TOUR 2005

31/7/2005

 

NAG 160-6 (40 overs)

Keynsham 161-4 (31.5 overs)

 

NAG lost by 6 wickets

 

With a number of Sri Lanka tourists not making it to Bristol it was a slimmed down party that met at the Talbot Inn in Keysham for the 2005 tour, their resources stretched even further by the injury to Andy Cox that ruled him out of playing on tour and the demands of Rob Newmarch’s work that also removed him from much of an active role. With James Thorn arriving late and Alex Payne on childminding duties fielding even an XI had looked difficult for a while, but eventually an XI took the field, and with the aid of the President as substitute fielder while the Payne children were taken home the numbers mostly managed to stay at XI.

 

By agreement New Ash Green batted first, and Alex Payne and Gary Browning initially looked very solid against a reasonably pacey opening attack. The first of two rain breaks may have disturbed them though, as soon afterwards both were bowled, bringing together tour veterans Matthew Quantrill and James Thorn. Neither were in great touch, not helped by the damp surface which left the ball either stopping or skidding through, but they stayed together and Quantrill picked up 2 leg side full tosses for 6 over the short boundaries. They had put on 59 and seen off another rain break when Quantrill, gaining in confidence went for the big straight drive and toe ended the ball to mid on to be out for 40. With wickets in hand New Ash Green should really have been able to accelerate in the second half of their innings, but in fact they barely doubled their score as all the batsmen struggled for timing. Thorn was eventually LBW, perhaps a touch unluckily, for 37, Jasper Holliday made 1 and Andy Stuart 13. Kieran Hoddinott and Micky Sumner then put on an unbeaten 31 for the 7th wicket, but it was painful going for a while, with Sumner particularly struggling with the short balls. Hoddinott did eventually get going transforming into an attacking batsman in the last few overs, straight driving 4’s and most remarkably executing a perfect reverse sweep to a fast medium bowler. The final score of 160 was respectable on the  difficult surface, but the paucity of bowling in the touring squad probably meant that rather more would have been ideal.

 

Opening up with the all left arm over combination of Sumner and Klus New Ash Green made a respectable start, Sumner bowling the opposition skipper for a golden duck in his first over. His opening burst of 1-4 together with Klus’s 0-19 in 5 overs meant New Ash Green were well in the game, and they could have been even more so had Andy Stuart held on to a ‘routine’ slip catch from the other opener Richad Ludkin. Matt Bushe, bowling 1st change, took a wicket in his second over, and Kieran Hoddinott also started very well, wobbling the ball around and taking 1-9 in his first 3 overs. Ludkin, though, continued to survive, being dropped or missed on several more occasions, the most spectacular of which was a huge skyer off Chris Hoddinott which Jasper Holliday got under all too literally – the ball went straight through his hands and hit him on the face, leaving him with a spectacular black eye, but remarkably knocking his glasses off without further damage. Ludkin and Scott suddenly upped the run rate, taking 28 off Kieran Hoddinott’s last 2 overs and hitting his brother for 26 in 4 overs. Bushe finished with a very respectable 1-36 in 8 overs and Andy Stuart (bowling off only a couple of paces as he continues his rehabilitation from knee injury) and Micky Sumner between them kept the top end under reasonable control. Alex Payne did finally remove Ludkin with his first ball, a wide catching him coming down the wicket and being stumped for 79. That was New Ash Green’s last success, though, Scott and Sam Wheller taking Keynsham to a comfortable victory, but nonetheless it was, despite the poor weather conditions, a game enjoyed by almost all who took part and a good start to the tour. The touring side stayed at the ground till well into the evening before departing for Clifton and Goldney Halls and embarking on the usual evening debauchery, which seems to have passed with little incident save for the Hoddinott’s being warned about their behaviour by the Goldney security guards.

