reply opened with Tom Grant and Harry Farley but it was
Harry's brother James, making his début for the Queries who made
the breakthrough taking 2 for 28 from 7 overs. Despite the VECC skipper
making a good innings of 74, the other wickets fell regularly - Tom
Grant got 3 for 33, Simon Campbell took 2 for 19 from 7 overs and there
was a good runout when Neil Clark got a direct hit. However overs were
running out and the VECC 9th and 10th batsmen could not be dislodged so
the match ended as a draw.
We shall look forward to going back to VECC at the end of August to
play their midweek XI but in the meantime this was a pleasant day at
the office even if not the greatest of cricket matches. It was however
played in a good "Sunday spirit" and our guests enjoyed their day.
THE YORKSHIRE TOUR
Tour Statistics - Batting
Name
J Melhorn
T Grant
T Ainger
J Francis
D Haywood
S Campbell
J Dorgan
M Fernley
J Wilkins
D Ellis
W Langton
C Parker
R Livera
M Fenn |
YGs
1
69
0
29
0
33
28*
5*
dnb
dnb
dnb
dnb
dnb
dnb |
Saints
1
13
dnb
29
dnb
26*
144*
dnb
dnb
dnb
0
23
dnb
dnb |
Ilkley
dnb
37
3
6
11
15
19
dnb
8*
0
10
2
39
dnb |
Druids
dnb
dnb
dnb
dnb
dnb
7*
dnb
dnb
103
dnb
dnb
10*
dnb
64 |
Total
2
119
3
64
11
81
191
5
111
0
10
35
39
64 |
Average
1
39.6
1.3
21.3
6.5
40.5
191
~
111
0
5
17.5
39
64 |
Tour Statistics - Bowling
Name
J Dorgan
J Wilkins
D Ellis
T Grant
J Francis
S Campbell
T Ainger
C Parker
W Langton
M Fenn |
YGs
11-3-25-0
14-2-45-4
8-1-15-1
13-4-27-2
3-0-22-1
4-0-15-0
2-0-10-0
dnb
dnb
dnb |
Saints
10-1-38-0
8-1-31-1
3-0-8-1
6-1-30-0
dnb
3-0-11-0
5-0-28-0
12-3-44-2
5-0-32-0
dnb |
Ilkley
11-3-66-1
9-0-5201
5-0-39-0
7-0-45-1
dnb
4-0-32-4
dnb
4-0-33-0
dnb
dnb |
Druids
8-3-22-1
8-0-50-1
4-0-10-0
5-1-13-0
3-0-15-0
3-0-20-0
1-0-14-0
dnb
dnb
8-1-40-0 |
Total
40-10-151-2
39-3-178-7
22-1-67-2
31-6-115-3
6-0-37-0
17-0-78-4
8-0-52-0
16-3-77-2
5-0-32-0
8-1-40-0 |
Average
75.5
25.4
33.5
38.3
-
19.5
-
38.5
-
- |
Economy
3,775
4.564
3.045
3.710
6.16
5.571
6.5
4.813
6.4
5 |
S/R
120
33.4
66
62
-
21
-
48
-
- |
28th July 2011: The Druids CC at Follifoot CC
This was a new fixture for us and we
wondered if tired bodies would hold up for a fourth match in 4 days. We
knew nothing of the Druids, but their choice of venue was spectacular
on a bright sunny day. In jury to Will Langton ruled him out of
play, Mike Fernley and his son Luke would both play, and Mark Fenn
had joined the tour for one match. The Druids won the toss and
elected to bat and only 176 runs later one of their opening batsmen was
out! This was a 40 over match and they were not scoring at all quickly,
and this first wicket fell in the 37th over. 2 more wickets fell in the
remaining overs and the Druids ended their innings on 193 for 2. Jeremy
Wilkins and Joe Dorgan had taken one wicket apiece.
Skipper Tom Grant decided to open the batting with Jeremy Wilkins and
Mark Fenn, an inspired move. As with the Druids before them, the
Queries' opening stand was 169: it was Mark Fenn who was bowled for 69.
Jeremy soldiered on, reaching his 50 in 21 scoring shots and then
converting this to a century in a further 17 scoring shots - only then
to be brilliantly caught at square leg! This was his maiden century,
richly and popularly deserved. 177 for 2.
That left Charlie Parker and Simon Campbell to score a six apiece plus
another boundary from Charlie and we had won the match with 8 wickets
in hand.
This had been exactly the right sort of game on which to finish the
tour - we would drive home to Wiltshire after the game - and everyone
enjoyed the Follifoot ground, the Druids' hospitality and the character
of the game.
27th July 2011: Ilkley CC
The shenanigans in the Riverside Hotel
in the evenings were beginning to take their toll on the tourists and
the XI that took to the field to play Ilkley CC looked a little tired.
After an opening Ilkley stand of 131 they were reeling as Ilkley
batsmen, aided and abetted by the now ubiquitous Australians, piled on
the runs to close out their 40 overs with a hefty score of 277 for 8.
