Fixtures List 2026

 

MW	WC	Date	Ground	Opposition	Notes	Result
1	11th May	Tuesday 12th May	CASS Centre	CUP	Friendly	Won
2	18th May	Tuesday 19th May	Latham Road	Leys School	Friendly	Cancelled
3	25th May	Tuesday 26th May	CASS Centre	Sharks	Friendly	Won
4	1st June	Tuesday 2nd June	Stapleford	Stapleford	League	Cancelled
5	8th June	Thursday 11th June	Queens	AVEVA	Friendly	Cancelled
6	15th June	Wednesday 17th June	Waterbeach	Waterbeach	League	Lost
7	22nd June	Wednesday 24th June	Queens	Telugu TAC	League	Won
8	29th June	Wednesday 1st July	Queens	IPH	Friendly	Lost
9	6th July	Wednesday 8th July	Queens	Dobblers	League	Won
10	13th July	Wednesday 15th July	Queens	Madingley Mulch	League	Cancelled
11	20th July	Tuesday 21st July	Queens	Fen Ditton	League	Won
12	27th July	Wednesday 29th July	Queens	Cambourne 2’s	League	Won
13	3rd August	Monday 3rd August	Queens	IPH	Friendly	Won
13	3rd August	Wednesday 5th August	Queens	Tamil Sangnam	League	Lost
14	10th August	Monday 10th August	Stapleford	Stapleford	League	Lost
14	10th August	Thursday 13th August	Histon	Histon	“Friendly”

2026 Season Planning Update

Hello Everyone who reads this (Hi, Mum!). I wanted to give a general update on planning for the 2026 Jags season.

Our logo says we were established in 2011, but the truth is we played our first ever game, a one off, in 2010. It was mid August, Paul Broadbridge opened the batting with Justin Edwards at Churchill in a game we lost against Mills and Reeve. Justin got 25*, I got an amazing golden duck and was proper immature and angry about it despite it being entirely my fault, and we went to the Punter afterwards for drinks. We've played every summer since, including the Covid impacted period, and also including when I went off on a little summer jaunt in 2016 to "find myself". I did indeed find myself, and discovered I am, as most of you know, a bit of a twit.

That makes this the coming season the 17th successive season of Jags cricket. Many, many names and times have come and gone in that period (I'll do a bit of a pre-season re-cap in the coming weeks, it's currently in draft form/a total mess of prose) and we've played league, friendly, one weekend fixture, had nights away (Nottingham, you gorgeous city you) and frequented most of the pubs and grounds in Cambridge (other than Jesus College, which is still on my to do list). In truth I continue organising as every year I ask if I should keep it going, and ever year people say yes, so it is what is is.

This year I won't make the league kick off meeting as I am skiing, so Captain Fantastic will be at the Dobblers passing paper around in my stead. I'm not sure skiing in my advancing years is the best idea, but I will do it nonetheless and see how it goes. It's cold, so I thought I'd do something that suits the cold.

How I imagine I look on the slopes.

The Cambridge Business House League currently has a revised format where we will be in Division 2 with 7 other teams, which allows us to pick up a few friendly games of our choice. I currently have 12 fixtures lined up, 5 league and 7 friendlies. 5 of our chums in the league division are good at communicating with other humans and 2 aren't, but hopefully we should get those 2 plus one more other fixture in to get us to around 15 or so for the season ahead. We should be at Queens for at least 9 fixtures, all being well, and will also play at the CASS Centre ("Grenade!"), Waterbeach ("Mind the manhole cover"), and Histon. But mostly the loving and tender environs of Queens.

We're once more signed up to the Cambridgeshire Cricket Association, and the Cambridgeshire Cricket Board and Fraser Daws are helping us be insured for general trips and slips. I'm also signed up for criminal records checks, and safe hands courses and have updated our safeguarding police - TL:DR - "don't do bad stuff".

There is sadly, a lot of not so positive stuff in the world at the moment, but this is positive, so let's lean into the joys and not the miseries. 

May the drops be ever in your favour.

