Wadham College ground, Oxford, Sunday 12 July 2009.

St Anne’s Allstars 144-6 (35 overs: Aidan Nicol 37) beat Salix 133 (34 overs: Dave Padmore 62, Jon Ryan 3-20, Garreth Duncan 2-5) by 11 runs.

By Garreth Duncan

As England were conjuring an unlikely escape in the first Ashes Test in Cardiff, another cliffhanger was taking place in Oxford as we snatched a famous win at the death from what looked like an equally hopeless position.

On a sunny day, I won the toss and had little hesitation in deciding to bat first. But the pitch turned out not to be quite the belter it looked, the awkward bounce making run-scoring difficult for both sides. We couldn’t blame it for our first wicket as we got off to a disastrous start, a run out cock-up in the very first over sending James “Tarka” Hindle back to the pavilion without scoring.

Tristan Haddow-Allen and Aidan Nicol steadied the ship, initially taking few risks as they saw off the opening bowlers Dave Padmore and Nick Gould. The change bowlers proved just as tricky to get away, but Tristan was just starting to get motoring when he hit Heaton to cover. Aidan continued on together with brother Paul before he too was run out, having batted very well for his 37. But with wickets in hand, the platform had been set for a late acceleration as we hit 81 from the last 12 overs, Jon Hautot, Dave Halladay and Chris Nicol (completing the Allstars’ second set of three brothers on the same team) all mixing clean hitting with good running between the wickets.

Our final total of 144 for 6 looked respectable, but we’d need to bowl out of our skins to defend it. Opening the bowling from the far end, Jon Ryan did just that as, buoyed up by some witty Allstars banter and the most nicknames ever in one game (Frank Sinatra songs and Tom Clancy books featuring heavily), he clean bowled both openers with full, straight deliveries before rearranging the dangerous Gould‘s stumps with a perfect inswinger. Just to add to it, he also took a sharp catch at backward point off Tristan to dismiss “CK” Kulasingham.

Salix were in trouble at 36 for 4 when their skipper Padmore strode to the wicket and went for his shots straight away. Chris Nicol, on his Allstars debut, kept the pressure on with a well-controlled spell of left-arm spin, producing the ball of the day, a huge turning chinaman to bowl Clews. But Padmore, seemingly hitting effortlessly in an arc between mid-wicket and long-on, found an ally in the stout, Collingwood-esque defence of Tony Fletcher, and the partnership took them within sight of the target with five wickets standing.

On the boundary, Salix were already contemplating victory. But what followed will go down in Allstars legend alongside our breakthrough tour win against Trengilly Wartha in 2002. With only 19 required, Tarka finally broke Fletcher’s stubborn resistance. Next ball, the big breakthrough – as Padmore cut me firmly to the leaping Aidan at point. He’d batted mighty well for his 62. As the pressure mounted in Salix’ ranks, their tailenders panicked: having been reprieved by a rare drop at mid-on from Tristan (who took a nasty blow to the ribs as he dived forward), Raj Sanwalka hit my very next ball straight to Tarka at mid-wicket.

Suddenly, we sniffed victory, and next over Tarka found another peach to clean up Heaton. As news filtered through on the radio of Jimmy and Monty’s heroic defiance, we did what the Aussies couldn’t and took the last wicket, the game finishing as it started with last man Spillane run out in a chaotic mix-up.

A great Allstars performance where everyone contributed with bat, ball and in the field, to level our enthralling series with Salix at 4 games all and set us up nicely for our tour to Hampshire.

Man of the Match: Jon Ryan. “Ol’ Blue Eyes” produced the spell of his life to give us a dream start with the ball.

Champagne Moment: Chris Nicol’s ripper of a chinaman – perhaps the first ever seen in an Allstars game.

Many thanks to Neale for the pictures!

Allstars line up for the day.  Left to right: Neale Adams, Pete Cresswell, Tony Grant, Paul Burgin, Nick Chadwick, Martyn Langridge, Ed Heelas, Jimmy Scott, Vivek Seth.

Captain Chadders, sporting one of his usual colourful shirts, with his No 1 fan.

Paul Burgin prepares for the day he makes his first Allstars 50.

Pete Cresswell, the picture of concentration at the top of the order.  For the second time this season, Pete top scored with a battling 39.

Sam Macdonald launches into one of his trademark cover drives.

Paul, Sam and Lucian Phipps enjoying a welcome post-match drink.

Dulwich Sports Ground, Sunday 18 June 2017.  Baker Street Irregulars (127-3) beat St Anne’s Allstars (125-8) by 7 wickets.

By Neale Adams

It was definitely an open and shut case against the Baker Street Irregulars (BSI) at a sweltering Dulwich Sports Ground last week. Even Holmes himself would have found it difficult to find any evidence…..

Having amassed in force – that being a full team of 11 – the Allstars were put into bat with Pete Cresswell and Paul Burgin leading the charge. It was going well until the ninth over when Burgin, who showed such promise, was returned to the pavilion – promptly followed by his Jamaica-tanned replacement Jimmy Scott.

The Allstars middle order tried to stir it up and stabilise the ship – but runs were slow in coming. Batsmen attempted to support Cresswell, who has carried his bat for the Allstars on two previous occasions and looked as if he was going for a hat-trick, but we were waiting in vain.

Eventually even Cresswell succumbed to the BSI catching machine (six Allstars wickets, out of the total seven, were taken by catches), but his 39 helped to get the team up to 125 after 35 overs (including 33 extras).

Undaunted, and certainly full after a fine tea, the Allstars returned to the field to hunt for clues, and more importantly wickets, that would give them their first victory this season.