Jeremy Wilkins, skipper for the day, had taken 1 for 52 from 9 overs:
Charlie Parker and Dan Ellis were wicketless for 33 and 39 runs
respectively; Joe Dorgan and Tom Grant - who had handed over the
gloves to Charlie Parker - got one apiece; and Simon Campbell took 4
for 32 from 4 overs. Could the Queries, whose reputation as big
finishers was by now well known , match that?
The answer was 'no'. A good Ilkley bowling attack gave little away and
after 20 overs we were 80 for 4. Despite the efforts of our
borrowed Sri Lankan "Ryan" Livera who scored 39, the wickets fell
quickly. Only two batsmen, Livera and Tom Grant, scored more than 30
runs, and only another four got into double figures. We were
comprehensively beaten by 111 runs. There was disappointment but not
dejection: we will be back!
26th July 2011: The Saints CC at Harrogate CC.
The Saints sported a generous helping
of Burley in Wharfedale players, complete with two Australians and it
was clear that they meant business. Having admired the marvellous new
pavilion, the Queries were put in the field, with Charlie Parker and
Jeremy Wilkins taking the new ball. Neither gave away too much in their
first spell of 5 overs each and Charlie in particular bowled 3 good
maidens. Tom Ainger's spell was expensive as he went for 28 runs from 5
overs, and Joe Dorgan conceded 24 runs in his first spell of 7 overs.
At lunch, after 35 overs, the Saints were 152 for 1 and it was Dan
Ellis who took the single wicket. His spell of 5 overs 1 for 8 was
exemplary. After lunch the Saints added 100 runs but lost 3
wickets en route. Charlie Parker got 2 good wickets, both bowled, and
Jeremy Wilkins took one, a sharp catch to Simon Campbell. The
Saints declared at 253 for 4 after 54 overs.
Will Langton had joined the tour the night before, and was given first
slot with the bat. Sadly he lasted only 5 balls before he was caught
behind for a duck. Joe Dorgan then came in to join James Francis and
together they added 78 runs before James was caught for 29. James
Melhorn came and went for 1: Tom Grant hit a brisk 13 before he was
caught Charlie Parker scored 23 before he was caught an that left Simon
Campbell to stay with Joe Dorgan who, throughout all the period of 4
wickets, looked indomitable. But the pressure was on and with the
Queries at only 108 for 4 at the start of the final 20 overs, the odds
were firmly with the Saints. However Joe had other ideas and his
positive play encouraged Charlie and then Simon Campbell to play
'freely' as well.
Queries needed to score 148 in 20 overs and in fact managed
it with 2 overs to spare. The scoring rate was phenomenal - Charlie and
Joe scored 50 runs in the first 5 overs, and 48 in the next five.
Then Charlie was caught, and Simon joined Joe to see us through to the
win: 256 for 5 in the 47th over and we had won the match by 5 wickets.
Everyone appreciated Joe's magnificent 144 not out and everyone felt
that they had 'been in a cracking good match'. The Saints were
magnanimous in defeat and both teams enjoyed a good drink afterwards.
25th July 2011: The Yorkshire Gents CC at Escrick
Late injuries sustained elsewhere
caused some problems even before we had got to Yorkshire: Chris Downham
would travel but be unable to play, and Jon Chitty would not be
travelling at all. Nevertheless a decent XI skippered by David Haywood
would field first at Escrick and Jeremy Wilkins and Joe Dorgan took the
new ball and whilst Joe gave nothing away, Jeremy carved through the
batting order taking 4 wickets in his opening 10 overs. Dan Ellis also
took one and the Gents were 5 down at lunch. After lunch the story
was much the same, with Tom Grant and James Francis taking the honours.
One batsman, their skipper Matt Westwood, played a great innings and
scored a century and was generous enough to declare on 178 for 8. Joe
Dorgan's figures were 11-3-25-0: Jeremy's were 14-2-45-4; Tom Grant
13-4-27-2 and Dan Ellis and James Francis got one apiece; and Simon
Campbell and Tom Ainger also bowled. Mike Fernley took 2 good catches
and generally the fielding was quite sharp.
Our reply with the bat did not go according to plan as James Melhorn
and Tom Ainger were both out in the 2nd over. Tom Grant and James
Francis then set up a partnership of 87 runs before James was trapped
lbw. David Haywood came and went, and Simon Campbell followed him to
the crease and with Tom regained some control until Tom was caught for
a useful 69. Simon and Joe Dorgan then took the Queries to the
threshold of a victory when Simon was trapped lbw for 33 leaving Mike
Fernley to help Joe to finish the task and the Queries won by 4 wickets.
The YGs hospitality was excellent as ever and the game was played in a
good competitive spirit. The Queries noted and admired the YGs opening
bowled, one 15 year old quick bowler called Charlie Parker - and he
would play a big part in the remainder of the tour playing for the
Queries.
21st July 2011: The Free Foresters at DCC.
The forecast was not good, there had
been a lot of rain in the previous 24hrs and winning the toss,
skipper Vaughn Williams decided he would bat first. The weather held
till lunch and 36 overs were bowled with the Queries managing to score
115 for 2. Nick Bunday had been clean bowled by Richard Moore for 8,
and Harry Farley had been caught for 37 but it was Will Hopton who
commanded his crease and gave no chances. Rain after lunch delayed the
start till 2.50pm when Will was able to score his century supported by
Jeff Haywood (17). Then a flurry of runs from Owen Alsop (42*) and Jon
Chitty (28*) pushed the score up to a presentable 245 when skipper
Vaughn Williams declared.