 

1/8/2005

 

Failand & Portbury 243-9 (40 overs)

NAG 166 all out (38.1 overs)

 

NAG lost by 77 runs

 

The first morning of tour remarkably saw the whole party up and in a fit state to reach the Meagbowl at Ashton by about 10.45. The bowling itself was mostly unremarkable, and an initial burst from Gary Browning, motivated by the £1 a head sweep for top score in the first game, fading away to be usurped by James Thorn’s greater consistency. Thorn, though, may have been motivated by what may have been the champagne moment of tour, when half way through the first game the continuous party music being played over the tannoy was interrupted by an announcement. “Ladies and Gentlemen we have a birthday celebration today” Most of the touring party looked round at the various groups of children on other lanes, but the announcement continued…”James Thorn is celebrating…” … the tourists expected a number in the 40’s…”…his 65th birthday today! Happy Birthday James!” The tinkly tones of ‘Happy Birthday to you’ over the speaker was nearly drowned out by the laughing tourists as all bowling ceased for some time. One of the Hoddinotts (who else?) was apparently responsible, and Mr. Thorn claims that revenge will be sweet. (End of tour note – perhaps it is also a dish best taken cold, as it doesn’t seem to have occurred this year.)

 

Although the day had started almost drizzly by lunchtime at the Black Horse the garden was bathed in sunshine and the weather appeared to be set fair for the day. The trip to Failand was accompanied by not too much getting lost in the lanes and the match got under way at 2.15 with Micky Sumner winning the toss and inserting Failand. Sumner himself opened the bowling with a good 8 over spell, taking 1-18, while at the other end the bowling was rather more makeshift with Matthew Quantrill starting steadily before the batsmen started to get their eye in and pick up a few more runs, taking 28 off his 6 overs. Matt Bushe again performed well at first change after a shaky opening over, and although wickets weren’t coming Failand were kept in check for most of the first half of the innings. The second wicket eventually fell courtesy of a run out by Quantrill, swooping in from mid on to hit the stumps direct and send back a rather tired Paul Batchelor for 45. That was the start of a purple patch in the field for Quantrill as in Bushe’s next over Baker hit the ball straight to him at long on, and to the very next ball, the first of a new over from Chris Hoddinott, Simon Cox miscued one to him at backward point. At 142-4 in the 29th over New Ash Green were well in the game, and when James Thorn replaced Bushe and also began to take wickets it looked as if they might keep Failand down around 200, not a big score on such a small ground. Thorn picked up one wicket courtesy of an excellent catch by Marc Klus on the boundary running round to take the ball out of the sun, and another good one over his head in the covers by Andy Stuart. His third was a more straightforward catch, though perhaps the one that surprised the team the most, as Gary Browning, hitherto utterly inept in the field, took a comfortable catch at mid wicket. Thorn’s 4th was the most extraordinary of the day as young Sid Mistry pulled him firmly for 4, but in doing so managed to tread on his own stumps. At this point with the score 190-8 New Ash Green were still hoping to be chasing less than 200, but George Humphreys had been getting his eye in and over the last two and a half overs he launched an extraordinary assault on the short boundaries. His first six came off the last ball of Thorn’s 5th over, leaving the score on 199 with 2 overs remaining. The unfortunate Jasper Holliday was then given the opportunity to have his first bowl on tour, and after a single had been taken off the first ball he went for 3 sixes over the short cover boundary. A bye allowed the batsmen to cross and Thorn’s final over went for a 4 and three more sixes, bringing up Humphreys’ 50 in just 21 balls, before he hoisted the final ball high in the air on the off side to be caught by Andy Stuart and give Thorn final figures of 5-57 in 6 overs. 44 runs in the last 2 overs meant New Ash Green were now chasing 244 to win rather than 200!

 

In fact, New Ash Green never looked to be in the game after that. Humphreys and Mistry were tidy opening, and accounted for Klus and Chris Hoddinott, and Andy Stuart was bowled by one that cut in at him from Tony Lippe. Matthew Quantrill and Kieran Hoddinott were steady for a while, though well behind the run rate, before perishing to successive balls from Phil Dungay, Hoddinott caught at mid-wicket and Quantrill managing to glove a legside full toss onto his stumps. Gary Browning followed soon afterwards, making the first duck of tour, and a variety of spin bowling after that could not get New Ash Green back in the game. Mick Sumner and James Thorn put on 30 for the 7th wicket, with Sumner hitting a number of good shots for 4, then Alex Payne and Thorn added 45 for the 8th before hey perished in quick succession, leaving Matt Bushe and Jasper Holliday to both score 4’s and leave Gary Browning fuming as the only duck. Holliday was eventually bowled for 6, leaving Bushe 9* maintaining his record of never being out on tour, but New Ash Green well beaten. Nonetheless the weather had stayed good, and given the very dark clouds that had skirted round the ground the entire match that at least was a blessing – on return to Bristol it was evident that there had been some very heavy rain, and even it seems a mini tornado which had been briefly visible from the ground.

