Refreshers v Arcadian Casuals, 9 July 2022

President’s Match, Marlborough

On a baking hot Saturday at the end of Wimbledon fortnight, the Refreshers hosted Joe Cannon’s Casuals at Marlborough College for what has now become an annual derby. The Marlborough ground looked splendid in the shimmering sunshine, albeit that our strip was at the pavilion side of the square making for easier pickings with the short boundary on that side of the pitch. Joe won the toss and unsurprisingly batted first; despite some excellent hostile bowling from Alex Seager and Jerry Covell, their openers grafted away and ultimately put on 68 together before Tom Chamberlain brought one back to castle P.Rincess’s stumps and give us our first wicket.

In a side packed with bowling we could vary the attack with seam and spin from Sachin, Gareth McAloon and Rachel Godschalk, without calling upon the talents of Akhtar Ahmad, the President or Hugh Sutton (who took his omission from the line-up with good grace).

The Casuals were an impressive 171 for 3 at lunch after two hours batting, with their number 2 bat, J.Teflon, unbeaten on 89 – he had worked out how to play the short boundary. Following the pork pies and elderflower we decided that all-out attrition from the quickies was the way to go and Seager and Covell resumed the attack, bowling straight and tightly enough to restrict the run flow to 60% of the morning’s spree. Jerry Covell picked up Teflon for 91 with a very sharp caught and bowled and we generally fielded pretty well (3 run-outs). In the event the Casuals declared with 9 down, after 50 overs and on the stroke of half time, for a daunting 282. 

After tea the Refreshers picked up the gauntlet, opening with Sachin and Stewart and putting on 59 for the first wicket, by which  time Sachin (later falling caught behind for 59) had posted his half century. Tom Chamberlain (44) and Gareth McAloon (28) then took up the cause, scoring all around the wicket until McAloon was controversially given out LBW off a thin (or thick, depending on who you listened to) edge on to the pad. At least he now has a batting average for the Refreshers, having scored close to 400 runs during his time with us and only now having been dismissed, for the first time. Chamberlain was looking comfortable until he misread a googly from M. Ackdaddy and was bowled for 44.  Akhtar Ahmad batted well for 19 until he spooned a catch to deep short leg, which brought Jerry Covell and Jon Willatt together to hunt down 100 from our 20 overs – which they did with eight overs to spare, Jerry ending on 57 n.o. and Jon on 38 n.o. 

So a great game, 576 runs, and a satisfying victory for the Refreshers. 

After beers outside the pavilion most of us went back to the President’s garden among the wheat fields, where dinner of coronation chicken and strawberries was washed down with some 2017 Cotes du Rhone and white Bordeaux – the speeches were short and sweet and we sung Happy Birthday to Tom Cayford who had turned 24 that day. A lovely day, and club cricket as it should be played.

Team: Philip Cayford (capt), Jon Willatt, Sachin, Akhtar Ahmad, Hugh Sutton, Paul Stewart, Gareth McAloon, Tom Chamberlain, Rachel Godschalk, Jerry Covell, Alex Seager.