After a quick turn round, only 3.2 overs were completed before the
rains came again. A pitch inspection at 5.30pm concluded that the
square and the outfield were not fit for play and the match was sadly
abandoned as a draw. Nonetheless it had been a great innings from Will
Hopton who became our 4th centurion this season.
18th July 2011: Oxford Downs CC at Standlake.
On paper, Joe Wookey's team looked
very sound and despite losing Harry Farley for 1 in the 3rd over, Phil
Wise and Jack Mynott enjoyed a wonderful 108 runs for the 2nd wicket
stand before Phil was bowled for 23. With new candidate partner
Jonathan Skull, Jack added another 33 before he himself was bowled for
a creditable 102. Queries were 143 for 3, but then the slide began as
the middle order collapsed. Only the tail enders Joe Wookey and Jon
Chitty got some runs adding 30 and 26 respectively and allowing Joe to
declare at 245 for 9 after 61 overs.
Jack Mynott then opened the bowling attack with a decent 6 overs, 1 for
15 but support from other bowlers was not strong enough and
although 7 wickets fell for 182 runs, one batsman took the game away
from the Queries and they lost by 3 wickets. Will Thomas and Harry
Farley took 2 wickets each and Jon Chitty and Phil Wise got one apiece
but it was not enough. A good match and a good day's cricket.
17th July 2011: Swindon GWR Old Boys XI at DCC
Regrettably this match fell victim to the weather and has been cancelled.
13th July 2011: Marlborough Blues XI at Marlborough College.
The annual fixture at Marlborough College
is invariably played on a dry, cracked wicket after intensive term time
use. For the match against The Blues on
a fine bright day this was sadly to be no exception. On a wearing track being used for at least
the fourth time the bounce was highly unpredictable. Consequently no batsman got to a half century
and only in the latter stages of the game did The Queries’ middle order ensure
victory and impose themselves on the bowlers.
The Blues chose to bat against a strong
Queries attack. They started
impressively against bowling which lacked accuracy initially and which was not
straight enough to make the most of the variable pitch. Joe Dorgan eventually got the more aggressive
opener for 43 , scored out of 48, pinning him back defensively with a well
directed short ball which forced a simple caught and bowled. However, the early order made further
progress, advancing to 124 for 3 at lunch off 32 overs. Simon Campbell snared the other two wickets
and both came from innocuous looking short wide balls, the first with the aid
of a stunning one handed catch by Jon Chitty at gulley.
After lunch it was a different story when
Joe came back off his short run at the other end. Bowling a better line, with no discernible
drop in pace, he was too hostile and quick for the middle order. Assisted well by Chris Downham, bowling a
tight line to take two wickets from the other end, together they caused a
dramatic collapse with 7 wickets falling for just 48 runs in 14 overs. Joe
finished with 5 for 28 and Jon Chitty took the last wicket. The Blues’ total of 172 seemed below par and,
despite the continuing vagaries of the pitch, they did not appear to have set a
sufficient target to defend.
Almost immediately The Queries were
reassessing their perceptions! The top
order was removed spectacularly by the third over as Will Hopton, Phil Wise and
Richard Thompson all failed to trouble the scorers. Both the Blues openers, (evergreen Query
James Hall and his young pacey partner) bowled very straight and full as two LBW
decisions and one clean bowled left The Queries reeling at 5 for 3. Harry Farley and Tom Grant began the rescue
mission in their very different styles.
The latter took the attack to the opposition in the belief that
otherwise, sooner or later, he would be undone by the pitch or the unplayable
ball. Just as they appeared to have
negotiated the passage to tea, Tom took one risk too many, skying an intended
pull off the Blues’ skipper and off spinner, caught behind square leg for 40 important runs. At 62 for 4 the game was still very much in
the balance.
Chris Downham steadied the ship as he
joined Harry until the latter was caught behind for a sound, patient 19. With Simon Campbell settling in the next blow
was Chris’ retirement for 24 at 112 for 5 with a back strain as he avoided the
unpredictable short pitched ball. This
brought in Joe Dorgan and the match winning unbroken partnership quickly
developed with a series of fiercely struck drives and pulls from both
players. The bowlers lost their accuracy
despite the return of the pacemen and there were no further alarms . In the end at 176 for 5 in the 32nd
over with Simon on 37 and Joe on 41 it
was a comfortable looking victory for The Queries. But it was hard earnt by playing the better
cricket on the day where, as usual, the hospitality and catering were
important features of a match played in good spirit.
10th July 2011: UEA Old Boys XI at DCC
Query James Melhorn assembles annually
an XI of his alumni colleagues to play the Queries and sometimes when
he is short, a ringer appears! This time Aditya Dole, the overseas pro
at Frome CC and reportedly an Indian IPL player in the Royals team, was the
11th man and he had the potential to add a touch a class with bat and
ball that the Queries would not normally come across.
