The Stoics C.C.

BRIGHTON BRUNSWICK C.C. V STOICS C.C.
SUNDAY 30 JUNE 2013.
AT THE SUSSEX COUNTY CRICKET CLUB HOVE
While the whole of England lay basked in sunshine and temperatures in the mid 20’s anyone using the heavily congested London A23 road to Brighton and short cut over the Sussex downs to improve their sun-tan will have received ample warning that the cricket ground in Hove was in a different time-zone climate altogether! The sight of rolling banks of thick sea fret entirely shrouding the ground at Hove has in the past made many a medium-fast swing bowler twitch eagerly in anticipation of many an easy batsman’s scalp under their belt. With these ideal bowling conditions at Hove was this Sunday going to prove the exception? When Alex Ellis, the Brunswick captain, won the toss and inserted the Stoics to bat on a true fast wicket.

 

Brunswick’s two pace bowlers Matt Blandford and Matt Dawber opened the bowling in quite chilly conditions. Clouds of mist regularly drifted across the ground. For the Stoics Andrew Hartridge  and Bob Mayston opened the batting and were highly circumspect of the conditions. Hartridge, after striking a superb boundary through the off-side then edged to the keeper on the last ball of the over from an away swinger. Although the ball swung in the heavy damp conditions this was not the undoing of Mayston. With his more than ample waist line, trying to take a quick run was never in Bob’s repertoire and he was left well and truly stranded by a yard Chauham threw the stumps down from deep extra cover with only one to aim at. Stoics 2 for 34. Joe Moore and Ian Harvey then came together and set about the Brunswick bowling. With several superb strokes to entertain the meagre crowd they lifted the Stoics score to 137. Joe was especially rampant with the bat and having hit one six through the glass of the Jim Park’s tavern he went on to score 95. Falling short of his ton going for the big on when time was of the concern. Despite the spin guile of Stan Spiegel whose 10 overs went for 70 runs,  Harvey went on to score an excellent 72 before being caught off the bowling of Nathan Bell. Adam Clarke scored a masterly and quick 56 and with the clock approaching 4pm. the Stoics declared with what was thought to be an ample score of 281 for 6 leaving the Brunswick after tea with 90 minutes of batting time before the umpires called the last 20 overs.
 

The Brunswick innings started quite disastrously with Steve Kingcome being comprehensively bowled by West Indian Anthony Alexander with the very first ball of the innings. Middle stump out of the ground - 0 for 1! The Stoics fast bowlers were aggressive and swung the ball both ways in the continuing overcast conditions. However, Brunswick’s other opening batsman Aaron Phillips dealt masterly with everything that was thrown at him. With the fine support of Steve Goulds, who played a minor but good supporting innings, Phillips went on to play an aggressive innings hitting the ball to all parts of the ground. This pair took the score to 160 before the Stoics had their next success in the 21st over and the score standing at 160 for 1. Phillips having scored his 100 was bowled by the returning Alexander. Goulds went on to score a fine 56. Brunswick ‘s middle order batsmen continued the race for runs which eventually enabled the Brunswick to reach the formidable winning score of 284 for 4.

 

Best of the Stoics bowlers were: Andrew Alexander 2 for 65 off 14 overs and Simon Bridgewater 2 for 85 off 12 overs.

 

While reports of temperatures outside of Hove of 27 degrees Brunswick President David Laing entertained his guests and visitors in the warmth of the Sussex County Cricket Club Committee room with copious glasses of PIMMS. A great day non the less and a testament to Declaration cricket, the ethos of the Stoics.

The Stoics

1 Andrew Hartridge         Ct Phillips         B/Blandford         4
2 Bob Mayston                 Run Out                                           7
3 Joe Moore                      Bowled             Blandford           95
4 Ian Harvey                      Ct Varcoe        B/Bell                  72
5 Colin Mansfield              Ct Chauhan     B/Varcoe            14
6 Adam Clarke                    Not Out                                       56
7 Rory Baxter                      Bowled           Blandford             7
8 Dileep Rudraswamy        Not Out                                        0
9 Anthony Alexander         DNB
10 Charles Davies               DNB
11 Simon Bridgewater       DNB
                                                                Extras                        26
                                                                
                                                              Total                          281

                                                               Wickets                        6





Brunswick Bowling
                                        O       M       R       W       Av    
M Blandford                13       0       72      3       24.0
M Dawber                      7       2       27      0
S Spiegel                       10       0       70      0
R Chauhan                     4        0       23      0
N Bell                              5        1       31      1       31
S Varcoe                         7        1       42      1       42

The Brighton Brunswick

1 S Kingcombe                  Bowled                 Alexander                0
2 A Phillips                         Bowled                 Alexander            100
3 S Goulds                         Ct Davies               Bridgewater           56
4 G Briggs                          Ct Hartridge          Bridgewater           23
5 N Bell                               Not Out                                                 32
6 R Chauhan                      Not Out                                                 52
7 M Dawber                      DNB
8 A Ellis                              DNB
9 S Varcoe                         DNB
10 M Blandford                DNB
11 S Spiegel                      DNB
                                                                      Extras                        21
                                                                
                                                                   Total                          284

                                                               Wickets                            4

Stoics Bowling
                                        O       M       R       W       Av    
A Alexander                14       2       65      2       32.5   
R Baxter                         6       0       36      0
C Davies                           6     0       61      0
S Bridgewater              1 2     0       85      2       48.5
A Clarke                        2        0       15      0
B Mayston                 0.5       0         4       0