Saturday 2nd September 2023

Chilcompton 2nd XI 81ao v Easton Cuttlefish 262-4 – Cuttlefish won by 181 runs.

Saturday 26th August 2023

Twyford House A 170-7 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 48-6 – Twyford won by superior run rate.

In the umpteenth rain affected rain game in a row the Legends travelled to Coombe Dangle to play Twyford House in a reduced game of 35 overs. A blistering opening spell from Sean Liam White (7- 0-13-3) and Julian Dotty Hawkins (7-1-20-0) restricted Twyford to 40-3 in the first 14 overs. Dan Rogers (6-0-36-0) and Nick Johnson (6-0-38-0) bowled next without any luck to leave the youngsters Milo Hadrill (6-1-31-2) and Stuart Plummer (3-0-20-2) to gather some bonus points. Yeo (65) & Dawes (54) were the best performers for Twyford as they reached a good score of 170-7.

In reply Chili struggled with the pitch condition and accurate bowling as they stumbled to 48-6. Then as per usual the rain came to finish the game and leave Twyford with a superior run rate.

Next week the Chili Legends finish their season at their adopted second pitch at Dinder against the Cuttlefish.

Saturday 19th August 2023

Chilcompton 2nd XI 109ao v Failand & Portbury 2nds 211-4 – Failand won by 102 runs.

Chilcompton won the toss and inserted the visitors on a drying track at the CSG. Ivor Wilson (101 no) was the mainstay of the Failand Innings helped by Rich Else with 59 no. Nick Johnson bowled a tidy spell of 1 for 25 in 8 overs with the pick of the bowlers being Dan Rogers who returned his best figures for the club (8-0-33-3).

In reply Chili collapsed to 19 for 5 before Rob Bath (13) and Nick Johnston (14) steadied the ship. Miles Hadrill was the real deal as the Bobby Dazzler struck a cultured 20 in true David Dickinson style. The stand-out batsman however was Dan Rogers who struck another PB of 29 and collected the Man of the Match award.

Chili travel to Coombe Dingle next week searching for an elusive “W”

Match Ball Sponsor – Dave Hazell 

Saturday 12th August 2023

Midsomer Norton Methodists 106-1 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 105-8 – Methodists won by 9 wickets.

Chilcompton travelled to a Norton Hill School on Saturday and were asked to bat on a soggy track. Only Skipper Rob Bath mastered the conditions as he struck a belligerent 52 not out. Paul Evans with 3 for 9 bowled well for Methodists as Chili finished on 105-8 in 36 overs.

In reply the Big Fish Alex Nash dominated the rest of the game with 90 not out in less than 12 overs to take the home side to victory.

Saturday 5th August 2023

Chilcompton 2nds v Bristol Malayalee – Match cancelled Rain

Saturday 29th July 2023

Mells 1st XI v Chilcompton 2nd XI – Chilcompton won by default.

Mells defaulted the fixture at 10am on a Sunny Saturday morning! 

Saturday 22nd July 2023

Chilcompton 2nd XI v Old Cathedralians

Matcch cancelled – Rain

Saturday 15th July 2023

Whitchurch 3rd XI v Chilcompton 2nd XI

Match Rained off at the coverless Stanton Drew.

Saturday 8th July 2023

Chilcompton 2nd XI 109-9 (25 overs) v St Mary Redcliffe 2nd XI 165-8 (40 overs) – Redcliffe won by 8 runs.

Chilcompton narrowly lost in a rain effected game at the CSG on Saturday. The home team won the toss and after a delayed start of 45 mins, a 35 over game was agreed between the skippers. Simon Jones (64) was the mainstay for the visitors as they posted a good total of 165-8 in their 35 overs. Youngsters Bradley Hancock (2-29) and Dan Rogers (1-37) were the pick of the bowlers for the second week running.

In reply, Dave Travis (28) and Henry Purchase (12) started quickly, and the home side were well up with the run rate in the first 5 overs. The loss in quick succession of Dening, Bath and Travis meant the innings slowed down due to some excellent bowling from Redcliffe. Kyle Gloudemans with a marvellous 37 almost won the game for the home side as Chilcompton fell an agonising 8 runs short in their 25 overs.

Chilcompton travel to Stanton Drew on Saturday to face Whitchurch 3rds.

Match Ball Sponsor – Sir Johnny Golding

Saturday 1st July 2023

Easton Cuttlefish 183-9 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 150-7 – Easton won by 33 runs.

Chilcompton travelled to the non-footballing side of Bristol Saturday to face their old foes Easton Cuttlefish. After inserting the opposition Boulton 31 & Gilder 25 got Easton off to a great start and 70 was on the board after only 10 overs. Youngsters Brad Hancock 6-0-23-3 & Dan Rogers 6-0-19-2 were the pick of the bowlers, and they were well backed up by Lee Clevely 8-1-33-2 & Miles Hadrill 8-0-26-1. The Skipper Gibbons with 32 marshalled the tail well to take Easton to a par score of 183.

In reply, Henry Purchase batted superbly and had passed his 50 by tea but no one else was able to match his attacking innings. Useful contributions by Plummer (11), Gloudemans (16), Travis (13), Hadrill (12no) and Johnson (15no) followed but it wasn’t enough to chase down the total.

Chilcompton entertain Redcliffe at Chilcompton on Saturday at the CSG.

Saturday 24th June 2023

Chilcompton 2nd XI 209-8 v Twyford House 251ao – Twyford won by 42 runs.

Chilcompton welcomed Twyford House to the CSG on Saturday on a glorious day for cricket. Nick Johnson (8-3-25-4) & Mike Gooderham (8-0-39-0) both bowled well at the start of the innings beating the bat at regular intervals. Nick Johnson made the breakthroughs taking the first 4 wickets to fall in an excellent spell from the pavilion end. When Bean took the 5th Wicket in the 19th Over the visitors were wobbling at 83-5 but this brought Preece to the wicket at No7. Skipper Dawes (101 and Preece (67) added 163 for the 6th wicket in only 18 overs to leave Twyford in a strong position of 246-6 midway through the 36th over. Chilcompton rallied with Dan Rogers and Tom Scott taking 2 late wickets a piece to dismiss the visitors for 251 in the final over.

In reply Chilcompton were always behind the run rate but good contributions from Mike Gooderham top scoring with 59 and Paul Dening chipping in with a quickfire 37 took the game to the final over. After 2 injuries to Nick Marsh and Bean the visitors still posted a commendable 209-8 to gain maximum batting points to follow their maximum bowling points earlier in the day.

On Saturday Chili travel to deepest Brizzle on Saturday to face their old foes the Easton Cuttlefish.

Match Ball Sponsor – Wing Commander Johnny Golding OBE

Saturday 17th June 2023

Failand & Portbury 2nd XI 163-5 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 162 ao – Failand won by 5 wickets.

Chilcompton travelled to picturesque Lower Failand on Saturday looking to post a better performance than the previous Saturday. VC Travis won the toss with Skipper Tandy in transit and chose to bat first. After the early loss of Nick Marsh, Kyle Gloudemans and Dan Rogers managed to overcome the indifferent bounce to post a steady 35 runs after the first 10. When Rogers departed after another promising knock, Dave Travis joined Gloudemans and at drinks Chili sat nicely at 62-2. When Gloudemans (26) and Travis (17) departed, Simon Tandy took on the bowlers with some cavalier shots ably assisted by the “Matador” Paul Dening (10) and Gareth Rogers (19). When Tandy departed for an impressive 34 in 22 balls the innings fizzled out, but Chili’s still managed to post a decent total of 162.

After tea Nick Johnson bowled with no luck but it was Gareth Rogers who took the first wicket nicely pouched by his son Dan. With opener Wrigley batting well and threatening an early finish Tandy found the perfect pairing of Roger Davis (6-1-14-2) and Ellis Dening (8-0-34-1) . These two wreaked havoc and caused panic in the home side dressing room with their contrasting styles. Unfortunately, Wrigley couldn’t be ousted and finished with a chanceless 79no to take the home side to a 5-wicket victory.

This was easily the 2nd XI’s best performance of the season, and they entertain Twyford House on Saturday hoping to get their first win of the season.

 

Saturday 10th June 2023

Chilcompton 2nd XI 145ao v Methodists 353-1

Less said the better apart from Neil Moon for sponsoring the ball!

Saturday 3rd June 2023.

Bristol Malayalee 1st XI 290-9 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 130 all out – Bristol Malayalee won by 160 runs.

Picture the scene.  A beautiful picket fenced ground, cosy clubhouse with a smattering of benches around the boundary in memory of long since departed spectators…..

That is NOT where the Legends found themselves on Saturday afternoon.  A pay and display car park, a trudge across a litter-strewn ”recreation” ground.  No club house, no bench, no changing rooms, no toilets and NO BAR!

In the absence of our Most Worshipful leader the DoC had promoted himself back to his closet role of Captain and strolled out for the toss (more of that to come later) knowing that the entire team wished to have a bat.  An already mutinous mood turned a shade darker as we were informed that a draining 40 overs in the field was ahead.  The sight of LBJ deciding to apply Factor 50 to her legs (she was wearing trousers) did little to lighten the moment.

A new opening pairing of Sean “Just in Time” White and Tom “Chatty Man” Scott set about the Malayalee openers.  First over and White lifted the spirits with a lifter off a length that the opener could only top edge in the direction of a somnambulant Gloudemans at point. Fortunately the looping ball gave Kyle sufficient time to wipe the sleep from his eyes before pouching a regulation catch.

At the other end, a constantly improving Scott (8-0-55-1) managed to find some help from the pitch and had the other opener pinned in front giving the umpire no choice but to send him on his way.

Buoyed by his promotion back to the Legends, White continued his fine early season form and soon had a second wicket with another rising delivery that caught the shoulder of the bat and looped to Colbourne at slip who made the chance look easy.  One ball later and with the off-stump almost in half, White (8-1-41-3) was on a hat-trick.  The most unreservedly dead of dead bats ensured that this did not materialise.  The highlight of Hadrill’s split spell (8-0-48-3) was the removal of middle order batsman Jiss who had showed some spunk by giving it some flannel.  Both Christer and Johnston found some reward with a wicket in their combined 14 overs supported with a cameo from Baughan.

There was a lot of balls talked about during the interval, specifically the one that the home team seemed to have “lost”.

Needing a solid start to give themselves a chance of chasing down an imposing total it was unfortunate to lose March early to one that had him trapped in front.  At the other end “Zorro” Gloudemans (34) and Colbourne (17) showed what a cover drive should look like with some fine stroke-play.  Bowen-Jones (20) soon joined the masterclass with some sumptuous shots through the off-side.  DoC Travis joined LBJ for a brief moment before the tricky Rixon snared his man.  Hadrill (14) picked up the drive-fest before a rush of blood saw him miss a straight one.

The Legends really needed the tail to wag and Johnston (16) looked like he was going to dig in.  All this changed when he realised that it was Jiss, ball in hand coming at him.  The bowler had been spraying it all over the place but when he finally delivered a straight one the game was all but done.

Wag-less and winless, the Legends return to the CSG next week looking to belatedly kick-start a difficult season.

Saturday 27th May 2023

Chilcompton Saturday 2nd XI 80ao v Mells 1st XI 81-1 – Mells won by 9 wickets.

Chilcompton 2nds hosted Mells in a local derby at the glorious CSG and on winning the toss Skipper Lord Bath had no hesitation in electing to bat on a superb surface. Rich Rogers (8-2-20-3) and Matt Sevior (8-3-11-3) both bowled superbly to reduce the visitors to 34-6 swinging the ball both ways. Skipper Bath together with Nick Johnson showed some resistance in the middle order but the skipper soon ran out of partners as Chilcompton slumped to a well below par score of 80.

After losing Ford early to Pete Coxon, Darren Bennett led the charge with 49 as Mells easily passed the required total for the loss of just one wicket.

Chilcompton travel to Top of the Table Bristol Malayalee next Saturday look8mg for a much-improved performance.

Match Ball Sponsor – Martin Rumary

Saturday 20th May 2023

Winford Old Cathedralians 1st XI 157-3 v Chilcompton Saturday 2nd XI 153-6 – Winford Old Cathedralians won by 7 wickets.

Chili Legends travelled to an identity-confused Winford Old Cathedralians to find an extremely picturesque location with no facilities/changing rooms/toilets/outfield/boundary.  The two captains inspected the pitch that had only been used twice this week already.  Having won the toss, the home team skipper asked the Legends to test out the third-hand track. A new opening partnership of Kyle Gloudemans (29) and Nick Marsh (38) saw Chili off to a blistering start with Kyle managing a reasonable impression of a right-handed Gower with a blistering cut backwards of Point for a sumptuous 4 runs from the very first delivery.  From here the pace slowed somewhat.  A steady platform was built with the pair clearly keen to ensure the DoC’s “Thirty from Ten” was not to be eclipsed.  Some very variable bounce presented significant challenges and it was a pea-roller that proved to be Gloudemans eventual undoing. Enter the Doc.  Exit the Doc. Enter the Lord.  His Bathship arrived at the crease just before drinks (of which there weren’t any (ref sentence no: 1).  The scoring rate took a quantum leap forward with the real Left-Hander using a combination of cuts/pulls/trips/stumbles and a near perfect cartwheel as the ball was despatched all around the invisible boundary. Taking his lead from the leader, Nick Marsh opened up with a straight maximum and 3 consecutive boundaries before finally top edging a ball that climbed from a full length. Miles Hadrill came in at 5 having been promoted up the order following an impressive 9 ball duck the previous week.  With the scoring rate now up to a run a ball, Rob Bath (25) and Miles Hadrill (28) kept their feet on the accelerator (and Bath mainly kept his feet on the ground). Cameos from Baughan and an “Under the Weather” Nick Johnston saw the visitors through to 153 at the close of the innings.

Captain Bath resisted the home team’s proposal for a 1-hour tea break as the Legends took the field at the stipulated time. 10 minutes later the opening pair sauntered to the wicket, their journey interrupted by some tactical shoelace tying. With Johnston producing a sick-note (à la Darren Anderton) it was Sean White (8-0-36-2) and Clive Christer (8-0-37-0) who opened for the Legends.  White swiftly skittled the opener and also removed batsman no: 3 supported by a good catch from Johnston.  Powerful hitting from Shah (87) put the home side in touching distance for the finishing line.  With bowling changes at both ends it was Brad Hancock who made amends for dropping Shah on 12 by knocking back his off stump.  Johnston bowled whilst poorly – a short but sharp spell of 3-0-13-0 belied just how poorly he was.  A final cameo appearance from Tom Scott (2-0-11-0) supported Hancock (6-0-40-1) whose figures were spoiled by a mis field at 1st slip that finally cost Chili Legends the match.

Chili Legends host neighbours Mells at the CSG next week.

Saturday 13th May 2023

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 90-9 v Whitchurch 3rd XI 181-8 – Whitchurch won by 91 runs.

Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI made their season’s debut on a freshly manicured outfield thanks to the last-minute sterling efforts of Ginger Mowing Limited.

Lord Bath had inspected the beautifully prepared Colby track and had decided that if he won the toss, he would invite Whitchurch to bat first on a drying pitch, confident in the certain knowledge that we could skittle Whitchurch out for not too many and then knock them off in short order.

Gracefully the visiting skipper made the wrong call, and His Lordship stuck them in.

The opening pair of White and Johnston were both keen to come up the hill from the pavilion end but with White sticking to his “just in time” arrival policy he found himself playing second fiddle to the relative newcomer Johnston who took the first over.  A decent opening spell from Johnston (6-0-32-0) unfortunately did not produce a wicket.  White (still chuntering about not wanting to bowl from the Hedge End) was inspired.  Figures of 8-1-13-0 were an excellent return for a great opening effort.

Lord Bath’s youth policy kicked in with the introduction of Christer (8-0-40-4) who tore the heart out of the Whitchurch batting removing numbers 1, 3,4 and 5 in a tremendously accurate spell that reduced the visitors from 42 without loss to 71-4.  Whilst Christer was making hay in the welcome May sunshine he was very ably supported by an impressive Brad Hancock (6-0-25-0) whose figures did not do justice to the excellent spell that he produced.

A period of consolidation and a 70-run partnership took Whitchurch to 171-4 (24) thereby forcing the skipper’s hand.

Hadrill (6-0-32-3) was asked to redeem himself after a drop that most people would have caught in their sleep (that cost Christer his five-fer) and a mis-field that sailed through for four rather unnecessary runs.  Redeem himself he did, removing the opener for 51 and following that up with a couple more.  The second of these was a sharp piece of glove work by debutant keeper Nick Marsh who blew the dust off and rolled back the years with some tidy keeping.

Hadrill’s somewhat shambolic day in the field was highlighted once more after an excellent throw from Johnston should have had the Whitchurch No 9 run out only for the ball to be fumbled.  Amends were made on the next delivery (and a second redemption) when the same chap was to be run out whilst backing up (what a cruel game this can be).

Steady bowling from Scott (6-0-30-0) at the death helped restrict the visitors to a very gettable 181-8 (40).

Special mention in despatches for a sizzling stop from the DoC at short cover and also a great dodge from Mr Tandy that might have actually passed through his chest had he not managed to dive out of the way.  Champagne Moment from the first innings was the nonchalant “Mike Drop” from Clive following his second C&B.

182 to win – No Problem?

There’s not much to say.  Travis was looking settled on 19 when having been urged to actually run the first single rather than turn threes in to ones, he set off following a straight drive from Tandy that was so straight it was deflected on to the stumps to run the DoC out whilst backing up (what a cruel, cruel game this can be).

The excellently textbook batting of both Purchase (intermediate) and Hancock (intermediate) put the rest of the side to shame.  Henry made a very excellent 43 before running out of overs and was brilliantly supported by Brad who hung around and frustrated the opposition bowlers.

There really isn’t very much to be said about everyone else’s performance.  We were poor. 90-9 (40).

Onwards and upwards to next week!

Match Ball Sponsor – Matthew Western

Saturday 6th May 2023

Redcliffe v Chilcompton 2rd XI – Match Rained off

Saturday 3rd September 2022

Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI 225-6 v Whitchurch 3rd XI 185-8 – Chilcompton won by 40 runs

The writer is not entirely sure if Carlsberg made trampolines but if they did then they must also have played a part in preparing the Dinder pitch. Chilcompton Legends found themselves removed from the CSG for their final game of the season knowing that a strong result may well have them hanging on to a promotion possibility after a strong end to a roller-coaster season. As an alternative to the normal Home venue of the Colbourne Road the 2nd XI were in the increasingly familiar environs of Dinder and Croscombe CC. A quick look at a very interesting “pitch” had the returning skipper (normally indecisive at the best of times) in 3 minds.  Whether to set a target or did the pre-match drizzle suggest that asking the guests to have a go first might allow us to knock a low score off and head back to the 21st century facilities (power/water/sanitation etc.) for an early beer.  Plan C was to consider the not insignificant volume of advice that was arriving from all quarters having arrived at the ground early enough to have played a quick T20 warm-up match prior to kick-off. Lord Bath went with his gut instinct, called correctly (Tails never fails; unless its Heads) and chose what proved to be a “match winning decision” (The Lord’s words, not mine). Looking for a strong start and knowing that the Baker/Travis opening partnership had not really worked out too well at Coombe Dingle, Bath went with a revamped starting pair and cleverly sent out Travis/Baker as an alternative line up. Travis elected to take the first over, fostering thoughts of Carlsberg’s involvement in the pitch prep.  Clearly the bowler was also a little concerned as to the state of the pitch, so much so that he elected not to use it for the first 12 deliveries of the opening over only then to see the 13th and final delivery despatched to the boundary 1-0-11-0. This first over was to profiglacy as the second one was to frugality.  The first delivery from the Teletubby end (more on this later) took off from a length faster that Artemis I (which incidentally for the Space fans, failed to take off at all).  The second delivery was dropped just short of a length.  This one was the sort of delivery Emma Raducanu would have smashed away with a powerful forehand drive.  Emma Baker elected to cut.  The resulting shot would have failed to clear the net.  Unfortunately for Baker it also failed to clear the fielder at Short Backward Point. Promoted to 3, Nick “Warminster” Warmington took on the warning and warmed up by treating the next 4 deliveries with due respect.  A Wicket Maiden over in every sense from the young Katie Shields.  The third over was looking like a repeat of the first with Travis facing a series of deliveries that were more often than not, out of reach (and sometimes within the Wide lines).  Warmington faced the one straight ball and made sure that it was heading back off to the boundary ropes again. A couple of exquisitely timed and lofted drives later saw a 4 runs and a wicket as “Warmy” (8) holed out early. With an unofficial interim target of 100 from 20 looking to be a tall order Skipper Bath went after the attack with a series of cuts and pulls that saw the score gradually accelerate to 79 just before drinks when Travis (24) fell to the pitch with an unplayable snorter that went through to the keeper. Dunn started cautiously, hitting just the two boundaries of the next three deliveries.  With both batsmen sensing the need to get on with it, the boundaries started to flow realising 30 runs in the next 5 overs. Alas the pitch struck again, accounting for Bath (26) who was unable to react to a shooter from a full length. With the score at 107-3 (25) and a revised unofficial interim target of 150 and out-of-sorts Hadrill arrived at the crease in time to watch an imperious selection of shots from Dunn.  12 fours and 4 sixes in a knock of 84 saw a total of 80 runs come from the next 10 overs before one pull too many dropped just short of the deep mid-wicket boundary as Dunn holed-out, much to the relief of the visiting captain. Sylvester joined a now-inspired Hadrill and was able to (briefly) watch how it should be done as a series of immaculate straight drives whistled past the returning opening bowlers. One flashing front foot cut from Sly (4) fizzed past Extra Cover for four.  A slightly less fizzy effort found the fielder and Sylvester had to go. Pete “Why Aye” Coxon (6 Not Out) joined the run-fest and (emulating Hadrill) with the full face of the bat, drove one straight through the fielder at Long-On. A flurry of consummate text-book shots straight out of the coaching manual saw some (extensive) late season lessons finally pay off as Hadrill (37 Not Out) finally found a degree of end-of-season form.  Shame it was only 17 matches too late. The innings closed on 225/6 with phlegmatic Hancock left frustrated in his pads at number 9.