Ed Heelas and this year’s Allstars Club Captain Nick ‘Chadders’ Chadwick led the attack with the fielders helping…..well, not really. The bowling was very competent from both ends, yet whether it was down to a full belly, the hot sun, or being a year older, the ball continued to find its way over the boundary ropes. The BSI openers had reached 60 after six overs.

It was not until a change of pace, with the introduction of Tony Grant and Vivek Seth, did the rewards come. TG let no time go to waste by claiming the scalp of the BSI opener Hemmingway (lbw) with his very first delivery in the eighth over, and then another caught and bowled in the tenth.

But irreparable damage had been done – especially by the BSI number two batsman Tom Philips, who went on to score 67 with some fine stroke play. Philips’ demise was brought about with the advent of Martyn Langridge, whose delivery hit the stumps.

Even Langridge’s on-field motivational talks that involved monkeys, whales and I couldn’t quite hear the last, but I believe it is a slang term for cats, failed to raise the Allstars out of their fielding conundrum.

BSI reached 127 (six extras) for three wickets in the 15th over.

However, in the words of Jeremy Corbyn, we won. You may think the stats suggest otherwise, but the pavilion had Sky TV and a bar…..with a fine selection of ales and lagers (and soft drinks)….all reasonably priced.

So with spirits refreshed and the discovery that Chadders has his very own fan club outside the Allstars fraternity, Burgin will never vote Tory, and that the greatly missed Gren Thompson has a problem using social media:  ‘Really is a great dr Road of you ink I’  being his WhatsApp comment on the match result, an Allstars match is never a wasted moment, just a way to make good memories. It’s elementary.

The Urn Field, Guildford, Sunday 28 May 2017.  Sanford CC (190-2) beat St Anne’s Allstars CC (117) by 73 runs.

By Neale Adams

The annual match against Sanford CC took place under foreboding skies last weekend. We should have read the signs – and not merely those pointing us to the venue location. Bloody satnav.

With both teams fighting to recruit a full complement due to alternative activities on offer over the Bank Holiday weekend, ten men were duly selected for each side in a limited overs match – initially set at 35 overs.

Having won the toss, Sanford went into bat on a relatively dry square and set about their business. Wickets were hard to come by, and fielders stopping the ball even harder. Paul Bowman and Allstars new boy Chris Carey opened for the Allstars, and despite coming close on several occasions, the bails stayed firmly on the stumps.

Sanford batting was solid, even as the weather conditions deteriorated and the rain came.

A few half chances in the form of catches and a run out could have helped the Allstars cause but in general fielding was, as described by a senior Allstars all-rounder, ‘rusty’. That’s the polite way of describing it.

Comically knees took the place of hands as several Allstars bruises will show.

A change of bowlers saw another Allstars new boy Sandy Mehta try his luck, supported by Ed Heelas making his second outing for the team.

In the given conditions, and a wet ball, the bowling was good, but little reward came. The fielding remained ‘rusty’ and more knees got battered.

Mehta got the breakthrough, and his first Allstars wicket, by bowling Sanford’s number two Bailey for 29.

Vivek Seth and Neale Adams came on after the drinks break as we took pace off the ball to try and get another breakthrough. Sanford opener Field was eventually despatched by Seth lbw, but not before striking an impressive total of 62.

That was the end of the wickets for the Allstars but not the runs for Sanford who increased their tally, or the rain.

Sanford’s Cooke struck a competent 52 not out, assisted by Banks on five not out. Cooke has taken a real liking to our bowling and has proved the difference between the sides in recent years.  He’s probably too good for this level of cricket, but we were to learn in the pub afterwards that it’s not even his main sport – his principal game being ice hockey, in which he turns out for Streatham having played for England Under-18s.

Sanford had reached a total of 190 for 2 after 27 overs (including 41 extras) before the rain forced both teams back into the pavilion.  An early tea was most welcome.

New boys Carey and Mehta were sent out to lead the Allstars charge. Mehta knocked up 25 before being despatched by Smallpiece.

Sanford bowling was accurate and Allstars wickets fell like the rain. A rear guard action by skipper Adams, with 35, his second highest score for the Allstars, helped to boost the Allstars tally, assisted by Iain Wilson, more usually found captaining our regular opponents New Barbarian Weasels CC, who knocked up 12, and Ian Fisher, playing his first regular season Allstars game having guested for us on many a Northumberland tour, who left the field on eight not out.

The Allstars posted a total of 117 all out, that included 19 extras. But despite the loss, and the rain, the match was played in good spirits, that continued to flow in the Robin Hood pub immediately after match end. Thanks to all who played.

Here’s the final version – note the change of date for the Festival.

The match managers for the first three games indicated – please get in touch with the match manager if you’d like to play:

Sunday 21 May – Valley End – away, Chobham (match manager: Pete Cresswell)

Sunday 28 May – Sanford – away, Guildford (manager: Neale Adams)

Sunday 11 June – Heartaches – away, Aston Rowant, Oxfordshire (manager: Paul Bowman)

Sunday 18 June – Baker Street Irregulars – home, Dulwich

Sunday 25 June – Gentlemen of West London* – away, New Malden

Saturday 8 July – Wisborough Wanderers – home, Barnes (TBC)

Sunday 23 July –  Quokkas – home, Barnes

Sunday 30 July – St Anne’s Allstars Festival – Dulwich

Saturday 5 August – Crossbats – away, Marble Hill Park, Twickenham

Sunday 27 August – Mighty Wanderers† – away, venue TBC

Sunday 3 September – Edgware CC – venue TBC

Sunday 17 September – New Barbarian Weasels – home, venue TBC

*The 42-11 Trophy

†The James Abrahams Trophy