CCC vs VPs

This was a great club day. The Sunday XI, well led by the Wazir of Farzi took on a team representing the VPs, somewhat chaotically lead by the Brigadier.

First was lunch, and what lunch it was! Salmon and Coronation chicken, beautiful summer salads, a pavlova to die for and wine and beer in abundance. Such abundance that Marshy and Peck, representing the VPs and lunching with them too, never quite stopped drinking it. Nor did Alex Inglis, I'm pretty sure. As we were playing 12-a side there was the opportunity to have a few overs break while fielding. It's lucky some of them made it back. The CCC barman's stock was drastically reduced.

The VPs skipper did his job and won the toss allowing the VPs a spot more drinking time. A glass of kummel? Don't mind if I do. And cigars with the port? Havanas, of course. As we were playing a 40 over, retire-at-50-but-you-can-come-back-at-the-end match both sides sensibly opened the batting with their 'gun' batsmen. Jonathan 'Marshy' Marsh (how did he ever get that nickname? Ed.) and Quintin (second poshest VP) Ings-Chambers opened for the VPs. Their start was spritely and put the village on the back foot. Both 'Pelican' Clarke (also in the running to be the new Dr Who) and Rushmere the Younger shipped more than ten runs per over, and when Alex 'no-longer-Mongo-since-the-operation' Inglis and Jack 'my-uncle-owns-a-castle-so-I'm-posher-than-Quin' Nott-Bower galloped along to 50 each. (We were lucky to have Jack with us. He had interpreted two messages confirming the game's venues as Cublington, but had still, inexplicably, gone to Haddenham. Haddenham is lovely at this time of year and I'll not hear a word said against its charms, but it is not the correct venue for a Cublington Cricket Club vs VPs match. As any fule kno.) The middle order all contributed a bit with James Sykes thumping a very decent 30 not out before 'not-Mongo' (briefly) and Jack returned to take the score to a resounding 271. The Wazir took six wickets. How?! Well, I note that Fingers Mackie, representing the village XI umpired the entire innings. 'Nuff said!

Tea was plentiful and good (jolly well done, the village people) and CCC opened up their innings with Dawie 'not Vilojeans' Viljoen and Comrade Orchard (I'm reliably informed that there is a character in The Archers at the moment based on Comrade Orchard. Plum in mouth but handy with the Molotov cocktail). Runs flowed with an unbeaten 50 apiece, but only at the required run rate and not the premium that the match situation demanded. Naughty openers. When they retired the CCC middle order all contributed, but the regular fall of wickets kept the run rate in check. Harry Gadsby was caught off his dad's bowling and given a massive send off (by his dad...). Tony 'not that one' Lewis eased his way back into cricket with a duck. Ethan, Freddie P, Steve Mackie and Cameron Bullock all thumped the ball around heartily and The Doctor walloped a good 27. The VP's bowling was tight all game (Sykes pere et fils both excellent, and Matthew brilliant in the field, and good spells by Andy Peck and Charlie I-C) until Jack 'Not-Bowler' Nott-Bower took off the keepers pads and had a couple of overs at the end. Twice he managed to land the ball on his own toes and two overs went for 23, most of them wides. In a parallel universe that second over is still going. The Wazir of Farzi required 13 to win off the last ball but was well tackled by Quintin from behind the stumps.

Many thanks to all who contributed generously to the lunch (Mrs G, Steve and Sarah George, the kitchen staff of the Wazir of Farzi, Vanessa Verity, Debbie Knights). Many thanks to all who played. And thanks above all to our VPs and friends in the Cublington community who support our club.