On this occasion the Queries won the toss and elected to bat, opening
with Ian Perry and Harry Farley and Dole's off and leg cutters at speed
soon had an effect as Harry took a few blows to the body and runs,
other than edges, were hard to come by. Ian was bowled by Dole for 7
and Harry was caught in the next over for 8 lifting a ball from the
other opener to mid off.
However Neil Clark and Tom Grant, batting at 3 and 4, were in no mood
to let Dole dominate proceedings and the runs flowed, particularly from
Clark as the Queries went from 35 for 2 after 10 overs to 103 for 2
after 20. They both played well off the front foot and attacked the
bowling, particularly Neil Clark whose scorching 6 into the tennis
courts off a lifting Dole ball was a high point. Tom Grant tried
to put the spinner over for cow corner once too often and was
caught for 37 leaving Neil a succession of partners who came and went
quite cheaply whilst he dominated everything presented to him. His
century came from 37 scoring shots and he was eventually last man out
for 187. He hit 16 fours and 5 sixes and was at the crease from 11.44am
till 15.27pm. The Queries were all out for 316, which included 30
extras, in 51.4 overs.
10 minutes later Dole appeared again, batting at 3, as the Queries
took an early wicket caught off the bowling of Joe Wookey. Dole then
proceeded to hit candidate James Francis, Joe Wookey, and Nick
Coles seemingly at will around the ground, although Tom Grant's bowling
was treated with much more respect. A perfect turning and lifting ball
should have seen Dole stumped but the ball was not in the gloves at the
critical moment. However a wide ball from Jon Chitty did produce the
desired result and Dole departed for 90 and the UEA were 142 for 2.
There was a palpable sigh of relief from the Queries who now saw
their chance to regain the upper hand. When James Melhorn was well
bowled by candidate BJ Cole for 61 the Queries were in the box seat and
in the 51st over, 5 short of time, bowled out the UEA OBs for 241 to
win by 75 runs,
James Francis and Nick Coles were wicketless, Joe Wookey and BJ Cole
took one apiece, Tom Grant's first spell of 0 for 21 from 8 was tight,
and he took 2 for 14 from 5 in his second spell: Jon Chitty got a
lot of turn and took 2 for 22 from 8, but the key bowler with his
innocent medium slow inswing was Harry Farley who took 4 for 24 from 11
overs, including 3 maidens. Considering his earlier injuries, this was
a fine performance from Harry.
Ian Perry took some excellent photographs which will be put on the
photos page of this website just as soon as they are received.
5th July 2011: South Oxford Amateurs CC at Radley College
Jeremy Wilkins had assembled a strong
Queries XI for this match, and it's a fair guess that he was the oldest
player on the field! he won the toss, on a fine sunny day, and
remembering the track at Radley as a bowler's graveyard decided to bat.
He opened with Owen Alsop and Jonathan Chitty and it soon became clear
that a 'nudge' with the bat in pretty well any direction would bring a
boundary. Jon was out of form and played and missed a few times before
being bowled for 4. Owen was then joined by Neil Clark and they batted
together for almost the remainder of the morning session taking the
score to an impressive 179 before Neil was very well caught and bowled
in the 28th over for 91. He had hit 16 fours and a couple of 6s. Three
overs later, Owen, now joined by Dan Gibson, came off for lunch with
the score at 189 for 2, and his own score fast approaching a century.
During the lunch break it began to rain and play was not resumed till
3.41pm. Skipper's orders were to put on as many runs as possible in a
short space of time - probably 10 overs - and so Dan Gibson (18), Peter
Cole (7) and Joe Dorgan (2) all gave it their best shot, whilst Owen
reached his well-deserved century at the other end. The Queries
declared at 4.17pm at 235 for 5 after 38 overs, with Owen carrying his
bat for magnificent 105.
The SOS innings began at 4.30pm with Joe Dorgan and Jeremy Wilkins
bowling. They both managed 5 overs, Joe taking 1 for 20 and Jeremy
wicketless for 13. Then Angus Haig replaced Joe, and guest Charlie
Bailey came from the other end but both could only manage one over
before the rain started again and play was suspended, never to resume.
However, in a synchronised Radley move, Angus took a catch of Charlie's
bowling to remove the opening batsman and the SOA were 43 for 2 at the
suspension.
With many stars on parade it was a pity that so few of them
had a chance to shine! A couple of centuries before lunch would have
been an all-time Queries record but we fell just short:
nevertheless 105* and 91 was a marvellous start. Later, in the
field, with Joe steaming in from the College end and Jeremy matching
him with his wonderful late in-swingers - all this amounted to the
potential for a wonderful Queries performance only to be disappointed
by the rain.
The SOA, organised by Iain Campbell (who is also a Query) were
impeccably sportsmanlike on the field, and hospitable and generous off
it : the lunch was a true feast: and luckily the rain stopped and play
was resumed or there might have been "quite a session" in the pavilion !