 

The threat of natural disaster did not deter the bulk of the team from venturing out, and while the senior members of the touring party were enjoying a civilised meal and an evening of intelligent conversation the more youthful members visited the usual salubrious Bristol establishments, highlighted by Micky Sumner being locked in a toilet (shades of Vic Mayers) Chris Hoddinott attempting to vault a bin and ending up head butting a lamppost and Gary Browning disappearing at the same time as a lady of larger stature that he had been talking to and allegedly ending up asleep in a bush from whence he was given a lift home by the local constabulary.

 

2/8/2005

 

Coalpit Heath U13’s 200-5 (40 overs)

NAG 118 all out (34.1 overs)

 

NAG lost by 82 runs

 

A long lie in was the order of the day for the rapidly tiring tourists, but apart from Gary Browning who remained locked in his room, possibly with a concealed companion, until the rest of the party had departed, the entire squad was at the pub in plenty of time for lunch, complete failure to chat up bar staff and arrival at the ground in time for a bit of netting. This unprecedented idea of practising before the start of a match did not, sadly, lead to any noticeable improvement in performance, in fact quite possibly the reverse was true.

 

The Hoddinott twins, as joint captains, lost the toss and Coalpit Heath elected to bat first. Their overseas player Wayne Kylander, one of only 2 out of their teens in the side and with previous first class experience in South Africa, enjoyed Micky Sumner’s opening over, and hit fours off each of the first 4 balls. Alan Cottrell was marginally more successful in his third successive ‘last ever retirement game’ at Coalpit Heath, but the onslaught continued for some 14 overs during which Kylander hit nine fours and three sixes from 48 balls and reached 72 before lofting a catch to Andy Stuart in the 14th over off the bowling of Alex Payne. After that some sanity returned to the game, with only Ian Davis, who made 30 from 37 balls, able to score at any pace on the low slow wicket, though the number of poor balls bowled by New Ash Green meant the run rate never ground completely to a halt. Alex Payne, unexpectedly bowling seam for possibly the first time in his New Ash Green career, took 2-50, and Matt Bushe once again produced an excellent spell, bowling 9 overs and taking 1-15, demonstrating his still improving consistency. Gary Browning took a wicket with his first ball, when the unfortunate Hilton, who had opened the batting managed to kick a double bouncing leg side ball onto his stumps. At the end of the innings Marc Klus also showed promise for the future with a decent spell of left arm spin, marred only by the occasional loose ball, and having conceded 85 runs in the first 12 overs New Ash Green were able to keep the score down to a respectable 200-5 by the end of the 40 overs.

 

The importance of good line and length was soon demonstrated in New Ash Green’s innings. It took until the 8th over for the openers to match the score that Kylander had reached after 4 balls as Coalpit Heath’s youthful attack bowled a very steady line and were very hard to score off on the low slow pitch. Micky Sumner made 8 before playing back to one from 13 year old Jack Williams that cut back in and took his off stump, but Matthew Quantrill, having started even more slowly, began to find his range and seemed to be building the base for a challenge on the target when he went to pull a leg side ball from Mussi, edged it into and through his legs and onto the stumps. He had made 31 of 48 at that point, and was soon joined back in the pavilion by Gary Browning for 6 and Alex Payne for a duck and the score had slumped to 49-4. Andy Stuart and Chris Hoddinott staged a mini revival before Hoddinott was run out for 10. Jasper Holliday, pulling a full toss straight in the air for a duck, and Stuart, caught for 13, soon followed. Although Marc Klus battled bravely with the tail, hitting two big sixes, one of them a monster blow to the longest corner of the ground, it was always asking too much for the last three wickets to add 124 runs. Matt Bushe was out for the first time in his touring career, bowled for 1, Kieran Hoddinott got off the mark first ball, but flashed at his second and edged to the keeper, and Alan Cottrell played solidly for some time before being caught for 0 to give 13 year old Jack Williams figures of 3-19 from 6.1 overs. To be fair to Cottrell he would have had two runs had Klus, who ended up 32*, not turned down singles to try and keep the strike in his desperate attempt to make the runs. In the end it was a heavy defeat with neither of the home sides two main pace bowlers actually bowling at speed, and their second best batsman not making it to the wicket, although the gap between the sides was somewhat smaller outside of Kylander’s initial assault than the scores would suggest.

