Cricket Finale LSSC V Ex Blues Friday August 30th
Ex (Nat West) Blues v London Saints – West Wickham, Kent – Friday August 30th
Ex Blues 254 – 3 (P.Rogers 2 – 43, Cohen 1 – 25)
London Saints 186 – 8 (Dollin 50no, Cushion 27, Berkeley 26no, Pearce 26, Rogers 21)
The usual grande finale to the London Saints CC’s season was held at Ex Blues CC down in Kent on the usual first Friday after the August Bank Holiday, but this year it was different as we were celebrating a winner season for the first time since 2003. As such 13 non playing supporters came along to join the 12 players making an overall London Saints turnout of 25 into the evening.
Well it was eventually 12 players as a week earlier we only had 8 confirmed players with Lana our 9th player confined to a hospital bed in Thailand. Thankfully Lana recovered and was well enough to travel home and then demonstrate her fitness and strength on the cricket field hurling the ball miles over fellow player’s heads, mainly Mr Gobby’s (Oliver Griffiths son of our mild mannered man of many nicknames). 
Then huge thanks to Mike Dollin and Ralph Palmer (local to these parts and mates of Tiny Temper’s) who made themselves available to help out as they had also done 2 years ago. We were up to 11 which then became 12 (we’ve played 14 before at Ex Blues) as Hilda Berkeley announced his availability as it would be his swansong to LSCC (we had the day to persuade him to change his mind).
This was to be our 35th game v Ex Blues (who over the years have merged with Nat West CC so they are more Nat than Ex these days) and we had only ever beaten them once since we first played then in 1989 so we were realistic in our expectations though coming into this on the back of 3 straight wins and 6 in total this season our confidence was up.
Our confidence and preparations took a bit of a hit when our opening bowler realised when he was in the changing rooms that he had left his cricket trousers at home. Both our main opening bowlers Phil and Ollie wanted to bowl down the hill so Ralph kindly volunteered (well he was commandeered) to bowl the opening overs up the hill. “Don’t worry (said Ralph) I only live a few miles away” so no problem there. When he appeared back 10 mins later we could all relax until he told us that he’d almost got home when he realised that his house keys were still in the changing rooms!! -) -). So a slight delay in proceedings to allow trousergate to be sorted and we started just after 1.00.
After just a few overs we realised that Ex/Nat Blues had a fairly strong team out this year (they had an important league match the next day and wanted some practice) and with a lightening quick outfield and short boundaries we struggled to contain them. Their skipper said that 200 is a good score on the pitch this season but when they raced to 65-0 off the first 10 overs we knew that we would be chasing a lot more than that. No one really bowled badly and we didn’t drop too many chances (there a few – no names) but on the whole we fielded well in very difficult conditions and some in particular excelled. The pick of the fielders had to be Ralph though maybe he wished that he had borrowed someone else’s ‘ wrong trousers ‘ as his whites obviously had a magnet in them as the ball followed him around the field and he stopped most of what was thrown at him with any part of his body, so much so that he made good use of the first-aid kit bag to attend to any number of bruises.
Lana and Ollie found some difficulty on the fast outfield as the ball sped past them on occasions – don’t they teach kids the long barrier these days (respective fathers please note that coaching is required). There was the usual ‘encouraging ‘ banter in the field between between Lana and Ollie, if you didn’t know any better you’d think they were an old married couple!.
Just like Brentford v Saints the next day, Ex Blues pounced on any bad balls and punished us as 3 of their first 4 batters retired on the agreed total of 50. A retirement felt in some ways like a wicket as we pegged them back in the middle overs but they accelerated again in the later overs (despite Phil’s deserved 2 late wickets) to an impressive score of 254-3 off their 35 overs.
A short interval of tea and crisps and cakes (we had a bar-b-cue later) was spent enviously watching our supporters drinking their beers whilst we contemplated the ‘ Duck Trophy ‘ batting order. 4 players (DT, Oscar, Ollie and Lana) could deprive Carol Griffiths if they got a golden duck provided that JG didn’t get another. Normally all the duck contenders go in first in the last game but it was decided to spread the tension so DT and Oscar would go in early with Ollie and Lana later with Carol inbetween them.
