Bristol Venturers Cricket Club
50 years of the Vs - Anniversary Match vs Boneshakers 18 August 2024
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This much anticipated celebratory game at Rockhampton featured the brand new 50th anniversary shirts ( thanks Harley), a large proportion of the Vs playing squad, some partners and ex-players, a DJ with a wind-up gramophone and a splendid collection of 78s which added to the jollity. The Boneshakers are an occasional side organised by Ed G. and able to call up some decent cricketers. So everything combined (including the weather) for a fabulous day of Village Cricket. The pavilion even has a bar.
It was agreed beforehand that the Vs would bat first, and each side would bat two 18 overs innings, that batters would retire on passing 30 - also that the Vs would field a slightly different eleven each time so that everyone got a game.
Top of the bill Ajay took 18 off the first over with help from a Doc single, and we were away. A couple of sixes and a four later he passed 30, clipped the ball to the mid wicket fielder, and returned to a round of applause for his swift 35. Doc S., not normally accustomed to opening the batting, appeared to like it and hit four 4s and numerous singles in his 32. Next man Harley was unlucky to get a swishy duck but Ivor got a 6 and three fours in his 30. Next and last wicket was Steve D., but one of his fours was a creamy cover-drive ( if I remember rightly) and he fell for a dashing 17. Our first total of 156 was reached with Ben in full flow on 21 and a newly arrived John H. on 2.
In response, the Boneshakers opened quite correctly with Ed G. (complete with runner) who saw his partner depart for a duck, bowled by opening spinner Dave M. The other bowler was Bill A. who only conceded 2 singles in his allowed 3 overs, but was theatrically peeved to be wided 5 times by umpire Steve. Ed hit Shaun P. for a boundary to add to a couple of singles which pleased him no end, but Shaun got his revenge by bowling him soon afterwards. We only took 3 Boneshakers wickets in this innings (as did they), the third was a skyer off DJ expertly caught by Ben, but their progress hadn’t matched ours - 85 for 3. We used seven bowlers, Lol bowled the only maiden seen all day and conceded 4 singles in his 3 tight overs. John H. and DJ were more generous and suffered at the hands of Boneshaker Eddie who retired on 45, hitting the only 6 of the innings off DJ.
Thanks are due to the wonderful caterers who provided the piles of delicious sandwiches and cakes - the very epitome of the Village Cricket Tea.
Back to the cricket itself, our second innings openers were Bill and Mick, and Bill hit away the first ball away for a single to get us going. By the third over he’d doubled his score, outscoring Mick by one, but both were bowled and replaced by John H. and Shaun who both reached 30, three 4s for John, five for Shaun. Cue more applause. The 50 was reached in the 9th over and the combined scores looked healthy for the Vs. Mike and Lol piled on the pressure with some breezy boundaries (they both got 18) and late hitter Rich hit a quick-fire 13. His straight six was a memorable one. Shot of the day contender, murmured Rohan, and he had to go in at the end for a couple of balls when Rich was out, caught at long-leg. His single took us to 133 with four wickets taken.
Any hope for the Boneshakers of scoring over 200 was dashed by the dot balls bowled by Ivor and Ben, and they bagged an opener each. The No3 got to a retiring 32, a good knock, but the middle order were ambushed by DJ who came on with Steve D. in the 8th over. His 4-6 spell ( all bowled) included Eddie for a duck, revenge for being clouted for 17 in an over in the first innings. Dave M. and Lol efficiently cleaned up the remaining Boneshakers - two wickets for Dave and one for Lol. The last (guesting) Boneshaker on the pitch was Robin McD. who’d had a good afternoon - bowling Mike earlier and hitting two boundaries in his 15, defiant to the end.! 93 with nine wickets down was a bit short for the Boneshakers, so it was a victory by 111 runs by the Venturers. As we mingled afterwards the weather was still quite warm and we had a drink, finished the sandwiches and reminisced over old photos …and even re-enacted one with the hanging skeleton. All in all a very enjoyable day.
DM 5-0-13-3. Bill 3-0-7-0. Shaun 2-0-15-1. John H 2-0-19-0. DJ 6-0-27-5. Lol 5-1-15-1. Ivor 3-0-21-1. Ben 3-0 15-1. Steve 2-0-24-0. Mike 1-0-2-0 Jon P 4-0-21-0.
Thanks to Ed for making this fixture happen, and to the caterers and the DJ who dug out Fats Waller for me, and to English Sunday Cricket itself. DJ.
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We were: Rich, Dave M.,Barry, Jon, Ivor, Avneet, Ben, Geoff, Harley, Dave J., Rohan (capt). And it was played at Frampton-on-Severn. 30 overs.
The village green in Frampton is gem of a venue which on a sunny seekend is notable for the odd horse-drawn carriage, passing agricultural vehicles, pints clinking at the pub just beyond the startlingly short boundary, and thankfully protective netting. It looked like an opportunity for batsmen to fill their boots.
