Barnes Common, Sunday 16 August 2020. St Anne’s Allstars 167-6 (28.5 overs: Matt Lo 56, Matt Biss 51) beat Zambuca Tigers 166-8 (35 overs: Samer Hafiz 3-19) by 4 wickets.

Allstars debut: Hywel Roberts.

Report by Garreth Duncan – photos by Pete Cresswell

After the heatwave came the cloud and rain. At the Ageas Bowl, farcical scenes as rain and bad light led to the least amount of play in an England home Test for 33 years. Down in Kent, our old foes the Rain Men lived up to their name as only two overs were possible before their game was abandoned. But we were to have much better fortune with the weather, as the showers only briefly touched Barnes Common as we avenged last year’s defeat against Vivek’s Zambuca Tigers, putting in another excellent team performance to win for the second Sunday in succession.

The post-resumption clamour for cricket reached new heights, no less than 15 being signed up at one stage. Indeed, one of our finest, Sachin Singh, was to end up starring as a guest player for the Railway Taverners as we couldn’t quite fit him into our side. 13 Allstars arrived at Barnes to face 9 Tigers, and so Vivek Seth captained his other team and Tony Grant also became Tony the Tiger for the day.

The Barnes Common pitch did not look in good condition, and after winning the toss Vivek, no doubt with the Plastics game still fresh in his mind, opted to bat first. Gren Thompson and Shanmugam Sama opened the bowling, and it was quickly evident that the pitch was misbehaving even more than we’d thought – one ball rearing off a length, the next scuttling low. The oohs and aahs were coming more regularly than an Eric Cantona appearance. Somehow, Tigers openers Elsom and Richards survived Gren and Shanmu’s initial burst – but critically, the first 10 overs had yielded only 20 runs.

Samir Hafiz replaced Gren at the Railway End and continued his superb form from the Weasels game, getting the first wicket by bowling Elsom as he tried up the rate. Samer then grabbed a second thanks to a smart stumping by Dharani Ronanki, who excelled behind the stumps in the difficult conditions. Apu Chauhan, who’d been the difference between the sides in the Tigers’ victory at Brighton last year, came in and looked threateningly at ease – but Jono Beagle dismissed him off the faintest of gloves to Dharani. Seemingly everyone heard it except Chauhan, who wasn’t too happy with being given out – but he’d gone for 14 and the Allstars remained in control.

Samer took a third as he bowled Craddock, completing another excellent spell, prompting Pete to give my leg-spin a try. After a nervous start, I found better rhythm in my second over and dismissed left-hander De Silva, superbly caught by a diving Neale Adams at slip. It’s great to see Neale back with the Allstars, and his enthusiasm and joie de vivre remain undiminished as ever.

After a cautious start, TG began to find his touch with the bat as he drove powerfully down the ground and through mid-wicket. Hywel Roberts, on his Allstars debut, took on the tough job of bowling from the Vine Road end and produced a useful spell of left-arm spin. Majithia was also getting into his stride, and the rate began to climb. But Gren and Shanmu, having been luckless in their opening spells, were to be rewarded on their return. Shanmu ended TG’s fun as Neale took his second stunning slip catch of the day, and Gren had Majithia trapped plumb in front. Shanmu finished his spell in style as he clean bowled “Pele” Styles, and the Tigers’ eventual score of 166-8 looked chaseable – if the pitch permitted it.

The rain began to fall at the end of the Tigers’ innings, and continued as ours began. Vivek, who knows how to bowl at Barnes, opened the bowling for the Tigers and quickly bowled Pete Cresswell. Hywel began positively, but Vivek got him too courtesy of a smart catch from TG – an all-Allstars dismissal, but perhaps not one we would have liked. At the first sanitisation break we were 25-2.

