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| Cricket Colts A Team Diary |
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Eagle House Colts A 2008 Cup Tournaments ESCA/Bunbury 8 a Side Hardball Competition National Finals - Oundle School Thursday 10th July Squad Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk+ ©; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; T. A. Winkler; G. Wilks; B. Parvess.
Eagle House - Third in the National Finals - South of England Champions Regional Champions: Eagle House, Berkshire (South); The Abbey School, Suffolk (East); QEGS Wakefield (North East); Salesbury Primary (North West); RGS Grange, Worcester (West Midlands); Jesse Gray Primary, Nottinghamshire (East Midlands); Parkside, Surrey (South East); Millfield Prep, Somerset (South West). Although this event comes at an awkward time (a week after we break up) and it's never possible to field the strongest side or to keep the players in the groove, it's a great day for them and the squad were all very excited by the prospect of being involved. This year we had not been hit too badly by withdrawals - Hamza was in California and we would certainly miss the acceleration his strokeplay could bring to the third pair. However, we were able to call on the star U9 all-rounder Brandon Parvess and his accurate bowling helped strengthen that area of our play. George Wilks was also added to the squad after strong performances for the B side this season. (Please Note - The scores mentioned are roughly correct - I was unable to get a copy of the definitive scoresheets) The team were certainly unfortunate with their draw. Four of the strongest teams found themselves in the same pool alongside Millfield, QEGS and RGS Grange and these matches were all very tightly contested. In the morning Eagle House played RGS Grange first, posting a modest total of 242. However, our bowling attack made it very difficult for their opponents, with wickets tumbling a little too regularly, their progress was pegged back and they fell short by 12 runs. The second match followed immediately afterwards, QEGS electing to bat first and playing an unusual tactic of pushing singles safely and aiming to keep their wickets. They did this quite effectively reaching a defendable 244. Eagle House started very well, with Will Kirk in fine form. They stuttered a little in the middle order, but a big six from Adam put his side in the lead and Thor survived the final over to claim a second win. This left the two unbeaten sides Eagle House and Millfield to battle it out to win their pool. Millfield bowled first and they took the intiative from the start with some very good bowling. Their six bowlers were all very similar in style with very little variety, but they did exactly what was required in this type of game, bowling very few poor balls. Their accuracy, backed up by good fielding, meant it was difficult to rotate the strike and the stronger batsmen often found themselves at the non-striking end. Nevertheless, what was becoming a par score of 244 was reached and this gave the Berkshire side a chance if they could claim a few wickets. The Millfield batting was solid, and although George claimed two wickets in one over, the Somerset champions were able to get their noses in front and their last pair had the luxury of not having to chase a total and they calmly dealt with the final overs winning by 10 runs. It was a very competent performance from a 'complete' side and no one could argue against them being deserving champions this year. The final matches of the day matched those teams finishing 1 - 4 in their pools in final play offs for the 8 places. Eagle House played The Abbey, Suffolk for third place. That this match was our easiest of the day coupled with the fact that all the other teams in our pool won their matches comfortably, backed up our impression that the draw had been unkind. Still, we had our moments of fortune in the competition and that is the nature of a cup tournament. Will Kirk was once again fluent in his opening role and got the side to a tremendous start. Once again the side were unable to build as well as they would have liked, but a total of 256 was our best of the day and the players were confident they could defend this. The bowling was steady and although The Abbey kept in touch they were unable to force the pace in the final overs and fell 12 short. I was really pleased with the way the side performed. We were a little short on big-hitting stroke players and our three spinners, although dangerous and mostly effective, could be targeted on such small pitches. However, it is unusual to be able to say that the whole squad played very well and that the three players who made their debuts on such a big stage, fitted seamlessly into the side. It would have needed Adam and Julius to have been at their imperious best for us to take the overall title. They both made vital contributions without hitting top form. Highlights of the day included Will's batting and stumping, Julius' fantastic run out, Adam's stunning catches and match winning six, George's double wicket over for 2 runs, Brendon's catch on the boundary and final ball wicket that added a flourish to the end of the final game. But it was the team work and spirit of the side that pleased me most. I was really pleased that they were able to finish in the top three as this meant they were presented with their medal at the end of play. ESCA Bunbury 8 a Side Hardball Competition Southern Regional Final - Dorset County Ground Dean Park, Bournemouth Tuesday 24th June County Champions: Eagle House School (Berkshire), Ryde School (Isle of Wight), St Mary's Eagle House - South of England Champions 2008 Team Selected: A.H.J. Dewes; J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; W. M. A. Kirk +(c); T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; T.A.Winkler; H. A. S. Rubbani.
