Soham Grammarian Summer 1950
REPORT OF A CRICKET MATCH
Soham Grammar School v. Soham Town. 3rd June, 1950
Although "Town v Gown" is the title appropriate to such matches it would be singularly inappropriate on this occasion, for the only player in this encounter who was eligible to wear academic dress was playing for the Town.
As the School took the field it was noted that only one First XI Cap was visible and that was, if not a portent of what was in store, an indication of the weakness of the School's cricket at this particular stage in its metamorphosis from the agricultural (very) to that degree of technical correctness that, before this match, appeared to be capable of attainment only in the dim and distant future. But this match showed without any shadow of doubt that the lessons are being assimilated and the writer acknowledges with pleasure the first real evidence that batting at Soham Grammar School is not a lost art. [In fairness it ought to be set down that the writer also noted that the First XI's opening bowler (and regular captain) and one of its opening bats were both absent from the team].
After a quick success, the first Town wicket falling at 2, the School had to wait for 12 overs before another wicket fell. In that time 40 runs had been scored, nineteen of them by a former member of the School First XI, and it is ironical to note that this was more than he had scored for the school during his entire school career!
After this partnership was broken no further substantial opposition was encountered and it only remains to remark, again with pleasure, that the substitute called in at the last minute for one of the two absentees already mentioned was a member of LVA and that he distinguished himself, as all substitutes should, by some keen ground fielding, which was crowned towards the end of the innings by an excellent and difficult catch.
The captaincy (also substitute) was good, the change of bowling being particularly so. The only blemish was the repetition for the second time in a week (by two different captains, be it noted) of the failure to take advantage of an openly-declared intention to hit out - this time, although the slow bowlers were taken off, no fielder was despatched to the outfield.
And now we come to the School's batting. The writer wishes he could do justice to the rich material the story offers. Only a team that contained Robertson and Hutton, followed by Abbott and Costello, could really reproduce the drama-comedy that followed.
First let it be said that we saw an opening partnership the like of which has not been seen in the School's cricket for more years than the record books show - a partnership of 32 runs of model correctness. The bowling was tight and runs came slowly, at times painfully slow, but all the time correct shots were being played. Often the shots went straight to a fielder and often they weren't powerful enough, but those (in a schoolboy) are venial faults.
What is worth shouting from the house tops is that batsmanship was being displayed, the forward shots being particularly pleasing. (If only a small fraction of the combined batting performance had been available three days earlier at Newport, when wickets fell all too readily and regularly, the school would not have succumbed with the ulti-penultimate ball of the match at the dismal total of 23).
Eventually, however, the dignity appropriate to Lords was replaced by antics more appropriate to a stage farce. The opening batsmen, finally appearing to tire of their impeccable behaviour, began it. One of them (the Robertson of the pair) pathetically lost his head and ran his partner out, and then, possibly as an act of atonement, promptly committed hari-kiri the next ball. Truly a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Sed facilis descensus Averno ! High comedy continued its reign. The captain determined that a course of do or die was required. He promptly did (and most powerfully), but he saw that others died. The sight of him careering down the pitch shouting "Come on!" to a partner who, he had failed to observe, had fallen flat on his face made the writer die, too, or nearly so, of laughing. Time, however, always merciful, brought an end to all this when the School had scored 59 for 4 in reply to the Town's total of 77 (all out), but before this account closes the writer gives it as his opinion as well as his hope that time, healing as well as merciful, will efface the comedy and leave only the drama of the rebirth of the art of batting in the School First XI.
E[A?]
CRICKET RESULTS
FIRST ELEVEN
Saturday, May 13th v Soham Town CC (home) -WON.
School 134-2 dec. (Mr RA Taylor 100 no.) Soham Town CC 38 (Sargent 7-16)
Wednesday, May 31st v Newport GS (away) - LOST.
School 23 (Fleet 6). Newport GS 132-8 (Whetstone 3-21)
Saturday, June 3rd v Soham Town CC (home) - DRAWN.
School 59-4 (Whetstone 16 no.) Ward 13, Scarfe 12). Soham Town CC 77 (Strawson 5-18)
Wednesday, June 7th v Saffron Walden Friends' School (away) - DRAWN.
School 92-7 dec. (Whetstone 20, Bumpsteed 15, Ibbott 12 no., Fuller 12, Sargent 10). Saffron Walden Friends' School 40-5 (Sargent 3-15)
Wednesday, June 29th v King Edward VI GS 1st XI (away) -WON.
School 49-3 (Whetstone 21 no., Sargent 12 no.) King Edward VI GS 18 (Sargent 5-6, Strawson 3-2)
Wednesday, July 5th v Saffron Walden Friends School 1st XI (home) - DRAWN.
School 84-7 dec. (Fuller 23, Sargent 22). Saffron Walden Friends' School 34-7 (Whetstone 3-14)
Saturday, July 8th v March GS 1st XI. (home) - DRAWN.
