21st June, Match report - Rabbits

Being the Summer Solstice, it was a ‘long day’ as we trudged off the field having come second. Actually, it was quite an early finish and into the pub as a result.

Brampton won the toss, elected to bat and after what was a healthy start (Alford L 37 and Williams E 47) not many others contributed substantial runs, though Treasure and Saunders made double figures. Stand out bowlers were the two brothers Hancock who were a new addition to The Rabbits. Both left arm over ‘tweakers’. Penney, O also took 3 wickets but at an expensive 7 runs an over.

We retired to the pub for tea, surely an excellent invention to be added to the rulebook, where a lavish example of mid match sustenance was duly provided and consumed in equal measure. So to the field we went with calories now to burn. On a small pitch, defending our 159 was always going to be tough. And so it proved. The bowlers toiled, the batsmen played their shots and on a true wicket that had behaved extremely well, the batting side romped home with 14 overs to spare. The notable performers were Ritesh Dua, returning on 51 not out and again the two Hancock brothers, both of whom scored freely all around the pitch, between them knocking off 67 runs.

BBLCC will need to step up their game on home soil to exact some friendly revenge in August. So off to the pub twice in a day we went, this time for a cold beverage and some after game friendship.

Let’s hope the summer continues in the same manner, with the sun shining and village cricket on display, as it was on the village green at Almeley. A truly delightful setting overlooking Hay Bluff and the Black Mountains and befitting the game we play.

Dales CC v BBLCC

26^th April 2015

On another most un-April-like day, BBLCC won a game in which they were always coming second until Man-of-the-match Rod Layton produced a spell that stunned the home side.

Dales won the toss and inserted BBLCC on a pitch that was unusually hard and relatively true for the time of year. Nevertheless, the new ball moved around a bit and three of the top order contrived to miss straight ones from an opening attack that spanned several generations. But Powell set about hitting anything in his half to all parts, usually aerially to avoid the heavy covering of mown grass on the outfield. One big six landed on the roof of the B&Q store next door. Presumably if there is damage they can do it themselves.

Bob Bower contributed a few beefy hits but it needed some captain’s resolve from Saunders before anybody stayed to support Powell. When Powell edged behind he had amassed 58 from 53 balls. The skipper was stumped in the last over for a well-crafted 27 and the visitors finished on a slightly below par 179.

Dales, with another pairing spanning over 40 years, set off at a canter despite some accurate stuff from Stan Barnett and after 12 overs of the allotted 40 were 74 without loss. The Captain then brought himself on and soon dismissed the veteran Osborne with a brilliant diving catch off his own bowling. But even when Powell removed the young Langland brothers with offcutters Dales didn’t seem to be in much trouble with several experienced cricketers to come and plenty of time.

Even when Humber’s lack of pace was too much for a couple of them Dales still needed just 20 runs off the last nine overs with four wickets in hand. Then came the Rod Layton show. He spun one through Kevin Smith’s gate leaving a tail exposed to his and Barnett’s skill and guile, to the extent that only 5 runs came from the next four overs. Pressure can do funny things and none of the Dales lower order could get the ball off the square and the last over started with them 8 down with 8 to win. Four balls later it was all over and Rod had taken 4 for 8 off 28 balls.

A great fun start to the season.

Brampton Bryan vs Rabbits & Tax Collectors

14^th Sept 2014

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon in mid-September and The Rabbits came to play. BBLCC were looking to reverse the result of earlier in the season. Both teams turned out what could be stated as the ‘firsts’ if such a team existed at BBLCC.

We shared the Village Hall with the local artists exhibiting and selling their wares as part of h.Art enabling visitors and spectators to have a double enjoyment of their adventure to Brampton Bryan.

The game began sharp at 1pm with The Rabbits batting after winning the toss. The captain and chief Rabbit was noble in the following of the hallowed game by being present on the pitch and not delivering offspring to Freshers’ Week somewhere less desiring of his presence. Good show!