Happy Bunnies This event proved to be another great sporting day, with all the sides playing in the best traditions of friendly competition. On a beautiful ground and with fabulous weather, unlike last year, the team got off to a cautious start against the Isle of Wight champions, Ryde School. The ball was not coming on to the bat as in previous matches and the long boundaries on the drive meant runs really had to be earned. However, the players kept their wickets intact in the face of good accurate bowling and tight fielding, and they progressed to set a total of 265 - a strong 'par' score. Ryde were missing a few batsmen today and although they played sensibly, the Berkshire side were able to exert some good pressure and eventually wickets fell. They gradually lost touch with the race and their best batsman had too much to do in the final overs falling 29 short on 236. Meanwhile, Twyford had beaten St.Mary's, the next opponents, on a neighbouring pitch. Once again Eagle House batted first and the runs flowed a little more fluently for the first two pairs, Tom + Will & Julius + Toby who batted very well. Richard and Hamza struggled with their decision making when running between the wickets, falling three times to direct hits from behind the stumps. This pair had scored 29 and 30 in their previous matches, but could only muster 1 off their three overs here - they left the pitch feeling very low. Adam and Thor picked up the pieces with good shots and excellent running to set another strong par total of 264. The St. Mary's reply was cut back by some very accurate bowling from first Adam, who took two wickets, and then Hamza who bounced right back taking four wickets off his two overs and effectively making the match safe. However, every ball counts in these matches, (as we were to find out later) even when the match is won. The local team recovered in the final overs to register a positive score of 205 losing out by 59 runs. Twyford had now beaten Ryde, although it had been a very close run thing with only 2 runs separating the sides in a low scoring game. So, the final game was 'Twyford v Eagle House for the Southern Championship'. Once again Will chose to bat and set a total. The Twyford bowling was very accurate and their fielding spectacular. Runs were not easy to come by. But good calling and strong running enabled the team to post another very competitive score of 266. However, the boys would need to bowl well against this side to take the laurels. The innings evolved with neither side able to wrestle the initiative fully from the other - some good shots were followed by an occasional wicket, but there was a clear feeling that this was building to a climax. A magnificent diving catch in the covers from Adam put the Eagles on top, but Twyford took advantage of some short deliveries and were able to leave their last pair needing 18 runs to win off the final three overs. They got eight off the first and were definitely favourites at this point. Will wisely brought Adam on to bowl to try and wrestle back the initiative. This he did with a miserly over, picking up another wicket. Tom, who has been an 'occasional' bowler all season was left with the daunting task of not conceding more than 12 runs in his over. Two singles off the first two balls were a good start . . . but a fabulous drive to the boundary saw the momentum shift. This was real pressure. Tom froze a little with an expensive wide leaving our opponents requiring five off the last three balls to win, a daunting task! Here, Tom and the fielders really showed their mettle. Tom bowled three steady balls, the fielders picked up cleanly and calmly made the ball dead. Two runs to win off the last ball . . . . but they were only able to snatch the one, leaving the match tied. As both sides finished on the same score, having lost the same number of wickets, the decision went to countback and Eagle House progressed due to a marginally superior aggregate of runs in the preceding matches. (One couldn't help but be disappointed for Twyford. They had played so well and were unlucky to lose out on statistics, but that is the game and I suppose we were rewarded for our consistency. Nevertheless, we have felt the sharp edge of these decisions in the past and we commiserate with our opponents). I would like to congratulate all the players for holding their nerve under enormous pressure, and particularly Will and Adam who managed the field and were so tactically astute. So, once again, the Colts have won through to the National Finals. They go as Berkshire and South of England Champions and they don't want it to stop there. Eagle House were not able to do ourselves justice with a very weakened side last year at the finals, and the players want to see their school's name back on the trophy as it was 5 years ago.
