Longparish Cricket Club

Sunday, 22nd June 2008 - 9:45 am

Twyford: 46 All Out

Longparish Under 13's: 47 for 4

Match Report

A bright sunny morning followed early showers, the Twyford pitch naturally hard, still offering pace and bounce after the overnight rain; a good morning to bowl, and bowl Longparish did.  On a morning where every thing went right, Longparish bowled Twyford out for 46; Charles Sherwood and Dan Paice taking two wickets each, Adam Lee, Ollie Coetzee and William de Cani a wicket apiece, the remainder falling to run outs.  Every catch was held, bar one by Nick Bearpark who casually picked up the ball and threw down the stumps instead. It was one of those mornings that drifted along in a dream like quality, tempting bystanders’ minds to wander. Mr Sherwood contemplated a restoration project of the old Longparish roller, to be followed up by a summer touring the county flattening out bumps, Mr Taplin mused on a drastic career change as a possible airline pilot, until it was pointed out to him that planes flew in relatively straight lines at high speed, something that he was still struggling to achieve at low speed in a combine harvester, and was persuaded to stick to driving the Stockbridge Fire Engine.  The superb Twyford hospitality extended to regular delivery of coffee, tea and biscuits around the boundary, even Mr Bearpark’s request for a restorative and life enhancing herbal infusion sans milk was catered for, Previous visits to the ground by Longparish have featured a wide range of beverage available on the boundary, coupled with a highly mobile barbecue and on pitch cricket counselling. With the possibility of scraps on offer, one of the lost tribes of Twyford were drawn from cover, middle aged and around twenty in number they circled the boundary feigning an interest in cricket, gliding in to wherever a biscuit had been eaten in search of sustenance, having their picture taken before returning to cover. 

The dream like quality continued into the Longparish reply, Michael Taplin 15 and Charles Sherwood 5 putting on 23 for the first wicket, before everyone was brought back to reality with a string of stunning catches by an accomplished Twyford fielding side; Dan Pomroy and Brad Aldridge taking Longparish past the Twyford total in the twelfth over with six wickets remaining.  An enjoyable game of cricket against a young talented Twyford side, Who were warm and generous hosts.