3rd July 2011: Hampshire Hogs CC at Warnford
The ground at Warnford was looking a
picture when players arrived for the match - bright sunshine, a
near-cloudless sky and heat. Query skipper Vaughn Williams had
assembled an XI which on paper ranged across all abilities and ages but
which, as the game unfolded, would play well as a unit. He lost the
toss and was put in the field, opening the bowling with Owen Alsop
coming down the hill, and Angus Haig up it. Owen struck very quickly,
trapping the opener lbw on his crease and Angus struggled a bit with
the slope and his range. After a short stand of 60 runs, Hogs wickets
then began to tumble and at lunch the Hogs were 87 for 4. Thereafter
only one batsman, James Cowper-Coles controlled his crease and played
his shots but he ran out of partners until he was last man out with the
score at 179. Owen Alsop had taken 5 for 22 from 12 overs: Neil
Clark took 2, Ian Kiy and candidate Kieren Chivers got one apiece, and
Angus Haig, Harry Farley, James Melhorn and Luke Fernley (son of Mike)
were wicketless with Luke returning admirable figures of three overs
for 6 runs. We had bowled 50.4 overs and 27 extras, and with the
batting starting at about 3.40pm there was more than enough time to
reach the target.
Harry Farley and James Melhorn opened the innings and dominated from
the start at about 4 runs an over. Together they made their half
centuries and together they fell in the same over, James for 61 and
Harry for 50. The opening stand was 126 and incoming batsmen Neil Clark
and Owen Alsop had the easy task of completing the 50 runs to win, Owen
with 31 and Neil with 25. Queries had faced 47 overs and won by 8
wickets. It was not "a walkover" by any means - there was good
bowling from both sides, some excellent fielding although the Hogs
suffered from 3 dropped catches which were expensive, and some very
good individual performances.
30th June 2011: Dauntsey's School 1st XI
When
the Dauntsey's XI was 5 down for 39 at lunch on Thursday 30th June -
and they should have been 6 down but for a simple dropped catch -
Jeremy Wilkins side could hardly believe the score board. Jeremy was
leading from the front, carrying with him the confidence of a 5 wicket
haul from the previous Sunday, and his opening spell of 5 overs
included 3 wickets, 2 maidens and conceded only 8 runs. His opening
partner Theo Bossom sadly tore a calf muscle and left the field in his
4th over, never to return.
After lunch the School pair got their
heads down and enjoyed a stand of 77 before Kit Patrick was caught by
Chris Downham off the bowling of Jeremy Wilkins for a fine 46. Another
stand of 73 followed and Ben Hodder was caught for a fine 81: the
School was 179 for 8. The tail added another 41 runs before jeremy
Wilkins returned to bag his 5th wicket. His match figures were 9.1
overs, 3 maidens, 19 for 5. Tim Mynott took 3 for 53 from 11, and Geoff
Ramsey and Simon Wells got one apiece. The School XI was all out for
220, making the dropped catch off Ben Hodder before lunch look very
expensive!
The School bowling reply was very positive, and Craig
Marshall was clean bowled in the 5th over with just 7 runs on the
board. Neil Clarke added just 9 before getting caught, but Chris
Downham battled on, initially with Tim Mynott (25) and then Geoff
Ramsey before he was bowled for 47. Geoff went on to make 21 and then
the gentle collapse started with Simon Wells (4), Sam Ramsey (7), Ru
Bunday (10) and Brian Thompson (4) all going cheaply. Queries were 9
down for 159 and the boot was firmly on the Dauntsey's boot, but they
could not dislodge Jeremy Wilkins nor Jake Bunday who faced 57 balls
between them - with all the fielders crowded round the bat - to hang on
for a very tense draw.
After the match Queries skipper Jeremy
praised and congratulated the School for a fine match and thanked all
concerned for a very enjoyable day's cricket.
29th June 2011: Royal Artillery T/20 match at Larkhill
To follow.
26th June 2011: The Rifles CC at St Cross, Winchester.
We had been promised 30°C but on
arrival at the ground the sun was only just coming through, there had
been rain during the night and the track had not been covered. The
early overs would be good for swing bowlers, and so it
was surprising that when skipper Jeremy Wilkins lost the toss and
The Rifles elected to bat.
Jeremy took the new ball and struck with his 4th ball removing the
opener who was plumb lbw. Angus Haig bowled from the other end and
between them, in the first 8 overs, Jeremy took 2 for 6 and Angus 1 for
9. Then the change bowlers BJ Cole and James Roué bowled good
spells, though wicketless. After them Tim Law bowled in tandem with Sam
Ramsey and both got a wicket, with Tim's wicket being a brilliant
diving catch by James Roué at short mid wicket. Lunch was taken
with The Rifles 5 down.
Jeremy's second spell after lunch returned two more wickets, and then
he brought on his secret weapon, 12 year old Rory Law. Queries has lost
Will Hopton early in the morning to sickness: rather than play 10, it
was agreed that Rory could field - and in his first spell of bowling
for the Queries he returned figures of 4 overs, no maidens 1 for
15.
Throughout all the Rifles session there was one thorn in the Queries
side: Rifles skipper and number 5 bat Simon Child who looked very
secure and played a sound innings, but when he began to run out of
partners and realising he needed more runs on the board, started to
play less measured shots. Fittingly perhaps it was Jeremy Wilkins,
returning for a third spell, who clean bowled him. The Rifles were all
out for 202, with Child top-scoring for 91.
