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Blog headlines

  • AVCC v Keevil
    25 September 2016

    Well, I thought I would let the autumnal weather kick in before doing the final match report of the season…giving you something to miss, besides cricket, for a good few months. Today’s offering will warm your heart, lift your spirits and make you dream of leather on willow until Spring’s rays warm us again. Indeed, many records have been broken! Read on.

  • Urchfont v AVCC
    11 September 2016

    With autumn closing in, but the last vestiges of blue skies and fluffy white clouds around, AVCC arrived at Urchfont, with just 10 men to face the mighty Urchfont. Good lads, but this time well reinforced with 1st teamers who were competitive, young and very keen.

  • Collingbourne v AVCC
    4 September 2016

    Wow…a match report at long last. Well I’ve been sulking since the gripes from Avebury, but I couldn’t let the last match pass without recording sterling tales of daring-do. The feats are worth recording and reading.

  • AVCC v Burbage
    14 August 2016

    Well, that'll teach me to check emails before leaving to play!

  • AVCC v Avebury
    6 July 2016

    AVCC took the field in what has become unfortunately our trademark (without 11 cricketers).

  • AVCC v Bishops Cannings
    26 June 2016

    On a dull, rainy day, we welcomed a new fixture - Bishops Cannings - at Rushall.

  • AVCC vs Collingbourne (20/20)
    23 June 2016

    Well despite the floods and heavy rains blanketing most of the country, our game went ahead at home on Thursday evening vs our nearby friends of Collingbourne. Pitch was green, skies were grey and heavy, and rain threatened. We were voting for Brexit that day and so it was a day of great portent, much debate and history (although the author had wisely voted weeks before by postal vote).

  • Avebury vs AVCC
    5 June 2016

    Summer arrived and off we went to Avebury’s picturesque ground alongside the pre-historic landscape of man’s greater designs from long before even Dudley and I took up willow in our hands.

  • AVCC v Collingbourne
    2 June 2016

    Well, another cold, windy night and we arrived at Collingbourne for a 20/20 game. Long grassy outfield, undulating track and a new look AVCC.

  • Chitterne vs AVCC
    23 May 2016

    Braving the showers of a typical British Sunday, we took on the good gentlemen of Chitterne.

  • AVCC v Marden
    15 May 2016

    Well the sun shone, for a worthy cause. Remembering Richard Cox, a good friend of many in Upavon and Marden, who passed away in 2000. This match is a charity match, with all match fees, fines and donations going to his favourite charity - the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, and all prizes being handed out by his widow, Mary who attended the game with a number of friends.

  • Poulshot v AVCC
    11 May 2016

    With the heavy rain that fell in Wiltshire yesterday it was debatable whether we would get a game or not; but as the start of play grew closer the clouds decide to stop dropping rain in the area of Poulshot.

  • Aldbourne v AVCC
    8 May 2016

    Wow...what a scorcher this Sunday turned out to be. Felt like summer had arrived finally. Felt like a day for daring deeds and cricket.

  • FOSS v AVCC (20/20)
    3 May 2016

    Well it finally happened… the sun was shining, and with no practice sessions behind us, we turned up for our first fixture of the season to face the Friends of Stonehenge School (FOSS) at the new Centenary Pavilion Ground in Amesbury. A new venue for us, and a new fixture. It was a 20/20 match, and so high excitement beckoned.

 
 
Sunday, 4 September 2016

Collingbourne v AVCC

Wow…a match report at long last. Well I’ve been sulking since the gripes from Avebury, but I couldn’t let the last match pass without recording sterling tales of daring-do. The feats are worth recording and reading.

Well, confusion reigned at the start. We were kindly put in as we didn’t have enough players in attendance as it was not widely understood that we were starting at 1.30 (please note all players for the next match). It was grey, windy and with a few menacing clouds It was duly noted that long sleeved shirts and jumpers had made their way out of the kit bags for the occasion.

So Jon Wolverton and Simon Borthwick made their way to the crease. Jon had been press-ganged (volunteered) to open by the steely silence of the others. Collingbourne opened up with 2 maidens..and Tim Gent had not even arrived. What was going on? Bit of shuffling in the 3rd over and both Jon and Simon nicked singles before Jon was caught at slip wafting down the offside for 1. 3-1. Oh no….not the start we needed against our local adversaries and good buddies.

Our hero, and captain, Simon Campbell was back, from who knows where, and went in at 3 - where he is best placed to give momentum and depth to our innings. Although reluctantly he went; but bullied by Greg (Chappell) Caswell who seemed to be shepherding the troops and sending them over the top to charge the enemy. I sense Greg would have done Kitchener proud.