The Whitchurch innings started in a remarkably similar way to the previous week’s opponents.  The Priddy Express (aka the latter part of the Sean Bean opening partnership) picked up an early wicket.  Unlike last week, this one was definitely out.  Playing early to a ball that exploded off a full length, the Whitchurch opener hit a towering, swirling, eddying, churning ball high back over the bowler’s head. What was to follow was close to the unstoppable object colliding with the immovable force as both Dunn and Hadrill went for the glory catch.  A self-preservational shout from the latter avoided a trip to A&E and the catch was taken. Milkins (81) had set his sights on keeping up with the run-a-ball required rate and threw the bat at everything.  Some missed, some hit (mainly hit) as the first few overs saw the visitors reach 50 in short order.  Sean White (sponsored by Carlsberg) was unfortunate to beat the bat multiple times with some sharp rising deliveries with only a handful of runs coming from his first couple of overs.  Unfortunately the edge of the bat wasn’t used.  Easterling (8-3-23-2) speared one straight through batsman number 3’s defence (or lack of), obliterating the stumps. After consultation between the real captain, the named captain and the self-appointed captain it was time for a change. This brought the youthful (and phlegmatic) Hancock (5-0-22-1) and the ever youthful Coxon (8-0-38-1) together to stem the flow.  Hancock took some early punishment as the disrespectful batsman slapped the second delivery to Cow.  Hancock immediately took his revenge and out-did Beaner when he not only clean-bowled the impudent batter but smashed the stumps and more impressively smashed the bail.  This bail has been lovingly retrieved and will now reside proudly on the Hancock mantelpiece in perpetuity.

The highlight of the Coxon spell came with his final delivery.  The “slower” ball can often reap rewards.  The “Moon Ball” certainly did. Releasing the ball on a parabolic trajectory he sent the ball high, high, high into the sky.  Seemingly defying gravity, the ball hung in the air for several minutes.  Eventually Newton was proven to be correct and the ball started on its now, near vertical descent toward the base of middle stump.  In a frantic attempt to waft the snow of the ball, the batsman had several swings before hearing the death-rattle of leather on ash.  He departed with the peals of laughter from all present ringing in his ears. Final change and under some pressure the captains turned to Warmington-on-Sea and Hadrill-on-steroids to close down the opposition, close down the game and close down the season. Warmington was fired up.  Hadrill was hobbling having tripped over the mound at the Teletubby end earlier in the innings. An inspired Warminster soon had his man in trouble, the batsman deflecting the ball to Doc “Meadowlark Lemon” Travis at square leg.  Having caught the ball on his chest, the DoC skilfully (but not wilfully) rolled the ball across his shoulder-blades in true Harlem Globetrotter tradition.  He achieved this whilst performing a near-perfect pirouette that would have been warmly applauded by a Strictly Come Dancing audience.  Unfortunately the ball did not go to hand (nor anywhere near a hand) On that basis (according to the DoC’s definition of chances) it does not count as a drop.   Realising that when bowling for the Legends you have to take the wickets yourself, Warmy soon had the same man “El Plumbo”, given by the standing umpire Mr Moon.  Next ball was even more “El Plumbo”.  According to the batsman at Mooners’s end, the Square Leg umpire could have given it. The Whitchurch captain arrived to face the hat-trick ball with Warminster-on sea grateful that the 1st XI skipper wasn’t behind the stumps.  No dice.  A confident push for 2 through Cover saw the hat-trick disappear in a field of mis-field. 2 dot-balls later and a checked shot carried back to the bowler who eventually decided to catch it to give Warmy (8-0-23-3)  and what should have been a heart-warming triple-wicket maiden. The Legends were nearly over the line, with the only fly in the ointment being the aggressive opener who was still a threat.  Misreading the variable bounce (and even more variable line and length) of the guile laden Hadrill (7-0-31-1). Top edging a towering, swirling, eddying, churning shot almost out of sight it was definitely with a degree of luck and self-preservation (again) that gave the bowler the second C&B of the innings.

Much like this report, the Whitchurch innings limped to a close, 40 runs short with just one bunny left in the hutch.

Chilcompton 2nd XI finished the Season in a credible 3rd place, excellently marshalled by new skipper Lord Bath who was sponsored for the season by Ralgex

Match Ball Sponsor – Jade Ogden (The Handloom Room)

Saturday 27th August 2022

Twyford House 3rd XI 204-9 v Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI 205-6 – Chilcompton won by 4 wickets

With just the merest whiff of a promotion opportunity still hanging in the warm august breeze, the Chilcompton convoy departed the CSG ahead of schedule bound for the delightfully named Coombe Dingle.

Driven by an excited and expectant DoC Travis, the Milk Float was in Sports Mode as eight elevenths of the squad made the almost uneventful journey through some of the rather less salubrious areas of south-west Bristol.  With a wrong turn avoided at the last minute, the team convened at the sports complex to be ushered into a somewhat cramped changing room that resembled a scene from “Escape from Alcatraz”.

“Tails never fails” failed again and the less than youthful 2nd XI were asked to spend the next couple of hours toiling in the field.

Once the aforementioned DoC had managed to re-dress himself on the pitch the game was finally underway.

With Sean Bean opening the bowling from both ends, it was an unusually profligate Sean, with an opening 3 over spell even looser than a wizard’s sleeve who was asked to take a blow as the home team hit the 40 run mark of just the first 5 overs.

A frivolous LBW appeal by Mark “Priddy Express” Easterling for a delivery that was unlikely to have hit a second set of stumps, was most astonishingly granted by the novice umpire and taken in incredibly good grace by the departing Browne (Snr).

That was probably Chili’s first mistake as this brought together Lobley (83) and Wyse (63) who put on 157 runs for the second wicket in just 25 overs.  A tactical masterclass by the DoC brought Clive Christer in to the attack to take the pace off the ball and deliver a tidy spell that saw only 20 runs come from Christer’s first 6 overs with several chances unfortunately going to ground.

The return to the fold of Warminster (8-0-40-2) accounted for Lobley’s wicket and exposed a tail that started at 4.

“Cometh the hour, cometh the man” (the phlegmatic 14-year-old Brad Hancock) with a spell (6-0-23-2) that saw both Wyse and batsman number 4 back on the other side of the boundary ropes in short order; one clean bowled, the other snaffled by a mercurial Marshall behind the stumps.

Sensing that the danger had subsided from the Twyford attack, the Doc felt safe enough to allow Hadrill to chuck a few down (4-0-21-1) snaffling a confused youngster by actually bowling a straight one that started straight, stayed straight and lasered its way on to the middle of middle.

A returning Mr White, with his mojo restored, delivered 3 wickets in 15 balls for just two runs to mop up the tail with a sharp catch from Baker who narrowly avoided flattening the Square Leg umpire and a towering, swirling, eddying, churning take from Dening that helped White finish with excellent figures of  6-1-31-3.

A first innings score that at one point was looking likely to be in excess of 240 ultimately and anagrammatically finished at 204.

With an outfield that the stimpmeter measured at being slower than a very slow thing, the tactical genius that is our Doc elected to re-jig the regular line-up.  Baker and Travis opened, renowned for their aggressive approach (One with the bat and the other with bullies in cagules) both chose to avoid the long grass by taking the aerial route.  Both paid the price and the Chili Legends found themselves in somewhat of a fight at 18/2 off 7.

A rejuvenated Marshall and a bronzed Dening (understandably out of his comfort zone having reluctantly agreed to play his one away fixture for the decade) set about repairing the damage.  After a few calculated singles, Wicketkeeper/Batsman Marshall started finding the boundary.  Some lovely shots came out of the middle.  Unfortunately, whilst out in the middle, it was at this point that the bowler found the middle of Marshall’s pad in front of the middle of his middle stump. For the scholars the Latin is “De Plumbo”.

Enter the stylish Gloudemans, whose default shot is a glorious drive directly to Point/Cover/Extra Cover/Mid-Off.  This, coupled with a slow outfield, slower running and a youthful fielding side saw a drop off in the scoring and the run rate climbing to in excess of 7 runs per over required.

Sensing the need to press on, a quick single wasn’t as described and Gloudemans found himself in a role-reversal from the previous week having failed to make his ground.

Nick Warmington, eager to reduce the required rate to less than a run a ball, arrived at the crease to join Dening who had already passed the 50 mark with some sumptuous stroke-play.  Avoiding the need to run, the pair hit the boundary with increasing regularity but in also electing to take the aerial route they were increasing the risk ratio.  Dening followed a lusty 6 with a shot straight to a fielder at Deep Wide Long On (Cow).  The towering, swirling, eddying, churning ball that any normal cricketer would have easily pouched, was put down.  In truth the fielder got nowhere near it, having managed to run in too far, run out too far and pick the wrong line.

Two balls later and it was all over for Dening (for Spanish scholars “El Squifo”).  A leading edge saw a sharp caught and bowled from Browne (Jnr) to bring an end to a stylish and ultimately match winning knock of 83 from the Iberian import.

With 44 runs required from 42 deliveries and Hadrill now in the middle one would have thought that the game was in the bag.  The returning Browne (Snr) (7-1-25-2) made sure that the game would go down to the wire.  With Hadrill cutting and pulling at will (and at fresh air) it took some sharp ones and twos along with a smattering of Warmington boundaries to reduce the deficit to 13 required from the last 2 overs.

In an effort to force the issue, an advancing Hadrill (mainly in years but also down the track) was bowled by Browne leaving Christer to join Warmington needing 13 from 10.

A Christer boundary and a flurry of byes and singles meant 5 required from the last over.

Dot, Dot.  5 from 4.

Two, two.  1 from 2.

A punch to mid-off. Misfield!  Easy single? Yes? No? Yes?

They run.

The ball comes in.  Warmington is safe but the throw is to the keeper with Christer still some way out.  He dives, the ball is in the keeper’s gloves. Disaster? The bails are off and Christer is short!

No wait.  The keeper has drop-kicked the ball back to point and had smashed the stumps with an empty glove.  Christer rolls/crawls over the line.  Chili win with a ball to spare!

Spark extended celebrations and commiserations with a side who were great bunch of lads.

Chilcompton host Whitchurch on Saturday at Dinder & Croscombe CC hoping to secure an excellent 3rd place and possible promotion.

Footnote: Milkfloats can get airborne of you don’t spot speed humps in sports mode when racing for the first beer of the evening.

Saturday 20th August 2022

Easton Cuttlefish 189-5 v Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI 132-8 – Cuttlefish won by 57 runs

After a record breaking win the weekend prior, Chilcompton headed to the… idiosyncratic Easton Cuttlefish for a mid-table battle without either their captain or centurion. So it was left to DoC David Travis to win the toss and take to the ‘field’.

With Peter Coxon flying down the hill like a man of a mere 50 and Sean White energised from a two-week hiatus, hitting a good length on the absolute minefield of a track made the opening pair look more like Ambrose and Walsh in Jamaica circa 1998. Seany struck first with a rare ball that didn’t explode off the surface and simply destroyed the stumps instead. While Coxon (8-1-21-2) took a patient caught and bowled before ‘bowling to his field’ with a final ball that was slapped into the covers where Andy Baker took a blinding reactionary catch above his head.

Clive Christer (8-1-38-1) combined with Adam Marshall to claim a stumping with the third ball of his testing spell and, with Bradley Hancock in menacing mood and Alex Baughan hawkishly swooping on everything that came vaguely her way in the field, the scoreboard sat at a pleasing 50-4 from the first 20 overs.

As the pitch began to mellow (from raging minefield to mere snake pit), the batters started finding their feet… and the short boundary. Miles Hadrill (4-0-28-0) and a persistent Alex Baughan (4-0-36-1) bore the brunt, until the youngster’s (that’s Alex, not Miles) hard work paid off and was rewarded with a worldy of a one-handed grab from the evergreen Coxon. Bradders (a very encouraging 8-0-36-0) and Sean (8-3-21-1) finished with a tight two overs apiece that kept the immaculately turned out opposing captain Alex Jeffcutt (81*) from reaching his ton and the chase down to a gettable 189.

Openers Kyle Gloudemans and Gareth Rogers took the first few overs to get the measure of the wicket but, just when they started finding the middle of the bat, Kyle’s optimistic single call left Gareth short of his ground for 5. Baker (10) and Trav (2) both came and went in fairly short order, skying catches in an effort to get the scoreboard ticking.

Riding his luck with airborne filth that somehow avoided the already-boozing fielders, Adam Marshall started finding the boundary, too. Requiring around eight an over, the pair just about hung in there and put on 70 to set up a final assault on the target in the last 10 overs. Unfortunately, Marshall (37) fell in a carbon copy dismissal of his predecessors, which took the steam out of the chase. Having spent most of his innings skilfully pinpointing drives to cover fielders, Kyle was eventually caught for 33, before Hadrill (2) and Christer (1) were clean bowled in quick succession. It was left to Coxon (14) and Baughan (1*) to frustrate the intoxicated fielding team and end on 132-8.

Making a quick dash to avoid the ‘wipe your feet on the way out’ showers, the Chillies Legends return to Bristol next week to attempt the double over Twyford House.

Saturday 13th August 2022

Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI 335-3 v Frampton Cotterell 2nd XI 115ao – Chilcompton Sports won by 220 runs

Somewhere, in a parallel universe, Chilies skipper Rob Bath won the toss on a sweltering Saturday at the CSG and elected to field citing ‘a psychological advantage’… and subsequently half his team walked out in protest. Thankfully, in this realm, he chose to bat.

Dave Travis and Simon Tandy quickly discovered that bottom-of-the-league Frampton Cotterell’s bowling attack may not be the strongest they’d ever faced, and took the total beyond 30 within 6 overs. The highlight of the opening exchanges was Ging’s gorgeous cover driven four… the lowlight, a returning Jon Loud “triggering” Ging (19), who – by varying accounts – was either halfway down the track (Ginger) or trapped plumb in front without moving muscle (Everyone else).

Local Chilcomptoner Sam Gibbs limped to the crease, giving Trav the unique opportunity to becry turned down twos. Fortunately, the pair were soon finding the boundary without too much difficulty, creaming away the frequent bad balls. It didn’t take long for Travis to flick and swipe his way to a third fifty of the campaign (did somebody say “top scorer in the league”?) interspersed with two drops that even Jonty Burgess would have pouched. Trav’s good fortune eventually ended in the 27th over when one skier too many was held and he departed for an excellent 85 – although, judging by the panting and melting face, he clearly welcomed a well-earned sit down in the shaded CSG auditorium.

Lord Limping Bath joined hop-along Gibbs and, when the drinks break came the scoreboard was showing 209 after 30 overs, so the Skipper demanded Frampton blood (or, at least, a 300 total). Following a couple of rare miserly overs, the duo bucked up their ideas and went on a brutal attack, smashed the next three overs for 57 runs. Before he knew it, Sam Gibbs was saluting the applauding masses and cameraman (see attached from Duncan Litchfield) having brought up a faultless and memorable maiden hundred, until he finally fell to the wizened bowling of Captain Birdseye for 110.

Having sat in his pads for a hilarious 36 overs (although, strangely, he wasn’t laughing) Paul Dening (14*) marched to the middle and took out his frustrations out on the frazzled Frampton bowlers with a trio of fours. At forty overs, a delighted/relieved captain Bath (ending on 69* for a consecutive red-inker fifty) marvelled at the scoreboard – a stunning, record breaking 335-3 that possibly earned Groundsman Colby the first ever man-of-the-match award for somebody who wasn’t actually playing.

To a backdrop of classic “let’s skittle them quickly and get in the bar” rhetoric, a returning Julian Hawkins (8-1-18-2) and snarling Brad Hancock (6-1-18-2) were soon making life very difficult for the Frampton bats. Young Hancock was the first to strike, a wobbling full-toss befuddling the opener. And when the duo took three wickets in seven balls (including catches for Denis and wickie Adam Marshall) reducing the visitors to 36-4, the 300 runs remaining on the target looked probably a little out of sight.

That said, Jon Loud (5-0-36-2) did his best to make a game of it. Hoping for a DFA, Loudy made his discontent known in a first over that included three wides and went for 15. He was soon on target however, clearing up the slog-happy Shah before sending down another ripper that jagged away and clipped the top of off-stump.

As Lee Clevely milked the dot balls at one end, Miles Hadrill (2-0-7-1) took a wicket with his first ball – the batter obviously not primed for a leg-side delivery that turned a mile and flicked the stump. It was left to Elmer Clevely (5.3-0-27-3) to finish the job, although there was time for one final comedic moment: Trav conscientiously yelling “MINE” to a catch that was hit straight down his throat and roughly 30 square yards away from any other fielder. As Cheese clean bowled his way to the last two wickets in consecutive balls – leaving himself on a hat-trick when he returns next season – the scoreboard showed 115 all out and a historic Chillies victory by 220 runs.

Confidence running high, the Chilcompton legends head to the fruity Easton Cuttlefish fug for a 4th meets 5th encounter next week.

Ball Sponsor – Steve Davis Builders

Saturday 6th August 2022

Carsons & Mangotsfield 2nd XI 268ao v Chilcompton 2nd XI 183-6 – Carsons won by 85 runs

The blow for skipper Rob Bath losing the toss on a baking hot day at league leaders Carsons & Mangotsfield, was cushioned by the fact that he was saved the ignominy of pulling a Nasser/Burgess. Predictably, the runs started flowing with relative ease, the faintest prod and nurdle flying across the ice-rink of an outfield to the expansive boundary.

Peter Coxon (8-0-32-0) was typically accurate and passed the outside edge several times, with Tom Scott getting turn and bounce with his off spinners from the other end. It took the introduction of Bradley Hancock to make the first breakthrough – hitting the half-centurion opener plumb on the front pad for an LBW with his very first ball.

As the scoreboard showed 133-1 at drinks, a daunting total was building. But Brad (6-0-57-2) struck again a few balls later, befuddling the dangerous left-hander with a glorious yorker. A middle order that all fancied themselves as the next KP were in no mood for soaking in the sun, going for big hits at the outset. While the total kept rising, so too did the wicket column – Clive Christer (8-0-51-2) drawing catches from Dave Travis and Adam Marshall.

After the opening bat Smurthwaite raised his bat for a sweep-heavy century, Oscar Fuery (4-0-34-1) span him out – just rewards for the Warne-alike’s dogged perseverance. It was left to Miles Hadrill (6-1-34-2) and Tom Scott to go hunting for bowling points: the former dismissing the happy captain with a sharp catch from Marshall, and then a clean bowled. Needing two wickets with the last two balls of the innings, Scott took the ‘you miss, I’ll hit’ approach, to clean up one. Before batsman 11 – perhaps inspired by the start of the Premier League season – got in a tangle uglier than a Man United back four and mercurially kicked the ball on to the stumps with the outside of his boot. Scott ended with fine figures of 8-1-53-3 and ensured that the second 20 overs accounted for just 138 runs at the cost of 9 wickets – a great effort from the exhausted fielding team.

Any positivity was doused three balls into the Chillies innings, with Trav hoping that Mark Colbourne’s massive frame would be enough to get him home for a quick single. It wasn’t. But he and Simon Tandy soon started taking on the first throng of the hosts’ never-ending seam attack – customary open-face shots finding the off-side boundary multiple times in the opening salvo. The need for aggression, however, soon accounted for Trav (14), Ging (19) and Fuery (2), meaning captain Bath and all-rounder Miles Hadrill needed to repair the damage.

Scratchy at first, as drinks came and went the runs began to flow, too. With both batters in and used to the vagaries of the bone dry, dandelion-pocked pitch, they started finding the boundary with greater consistency – indeed, Lord Bath would eventually end with a regal 16 fours, the obvious way to save his knackered fetlock.

After Hadrill (22) and Marshall (0) fell, it was left to Peter Coxon (12*) to smash three boundaries and knock the stuffing out of the over-confident young bowlers. Falling 85 short of the target after 40 overs, there was at least cause to cheer the skipper’s highest ever innings – ending with a 76 red inker – and the knowledge that next week sees a visit of bottom-of-the-league Frampton Cotterell to the CSG.

Saturday 30th July

Chilcompton 2nd XI 144ao v Failand & Portbury 144ao – Match tied!

Lord Nasser Bath won the toss and chose to field on another perfectly prepared Colby strip. New latest new opening bowling partnership of Pete Coxon (8-1-34-2) and Sean White (8-3-23-2) removed the top 4 for the loss of only 25 to put the hosts in a very strong position. Wigley (23) and Moran (59) with a battling 74 stand repaired the damage but James Purchase whipped out the final 4 batsmen to leave the visitors on an average 144 in the 35th over. An excellent fielding performance all round helped the optimistic feeling at tea with young Stand-In Keeper Oscar Fuery performing excellently on his debut behind the stumps.

In reply the Chilcompton innings was dominated by Andy Baker who struck an excellent 70 and together with James Purchase (32) Chilcompton they sailed past 100 in only the 21st over. When they both departed Chilcompton only needed 32 from the final 16 overs with 4 wickets still in hand. Unfortunately, it didn’t go to plan and only 31 runs were scored leaving the scores level and a tied match with over 10 overs left in the bank.

Chili travel to league leaders Mangotsfield on Saturday sitting comfortably at 4th place in the league.

Match Ball Sponsor Neil Moon

Saturday 23rd July

Mells 1st XI 230-7 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 168-8 – Mells won by 62 runs

“Why’s he bringing out Trav’s bat” was the shout when Mells’ groundman brought out a shovel at the start of play to clear fox faeces from the outfield. And that was far from the only sh!t on display, as Mark “Bean” Easterling’s first two overs went for 20.

Thankfully, the familiar old Sean Bean seam partnership soon sharpened things up, with pick-of-the-bowlers Mr White (8-3-29-0) throwing down maidens and Bean (8-0-43-1) eventually accounting for the mouthy opener as Miles Hadrill pouched a swirler.

The combination of youth (Bradley Hancock) and experience (Clive Christer: 8-2-40-1) picked up where the first pair left off, with 14-year-old Brad proving particularly potent. His first four overs included two brilliant clean bowleds for the cost of just 14 runs, taking a safe-as-houses catch on the boundary in between – Dad, take note!

Brad should have had a third when the half-centurion opener nibbled one behind, but no finger was raised. Thankfully, Hadrill picked him up soon afterwards, with Beaner returning the favour with a simple catch. With the score poised at 130 with 12 overs to go and the batters going nowhere fast, came the turning point of the innings. Hadrill’s LBW appeal against the dear old struggling Arnie saw the umpire’s finger shoot up eagerly. From there, the home team started finding the boundary with much more regularity, as the returning Brad (80-60-2) took the brunt of their aggression.