ESCA Lords Taverners 8 a Side Hardball Competition Berkshire County Final v Oratory Prep School Friday 13th June Match won by 29 runs (12 overs pairs cricket) Eagle House 303 Oratory Prep School 274 Eagle House - Berkshire Champions 2008 Team Selected: A.H.J. Dewes; J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; W. M. A. Kirk +(c); T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; T.A.Winkler; H. A. S. Rubbani. This was another tremendous contest. Played in a beautiful 'walled garden' setting, with a tidy crowd (mostly under the age of 7) and a batsman's delight of a wicket, Oratory won the toss and asked the visitors to bat. It did not seem a good decision, but with a large home crowd and after a long journey and on unfamiliar ground there would certainly be pressure. The first over backed this up, a wicket and only one single scored was not a great start. A tidy second over meant that there was work to be done. However, the initiative was ceded back to Eagle House when a series of short balls were clubbed to the boundary, Will Kirk taking 12 runs off the last over for his pair. Julius, who has recently found a taste for aggressive strokeplay, ably assisted by Toby, added a might 31 off their three overs. I have always held that 15 is the par for a pair off three overs, but Hamza and Richard, followed by Adam with Thor, both added 29 to reach a mighty total of 303, an unprecedented score in this form of cricket, particularly against a good team who, on the whole, bowled well and fielded spectacularly. Nevertheless, it was a batting wicket with a relatively short boundary and Oratory could boast a few county players who were not about to concede at this stage. In fact, after three overs they had amassed twice the corresponding Eagle House score and, once again, pressure was starting to tell. However, a tidy over from Adam was followed by a real matchwinner from Tom, who conceded only 3 runs and added a telling wicket with a stunning return catch. His next over only went for 4 runs, and that is Scrooge-like in this form of the game. Toby was a little expensive and this left their last pair needing 38 to win off their three overs. This would have been a remarkable achievement but all of the 'recognised' bowlers had been used. This left Richard as the 'Death' bowler. His two overs at the 'sharp' end of this match showed the advantage of having a genuine spin bowler. The batsmen, desperate to strike boundaries, could not deal with his turn and bounce, losing two wickets and falling 29 runs short to give Eagle House the win and the Berkshire Title. It was a ramarkable match, played with a high level of competition but in the very best of spirits. Indeed the whole group of players from both sides were inseparable for the rest of the afternoon and really enjoyed each others company. I would like to thank Oratory for receiving us so well and for being such excellent hosts. Eagle House now have the chance to compete for the Southern Regional Title on Tuesday 24th June at Dean Park, Bournemouth. The winners will go on to contest the National Finals at Oundle School, Northamptonshire, on Thursday 10th July. ESCA Lords Taverners 8 a Side Hardball Competition Match v St Pirans Tuesday 10th June Match won by 68 runs (12 overs pairs cricket) Eagle House 292 St Pirans 224 Team Selected: A.H.J. Dewes; J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; W. M. A. Kirk +(c); T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; T.A.Winkler; H. A. S. Rubbani. This was a very strong all-round performance. After a very uncharacteristic swish across the line by Tom saw the side in deficit in the first over, all the players built very sensible partnerships contributing to a commanding total. I had set each pair a target of 15 runs - Tom and Will recovered to total 17, Julius and Toby added another 18 to the total, while Hamza and Richard amassed a mighty 32 partnership of their three overs. Adam and Thor completed the innings with an impressive 25 off some good bowling. The St Pirans openers got them off to a good start, and they were ahead when the second pair came to the crease. However, accurate bowling and some very impressive fielding built enormous pressure and the St Pirans reply soon began to crumble. Sensible work in the field from Toby began the collapse, soon followed by a direct hit from Hamza and the balls that were struck in the air generally found safe hands. The leg-spin bowlers were similarly effective and Will got a sharp stumping. After being the Cinderella of this side for much of the year, Thor is finally getting the chance to shine, batting and bowling today and even claiming a return catch. Toby, Richard and Tom were also able to show us their skills. So, a very pleasing performance, especially in the field where I thought you were outstanding - a very sensible mix of dynamic reactions, clear decision making and controlled accuracy. Well done. Wellington Sixes Tournament Sunday 8th June 9.20 pm Wellington College Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk +(c); T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; N. Hatch-Johnson; H. A. S. Rubbani.
Another very hot day saw us start off with the first fixture of the day against Yateley Manor at 9:30am. Unfortunately our bowling was far too short and invited the opposition to pepper the boundaries and they accepted the invitation, rattling up a score of 61 for 1 off their 5 overs. Tom Cracknell and Will Kirk led a spirited reply, but against tight bowling and good fielding we could only get to 48 for 2. We then had to wait 2 and a quarter hours for our next fixture, which meant that between 12:30 and 3:30 we had to play 3 games. The team rose to this challenge and a feature of these games were good all round performances in batting, bowling and fielding. We restricted Lambrook-Haileybury to 46 for 2 and looked well on course for a win, being 38 for 1 off 4 overs but we could not get over the finish line and in fact equalled Lambrook-Haileybury's 46 for 2 at the end. Nevertheless the performance gave us much encouragement and we played some excellent cricket to win 2 games, played one after the other.