 

Still another good game enjoyed, it seemed, by all the participants, with the fixture almost arranged for next year already – against the under 11’s. The tourists stayed long enough at the ground to keep the fixture safe and then departed for the Clifton where the majority were most disappointed to discover that their favourite barmaid, Rosie, was not on duty to give them their daily refusal. Alex Payne made up for the disappointment by being turned down by the barman’s girlfriend and an Australian barmaid called Fran, while the rest drowned their sorrows and departed for town, where they visited an establishment called Reflex. Here, where the girls were later described as desperate by one of the Hoddinotts, Alex Payne finally achieved what passes for success with the ladies on this tour by managing to kiss a girl he described as gorgeous, though photographic evidence examined the following day may have called his claims into doubt. The fact that he appeared to have remembered her name incorrectly the following day also suggested that he was not entirely in control of his faculties at the time, but nonetheless his success was well beyond anything achieved hitherto. Pete Burke, on his only night on tour managed to show his interest in matters by falling asleep while standing up, but then he is a happily attached man now so presumably had no interest in the desperate denizens of the club. Kieran Hoddinott did manage to wrestle with a young lady who may well have been suitably built for the job, but just how intimate that liaison was is anyone’s guess – not least Kieran’s….

 

3/8/2005

 

New Ash Green 290-4 (40 overs)

Temple Cloud 213 all out (32.4 overs)

 

New Ash Green won by 77 runs

 

Strengthened by a bit of a lie in and bolstered by their leader for the day’s prowess with the ladies the touring party successfully negotiated the lanes of the Somerset countryside to make lunch at the Ring of Bells in Hinton Blewett and the ground at Temple cloud without serious delay or loss of party members. Re-inforced by the arrival of Vaughan John, and the promise that Pete Burke would skive off work in Bristol early to join them the tourists took the field in good heart. Alex Payne negotiated victory in the toss and Vaughan John started his tour by opening the batting with Matthew Quantrill. John had not made a decent score since the first game of the season when he and Quantrill had put on a century at Sidcup, but bolstered by batting with Quantrill again he produced his best score of the season. After a slowish start against Simon Curtis and Jamie Hayne, the opening pair began to pick up the pace. Adjusting to the wind blowing down the ground took some time – at one end the ball visibly slowed out of the bowlers hand, while at the other it shot through at pace. John, however, mixed sound defence with some bludgeoning blows and dominated the strike as Quantrill picked up a number of singles and leg byes. Just when it seemed the pair were set for another century stand and John for his first half century of the season John lofted a ball to long off and was caught by the Temple Cloud umpire who was filling in for them, having made 46 of a partnership of 93. Quantrill was joined by Kieran Hoddinott, who enjoyed something of a charmed life, being dropped twice and being missed by Rob Newmarch when he went down the pitch to Polly flinders and was stranded well out of his ground. Having been dropped once by Jamie Hayne, Hoddinott then gave him a much easier chance and was caught for 22. Quantrill was by now picking up the pace, tucking away 4’s off his legs and picking up three big sixes – one over the trees, the next over the wall and the third over the pavilion. He eventually reached 100 off his 101st ball with another six, and was promptly retired. Alex Payne knocked up a quick 39, Pete burke hit his first ball for 6, before being out to his 4th ball for 9, James Thorn made a quick 32 not out and Marc Klus made 12 off 4 balls, including a six from the last ball of the innings bowled by Rob Newmarch as all eleven Temple players got a bowl. The final total of 290-4 was a rather dramatic improvement on previous efforts on tour, and probably a club record for  40 over game.