This was to bring together the partnership of the day as the two Matts, Biss and Lo, continued their fine form from the previous week. Matt Biss belied his own self-declared reputation as a nudger and nurdler as he unleashed some fine shots and Matt Lo played the shot of the day, a sumptuous six off left-arm spinner Ryan. It was perhaps not the day to be looking for the ball in the undergrowth, as always seems to be the case at Barnes Common – though we were fortunate that lost time was our only problem, as it was subsequently reported by the BBC that a 5ft boa constrictor was captured that day, less than a mile from the ground.

At the drinks break we were 93-2 and seemingly cruising to victory – but the Tigers are most dangerous when cornered, and they wouldn’t go down without a fight. Having reached his third fifty of the season, Matt Biss was bowled by a shooter next ball to end a stand just one short of our second hundred partnership of the season. Jono Beagle was unlucky to be given out caught behind shortly after, the ball deflecting off his wrist and helmet and lobbing into the keeper’s gloves. Matt Lo also reached his fifty, but then was lbw to another unplayable shooter in Richards’ first over, and Gren was bowled the same over. 122-2 had become 142-6, and suddenly the Tigers smelt blood.

But we needn’t have worried as Samer and Shanmu, having already starred with the ball, finished the job with the bat. Deciding that attack was the best form of defence, they both hit out, Shanmu crunching three boundaries in an over as we went to victory with more than 6 overs to spare.

The Tigers are always sporting opponents, and they joined us in the Sun Inn as we celebrated another excellent game. Quarantine permitting, we hope to see them next in the South of France – but next up we return to Marble Hill Park to play Crossbats on Saturday 29 August.

Marble Hill Park, Sunday 9 August 2020. St Anne’s Allstars 191-2 (30.1 overs, Matt Biss 68*, Jono Beagle 49*, Matt Lo 36) beat New Barbarian Weasels 190-7 (35 overs, Asif Iqbal 71, Joe Wilson 59, Paul Bowman 3-17) by 8 wickets.

Report by Garreth Duncan – Photos by Pete Cresswell and Garreth Duncan

Even with all the COVID restrictions we’re all getting used to, after just a month it’s like cricket has never been away. Test cricket is back, albeit behind closed doors, and England are winning at home again, with the ageless Stuart Broad back to his best. On Saturday, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes mounted an incredible fightback against Pakistan to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The following day, in a fantastic team performance in which everyone contributed, we staged an impressive comeback of our own from an unpromising position against our old friends the Weasels to record our second victory of the season.

On an afternoon with the thermometer firmly marked at “scorchio”, we arrived at Marble Hill Park to find it busy with walkers, cyclists, and even dinghies and paddle boarders. The outfield was parched and looked lightning quick, and I felt a sense of trepidation as Weasels’ skipper Omar Iqbal called correctly and chose to bat first.

We were perhaps surprised to see Weasels’ stalwart Ian Regnier-Wilson, usually a middle order regular, stride out to open with Asif Iqbal (our second opponent to share a name with a Test player, after the Canbashers’ Andy Roberts). Shanmugam Sama opened the bowling and continued where he’d left off against Plastics, as an early edge from Asif flew between keeper Dharani Ronanki and socially distanced first slip Pete Cresswell. Paul Bowman was also quickly into his stride, dispatching Iain LBW with a toe-crunching yorker.

Iain’s dismissal brought together Asif and their other “gun” player, Aussie Joe Wilson. Having seen off the opening bowlers, they quickly upped the run rate against change bowlers Jagath Dasari and Ed Heelas. The boundary count escalated as a packed off-side field couldn’t prevent Asif’s cuts and cover drives, and Joe stood tall and simply belted everything down the ground. Their partnership had passed 100 by the 18-over sanitation break, with both passing fifty, and we were staring at a potential 250-plus total.

But this was an afternoon where the Allstars refused to give in. Jono Beagle, undeterred, got the breakthrough by bowling Joe off his pads. Next over, Samir Hafiz, who bowled a superb spell of left-arm spin with a lovely loop and excellent control, had Asif held by Ed with a juggling catch at mid-wicket.