There was still time for Hadrill (8-1-48-3) to scalp a clean-bowled down the slope and for captain Rob Bath to gamely perform one of the most extraordinary fielding manoeuvres witnessed this season – somewhere between a flying dropkick and that thing dogs do when they scoot their bums across the floor, all while watching the ball fly past the boundary rope – but Mells managed to finish with a strong 230-7 on a minefield of a track.

Needing a quick start in reply, Dave Travis and Simon “Ging” Tandy were ordered to the middle… cue two maidens to start. But Trav was soon making familiar use of that shovel, while Tandy played the shot of the day – a glorious straight drive back past the bowler to the boundary. With 30 on the board well ahead of the 10-over prescription, Trav (22) dutifully walked after snicking one to the veteran wickie and then Ging (18) got a stinker of a shooter that he understandably played back to and lost his stumps.

Andrew Baker (14) smashed a trio of brutal Dinder-flavoured fours, before picking out Mells’ best fielder for a smart snaffle in the covers. And while Kyle Gloudemans was driving beautifully, wickets were crashing around him with Lord Bath (8) and Miles (4) both falling cheaply. Given an umpire Trav lifeline for a strong LBW appeal, the promoted-from-the-firsts Adam Marshall began sending anything short to the boundary. As the pair took the score from under 100 to 3-batting point territory, Marshall’s innings (30) was highlighted by a Dom Grass-inspired six smashed to cow corner.

But as he and Brad (1) fell in short order, it was clear that Chillies weren’t going to get anywhere near the foreboding target – despite a series of typically stunning cover drives from Gloudemans on his way to an unbeaten 52. They eventually fell 62 runs short in their 40 overs, and face Failand & Portbury next week in an intriguing mid-table clash.

Saturday 16th July

Chilcompton 2nd XI 158ao v Nailsea 1st XI 205-8 – Nailsea won by 47 runs

Chilcompton welcomed league leaders Nailsea to the CSG on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Skipper Rob Bath lost the all-important toss and Nailsea surprised no one by choosing to bat first. The Nailsea batsmen were going at a steady rate of 5 an over for the first 20 overs with the South African Beadle anchoring the innings with a scratchy 66 and hilarious banter. Only Hardcastle of the other batsman managed to get to 30 as the Chili bowlers toiled well in the heat and they were backed up by some good fielding. Clive Christer (8-22-1) and Mark Easterling (8-20-0) bowled very miserly and Sam Hudson returned good figures of 5 wickets for 50 runs in his 8 overs as Nailsea reached a par total of 205-8 in their 40 overs.

In reply Chilcompton were always well behind the run rate as Nailsea took control with some good bowling. 4 players Gloudemans, Hudson, Travis & Tandy perished in the twenties as the home side made a Horlicks of the run chase. Clive Christer with a late cameo of 17 took the home side past their 3rd batting point but Nailsea ran away with the game winning by 47 runs.

Chilcompton travel to Mells on Saturday.

Thanks to Nick & Sarah Jones from Sparkling Solutions who sponsored the Match Ball

Saturday 9th July

Winterbourne 5th XI v Chilcompton 2nd XI – Match Cancelled due Winterbourne folding

Chilcompton 2nds entertain league leaders Nailsea at the CSG on Saturday after 2 weeks inactivity.

Saturday 2nd July 2022

Whitchurch 3rds v Chilcompton 2nd XI – Match Cancelled due to rain

Saturday 25th June 2022

Chilcompton 2nd XI 183-3 v Twyford House A 179-8 – Chilcompton won by 7 wickets

Chilcompton Legends welcomed their Skipper Lord Bath back after 6 weeks in traction hoping to continue their good run of form and looking to secure their 3rd win in a row. Bathy lost the toss and was surprised when Twyford chose to bat with storms on the horizon. The Twyford openers started well and after 13 overs were well set on 65 for 0. Tom Scott made the needed break-through via Travis’ ample chest catch at point and this was closely followed by a run out following a smart throw by Harvey Hadrill. Tom Scott picked up another wicket to finish his spell of 2-41 in 8 overs and Chili were well set with Jon Loud bowling excellently from the pavilion end. Jon Loud finished his spell with miserly figures of 2 for 12 in his 8 overs and Miles Hadrill picked up 2 useful wickets to leave the visitors struggling on 7 for 110 in the 29th over. A counter attack from Shafia with 45 not out took the score to a creditable 179 for 8 in their 40 overs. A special mention to Miles Hadrill who re wrote the fielding coaching manual with a worm long barrier.

After tea Chili opened up with Simon Tandy and Kyle Gloudemans in their pursuit of 180 on another excellent Colby track. Tandy departed for 10 in the 12th over with the score on 41 which brought Harvey Hadrill to the crease to join Gloudemans. Harvey plundered a quickfire 19 before falling to a wonder catch by the Twyford Skipper which brought Dave Travis to the crease in the 19th over. After a slow start Travis and Gloudemans started to chase down the total and at 30 overs the game was in the balance at 120-2 with 60 needed in the final 10 overs. A flurry of shovels from Travis helped reduce the required run rate and when he departed for 41 Lord Bath joined Ron Burgundy Gloudemans with 20 still needed in the final 5 overs. Lord Bath (16no) played well from the get-go and together with anchor-man Gloudemans (47no) took Chili to a 7 wicket victory with only 2 balls remaining to achieve 3 in a row victories and take the Legends to 4th in the table.

The next game is against Whitchurch at Stanton Drew.

Match Ball Sponsor – Dave Read

Saturday 18th June 2022

Chilcompton 2nd XI 176-8 v Easton Cuttlefish 156-7 – Chilcompton won by 20 runs

After the previous few days of baking hot Sahara like conditions at the CSG, the weather was more adverse as the Legends played host the Cuttlefish (aka Cowboys). Like all good things must come to an end, so did stand-In skipper Travis’ multiple in a row coin toss wins (not to be confused with his NSCL FIVE in a row league titles including the top division THREE times). Anyways back to this millennium, Chilcompton were inserted and fresh from last week Kyle Gloudemans (17) was quick to lasso anything loose for the artists formerly known as Cowboys to the shortened Chilli fence. This was until he popped one back to the opening bowler and was on his way back to the hutch, shortly followed by Sam Hudson (9) who offered a catching practice to mid-wicket. Skipper Travis and Farmer Baker set about dispatching anything loose. The former dabbing a lot through the vacated third man region. Baker mixed in aggression and was in destructive mood that was reminiscent of “Farmborough Runs Futcher” until he missed a moon ball and departed for 45. A smattering of wickets (4 for 11 runs) caused a couple of teapots from Travis who needed support, which duly arrived in the form of Ellis Dening (8*)  with the pair putting on a 9th wicket stand of 35. Travis finished 59 Not Out and the legends had something to defend with a score of 176.

After the interval, Chilli knew they had to bowl well as Colby had produced another belting track. Enter, Tim Fussell, who to a chorus of skittles chants for each wicket (some say Tandy hid in the toilets up at Bristol CC with the 1sts) rocked cuttlefish with a spell of 3-12. Excellent Fielding from Ellis Dening and Harvey Hadrill really kept the squeeze on Easton. Miles Hadrill bowled a very tidy spell with returns of 1-41 despite battling a hangover the day before. Sean Walter White returned back to the attack to snare a bunny for figures of 1-34. With the game in the balance and speaking of animals, Hudson snared the big fish for 1-33. But it was MOTM Ellis Dening (1-34) who bowled 8 very tight overs when it was nip and tuck in the middle which saw the legends, now watched on by Lord Horatio Bath canter home by 20 runs.

Chili host Twyford House Saturday at the CSG hoping for a modern day 3 winds in a row.

Match Ball Sponsor – Nick Western

Saturday 11th June 2022

Frampton Cotterell 2nd XI 161-9 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 186-7 – Chilcompton won by 25 runs

Chilcompton travelled to deepest Northern Bristol on Saturday looking to get back to winning ways after 2 disastrous defeats. Stand-in Skipper Dave Travis won the toss and elected to bat on a scorcher of a day, so Mark Colbourne and Kyle Gloudemans strode purposely to the crease. The pair reached 51 after 10 overs (21 above the norm) and went on to reach 59 before Colby departed for an excellent 30. The returning Matt Loud’s brief cameo of 12 was curtailed by a boundary catch which brought the Skipper to the crease. After a few thick edges and shovels Travis departed for 20 and the visitors were well set on 114-3 after 26 overs. The cornerstone of the Chili innings was the Scouser Kyle Gloudemans who continued to klopp the ball through the covers with effortless ease. When the freshly tanned Paul Dening joined Gloudemans, the score began to tick along with the Spanish Adonis departing after a 4-4-6 in consecutive balls to the roars of his teammates. Gloudemans continued to an excellent 66 before he was dismissed in the 39th over and Chili ended their 40 overs on a creditable 186 -7.

After tea, the new cherry was thrown to Sean White and Brad Hancock who both bowled frugally to restrict the opponents to 30 for 1 in the first 12 overs. Sean White finished with great figures of 1-18 in 8 overs before Matt Loud bowled well to post figures of 1-26 in 8 overs. All through the game the fielding was good with Sean White and Lauren Bowen-Jones both taking a brace of catches and the skipper even managed his first run out in 45 years! The return of 14-year-old Hancock slowed up the increasing run rate as he returned fantastic figures of 2 for 17 in his 8 overs. Veteran bowlers Miles Hadrill (7-0-39-1) and Dave Travis (2.2-0-10-2) took the remaining wickets to leave the hosts 25 runs short of the target. Brad Hancock a result of the excellent Chilcompton Junior section led off the Chili side from the middle after his man of the match performance.

The seconds entertain the Spliff-tastic Easton Cuttlefish at Chilcompton on Saturday.

Saturday 4th June 2022

Chilcompton 2nd XI 97ao v Carsons & Mangotsfield 2nd XI 249-4 – Carsons won by 152 runs

Carsons Batting – Max Buckingham 105 & Stephen Sykes 79

Chilcompton Bowling – Lee Clevely 2-65, Miles Hadrill 1-29, Mark Easterling 1-13

Chilcompton Batting – Mark Colbourne 20, Dave Travis 19, Lauren Bowen-Jones 18 & Shaun Nowell 17no

Carsons Bowling – Michael Coles 3-30

Match Ball Sponsor – Wing Commander Johnny Golding

Saturday 28th May 2022

Chilcompton 2nd XI 66ao v Failand & Portbury 2nd XI 70-0 – Failand won by 10 wickets

Miles Hadrill 12

Tom Scott 4.1-1-15-0

Saturday 21st May 2022

Chilcompton 2nd XI 140-4 v Mells 137-7 – Chilcompton won by 6 wickets

On a roasting hot day, Chilcompton welcomed their local rivals Mells to the CSG. Stand in skipper Dave Travis won the toss and inserted Mells on a drying wicket. The evergreen Tim Fussell (8-3-14-1) and everyoung Sean White (8-2-26-1) opened the bowling in frugal manner and after 16 overs the visitors were 42-2. Lee Clevely (8-1-37-1) and Nick Warmington on his Saturday debut (7-1-9-0) continued the excellent bowling and aided by some sharp fielding restricted the visitors to 97-3 in 30 overs. Miles Hadrill with his mystery spin picked up 2 valuable wickets and Nathan Bowen-Jones bowled well at the death to pick up 1-27 in his 6 overs. Mells finished on a below par 137 for 7 in their 40 overs with Darren Barnett top scoring with 29.

In reply Chilcompton started badly as Kyle Gloudemans departed for a duck bowled by Matt Sevior. Chris Dunn was joined by skipper Travis and the pair added 38 for the second wicket with Dunn smashing 23 of them including 2 giant straight sixes. When Dunn was dismissed to an uncharacteristic poor shot Nick Warmington joined Travis and they added 32 for the 3rd wicket. When Warmington departed for 17, Chilcompton were wobbling at 70-3 in 22 overs and needed the steady head of Lauren Bowen-Jones who strode purposely to the wicket. The pair put on 43 for the 4th wicket with Travis passing 50 along the way including 3 filthy sixes to square leg. When Travis was out for 53 Tim Fussell joined Lauren Bowen-Jones and the pair took Chili to a deserved 6 wicket victory in the 36th over. Lauren Bowen-Jones finished with an excellent 24 not out to cap a great performance from the home side which took them to 2nd place in their Division.

Chilcompton travel to the picturesque Failand & Portbury next week hoping to get back to back wins.

Match Ball Sponsor – Matthew Western

Saturday 14th May 2022

Nailsea 1st XI 270-9 v Chilcompton 2nd XI 241ao – Nailsea won by 29 runs

In the first game of the Lord Robert Bath reign, Chili 2nd XI travelled to Nailsea for their 2nd fixture and first one of the season on grass. Lord Bath won the toss and inserted the opposition on a good looking track and was soon questioning his decision as Nailsea attacked from the get go. The Chili bowlers struggled against the aggressive Nailsea batsmen who were led by Rob Wood who hit 122 in an almost chanceless innings (Apart from his early feather to Barry Sly-White behind the timbers which wasn’t heard by the home umpire). The 44 extras conceded by Chili would come back to haunt them but the 9 wickets was a positive as 4 bowling points were notched up as the hosts reached a daunting 270-9 in their 40 overs. Miles Hadrill, Sam Gibbs and Gareth Rogers all took 2 wickets a piece but the pick of the bowlers was the Evergreen Clive Christer who took a miserly 1 for 29 in his comeback spell from a hip operation in 8 overs.

The rousing Churchillian Speech from Lord Bath at tea meant that Chili would really go for it in a “death or glory” approach. Simon Tandy and Dave Travis opened the innings and soon took a liking to the Nailsea bowlers as they passed 50 in the 8th over. When Travis departed for a behind square 40 the score had reached 70 in the 12th over and the visitors were really giving it a go. Sam Gibbs elevated to 3 joined Tandy and the pair really stepped on the gas in some style to add 101 for the second wicket in 16 overs. When Tandy departed for an excellent 70 Chili were well placed on 172 for 2 in the 28th over. Skipper Bath then joined Gibbs who passed his maiden half century and after 34 overs Chili needed 56 runs in 6 overs. The dismissal of Gibbs for a great 57 was quickly followed by skipper Bath for 20 and the chances of victory went with them as Chili finished 241 all out just 29 runs short of the mammoth total. Charlie Bircham-Davies 5-35 was the pick of the Nailsea attack in a marvellous game of cricket.

Chilcompton host Mells at the CSG Saturday hoping to return to winning ways.

Saturday 7th May 2022

Chilcompton 2nd XI v Winterbourne 5th XI – Chilcompton won by default

A very disappointing Thursday default by the Mighty Winterbourne gave New Skipper Lord Bath a maximum 20 point start.

Saturday 28th August 2021

Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI 177ao v Failand & Portbury 2nd XI 238-5 – Failand won by 61 runs

A much changed Chilcompton 2nd XI took on Failand & Portbury in an enjoyable final game of the season. Chili were in a very generous mood all day as they donated 43 extras to the opposition including 6 extra overs from wides/no balls plus a number of catches which were also shelled! Through the afternoon Umpire Neil Moon as mentioned above had a full palates work out and how the team would have liked to see his helicopters from years gone by. The first 3 F&P openers all got the runs with Skipper Edson riding his luck for a good 80, Burke striking an aggressive 33 and Yacoob bludgeoning an entertaining 67. Sean White with superb figures of 2 for 36 in his 8 overs was the pick of the bowlers and George Lambert fielded very well including the only 2 catches of the innings. A quick mention to Mark Colbourne who once again produced a road at the CSG and the club thank him for his tireless efforts on the square this season.

The talk at tea was positive as the pitch was playing so well and the outfield was slick as always thanks again to the mower twins Tandy & Hadrill.

The positivity soon diminished as Matt Loud and Andy Baker fell early to leave the home side wobbling on 10 for 2 in the 4th over. Dave Travis (39) and Dave Hazell (48) started slowly to see off the quick openers before playing shots around the ground striking 16 x 4s in a good stand of 86 runs for the 3rd wicket. At drinks Chili were well placed on 96-2 but the loss of both Dave’s in the next few overs meant that Miles Hadrill (23) and Simon Tandy would have to lead Chilcompton home. Tandy after some comedy running was soon bowled for 5 before Hadrill perished after striking a six and 2 x 4s in his entertaining cameo. Wickets continued to fall and Snowey Nowell with 12 together with Nathan Bowen-Jones and Sean White saw the home team to their 4th bowling point and a creditable 177 all out.

It’s been a hard season for the 2nd XI following their double promotion in 2019 but under the Captaincy of Jon Burgess the side finished a creditable 7th in the Division 11 table to secure their status for Season 2022.

Match Ball Sponsor – John “Two Hoggs” Golding

Saturday 21st August 2021

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI  v Golden Hill 4th XI – Match abandoned due to rain

Saturday 14th August 2021

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI  v Mells 1st – Chilcompton won after Mells conceded

Saturday 7th August 2021

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 85-7 v Eason Cuttlefish – Match abandoned due to rain

Saturday 31st July 2021

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 194ao v Frenchay 3rd XI 198-5 – Frenchay won by 5 wickets

With multiple 2nd XI call ups to the 1st XI due to poor availability, Dave Travis and Miles Hadrill formed a new Skipper & VC partnership. After some great efforts by the ground staff in wind and rain on Friday the toss was going to be very important and the Frenchay Skipper called right and had no hesitation in inserting Chili. The latest opening partnership of Mark Colbourne (17) and Chris Dunn (36) raced to 42 in only 6 overs before Colbourne got a good ball from Wyatt and was heading back to the red chairs. Andy Baker struck 3 lusty blows before being caught & bowled by Wyatt for 14 which brought Dave Travis to the crease to partner Dunn. The skipper looked in dismay as Dunn was given LBW for a ball which wouldn’t have hit another set of stumps by the Frenchay professional umpire and Dunn departed far too early for an excellent 36. Miles Hadrill joined the skipper and both batsmen took the score to 103-3 at drinks before Hadrill was bowled round his legs for 19. Travis quickly followed for 16 snicking off to the keeper and when Ross Warren followed the same way for 0 Chili were in disarray at 114 for 6. Enter Jordan Harding to partner his beloved Lauren Bowen-Jones and a partnership of 71 followed with lusty blows from Harding and classic cover drives from Bowen-Jones. When Jordan Harding departed for a superb personal best of 46 (including 4 massive sixes and 4 fours) the home side were nicely placed on 185-7 in 31 overs. Lauren Bowen-Jones was next to go LBW for a classy 24 and unfortunately the innings fizzled out with the home side posting 194 with a full 6 overs remaining.

After tea Sam Gibbs & Sean White both bowled well and with Gibbs took the wicket of Thorne leaving the visitors behind the rate on 49-1 in 12 overs. Nathan Bowen-Jones (1-41) and Miles Hadrill (0-37) kept the squeeze on but no one could remove the No3 Adamson who used up his 9 lives including a couple of plumb LBW shouts to pass 50 with ease. White & Gibbs were brought back to finish their spells both registering identical figures of 1-35 in their 8 overs. The game was slowly slipping away from Chili but Lauren Bowen-Jones (1-24) and Jordan Harding (1-16) were reunited again this time with the ball to drag the initiative back Chili’s way. 10 were needed off the last two overs but a couple of 4s from Packwood took the visitors home by 5 wickets with only one ball remaining of the 40 overs.

On another day decisions would have gone Chili’s way but this did not deter from an excellent game in which Chili pushed the side in 2nd place to the bitter end.

Match Ball Sponsor – Winsley White

Saturday 24th July 2021

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI v Twyford House 3rd XI – Match Cancelled

Another solitary rain drop in Bristol put paid to another game for the 2nd XI!

Saturday 17th July 2021

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI v St Mary Redcliffe 2nd XI – Chilcompton won by 37 runs

As Chilcompton 2nd XI welcomed St Mary Redcliffe 2s to the pristine CSG on the hottest weekend of the year, you’ll understand the delighted surprise of stand-in captain Adam Marshall’s when he lost the toss and was asked to have a bat by opposing skipper Wayne ‘Nasser’ ‘Jonty’ Moore.

Not so much looking a gift horse in the mouth, openers Marshall (0) and Mark Colbourne (1) invited the profligate equine to a slap-up dinner and a magnum of champagne – both were dismissed weakly within the first seven balls of the innings.

Luckily, returning from the crocked-list, Nathan Crocker immediately steadied the ship with the kind of technique rarely seen in Division Eleven. “I felt like I could have scored a million runs today”, said he after falling an agonising 999,980 short – deceived by the slightly lower than expected bounce pitch trying to smash yet another boundary.

At 30-3, Chillies need some old calm heads to steady the ship. Enter Simon Tandy and the man, the legend David Travis (sorry Glen…just couldn’t do it). Both playing in positive fashion, it didn’t take long before immovable defensive shots were interspersed with irresistible shot making, Tandy making sure that his closely shorn outfield wouldn’t go to waste.

As if the hundred partnership the two had solidly built by the 26th over wasn’t enough, what came next will stick in the memory for a long time to come. Playing like a man possessed…by his hero KP, Travis went all the way up to second gear (new aerodynamic buzz cut and all) to begin smashing the ball to pretty much every part of the ground that wasn’t in front of square. Taking a real fancy to the match ball sponsored by Rammers’ cats (no, really) the crowning glory saw Travis obliterate the visitors’ best bowler for three consecutive fours topped off by a towering six.

It wasn’t much longer before his astonished teammates urged the DoC to ‘run’ a lung-threatening two, and bring up his first century in 26 years. An effort immediately marred, of course, by the fact that he spooned a ball tiredly into the hands of the cover fielder on the very next ball – soon enough, Travis will really need to start turning these scores into daddy hundreds.

The magnificent 182 partnership was only matched in magnitude by the Giorgio Chiellini-levels of sh1thousery that had left promoted-to-six Miles Hadrill waiting on the boundary with his pads on for the best part of thirty overs. By this time Tandy’s faultless, stylish innings had also surpassed the fifty-mark, only having to depart for 58 thanks to a super-sharp caught and bowled. That left Hadrill (6*) to stand back and admire Lauren Bowen-Jones’s (14*) classy ball striking, leaving the hosts with a daunting 239-5 from their 40.

