Full Fixture Information

Result Descriptiom

Drawn

Man of the Match

Ali Wheeler for his 6 special wickets

Champagne Moment

Andrew de Lotbiniere for his massive six almost clearing the play area

Teddy Bear Moment

Tim Clay, a golden quacker

Full Match Report

What Might Have Been

The best crowd of the season turned out on a day alternating between periods of warm sunshine and briskly breezy cloud to see East Meon take on the travelling Shirrell Heath team. Scores of Atkinsons, Redmaynes and other locals, coupled with a cameo from our local professional and his overseas import friend made the best of a wonderful family-friendly afternoon?s entertainment. Charlie Dutton, suffering from what may have been a serious bout of man-flu had to withdraw, replaced at the last moment by Josh Haslett. Mr Dutton was however, well enough to deliver his tea contribution, for which the team was very grateful, and also to do some umpiring, for which Oli was very grateful.

Our captain, buoyed from last week?s excellent win, strode to the middle for the toss, and promptly got it wrong, again. Methinks he has not won a toss so far this season? Nevertheless, given we are a ?win toss, bat? kind of team, the oppo?s invitation for us to have a bat was well received. Oli and Andrew headed out to open. Oli got off to a brisk start; our captain somewhat less so. In fact Oli had raised his bat for 50 while our glorious captain (on 4) was still laying the foundations of his own solid innings. The pitch behaved reasonably well; a little spice here and there, as well as the normal Meon worm-burners, but nothing like the shenanigans of last week.

Oli, after surviving a raucous appeal for lbw mid-innings, went on to score an otherwise chanceless 102 before retiring, bringing Tim Clay to the wicket. ?This guy looks like he can bat? the oppo whispered. Well as we know, Tim can bat, but not today. A length ball, a little shimmy down the wicket, an expansive swing, and Tim was on his way back to the pavilion for a golden quacky. His first ever, he assured me. James Redmayne came in at four, and given the solid platform laid by Oli and Andrew, looked to accelerate the scoring. However, the bowling, while not exactly threatening, was at least a little tricky and James did well to reach 50 and retire, surviving one or two uncharacteristic plays and misses. Andrew, after his somewhat scratchy start, made it to 47 before edging a lifting ball to the keeper. He was clapped back to the pavilion to the familiar theme of ?jug avoidance?.

Ali Wheeler, perhaps with some kind of fey foresight of what was to come, declined to bat, insisting that he was enjoying his umpiring so much that he wasn?t inclined to join the run scoring festivities. The late change to the batting order caused chaos for the remainder of the innings. Lakh stepped up to take his place. Lakh was in swashbuckling mood, and soon showed James how the boundaries were hit. Unfortunately it wasn?t just boundaries that were hit ? Lakh copped one on the old coconut first ball after despatching his helmet back to the pavilion. Stoically refusing ice and all sympathy, he replaced the helmet where it should have been all along, and continued, eventually scoring a good 17 before being stumped.

David Blackburn came and went for 3 while I was looking for a lost ball in the alpaca hedge. Josh Haslett was also uncharacteristically engrossed in his umpiring, so yours truly found himself rushing back to the pavilion to find some pads to join Nic Crombie in the middle for the last couple of overs. In spite of an umpire who thought the innings went on at least one over too many, we made reasonable use of the last 12 balls to finish up on 7 not out and 7 not out respectively. After the huge opening partnership from Oli and Andrew, the biggest we?ve seen for a while, (certainly this season), and some good contributions down the order, we finished up on 255. It felt like enough.

Tea was taken, in true Meon style. The table was loaded with goodies, not least the plant-based savoury pancakes and ?crushed biscuit avec chutney? surprise. Just as well, given the number of spectators who took the opportunity to participate of these rare gourmet delights.

The chase commenced at 5:02 pm. David Blackburn opened up from the alpaca end. ?Let?s get him angry? suggested someone from the slips region. David bowled with fire and pace. David bowled with even more fire and pace when he spotted Rupert Hetherington coming through the footpath gate. It was a good spell, and he was unlucky not to be wicketless from his 7 overs. Oli put down a tough chance at slip (though there were whisperings at fines suggesting that Jimmy would have snavelled it) and another edgy chance fell just short of yours truly at point. Our very own young tearaway speedster, Aaron, following in his father?s tradition, opened at the other end, labouring uphill from his long run. It would be fair to say that Aaron was not entirely satisfied with his day?s endeavours, ending up wicketless for 35 off his 4 overs. Sadly the highlight of his spell was the shattering of his captain?s faith in him. ?I don?t set fields for full-tosses? our captain said in response to a suggestion that a long on might be appropriate in the circumstances. Eager to atone, Aaron immediately bowled another full toss which was deposited with a lofted drive to long on. I?m certain the laughter came from the oppo.

Your correspondent was invited to take up the attack from the Park Hill end. 6 overs yielded 22-1, which might have been more save for a dropped catch by a local vigneron who shall remain nameless, and a couple of dodgy lbw decisions. Blackburn was replaced by Haslett at the alpaca end, and despite one or two wayward deliveries, settled into a lovely line and length, consistently beating the bat, and was very unlucky to finish with only 2 wickets for 30. The game looked to be heading towards a rather dull draw. A few wickets down, lots of runs yet to be scored and not a lot of time left. How deceptive can this game of cricket be?

Our man Crombie came on to bowl, and despite one or two lovely deliveries ended up wicketless and expensive at 22 from 2 overs. Tim Clay, invited to the crease and offered an opportunity of redemption, failed to secure the much needed wickets and was retired after 3 overs for 20. Enter Wheeler, Jr aka Ali. ?Desperation measures?, someone whispered. ?He?s not going to ?bowl? those quick ones is he?!? Yep, he was, and he did. Over the next 6 overs, the game pendulum swung from ?Boring Draw? to ?Nail-biting Finish?. Ali Wheeler (?Junior?) worked his way through the Shirrell Heath lineup: caught, bowled, bowled, caught, bowled, bowled. Lakh at the other end, dibbly-dobblied his way through 4 overs, doing his bit to keep the pressure on. Shirell Heath had shut up shop. A draw was their only hope. The mid-innnings swashbuckling had gone, replaced by stonewalling of a high order. Ali pinged down a beauty, and Miller, their lead stonewaller was back in the pavilion courtesy of a decent catch at short mid-wicket by Tim Clay. Game on. 3 wickets needed. One over remaining. But not just any over. This was an ?Ali Wheeler? over.

Ali pinged down a short of a length ball. It cannoned into the gloves of Parker, looking somewhat like a bunny in the headlights. Catch ballooned up to gully, but dropping short. Yours truly at point dived. Gully loses sight of the ball. Ball lands safely somewhere in the middle. ?You won?t get another chance like that? says slip. And so it proved to be. Despite another wonderful ball from Ali to despatch Parker for 0, it was too late. It was a draw. 9 wickets down, and a winning draw, but a draw nonetheless.

A great game. Nail-biting finish, good spirit. We retired to Jimmy?s Bar to contemplate What Might Have Been and fine each other to apportion blame.