 

Despite this huge total New Ash Green had no great confidence in their ability to win the game. Andy Stuart, again bowling off a few paces, produced a sound opening spell, getting an edge in his first over that flew between the first and second slips. With Pete Burke at the other end and Micky Sumner in reserve it looked the best bowling attack of tour, but Jamie Hayne and Rob Newmarch seemed solid enough after the early edge, and Newmarch was soon showing that he had taken to country living with a few agricultural blows. By the ninth over the score had advanced to 47 and Stuart had been hit out of the attack, but the first ball of the tenth brought the breakthrough when Newmarch was leg before to burke for 24, and in the same over Burke bowled Gary James for 0. When Micky Sumner, bowling his spin, turned one through the gate to bowl Hayne for 17 and 47-0 had become 51-3 the game seemed almost over, but Polly Flinders and Roger Gale and other ideas. In contrasting styles they took on Sumner and Matt Bushe and added 73 for the 4th wicket at a rate which kept the target within sight. The breakthrough eventually came when Bushe bowled Gale, for 38 off just 20 balls, in the 20th over, and at that halfway stage Temple were 35 runs ahead of New Ash Green’s score at the same stage. Simon Curtis made a quick 12 before being well caught by Quantrill diving forward from behind the stumps to give Sumner his second wicket, but Andy Wilson then carried on the attack with Flinders. Wilson managed to survive a number of chances on the leg side, with Mick Sumner prominent in the entertainment. One mishit ball lobbed up quite high to square leg. Sumner would only have had to take a few paces in to get under it comfortably, but he did nothing, apparently having been distracted by watching the net bowling behind him. Fine leg and mid wicket both raced towards the ball – gettable but much more of a stretch for them, and it was mid-wicket – Vaughan John – who got their and with a despairing dive got his fingertips to the ball and put it down. Sumner was later more alert to one that went in the air behind him, chasing back, seeming to get under it and then with a big slide missing the ball completely. He completed his day by skipping neatly over a low hook and letting it go for four without the semblance of an attempt to take the catch. Chris Hoddinott, the victim of these fielding lapses had to endure Wilson hitting him for 2 big sixes, the second of which was the third of the day to clear the pavilion, and eventually opted to ignore his fielders and get Wilson out by bowling him. Shortly before that Flinders’ prolonged resistance had been ended by Pete Burke’s return, bowling spin, finding a more reliable fielder in Marc Klus. Burke then took two more wickets to finish his tour with 5-24 fro 7 overs, before Chris Hoddinott finally found a fielder who could catch in his brother, taking the last wicket with the score on 213.

 

A 77 run victory looked comfortable, but with over 500 runs scored the game had never felt completely safe for New Ash Green until the last wicket went down. Again an enjoyable game, and a good evening in the bar afterwards going on till after 10 p.m., and once more leaving almost all the participants looking forward to next year.

 

The evening again saw Rosie in the Clifton resolutely refusing all the advances made to her before the squad headed off to town. For the first time in the week the younger tourists were joined by Matthew Quantrill, who came along to observe the legendary talents that had been in action for the last three nights and was somewhat disappointed to discover that, with the noble exception of Alex Payne, the New Ash Green pulling machine was something of a legend in its own mind only. After some 90 minutes spent standing around watching Mr. Payne in top chatting action the team’s reputation was only salvaged by Marc Klus, who was standing looking bored with the rest of the team when a young lady of surprisingly passable appearance approached him and grabbed him, dragging him from the group and engaging him in conversation. Seemingly non-plussed by this approach he was still working out what to do about it when your reporter decided it was his bed time – no doubt further details will emerge in the morning and, for the reader, will follow in a moment….