After a defibrillator break for Travis, Chillies went about the second half of the job. Sean White’s opening maiden was only bettered by Sam ‘Barry’ Gibbs (7-1-24-2) delivering a wicket-maiden first up and Tragedy for the handy opener as he saw his stumps flattened. Don’t Forget to Remember, said Gibbs (probably), as he repeated the trick a few overs later.

After Lee Clevely sealed the feta fate of batsman four, the response sat at 50-3 after 18 overs. But through the opener/captain and talented left-hander Cleon Coleman, St Mary Redcliffe began to prise themselves back into the chase – batting very nicely against the determined Nathan Bowen-Jones (5-0-31-0) and all-rounder Miles Hadrill (5-1-21-0).

Thankfully, Lauren Bowen-Jones (7-1-55-2) was on hand to bring back that old familiar laser-focussed line and length, and was rewarded with two wickets in two balls – the second, a carbon copy of the jagging-back clean bowled that preceded it.

With Coleman looking dangerous, Sean ‘Liam’ White rolled with it back into the attack and frustrated the lefty to the point of top edging a catch high into the sunshiiiiine and then safely into the mitts of Adam Marshall. From there, things were a piece of (cheese)cake for Clevely, who worked his way through the tail like a hot knife through brie to finish with impressive figures of 8-1-39-4.

It was left to the excellent White (7.1-1-24-2) to finish off the innings and deliver captain Marshall his third win from three games as skipper this season – this one by an eventually comfortable 37 runs.

But, of course, the real Rock ‘n’ Roll Star of the day was David Travis, who celebrated with a call to his proud mum and was then honoured by his appreciative teammates with a classic game of Guess How Many People In The Team Weren’t Born The Last Time Trav Hit A Hundred (four, by the way) to cap a fantastic double-win day for the club.

Lyrics: Skinner/Baddiel/Broudie/Hadrill

He’s coming home

He’s coming home

He’s coming

Travvy’s coming home

Everyone seems to know the score

They’ve seen it all before

They just know

They’re so sure

That Travvy’s gonna throw it away

Gonna blow it away

But I know he can play

‘Cause I remember

Three wins in a row

Fussy’s head still gleaming

Thirty years of hurt

Never stopped me dreaming

So many jokes, so many sneers

But all those oh-so-nears

Wear you down

Through the years

But I still see that thick edge for four

One shovel (or more)!

Travvy belting the ball

And walking singles

Three wins in a row

Fussy’s head still gleaming

Thirty years of hurt

Never stopped me dreaming…………

 

Match Ball Sponsor – Steve Longden’s pussies Sooty & Poppy

Saturday 10th July

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI v Frys 1st XI – Match cancelled due to 3 raindrops in the morning at Saltford!

Saturday 3rd July

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 154-9 (40 overs) v Backwell Flax Bourton 2nd XI 90-3 (21 over) – Backwell Flax Bourton won by 6 wickets due to a better run rate

With loitering clouds as dark as the memories of the thrashing visiting Backwell Flax Bourton had handed Chilcompton 2nd XI on the opening day of the season, Jon Burgess’s band of ‘merry’ men were invited to enjoy first dibs on the beautiful CSG track.

Alas, Mark Colbourne couldn’t take advantage of his own fine ground work, picking out a good catch for a first over duck. But don’t panic, as Chris Dunn and Scott Yorke brought out the old home guard to immediately steady the ship. After blocking out a few maidens, they began to counter attack – Yorke’s fizzing shots back past the bowler particularly impressing the Legends faithful.

Pushing the score past 40, Dunn (29) and Yorke (24) were caught within close proximity of one another to bring in Chillies’ usually reliable middle order. Uncharacteristically, David Travis (1) and Rob Bath (6) failed to hang around, and Simon Tandy (11) followed soon after despite looking in decent nick. When Lee Clevely (4) was the seventh wicket to fall, Chillies’ plight was looking as foreboding as the charcoal clouds, with less than 100 runs on the board.

That brought in-form Miles Hadrill and batsman 9(!) Jonty Burgess to the crease, and with them a dose of controlled aggression. Taking a particular fancy to BFB’s part-time spinner – unluckily thrust into the action after their 5th bowler pulled up with a hammy, the Chillies 2nds stalwarts pulled the side from the doldrums, crashing 38 runs in 6 overs before Burgess (20) unluckily feathered behind.

Adam Marshall was bowled without scoring following a rain delay / tea break, leaving Nathan Bowen-Jones (1*) to hang around with Hadrill (a superb 38*) long enough to drag the hosts to a third batting point.

After a swift turn around, Scott Yorke (4-0-23-0) and Nathan Bowen-Jones (5-0-22-1) took the new ball in response. Ironically, it was the latter opener who yorked his way to the first wicket of the innings with just his third ball.

From there, number one batsman Ewen Macgregor proved Chillies’ phantom menace once again, picking up where he left off from his 98 not out at the start of the season – picking off the odd loose delivery, while defending and leaving resolutely in between against Cheeser Clevely (6-0-32-0) and the miserly Burgess (5-3-7-1).

The skipper was rewarded with a wicket, when he snuck a beauty down the hill and through the lefty’s defences in the 20th over of the innings. That saw the new batsman sprinting to the middle, looking to complete the over as soon as possible as the storm clouds loomed and with the visitors comfortably ahead of the rate.

Dunny was immediately on the money (1-0-6-1), as he was introduced to the attack – beating the bat twice before prising out Macgregor (52) thanks to a comfortable catch from Yorke. But as quickly as Chillies hopes began to raise of pulling off an unlikely victory, they were dampened by a torrential downpour and the captains had no choice but to shake hands. The home team’s run of defeats extending to six, it was little consolation to know that the Duckworth Lewis method would have had them as winners.

Heading to bottom of the league Frys next week, only a win will surely be good enough to keep the captain and Director of Cricket in their jobs…

Match Ball Sponsor – Neil Moon

Saturday 26th June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 134-6 v Failand & Portbury 2nd XI 135-5 – Failand & Portbury won by 5 wickets

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an outfield in possession of a massive tree, must be one of the finest sights in cricket. That was the vision of splendour that met the eyes of the out-of-form Chilcompton 2nd XI as they arrived at Failand and Portbury looking to break an end to a string of defeats.

It was immediately clear, as Mark Colbourne and captain John Burgess were asked to bat first, this would be no easy task. With seamer Jamieson (fresh from his World Test Championship win at the Rose Bowl apparently) roaring in and the mossy track spitting off a length, scoring was secondary on the openers’ minds after simply trying to stay in. In the face of adversity, Burgess was able to smite a delightful square cut to the boundary to open his account – before unluckily falling to a tremendous slip snaffle the very next ball. Colbourne (1) went in similar fashion, his thumb requiring an ice pack after trying to fend off yet another demon delivery.

As David Travis and Rob Bath dug in, the cowering batsmen on the side-lines tried to distract themselves with Rumary-esque small talk – discussing topics as diverse as Hancock’s infidelity, Billie Eilish’s indiscretions (John Burgess: “Who’s he?”), and the time that Miles once knew Billie Piper’s aunt. Benaud and Atherton, this was not.

With figures of 8-3-15-2, Jamieson was mercifully bowled through to almost-unanimous plaudits of being the best bowler Chillies had seen in the division – the only dissenting voice being Ginger’s cocksure: “I’ll smash him all over the CSG when they come to our place”. As Travis was caught at mid-wicket for 8 and Simon Tandy joined his favourite running partner Bath, finding the middle of the bat started to get a little easier. Solid striking from both was frequently denied by an excellently placed field and surprisingly slow boundary – Tandy taking both out of the equation with an effortlessly hooked 6. And when Bath (24) was castled by a good’n, Theo Pavli joined in with the clean hitting.

As Tandy (26) succumbed caught and bowled, the fancy electric scoreboard showed 83-5 from 32 overs. That was the impetus Pavli needed to really start attacking and – with Adam Marshall knocking quick singles to rotate the strike – his aggression was rewarded with some smoking fours and a thumped six over mid-wicket, each accompanied by a grunt more commonly heard from female Russian tennis players (Theo Pavlova?).

Having pumped up the total, Pavli (34) was eventually run out as Marshall called through an optimistic single. And he might have made it, too – had he not dropped his bat and then comically turned back to retrieve it. Of course, this was all part of the vice-captain’s master plan, as the departure brought Miles Hadrill to the middle and six balls remaining of the innings. Crash, bang, wallop – his first three were obliterated for fours to all parts. Three runs in three balls later, and he had smashed Chillies to a slightly more respectable looking 134-6.

Defending that total was always likely to be tricky, yet Mark Easterling (6-1-27-0) and John Burgess (6-1-17-0) gave it their very best to deny a sniff of scoring shots. There were dots aplenty, but clear cut chances were fewer and further between – the standout being a savage in swinger from Bean that sent Marshall behind the stumps surging leg side-wards, only to see the ball snicked to where he should have been.

As the partnership grew, the scoring became freer and the response hurtled past 70. Nathan Bowen-Jones (5-0-23-1) finally got the first breakthrough, with a customary skidding delivery that sneaked through the gate. And two balls later Hadrill (6-0-28-1) goaded a smash to mid-on, where skipper Burgess looked as surprised as everybody else that he’d held on to the catch.

As the lofty #4 began to tee-off, Chillies’ erstwhile solid fielding began to deteriorate. A skied top edge made it as far as the bowler’s end of the strip, in range for either one of Hadrill or Burgess to take a comfortable catch…but alas, both assumed that the other would, and the ball eventually thudded to Earth in safety. Not long after, Bean on the long-on rope saw a ball drilled directly down his throat. Not only did he contrive to drop the catch, he did so over the boundary and into the waiting recycling bin – a better metaphor for Chilcompton 2nds’ season this writer could not hope to concoct.

With defeat nearing, Pavli was thrown the ball and told to make things happen. He responded with a ball that pitched centimetres from his own toes and in the direction of third slip. Thankfully, the batsman obliged by going for the big one, scuffing the ball spinning into the air and allowing Marshall – battling with a tag team of laughter and embarrassment – to take a diving one-handed catch. Two wides and an LBW later, and Pavli (2-0-11-2) had somehow bagged Chillies another bowling point.

The target was in sight for F&P, but there was still time for debutant (and master fieldsman/crooner) Matt ‘Rick’ Exley (3-0-24-1) to twirl down his leg spinners. With testing flight, the odd full bunger was dispatched accordingly. But never going to give us up (never going to let us down), Exley claimed his first wicket for the Legends – a wild leg-side wide that was smashed to Hadrill at backwards square leg, whose hands are no doubt still stinging.

Can Chillies somehow get back to winning ways next week at the CSG against third-placed Backwell? Can they Flax!

Saturday 19th June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 157ao v Golden Hill 4th XI 193-7 – Golden Hill won by 36 runs

Looking to avoid a fifth defeat on the bounce, Chilcompton 2nd XI welcomed Golden Hill 4ths who were full of complimentary comments for the resplendent CSG. And when sulking skipper Jonty Burgess won a second consecutive toss, nobody was grumbling as he put his men in the field under overcast skies.

The captain knew he needed to avoid another game escaping in the first session, so dutifully took the new ball himself alongside returning first team reject Mark ‘Bean’ Easterling. And the decision could have hardly paid off better. From the Pavilion End, JB (8-1-14-0) bowled with his recognisable pinpoint accuracy, while Bean brought the heat from the other – ripping through the top order with his best (seconds) spell of the season. He followed up a perfect top-of-off-stump snorter, with a yorker that beat a batter incredulous of just how thoroughly his defences had been breached. By the time he’d seen a low catch snatched by Sam Hudson and beaten the bat countless others, Easterling had returned figures of 8-2-32-3 and left the Golden Hill innings in tatters at 46-3 from 16 overs.

With Bowen-Jones, L and Hadrill, M (6-1-22-0) looking to capitalise, credit must be given to the bats who dug deep to rebuild and – with eyes now well and truly in – began to counter-attack. Luckily for them, help was at hand (fingers and thumbs, at least) from some quintessential Chillies fielding. Easterling, the hero of the first act, turned villain – alchemising singles into fours, and ensuring he avoided the embarrassment of dropping a dolly by avoiding the ball entirely. Travis, Bowen-Jones, L and Hudson were also guilty of drops, as both batsmen raised their bats for fifties.

Adam Marshall in the gloves did eventually pouch a catch to remove the flowing opener from the bowling of Hudson (6-0-48-1), before Nathan Bowen-Jones (4-0-27-2) skidded a couple through to cleave through the middle order. A sharp chase and laser-guided throw from Hadrill took a rebound off NBJ to handily run out the second half-centurion and the latter’s sister returned to finish her eight overs with the fantastic line and length we’ve come to expect; Lauren Bowen-Jones ending with 8-0-43-0, and the innings drawing to a close with a mighty six on 193-7.

Together with Sam Hudson, Mark Colbourne sauntered to the crease knowing that his pitch perfect track had a good 200 in it, and his dreamy cover drive in the first over oozed that confidence. Alas, one four later and it was early pint time for 8. In the face of some handy looking pace bowling, Hudson and David Travis began to quickly build a partnership – including a 20-run over full of Christian charity from the uncanny Jesus-lookalike.

With some sumptuous driving from Hudson and familiar shovelling from Travis, the partnership hit 50. Enter Mean Bean with a concern that his Man of the Match-contending bowling performance may be overshadowed. As one too many balls thunked into Travis’s (16) pad, the Easterling Finger O’ Doom was raised, immediately followed by the DoC Deathstare O’Doom. Rob Bath (5) and returning Sam Gibbs (4) were clean bowled in short order, bringing a hastily padded-up Burgess to the crease.

Sam ‘Barry’ Gibbs soon joined him – this time wearing his white umpire’s suit – which prompted him to bust out his best John Travolta-esque Saturday Night Fever dance moves (young’uns, ask your parents), pointing high in to the sky to give out his captain (6) and Miles Hadrill (0) to LBW decisions. And when Hudson was unluckily bowled for a well-crafted 42, it was going to need the tail to wag to make up the 90-run deficit in the remaining 15 overs.

But wag, it did – Lauren Bowen-Jones (14) once again making a mockery of her lower order berth to dispatch her trademark ‘cricket shots’ to a spectrum of boundaries, Marshall (8) finding his first of the season (I know!), Bowen-Jones, N (10*) cracking a couple of fours of his own and – seeking redemption – Easterling (9) entertaining the onlookers with his own forehand smashes. By the time the fun was over, the rear-guard had added another couple of batting points and a far more respectable 36-run loss.

With Chillies sinking faster in the Eleventh Division than Bean down Trav’s Christmas card list, they’ll be desperate to get back to winning ways at Failand & Portbury next Saturday.

Match Ball Sponsor – Sparkling Solutions (Nick & Sarah Jones)

Saturday 12th June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 195-8 v Mells 265-5 Mells won by 70 runs

We’ll never know how Chilcompton 2nd XI skipper John ‘Nasser’ Burgess spent his Saturday morning in the belting sunshine preparing for a visit to the bucolic Mells, but it’s not a stretch to imagine he spent a bit too much time in the sun. Or perhaps the pure shellshock of winning the toss sent a rush of blood to the head and, before anybody knew it, the immortal words “You can have a bat” were being uttered from the even-looking track in the 25-degree heat.

In a flash, opening bowlers Lauren Bowen-Jones and Sean White had dreams of a gentle snooze on the boundary jolted from their grasp – and into it a shiny new cricket ball. Mells’ two left-handed bats certainly warmed to their work quicker than the Chillies pair, and as the scorer ticked the board to 8 overs the runs column showed a foreboding 64.

The introduction of Tim Fussell (8-2-35-0) immediately brought the inning’s first maiden, as he and the red-faced (through sun or embarrassment?) Burgess (8-1-32-0) brought some desperately-needed dot balls to the game. In a cricketing rarity seen scarcer than a Dom Sibley cover drive, Fussell spilled a routine chance and the opening stand moved on to a formidable 170 from 29 overs.

Back came Bowen-Jones (8-0-62-1) – bowling with far more of her trademark control in the second spell – to finally bring an end to the stand, drawing an on-drive straight to Miles Hadrill at mid-wicket. Then, in the very next over, Hadrill himself capitalised on the momentum shift to claim two in two balls; the first thanks to a sharp take by JB hiding at gully, followed by a classic off-spinner that squeezed through the gate.

Could this instigate an England-esque collapse? In short, no. The ball once again started finding its way to the long grass and nettles as opener Kieran Rodgers (111) raised his bat with a very well made hundred. An extra 60 runs was added before Hadrill (8-0-64-4) got back into the wickets, grateful for brilliant boundary-based snaffles by David Travis and Rob Bath. And by the time White (8-0-60-0) brought the innings to a close, Mells had made an intimidating 265-5.

Mark Colbourne got the Chilcompton innings to the ideal start, crunching a long hop to the long on boundary with some customary long handle. But that was as good as the first few overs got for Chillies as Colbs (9) and Fussell (0) were quickly dispatched by some handy left-arm swing, while M. Ford (the M presumably standing for ‘Mouthy’) kept a tight line at the other end.

DoC Travis (24) soon started to find some gaps with a series of delightful cuts through point, while Lord Bath (16) appeared to be doing battle with a wasp, madly swinging (and missing) at anything pitched outside off. Travis had his stumps cleaned up searching for his sixth boundary, before Simon Tandy came-went-came-went-came and ultimately went run out without scoring. With Bath and Burgess (4) following suit soon afterwards, the score read a dismal 76-6.

Thankfully the dashing Paul Dening resolved to save Chillies from total humiliation, taking the attack back to the Mells bowlers. Ably supported by a rejuvenated Hadrill, the two began finding the boundary with ease – the highlight being a now familiar launch from Dening for a mighty maximum deep over mid-on. The partnership growing and the batting points building, the pair even managed to avoid the ignominy of an Ill-conceived fist bump at the cost of even more runs.

With the winning target like a dot on the horizon, Hadrill’s 31 came to an end with one swipe too many. A hip-flicking cameo from Adam Marshall (7) was brief enough to let Lauren Bowen-Jones (20*) take out her own frustrations on the fatiguing bowlers, creaming some lesser spotted ‘actual cricket shots’ to boundaries around the ground.

Ultimately falling only five short of a fifth batting point, Dening’s 55 red inker was the highlight of the day for the Chillies faithful (i.e. Rums, G2 and Taz), putting a much-needed spring in the step of the players as they prepare to welcome the high-flying Golden Hill next week.

Saturday 5th June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 205-7 v Easton Cuttlefish 209-5 Easton won by 5 wickets

At a gloriously sunny CSG spirits were high as the 2nds welcomed the newly rebranded Easton Cuttlefish franchise. After losing yet another toss Chilcompton were asked to bat with the Cuttlefish seeming to relish the opportunity to chase the ball for 3 hours.

Colbourne started with a clear plan to make them regret their decision but fell for 11 with 12 on the board. Enter Division 11 run machine Travis who like Burgess struggled to find the middle of the bat against opening bowler Tinkler who after 6 overs had conceded a miserly 2 runs with all the runs having to be scored from the other end. Travis looking to accelerate the scoring was bowled by Tinkler for a solid 19 with Burgess starting to find his rhythm at the other end. This brought stand-in wicketkeeper (Lord Bath) into the fray clearly distracted by this important role managing little or no fluency for a scratchy 9. Enter Matt Loud who along with Burgess started to find the boundary regularly and advanced the score to 104 before Burgess fell for a patient and well compiled 39. Dening joined Loud in the middle and they made hay while the sun shone putting on 60 in short order before Dening was dismissed for 23. Clevely came and went quickly (3) but with Loud continuing to compile runs at the other end hitting a well-deserved 50 before falling shortly after for an excellent 54. Miles Hadrill (14*) added a couple of late boundaries to secure the maximum batting points and enable Chilli to post a respectable and probably par 205 from their 40 overs.

With a string of bowling options for Burgess to choose from the opening honours fell to White and Bowen-Jones (Snr). Despite this dynamic pairing the Cuttlefish openers put the bowling to the sword finding the boundary with ease and making good use of the lightning quick Tandy/Hadrill outfield before Lauren Bowen-Jones got the first breakthrough with the opener pouched by Burgess despite trying to drop it on landing. The score continued to build with Clevely replacing LBJ in an attempt to try and stem the steady flow of runs. White accounted for the No.3 trapping LBW him in front following it up immediately with the wicket of the no.4 the very next ball castling his stumps and sending him back to the fish tank. The long maned opener continued to compile runs at the other end and putting away the bad balls of which there were an increasing number. Bowen Jones (Jnr) entered the fray stinging the gloves of the stand-in wicket keeper and hurrying both batsmen with his deceptive pace and also unlucky to have an edge put down by Bath behind the sticks. The new batsman started to find his feet and with the opener took the game away from Chilli adding 120 runs for the 4th wicket dealing with new bowlers Loud and Burgess without much in the way of alarm save a stunning 1 handed diving catch attempt from Dening which ultimately went to ground. With victory in sight Hadrill was given the ball as a last throw of the dice and threatened to make it interesting with two late wickets accounting for Jeffcott (54) and Hair (9) both LBW to the quicker ball despite Bath not recognising the secret Hadrill signal. It was left to the opener Boulton to bring them home and carry his bat for the innings finishing on 103 not out with them passing the Chilli total with 3 overs to spare. A trip to Mells is up next week with Chilli looking to return to winning ways. 

 Match Ball Sponsor – Dave Read

Saturday 29th May

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 160-8 v Frenchay 3rd XI 161-3 Frenchay won by 7 wickets

On a rare rain-free Saturday, Chilcompton 2nd XI set on their way to their second home – the Bristol ring road – with Frenchay 3rds lying in wait. With returning captain John Burgess already having to contend with late arrivals and one definitely-not-Champions-League-Final-related cry off, he oversaw a very Jonty-esque coin toss with the opposition captain immediately forgetting JB’s call and leaving the two staring each other down in a Mexican stand-off. Eventually, the penny figuratively dropped for Frenchay’s skipper who chose to have a bowl.

That quickly looked like a sage decision, with the low bounce keeping Burgess and Dave Travis on their toes. Travis (6) found a customary leg-sided shovel to the boundary before unluckily falling to a razor- sharp catch at short extra cover. Jordan Harding – helping to keep Chillies’ average age within a couple of decades of the opposition’s – survived an early run out scare where the fielder’s throw obliterated the on-field sanitiser bottle, before having his stumps cleaned up without scoring.