Key Men at the Wellington Sixes The first match against Haselmere saw us restrict the opposition to 42 for 3 and then reply with 44 for 0. We batted first against the Hall School Wimbledon scoring an impressive 56 for 2, before restricting them to 34 for 2 in reply. All of this meant that we tied for second place in the group with Lambrook-Haileybury and as our own game had resulted in an exact tie, the organisers had to get busy with the calculators, before deciding that Lambrook-Haileybury had just pipped us on run rate, so they went through to the plate semi-final while we contested the bowl semi-ginal against Colet Court who had been championship runners-up the year before. Once again another good bowling and fielding performance limited Colet Court to 35 for 3, to which we replied with 36 for 0. This put us through to the bowl final against Hall Grove. Unfortunately the playing of so many successive games took their toll and our bowling and fielding were not of the same high standard as before. Hall Grove rattled up 62 for 1. Facing a daunting task we gave it our best shot and after 3 overs we were almost up with the required run rate of over 12 an over, but we could not sustain the charge and fell 9 runs short at 53 for 4. 8 very tired boys went home but they could be well satisfied with their performance. We obviously missed the all round expertise of Adam Dewes who was away captaining the county team, but I certainly was impressed by the way in which the team shruggged off the absence of their best player. I feel loathe to mention individuals as all 8 boys gave good performances, but I was impressed with the batting of Tom Cracknell, the all round efforts of Julius Manton-Jones as well as the batting, wicket keeping and captaincy of Will Kirk. (P.Whalley)
Regular Season
Match 1 v Hall Grove Wednesday 23rd April 2.30 pm Away Match won by 27 runs Eagle House 90 for 5 declared (T. Cracknell 25 not out) Hall Grove 63 all out ( A. Dewes 3 for 9; H. Rubbani 3 for 9 ) Team: J.T.Manton-Jones;T. Cracknell; A.H.J.Dewes ©; O. Cook; 5 W.M.A.Kirk; T. Barnard; R. Morgan; W. Beedham; Elliott Hunt; Hamza Rubbani; Thor Winkler Due to the bad weather there has been very little time to prepare the teams and selection for this match was a little hit and miss. Nevertheless, we were able to field two strong sides today at Colts level and that is quite an achievement for a relatively small school. The outlook this morning was not great and it is a credit to Hall Grove that we were able to get out and play today, although there was never going to be any pace in the wicket and, with long grass on the outfield, accumulating runs was very difficult indeed. Hence when Hall Grove won the toss, the captain wisely asked Eagle House to bat. A very mature and patient knock from Tom Cracknell gave a backbone to the innings. His 25 was worth a fifty in better conditions, and his top score was a reward for his concentration and correct application of technique. His team mates were all able to chip in a few runs and while they occupied the crease, the extras conceded kept the score ticking over, the double bounce from the short pitched ball being the main problem for the bowlers.
Carried his bat at Hall Grove 3 wickets each This led to a rather slow over rate and with only 18 overs bowled by tea, Eagle House batted on for a few overs, requiring a few more runs to set a sensible target and confident that we could bowl a similar amount of overs in the time remaining. Tom and Will pushed the score on well at this stage, but it was never easy. With ninety on the board and ninety minutes to play, I felt this would be a good contest. The Eagle House bowling threatened right from the start with Adam keeping the ball well pitched up and Oliver getting a measure of swing. Hall Grove were able to keep the score ticking over, but wickets fell too regularly. Adam took three wickets in his four overs and Hamza followed this with three more, including a well taken stumping from Will Kirk. Etienne played a terrific innings to keep his side in the game, but his team mates were unable to match his skill and judgement. Toby's spell of leg spin bowling was a wonderful example of skill and control, causing problems with every ball. Elliott brought the match to a climax with a well taken caught and bowled, before Julius finished the home innings with an absolute gem of a ball. So, despite the poor weather, we were able to enjoy a decent contest played in good spirit. Their player would probably have won the 'Man of the Match' award for his all round performance, but I think it is fair to say that Eagle House had the advantage in strength throughout their side and were good value for their win. On balance, this was a good performance in difficult conditions. I was pleased with most aspects of what I saw today. Adam had a promising debut as a captain and much of the work in the field was competent. There are, of course, many areas where this side can and must improve. However, with a little work and application, I am confident that they can develop into a very good side.
Match 2 v Caldicott Saturday 26th April 2.30 pm Away 30 Overs Match lost by 45 runs Caldicott 172 for 2 declared after 30 overs Eagle House 129 all out (T. J. N. Bernard 29, W. M. A. Kirk 23) Team: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; E. E. Hunt; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler The conditions for this match could not have been more different to those we experienced on Wednesday. The sun was shining, the wicket was hard and true and the outfield was like lightning. As hosts, Caldicott elected to play a 30 overs match and chose to bat first. After losing two early wickets in the very accurate opening spells of Adam and Oliver, the next pair both batted very responsibly, defending the good ball and punishing short or legside balls mercilessly. Although the Eagle House bowling was mostly accurate and quite competent, these two batsmen played with great concentration and amassed a giant partnership of over 150 runs . . . a tremendous achievement. They did offer a few chances in the middle of the game - two catches were missed, a run out and a stumping. Once they survived this little hiccup, the batsmen really made you pay. On this wicket, even 172 was not an impossible task, but it meant that two of the Eagle House top order would have to play a big innings if they were to stay in touch with the run rate. Sadly, the innings started badly, as can so often happen after a long spell in the field. Crucially Julius, Tom and Adam all offered soft catches before they had settled and left an enormous rescue task for the middle order. While around them other batsmen came in and played a few encouraging shots but never settled in at the crease, Will Kirk (23) and Toby Barnard (29) worked hard to get their team back in the game, defending the straight ball and putting away the stray delivery, and they were largely responsible for the respectability of our score. Both fell towards the end trying to accelerate the scoring rate.