2025 Season Summary

15 Games Played

10 League - 7 Won, 3 Lost

5 Friendlies - 2 Won, 3 Lost

Friendly 1

Jags 93-8 (Meldal 35*, Mann 8, Hill 2-9) lost to Cambridge University Press 99-5 (Day 30*, Xavier 29*, Brett 1-25)

MOTM - Meldal

I wasn't at this one, but the chat told me Phillips bowled one of his famous beamers, the pitch was rubbish, Dan held a good catch and we had a debut from Strachan. CASS is the oddest combination of amazing pavilion and awful pitch, it's like the opposite of what you would generally expect. No one got a score other than Meldal, so easy man of the match.

Friendly 2

Jags 154-6 (Murray 46, Kavanagh 27, Meldal 27, Oliver 2-20) beat the Leys School 152-6 (Oliver 31, Shipp 29, Baines 2-17) by 4 wickets.

MOTM - Baines

This one is always fun and we had a debut from our ravaging Scot, Baines. I recall running myself out, Baines taking a ridiculous swan dive catch, Muzzah being generally too good for these type of things, and Kavanagh trying to damage the sightscreens with every shot. Also Oz scored for us and it was cold, so he wore one of those drug dealer type warm puffer jackets, which was hilarious. Tyler played for us and showed he had his anger issues under new management.

"Friendly 3"

Jags 166-7 (Kav 52*, Meldal 26*, Mailies 17, Sahaai 4-18) beat Sharks 121-8 (Smith 26*, Sahai 16*, Holmes 3-7) by 25 runs

MOTM - Kavanagh

We've played the Sharks a lot over the years, this was one of the less good natured affairs for me. I think this was the Holmes debut and he bowled like a demon at the start uprooting the top order (he must have been a close second for man of the match). I was out to a golden duck and got an oddly aggressive send off. Kavanagh was in rumbunctious mood, smashing everything, everywhere. I bowled a funny over, as ever, my only of the season in fact! Sumit of the Sharks got some figures.

League 1

Jags 157-7 (Meldal 51, Sawyer 37, Fardell 18, Duffy 3-24 lost to Cambourne 160-6 (McCalister 56, White 25, Gogia 2-32, O Savage 2-31) by 4 wickets

MOTM - Gogia

This had a nice village setting, we got to play against Tyler again (the last time we saw him this year), Freddie batted well but fielded atrociously, we kept dropping their opener (mainly dropped by Freddie) and we drunk some locally brewed beer. They also had a slow bowler who was so slow he made me look like a medium pacer. We also welcomed back Sawyer and he did an absolute job at the end in the biffing stakes to get us a total which we failed to defend. This was my personal favourite game of the season, close and fun and well natured - could have gone either way.

League 2

Jags 118-8 (Meldal 30, Threadgold 22, Douglas 3-13) lost to Barrington 151-5, Batchelor 57, Douglas 34, Meldal 2-18) by 33 runs.

MOTM - Fraser Christie

This game saw Matt put his worst keeping display in I can recall, Fraser did some fielding and bowling stuff before heading off to France, Meldal got some wickets and runs, and it was one of those weird games that felt an inevitable defeat from long, long before it was an actual defeat. It was also supremely funny, and only really memorable, as Freddie unfurled his amazing chat to troll/gaslight Dan Threadgold.

League 3

Jags 175-7 (Sawyer 76*, Baines 53, Wade-Glehill 2-14) beat the Swaffhams 134-10 (Wilson 50*, Westbrook 18, Baines 4-19) by 41 runs

MOTM - Baines

This was an amazing setting, pub, benches, picnics, locals and a lovely hot evening. Sawyer didn't get MOTM purely as Baines was on one bowling and batting, he even hit a car on the full with a 6 just to make clear he was doing some damage this evening. I got to partner Sawyer for a bit, scoring 7 runs in our 50 run partnership... O Savage dropped one, and Baines was super happy with the wee man. Strachan made a great catch. The total we made was just too big for the opposition, but their number 10 batsman hit 50 in double quick time at the end, just for a laugh. He'd had a beer before going out to bat, maybe that's the secret?!