Burgess (17) was just finding his groove, but his delightfully timed cut through gully was immediately followed by his stumps being splayed. That left the middle-order engine room of Matthew Loud and Tim Fussell to get things moving, the former taking a long-handle approach to, well, everything. By the time Loud (25) departed to another stellar catch at slip, the two had brought Chillies’ score rattling along to 72-4 from 18 overs.

With a tail longer than a Rumary…tale, Fussell took charge and began unleashing his familiar combo of classy stroke play and bludgeoning blows. Or, as the disillusioned young left-hand seamer he was smashing around the park would have it, being a “lucky ******”. The apex of Fussell’s 10 boundaries was a devastating smash of the handy leg-spinner over mid-wicket and not far from endangering the nearby tennis courts.

By the time Fussell holed out for 66 with one big shot too many, he’d dominated a 70-run partnership with Adam Marshall in which the Chillies wickie was the third highest scorer. Perhaps taking his supporting role a little too literally – either that or being psychologically unable to find the middle of the bat – Marshall welcomed Miles Hadrill to the crease with five overs remaining and knowing that Chilcompton were well shy of a competitive run rate.

Cue a couple of typical, late-innings ‘you miss, we hit’ wickets accounting for Hadrill (2) and Alexandra Baugham, in-between which Richard Gillard (Man of the Match elect, thanks to his 11th hour availability) was unlucky to pick out that pesky short-extra cover. Marshall (12*) and Sean White (3*) eked the score to an underwhelming-looking 160-8.

With Matt Loud spending the tea-break educating the youngsters with his mastery of the Queen’s English, he found time to stamp out his roll-up on the outfield before taking the new ball. But with that low target in the back of their minds, neither he or Sean White (5-0-37) were able to find decent rhythm (or line, or length) and the hosts’ opening bats had chased down almost half of the target within just 12 overs.

At the risk of earning himself one-man-team status, Tim Fussell (8-2-20-2) was able to stem the flow of runs and pick up the more aggressive opener with a sharp caught and bowled. When he then hurried one through to clean-up the next batter, optimistic Chillies minds started reminiscing on the house-of-cards opposition innings of the previous two weeks.

Alas, Frenchay’s youthful line-up ran deeper than those of previous foes, and never let Hadrill (2-0-15), Nathan Bowen-Jones (3-1-17), Alex Baughan (1-0-17) or the returning Loud (6-1-38) settle. Only Jonty Burgess (2-0-9-1) was able to make a final breakthrough, taking his own blink-and-you-miss-it caught and bowled before the target was reached in the 28th over.

Chilcompton Legends welcome the freshly rebranded Easton Cuttlefish to the CSG next week.

Saturday 22nd May

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 141ao v Twyford House 3rd XI 127ao – Chilcompton won by 14 runs

After a tremendous effort from Chilcompton’s crack ground staff, the 2nd XI briefly abandoned their arks to welcome the youthful Twyford House 3rds.

Despite their usual opening bowler being half-an-hour from the CSG, Twyford’s captain won the toss and put Chillies in. And Mark Colbourne took full advantage. He’d already crashed two fours through cover and a towering six over long on before departing after four overs with 23 to his name.

Fellow opener Sam Hudson and the evergreen David Travis went about building on that base, with the classic approach of patiently waiting for the bad balls. From those, they took full advantage, leaving the scorers etching a series of 4s in the book.

By the time the halfway stage rolled around, the two had put on 50 and the board showed a promising 88. As Travis fell for 26, Twyford’s duel spinners of Lobley and [insert your own nickname here] Bagge managed to stem the flow of runs. Dave Hazell (6) and Hudson (34) fell before Rob Bath (18) and Paul Dening (11) reignited the innings – the latter providing a copycat six of the one he’d witnessed from Colbs earlier on.

With the returning Tim Fussell (8) uncharacteristically struggling to find the middle of the bat, and Adam Marshall and Miles Hadrill departing without troubling the scorers, Twyford’s late-comer star bowler, Browne, instigated a classic Chillies collapse. Castling Mark Easterling, he ended with 5 for 14, with the hosts limping to a below par 141.

Starting with the seam-spin combo of Easterling and Fussell, Chillies began well at their task of containing the batsmen. Fussell accounted for the opposing captain with a beauty that flicked the bails, while the left-handed other opener, Davies, rode his luck – either middling to the boundary or swinging and missing at Bean (unlucky to finish wicketless with 8-0-39).

Liking the look of Miles Hadrill as well, Davies brought up a rapid 50 with two consecutive fours and 82 from 18 overs on the board. But Hadrill had his revenge the very next ball, drawing an over ambitious sweep from the leftie that was skied and eventually pouched by a relieved Marshall in the gloves.

Now it was Hadrill (7-1-32-1) and Nathan Bowen-Jones’s turn to slow the rate, the latter also picking up a wicket thanks to a sharp catch from Fussell at short extra cover. But the visitors still had half the overs and plenty of wickets in which to get the 50-odd runs for victory.

Enter Sam Hudson – clearing up the stumps with his second ball, and claiming a plumb LBW with his sixth. If his double-wicket maiden pulled Chilcompton back into the game, his subsequent single-wicket maiden strapped them into the driver’s seat.

From there, the runs dried up and the wickets fell with regularity, Bowen-Jones showing the same skill and control as his at-the-death heroics last week and finishing with suitably splendid figures of 8-0-22-3.

If there was a slight quiver, it was when the gigantic number 10 plundered Fussell (7-1-19-0) for a sweet cover drive…could there yet be another twist in the tail? Hudson was having none of that, accounting for the last two men clean bowled in consecutive balls and taking home the match ball with a stellar 5.4-3-10-5.

A victory by 14 runs, the Chili Legends celebrated a second hard fought win on the bounce while waiting in the bar for their fellow victorious 1sts from Hanham.

Match Ball Sponsor – Martin Rumary

Saturday 15th May

Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI 178-6 at St Mary Redcliffe 2nd XI 172-5 – Chilcompton won by 6 runs

With a weather report looking more dour than their crocked first team captain’s mood, Chilcompton 2nd XI travelled to Brislington to take on St Mary Redcliffe 2s.

Substitute captain Adam Marshall pulled an uncanny impression of the absent Burgess by losing the toss and was asked to bat on a damp pitch. With a strip playing heavy and low surrounded by a boggy square, Marshall and Mark Colbourne (5) struggled to make headway against the appetising attack, the latter edging to slip before long. David Travis was kept on his toes by some ‘creative’ singles calling and a couple of 3s, finding enough puff to send a trademark shovel for six over midwicket.

With Marshall (18) playing the anchor – or at least something that rhymed with that – he was eventually caught and bowled by his grenade-chucking opposite number, much to the joy of players on both sides. The scoreboard showing 56 at the halfway point, Davids Travis and Hazell began getting on with things with the returning Crazy hitting two boundaries straight away. After surviving a Mankad, Travis eventually fell with an invaluable 44 bringing Rob Bath to continue the board ticking at pace.

Between some sharp running, delightful shot making and imprudent glove bumping, Hazell and Bath put a further 50 on together in a mere 7 overs. Scenting blood (and a jug), Hazell played around one he shouldn’t have for a top score – and nobody dare say it wasn’t – of 48, with George Lambert following identically the very next ball.

Steve Longden (5) kept out the hat-trick ball with a text book forward defence, smashed a four through mid-off and headed back to side-lines in quick succession, leaving Miles Hadrill (7*) to join Bath (37*) and close out the last couple of overs in style – racing their way to a fourth batting point and a handy looking total of 178.

Regular openers Mark Easterling and Sean White took the new ball and spent no time this week finding their line and length with White (8-27-2) soon accounting for Captain Tom Wayne Moore with a trademark looping yorker, before drawing his brother into a miscue to the energetic George Lambert at mid-wicket.

The classy-looking left-handed other opener appeared in dangerous form, but Bean’s fantastically controlled seam bowling eventually paid off – forcing a poor shot that Hadrill at mid-on pouched gratefully. That control evaporated briefly when Mean Bean was signalled for a never-there wide (by the batsman he’d just got out, no less), but held things together to deliver excellent figures of 8-3-15-1.

When Miles ‘the Maiden’ Hadrill (8-3-33-0) delivered three of the beauties to start his stint and Nathan Bowen-Jones overcame an iffy start to find a testing off-stump line, the scoreboard read 59 for 3 after 22 and the buoyant Chillies fielders were foolishly thinking only rain could dampen their day. Batsman Simon Jones (also St Mary Reds’ standout bowler) had other ideas, and started to find the middle of the bat – and the stiff and struggling Easterling on the boundary – to rev up the scoreboard. It took some heroic fielding from the indefatigable George Lambert to keep the game from escaping, but still the home side plugged away to find themselves a mere 22 runs away from the target with four overs remaining.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Cometh the hour, cometh the Ramrod! With the deficit down to 15 and Jones (83) looking sure to get his side over the line, Longden (8-49-1) tempted his man down the track, beating the outside edge and giving Marshall five minutes or so to take the stumping.

A far sharper piece of fielding from Hadrill at fine leg claimed a run out soon after, and it was left to Bowen-Jones (8- 44-0) to prove himself as the club’s best death bowler…with that surname. With nerves of steel, he was equal to the task as the heavens finally opened to welcome the last ball of the game and Chillies winning by a tense six runs.

Saturday 8th May

Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI v Frys – Match cancelled due to rain

Saturday 1st May

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 129-8 v Backwell Flax Bourton 2nd XI 227-1 – Backwell won by 98 runs

The smell of the linseed oil and freshly mown square, the gentle rat-a-tat-tat of a nearby woodpecker, the inevitability of yet another lost coin toss by skipper John Burgess – it could surely only mean one thing… the blissfully welcome return of the cricket season.

In the picturesque surrounding of Backwell Flax Bourton, the newly promoted Chilcompton 2nd XI were put out in the field to kick off their Division 11 campaign. Messrs White and Easterling (a.k.a Sean Bean) were invited to shake off the rust and chuck down the shiny new nut. The opening pair were clearly in benevolent mood to celebrate the new season, bequesting BFB’s top pair a series of gift-wrapped full tosses.

The home side raced to 44 without loss from the first six overs, before the Chilcompton seamers remembered those handy couple of words ‘line’ and ‘length’ to tighten things right back up. By the time their allotted overs were complete, Easterling (8-2-36-0) and White (8-0-41-0) had brought the run rate right back down below five. Captain Burgess and Miles Hadrill picked up right where their predecessors left off, keeping the careful batsmen cautiously knocking ones and twos.

Chillies were surprisingly energetic in the field, with Paul Dening and youth-team promotion Peter Coxon diving around with abandon and Rob Bath and George Lambert racking up the kms around the boundary. After both bats were raised to the pavilion, Burgess (8-1-27-1) managed to wheedle out one with a nip-backer through the gate, while Hadrill (8-0-49-0) was unlucky not to be rewarded with a nagging line that drew a couple of edges.

With Ben Futcher swiping the customary nine bowlers for the 1s, it was left to David Travis (4-0-36-0) and Lord Bath (4-0-37) to share out the last eight overs. By this time, the wickets in hand meant that the two men at the crease could go full throttle, putting a further 74 runs on the snazzy electronic scoreboard. And while Chillies may not have bagged a bowling point, the force was with Bath to cruelly deny batsman Ewen Macgregor a century; the latter heading back to the hutch with a score of 98*and a face like Darth Vader.

A target of 227 didn’t deter the positive chatter of the Chillies faithful at tea, with words like ‘gettable’ and ‘road’ ringing in the ears of Mark Colbourne and John Burgess as they marched confidently out to the middle. Within four overs (of course), both had ignominiously returned for first dibs at the bar. Colbourne hadn’t troubled the scorers; Burgess going one better to temporarily hold the ‘honour’ of being the side’s top scorer and leading wicket-taker of the season so far.

Thankfully Travis and Bath made quick work in erasing that stat, sussing out the zippy seamers and setting about the run chase with a selection of trademark drives (Bath) and shovels (Travis). In compiling their 47-run partnership, they even had time to play to the gallery and run a three.

“Rob’s looking in good nick” were the words that, with crushing inevitability, immediately preceded the top scorer’s demise – playing back to a ball he shouldn’t have and getting bowled for 33. Clearly having netted like a trooper over the winter, Paul Dening was quickly into his shots and the boundaries continued to flow until Travis (29) succumbed to a sharp stumping from the chatty wickie.

George Lambert’s eye was quickly in to show the opposition the long-handle of the law, but bowler Peter Beale left his fruit and veg stall unattended just long enough to pick up his third scalp and send Lambert walking the beat back to the boundary for 6. When, for once, the ball evaded the middle of Denning’s (28) bat and he sent a sky high leading edge to a delighted mid-off, the scoreboard read 105-6 with only 12 overs remaining.

As the thermometer began to fall faster than Chillies’ chance of salvaging a result, debutant Peter Coxon shivered his way to the crease doing his best impression of a southern softie and wearing about five layers. Skipper Burgess as standing umpire meanwhile removed his freezing right hand from his pocket just long enough to trigger vice-captain Adam Marshall for a duck.

That gave Coxon (6) and new batsman Miles Hadrill the chance to open up and try and find their way to another batting point, the latter smashing his second boundary of an entertaining 15 not out to close out the innings at 129-8. With the second batting point in the bag and hearing that the 1st XI’s game had been mercifully abandoned by rain, it was gratifying to know that Chilcompton Cricket Club’s entire afternoon at least hadn’t been entirely pointless.

Season 2020

Saturday 29th August 2021

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 130-8 v Golden Hill 7th XI 116ao – Chilcompton won by 14 runs

To conclude a long, hard 2020 season, Saturday saw Chilcompton 2nd XI play host to Grange Golden Hill 7th XI at Dinder & Croscombe CC. The hosts batted first on a wicket stickier than a 2nd XI divorce with stalwart Mark Colbourne and pinch hitter Miles Hadrill leading things off. While Colbourne went about pummelling the pre-pubescent bowling attack, Hadrill (4) predicated the fate that would await a high proportion of his teammates – playing several minutes early to a ball that took an eon or two to reach him.
That brought Paul Dening to the crease, who immediately began timing the ball like a dream – eschewing his usual likeness to Chillies’ much-loved groundsman, instead drawing comparisons with a right-handed David Gower. Along with Colbourne (22) and then Sam ‘Barry’ Gibbs, Dening proved his pre-match pessimism to be pure jive talking.
With dash, dare and two meaty hoicks for six, Dening brought up a regal 50. Always the gentleman, Dening deigned to step aside and allow his colleagues a piece of the run-scoring action. Alas, none of Sean White (1), debutant Alex Baughan (0), Simon Tandy (3), David Travis (0) or Adam Marshall (0) could replicate, all heading back to the hutch with exits even soggier than the pitch itself.
Gibbs (29*), staying alive to the end of the innings, kept the stroke-play flowing and together with skipper Jon Burgess (8) pushed the score to a respectable 130-8 from the thirty overs – the latter narrowly avoiding the tragedy of a fourth run out in four innings.
Chilcompton’s own Lillee and Thomson – or, rather, Lilly and Savage (credit: M. Colbourne) – Steve Longden and Dave Travis took the new ball in reply. While the confident young opener took a liking to Longden (3-0-21), Travis (3-0-9-2) hailed the spirit of the pachyderm to make dumbos of batsmenboys 1 and 3 – getting the shiny conker to drift and grip to disrupt the timbers of the first, and requiring a sharp catch from the half-centurion Dening for the second, much to the chagrin of his teammates.
Next in to the attack boogied Gibbs (3-0-9) and young debutant Alexandra Baughan, the latter of whom showed both huge character and potential with her excellent figures of three overs for just 10 runs to ensure that the run rate remained a tricky ask for the visitors. Simon Tandy (3-0-8-1) got the ball turning before drawing a catch from the top-scoring opener (as well as a contender for the much-coveted ‘Drop of the Season’ award from his own bowling), while clubleadingwickettakerMilesHadrill (3-0-9) was denied yet further Ws – square-leg Travis too busy regaling umpire Moon about his two wickets (and, undoubtedly, three in a row, two and 0, the Glory Stratton days) to pouch a simple looper landing a few yards to his left.
Adam Marshall went full Dhoni, handing his wicket-keeping gear to Tandy before delivering career best figures of 3-0-11-0, bowling in tandem with Sean White who cast no shadow – or wickets – in his 3-1-3-0. They may have been going easy on the adolescent batting pair, but Dening (3-1-18-2) only had eyes on cementing his MOTM performance. He took two wickets in consecutive balls, before a sharp run out dismissed Golden Hill’s last credible threat. Cometh the bunnies, cometh the Burgess (2.5-0-16-3) – clearing up the tail, after a lesser-spotted run-out of his own.
Chilcompton legends finished the curtailed season as they started it – a convincing win against a team comprised mainly of children. Just the preparation they needed for an attack on the heights of the Eleventh Division in 2021…………………


Saturday 22nd August

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 136-8 v Whitchurch 3rd XI 136-9 – Match Tied!

In what will inevitably be a 2020 season quickly forgotten, Chilcompton 2nd XI at least provided one Saturday afternoon that will be long remembered – unfortunately, for many of the wrong reasons.
The visiting Whitchurch 3rds batted first at the CCG in a match reduced to 30 overs a side on account of rain showers that would never transpire. And the youthful openers immediately took a shine to Sean White and Jordan Harding, the latter of who would soon tighten up his line and claim the first breakthrough during his 6-0-38-1 spell.
Visiting captain Martin Peters looked well set before a spurious LBW appeal from Miles Hadrill (and Miles Hadrill alone) was given surprisingly out. Off trudged the despondent batsman, with only memories of his goal in the 1966 World Cup Final to console him. Aside from some beauties that beat the outside edge, Hadrill’s (6-0-30-2) strategy to bowl leg side filth eventually paid off, goading an unsuspecting batter to spoon a catch to Tim Fussell at square leg.
Speaking of the latter, Fussell (6-1-13-1) and his testing off spinners proved the pick of the Chillies attack – unlucky to only come away with one entry in the ‘W’ column. That, famously, is what captain John ‘Elmer’ Burgess is in the team for. After dismissing the opener with 63 to his name, Burgess went on a bunny hunt to record figures of 6-1-16-3.
With that the runs dried up nicely, thanks to White (6-1-36-2) returning much stronger in his second spell and Harding diving around the park like a scalded cat in the process of somehow only bagging one catch. Whitchurch limped to 136-9, the last few overs seeing a trilogy of three chances in three balls going begging and skipper Burgess displaying some splendid sportsmanship – bowling gentle off-spinners to the batting side’s miniature junior player. Sportsmanship that would surely repaid in kind later in the encounter…right?
In response, Mark Colbourne cleverly followed a wide first ball of the innings straight into the wicketkeepers gloves, thus allowing him to head straight to the bar and gifting Dave Travis the shortest umpiring stint since records began.
It also allowed Burgess and Tom Hancock to get some time at the crease and they started dismantling the tepid bowling attack. Fours to all boundaries followed and Chillies were quickly on track, reducing the deficit by 60 runs in 12 overs. The only time they would be stopped in their tracks was when umpires Hadrill and Fussell called one five-ball over. But that surely wouldn’t have an impact on the final result…right?
Then came the game’s major flashpoint. Burgess at the non-striker’s end backing up a little way out of his crease, preparing for one of his trademark quick singles – the pre-pubescent bowler whipping the bails off with a Mankad out of nowhere. A friendly jape, surely? Some B&D bants. Nope, the bowler (named Downs incidentally) stood his ground – which is more than can be said for poor old Jonty – and the captain was gone, chuntering all the way back to the side lines.
Hancock continued the onslaught in his captain’s stead and flew to his half-century, with Simon Tandy playing his part as Biggles’s co-pilot. By the time Tandy (7) scooped up a dolly of catch, a further 57 runs had been added and the strolling hosts required only 19 from 41 balls. Dave Travis – vowing that he and all ten teammates would retire from the sport if Chilcompton lost from this position – came and went for 2, with Paul Denning doing likewise in short order.
With Adam Marshall coming to join Hancock in the middle, victory was just a few swipes away. 11 required from 24 balls, became 8 from 18, and then 7 from 12. With Hancock shelled by Whitchurch’s youngest player, it seemed as though Chillies were destined to stumble over the line – needing just two runs to win from the final over.
After a single from Hancock to level the scores, he (81) and Marshall (1) were both run out in consecutive balls desperately trying to force the winning run – an unedifying end to a quite superb innings (and Hancock’s wasn’t bad either). Thus giving Sean White the stage to definitely – maybe – smash the winning run from the last two balls. Alas, it wasn’t to be and he was left looking back in anger as the final ball of the game crashed into his stumps.
A classic case of the Chilcompton legends snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. If only they’d had somebody like Fuss on the sidelines to help finish the job. Oh…

Match Ball Sponsor – Clayton Rich

Saturday 15th August 2020

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI v Mid Norton Methodists – Rained off

Saturday 8th August 2020

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 139ao v Timsbury 3rd XI 143-8 – Timsbury Won by 2 wickets

Chilcompton 2nd XI travelled to the picturesque vistas of Timsbury to do battle with the hosts’ 3rd XI on a blistering hot Saturday. Returning captain Jon Burgess picked up where he left off last season by losing the toss, and was asked to bat.
Openers Mark Colbourne and Kyle Gloudemans were quick to find the offside boundary, before Timsbury’s bowlers found their range – taking advantage of the massive tree behind the bowler’s arm to bog down Chillies’ shot makers and account for the wickets of Colbourne (5), Simon Tandy (4), David Travis (5) and Jordan Harding (0).
With the score at a dispiriting 41-4 off 15 overs, debutant Sam Gibbs came to the crease and immediately begun dispatching the rare loose balls to all corners of the ground. Meanwhile, all Gloudemans seemed to be finding was the same fielder at cover with stylish shots that deserved to be hitting the boundary rope.
47 runs in 12 overs later, Gloudemans (27) and Gibbs (top scoring with 33) fell in quick succession. Adam Marshall and Jon Loud kept Chilies’ momentum rolling, the latter smashing two huge sixes – earning the pair a welcome breather as the heat of the day intensified. One wild swing too many accounted for Jon Loud’s (24) timbers, before Marshall (19) succumbed to a low catch at point.
Nathan Bowen-Jones was then run out by his captain without scoring, leaving the social distancing crowd to salivate over a ninth-wicket partnership consisting of Burgess and Miles Hadrill. Alas, expectations dissipated as the calamitous pair tried turning a quick single into a never-there two – leaving Burgess well short of his ground for the second time in two innings, Hadrill stranded without facing a ball, and a sorry scoreboard showing 139 all out.
Knowing that he required a rocket-fuelled start to Chillies’ overs in the field, Burgess threw the ball to his debutant Gibbs. A fractionally low-of-waist-high loosener, saw Timsbury’s error-prone wicket-keeper’s eyes light up and send a baseball swing to the waiting captain at mid-on. Burgess – with a mercifully short time to reminisce on his dropped dolly from the week before – snatched the ball at full stretch above his head, giving Gibbs a wicket with his first (and worst) ball for the club.
The second opener followed shortly afterwards, pushing for a Pakistan-inspired quick single that simply wasn’t there. Not to Jordan Harding at least, picking up and firing the ball to Marshall. Some combination of ball, glove, knee, stump and canny screening from Hadrill was enough to send the square leg umpire’s finger upwards.
That brought two slog-happy youngsters to the crease, both of who took a shine to Gibbs and then skipper Burgess. Burgess who almost took a much needed wicket but was let down by DOC Travis who spilled a swirler on the long off boundary. At the other end, Jon Loud’s left arm in-swingers were at least keeping things tight. An eight over spell – taking full advantage of the snake pit of a track – that the bowler’s captain posited would not be matched anywhere in the B&D this weekend. Eleven runs, four maidens, two scalped toe nails, one shattered wicket keeper and, somehow, zero wickets.
Miles Hadrill was able to take advantage of the shell-shocked batsmen from the other end, with one clean bowled from his very first delivery and then two more caught behind in short order. The club’s leading wicket taker delivered figures of 8-1-14-3, to get Chilies right back in the hunt.
Bowen-Jones (5-1-20-0) and Burgess (7-2-44-2) prevented the run chase from getting away, and were in turn let down by missed catches and lifted by a worldy from Loud at gully. While Gibbs (6.4-0-44-2) delivered the ball of the game to take out the off-stump bail of Timsbury’s top scorer, R. King for 30.
With eight wickets down, a famous victory for the visitors was ultimately just a few runs out of their reach, with young Davies hitting two boundaries from the 35th over to seal victory.
Chillies 2s look forward to a return to Timsbury next week for an encounter with an old rival – the unbeaten Methodists, 1pm Start.