Well Simon B woke up and clobbered 10 of the next over, followed by Simon C who took 10 off the next. Very tasty. Did we sense competition from our 2 chargers? 23-1  off 5 overs quickly became 130 for 1 off 20.3 overs. The ball was flying everywhere as Simon C hit 7 4’s and 4 mighty 6’s - 2 over the car park and on to the road. Simon B (sounds like they are an offshoot of the Spice Girls…Spice Boys?) was on 52 and then Simon C sent a soaring difficult catch to our old player Ryan Fraser in the deep and was out for a well-struck and rapid 73 off 17 overs. Ryan was duly (but jovially) sledged throughout for playing for Colingbourne having previously played for us.

It was fun to see Collingbourne with 5 players deep on the boundary struggling to contain Simon C. Shades of Parker (let you stew on that one).

Our new boy - Matt Broocemay (probably murdered the spelling) - fresh from Zimbabwe and friend of our Twins of Terror took the crease for the first time. Jeremy Richards (faster twin…what do you think Michael Rae?) kept compensating in the score hut/commentary box that Matt had not played for a year and would be rusty. Well I would love to see what he is like when he is fluent. Bish, bosh, and I heard their captain asking where the rockets came from as Matt despatched their bowling around the ground and scored a rapid 52 - with hard hitting scoring and 6 excellent 4’s and 1 mighty 6. Great debut, Matt - looking forward to seeing more, and that first 100.

Talking of 6’s. Simon B hit a big one which went into the hands of a boundary fielder and popped out and went for 6. Very unusual. Well blow me…it also happened shortly afterwards to Matt B on the other side of the pitch who scored a mighty 6 the same way. Sore hands and bruised egos amongst the Collingbourne ranks.

Matt was run out trying to get Simon B the strike. Ben Jones had helpfully gone onto the pitch to tell Simon he was on 93 with 3 overs to go. Well he didn’t see much of the strike until the last over. Matt helped him by getting needlessly and heroically run out. Jeremy refused a run to keep Simon on strike and Simon B thrilled us all getting out on 94 finally, trying to hit a 6 off the final ball with 7 of their field on the boundary. Quite a challenge.

Brilliant innings form Simon B. However, he will be fined for 100-avoidance. Only fair.

Have you counted? Yes? Well the score was 245-3 - our highest ever innings in the 35 over game, probably our highest ever, and great cause for celebration.

So we took the field buoyed with plenty of sandwiches, scone and rather nice cake. We were alive. We were confident. We just had to sort out Ryan Fraser who was opening for the wrong side. For those, who like a statistic, Ryan averaged 80 for us last season and was out for 99 at Burbage (which he was reminded of multiple times).

Alex Richardson and Graham Newland opened the bowling as we held the pace and aggression back. Not sure why? They were on their metal and their 2 ringers (Ryan and a guy with Aldershot Cricket Club kit - C Nunn) took a lot of quick singles. There were a few chances as balls flew close to fielders in the air which on a better day would have carried to hands. Indeed, there was a difficult dropped catch. However, Graham halted the progress in the 8th over with  Simon Campbell taking a gentle lofted catch after Graham had Nunn wafting around to some well flighted balls. Next over, Graham had their number 3 caught off a gentle top edge by Tim Gent who played well at wicket-keeper. Next ball, Gringell went to Graham (3rd time in 2 seasons, but I’m not counting), caught Simon Campbell again. 3 quick wickets and the cream of their batting gone. There was some commentary that the 3rd wicket went to a full-toss, but it was a superb ball to get the incoming batsman off his guard. Alex  bowled well for 0-26 (7 overs) and Graham took 3-31.

Shortly after, Greg Caswell got their danger man Ryan out off a superb running and deep catch by Jon Wolverton (still fresh from his batting heroics taking the shine off the ball for the Spice Boys to hit). Ryan was out for 43, and so his average clearly better with us. Greg delivered a hostile, accurate spell and we could see the fight go out of them.

Their middle order poked, prodded and made some runs, but these were hard to come by with good bowling from Jon Wolverton (1-13), Peter Williams (1-23 - with much guile), Ben Jones (0-8 - accurate and probing despite a 5am finish), Jamie Corden (0-7 - very accurate and unlucky), Greg Caswell (1-11- hostile), and Jeremy Richards (0-7 - so fast we took him off). Matt B took an absolutely outstanding catch in the off-side off Peter Williams diving on a rocket and amazingly rolling over, arm upturned holding the ball. Wow, the boy can catch and field too.

Well we put a few down after that and Collingbourne subsided to 128-7. We won by 117 runs.

First win for 2.5 months. Richly deserved and with good contributions by all players - with both bat and ball.

The win was well celebrated in the Tipple afterwards, with the Collingbourne lads. Good friends and good rivalry. They edged us this season 2-1 and so let’s make up for it next season.