League 4

Jags 184-3 (Baines 82, Christie 40, Mailies 30*) beat Tamil Sangnam 110-8 (Nagadev 22, Chanrasekhar 20*, Barker 3-20, B Savage 2-25, Purton 2-23) by 74 runs

MOTM - Baines

Another high scoring wallop fest with runs and wickets shared all round. This game saw us bid farewell to Barker, departing for middle earth, and this was the week I managed to get Mr Naseri to join us hailing from the fair shores of Afghanistan. Baines batted in pornographic fashion at times, Mailes too, and then a general sharing of wicket taking duties all round. Barker dropped some sitters as well. Baines was shattered at the end and was within a whisker of the first Jags 100.

League 5

Jags 118-7 (Kavanagh 38, Threadgold 25, Panigrahi 4-26) lost to Waterbeach 138-8 (Kumar 49, Charlton 31, B Savage 3-30) by 20 runs.

MOTM - Kavanagh

Kavanagh hit some big runs, Threadgold too and B Savage did some good bowling. Kavanagh also wicket kept with Matt on his shoulder giving him tips. The opposition were very good at bowling, which made a modestly attainable total not at all attainable. This was the one game this year where I felt I probably hampered the team with my slow scoring, but it was a nice game and the opposition deserved this one really, as they did a lot of very good strategic game management, and excellent tactics.

League 6

Jags 127-5 (Sawyer 56, Baines 35, Fardell 14*, Achira 2-24) beat Madingley Mulch 126-10 (Soysa 28, Waduge 30, Naseri 15-2, Baines 20-2) by 5 wickets

MOTM - Baines and Sawyer

These are a nice group to play, league or friendly. Threadgold took skipper duty, we lost the toss and Naseri and Cabbage made scoring impossible for the opposition. Sawyer kept again, and as ever just looked like he loves absolutely everything that is happening at all times. Cabbage had the second most eventful over I can recall this season (his first over was absolutely tragic). I batted with a runner having tweaked my pride (cheers, Dan), and oddly scored quite well given I didn't have to worry about running around. Sawyer batted like a prince amongst men as is his wont.

League 7

Jags 154-7 (Baines 65, Sawyer 52, Parrish 10*, Keeble 2-15) beat Kingston Dons 113-8 (Humphrey 26, Sillis 20, Baines 2-7) by 41 runs

MOTM - Baines

We played Kingston Dons in this one, a new team of people we already know well. My favourite bits were the last minute organisation shenanigans, Sawyer loving batting against Ben Leach and laughing the entire time, Baines being a boss with bat and ball, us running out their handy opener with a rare bowler deflection hit by Mr Leach, and honestly the Sawyer and Baines partnership was amazeballs. They both were brutal and looked like they were just having too much fun. Too many runs for this pitch to be chased down was how we won this one.

League 8

Jags 155-3 (Parrish 86*, Baines 40, Hamid 2-27) beat Stapleford Phoenix 117-8 (Everson 33, Wadekar 21, Baker 32-3, Savage 19-2) by 38 runs

MOTM - Parrish

This game saw an absolutely joyously welcome return to form for Mr Parrish with the bat, he tired himself out so much he had to have a little lay down when we were fielding. Baines got out by falling over, Baker bowled like the ghost of Jimmy Anderson, the opposition are very nice chaps and as we watched Matt bat we all just projected good vibes in his general direction. Strachan took wicket keeping duties and was absolutely ace, we've literally got a team full of competent wicket keepers, it's bizarro. Amardin gave some good chat about being a better bowler than Freddie.

League 9

Jags 96-3 (Meldal 43*, Christie 13, Keating 1-11) beat TTP 93-7 (Gregson 15, Penson 15, Naseri 2-12) by 7 wickets

MOTM - Naseri

This was another game where people came to watch. A slightly one side affair as we bowled and fielded really well, no one more so than Naseri. B Savage famously didn't bother to take an easy catch and then made more effort when he was bowling himself. I got to open the batting with Threadgold which was rather good fun. Muzzah got an unlucky run out, they were nice fellas and the pub was well attended. Bit of a non event in some cricketing ways, but still fun.