The Rabbits took up the batting challenge with gusto, and after two early wickets were looking a solid 130 odd for 2 wickets, with BBLCC staring down a run chase of 250+ when a finger splitting C&B broke the partnership and thereafter wickets tumbled. They tumbled to one of the unsung bowlers of the team, that of Dominic Bunting, who returned match winning figures of 5-24 from 5 overs, surely a best performance for BBLCC by Dom. The threatened run chase was curtailed to a total that was far more gettable than the one that was predicted only 10 overs previously.

So it was a chase down of 192 in 40 overs that got off to a fine start with the opening pairing of Whittome & Bower putting on 83 after only 15 overs. The runs came even faster once Bower and Lee Alford got together with 12 scoring shots by Alford securing his score of 44. He was finally well caught by Powell off Emery after 2-3 chances were resisted. Did this slow BBLCC down? Not a chance!  The game was wrapped up after 28.4 overs and a man of the match performance from Bob Bower scoring 93 not out. A shame that there were not enough runs in the chase for him to reach his 100.

A resounding win for BBLCC to dim the pain of the loss in June 2014 and a lovely day all in.

The report has to pass comment and some judgement on the match tea, proudly presented by The Clan at High Tree Cottage (i.e. Fiona Naylor). The apple cinnamon bars were such a success that members were fighting over the last few pieces and demanding the recipe. As such, please feel free to ask Mrs. Naylor for said recipe and it will be furnished. Bob & Lee will endorse the product, and one could even argue that the match winning batting performance could have been as a result of the said sugary, apple baked good.

THE RODNEY LAYTON TESTIMONIAL TROPHY

31st August 2014

Probably the largest gathering of cricketing families ever seen at BBLCC stood around the fine and ancient pavilion in the late afternoon sunshine on the majestic cricket ground at Downton Hall near Bitterley to hear chairman Peter Naylor deliver a valedictory address celebrating Rod Layton’s massive contribution to our cricket club for over a decade.

Quondam secretary Alan Reid then described a trip to Silverstone and Formula One race cars. Bernie Ecclestone will perhaps be there to close the doors on the speeding machines as Rod hurtles round the track. It is a noble gift from BBLCC to one of its most splendid servants.

We were at Downton Hall through the good offices of Stuart Squire. When he explained to Mr Wiggins the nature of the proposed day, the Downton Hall ground, beautifully mown with perfect cross stripes of grass not usual in village cricket, was instantly made available without charge. The view from third man is one of the finest in Europe with a panorama from the Wrekin through the two Clee Hills across the Malverns and on to Hay Bluff so spectacular that Douglas Griffiths, gazing raptly at the scene, was nearly struck down by a falling high ball which he neither heard nor saw so ravished was he by the embrace of the scenery.

For it was also a very sunny summer day. Catches were difficult to hold when the bowling came from the Pavilion end. Huw Evans reached for a hard return catch but the sun misguided his hand and the ball bounced out. But it bounced out onto the adjacent stumps and took down the bails and the non-striking batsman was away down the track and was thereby out. So Huw got his wicket.

Robert Wells further gilded his already glittering timing reputation by being again run out. Driving the ball straight over the bowler he saw it flying towards the capable hands of Dominic Bunting and knowing his fate, stopped half way down the wicket. But Dominic dropped the catch. Robert slowly restarted his run. But Dominic hurled the ball in and smashed up the wicket before Robert got home. Dominic went on to score the maximum allowed number of runs in both his innings and was probably the second best performer on the day. The best performance came from Lee Alford who was particularly lethal in bowling of terrifying power, a power he kindly moderated to allow the several talented youngsters from Moor Park School a chance to build up their already considerable skills.

It was appropriate therefore that the Rodney Layton Trophy was awarded to Lee in its first appearance. A match within and between club members will be played for the cup every year in future. The silver bowl now stands with other BBLCC memorabilia in the main bar of The Sun Inn