The Venturers batted first with what looked like an experimental top order. You might wonder why the skipper put himself in at no. 11 (see above batting order) but he'd earlier had an argument with a dustbin and fractured his left foot, so it was Rich and Dave M. (a first-time opener) who had first look at the wicket. It wasn't an encouraging start - the Longhorns' bowling was straight, and both openers having got off the mark were soon trudging off, Rich bowled and Dave offering a catch to mid-on. Barry, keen to get on the scoreboard didn't, as he lobbed one to cover in the 6th over, 12 for 3, but Jon and Ivor slowly began a rescue mission, and in 12 overs put on 85 until Ivor, over-eager for once, was easily stumped for 37. Avneet got off the mark with a nice cut for one, but then middled one to mid-wicket. This was a pity, but it was the last wicket to fall as Ben and Jon, who was again using the Perry bat, got the hang of the small boundaries. Ben assumed the role of supporting Jon who, almost chancelessly ( just one snick over the keeper) sailed past his 50... and, with the occasional help of innaccurate bowling, through to the nervous nineties (not for him but for us watching) to his glorious maiden hundred. There were 16 fours and 3 sixes, one damaging the roof near the pub. The Venturers total after 30 overs was 214, with Jon on 114 Not Out, and Ben on 23, who'd hit 3 fours and was clearly enjoying himself. The extras amounted to 37(!) and the welcome tea was a real contender.
The Longhorns' opening batsmen began smoothly against the bowling of Geoff and Avneet, and then Barry and Rich, but without getting near the required 7 an over rate (80 off 16) so we were reasonably happy at drinks. Wickets started to clatter from then on, however, with spinning-guile from DJ and DM, who achieved a caught and bowled in his second over, and DJ. hitting the middle stump twice in his first over. Another one came in his third over (middle stump), another in his fifth, and to complete a five-for , an LBW in his sixth, though he was glad to get off as his bowling rhythm had oddly disintegrated.(5-13). Ivor bowled three tidy overs in his now familiar style in tandem with DM at the end, and picked up two wickets for 7 - the Longhorns finished on145-9 , so we'd won by 69 runs.
It's sometimes the case that opening seamers bust a gut early on with no reward only to see slower bowlers, seemingly not breaking- sweat, later cash in, and so it was today....but the V's looked like a team, fielded well on an unusual pitch and featured a century and a five-for. Thanks are due to Rohan who trotted around manfully without complaint in the field...get well soon....and I think that Chris Perry's bat is starting to look like Jon's bat. Up the V'S. For the record : Geoff 5-1-16-0: Avneet 4-1-19-0: Barry 4-0-15-0: Rich 3-0-23-0: DM 5-0-49-1: DJ 6-2-13-5: Ivor 3-1-7-2. DJ.
We were: Rich, Dave M.,Barry, Jon, Ivor, Avneet, Ben, Geoff, Harley, Dave J., Rohan (capt). And it was played at Frampton-on-Severn. 30 overs.
The village green in Frampton is gem of a venue which on a sunny seekend is notable for the odd horse-drawn carriage, passing agricultural vehicles, pints clinking at the pub just beyond the startlingly short boundary, and thankfully protective netting. It looked like an opportunity for batsmen to fill their boots.
The Venturers batted first with what looked like an experimental top order. You might wonder why the skipper put himself in at no. 11 (see above batting order) but he'd earlier had an argument with a dustbin and fractured his left foot, so it was Rich and Dave M. (a first-time opener) who had first look at the wicket. It wasn't an encouraging start - the Longhorns' bowling was straight, and both openers having got off the mark were soon trudging off, Rich bowled and Dave offering a catch to mid-on. Barry, keen to get on the scoreboard didn't, as he lobbed one to cover in the 6th over, 12 for 3, but Jon and Ivor slowly began a rescue mission, and in 12 overs put on 85 until Ivor, over-eager for once, was easily stumped for 37. Avneet got off the mark with a nice cut for one, but then middled one to mid-wicket. This was a pity, but it was the last wicket to fall as Ben and Jon, who was again using the Perry bat, got the hang of the small boundaries. Ben assumed the role of supporting Jon who, almost chancelessly ( just one snick over the keeper) sailed past his 50... and, with the occasional help of innaccurate bowling, through to the nervous nineties (not for him but for us watching) to his glorious maiden hundred. There were 16 fours and 3 sixes, one damaging the roof near the pub. The Venturers total after 30 overs was 214, with Jon on 114 Not Out, and Ben on 23, who'd hit 3 fours and was clearly enjoying himself. The extras amounted to 37(!) and the welcome tea was a real contender.
The Longhorns' opening batsmen began smoothly against the bowling of Geoff and Avneet, and then Barry and Rich, but without getting near the required 7 an over rate (80 off 16) so we were reasonably happy at drinks. Wickets started to clatter from then on, however, with spinning-guile from DJ and DM, who achieved a caught and bowled in his second over, and DJ. hitting the middle stump twice in his first over. Another one came in his third over (middle stump), another in his fifth, and to complete a five-for , an LBW in his sixth, though he was glad to get off as his bowling rhythm had oddly disintegrated.(5-13). Ivor bowled three tidy overs in his now familiar style in tandem with DM at the end, and picked up two wickets for 7 - the Longhorns finished on145-9 , so we'd won by 69 runs.
It's sometimes the case that opening seamers bust a gut early on with no reward only to see slower bowlers, seemingly not breaking- sweat, later cash in, and so it was today....but the V's looked like a team, fielded well on an unusual pitch and featured a century and a five-for. Thanks are due to Rohan who trotted around manfully without complaint in the field...get well soon....and I think that Chris Perry's bat is starting to look like Jon's bat. Up the V'S. For the record : Geoff 5-1-16-0: Avneet 4-1-19-0: Barry 4-0-15-0: Rich 3-0-23-0: DM 5-0-49-1: DJ 6-2-13-5: Ivor 3-1-7-2. DJ.