It had been a long hot spell in the field and one or two Queries were
certainly feeling the strain and some younger players had never fielded
for so long! However it was time to bat, and James Illingworth and
Harry Farley strode to the crease.
James lost his partner in the second over with Harry being adjudged
lbw: 17 for 1. Guest Max Labouchere then joined James and looked quite
assured before he got a good yorker and was bowled: Queries were 37 for
3. James Roué added 4 before being trapped lbw. This brought
Vaughn Williams to the crease and he joined James in sending the ball
to all corners. James was eventually caught on the deep mid wicket
boundary - some might say cow corner - for an excellent 69; Vaughn, now
joined by Tim Law, then saw the game through to its conclusion. He was
unbeaten on 71 and Tim 36: Queries had won by 5 wickets. Vaughn had hit
four 6s, and James two.
This was a very satisfying win for the Queries. A 5 wicket haul, two
half centuries, some excellent fielding, and some good bowling
especially from the new candidates. Angus Haig, BJ Cole and James
Roué all played well and guest star Max Labouchere fitted in
very neatly and looks a good bat: hopefully we might see more of him.
Rory Law was very proud to be given the ball after the game - he did
really well fielding for so long on a very hot day, and taking his
first wicket. But this was a good team effort by a good team.
23rd June 2011: Warminster School (at Warminster CC).
Hopes
of playing this match were dashed when the groundsman at Warminster CC
contacted the master in charge of cricket at the School and said that
he was cancelling the fixture because the ground was not fit for play.
Needless to say both sides, who had worked hard to get
teams organised, were very disappointed.
19th June 2011: Chilmark CC.
The game began
in light drizzle which quickly passed over and finished with this picturesque
little ground bathed in bright warm sunlight for the rest of the
afternoon. This was the first Sunday
fixture played there this season so the outfield was in excellent condition and
the track, although well grassed, was very good considering the heavy rain
storms of the preceding days. The
groundsmen and the first class covers had done a remarkable job!! The ground was only developed some 9 years
ago so next year will be a special one to mark the decade.
After winning
the toss James Melhorn inserted the home team and they made a good start
against some pacey bowling from Owen Alsop (7 overs for 26 with 1 wicket) and
steady support from Simon Campbell at the other end. The prolific opener who got a hundred in last
year’s fixture was bowled for 16 when he played back to a good ball from Owen,
but at 53 for 1 after 10 overs in this 35 over game, the local supporters were
happy. Dan Ellis bowled four very tight
overs for only 6 runs, taking the second wicket at 70. However, the
introduction of the Bunday boys caused something of a collapse. Ru took 2 for 22 in 6 overs of off spin and
Jake with steady left arm spin took 2 for 15 off 4, including the other opener
caught at long off from Jake’s first ball for 27. Reaching 100 in the 28th over,
Chilmark soon lost their seventh wicket to Neil Clark . But as 3 other bowlers were used, including
the President who went for 18 off the final over, the eighth wicket pair had put
on another half century and the innings closed at 155 for 7. Sam Packer, Captain this year of the City of
London School 1st XI was top scorer with 41 not out and Phil Butler
26 not out.
After an
outstanding tea, Jeff Haywood and Matt McCann started very watchfully against
the same players who were the not out batsmen as they also led the pace attack.
Sam, who lives in the village despite going to school in London, had impressive
figures of 7 overs for just 10 runs. Countering some variable bounce with solid
defence, Matt and Jeff saw off the openers before Jeff was bowled driving over
and round a full length ball for 16.
Matt went on to put on 76 with Joe Wookey with both of them driving
straight and playing effective controlled pull shots. Matt was caught for 47 when Butler returned
to the attack at 112 in the 25th over. A few lusty blows from Neil Clark (12)
and a supporting four ball cameo for 11 runs from Owen, allowed Joe to finish undefeated on 60.
At 156 for 3 the game was won by 7 wickets in the 31st over.
Despite the
recent poor weather this was a most enjoyable game, notable too for the warm
welcome and typically excellent hospitality, and concluded with a BBQ in front
of the pavilion.
18th June 2011: The Royal Household CC.
match cancelled - pitch unfit for play.
12th June 2011: London New Zealand CC
Match cancelled - rain.
10th June 2011: T/20 vs Erlestoke CC.
The
rain clouds glowered at Erlestoke but the place seems to have a micro
climate of its own, at least when the home side are batting. And they
batted first against Freddie Coupe's XI. Dan Ellis opened the bowling
and after an opening maiden then went for 23. The other Dan, Dan
Jackson took the second over and had more success, taking 2 for 16 from
his 4 overs. Then on came the spinners, Sam Ramsey and Will Leachman
and it was will who took the spoils taking 4 for 13, including a double
wicket maiden. Freddie himself had a bowl, lobbing in the grenades from
a great height, and Chris Downham also bowled 3 overs for 20 runs - but
Erlestoke finished their 20 overs 7 wickets down for just 105 runs.