League 10 

Jags 167-5 (Parrish, 65, Meldal 44, Mailes 32, Keshwala 2-35) beat Milton 115-5 (Jones 42, Salgaonkar 32, Naseri 2-11) by 52 runs

MOTM - Parrish

Parrish hit some runs, Naseri did some bowling and we put on yet another big total. Meldal and Parrish opened in great fashion, but did not get the crowd encouragement their batting deserved. However, this game will forever be know for the family affair of Nate/Alex/Paul combining to get Alex a senior wicket, ably assisted by Mr Strachan behind the stumps again. It had all the feels.

Friendly 4

Jags 108-10 (Mailes 28*, Purton 25*, Cooper 20) lost to IPH 124-10 (Baker 3-15, Holmes 2-14) by 16 runs.

MOTM - Purton

I was away, Purton kept, captained, organised and scored runs - so he gets a winning thumbs up from me here. Baker bowled, again, like the ghost of Jimmy Anderson, Mailes hit some runs, and we unexpectedly faced a lot of old monks players in a "friendly".

Friendly 5

Jags 161-3 (Baines 66*, Parrish 34, Threadgold 27*, Chauhan 1-10) lost to Histon 163-4 (O'Sullivan 101*, Leach 18*, Naseri 3-21) by 6 wickets

MOTM - Naseri/Baines

A fitting season ender, playing against some old friends. Baines signed off in style with a bit of a madness with the bat, hitting his, and the last Jags shot of the season for 6. Matt almost walked for an LBW it was so plumb. Naseri almost got a hat trick. We fielded like a bunch of idiots and Sabin bowled the most interesting over of the season by some margin. We dropped the overseas opener twice to let him get a hundred - so it was either him or us we can blame for a one-sided chase. Red Lion attendance was excellent and we reminisced on many joyous things of the season just gone. And we also told an Aussie that Ham Egg and Chips is grown up Human Food.

Man of the Match

Baines - 6

Parrish - 2

Kavanagh - 2

Naseri - 2

Meldal - 1

Purton - 1

Fraser Christie - 1

Sawyer - 1

Gogia - 1

When I did the count back, I felt like both Sawyer and Meldal had more MOTM's, but they didn't. Mostly, as I read the reports back, because Baines took exception to someone else muscling in mid innings, and decided to up his game each time!

New Players for 2025

Matthew Baines

Nate Clark

Alex Cooper

Andy Strachan

Armaan Gogia

Amardin Naseri

Mohammed (Naseri's mate)

Jake Holmes

Ollie Savage

We did it our waaaaayyyyyy

Jags 161/3 (Baines 66*, Parrish 34, Threadgold 27*, Chauhan 1-10) lost to Histon 163-4 (O'Sullivan 101*, Leach 18*, Naseri 3-21)  by 6 wickets.

Man of the Match - Naseri/Baines

Another season draws to a close, as it should, by us playing Histon at Histon in the August sunshine (i.e. it gets dark quickly). This has been a nice traditional end of season fixture for us for the last 5 years or so, and it tends to bring out the spectators and some of the Histon big guns, with some great performances and moments for a friendly fixture. I recall a Liam wonder caught and bowled, and Parrish blazing it all round the place, and William Kingsmill doing ball on a string things, and me and Kris Jones rolling back the years in an opening partnership of 50 one year and no doubt other moments of a similar ilk. As I say, despite it being a friendly, stuff tends to happen.

He's got the Jags attitude

This year was no exception on a batting friendly dry as the Sahara deck that most, other than me, made to look like it was suitable for batting. Histon chose to bring their Australian overseas player and several Onyx 1 first team regulars, because you know, they're an actual village with a massive roster of players to choose from. They probably even had a selection committee and used a special app to select the team and debated the merits of a balanced line-up. Our team selection was more in line with a friendly and followed the time honoured way I have chosen players, chuck a poll on WhatsApp, hope I get XI, and anyone who is available is in irrespective of talent. We welcomed Cob for his first game of the season as Mr Ranjit, and also saw several (un)friendly faces in the opposition ranks that are normally Jags, notably Mr Meldal (fresh off A-Level results) and B Savage as captain.