A spirited partnership at Caldicott It was no disgrace to lose to Caldicott today. They were a very good side playing on their own patch and they played exceptionally well. Eagle House played well but there is clearly much to work on, and the players will need to respond if the team is to move forward. There is considerable talent here, but it needs to be backed up with concentration and a willingness to learn new skills and to overcome weaknesses. Match 3 v Parkside Wednesday 30th April 2.30 pm Railton Match Cancelled due to Rain Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; E. E. Hunt; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. Match 4 v Cranleigh Wednesday 7th May 2.30 pm Away Match won by 7 wickets Cranleigh 94 all out (A. H. J. Dewes 5 for 12) Eagle House 95 for 3 (A. H. J. Dewes 41 n.o. R.E. Morgan 23 n.o. ) Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; T. Newland; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. On a glorious day, under a baking sun, the team faced Cranleigh on a clay pitch which was still springy and slow from the heavy early season rains. Adam won the toss and put the opposition in to bat. Tom Newland bowled a steady opening spell in his first match since his promotion, and he looks a good prospect. Ollie was a little tentative, but despite a solid start the Cranleigh batsmen were unable to find the gaps in the field. With Tom's introduction Adam was able to bowl his favoured spin at first change, and his introduction immediately brought a wicket. The next pair consolidated the innings and the home side looked capable of building a good score, before three brilliant pieces of athleticism in the field put them very much on the back foot. Julius had bowled a very good spell, generating good pace even on this slow wicket, but his lightning reaction to an uppish prod saw him hold a tremendous return catch low to the ground. He followed this in the next over, with a beautifully fluid pick up and throw from mid off to run out the Cranleigh county No.3. with a direct hit. Another direct hit from Adam at short cover saw the surviving opener fail to make his ground and Cranleigh were reeling. The later batsman had to play with a measure of caution in order to make sure they set a reasonable total, and the Eagle House bowling gave very little away. The bowlers were backed up by a much improved and alert effort in the field. Adam's flighted bowling caused trouble throughout and, although most batsmen got a start they were unable to develop a major innings. Adam took five wickets for 12 runs and the Cranleigh total was 94. Tom Cracknell experienced the cruelty of this game when he got the finest tickle to his first ball and was caught at the wicket. Julius and Adam established a solid base before Julius played all around a slow straight ball and was out lbw. Will looked strong, and Adam (41*) was moving the score along nicely with solid defensive shots but regular boundaries from the loose balls. Will lost patience and played across a straight one, leaving Richard (23*) to finish the match with a flourish, scoring four boundaries in his short innings.
23 not out at Cranleigh This was quite an accomplished performance with good all round contributions, although Adam was certainly the match winner. We have had a long history of tight matches with Cranleigh over the last ten years. Both schools have fielded very strong sides and most of these games have been draws. This is our first victory here for some time and the team should be very proud of their achievement. As ever this game was played in very good spirit and both sides and the umpires were able to enjoy a good contest. Match 5 v Ludgrove Saturday 10th May 2.30 pm Railton Match lost by 8 wickets Eagle House 50 all out Ludgrove 54 for 2 Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; T. Newland; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. When you choose to bat first, it is vital that you set a target. In scoring only 50 runs, the lowest total I can remember from an Eagle House side, you gave yourselves no chance of fighting back through your bowling and fielding ability. The way the wickets fell was disappointing. Not too many players can say they were beaten by a very good ball. Most will have to admit that it was poor decision making that led to their demise. Only Oliver who was not out, Toby and Adam required a good ball to send them back to the pavilion. This is not to belittle the part Ludgrove played in their win. They bowled a very disciplined line outside off stump in the early overs backed up with sharp and sensible fielding. They tested your patience and you were found wanting.The initiative was quickly given to the opposition through loose shots and appalling calling. Then the spinners came on and tested your footwork, and again you were unable to respond - to see two players fall to stumping in one over is not clever. After a modest recovery, Oliver was attempting to rally the tail to eke out a target of some kind until Thor's needless run out was followed by Tom's rush of blood to the head and the innings was over. All our bowlers looked accurate and threatening with a good variety of dangerous deliveries, but with such a low score to chase, the visiting batsmen looked reasonably comfortable, defending the better balls and getting runs off