- Althorp XI vs The Twenty Minuters
- Althorp
- 8th July 2006
- Toss: Twenties, Althorp inserted on gentleman's understanding
- Result: Lost by 234 runs
- Man of the Match: Jay Elwes
| Althorp XI innings | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G Andreae | LBW | b Elwes | 1 | |||
| D Culbard | c Godsal | b Willis | 46 | |||
| D Kennedy | st Willis | b Nicholas | 129 | |||
| J Berry+ | bowled | b Willis | 25 | |||
| C Redmayne | st Willis | b Elwes | 101 | |||
| G Vestey | c & b | b Elwes | 29 | |||
| M Carleton-Smith | not out | 12 | ||||
| DNB: C Timms, J Baker, C Spencer*, J Capel | ||||||
| Extras | (lb 2, w 7, nb 6) | 15 | ||||
| Total (for 6 after 40 overs) | 358 | |||||
| FoW: 1-6, 2-70, 3-143, 4-256, 5-327 | ||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon | 8 | 0 | 91 | 0 | (2w, 1nb) | 11.38 |
| Elwes | 8 | 3 | 46 | 3 | (2w, 1nb) | 5.75 |
| Willis | 8 | 0 | 53 | 2 | ||
| Nicholas | 7 | 0 | 52 | 1 | ||
| Jenkins | 5 | 0 | 51 | 0 | (2w, 1nb) | 10.20 |
| Curtis | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | (1w, 2nb) | 26.00 |
| Tyers | 3 | 0 | 37 | 0 | (1nb) | 12.34 |
| The Twenty Minuters innings | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H Lloyd Baker | bowled | b Timms | 0 | |||
| A Tyers | bowled | b Culbard | 4 | |||
| L Willis | c Culbard | b Timms | 21 | |||
| R Jenkins | bowled | b Capel | 12 | |||
| H Nicholas | c Vestey | b Capel | 15 | |||
| J Elwes | bowled | b Carleton-Smith | 9 | |||
| B Godsal+ | bowled | b Baker | 5 | |||
| ARB Curtis | bowled | b Capel | 0 | |||
| P Cannon | bowled | b Carleton-Smith | 48 | |||
| RTC Groom* | c Spencer | b Baker | 2 | |||
| J Greayer | not out | 3 | ||||
| Extras | (b 1, lb 1, w 3) | 5 | ||||
| Total (all out, after 32 overs) | 124 | |||||
| FoW: 1-2, 2-4, 3-37, 4-37, 5-51, 6-64, 7-67, 8-77, 9-96, 10-124 | ||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Timms | 8 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 1.50 | |
| D Culbard | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 3.00 | |
| J Capel | 8 | 0 | 36 | 3 | (2w) | 4.50 |
| M Carleton-Smith | 4 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 3.25 | |
| J Baker | 3 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 6.34 | |
| G Vestey | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| G Andreae | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 6.00 | |
Match Summary
A perfect cricket day greeted the Twenty Minuters as they arrived at Althorp, this time in various cars and cabs rather than a treacherous coach that would later abandon them to the wolves. Sunshine, scattered clouds and a light breeze were laid on, all that would be needed now was for a massive burst of form and a weak Althorp team and the Twenties might be able to seek revenge for last year's mauling.
It was not to be.
Althorp were inserted and, initially, the visitors were on top. At the end of the second over, Elwes — who was to cover himself in a substance not unlike glory with the ball, thudded one into the pads of Andreae, who was adjudged leg before with only a single against his name.
At the other end, Cannon was building up some good pace and the run flow was a mere trickle. The calm before the storm.
Kennedy began to open his shoulders, assisted by Culbard and later by glovesman Berry. Cannon and Elwes were rested, to be replaced by Willis, bowling initially leg spin and then, after the first ball was accompanied by a ghastly tearing noise from his shoulder, medium pace. His useful line and length mostly kept the batsmen at bay, the odd monster six notwithstanding, and picked up two wickets to boot, the second with the last ball of the spell.
At the other end, Nicholas and then Jenkins manfully did what they could. The latter, unfortunately, became the first of four Twenty Minuters whose economy rate slipped painfully into double figures without reward. Possibly the batsmen were galvanised by Jenkin's description of his action prior to bowling as "right-arm trundle". The ball didn't trundle off the bat, however, unless, in this internet age, 'to trundle' means to scream towards the boundary like a tracer bullet.