Jags won the toss (top work Skip!), crucial in August, and got going with about 7 players having actually turned up. Parrish and Baines started at pace, with 10 from the first, 8 from the second and 9 from the third. I recall Parrish fencing a ball Joe Root style to 3rd man quite deliberately, and a late wide cut (good to see that back in the locker). The fifth over went for a frankly insane, 23 runs with Parrish absolutely murdering ball after ball, mostly behind square for a change to race along to 30 odd pretty quickly. Baines was doing his thing and clubbed a couple of 4's down the ground off on an on side. Parrish fell LBW, and it was so plumb he almost walked before the umpire had given it.

Gogia joined things for a bit, and Histon brought on Mr Overseas to bowl (O'Sullivan) and Mr Onyx 1 (Chauhan) to bowl - so it was tough to score. Baines was not intimated, but Gogia fell to a ripper that flattened off stump. I joined Baines for a bit and rotate strike to try and get him hitting it as much as possible. I've not really faced bowling of this quality for many a year and I was befuddled what to do with it other than poke and prod and try and let the big man have a go. Thoroughly in, Baines went mega in the eleventh over, hitting 18 runs, including a mega six straight and a four pulled to square to, I think get his 50. I'd been a pretty scratchy second fiddle up to this point, mainly I hasten to add as the bowling was really far too good for the likes of me, and I got my first slightly nicer one, juicy and outside off, but was late on it, and edged it gently to Mr Meldal. It had to be him...

Threadgold took my place and was on it from the get go, hitting lovely 4's to the offside, on side, and getting his old 7 iron out and demonstrating where he has been spending most of his time. These two really accelerated at the end, giving no respect to the bowling, 4's all round the ground and Baines finishing with a straight hit 6 last ball. It may be the last time we see Baines for a while for the Jags, but as ever it was pure fireworks. Even on a batting friendly pitch, 161 was a good total and easily defensible, if we could but field and catch and things. Histon had helped us with their own fielding disaster class, Freddie not moving his feet towards easy catches, some of the younger players trying to field on the boundary 1 handed, and most of the field being reluctant to stop the ball.

Histon opened with Freddie, and the overseas Aussie - Freddie was keen to bat and then go off and celebrate by drinking alcopops with his A-Level chums before he starts his Gap Yah. O'Sullivan showed his class early with a clipped of the pads from Brett for 6, which threatened the playground. He just eased into it, no power needed just pure timing.

That's not a knife...

Naseri got Meldal first ball, chipped high to Baines. This was my personal high point of the match as it meant that, despite being absolutely rubbish with the bat, I had scored more than him. He sprinted from the field to get a shower in and head off to the Regal to drink bright coloured horrors and dance badly to terrible music.

The next ball got a second wicket with a proper rare wicket. Chauhan tried to clip it, it went off a top edge low and with lots of spin, it landed in front of the stumps and the backspin caused it to rotate back and dislodge the bails. Naseri was on a hat-trick, we brought the field in, in raw anticipation, and he did the most hilarious thing possible, pitching it wide wide down the legside, to concede 3 legside wides - on a hat trick ball. The Aussie hit the next ball for an effortless legside 6 just to remind everyone that wickets weren't the only thing that was happening.

Brett almost extracted him next over, seeing it hit high to the off side, but Gogia put the chance down. He then hit 3 4's in 4 balls just to emphasise how costly this drop would be. Naseri bowled well, economic and solid. Chirp was mediocre at best, maybe we were all taking the highlight of our season a touch too seriously. Matt was solid behind the stumps and Cob reminded us all of his fielding prowess.

O'Sullivan hit another monster 6, and Naseri extracted the other guy, who tried to play a cute light cut, but just guided it to the gloves of Parrish to finish on 3 well deserved wickets (he absolutely bottled the hat trick mind). Ranjit joined the bowling attack, and his first over was pretty cute, low scoring and tricky. He also saw Mr O'Sullivan shelled by Mr Threadgold at straight long off, which also went to 4. In truth his was one of those easy chances that should always be gobbled up. The low sun this time of year meant fielders on one side of the field were having a tough old time of it seeing anything. 