the odd delivery that strayed in line or length. You claimed two wickets but Ludgrove went home with an easy victory. You really need to think about what contribution you are making to this side - and how you can improve. I am giving you advice at every moment of every session if you are listening, but I do feel that I am having to fight to get my message across. You need to learn quickly if you want to keep your place, not rely on one or two to take all the responsibilty- remember, the Colts B are putting in a string of winning performances. It was good to see at least half the side on stage in the E Factor later that evening, raising funds for a good cause. Seeing such talented performers giving their all in their performances does help to put a sporting loss into perspective. I scored lots of runs on the Sunday in one of my three annual fixtures - applying all the trusty techniques that children stuggle to implement! Match 6 v Crosfields Wednesday 14th May 2.30 pm Railton Match Drawn Crosfields 187 for 7 dec (A. H. J. Dewes 4 for 27) Eagle House 130 for 4 (J. T. Manton-Jones 58 not out, A. H. J. Dewes 35) Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; T. Newland; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. Crosfields won the toss and elected to bat, and it was easy to see why. Their opening batsman immediately siezed the initiative, quickly judging balls on length and punishing anything remorely short of a length. There was absolutely no margin of error while he was at the crease as the ball sped to all corners of the field. Adam was forced to enter the fray a little earlier than we would have liked, and it was his control that enabled his team to get a foothold in the game. He took a wicket in each of his three overs and tied the scoring down at one end. Toby also caused problems with his nicely looped leg spin, claiming one more wicket. However, the opener was continuing his assault reaching the nineties in very quick time, before Adam trapped him out with a cleverly pitched full length ball, coming over the wicket after seeing him start to step across his stumps in the previous over. Two smart run outs were added as the visitors tried to force the pace before tea, setting a target of 188.
Wickets & Runs v Crosfields Half Century v Crosfields This was never going to be easy, and the batsmen's approach was understandably cautious. The Crosfields' attack held a very consistent line, mixing sharp spin with some genuinely hostile pace-bowling and runs were not so easy to come by. Tom Cracknell started well, but became a little unsettled when the seriously fast bowler found a good line and length, playing an unconvincing swipe across the line and losing his stumps as a result. Toby and Oliver made a real effort to get in line and survived for a while before being beaten by two terrific balls. This brought Julius to the wicket and he took full advantage of the only loose overs we saw in the afternoon, racing into the twenties with a series of boundaries. With Adam steadfast at the other end, seeing off the good balls but keeping the scoreboard working, Eagle House looked back in the hunt for a short time. However Crosfields had the luxury of bringing back their best bowlers and they maintained the advantage throughout the game. Julius and Adam did very well to battle it out under such pressure, Jules earning a well-deserved half century. Adam scored 35 cautious runs before he was beaten by a clever slower ball. Will Beedham came in with a few overs to go and he had the unenviable task of surviving the last over from the very rapid seamer. He took a couple of painful blows but helped his side to a credible draw. This draw is in some ways an injustice to Crosfields, in that they showed most of the initiative in the game, but it was a good reward to Eagle House who showed concentration, enormous mental strength and skill under great pressure. That is why cricket has been such an important part of prep school life - it fosters so many of the skills that you need in life! Match 7 v Aldro Saturday 17th May 2.30 pm Away Match lost by 7 wickets Eagle House 102 for 7 dec (W. M. A. Kirk 36 not out) Aldro 106 for 3 Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk+; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; T. E. Newland; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. The wicket at Aldro is not a batsman's paradise and in rainy conditions it was probably not the day to take the initiative and decide to bat. This also handed the hosts the new ball and it was this that did the damage. Tom, Adam and Toby, our top three batsmen were all bowled by balls which seamed viciously off a full length. Then, after Oliver had fallen 'run out' after a disappointing mix-up, Julius and Hamza fell 'caught' to injudicious shots. This brought Will Beedham and Will Kirk together, with the score at 38 for 6. They both batted very responsibly, and with good calling and good backing up this pair added 70 runs for the 7th wicket. Will Kirk did particularly well, pouncing on the legside deliveries and striking 6 boundaries in his score of 36 not out. Will Beedham was a little less fluent, but played an important part in enabling his team to set a respectable target. Richard Morgan came in with just four balls to go and struck a very nice cover drive to the boundary.
