Refreshers v Philanderers, 3 July 2022

Warborough, Oxfordshire

35 over game; David Alexander lost the toss (actually given that no one seemed to have a coin, it was a stone in one hand and nothing in the other with the winner being the one who ended up with the stone). We would have fielded but ended up batting. 

James Skelton opened with former West Indian opener Philo Wallace – played 7 tests (top score 92) and 33 ODIs (top score 103 v South Africa in 1998 –stumped Boucher bowled Cronje – becoming the first person to score an ODI century in the ICC Knockout Trophy). 

For all that pedigree, top scorer for the Refreshers was Jack Bell with 42. We went on to post 180, dodging the showers as we went.

When we took the field Harry Bell bowled his 7 overs straight up and beautifully, removing one of the openers to give us our first, and as it turned out because of the rain, only wicket! They were about 75-1 off 15 overs when the rain came down and went on for too long to allow us to resume the game. So match abandoned as a draw and a disappointing end to the day. But not much one can do about the weather!

Weird moment of the match: when a full coach load of American tourists stopped on one side of the green and eventually all walked over right past the front of the pavilion to the pub with one being heard to say, “what is this game and how do you play it?”  The reason for the coach load seems to have been that various venues in Warborough have been used in the Midsomer Murders Series (when cricket is played in Midsomer Murders, it is often the Warborough ground that is used, and when a pub is featured it is often the pub in the village, which in real life is called the Six Bells). 

Lunch and tea were excellent, hardly surprisingly given they were in Sam’s (Mrs DA) care.

Lunch: coronation chicken and honey roast ham, with new potatoes, coleslaw and salad washed down with Pimms, rosé, claret and beer. 

Tea: Egg sandwiches; ham and English mustard sandwiches, masses of cakes including Victoria sponge and Battenburg and lots of biscuits of the Club/Kit Kat nature.

DA QC

5.7.22