Holmes took an end and removed a batsman with an absolute peachy peach of a ball, left arm over, moving across the right hander, and plucking off stump from the ground. Unfortunately this meant the Aussie enforcer, who I was later told quite liked left arm bowling, hit 3 consecutive 6's and a 4 from Mr Holmes. 

Sabin's next over was one for the ages. Having bowled a decent first over he got a mega case of the yips, bowling head height no balls, on four occasions, one so high it almost cleared the keeper for eventful 16 run over featuring 10 extras. The Aussie was really in now, and having been dropped twice, was not about to let us get away with a 3rd, he took a shine to Baines, then Gogia, cantering to 101* off 49 balls. The game was won at this point, so it was just a case of how many balls it would take.

Amardin's mate Mohammed was brought in and bowled an eventful over, which thanks to some generous umpiring only went for 4 runs. Leach was less than impressed, and even more so perhaps as Mohammed went down as Sawyer in the scoring, his arch nemesis.

Leach eventually dragged them home from Baines' bowling. We lost the game, partially as we dropped the man who got 100 twice that I can recall, and most of our fielding, Cob excepted, was a little slapdash. Still, fun, and we won the moral victory by bringing just regular players of friendly cricket to a friendly, and no overseas imports. 

We cheered the assembled spectators as we left the ground and people retired to the Red Lion in Histon for some refreshment. The Aussie joined up, we even bought him a beer, and then he saw Savage and I buy a treat of ham egg and chips for dinner and less than politely enquired as to whether that qualified as an actual human meal.

So the season ends. I'll draft some more content in the coming days summarising the season. We won more than we lost, new recruits and familiar faces. Japes and scrapes and plenty of stories. As it should be.

Super Bock Adventures

Jags 108-10 (Mailes 28*, Purton 25*, Cooper 20) lost to IPH 124-10 (Baker 3-15, Holmes 2-14) by 16 runs

Man of the Match - Purton

I wasn't at this game so cannot offer any observations that are anything other than hearsay. I was sunning myself in Portugal drinking a lovely holiday beer called Super Bock. It's the sort of beer that tastes wonderful in Portugal, perfect for a pool or a beach, light, continental, just a hint of flavour but not too much. Cooling and refreshing. It's the sort of beer that needs to be drunk on holiday, because for some reason when you drink it at home, it just doesn't taste as good for reasons unknown.

Only to be consumed in Portugal

There was a lot of chatter on the what's app group, so in lieu of a match report I thought I would extract some of the more interesting bits and try and put them here as a record of sorts.

We lost the toss and IPH went in to bat. Brett, Cooper, Naseri and Holmes got wickets as did Nate Clark.

Baker got 3 bowled and at one point, I am assuredly told, bowled like Jimmy Anderson and completely removed off stump. I feel I really missed out on something here.

Amardin hooping and controlling the ball like a pro. He also almost got timed out from going in to bat as he was in his pads in the changing room on TikTok.

The pitch was very tough, probably spongey and given it is the last day it was being used, I'm guessing the groundsman just doesn't care at this point.

Mailes, Purton and Cooper got runs. 

I'm told the final ball of the whole game involved a controversial 2 bounce stumped/run out appeal from the opposition that resulted in them being asked to Google the Laws of Cricket.

Purton as keeper, taking two behind the stumps, hitting 25*, captaining the team, providing updates and asking people to pay match fees. Easily my on paper/What's App man of the match. He also opened with his future father-in-law and put himself at 3 - ah the joys of being in charge. The power has clearly gone to his head... and I love it, so an easy choice. Much obliged, Toby.

Holmes threw the ball almost from Queens to Kings - which sounds mega. He also dropped a lot of catching opportunities I am reliably informed. He also has at least one fine leg.

There was some sort of fielder/keeper clash where the "smaller lad had both feet off the ground for a good second". 

Mailes shouted yes every time he hit the ball. Cooper did the opposite, calling a single and not running.

There were a lot of Old Monks there.

That is everything I can extract from What'sApp.....