Saturday 1st August 2020

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 198-8 v Hampset 3rd XI 152-7 – Chilcompton Won by 46 runs

Chilcompton started their mini league season in PodR with an excellent win over Hampset. Skipper Adam Marshall won the toss and elected to bat on a lovely day at the Chilcompton Sports Ground. The skipper departed early but Mark Colbourne took advantage of his own excellent track with a swashbuckling 23. When Simon Tandy departed cheaply with the score on 47 in the 14th over it was left to Tom Hancock & Dave Travis to push the score forward. The pair put on 95 runs in 15 overs before Travis fell 4 short of his half century trying one slog too many. A mini collapse then happened as only 30 runs were added in the next 8 overs before Dom Grass (14) joined the elegant Hancock (54no) to bludgeon 21 runs off the final 2 overs to close the innings on 198 for 8 wickets in 40 overs.
After the home made picnic tea Hampset set about chasing the large total with good knocks from Duguid 32, Silcox 35 & Bogg 26. At 20 overs Hampset were well set on 68-0 and soon moved onto 96-0 after 25 overs to put the game well in the balance. The reintroduction of Grass (2-16 off 8 overs) slowed the run rate down and when Stevie Longden (1-27) and Miles “Elmer” Hadrill (3-47) took 4 late wickets the 46 run victory was sealed. A special mention to Ellis Dening making his debut for the Club and taking 0-29 in 8 excellent overs.
Next week the Saturday 2nd XI travel to Timsbury to face their 3rd XI at the School Ground, 1pm Start.
Match Ball Sponsor – Matthew Western

Saturday 31st August 2019

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 283-4 v Barrow Gurney 2nd XI 192-4 – Chilcompton Won by 91 runs

Chilcompton 2nds travelled to the picturesque Barrow Gurney CC on Saturday knowing that promotion was confirmed but needing to match or better Mells points total to take the title. The match start was delayed by 30 minutes due to rain, reduced to 35 overs a side and after losing the toss the visitors were asked to bat first. The opening pair of Mark Colbourne (58 in 38 balls) and Matt Rivers (31 in 30 balls) took the attack to Barrow Gurney and when the evergreen Colbourne departed for an excellent half century Chili had reached 86 in only 8 overs. When Rivers departed Simon Tandy (51 in 55 balls) joined Tom Hancock (106no in 75 balls) and both batsmen smashed the ball to all corners of the ground in a 3rd wicket stand of 147 to help Chilcompton 2nds to their biggest total in memory. Tandy played well in the supporting actor role to the Oscar winning century of the classy Hancock who finished the season scoring 320 runs in only 7 innings with an Average of 80. A quick cameo through gully by Dave Travis (11 in 6 balls) entertained the enthusiastic 1st XI players in the grand stand and the innings closed on 283 in their 35 overs.
At tea the unconfirmed news filtered through that Mells had only managed 3 bowling points so the equation was simple in that Chilcompton needed to win and take 6 wickets in the process.
Chilcompton started the game with Sean White & Mark Easterling taking the new ball and the Barrow batsmen were continuing the theme with the run rate at the high level of 8 runs per over. White took 2 wickets to give the visitors hope and he finished with 2-36 from his six overs as the run rate dropped. Jon Loud & Clive Christer tried their best to induce a false shot but Barrow Gurney looked well set to stand firm at the half way stage. The introduction of Jon Burgess and Matt Rivers reaped 2 quick wickets but Forge & Brace were well set and even managed to avoid falling victim to the vicious spin and flight of Miles Hadrill. The Barrow pair added 54 runs in the last 10 overs to frustrate the visitors as they reached 192-4 in their 35 overs to give Chilcompton victory by 91 runs.
The final league table made the victory seem like a defeat as Mells took one more point than Chilcompton on the day and won the title thanks to more wins in the season (Even though both teams finished on the same points). In hindsight Mells deserved their title playing great cricket through the Season including doing the double over Chilcompton and both teams will commence their historical rivalry in Season 2020.
In summary it was an excellent Season for the Legends who were ebulliently led by Skipper Johnty Burgess and his able VC Adam Marshall. The side played cricket the right way thoughout the Season with a superb team atmosphere and at the end of the Season won some fantastic games from the jaws of defeat.


Saturday 24th August

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 148-3 v Bedminster 5th XI 145ao – Chilcompton Won by 7 Wickets
The sun shone blisteringly down on the CSG on Saturday for a potentially historic day in the annuls of Chilcompton Second XI – a 40-pointer against a youthful Bedminster 5s where a win would guarantee the hosts promotion to the heady heights of Division 12 of the Bristol and District League. Skipper Jonty Burgess got things started in the right way by winning the toss, and then immediately put himself in his troops’ bad books by telling them to get ready for a few sweaty hours fielding in the heat.
It was a challenge upon which Tom ‘MVP’ Hancock clearly thrived. When the openers were put in two minds whether to take a quick single, Hancock was in only one – to send a bullet throw into the gloves of wicketkeeper Adam Marshall for a clear run-out.
Not to be outdone, player of the season candidate Sean White (He’s Electric) produced possibly his best spell yet to put Chilies firmly in the ascendancy. Using the famous CSG slope to jag the ball into Bedminster’s right-handers (or Slide Away from the lefties) and floating up his trademark dipping yorkers, White was just too good for the batsmen. First he produced a false shot from the other opener that he swept straight upwards into the sun and was caught comfortably by Marshall. But it was his fifth over that will Live Forever in the memory, with three wickets in six Supersonic balls. One clean bowled, a rare caught and bowled and finally an LBW that left the visitors 23 for 5. White would bowl through for season best figures of 8-20-4, while Matt Rivers had the ball (and, obviously, his mouth) talking from the other end. A clutch of near misses and a torrent of dots left him 8-19-0.
Having cautiously seen off the opening salvo, Captain Chris Giles began to play his shots when John Burgess (8-25-0) and Clive Christer threw him a few too many full tosses. His partners had far less joy, the highlight of Christer’s spell (4-39-1) removing one with a quintessential off-spinner through the gate. At 110-7, Giles had pulled his team back into the game (and the promotion hunt) – enter Jon Loud and one of the balls of the season. A rapid in-seaming full-lengther that was far less palatable than the juicy full tosses that came before. The captain was out for 60 and chuntering all the way back to the boundary. While the tail wagged a little, taking one Miles Hadrill (3-13-0) over for 10, Jon Loud’s (6.2-16-3) frightening pace and lightning accuracy meant it was a case of when, not if. Another brace of in-duckers rearranged the stumps twice more, and there was even time for a lesser-spotted John Burgess run out to secure maximum bowling points and a target of 146.

Following the home tea of the season courtesy of the lovely Linda Travis and half-an-hour watching England continue to throw away the Ashes(!), Marshall and Rivers set about the run chase. Runs came slowly, but Marshall soon started to use the DoC’s old bat in the way it’s utilised best – shovelling a couple of fours behind square to the off-side boundary. 18 confident runs later and 47 on the team’s total, and Marshall was clean bowled by the visitors’ young leg spinner. Nightwatchman Rivers (27) was going along scratchily when he was joined by the far more fluid Tom ‘Biggles’ Hancock, who soon started to let fly – bombing the ball to all parts of the ground in the commanding way that has quickly become his trademark in his rookie season at Chilcompton.
When Simon ‘Ginger’ Tandy (narrowly picked for the team ahead of Algernon, Bertie, Tug and Erich von Stahlein) partnered him at the crease with exactly 70 more runs required, the two really began taking apart the remainder of the bowling attack. 10 overs of clean hitting and hard running later and the deficit was down to within 15. Hancock departed trying to get the job done without delay, completely missing a filthy slog that almost entirely undermined the brilliance of his 44 from 44 balls. David ‘DoC’ Travis (3*) came to the middle reminding Tandy that retaining their wickets would facilitate the full 20 points – Ginge (28*) responded by blasting a four over midwicket and Chilcompton into Division 12. The batsmen applauded off by an superfluous Paul Denning (Best Man in waiting for the Legends), it was only over well-earned Morettis later on that Chilies learnt of another loss for rivals Mells.
The Legends take a one-point lead to bottom of the table Barrow Gurney next week to try and take the Division 13 title!
Match Ball Sponsor – Tom Hancock


Saturday 17th August

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 159-7 v Old Park 157-7 – Chilcompton Won by 3 Wickets
One of the curious side effects of the unseasonably inclement weather that had persisted for the previous few days was the presence of some particularly dark clouds (leading to even darker moods) that had been hanging around Travis Towers ever since the previous weekend’s guaranteed 20 points had been washed away.
Overnight, the DoC had been monitoring the airways for any sign of the fateful SMS that might be the harbinger of yet another disastrous postponement. Imagine the delight from the entire squad when their respective Saturday’s were heralded by the 05:30 text from the DoC, pronouncing “GAME ON”!
The fly in the ointment was the withdrawal of Neil “Scissorhands” Moon who, carrying a troublesome injury to one of his pinkies, magnanimously stood down to allow the last minute inclusion of Tom “Leftie” Hancock with what was to prove to be a most insightful decision.
Rallying the troops with the very early morning bugle call, 9 members of the team set off shortly after breakfast on the well-trodden (but seemingly always forgotten) route to the suburbs of north Bristol where the Daleks of Old Park were waiting to see if they could somehow stall the relentless march of the resurgent Chilitonians toward promotion to the dizzying heights of division 12 of the Bristol and District League.
Successfully navigating their way to the Frenchay ground and arriving ahead of the home team there was a brief debate as to whether or not we should remove the covers, cut and roll the strip and mark out the pitch. The debate was somewhat prematurely ended as a number of the senior members of the squad set a mighty fine example by arriving from the bar, pints in hand. Several rounds (and a couple of hours) later, skipper Jonty Burgess strode out to the middle and proceeded to do something he hadn’t achieved for as long as any of the over-fifties in the team could remember and actually won the toss. Having inspected both the pitch and the elements and taking in to consideration that neither of his opening bowlers had actually made it to the ground, JB did the sensible thing and asked his opponents to bat.

This decision was the catalyst for the second significant debate of the day as the previous fixture between these two teams had seen 4 opening batsmen arrive at the crease together. During a secondary consultation with the Old Park skipper (where the bowling pair of Sean “Walter” White and Jon “Rubber-Wrist” Loud finally arrived perfectly on time) Chili’s decision to field was ratified.
Avoiding the persistently elusive (and pretty much non-existent) warm-up Burgess’ Barmy Army trudged to their allotted places and battle commenced.
First up was the recently promoted Matt Rivers looking every bit as fresh as the odour from his superstitiously unwashed kit wasn’t. With the field understandably well spread (and up wind) Riv’s knew that the pressure was on, especially as he had the dangerous Barker taking strike. A third ball duck saw the ball feather the top of middle stump and Chili were on their way. A tight opening spell (8-0-16-2) erratically supported from the other end by Sean White (8-0-33-0) saw Rivers remove the Old Park number 3 with another laser precision delivery leaving the hosts reeling at 24-2. It was during this opening spell that the towering presence of cover fielder Jon Loud made itself felt. Swooping in from cover to prevent a quick single, old “rubber-wrist” somehow contrived to throw the ball backwards towards the boundary allowing the batsmen to saunter through without risk of dismissal.
Knowing that he needed to keep the middle overs tight, Cap’n Jonty turned to the tried and trusted spin combination of Christer (8-0-22-0) and Hadrill the Elder (8-0-34-0) who rattled through their allotted overs at no great cost but without really looking like troubling Hunter (78) and Galsworthy (28) who had taken Old Park on to 133-2 after 32.
Sensing the need for wickets (and to no one’s great surprise) JB Bunnyhunter brought himself on at one end and the flexible Jon Loud at the other. To be fair, Jon’s wrist had definitely stiffened (and given the audible chuntering from the reluctant Left Arm Seamer, so apparently had his back/legs/arm/neck).
Instant dividends followed with Burgess removing Hunter (ironic name?) and then Galsworthy with stand-in keeper Tandy taking one of a couple of chances behind the stumps. Meanwhile Loud was busy rearranging the stumps of a couple of junior Old Park Daleks that were both half his height, weight and age.
The last Old Park wicket to tumble saw another Hunter fall to Burgess with Hadrill making heavy weather of an easy lob to mid-off, leaving the home team on a respectable 157-7.

Knowing that a good start would help settle any promotion chasing nerves, Chili opened up with the belligerent Colbourne and the irrepressible Rivers in the belief that this combination of bludgeon and banter would do for Chili what Burns and Roy were not doing at Lords. Patiently waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Colbourne did what Colbourne does best, smashing the 5th ball of the innings back past the startled bowler for 4 powerfully hit runs. With a crafty single to retain the strike it seemed like Plan A was coming together nicely but the Old Park bowler was not on script. An unplayable vicious in-swinging Yorker snuck through a normally resolute defence and the Colossus was no more.
Enter stage left the find of the season and contender for MVP, Tom Hancock. Instantly in to his stride with fluid strokes and sharp running between him and Rivers, the visitors saw themselves accelerate well ahead of the required run rate. Rivers had reached a well-constructed 35 before an early swing at a leg side delivery saw him snaffled at mid-on with the score now 97-2. According to a particularly obscure web-site that the author tripped across this morning, if you define “one brings two” as a wicket before another 10 runs are scored, then the adage is true 29% of the time for the top order.
One can surmise therefore that it should have been of no surprise when Hancock edged behind to one of the many straight breaks that Hunter Junior had been offering up. It is a slightly less oft quoted adage that “2 brings 3 brings 4 brings 5” (unless, of course one played regularly for the 2018 vintage Chili 2nd XI). Next to fall was a particularly aggrieved DoC Travis, called for an express single by an over-exuberant Tandy who had just pushed a delivery straight along the ground and in to the hands of short mid-on. The ensuing game of “to me – to you” would have even made the late, great and recently departed Barry Elliott chuckle. Exuberance to the fore, Ginge Tandy made a rash decision to charge the unorthodox Right Arm Round deliveries from the Rocky Horror Richard O’Brien lookalike. The keeper had twice as long as he needed to remove the bails and send his counterpart back to the hutch. Enter J Loud Esq. who had announced to the world in general (as well as to a slightly bemused skipper) that he was going to “give it a bit of filth”. One Golden Duck later and said skipper was suddenly out in the middle wondering just how his charges had managed to make such a complete and total hash of what should have been a gentle romp home to victory. Next up in the “don’t leave me out of this carnage” display was the unfortunate “Squiffer” Denning who inadvertently prevented a mega-wide by toe-ending the ball straight to cover. Hadrill (who had taken the opportunity to see if he could track down last season’s underwear that had mysteriously disappeared from the away changing rooms the previous season) was close to being timed out as he emerged from the fetid changing rooms (please see previous reference to Matt River’s radio-active kit) “sans-pads”.
Clearly flustered by the preceding shenanigans, Hadrill managed to pull his first delivery straight down the throat of the ever alert Square Leg. Much to Chili’s relief, said fielder made the most almighty Horlicks of a regulation chance allowing the relieved batsman (and an apoplectic captain) to change ends.
With 12 overs in hand to secure the 34 runs required for victory, skipper Burgess (supported by an anxious Doc Travis as standing umpire) coached and cajoled the 7th wicket pair to within 4 runs of the finishing line, ably assisted by quite a remarkable number of wide deliveries from the returning opening bowlers.
Cometh the hour, cometh the most unusual end to a game. A reasonably straight delivery was fended away by the boot of the facing batsman. The ball somehow squirted under the body of the hapless keeper and clattered in to the helmet that had been placed 10 yards behind.
5 penalty runs.
Game over, handshakes all round (almost) and back to the CSG for some hard-earned (and just about deserved) celebratory beverages.
16 down and two to go. Chilcompton welcome “The Minster” to the CSG next week for a promotion deciding face-off.


Saturday 10th August –

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nds XI v Patchway – Match cancelled due to rain

Saturday 3rd August

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 165-9 v Carsons Mangotsfield 164ao – Chilcompton Won by 1 Wicket
Chilcompton 2nds travelled to Carsons & Mangotsfield to play on a pitch with more cracks than an East Bristol cocaine hovel. Losing the toss (obvs) and being asked to bowl, Matt Rivers ironically kept the opening batsmen quiet early on with some sharp speed and accuracy. Returning hero Julian Hawkins was equally effective with the new ball from the other end, looking like he’d never been away. With the batsmen struggling to find either rhythm or the middle of their bats, Miles Hadrill was introduced early and produced the match’s first wicket – typically following up a tight over with a loose leg-sided delivery that was flighted generously to the waiting Rivers at deep backward square-leg. Hadrill’s next over saw the first real flash point of the game. Between the plane-spotting batsman and the hokey-cokey obsessed standing umpire, Hadrill was prevented from sending down his deliveries with anything resembling reasonable frequency. A game of cricketing chicken was the result, with the batsman, umpire and Hadrill all attempting to show to just what extent they could slow down the game further. But it was the batsmen who won this particular mind-game, feasting on a 15-run over. Seeking a resolution to the tiresome opposition antics, mild-mannered wicketkeeper Adam Marshall stepped in to calmly explain that such moronic umpiring was a jolly bad show and simply not cricket. A disciplinary suspension next weekend beckons for the vice-captain who has morphed into the Bruce Banner of the 2nd XI in recent weeks (One for the older generation of which there are many in the Legends XI). His point made, Marshall’s temper was doused by pouching a regulation caught behind from Hawkins shortly afterwards. It was the high point of a superb eight-over spell from The Judge that went for just 16 runs. Jon Burgess and Clive Christer picked up where Hawkins left off, continuing to trouble the batsmen on a track that behaved itself much more than the minefield of an outer playing surface. A ball after the shell-shocked captain batsman Michael Wallage brought up his half-tonne, his opposite number Jon Burgess (8-27-1) took the prize wicket with a beauty outside off that was feathered behind. Christer at the other end produced the ball of the game – an off-spinner through the gate – to keep wickets tumbling. Chilcompton looked much more adept when the ball was in the air than when spitting off the outfield, with David Travis, Paul Dening and Mark Colbourne all rolling back the years taking sharp chances like it was 1999. When Lewis ‘Tubby’ Tyacke top-edged one from Christer behind, any one of a trio of players could have shouted for the catch. Fittingly, Hawkins took three goes at eventually completing the dismissal – one of Chester’s four victims in figures that handsomely read 4 for 22 off his eight. In a case of recent history repeating itself, Chilies once again allowed the tail to wag. C&M went from 119-7 to 161-8, despite some dogged death bowling from Rivers (7-32-1). Hadrill (55-3) eventually finished the job with two wickets in three balls, thanks to a couple of non-leg sided deliveries as rare as hens’ teeth.
165 was the target set with rain in the air and a pitch that seemed to be getting worse. C&M’s opening bowlers set the tone early with some decent line, movement and pace. It was too good for Marshall (3) who missed a straight one from Tubby Tyacke who was fresh from his outfield Kayak. Thankfully Mark Colbourne and Rob Bath looked much more settled – the former timing a dreamy flick off his legs to square leg, the latter preferring the gap through cover. When Bath (8) holed out, Dave Travis joined the boundary party with a mighty hit back over the bowler’s head for four. Looking good and with 20 to his name, Colbourne called through a suicidal single that saw him way short of his ground and disappointedly heading back to the pavilion. That brought Paul Dening to the crease, showing no sign of his extended absence from the set-up. Seeing the ball well and beating the infield with a pair of suave cover drives, it left the selectors’ rueing Denis’s ‘unavailability’ for the away trip to Mells a few weeks ago. After Travis’s departure for 20, the fear from the hosts was palpable as Steve Longden joined Denis in the middle – the partnership that vanquished C&G back at the CSG. The partnership was worth much less this time around as Dening found a fielder and departed for 22. A couple of mighty leg-sided blows from Rammers (24) kept the run rate to around a run-a-ball, before a hideous shooter narrowly avoided going under his stumps. Burgess’s much-needed captain’s innings evaporated after only three balls without scoring, yet playing a wild shot of a man with 200 to his name. Matt Rivers at least looked calm and collected, continually pushing the ball to C&G’s weakest fielder and running Julian Hawkins ragged in the process. After Judge (3) skied one and then the effective Rivers (22 from 26 balls) missed a good’n that turned from the hosts’ excellent leg spinner James Taylor, Chilies needed another 12 to win from the last 11 balls – and only Hadrill and Christer remaining. Two dots, a single, a two and a bye later, it was 8 off the last over to win.
A quick leg bye teed up Christer to PUMMEL a short ball back over Tubby Tyacke’s head for what looked like a much needed boundary. But the ball stuck in the unpredictable outfield. A push to the on side next ball had the spin twins sprinting for two – would the throw be good enough to leave Christer short? No! Overthrows, stopped mere millimetres from the boundary and time enough for the batsmen to run four! The scores level and a dot meant two balls to get the final run. A play, a miss, a fumble, a call from Hadrill, a scamper – a bye! Chilcompton had done it: a one wicket victory with a ball to spare.
18 nervously-earned points keeps Chilcompton Seconds in the promotion spots and four games to play. The struggling Patchway visit them at the CSG next week.