 

Sadly the truth is rather less exciting than might have been hoped. The lady in question works at the Clifton, and having spotted a person she recognised as having been in there all week offered him a drink, but it seems nothing more than sociable conversation was on the menu despite vague talk of her setting people up with her three friends…

 

4/8/2005

 

New Ash Green 217-8 (40 overs)

Barrow Gurney 220-6 (35 overs)

 

New Ash Green lost by 4 wickets

 

Considering the rather thin squad on tour this year New Ash Green did well to reach the final game with a full eleven players, an umpire and a scorer, though Matt Bushe was still suffering from the after effects of something dodgy he had eaten and spent much of the game asleep. By this stage of the tour it was quite difficult to tell the difference between him and some of those supposedly fully functioning, and the combined effects of the week’s carousing and end of tour choices of batting and bowling orders made for something of an up and down game for a side which should have been strong on batting and short of bowling.

 

James Thorn won the toss and elected to bat first, sending in Alex Payne and Vaughan John to open the batting. As one of 6 players to be on his 5th successive game as well as being one of the leading party animals of the week Payne should have been the one who was struggling, but it was John playing his second game and with only one late night behind him who seemed out of touch. Aided by a number of extras (there were 57 in total in the innings, including 31 byes made up of one 4 and 27 single byes!) they managed to put on 34 for the first wicket in reasonable time before they were out in quick succession, John bowled for 10 and Payne caught for 15. The all left hand combination of Rob Newmarch and Marc Klus added another 38, but then also went for 17 and 14 respectively. Gary Browning made a fairly quick 13 and Chris Hoddnaott a slightly slower 13, so all the top six had reached double figures, but none had got to 20. Kieran Hoddinott broke the run of double figure scores when he was given out first ball for a duck, leaving the score perilously poised at 117-6. His brother was still in at that point, and with Matthew Quantrill he added 21 before he was out. Jasper Holliday stayed with Quantrill while another 14 were added, but his first attacking stroke found the mid-wicket fielder, and 152-8 in the 33rd over did not look like enough. The advantage of late tour batting orders is that salvation can come from the lower order, and James Thorn and Matthew Quantrill made for a useful 9th wicket pair. They kept the scoreboard turning over and accelerated towards the end, eventually putting on a season leading 65 for the 9th wicket, Quantrill making 53* from 33 balls while Thorn made 25* from 23 balls. The final total of 217-8 was respectable, but on a small ground with the bowling attack they had New Ash Green would have been rather happier with the previous day’s total of 290.

 