The second half started in the rain which made the ball very difficult
to control. Will Leachman was well caught for 6, but Neil Clark hit 4
fours and 3 sixes for his 43 runs. Sam Gaiger making a very welcome
return to Queries cricket scored 21, and Chris Downham was 26* when the
target was reached in the 12th over.
We all then repaired to the pub at the bottom of the hill for a chili and chips and a good chin wag!
5th June 2011: Stragglers of Asia CC
Match cancelled by opposition.
30th May 2011: Devizes CC
Match cancelled - rain.
29th May 2011: Farley CC
The original fixture against the Old
Wellingtonians having been cancelled by them, and thanks to the
initiative of Sam Ramsey, a fixture was got together quickly against
Farley CC. Hugo Tilney recovered 5 of his original players and found
some more, helped by Vaughn Williams and Sam Ramsey. So on the day we
were 10, including candidate Angus Haig and Mike Fernley's son Luke. In
fact Angus opened the bowling with Neil Clark and his wicket maiden in
the 6th over opened his account. From then on wickets fell regularly
and - bar one guest player - cheaply. The guest player scored 132
before he was caught off the bowling of Angus, and none of the other
batsmen scored more than 7. Neil Clark took 1 for 46 from 8; Angus Haig
took 2 for 33 from 8; James Roué took 2 for 14 from 5: guest Ed
Foster took 2 for 21 from 4: Harry Farley took 2 for 40 from 6; and
Chris Golding, who conceded a mighty 22 runs off his opening over,
took 1 for 29 from 2. Farley was all out for 183.
The Queries opened with James Illingworth and Harry Farley and against
some rather ineffective bowling they enjoyed an opening stand of 126
before James charged down the wicket for a quick single which Harry
declined, and ran himself out! he had scored 55, including four 6s.
James Roué then added a quick 21 before he was caught and after
that it was a fairly simple job for Neil Clark to help Harry get the
total up to 185 for 2 - and the Queries had won by 8 wickets.
Harry had scored an impressive 62* and Neil 11*.
But the real congratulations go to Sam Ramsey for taking the initiative to get a game organised - so thank you very much Sam.
 
James Illingworth powers a wide ball square to the cover boundary and
on the right a watchful Harry Farley pushes the ball straight down the
ground.
29th May 2011 vs the Old Wellingtonians CC.
Match cancelled by the opposition.
22nd May 2011: Somerset Stragglers CC.
The Queries batted first and on paper has some quality bats but might
have been a bit light on the bowling. However the batters struggled
right from the off and a very slow rate was achieved. Will Hopton and
Harry Farley opened the bating and both looked to be settling in well
and making some good quick singles. Then Will was trapped lbw with the
score at 35 and Neil Clarke who came in at 3 lasted only 5 balls before
he was caught having added one run. Tom Grant stayed with Harry and
together they put on 54 runs when Tom was caught having scored 29, and
8 runs later Harry was caught for 39. Jeff Haywood (32) and Nick
Lind (26) moved the score board on a bit and candidate James
Roué added 12 but the tail collapsed and the Queries were all
out in the 55th over for just 227 runs.
The Stragglers response was emphatic, led by their skipper Jack Cooper.
It took them just 31 overs to overhaul the target for the loss of just
3 wickets. Cooper scored 136 before candidate Dan Ellis got him caught
by Will Hopton at cover. The other 2 batsmen were dismissed by Nick
Coles and Neil Clarke.
In soccer parlance we need to learn from this match and move forward!
Dan Ellis looks like a really positive and capable young bowler
whose figures of 7 overs, 2 maidens, 1 for 37 were particularly
impressive. Nick Coles bowled 8 overs for 64 runs with one wicket
showed lots of promise and when he gets more match ready he will
be very useful. Both of these candidates can bat as well. James
Roué found his pace and length with the ball and skidded some
through and he also is a useful find and we hope to see lots more from
these three as we progress through this season.
Anyway, the match was lost emphatically by 7 wickets and the standard
has been set for next season: we need to have our 1st XI out to play
the Stragglers.
15th May 2011: Babington House CC
The completed score book is not to hand but suffice to say that the
Queries failed to gain the upper hand in this match and lost by a
number of runs. Babington House batted first in this 35 over match and
made something like 176 runs. The Queries were 164 for 8 when they ran
out of overs. We are waiting to receive a photocopy of the score sheet
from the first innings, but we do know that Wayne Egglestone, on leave
from South Korea, scored 35: and David Haywood scored 46.
8th May 2011: Avebury CC
It had rained hard in the night and there was some concern about
conditions. However, given the extended dry period over the past few
weeks, the water simply ran off the pitch and if anything conditions
were too dry! As usual Dom Fry was orchestrating Avebury, helped by his
brother Henry, and with those two playing, there will always be a well
contested match!. The Queries under their skipper Richard Thompson, won
the toss and decided to bat first in the bright sunshine, opening with
candidate John Boddington and Club President David Haywood. 30 was
added for the first wicket before David was caught for 13. John went on
to score 31 before he too was caught. Harry Farley - great to see him
playing - was caught for 9, and Neil Clark also, this time for 63.
James Melhorn made a duck, Simon Campbell bludgeoned 62 from about 46
balls, and skipper Richard added 10 before declaring at 206 for 6.