DT opened with Mike who had scored 36 in his previous game for us and clearly the way he started he was on for another big score today. DT, on the back of 2 fine innings in the last match, avoided the golden duck and relaxed knowing that he couldn’t win the duck trophy (well that’s my excuse for a god awful shot to get out for 0) to be followed by Oscar who also comfortably avoided a golden. Carol was in next and narrowly avoided another duck (with the umpiring hands of Trevor and Tony poised).
With JG out for 4, a strong middle order of Tiger, Hilda, Dickie and Cinzano Phil took over once Mike reached his score of 50 and retirement almost effortlessly with a very assured knock and his first half century of the season after a number in the 40’s. With Mike retired and with a well-deserved beer in hand the middle order scored some very useful runs. Tiger Pearce looked well set to beat his best ever LSCC score of 33 but fell frustratingly for 26. Dickie came in and probably looked our best player with some aggressive shots taking him up to 27 before he holed out. Pete and Phil, although always being behind the rate took the score into the 170’s knowing that they only had a limited time to bat as they would be withdrawn with 2 overs to go to let Ollie and Lana into bat for the potential duck trophy. Phil was run out for 21 whilst Pete in a (“Ok I enjoyed that, I won’t retire“) fine knock of 26 not out left the field to allow the duck trophy race to be concluded with the old married couple coming into to bat. When Ollie avoided a golden (meaning that he couldn’t pip his dad to the trophy) he celebrated as though he had just joined Gus Atkinson on the Lords Honours Board. Lana also avoided her golden meaning that the duck trophy would be headed back to the mantelpiece of Carol Griffiths for a 2nd time (not the first as he had claimed) and she had the satisfaction of running out her LSCC husband with a deflection off the bowler.
So all in all our reply of 186 – 8 off our 35 overs was a decent effort and it was not a disgrace to lose to a strong Ex Blues team. Some might question why we continue to play Ex Blues and indeed why would they still want to entertain us but this arrangement has worked well for both clubs for over 35 years. All players from both teams play a part, it’s played in the right spirit, Ex Blues structure their game and performance to the needs of the game and there is a mutual understanding of what’s in it for both teams. We get to enjoy a great day out, give everyone a go, see the duck trophy concluded in style and invite non playing supporters along for a day and night out staying in the bar until 9.30 / 10.00 – Ex Blues get to give some of their fringe players a go, get a win and probably have their biggest cricket bar take of the year.
Up to 25 London Saints enjoyed the bar being open all afternoon, the post-match bar-b-cue and end of season banter till late with the Duck and Player of the Year trophies settled. Congratulation or commiserations to JG for the duck trophy and the skipper played his (I’m thinking of packing in this organisation) cards right to win the POTY, 15 years after playing the same hand -) -). It was also great to see the next generation of London Saints playing cricket (inc our erstwhile LSSC award winning Newsletter of the Year Editor who openly admits she has no idea about cricket – another convert?) for up to an hour post match whilst the old lags were supporting the bar.
Man of the Match – Many fine performances today as everyone had a go but Mike Dollin’s excellent unbeaten 50 is the clear winner – well played Mike.
Champagne Moment – The moment Mike went to his 50 and Phil’s great catch to dismiss their opener off Max’s bowling deserve a mention – Lana and Ollie’s blossoming relationship on and off the field also deserves a mention but Ralph Palmer and the eventually right trousers wins the award.
Ex Blues
Gibbons ct Rogers b Cohen 37
Hind retired 53
Ruddyard retired 50
Lee retired 50
Loughlan not out 31
Segrais ct Cushion b Rogers 10
Radburn b Rogers 13
Pett not out 0
Extras 10
Total 254 – 3 off 35 overs
Rogers 7 – 0 – 43 – 2
Palmer 3 – 0 – 27 – 0
O.Griffiths 7 – 0 – 58 – 0
Sykes 4 – 0 – 24 – 0
Cohen 4 – 0 – 25 – 1
Thomas 4 – 0 – 17 – 0
Pearce 3 – 0 – 27 – 0
Berkeley 3 – 0 – 23 – 0
London Saints
Dollin retired not out 50
Thomas ct ? b Pett 0
Sykes ct ? b Brown 12
J.Griffiths b Troy 4
Pearce ct Ruddjard b Troy 26
Berkeley retired not out 26
Cushion ct ? b Radburn 27
Rogers run out 21
Cohen b Radburn 0
O.Griffiths run out 4
Lana not out 0
Palmer not out 0
Extras 16
Total 186 – 8 off 35 overs
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