It’s a Family Affair

Jags 167-5 (Parrish 65, Meldal 44, Mailes 32, Keshwala 2-35) beat Milton 115-5 (Jones 42, Salgaonkar 32, Naseri 2-11) by 52 runs

Man of the Match - Parrish

This was a fun sort of game enhanced by the addition of 3 members of the Cooper clan, Paul, his son Alex (13) and Nate his brother-in-law, all turning out for us. Liam was a late cancellation owing to being generally broken by cricket so Paul’s son Alex, a Hunts County player with fully branded kit, kindly stepped in to get us to a full eleven.

We played Milton a couple of seasons ago in our first league match. It was a low scoring affair, 12 overs a side at a drizzly Milton that very much ponged. I recall getting us almost home in the chase, with Sabin demonstrating his famed late cut for 0 on many many occasions in a one sided partnership where someone else crawled us over the line for literally the last run. 

I was glad we were at Queens again and the small prospect of promotion still beckons. It was a nice evening and there was general lazy time keeping from lots of people who turned up meaning a late start and some batting would take place in the dark. Thankfully Matt won a toss (hoorah!) and we decided to bat.

Freddie and Matt got us off to an absolutely rapid start, plundering the second over for 18 runs with Freddie deciding to enter full beast mode with a couple of excellent 4’s and an absolutely hammered 6. Not to be outdone, Parrish clipped a lovely 4 to deep mid wicket and unfurled his trademark late cut to boot. They raced along fairly chanceless getting to a 50 partnership in only the 4th over. It was controlled carnage. 

Freddie's Pre-Match Listening

The assembled throng - myself excluded - were just sunning themselves and enjoying the midsummer setting at Queens in quiet contemplation and Matt said afterwards that at one point he had wondered if we weren’t pleased with the ridiculous rate they’d set off at.

The assembled fans were treated to Mr Brolia turning up - fresh from the hairdressers to spectate. He indicated he wouldn’t have run as much as Freddie and Matt did and also provided a lot of batting tips from 40 yards away. 

Matt and Freddie’s fun had to end eventually - and Freddie fell bowled by possibly the slowest ball I’ve ever seen - I think it was left arm round and he could have done anything to it he wanted - but if you give Freddie too much thinking time, it befuddles him, so he just missed it and saw his off peg pinned back. 

Baines joined Matt, fresh from news that he would be going back to the old country for the winter and learning about whatever laws they apparently have in Scotland. Drink Tennents, don’t do too much skag, wear kilts - maybe there is more to it; no doubt he’ll tell us next year.

Baines was very slow into his stride and this is perhaps why when Parrish heard a big bellowing shout of “no!” he ran anyway, and made sure Baines was comfortably run out at the non striker’s end. 

Ya canna be the big man every week, fella!

Mailes came in and joined Matt for a bit. I remember he hit an absolutely monster 6, it was like the ball or bowler had done him a personal mischief and he just wanted to hurt something. He followed it with 4’s and 2’s and felt on a demolition mission from the moment he was out there. 

Parrish got to a well deserved 50, which is something we love to see, and the fellas had a nice little partnership. Matt was looking a touch tired and started slugging. 3, 4’s in one over - but mainly to save his legs before he holed out to the left arm round slow bowler, to backward point I think - if my beer addled memory is accurate. 

I briefly joined Mailes and hit my first ball for 4 (square of the wicket, in case you feel the need to ask), got a single and then Mailes perished desperately trying to manufacture a shot from an absolute bobbins ball, slow and absolutely crap and outside off. He was suitably pleased that he found the fielder. 

Scoring slowed down a bit with me and Paul and Nate at the death all making sure to score, but also not quite hitting it about at the pace of our betters. Paul fell caught and bowled and left his brother in law Nate to literally face the last ball of the innings. Cheers bro. 

We had another cracking total on the board though - 167 felt like an awful lot on this pitch.

Amardin opened for us and he had that hare ‘em scare ‘em terror pace again this week. He was ably supported and watched by Maisie this week, and we are very grateful for her and Millie’s support in making him available, mainly as he is a right tyro with a cherry in his hand, but also as he has a cheeky little smile and pleasant demeanour. We also had Strachan behind the stumps, enthusiastic and willing and genuinely quite good. 