With the big guns gone, we had a grip on the game which we were never to relinquish. The returning Jagath began his second spell with an absolute peach of a delivery to clip the top of Nick Woodhead’s off-stump. Pagan and Joshi dug in, but the run rate slowed markedly, and I even had the luxury of bringing myself on for an over without alarm.

Shanmu returned, and grabbed a deserved wicket in his final over as his great mate Dharani pouched an edge from Joshi. Their devotion to the Allstars is so great that they’ve both been getting up at 5.30am for nets at Seven Kings, and it was fantastic to see their efforts rewarded. KP closed out the innings in style as he bowled Pagan and Frankie McIlheney with successive deliveries in the final over. The Weasels’ final total of 190-7, though creditable, was a lot less than looked likely at the halfway stage.

After our now-customary solo teas, and rehydrated by various Allstars’ trips to shop for water, Pete and Matt Biss began the Allstars innings. Weasels’ gun players Asif and Joe opened the bowling too, but the pitch was much more favourable for batting than Barnes Common two weeks earlier, and Pete and Matt got off to a much quicker start than they’d done against Plastics. Finding the gaps in the field, they ran singles with ease, and they’d put on 39 in 9 overs before Asif rattled Pete’s stumps.

Matt Lo came to the crease and instantly looked the part, seeing off the openers before tucking into the change bowlers Omar and Pagan, mixing powerful sweeps with effortless caresses down the ground. He was making it look so easy it was a surprise when Alam Saydul bowled him with one that kept a bit low (or should that be Lo?). Still, by then we were 90-2 in the 16th over and well on track for victory.

Jono joined his great pal Matt at the wicket, and it was them that saw us to victory with an unbroken partnership of 101. Even though they don’t always play together for NCI, they know each other’s game instinctively, and they continued to find easy singles while putting away the bad balls to the boundary. In a last desperate throw of the dice, Asif and Joe were recalled for one final blast. But by then Jono had the measure of the pitch, and used the pace of the ball intelligently to cut and dab for fours, and Matt reached his second fifty of the season as we eased to victory with nearly 5 overs to spare.

It was great to see the Weasels again, and we’re hopeful they can stay together and continue to challenge us in future years. Our next assignment comes on Sunday, as we return to Barnes to face Zambuca Tigers.

The Allstars return to Barnes Common for the first time in 2020, for our inaugural fixture against Plastics CC. Here’s our skipper Pete Cresswell’s photos from the day!

Barnes Common looking pristine for our arrival.

Our specially painted stumps, looking immaculate as always …

and some coloured balls to pick out in the Barnes undergrowth. 

The Allstars take the field on a lovely summer’s day.

Allstars and families watch on as the Plastics innings draws to a close. An excellent effort in the field, as we bowl out Plastics for 128 …

but we couldn’t quite manage to chase down the target with the bat, falling 17 runs short.  

These Plastics won’t be single use – looking forward to playing them again next year!

Barn Elms, Saturday 11 July 2020. St Anne’s Allstars 258/4 (35 overs, M Biss 52 ret, S Bruce 50 ret, M Smith 47, S Singh 40*, J Beagle 31, P Smith 2-44) beat Corridor CC 246/6 (35 overs, Stovens 66*, Parker 34 ret hurt, Hopkins 33, S Bruce 3-16 inc hat-trick) by 12 runs.

Allstars Debutants: Matt Smith, Stuart Bruce, Graham Bruce, Tim Parkin, Sam Waddicor.

Words and Photos by Pete Cresswell

Finally emerging from the darkness of lockdown, the recreational cricket season burst into life as the Allstars 2020 season began with a high scoring thriller at a sunny Barn Elms.

With only 2 weeks of recruitment time available after Boris finally gave us the go-ahead to resume, the Allstars team featured no less than 5 debutants, and an incredible 7 opening batsmen. In our opening fixture of last season, club skipper Cresswell and captain for today Paul Burgin had opened for the Allstars, but the depth of batting talent available to us today meant they sportingly took their places at numbers 9 and 11 respectively.