A defiant innings at Aldro A total of 102 on this wicket, with a maximum of 22 overs available before close of play, should have been enough to ensure at least a draw. It was very difficult to score consistently through the offside and an off stump line was all that was required to put the hosts under pressure. A loose spell from Tom handed away some of the initiative, and the Aldro openers were able to make a very positive start. Adam was a little more effective, but the inconsistent bowling was punished and the home side were able to race into a winning position without having to play any risky shots. 'Lofty' a tall 'agricultural' batsman was promoted up the order to accelerate the scoring process, and that's exactly what he did. The Eagle House bowlers seemed eager to feed his favoured shot over midwicket, rather than take a line outside offstump, and they paid the price. The Aldro number three played a plucky innings and he too kept the score moving with a series of good shots. And so, the home team won with about an over to spare. They certainly deserved their win, but I do think that we played poorly and with little intelligence. The Colts B had another convincing win today and so some of those players must be given an opportunity to compete at this higher level. Match 8 v Yateley Manor Wednesday 4th June 2.30 pm Home Match Tied (20 Overs) Eagle House 105 for 7 (H.Rubbani 40 not out) Yateley Manor 105 for 4 After several days of downpour this match was moved to the artificial wicket on Manor and we were very lucky to enjoy an excellent evenly matched game where the initiative fluctuated regularly between the sides and finished with a thrilling climax with the scores tied. The visitors were keen to claim a win as they had lost less wickets, but that is only relevant in the latter stages of tournaments unless agreed beforehand, and so the match was tied. The game started like a test match with accurate bowling from the visitors pinning down the Eagle House openers, who were unable to adapt to this form of cricket either by running quick singles or looking to seize the initiative with aggressive shot selection. Full credit to our opponents, who did make it very difficult through their control with the ball backed up by excellent fielding. They also held their catches brilliantly and both Tom and Adam fell trying to accelerate the scoring. Will Kirk and Julius pushed up the tempo and were able to swing the balance a little, before a hesitation over a quick single saw Julius run out. As often happens, Will soon fell himself and a number of batsmen followed him quite quickly, prodding catches to close fielders without any real conviction. At this stage we looked like we would struggle to reach fifty runs, never mind survive the twenty overs. Hamza rescued the innings with a very positive 40 not out, mixing some powerful drives with excellent running between the wickets. In this he was very well backed up by Richard who helped amass a final partnership of 39 for the final partnership, off only 3 overs. Hamza was able to take 18 runs off the final over despite the accuracy of the bowler.
A great all-round performance v Yateley The total of 105 posed a reasonable target, which became more imposing when our opening bowlers Hamza and Julius completed their 8 overs for only for only 17 runs. Whilst the ground fielding was very good, a number of regulation catches were spilled and when Adam was struck for some firm straight blows, the game swung back to Yateley. However a good spell from Will Beedham saw our opponents needing 30 off the last three overs. With Adam to bowl two and Will one, this should have been a comfortable win, but under pressure fielders started to make bad decisions - overthrows, pointless diving and straying out of position and dropped catches all handed back the initiative to our opponents. They had a big strong batsman at the wicket now who was keen to take advantage. Nevertheless, thirteen runs were needed off the last over - after a single, a dot ball, four byes and a fabulous big six over long on the pressure was really on. Will managed a run out off the next ball. This left the visitors needing a single to tie off the last ball - with the non-striking batsmen already half way down the wicket before the ball was bowled, Will was under enormous pressure to gather in a microsecond. He fumbled and the bye was conceded - an exciting, if slightly contentious, way to finish a very good match. Match 9 v Moulsford Saturday 7th June 2.30 pm Railton Match Drawn Eagle House 153 for 8 (Adam Dewes 44; Will Kirk 22) Moulsford 118 for 9 (Adam Dewes 7 for 31) Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk+; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; N. Hatch-Johnson; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. PFHG is away this week-end Mr Whalley (1st XI Coach) will take the team. Adam won the toss and chose to bat on a hot afternoon. Tom Cracknell got us off to a good start with 3 boudaries but then walked right across his stumps to be out lbw. A good partnership developed between Adam Dewes and Will Kirk which put on 49 runs before Will got out. Adam continued to anchor the innings and received some good support from the middle order. He fell short of a well deserved 50 when he was dismissed while trying to accelerate the scoring. When he declared after 34 overs, Moulsford were asked to score 154 off 30 overs.