Amardin’s first ball was so fast the opening batsman had a look on his face that said - “nah mate, I’ve got somewhere else I need to be”, so he missed the second ball and his leg stump took a battering. The stump however, did not cartwheel. Work on that, lad. 

Amardin tied down the other fella and also had an edged behind dropped in what should go down as an ‘eventful’ first over. He got a second wicket with the final ball of the first over, inducing a high to the offside shot that Freddie Meldal, Mr Fielding, held with some ease. 

167 felt a long long way off at this point, even so early. 

Holmes bowled from the other end and he was Mr Rachel Reeves to start with - it was all about the economy. Eventually, the batsman took him on and pitched it high to me at the entirely new to me position of mid on. I used my crocodile catching action to snaffle an easy chance. The best part was I told Holmes it was coming before it did and turned my hat backwards moments before to clear my vision for the inevitable. Nostradamus. 

Naseri continued and one drop was put down, but he was completely impossible to score from as no one can bloody see it, it’s too fast.

Holmes had an absolutelu hilarious second over - field set for medium fast stuff full and outside off, he pitched a couple slower, short and leg side, and the batsman duly cashed in, pulling to leg with ease. After this happened twice and Parrish did not change the field and Holmes had an absolute toys out the pram moment with the skipper - swear words were sent across the field and he uttered a, “what is this!”, and with comedic timing par excellence Matt said, “midweek cricket!”. Bowl to your field, fella. 

Cooper and Baines took over the bowling reins with Milton a country mile behind the rate and the result all but assured. Baines gave an absolutely mega appeal for an LBW that he categorically knew wasn’t even close. He got the same fella - Scot to Scot - chipped high with a confident keeper shout early on from Strachan. 

Paul was wicketless but solid, in a sensible spell that saw a little family saga enter the game. 

First up, P Cooper was replaced by A Cooper - his son, who bowled a tidy first over in men’s cricket. Because we’re men. Most of us. Grrrr. 

Nate Clark, Paul’s brother in law took the other end and bowled, and my goodness what an over. His first ball was topped high high straight towards him. He called really early and seemed mega confident he had it. Until he didn’t… it just went too high. The forces of gravity and his brain having far too much thinking time, colliding with the inevitable consequence that he dropped it. Next ball he dived full stretch to turn a 4 into a one and the next ball was absolutely marmaladed straight back at him. A lesser man would have got out the way, fearing things like a cricket ball sized hole through his abdomen. Not Nate, he took the full force of it and stopped a 4, instead conceding a single. After 3 balls of such drama, what was to come next. Sadly we weren’t treated to 5 more balls of absolute mayhem and instead got some sensible bowling. Booo. 

Nate and Alex continued in tandem, the family having taken over the game somewhat. Alex has a pleasing bowling action, medium, a tiny bit of variation and hard to get away. He’s clearly been well coached. 

Eventually Alex got the wicket his nagging line deserved, with his last ball of a 3 over spell. The top scoring batsman from the other side eventually got frustrated and tried to pull it. Top edge, but the pace meant it was one of those wicket keepers despise, behind you, you should get it, but with the helmet and the fraction of a second you have to react and move, it’s always going to be a challenge. Andy pivoted like a pro, perhaps sensing, just knowing, that getting a 13 year old boy his first fully-grown-man wicket was worth stretching every sinew and fibre of his being for. He did well, boy did he do well, catching with one glove diving and rolling and stretching his hand to the heavens. The game was more than won at this point, but a 13 year boy was playing cricket with his dad and uncle and the team did absolutely everything to get him a wicket. If that doesn’t melt your heart, then you’re not human. 

Mailes bowled the last over, and somehow had annoyed the umpire and had 3 wides given against him, 2 of which were dubious, and had an LBW turned down which was absolutely stonewall as out as they come.

I cannot comment on pub attendance as I could not partake as I was heading off to Portugal to drink Super Bock and erm, drink some more Super Bock. Oh, and hang out with my family. 

A pretty mega league season - played 10, won 7 and lost 3. 

Two friendlies left. This game was the Cooper/Clark show though.