The defence of 217 started very well as Kieran Hoddinott swung his third ball like a banana to bowl the left handed Geoff Saunders through the gate and start with a wicket maiden. Matt Bushe almost picked up a wicket as well with his first two balls, having a good LBW shout turned down and being very close to a stumping. After that, though, things went down hill rapidly. Hoddinott started his next over with a variety of long hops and full tosses which went for 4,6,4, dot and 4 again, and didn’t improve much in his 3rd over, being taken off with figures of 1-29 in three overs including that initial maiden. Bushe bowled slightly better, but lacked the consistency he had found in the first part of the week and was punished by both batsmen, including 13 year old Edward Holdaway, who made a quick 29 at better than a run a ball before eventually edging one from Bushe gently to Gary Browning in the gully. That breakthrough did not in any way stem the flow of runs, as Marc Klus with his left arm spin and Vaughan John with gentle away drift tried their luck. Klus had been hit for 6 by the 13 year old Holdaway early on, and struggled to maintain a consistent line and length, while John did at least have the advantage that his poor balls tended to go so wide that runs couldn’t possibly be scored from them. It was one of John’s better balls that eventually brought about the breakthrough, drifting away and causing Richard Matthews to get an outside edge and give Chris Hoddinott a relatively simple catch which he managed to take with the aid of a rebound off his chin. Matthews had been the prime beneficiary of Kieran Hoddinott’s early largesse, having made 67 from 55 balls, and his departure allowed the run rate to be slowed slightly, but Barrow were always ahead on that front and it was wickets that were needed. John continued to supply them, as his late away movement caused the batsmen difficulties when it was on the right line – he had young Marc Brown caught by Klus for 11 then bowled Barrow’s captain, Phil Milton, for 1. After 7 overs his figures of 3-22 looked very respectable, but when he was hit for 14 in his next over he was promptly removed from the attack. It seemed a good bowling change when Chris Hoddinott, his replacement bowled Chris Milton with the last ball of his first over, but after that the game degenerated somewhat as Ali Hood and Phil Taylor raced towards the winning line. New Ash Green’s fielding rapidly deteriorated, not least that of their senior members. Kieran Hoddinott had capped his generally poor day by dropping a fairly straightforward catch, but he was able to rid himself of the shirt of shame when a big skyer went up fairly near to Rob Newmarch. James Thorn, however, came charging in from mid-off with a loud call of “Mine” only to slide under the ball and put it down, to his fury and sadly to the barely disguised (or in Kieran’s case utterly undisguised) glee of the remainder of the fielders. Shortly afterwards a drive at Rob Newmarch found a small hole in an otherwise elegantly executed long barrier and went for 4. Matt Bushe did give a demonstration of commitment with an excellent diving stop, unfortunately spooning the ball into his nose and having to retire hurt. The final entertainment for the day came when Taylor went for another big hit off the bowling of the unfortunate Marc Klus, wicketless in 15 overs, and lifted the ball high in the air in the direction of the covers. Kieran Hoddinott was almost directly underneath it, and could clearly see the shirt of shame coming his way to top off a dismal day for him. Once again, though, a loud shout of “Mine” came from mid-off amongst the thundering footsteps of a charging Thorn. Perhaps Kieran should have called for it himself, but the relief on his face was obvious as he happily stepped out from under the ball. That Thorn had made something of an error of judgement was perhaps evident from his second shout of “Oh Sh*t!” as he realised he was nowhere near the ball, but by now the damage was done and the ball fell safely to ground, along with the last hopes of a breakthrough for New Ash Green. The game was wrapped up shortly afterwards in a flurry of boundaries and everyone headed off for the Prince’s Motto for a few drinks, some reminiscing and talk of the 30th anniversary game, due in 2 year’s time. The surviving tourists headed to Pizza Express for the end of tour meal, where James Thorn disgraced himself attempting to chat up a waitress with a large wedding ring and then a desultory final visit to the nightlife of Clifton, with traditional lack of success. Another tour over, but another apparently enjoyed despite the distinctly sore heads and bleary eyes remaining at the end, and whatever happens to the club it appears that touring will continue to be enjoyed for the foreseeable future.

 

2005 Tour Batting Averages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qualification: 1 Completed Innings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pos.

 

Player

Games

Inns.

NO's

Runs

Hi-Score

Average

1

 

Q

5

5

2

236

100*

78.67

2

 

65th Birthday Boy

4

4

2

134

40

67.00

3

 

The Tour Virgin

5

4

2

65

32*

32.50

4

 

Veej

2

2

0

56

46

28.00

5

 

The Love Geek

4

3

1

46

30

23.00

6

 

Capt. Big Al

5

5

0

86

39

17.20

7

 

El Presidente

1

1

0

17

17

17.00

8

 

Boycey

4

3

0

47

21

15.67

9

 

Kezza

5

5

1

54

23*

13.50

10

 

Bushtaq

5

2

1

10

9*

10.00

11

 

Punchy

1

1

0

9

9

9.00

12

 

The Edge

5

3

0

25

13

8.33

13

 

Brown Chap

4

4

0

25

13

6.25

14

 

Jazz Magz

4

4

0

7

6

1.75

15

 

Capt. Very Big Al

1

1

0

0

0

0.00

 

 

 

2005 Tour Bowling Averages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qualification: 1 Wicket Taken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pos.

 

Player

Overs

Mdns.

Runs

Wkts.

Best

R/Over

Average

1

 

Punchy

7

1

24

5

5-24

3.43

4.80

2

 

65th Birthday Boy

6

0

57

5

5-57

9.50

11.40

3

 

Veej

8

2

36

3

3-36

4.50

12.00

4

 

Brown Chap

2

0

19

1

1-19

9.50

19.00

5

 

Capt. Big Al

8.5

1

67

3

2-50

7.58

22.33

6

 

The Love Geek

23

3

109

4

2-54

4.74

27.25

7

 

The Edge

18.4

0

131

4

2-35

7.02

32.75

8

 

Bushtaq

38

4

179

5