School 115-6 dec. (Sargent 53, Bumpsteed 21). March GS 32-8 (Sargent 3-9, Whetstone 3-9)
Thursday, July 13th v Kings' School, Ely, 1st XI (away) - DRAWN.
School 1st XI 57-3 (Sargent 23 no., Ward 14). Kings' School, Ely, 1st XI 127-5 dec. (Sargent 4-51)
Wednesday, July 19th v Newmarket GS 1st XI (away) - WON.
School 1st XI 100-7 dec. (Bumpsteed 18, Fuller 17, Sargent 16). Newmarket GS 1st XI. 42 (Sargent 6-16, Whetstone 4-8)
Saturday, July 22nd 1st XI v Old Boys - DRAWN.
Old Boys 98-9 dec. School 17-1SECOND ELEVEN
Saturday, May 13th v Cambs. and County 3rd XI (away) - LOST.
School 2nd XI 36 (Kendall 15, Raven 11). CCHS 3rd XI 56 (Neville 4-26, Cutting 3-8)
Saturday, June 24th v Cambs. and County 3rd XI (home) - LOST.
School 2nd XI 50 (Cutting 9). CCHS 3rd XI 62 (Neville 5-14).
Thursday, June 29th v King Edward VI GS 2nd XI (home) - DRAWN.
School 2nd XI 77-8 (Roe 18, Kendall 18). King Edward VI GS 2nd XI 47-8 (Raven 5-9)
Saturday, July 8th v March GS 2nd XI (home) - LOST.
School 38 (Currie 9, Bullman 9). March GS 62-9 (Bobby 3-5, Cutting 2-2, Draper 2-5)
Thursday, July 13th v Kings' School, Ely, 2nd XI (home) - WON.
School 2nd XI 73-8 (Kendall 30, Hubbard 22 no.) Kings' School, Ely, 2nd XI 70 (Neville 5-19)UNDER 14 ELEVEN
Wednesday, May 31st v Newport GS Under 14 XI (away) - LOST.
School Under 14 XI 16 (Carter 5). Newport Under 14 XI 85 (Bullman 7-17)
Thursday, June 29th v King Edward VI GS Under 14 XI (home) - WON.
School Under 14 XI 44 (Fyson 15). King Edward VI GS Under 14 XI 36 (Fyson 9-10)UNDER 12½ ELEVEN
Thursday, June 29th v King Edward VI GS Under 12½ XI (away) - WON.
School Under 12½ XI 64 (Leonard 15, South 13). King Edward VI. GS Under 12½ XI 62 (South 3-2, Leonard 3-8)JPS
CRICKET AVERAGES
1st XI BATTING (Qualification 4 Innings)
Name
*Not OutNo. of
Inns.Not
OutsRuns Highest
ScoreAverage Sargent 7 138 53 2 27.6 Whetstone 9 102 21* 3 17.00 Bumpsteed 7 75 21 2 15.00 Fuller 6 54 23 - 9.00 Bray 6 40 13 1 8.00 1st XI BOWLING
Name Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Average Sargent 106.1 40 142 31 4.58 Whetstone 81.3 24 132 22 6.00 Strawson 47.2 18 91 10 9.10 Ware 38 12 80 8 10.00 Number of Catches: Bumpsteed 4, Bray 3, Whetstone 3.
Stumpings: Bumpsteed 1.JPS
2nd XI BATTING
Name
*Not OutNo. of
Inns.Not
OutsRuns Highest
ScoreAverage Kendall, JOC 5 0 75 30 15.00 Raven, A 4 1 20 11 6.67 Currie, J 3 0 19 9 6.33 Bullman, P 3 0 19 9 6.33 2nd XI BOWLING
Name Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Average Cutting, RWJ 29.4 14 36 9 4.00 Neville, JW 37 11 59 14 4.21 Raven, A 28 10 30 7 4.29 Bobby, FP 15.4 2 35 6 5.83 Catches: South, ND 3; Cutting RWJ 2; Hubbard K 2.
FPB
SOME CHARACTERS OF THE CRICKET 1ST XI
SARGENT: A very good all rounder who has proved himself capable of taking six wickets and making fifty runs in a match.
WHETSTONE: A good new ball bowler and sound bat.
WARD: His batting has been disappointing, but he has laid a good foundation for future years. He is a good change bowler, but it has not been necessary to use him much this season.
BUMPSTEED: He has kept wicket very well and at times made a useful score.
BRAY: Although he has not made many runs his batting is coming on and he should be a tower of strength before he leaves.
STRAWSON: When he has learnt to bowl a length he will be a good left-arm round bowler. He also holds a bat.
SCARFE: His batting has improved and next year he should be a run-getting opening bat.
FULLER: Having mastered the forward defensive stroke, he must now learn to hit the ball.RAT
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last update 7 Dec 2007