Top performers against Moulsford Hamza Rubbani got the early breakthrough and some good fielding led to a run out. Thereafter it became the Adam Dewes show as he bowled 11 overs unchanged and troubled all of the batsmen, picking up wickets at regular intervals. The fielders worked hard to keep up the pressure and we needed to take the last wicket with 3 overs left, but all credit to the Moulsford last pair who held out in a very exciting finish. Although we were unable to complete what would have been a well deserved victory, the team deserves great credit for a very good all round performance. (P.Whalley) Match 10 v Horris Hill Wednesday 11th June Railton Match won by 72 runs Eagle House 169 for 9 declared (H. Rubbani 51, J. Manton-Jones 41) Horris Hill 95 all out ( A. Dewes 5 for 17; W.Kirk 2 stumped / 2 caught behind) Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk+; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; N. Hatch-Johnson; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. What a terrific match! It was one of those great games, played in glorious sunshine, where all 22 players were able to contribute, and the result was in the balance right up to the final minutes. The Eagle House innings started steadily, Tom Cracknell fell quite quickly, but Julius and Adam set about building a steady start. Julius (41) had looked a little tentative and found it hard to get his feet moving - suddenly he stepped forward and found it much easier clubbing a series of fiersome blows (4 sixes) into the trees. The score rattled along, until Adam was bowled by an absolute beauty of a ball from the visiting off-spinner. Julius soon followed and Will cuffed his usual boundary before catching a top edge off a full toss. Hamza and Thor(10) settled proceedings and took the score forward at a modest rate. Then Hamza (51) felt the adrenaline and smashed his way to a half century that included 6 boundaries and 2 sixes. I asked him to hit out at everything - to either accelerate the score rate or to give others a chance - he was out next ball (harsh) This allowed all our batsmen to get to the wicket and have the chance to play their shots. A total of 167 was amassed off 29 overs - a good target even though the wicket was very batsman friendly. This left us the vital task of taking the 10 wickets needed to secure the win. The team fell one wicket short last Saturday, and they were determined not to fail again. The opening overs passed uneventfully with Julius and Hamza bowling accurately without unduly troubling the batsmen. An efficient early run out got the ball rolling and then Nat, who came on at first change took two quick wickets. Will Beedham, Toby and Adam bowled good spells but a very able pair of batsmen kept them out and then started to get a little on top. We had to try and 'make' something happen. Adam changed ends and claimed the wicket of their best batsman with a peach of a ball that took the outside edge and was well caught behind. This unsettled the partner who holed out to Tom Cracknell in the cover off the bowling of Julius. There was still a lot of work to do and once again the batsmen had started to look comfortable. I asked Adam who our 'jammiest' bowler was. He replied 'Richard Morgan, Sir,' and everyone agreed. Richard came on and his fierce leg-spinner bowled the unlucky batsman round his legs, first ball! At this point, with just two overs left to play, the captain and vice-captain took control. With close fielders all around the bat Adam took three wickets with five balls including two stumpings from Will, to crown a fabulous performance and a great result. I would like to thank our guests who gave us a really good contest and played with spirit and skill and contributed significantly to the excitement of this match. News Flash I am very pleased to announce that Adam Dewes has been appointed captain of his county, Berkshire, for 2008.
County Captain Match 11 v Lambrook Haileybury Wednesday 25th June Railton 2.30pm Team Selected: J. T. Manton-Jones; T. E. Cracknell; A. H. J. Dewes ©; O. L. Cook; W. M. A. Kirk+; T. J. N. Barnard; R. E. Morgan; W. J. Beedham; N. Hatch-Johnson; H. A. S. Rubbani; T. A. Winkler. Match Drawn Eagle House 166 for 6 (Adam Dewes 38; Will Kirk 28; Hamza Rubbani 27; Will Beedham 26*) Lambrook Haileybury 125 for 6 (Adam Dewes 4 for 26) This was a solid if uninspired performance to mark the last match of the regular season. Our batsman showed they were capable players and it was nice to see the depth of batting in the side. All our batsmen looked capable of building a substantial innings and Adam, Hamza and the two Wills all had really good knocks. The one downside was that our running and calling was a bit reckless - no doubt after the experiences in the limited overs matches yesterday, Will Kirk and Ollie falling to unnecessary run outs when both were playing very nicely. It was unfortunate that our real strokeplayers fell just at the point when we needed to accelerate the score rate and post a really intimidating total. As it was, towards the end, Will Beedham helped ensure that we set a very competitive target. The bowling too lacked real bite and belief, but Julius claimed two early wickets picking up two return catches (one snatched by Will B). This brought a very talented pair to the wicket and their disciplined batting did much to blunt our efforts to win. They had a very long and productive partnership, defending the good ball but plundering anything short or overpitched. The towering six that flew over midwicket to the longest corner of the field, was a magnificent blow and other boundaries kept the score just in reach. At this point our fielders really gave the impression of having spent two long days out in the sun and mentally they had really switched off - I was spitting feathers at this point, as it often only takes one moment of skill, luck, or awareness to turn a match . . . but there was little support for the bowler in the field and the game was drifting away. Ultimately, Adam's ability to tie down one end with his accurate left arm spin meant that the visitors would note be able to overtake the home total and when he took a vital wicket and followed with three more, he made the game safe. Our inability to threaten at the other bowling end meant that we couldn't push ahead and win the game. Full marks to the Lambrook Haileybury batsman who scored a 'big' unbeaten fifty, and nearly put his side in sight of an unlikely victory. It was a pleasing game in that so many players on both sides had a good involvement and showed that they could all perform very capably. A satisfactory end to a competent season.
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