Result: Young Henry becomes a legend
Score: Alternatives 163-9
Burpham 165-5
Alternatives lost by 5 wickets
The warm, sunny, late summer’s afternoon at the picturesque Burpham cricket ground provided the ideal setting for this Alternatives’ fixture. After a resounding thrashing last year, the Alternatives tried to clear muddled minds and fix the opposition with a ruthless gaze, resolved to provide a sterner contest…however the supper menu at the adjacent pub appeared to distract some of the players as the conversation quickly turned to dauphinoise potatoes and rib-eye steaks.
Batting first, the innings started well with Robertson squirting a single off the first ball of the match. But things disintegrated rapidly thereafter. Green set the tone by running himself out needlessly after an innocuous misfield by the Burpham wicket-keeper. Successive batsman managed to invent more ridiculous ways to get out despite the friendly bowling, leaving the scorecard as a tawdry mess at 69-9.
Hope had all but been jettisoned. The general mood could only have been worsened by an Ebola outbreak in Arundel. However at the crease stood the final partnership of young Henry Olliff and Wakeford. Great happenings were about to pass.
Mutterings from the spectators could be overheard that Henry was “a mere boy” and too young for this sporting debacle. But Henry, although slight in stature, puffed his chest and determined to show his lion’s heart.
One of the delights of cricket is its ability to accommodate different types of player and personality, and so this partnership proved. Henry played with a tutored, cultured lightness of touch. He gently timed the ball and placed it with precision between fielders. Wakeford thrashed and smashed; combining vigour and apparent frenetic panic, he violently accosted the cricket ball as if a succession of angry hornets were attacking him.
Henrys batting wagon wheel shows an amazing consistency and accuracy to constantly avoid the Burpham fielders
Jezza – the ace of sixes, the ace of sixes
The partnership grew, first slowly then with greater rapidity. By the end, neither batsman was out (Henry 39* and Wakeford 36*) and the partnership had reached a staggering 94 (most likely a record for The Alternatives team). Both batsman left the field to a standing ovation and a confounding total of 163-9 saved the match, keeping the contest alive. Just as important, the emergence of Henry showed that an Alternatives’ Academy might one day prosper with burgeoning talent.
After one of the now legendary Burpham teas, both sides retook the field.
The Burpham openers swaggered with a confidence teetering onto arrogance, but it seemed well deserved as an onslaught was launched against the Thompson and Olliff (Dan) bowling attack. Olliff responded and produced the ball of the day; pitching on leg-stump, it ripped off the seam and shattered the batsman’s off-peg giving The Alternatives a much needed breakthrough. But the respite was short-lived and the spinners were brought forward to wrestle some control.
Both Goodwin and Wakeford bowled tidy spells, using the slope on the pitch to exaggerate the spin. Wickets did fall but too slowly as the Burpham XI advanced closer to the total. The batting just proved to be too accomplished and hard-hitting for the Alternatives’ bowling to make the required in-roads.
The Burpham team reached the required total with the loss of 5 wickets to record their second successive win. Although beaten, the mood could not be down-hearted as the gathering moved onto the village pub to enjoy the glow of the evening sun surrounded by the verdant Sussex Downs.
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