Saturday 27th July

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 175-2 v Coalpit Heath 3rd XI 171-7 – Chilcompton Won by 8 Wickets
Out of form Coalpit Heath 3rds travelled to a sun-drenched CSG on Saturday, with John Burgess’s promotion hunting Chilcompton 2s smelling blood. Hence the decision to put the visitors in to bat, arming Mark Easterling and the returning Sean White with the new conker.While Bean (8-28-0) struggled to locate his usual dangerous line (and luck – watching Hadrill Senior down a regulation chance at point with the innings’ third ball), White put on a masterclass of new ball attack. From thorough explorations of the corridor of uncertainty, to his now-patented dipping yorker that bamboozled and clean bowled the first opener, and the odd short-pitched shooter that accounted for the disgruntled second. White finished with figures of 8-25-2 in a season that Some Might Say is the Liam Gallagher lookalike’s best yet. Returning hero Charlie Charlie Charles Candy maintained the pressure, eventually dismissing the ringer batsman #3 for an edge-heavy innings that somehow surpassed 50. But it was Miles Hadrill who showed even more skill and guile in his spell. The highlight – a maiden wicket culminating in a rank leg-side full toss that the Cheerful Coalpit Captain Carrington projectiled directly to square leg. Waiting was Tom Hancock, who showed all the nonchalance the delivery deserved by plucking the ball from the air one-handed. Chilies were on top, but then a sense of déjà vu threatened to kick in as the visitors began to find the odd boundary. With more lifelines than a Who Wants to be a Millionaire? contestant, Hadrill (8-30-2) eventually persuaded the umpire to give batsman #6 out LBW (prompting a send-off from vice-captain Adam Marshall that would have made Jimmy Anderson blush), as Mark Baldwin plundered on to a well-earned 50. John Burgess (8-40-1) knocked down his middle stump with the very next ball and Candy (8-46-2) did likewise to his partner at the other end. The remaining young batsmen bafflingly blocked out the final few overs leaving Coalpit with a distinctly gettable 171-7.
In reply, opener Marshall was quickly dismissed and sent to the naughty step after plopping an easy catch back to the pre-pubescent bowler for a duck. Mark Colbourne, on the other hand, briskly had his eye in and looked to make short work of the target. A quartet of quality boundaries took him to 26 before one shot too many saw him caught. With the scoreboard showing 55-2, Harvey Hadrill joined Tom Hancock at the crease to form a formidable partnership that would (spoiler alert) take Chilies home. Hancock was initially the aggressor of the two, once again vindicating the work of the Chilcompton Cricket Scouting Network as he dispatched the bowling to all corners of the field with his increasingly familiar class. Slightly more agricultural but no less effective, Hadrill was soon in the groove and gave no respite to the desperate bowlers. He too sent the ball to the stingers on multiple occasions, making the most of the freshly acquired bat from Dave Travis (the DoC’s only major contribution to the game). With Hancock’s threat-free innings yielding an inevitable half-century and the 100-run partnership up, the senior player voiced his desire to get Hadrill Junior his 50 before the chase was complete. That was before thwacking the very next ball for a four. With seven needed for victory and 46 against Hadrill’s name, he swatted a boundary to bring up a glorious first career half-century. Practically blemish free and displaying a full range of shots, it was surely enough to dissuade young Harv from sacking off the rest of the season to kick an inflated pig’s bladder around Wells…? A booming six to cow corner to bring up the winning runs was the icing on the cake, as Hadrill (56 from 59 balls) and Hancock (63 from 69 balls) strode gleefully from the middle to the applause of Steve ‘Rammers’ Longden – grateful for his diminished role of mere spectator. With now over 20 points clear between Chillies Second XI and third place, the promotion push continues at Carsons & Mangotsfield next week.

Match Ball Sponsor – Whitstones Fish & Chips (Westfield)

Saturday 20th July

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 205-7 v Thornbury 200ao – Chilcompton Won by 3 Wickets

Chilcompton’s Second XI promotion hunters rose at the crack of dawn for their long away trip to bottom of the league Thornbury 4ths on Saturday. The journey clearly hadn’t affected the prowess of captain John Burgess’s toss-winning – he lost and the visitors were asked to stretch their legs in the field.
Mark Easterling and Matt Rivers used the shiny new nut well, restricting the early runs on what immediately looked like a solid batting track. The larger of the mismatched batsmen sought to get the score moving with some forced stroke-play, the best shot of which flew hard to Theo Pavli in the covers and obliterated the tip of one of his fingers. A steady flow of blood and the DoC’s pink pills would follow.
Bean (8-32-1) eventually accounted for the tall one for 31 with a full-lengther that beat him all ends up and clattered the stumps. Mark Colbourne cleverly put a regulation chance down at slip to keep the struggling pair of toddlers in the middle and unable to get the tight bowling off the square. Thanks to Clive Christer (8-26-1) bowling with his usual wily accuracy, the scoreboard read 70-1 at halfway drinks.
Coming out after refreshments with more positivity cost the two youngsters, one bamboozled by a Christer classic and the other snaffled by Hadrill jnr. The latter’s athletic tenacity in the field saved a hatful of runs when #5 bat Mark Rogers began to find his range, while father Miles Hadrill bowled his eight overs straight for only 28 runs – unrewarded with a wicket despite his testing length.
At 101/3 at 30 overs, the return of Rivers (8-57-3) to the attack alongside captain Burgess (8-49-4) injected the pace that the more senior batsmen craved and suddenly the scoreboard began to accelerate faster than Dave Travis trying to make it back in time for his mate’s barbecue that evening. Wicketkeeper Adam Marshall would rue three missed chances in a seven over assault that added 65 to the score for no loss. Burgess eventually caught Rogers for an excellent 49 from 31 balls off his own bowling. The last 9 balls of Thornbury’s innings read W-0-W-6-4-4-W-W-W (including an electric run out from Harvey Hadrill) as the hosts pressed on to 200 all out leaving both teams with maximum bonus points.
Following tea, Colbourne (0) was a first-over victim to a straight one that hurried him as Marshall and in-form Simon Tandy looked to dig in and build some foundations. It was Mr E.X.Tras that actually got the score moving along, largely thanks to some profligate glove work from the wee wicketkeeper. The only thing that the batsmen managed to get off the square was a volley of profanity when they both fell weakly for 5 in consecutive overs, leaving Chillies on a sketchy 30/3 from the first eleven overs.
It felt like a situation tailor-made for David Travis’ inimitable batting style, as he and Hadrill the Younger set about rebuilding the innings. Harvey Hadrill (16), still buzzing from a week in Maga, was quickly into his shots with some well-timed off drives. A partnership of 52 put Chilies right back in the game, as Rivers joined Travis at the crease and showing no signs of fatigue from his unrelenting chatter on the marathon drive to the game.
They soon began profiting from the hosts’ policy of rotating the youthful bowlers, with Travis and Rivers now frequently finding the boundary. Travis in particular showed supreme confidence at his preferred batting position – no more was that in evidence than when he spectacularly smashed a full toss for a flat six over point, the best of his three maximums. His splendid innings was carefully tracked by Clive Christer on the electronic scorebook, resulting in the pictured Wagon Wheel below (no doubt entrenching the DoC’s Luddite views on technological advances). When he was eventually run out for 59, the scales had tipped in the visitors’ favour with fewer than 50 runs left to chase down.
The smarting Pavli came and went in two balls – possibly having had his fill of Rivers’ prattle in the car to the game – leaving captain Burgess to join him and try to close out the game. They continued where Travis left off, getting the required rate to less than a run a ball. There was a hairy moment when the wicketkeeper hit JB’s stumps while way out of his ground. The hosts celebrated the potential match-turning moment elaborately, before umpire Colbourne pointed out that the bails hadn’t fallen. The captain’s bizarre reprieve allowed him to find the boundary a couple more times before being run out for 17, a ball after Rivers brought up his admirable half-century.
With two required from the last over, Rivers (56* from 56 balls) waited until ball three to bang a towering six to cow corner and complete a battling victory to retain second place in Division 13. Having taken 20 points at Thornbury, they welcome a struggling Coalpit Heath 3rd to the CSG next week.

Saturday 13th July

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 156-9 v Mells 177ao – Mells Won by 21 Runs

Forget England vs New Zealand, Roger vs Novak and Hamilton vs Bottas. The only sporting encounter that mattered this weekend was happening in the bucolic village of Mells where Chilcompton Seconds played out a top of the table clash on Saturday. Advised to lose the toss, stand-in captain Adam Marshall duly obliged and regular opening bowlers Mark Easterling and Sean White were asked to take the new ball.
A four crashed into the nettles from the first delivery certainly took the shine off, and it took “Sean Bean” a few overs to find their line and length. Soon it was business as usual and the visitors were ruing the lack of snicko after a confident caught behind shout was turned down. Finally, White struck, luring the hirsute opener into a drive that was pouched by Matt Rivers. Some sharp thinking and fielding from Theo Pavli saw wicket two fall with a run out, before White bowled danger man Kieran Rodgers (17) with a full one round his legs – managing to resist the urge to run over the boundary to celebrate with his family (two weeks too late).
There was time for one more reward from White’s disciplined spell, with arguably the club’s best all-rounder David Travis taking a catch at mid-on to put Chillies well on top at 55-4. The fine start from Bean (24-0) and White (30-3) was consolidated upon by Matt Rivers – showing why he deserved to be promoted to the 2nds. With a prying line just outside off stump, he saw several near misses scattered amongst two absolute beauties that were feathered to the waiting Marshall behind he stumps. Finishing with figures of 2 for 26, there’s a chance the promising youngster could retain his place for the remainder of the season.
With rookie Theo Pavli now into the attack, a superb caught and bowled followed by a fantastic catch from Steve Longden reduced the hosts to 107-8. Could Chillies take advantage and give themselves a relaxing target to knock off in the afternoon blaze?
Alas, the tail wagged with even more energy than those of Clive Christer’s pugs beyond the boundary. 22 runs and a brilliant Lord Bath catch later and 129-9 still felt like advantage Chilcompton. Despite the best efforts of Pavli and Miles Hadrill (50-1), Mells’s wicketkeeper and ‘number 11’ started finding the boundary with dispiriting frequency and the total somehow shot up to 177.
Completing career best figures of 3 wickets for 41 runs, Pavli at least earned the visitors maximum bowling points and a boost of momentum when he took the tenth wicket on the last ball of the innings. A ‘tea of the season’ contender (homemade jerk pork the highlight) raised spirits further and Chilcompton went out to bat knowing they had the fire power to chase down the target.
Mells’s opening bowlers had other ideas, immediately getting into their groove with tight, restrictive lines. Mark Colbourne (5) and DoC Travis (0) were back in the hutch with haste, the latter seeing the ball jag back onto the timbers after pitching a way outside off stump.
The evergreen Simon Tandy and ever-talking Matt Rivers dug in and looked to be making headway, before Rivers sent a full toss straight down the throat of the cover fielder for 10. Chilcompton needed a partnership – Ging Tandy (26) and Rob Bath delivered, trying to keep the scoreboard ticking in the face of miserly bowling. The loud Mike Ford (8-13-0) proved particularly tricky for Bath and Rammers Longden to get off the square, but the Lord shone against weaker bowling from the other end to get the chase to within 80.
He would eventually fall for a skilfully crafted 44, being caught off a delivery that could only just have been below his diminutive waistline. While Rammers (15) was clean bowled trying to accelerate the run rate. By the time Pavli and Marshall reached the middle, more than 8 runs an over were required. Some clean hitting from the former kept that within reach, before finally holing out for a much needed quick-fire 19.
Miles Hadrill seemed like the perfect batsman for the occasion – we’ll never know if he was or not, as he was unceremoniously run out without facing a ball following his captain’s peculiar decision to call him through for a single after bunting the ball back to the bowler. Sean White (9) was invited to ‘play his natural game’, and obliged with two boundaries from his first two balls. But with only a few balls remaining, the target was too big of an ask for he and Marshall (9 not out) who played out the last over to restrict Mells from bagging a further bowling point and increasing the gap between the teams further. Short by 22 runs, the hosts’ last wicket partnership ultimately felt like the difference between the teams in a cruel defeat for Chilcompton.
Chillies 2s will hope for respite next week, with a long away trip to bottom-side Thornbury 4ths.


Saturday 6th July

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nds 236-5 v Abbots Leigh 2nds 182-9 – Chilcompton Won by 54 runs

Clearly not following the example set by regular captain Jon Burgess, stand-in Adam Marshall began Chilcompton Seconds’ game against Abbots Leigh by winning the toss. The sun was shining, the pitch handsomely prepared Marshall elected to head out to bat first.
Stansfield was quickly into his shots and showing no signs of rust, timing the ball sweetly through the covers on multiple occasions. As the opening stand raced past 30, Marshall (10) attempted to put in to practice what he’d learned from the batting textbook co-authored by Sean White and Miles Hadrill, holding the pose after comprehensively missing a big heave to a straight one.
Stansfield continued to make the outfielders play fetch like a wizened Kane Williamson, before having his off-stump knocked back for 41. And Steve Longden skied to mid-wicket without wasting any of the scorer’s ink. The book showed 84-3 at drinks with a special side note for Simon Tandy who, coming in at #3, had scored 8 from 12 overs. With his eye now well and truly in, that was all the impetus he needed to get the score ticking. Seizing on some weak bowling changes, Ging showed his full array of shots through the ‘V’ and simultaneously continued his marathon training with some hard (and very vocal) running between the wickets. Chillies freshman Theo Pavli was a more than worthy foil, with plenty of quick ones and twos among some perfectly timed fours off his pads.
The partnership was worth 80 vital runs for the hosts, before Pavli finally fell for an artistic 39. Harvey Hadrill (3) wasn’t far behind, stumped callously while practising his forward defensives a few feet out of his ground. That brought Jon Loud to the crease with a mission statement to find the boundary as often as possible in the remaining five overs. Loud obliged willingly(ish), creaming the ball over the optimistically set cover fielders. The highlight, a towering six over long on, briefly threatened the safety of the scorers before they realised that the ball would clear them by a distance. Another 50+ partnership left Tandy not out on a majestic 65, Loud 33 and an intimidating 236-5 total.
Looking to make amends for his hilarious calamity of the previous week, Sean White was eager to silence his amused critics early. It took less than an over, sending the visitors’ opener back to the hutch with a beaut that pitched on a length and stayed low as it jagged down the famous CSG slope. Stumps splayed – advantage Chilcompton.
A frustrating passage followed as batsmen C.P. Scharneck and captain Seb Davis rode their luck against the tight seam bowling of White (8-39-1), Loud and Stansfield (6-22), picking off anything loose and sending it boundary-wards.
Fortunately, the been-there done-that Clive Christer had little patience for South African Scharneck’s mouthy stay at the crease. A ball after bringing up the half-century, Christer sent down a flat, fast off-spinner that the batsman lacked the humility to defend. The clunk of leather on stump produced raptures from the fielders and a memorable send-off from the bowler.
Tandy re-evaluated the win predictor to 85% in Chillies’ favour, which – if anything – turned out to be way too generous to Abbots Leigh. Christer’s middle-over masterclass (8-39-1) kept one end quiet, while spin twin Miles Hadrill set about decimating the batting from the other. A plum LBW accounted for the opposition captain, a couple of jaffers beat the outside edge to clatter the stumps and the effervescent Ging pouched two testing catches. Despite bagging his first ever five-fer and a career best 34-5 from his eight overs, Hadrill was still left rueing two drops from his own bowling and a clean bowled that was wrongly signalled as a no ball.
With the sprightly Harvey Hadrill and ever-so-slightly less sprightly Martin Rumary patrolling the boundary to keep the worm graph way behind the rate, Jon Loud ‘cheerfully’ re-entered the fray with three balls’ notice to finish his spell (8-30-2) and do a little bunny hunting on the way. Foregoing a run-up, Loud took two wickets in three balls to leave just a single wicket remaining for full points. Ingeniously calculating the overs, Marshall managed to get Hadrill the Younger and star batsman Tandy on for an over each at the end. Neither could prise out the final wicket, but the visitors eventually fell 55 runs short of the target with their 40 overs completed.
Chilcompton would like to thank their Main sponsors, Parker Transport, Spectrum Form design & PG Owen Ltd, and also match ball sponsor Ray Rogers

Saturday 29th June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 203-5 v Barrow Gurney 2nd XI 178-6 – Chilcomtpon Won by 25 Runs
On a blisteringly hot day at the glorious CSG, Chilcompton Seconds played host to Barrow Gurney in a match where the arrival of an ambulance wasn’t even the most noteworthy incident.
And nor, somehow, was captain John Burgess winning a coin toss. Electing to bat was a no-brainer (handy, based on some recent skipper-based slip-ups) allowing Mark Colbourne and Kyle Gloudemans to march to the middle for the second straight week. Forget Bairstow and Roy, this was the prime example of a positive top-order start of the weekend. They immediately got stuck in to the pedestrian bowling, pinging the ball to the boundary time and time again – Colbourne with his usual brand of powerful dominance, Gloudemans with the style and finesse that has characterised his season so far. Nine overs were all that was needed to reach a convincing 50 partnership, before Colbourne (28) went to clear the infield one time too many, skying to a safe pair of hands.
Simon Tandy built on the foundations, finding the gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking with fours and some well-run quick singles. So effective was Ging’s scampering, that Gloudemans decided he’d have a piece of the action. Calling through a single to mid-on that was never there, a direct hit left him well short of his ground (so short that not even David Travis would have been able to raise an objection). And ignominious end to an otherwise faultless innings, he fell for 45.
Tom Hancock’s (8) eyes lit up as a full toss came his way early, ending up straight down the throat of mid-wicket. The rate slowing after that dynamite start, Chillies at 121-3 from 25 overs needed a catalyst to kick-on. It came, unfortunately, with Barrow Gurney’s best fielder Nick Heal stopping a certain four from Tandy – and dislocating his shoulder in the process. Following plenty of amateur medical advice from the players, an ambulance was called and the paramedic arrived an hour later (wishing they taught a module in ‘Dealing with Disgruntled Groundsmen’ at medical school). Morphine was administered – first to the opening bowlers still in pain from the early-over onslaught, and then to the poor chap on the floor.
As the ambulance finally pulled away, captain Burgess decided this was the right time to take an early tea. Agreeing on a reduced 32-over aside match, Tandy and Jon Loud were the right men for Chillies to take advantage of the 9-man field. The former (37) would finally miss a straight one, but Loud – now with best friend and mentor Burgess (9) with him – accelerated quickly through the gears, sending the red sphere skilfully and forcefully to all angles. In an innings of 43 not out that included two towering sixes, the 6.4 post-tea overs saw an accumulation of 83 runs to set the hosts up with a daunting 203-5.
Sean White and Mark Easterling took the new ball for Chilcompton, but the ‘Sean Bean’ tandem looked anything but ‘Sharpe’ in their first few overs. Tandy did, however, running out batsman one without a run to his name. A frustrating passage of play followed, with neither Bean (7-31) or White (6-29) firing at their brilliant best and opener Alistair Head taking a shine to young Harvey Hadrill (4-42). Not even the usual consistency of Jon Loud’s left-arm seamers could prevent the scoreboard from flying past the 100-mark – the unattainable was suddenly looking very chasable indeed.
And then it happened. The moment that may well define Sean White’s glittering career to date. An event, it has been confirmed, unique in the annals of Somerset cricket history. Jonty Burgess cunningly put one right in the slot for Head, who obliged with a lofty blast in the vague direction of cow corner. White, very much like a Champagne Supernova in the sky, flew from straight long-on instinctively knowing that this was a game-changing moment and he was the man to do it.
In full sprint he made up the ground and, yards within the boundary rope, took the catch of the season. No, the catch of a lifetime. The kind of catch you just want to celebrate with your loved ones. Unfortunately, Sean’s parents and girlfriend were watching from the car park, which is the direction towards which our young hero made an immediate beeline. To the disbelief of fielders and batsman alike, a beaming White carried the ball straight over the boundary thus converting his dream catch into a nightmare six.
Given that remarkable reprieve, Head pressed on to punish the bowling while second-top scorer Extras took advantage of some leaky wicket keeping. At 147-1 with overs in the bank, Burgess (6-17-2) took matters into his own hands (and those of catcher Harvey Hadrill) to turn the tables back Chillies’ way with a double-wicket maiden. And when Loud (7-34-1) and Tandy combined to decapitate Head (83) in the very next over, three wickets had fallen for no score and the remaining batting offered little threat. Death-bowler Miles Hadrill (2-12-2) accounted for a third bowling point with two wickets in two balls – narrowly missing out on a hat-trick as the batsman cannily fended off a ball travelling down the line of a leg-side wide – as Barrow Gurney ended 25 runs short.
Chilcompton remain second in Division 13 with Abbots Leigh visiting next weekend.
Match Ball Sponsor TPM

