Sunday 29th June saw a young Buccaneers team meet for the famously picturesque fixture at Brook Cricket Club.
A pub lunch at the neighbouring watering hole before the game and 30-degree heat provided the perfect introduction to Buccaneers cricket for a team bolstered with ringers. With bellies full and the toss won, the day was set up very nicely indeed.
After the captains agreed on a declaration format and a comical bickering between openers A Marsh and M Sutton over who would and would not take the first ball, the match started. The innings began with A Marsh, having drawn the short straw of taking the first ball, falling to a well-directed yorker in the first over, bringing the first ringer P Earle into the game.
Sutton and Earle soon created a solid foundation to build upon, hitting a steady and consistent flow of boundaries. Despite this promising start, Sutton eventually fell after making a well-made 36. In came C Portman who played a sensible knock before chipping one to cover after the ball appeared to stick in the wicket. Ringer number two, B Jacobs, steadied the ship alongside Earle to 154-3 with Earle making his 50 in the process.
However, following instructions to up the pace with declaration in mind, Earle was caught at mid-off for 60 and the partnership was broken. This brought in the famous L Milne inducing both anticipation and nervousness (everybody’s car windows were now very much in play)…
As per his reputation, Milne smoked Brook’s best bowling around the ground all the while playing proper cricket shots and had made his half century off a ridiculous 16 balls. A class above the opposition, Ludo’s dismissive hitting came to an end only due to a strategic retirement. With B Jacobs ticking over comfortably and a few more runs needed to satisfy a declaration, I.Evans was sent out for a rare batting outing. Not before long, the Buccaneers were satisfied and declared on a total of 231 for 4 off 34 overs with B. Jacobs finishing on 38* and I.Evans 5*.
With the Buccs very content with their first half display, the players tripped back to the pub which they had prepared for the game in and were treated to a lovely tea with the highlight being some gorgeous roast potatoes and gravy straight from the pub’s Sunday menu.
Satiated, the Buccs continued their form into the second innings with I Evans and J Smith bowling tidily in their channels, despite some glorious counter-attacking cover drives from the Brook opener F Cooper. Smith, however, made the initial breakthrough, encouraging another booming drive only for this time to take a feather with M Sutton taking a comfortable catch behind the stumps. Paired with Evans’ tight bowling, Smith took two more wickets in quick succession before the first change in bowlers was made. The first change brought the long-awaited return of the famous Warwick Okines, who started as if he had been playing all season, turning batters (and keepers) inside out. This brought on ringer number six, Hugh “The Bison” Phillipson, and as the name suggests, he charged in and bowled some sharp pace bowling.
The bowling pair, supported by some athletic fielding by A Marsh and some safe catching (excluding a dolly from the usually reliable J Marsh), brought a steady flow of wickets. Soon, Okines and Phillipson had dismantled Brook’s middle-order and the Buccs were into the tail. A tiring Bison led to the return of J Smith in search of his five-fer, however, in the end, it was Wozza’s crafty leg spin which spun the Buccs to a convincing victory and a final visit with the neighbouring pub.
Innings of Buccaneers
A Marsh b J Cooper 0
M Sutton c ? b Sheikh-Thompkins 36
P Earle c ? b M Thompkins 60
C Sutton c ? b Cooper 10
B Jacobs not out 38
L Milne Rtred hurt 50
I Evans not out 5
Extras 32
Total 231 for 4 declared (34 overs)
Bowling
J Cooper 6-1-23-1
F Cooper 7-0-46-0
D Sheikh-Thompkins 4-0-20-1
N Cooper 7.1-0-34-1
S Wells 4-0-25-0
M Thompkins 3-0-33-1
L Soar 3-0-29-0
Innings of Brook
M Thompkins run out 2
F Cooper c Sutton b Smith 19
N Cooper c Okines b Smith 34
S Wells b Smith 1
L Soar c ? b Philipson 3
M Fradgley c ? b Philipson 3
L Fradgley not out 2
D Sheikh-Thompkins c ? b Okines 0
J Cooper c ? b Okines 0
R Bradbury st Sutton b Okines 0
Extras 18
Total 79 all out
Bowling
I Evans 6-1-20-0
J Smith 6-1-24-4
W Okines 6.2-1-19-3
H Phillipson 5-2-10-1