Kennedy had moved past 50 and on to his hundred in no time at all. The umpires, tiring from signalling boundaries, had no idea that this was only the start of their arm-raising Hell.
The introduction of Curtis from the pavilion end was, on paper, S.kip's masterstroke. Last season's top wicket taker for the Twenties, he had the variation to fox the wiliest of batsmen. Indeed he did fox them, with several shots only going for four or being called wide. The over proved, all in all, well worthwhile. It went for 26 runs, lulling the batsmen into a false sense of security ahead of the introduction of twirly-man Tyers.
The Cat's figures of 3-0-37-0 were, in the circumstances, quite economical, and his bowling showed wonderful use of line and length, albeit never at the same time.
A major problem facing the visitors' bowling attack was that Willis's second wicket had brought to the crease Redmayne, who the year before had chanced his way to a hundred, dropped a half-dozen or more times on his way there.
This year, there were to be far fewer chances. Adjectives such as brutal, savage and muscular don't really do the innings justice. The scoring system not being perfect, it is difficult to say how many balls Redmayne faced en route to his second successive ton off the Twenties. Fifty, perhaps. Possibly far fewer.
Both centurions were to depart skipping down the wicket, stumped by Willis, who, having donned the gloves, had been warned on both occasions by the batsmen that "you're going to get a stumping this ball." The Twenties could only marvel at people who, when they knew they had done their bit, had to contrive to get out.
Elwes took one more wicket, giving him a useful, man-of-the-match-winning three-for, and Althorp crawled to 358-6 after their 40 overs at less than nine an over.
The visitors therefore went about their tea like men assured of victory. After all, the previous year's score of 78 showed enormous promise.
Lloyd-Baker and Tyers strode out to the wicket to face the music. The former, after facing one ball, remembered that he batted in spectacles and called for them to be brought to him. Much hilarity ensued, although L-B survived the next few balls and the serious business of chasing down the target began.
Sadly, his dismissal the next over, bowled by a beauty from the metronomic Timms, ended the dream of a ten-wicket victory. The dismissal of Tyers, bowled by Culbard not long after, ended notions of the nine-wicket ditto.
But these dismissals brought ringers Willis and Jenkins to the crease. Oh, how they dazzled as they carefully blocked the opening salvo out. The run rate was climbing, sure, but with these mighty titans at the crease, all things were possible.
Then Skipper Spencer introduced a 12-year-old into the attack.
To be fair, he might very well have been 13. And he definitely was the son of former England all-rounder David Capel. And from the looks of him, he might very well have a rather longer Test career than his father.
Willis was able to unfurl the sweep to get off strike, enabling Jenkins to unfurl the skip-down-the-wicket-and-get-stumped to get back to the pavilion. At this point, though, few on the boundary could tell that this lad was turning it a mile. Oh, and had variations.
Nicholas came and braved it before falling for the diminutive spinner. Curtis's day in the sun was made gloriously complete when he was bowled first ball by said Capel.
Elwes added to his burgeoning reputation as an all-rounder with a mighty nine. Glovesman 'Bun' Godsal smote a glorious five. Skipper Groom looked a little out of sorts before hitting a Baker ball into the grateful hands of Spencer, who pulled off a splendid catch at short cover, ending his opposite number's innings when he had reached only two.
Then the Cannon roared. With the occasional bowlers brought on and Greayer for company, 'Lucky Pierre' took out the anger brought about by the terrible punishment his bowling had earlier received from the flashing Althorp blades. His courageous innings of 48 gave the Twenties some respectability as they passed not only the previous year's score but also the hundred mark. In fact, a few more runs and the brave 20s would have made almost as many runs as Kennedy made for Althorp.
The margin of victory — 234 runs — was probably about right. After several drinks, some words of commiseration and agreement that it really had been a splendid day, the Twenties returned to London, bloody, beaten, but unbowed. Well, not actually bloody either. Beaten certainly.
*The author would like to note that the umpiring, especially from Twenty Minuters legend Matthew Maxwell Scott, was, at very worst, really bloody good.
-ends-