Saturday 22nd June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 187ao v Bedminster 5th XI – Bedminster Won by 84 Runs
One old cricketing cliché says that some days represent a good toss to lose. So it was inevitable that Chilcompton 2nds captain John Burgess would win his first coin toss of the season on such a day – a scorcher away at Bedminster 5ths.
Spying a luscious green top and dreaming about some late innings bunny hunting, Burgess opted to field. That entirely ignored the fact that neither of his opening bowlers, Messrs White and Easterling, had yet found the ground. With the absence of the “Sean Bean” combo, it was left to another Yorkshireman Theo Pavli to get things started. But it was prolific opener Dave Peacock showing all the steal, threatening to make hay while the sun shone. Fortunately, Mark Easterling (8-36-2) found the pitch and eventually some line and length to clean up the opener’s stumps for 21 before he could really get going.
Bean accounted for the second opener, rapping his pad in front for LBW. There was no doubt it was plum in line, but the batsman’s clear chagrin was justified having snicked a monumental inside edge on the way through. Shortly afterwards, wicketkeeper Adam Marshall craftily ‘fumbled’ a leg bye, fooling the batsmen into a quick single. Glove off, ball snatched, turn, throw, stumps down with a direct hit and the batsman yards short.
The quick wickets were unable to stem the quicker scoring, and some looser-than-usual bowling didn’t help, with anything short or wide flying along the rapid outfield to the batsman-friendly boundaries. Of the attack, some might say that only Sean White – half Liam Plunket, half Liam Gallagher – covered himself with any morning glory, frequently testing the batsmen in an electric spell. With less of a Wonderwall and more of a wonder ball, he claimed his only scalp with a nick behind to Marshall’s gloves, finishing with figures of 37 for 1 off his eight.
Combined fifth bowler Simon Tandy (4-32-0), Rob Bath (3-22-0) and Dave Travis (1-9-0) all tried valiantly to hold down an end, while Bean was turning singles into fours on the boundary. Burgess (8-56-2) toiled to the soundtrack of creaking joints, managing to eke out opposite number Chris Giles, Bedminster’s highest scorer with 68. Pavli’s away swingers left him unlucky not to join the wicket takers (8-69-0), but a pair of smart run outs from Bath and Travis at least earned Chilies a fourth bowling point among the boundary fest. Bedminster ended on a daunting (but only just above par) 271-8.
Following a hearty tea, reunited openers Mark Colbourne and Kyle Gloudmans made their way to the middle – hopeful targets of “70 off the first 10” ringing in their ears. That immediately looked like a hard task with Colby holing out on the fifth ball of the innings with no score on the board. To the credit of the bowlers, they kept things tight and their handily placed offside sweeper restricted Gloudmans’s crashing cover drives to singles instead of the boundaries they deserved.
Dave Travis (9) – reminiscent of Carlos Brathwaite in pretty much every way – saw his attempted six caught cruelly inches inside the boundary line. Lord Bath missed a straight one without troubling the scorers and Steve Longden (9) fell similarly having looked dangerous with two crunching boundaries. Ginge Tandy (12) pushed the quick singles before dancing down the track once too often leaving an easy stumping.
When yet another accomplished innings from Gloudmans (41) ended courtesy of a rare shooter, Chilcompton were sat at 84-6 and facing embarrassment. Thankfully Theo Pavli and clearly-not-a-number-8 Jon Burgess were on hand to save the blushes. They took things to the opposition, showing controlled aggression to find a flurry of boundaries – Pavli timing the ball sweetly through the ‘v’, Burgess going aerial to record two sixes during his 29-ball half century. Putting on 94 in just 9 overs, the pair had the chirpsy home team rattled and allowed their teammates on the side-lines to begin daring of a miracle. Could they pull off the impossible?
No. Eight balls later, it was all over. Burgess (51) easily stumped hunting another maximum and Pavli (33 from 32 balls) castled the very next over. Sean ‘Liam’ White (0) was then left looking back in anger at his destroyed stumps and Bean was caught behind for a goldie wrapping up a five-for for the impressive Owen Peacock and an 87 run win for Bedminster.
With plenty of positives to take from the day, a Glastonbury-hit Chilcompton Seconds entertain Barrow Gurney next week back at the CSG.


Saturday 15th June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 47-4 v Old Park 143-8 – Match Abandoned Due to Rain
Just when you think you’ve seen it all in cricket – Lara’s 500, that Stokes catch, Rammers hitting a 50 – something previously unwitnessed comes along to live long in the memory. On Saturday at the CSG, it was the unprecedented sight of four opening batsmen padded up and marching towards the middle. Two from hosts Chilcompton, two from the visiting Old Park.
Cue confused faces and a very sheepish John Burgess. The Chilcompton captain had lost the toss (obviously), immediately forgotten the decision from the visitors’ skipper and then, panicked, instructed his team to put their pads on. Hypothesising that the mix-up may have happened as ‘bowl’ and ‘bat’ both start with the letter ‘b’, the calamitous captain was comforted only by the unrelenting sympathy of his teammates.
A quick change and Burgess (8-21-2) was ready to join Harvey Hadrill (8-46) to open the bowling in front of an increasingly lubricated Chilies Barmy Army (The 1st XI opponents had defaulted). Both Burgess & Hadrill bowled a testing line, with the watchful batsmen going after the odd loose delivery. Eventually the two combined – Burgess bowling, Hadrill with the sharp catch – to account for the first wicket, and the skip clean bowled number 3 soon after. Clive Christer (8-24-1) continued the pressure, getting an absolute jaffer to turn in from outside off-stump and bamboozle the opposition captain even more than he had been during the coin-toss debacle.
Just as opener David Barker was threatening a repeat of his daddy-hundred from the opening day of last season, Theo Pavli produced a superb bit of fielding to run him out on 59. From there, the wickets tumbled in quick succession, largely thanks to some shapely swing bowling from Pavli himself (8-24-2) and, when he wasn’t nutmegging the batsmen with his patented pea-rollers, some tricky off-spinners from Miles Hadrill (8-23-1). After a day in the field to forget at Patchway last week, Ross Warren and Paul Denning showed Chilcompton what they’d been missing with a decent catch and lightning-quick run out to their names respectively. While Burgess tried to restore some continuity – seeing a shy at the stumps from gully ending up bobbling down to fine leg.
With 144 required, some fantastic homemade Victoria Sponge in their belies, and the spectre of dark grey clouds overhead, the Chilies batsmen headed confidently out to bat…for the second time. Adam Marshall was bowled for a duck on the fifth ball of the second over, appearing to play a shot better timed for the sixth. Ross ‘Tubes’ Warren departed for 2 in similar fashion, going big at a straight one like an undreadlocked, right-handed Chris Gayle.
Mark Colbourne picked up where he left off from his half-century at Patchway, bludgeoning the rare bad ball from the Old Park bowlers to all corners. The best of the bunch from The Mountain was an effortless six, creamed back over the head of mid-off. Some customary Dave Travis (9) shovelling came to a premature end when he was run out chasing down a rare two – of course according to the man himself, he made his ground with minutes to spare. Paul Dening fell LBW for a duck soon after, plumb according to the Umpire, at which point the rain started falling. Covers on, Colbourne stranded on a well-made 29 not out and the palpable disappointment of the intoxicated crowd that they wouldn’t see Steve “Rammers” Longden head out to bat.
Subsequent pitch inspections suggested that a conclusion would only be possible with the teams wearing snorkels and so the captains shook hands, taking 10 points each and allowing Chilcompton 2nds to close the gap on Mells at the top of the table. They travel to Bedminster fifths in Bristol next week.
Match Ball Sponsor Dave Hazell


Saturday 8th June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 198-3 v Patchway 2nd XI 196-5 – Chilcompton Won by 7 Wickets
Chilcompton 2nd XI set off for Patchway on Saturday looking to prove three pieces of received wisdom incorrect: that (i) it only takes 45 minutes to drive to Patchway, (ii) you can’t play cricket in gale force winds, and (iii) catches win matches. By Saturday evening, they had shown that the latter of those two adages are complete nonsense.
Captain Jon Burgess continued his consistent run of coin-toss losses and looked visibly shocked when Patchway decided to bat first. Mark ‘Bean’ Easterling was ready to get his season started in fine fashion with the ball in hand (although his day was eventually better characterized with the ball out of hand). He (8-23-1) and Tim Fussell (8-28-1) kept the scoreboard down to around 60 with two wickets down from their miserly 16 overs. The picture at drinks might have looked rosier had it not been for Sam Winsley ‘pulling a Ramrod’ – one 16-ball over later into the wind and he was wishing there was something stronger waiting for him than the regulation jugs of squash.
With the display that followed, guest scorer Richard Gillard was left pondering whether those drinks were indeed spiked. Chilies set about sullying the noble game of cricket with one of the most wretched fielding performances one could dare to imagine. Burgess disco dancing his way around the red-ball as if it were a handbag at Kudos. Fussell spending the afternoon splayed out on the turf like a starfish. Winsley turning singles into fours – a miracle even Jesus would have struggled with. The sheer amount of dollies dropped was reminiscent of Sam Hudson throwing his toys out of the pram at nets on Thursday.
Debutant Theo Pavli (7-41-1) was at least restoring some pride amid the calamity, generating decent speed and troubling length from his dancing shoes. Burgess (7-27-1) kept the unimaginative batsmen pinned down at one end while gentleman Miles Hadrill (8-55-1) eventually accounted for captain Paul Thompson (62) LBW with such a polite appeal that the umpire had no option but to raise the finger. Patchway eventually ended the innings with 196 for 5 – a total that felt eminently gettable on a rain-soaked pitch so far behaving itself.
Following a contender for tea of the season and news of the 1sts on their way to an easy(!) run chase back at the CSG, Mark Colbourne and Adam Marshall set about pursuing that total in a controlled yet confident manner. Passing the DoC’s prescribed 30 in 10 overs and then taking the partnership past 50, Marshall (17) momentarily forgot that he wasn’t in fact Usain Bolt and succumbed to a run out well outside his ground. While Dave Travis started in ‘scratchy’ manner, Colbourne began to unleash hell on the pedestrian Patchway bowling attack. Thanks to several clubbing blows, he soon made his first 50 in over a decade to the appreciative ovation of his teammates.
With that milestone achieved, Colbourne (54) and – following some tasty hitting himself – Travis (28) departed with Chilies comfortably ahead on the worm chart. Tom Hancock picked up where they left off with a display of stroke play as delicious and bountiful as the tea. The left-hander’s flurry of boundaries was a joy to watch, as the scoreboard raced towards the required runs total – Hancock’s only failure was narrowly missing out at putting a hole in the captain’s car after one of his most sweetly timed maximums.
It was left to Jordan Harding (5 not out) who shared a 58 run unbroken 4th wicket partnership to stand admire as Hancock smashed the Chilies home with four overs to spare on his way to a marvellous 58 not out. That meant full batting points for Chilcompton, news so shocking to the DoC that he lost all sense of balance exiting the hostile post-match showers.
Remaining second in the league, Chilcompton 2s face a testing home match against Old Park next week.


Saturday 1st June

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 201-6 v Carsons Mangotsfield 2nd XI 200-9 – Chilcompton Won by 4 Wickets
On a baking hot today, Chilcompton 2nd’s welcomed Carsons Mangnotsfield to the picturesque CSG.
Chili captain Jon Burgess promptly lost the toss and with the away side opting to bat first, Burgess called for a motivational team talk in the bar although his players looked more interested in who could neck their pint first.
Out to the square and it was the long bearded Sean White and the long bodied Jon Loud opening the bowling for Chili and it was White who made the first breakthrough when Coles edged behind to keeper Gillard who snaffled it up like a Warburton’s Gluten Free Panini. Despite the early wicket and some tight lines by the bowlers, Chili were struggling to make any more marks in the wickets column as a pair of Wallage’s (M. & A.) started to build a strong partnership aided by a lightening quick outfield, some suspect fielding & dubious umpiring. Firstly Longden tipped one over the bar for a 6 when it looked easier to catch and then Captain Burgess made his own comedy walk by stumbling and bumbling for what would have been an easy catch to any athletic cricketer. With Carsons now looking well set for a big score, the Wallage partnership was broken thanks to a Christer floater which was well caught by Longden low down to his left and A. Wallage left the field with a credible 47. From then on it was all systems go for Chili and as Jonty Burgess identified a number of junior batsmen due out to the crease he promptly put himself onto bowl ending with figures of 4-38 of his 8 overs and ruining a few young batsman’s afternoon. However it was arguably Harvey Hadrill who was the pick of the bowlers, sent on at the death picking up the key wicket of the other Skipper M.Wallage for 80 and ending with figures of 2-18 of his 4 overs.
Chili couldn’t quite manage to take all 10 wickets with Carsons finishing up with a creditable, but get-able 200-9 off the 40 overs.
With a tea that can only be described as amazing made by Florence Thick, a scuffle almost ensued between Chili players fighting over the last slice of Flo’s delectable quiche.
Quiche behind them, it was time for the Chili batsmen to set about chasing a target of 201 but the start was not what they hoped as the evergreen Dave Travis who had been hitting runs for fun in previous weeks being bowled for 1 by Thatcher bringing Lord Paul Dening to the crease who was after a different type of Thatchers to the bowler. Between Dening and the other opener Jon Loud, Chili soon got the scoreboard ticking nicely and mainly in thanks to Loud who quickly butchered himself to 29 runs including hitting arguably the biggest six seen at the CSG landing in the back garden of Mr Dening’s new abode. When Loud was bowled for 29 and then the impressive looking Tom Hancock soon after, the game appeared to be swinging the way of the away team with Chili sat at 45-3 after 11 overs. Recovering from his nose bleed after being put so high in the batting order Steve Longden joined Dening at the square in what followed to be a game-changing partnership. The two men perhaps well known for their love of the amber nectar put their Cider & Lager to one side and started to build on what turned out to be a game winning partnership of 128 runs off 126 balls. In the hot conditions Dening was sweating pure class as he eloquently picked off the bowlers one by one hitting some beautiful boundaries with the grace of butterfly and timing of a Swiss pocket watch as he ticked past 50 runs with consummate ease. Coached superbly by Dening (mainly after running a 2 and almost colliding), Longden at the other end was also contributing well and even surprised himself when he reached his maiden Saturday 50 with a leg glance off the hips. Feeling the strain of batting for 21 overs instead of the normal 2, Longden’s time at the crease came to an end but not before a trademark slog to cow corner for 6 ending on 56 runs. This majestic partnership took Chili to 173-4 from 32 overs and when Dening finally holed out for a brilliant 72 with the score on 192, just as he did with the bowling, Captain Burgess saw another opportunity to take all the glory and quickly got his pads on to go out and hit the winning 4 with 2 overs to spare.
It was another fine victory for Chili and as beer flowed in the bar afterwards there was great debate if the 2nd’s had ever, and will ever chase down 200 again. They move on to Patchway next Saturday in fine spirits.
Match Ball Sponsor Steve Davis


Saturday 25th May

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 148ao v Coalpit Heath 3rd XI 131-9 – Chilcompton Won by 17 Runs
As Chilcompton 2s travelled to Coalpit Heath 3rds, the early signs weren’t good. Literally, in fact, as about half the team were barely able to navigate their way to the ground. The same fate had clearly befallen the groundsman, leaving openers Mark Colbourne and Adam Marshall to machete their way through the lush outfield to the middle. They were soon making their way back however, each falling for just 2 runs apiece. That brought DoC Dave Travis and Lord Rob Bath to the crease who made a much finer fist of battling against a decent pair of opening bowlers and a track riddled with demons. Following Travis fulfilling his season quota of two sixes and Bath putting the ball to all corners of the unforgiving outfield, the pair were clean bowled for 29 and 26 respectively.
Lambert and Harding’s running between the wickets looked more like Laurel and Hardy and they departed quickly for 5 and 0. While Miles Hadrill and Sean White clearly shared the same idea that flaying at a straight one was the right way to get off the mark – both had their stumps spoiled and headed back to the hutch for ducks. So it was left to the returning captain Jonty Burgess (33 not out) to save the innings, looking somewhat better than his #8 batting position suggested. Joined by the stylish Harvey Hadrill (22) at 96-8, the two showed control and class to ruin a few sets of bowling figures and springboard Chilies back into the game. A final bludgeoning boundary from Clive Christer (4) left the visitors 148 all out – still looking a little below par despite the poor outfield, disciplined bowling and 5-30 figures of captain Jack Sparrow Carrington.
Opening bowlers White and Burgess gave Chilles the start they craved, finding range and rhythm to quickly reduce Coalpit to three down. White’s eight laser-accurate overs were bowled in succession, leaving him with well-earned figures of 2-26. Two of Coalpit’s Williams clan then threatened to take the match away from Chilies, picking off anything loose – very little of which was coming from Christer, conceding a mere 22 from his 8 overs. The committed, athletic fielding of Jordan Harding, George Lambert, Hadrill Junior and Lord Bath also played their part in restricting the scoreboard from racing out of control. With the batsmen now in their 30s, Hadrill Senior was eager to make up for his disappointing duck. He accounted for both – one clean bowled, the other thanks to a spectacular lurching snaffle from Christer – during one of his best spells of bowling for the club, eventually finishing with an excellent 3-16 from his eight. With that, the runs dried up and the wickets began to tumble. Thanks to Burgess’s best Tin Man impersonation, he bowed out early (1-13 from 5) leaving Hadrill the younger (0-28 from 4) and Travis to complete the overs, the latter accounting for not one, not two but, yes, THREE wickets! The pick being the last – cleverly luring the mouthy young batsman out of the crease by bowling a distant wide, leaving Marshall with only half-an-hour or so to complete the stumping. Finishing with figures of 3-21 from 7, the innings petered out leaving Chilies one wicket short of full bowling points at 131-9.
Winning by 17 runs, Chilcompton second XI lift to third in the league and welcome bottom-placed Carsons & Mangotsfield seconds to the CSG next Saturday.


Saturday 18th May

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 140-6 v Thornbury 4th 136-9 – Chilcompton Won by 4 Wickets
Determined to put the narrow defeat to Mells behind them, the first ever toss for interim Second XI captain Adam Marshall resulted in exactly what he was hoping for – having the chance to bowl first against Thornbury 4ths at the picturesque CSG. Chilcompton’s very own Curtley and Courtney – Michael Gooderham and Sean White got things off to the ideal start, restricting the travelling team’s openers with some exemplary line and length seaming. It was White with the early breakthroughs, splaying the stumps twice (including those of top scorer Tom Rimmer) and taking a sharp caught and bowled on his way to handsome figures of 3 for 22. Conscious of putting batsmen roughly a quarter of his size (and age) in harm’s way, Jon Loud charitably got started with a couple of Harmison-esque wides, before tightening things up with a tremendous spell that somehow brought him only a solitary wicket despite losing count of the times he passed the bat (1-15). Coming up the hill, rookie Sam Winsley was busy earning his club shirt with a maiden-heavy set of six overs (0-13). Runs may have been at a premium, but so were wickets – frustrations were rising with the seconds’ number 1 cheerleader and club legend Neil Moon arriving just in time to see the skipper shell a regulation snaffle behind the sticks. Cometh the hour, cometh the Ramrod. Putting last week’s dubious “two-and-a-half over” spell behind him, Steve Longden struck in his first over – somehow finding a way to get the ball past/under the bat and resting it neatly against the stumps. Getting into his stride, what followed were some genuinely tricksy overs that yielded a further two wickets and figures of 3 for 37. It was left to Gooderham (1 for 26) and a precise Dave Travis (1 for 11) to try and prise out the last few wickets with the over count dwindling. Despite the best efforts of Lord Rob Bath in the field and his three sharp catches, the Chilis were left one wicket short as the (admittedly junior) visitors limped to an under par 136 for 9 from their allocated 40.
Following a hearty lunch, the agitated crowd begged for entertainment. Somewhere deep in the changing room, Ross ‘Tubes’ Warren must have heard, as he set about swinging at everything and clubbing his way to a prematurely terminated 11. Alas, that would conclude the calypso cricket, as Marshall and DoC Travis prodded and scratched their way through the following overs facing an attack that generated little in the way of pace or accuracy – Marshall mercifully skying one into the gloves of the wicket keeper for 33. Travis and the sprightly Simon Tandy batted with determination and control, with some attractive shot-making and wily running. When both fell in quick succession (for 36 and 12 respectively) with the scoreboard stuck on 122 and ten overs remaining, the Chilis still hadn’t quite entered squeaky bum time (except for Baron Paul Dening’s customary post-lunch fanfare from the boundary). But that time soon approached when the pick of Thornbury’s bowlers, Greg Messer, accounted for Dening (2) and Gooderham in consecutive balls – each an in-swinging missile homing in on the off peg. Lord Bath was looking steady at the other end, but were Marshall’s men about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Cometh the hour, cometh the Ramrod…part two. With two lusty fours, Longden put the result beyond doubt – adding 11 to Bath’s classy 27. The latter eventually battered a winning boundary with 8 overs to spare and the chance to get into the bar before the early arrival of the victorious firsts.
The twos make the trip to Coalpit Heath next weekend, with a their bronzed permanent captain returning from his ill-timed holiday. Match Ball Sponsor Archie Goodsir

Saturday 11th May

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI 220-9 v Mells 237-5 – Mells Won by 17 runs
Skipper for the day Dave Travis lost the toss and Mells chose to bat on a lovely day at the CSG. Keiran Rogers led the way with 71 and he was well supported by Steve Smith (32), Rich Rogers (38) and E.Xtras (50). A makeshift attack struggled to tame the big hitting Mells team although Clive Christer (0-18), Mike Gooderham (2-33) and Tim Fussell (1-29) all turned in excellent bowling figures.
After tea Mark Colbourne (33) and Kyle Gloudemans (74) gave the home side a good start before Colbourne departed with the score on 62 in the 17th Over. After Fussell departed LBW, Dave Travis (41) joined Gloudemans and the pair added 71 in 8 overs to give the home team a sniff of victory. When the Skipper departed trying one to many slogs to leg Paul Dening (33no) joined the stylish Gloudemans to continue the progress chasing down the large total. After Gloudemans departed for an excellent 74 the Home Side just fell short by 17 runs despite some excellent shots from the evergreen Dening
Chili 2nds entertain Thornbury next Saturday at the CSG looking to get back to winning ways
Match Ball Sponsor Nick Western

Saturday 4th May

Chilcompton Sports Saturday 2nd XI v Abbott Leigh 2nds – Chilcompton Won due to Abbots Leigh Default!