An excellent tea followed and probably did the waistlines no good at
all, and the Richard opened with Geoff Ramsey coming up the hill, and
James Melhorn down. The incomplete score book does not show the fall of
wickets but Geoff bowled very tightly, and wicketless, with 9 overs, 4
maidens for just 11 runs and James took 1 for 15 from 5 overs.
However it was the slow bowlers who enticed all the mistakes,
and Sam Ramsey took 3 for 39 from 7 overs and Neil Clark 4 for 24
from 4 overs. 5 wickets fell to catches, 2 were bowled, and 2 were
excellently stumped by Brian Thompson. With the brothers Fry together
at the crease, Avebury looked as if they might be able to find a
win or at least force the draw, but once both were out caught to
mishits, the end was nigh. Avebury were bowled out for 148, the Queries
winning by 58 runs and with 8 overs to spare. The Queries had
their first win of the 2011 and very good it felt too!
Well done to Richard Thompson in his first match as a match manager:
great to see Harry Farley playing, and he has committed to many further
matches: welcome to new candidate John Boddington who looks like an
accomplished batsman and athletic fielder: and thanks to the brothers
Fry and Avebury for their hospitality and a well run fixture.
5th May 2011: Monkton Combe School 1st XI
The second match at Monkton is another good test for the Queries, and
this year the School would be without Toby Davies (who has left School
and now plays for Corsham) who has scored so prolifically against the
Queries for the past 3 seasons. The Queries, skippered by Rupert
Bagnall won the toss and elected to bat, opening with David Haywood and
Matt McCann who put on 47 before Matt was caught. David went a few
runs later, also caught, and both to the bowling of leg spinner Tom
Beach. Then Neil Clark and Geoff Ramsey enjoyed a stand of 77 which
included one 6 from Neil, and four from Geoff. Then Neil inexplicably
ran himself out for 41. Richard Buxton joined Geoff and then added 40
runs before Geoff was well caught on the boundary for 54. The Queries
added just 30 more runs before Rupert declared at 201 for 6 after 34
overs.
The School reply was very positive as they powered to 78 before the
first wicket fell. A second wicket stand of 96 appeared to seal the
fate of the Queries. There was a minor wobble as Simon Campbell took 3
quick wickets, including the School skipper for a golden duck, as the
School slipped from 172 for 2 to 174 for 4. However they comfortably
closed the game out in the 31st over and won by 6 wickets with 2 overs
in hand. Rupert Bagnall bowled 5 overs for 17 runs; Simon
Cottle 2 overs for 15 runs: Hamish Horton 6 overs for 61; Neil Clark 5
overs, 1 for 33; Sam Palmer - who is working at the School - 5 overs
for 32; and Simon Campbell 7 overs, 3 for 29.
This was another enjoyable fixture, in a great setting, and the boys were in good form throughout.Toby
Davies turned out to watch the match and it was great to see him again.
Hopefully he, and a couple of the School players will give the Queries
a couple of matches this season.
2nd May 2011: vs King's School 1st XI, Bruton.
The first match of the season - always a challenging affair for those
who have not prepared physically for their cricket as well as a useful
opportunity to get some 'middle practice' under the belt. Nick
Bunday had assembled the Queries and on paper was probably stronger
with the bat than the ball. The School won the toss and inserted the
Queries, who opened with Tom Grant and Wayne Egglestone (who had
recently arrived on leave from South Korea). Conditions were blustery.
Wayne had scored 13 before being bowled with the score at 20, and Tom
was caught at mid wicket 8 runs later. Joe Wookey and Will Dawe then
put on 33 before Joe was trapped lbw for 36 which brought Simon
Campbell to the crease. Although he lost his partners, Will for 5 and
Ru Bunday for 11, Simon was in big-hitting form and took the game to
the School scoring 79 from 70 balls in just 26 minutes. After he was
bowled at 166 for 6, 3 wickets fell in quick succession and skipper
Nick Bunday declared the innings closed at 171 for 9.
Tom Grant and Chris Downham opened with the new ball, with Tom
particularly making the ball 'talk'. His 10.4 overs (in 2 spells)
with 3 maidens, taking 4 for 34 was impressive. Chris was bowling quite
well, with the School able to score only about 3 an over off
him. Tom took the first wicket at 43, Ru Bunday got the second, caught
by Wayne Egglestone, at 53 for 2 and Tom allowed the new pair to score
just one before taking the third at 53 for 3. Ru Bunday's 8 overs for
51 runs and 1 wicket was a tad expensive: Wayne Egglestone managed
just one over before pulling up with a muscle injury: guest James Moore
bowled 3 overs for 25 for 1 wicket. But it was Simon Campbell who arrested the
School batsmens progress with 6 overs for 17 runs. However the 5th stand of almost 100
did the damage, by which time the writing was on the wall. The School
reached 172 for 6 and won deservedly by 6 wickets.
Throughout, the boys were in good form and we enjoyed the match. The
hospitality was as usual of a very high standard, and we look forward
to further encounters. We also look forward to seeing Jack
Cadbury who opened for the School and scored 24 and also bowled 4 overs
for 24 runs, playing with the Queries this season.
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