With both teams eager to get everyone involved after little time for practice, a retire-at-50 (and return later if necessary) condition was set. COVID-19 safety was of course uppermost in everyone’s minds, and we all set about it according to the ECB regulations with socially distanced field placings, masked umpires and hygiene breaks every 6 overs to sanitise hands and the ball.

Captain Burgin won the toss and opted to bat first, and the 2 Allstars Matts, Biss & Smith, strode out to the artificial wicket – to face an opening bowler also named Matt. The pair accumulated quickly, making the most of a lightning fast outfield and Corridor being a fielder short to score at 7 an over through the first 12 overs. The arrival of spin slowed the run rate slightly before Matt Smith, just three short of a debut fifty, smoked a drive straight back into the bowler’s hands to end a 91-run opening stand.

Stuart Bruce entered the fray, to be joined shortly after by his brother and fellow debutant Graham, as Matt Biss reached his second 50 in two matches for the Allstars and retired. The brothers quickly pushed the score past 150, with Stuart also retiring after smashing a 39-ball 50. A quick cameo from another debutant in Tim Parkin followed, before Jono Beagle and Sachin Singh combined to accelerate at the death, aided by Samer Hafiz after Jono was run out by a direct hit trying to feed Sachin the strike. A score of 258/4 represented an excellent return to cricket in 2020 for the Allstars, and our highest total on an opening day of a season.

After taking our own teas (COVID restrictions meaning we had to forgo our usual shared tea), the Corridor innings began in bright sunshine. Debutant Sam Waddicor generated pace and swing from one end, while Sachin managed to generate an edge that flew through the social distancing gap between keeper Cresswell and Samer at wide slip, as Corridor began steadily until Sachin made the first breakthrough as he held on to a return catch in his third over to remove Corridor skipper Duncan Mallard. Corridor’s second wicket pair then feasted on some slower bowling from Burgin and Parkin until the aggressive Davies was deceived in flight by Burgin and bowled, making the score 63/2 in the 10th.

Skipper Burgin continued rotating the Allstars’ bowlers in 3-over spells to get everyone involved and keep the Corridor batsmen guessing. Their opener Smith cleverly fed the aggressive Stovens the strike in a 69-run stand, before Samer then deceived Smith who tried to cut a sharply turning chinaman and could only inside edge it onto leg stump.

Stovens reached his 50 and retired shortly after, before Sherlock holed out off Biss which reduced Corridor to 151/4 after 21 overs. But with the opposition needing 108 from 14 overs, the game was still in the balance.

Hopkins and Parker took up Corridor’s attack, hunting boundaries on a pitch that gave bowlers little scope for error in length. They had reached 181/4 at the 3rd hygiene break, and added another 39 in the following 6 overs. With the score at 208/4, 50 were needed off 30 to force a super over – and the Allstars would be at a disadvantage there, fielding two Kiwi players to Corridor’s one. Nobody wanted such a great game to be decided on a boundary count-back.

Unfortunately Parker then top edged a pull shot off Sachin into his jaw, and retired hurt on 34 to clear his head. Thankfully, he was on good form to enjoy socially distanced beers post-match. It was then that Stuart Bruce re-entered the fray as our 9th bowler of the day, to complete a man-of-the-match all round performance. With the first ball of the 34th over, with Corridor needing 30 off 12 balls, Hopkins holed out giving Matt Smith his second catch at extra cover. Stuart then uprooted Aggers’ middle stump first ball, and cannoned the (now rather misshapen) ball into S. Raja’s pads in front of middle to complete a superb hat trick – remarkably, our second by a debutant, following Paul Nicol’s against Rain Men way back in 2002.

Needing 28 off 6 balls, Tucker & the returning Stovens managed to take 14 off the final over from Beagle, including a 6 off the last ball to end an excellent day’s cricket played in great spirits. We wish Corridor the best of luck for the rest of their season – in the meantime, we’ll be back in Barnes, this time on the Common, on the 26th to take on Plastics CC.