Foxbury vs Mandarins

Foxbury 150-9, Mandarins 151-7
Mandarins won by 3 wickets

Our third match of the season was against new opponents Foxbury, a Chislehurst team who play friendly Sunday cricket, but only on Saturdays. If they hoped this ploy might confuse our selectors then it backfired because it meant we were able to play the Paul Mills card, more of which anon. 

The match was played at Queen Mary ground which has an immaculate square reminiscent of Vincent Square, but an outfield that suffers from being a rugby practice ground in the winter.  It looked like a batsman's paradise.

Five of us made it to the ground before the scheduled 1pm start, and in the absence of Jonathan Wilmot ('closure of Rochester bridge'), his proxy Graeme Tunbridge lost the toss and we were asked to field.  We had ten players when the game started, including debutants Jules Lowin (not to be confused with spectator David Lowen), and the specialist fine leg fielder Adam Eastaway.

Eastaway Snr and Stan Forman opened with some miserly bowling and the pressure told. In the sixth over of the 40, with the score on just seven, the stodgier of the two openers tapped the ball to Baker at mid-wicket, the impatient non-striker called for a suicidal single and was sent back, and Forman calmly removed the bails.

Eastaway's figures were ruined when the increasingly confident Andrews smashed 14 off an over, heralding a change to spin from both ends, and a change of fortune for the Mandarins.  In the first of two tight spells, Rakesh Ramani (pick of the bowlers with 1-14 off eight) bowled the threatening Andrews, and over the next dozen overs Dan Forman, Mills and Baker were all in the wickets. At 102-7 Foxbury looked unlikely to set a challenging total, but some lusty hitting by Thompson and Wood added important runs, before their partnership was ended by a spectacular overhead catch by Tunbridge at cow corner.  Foxbury's final score of 150 looked a decent but gettable target.

With Arsenal playing the FA Cup final, the Forman duo persuaded Wilmot to shuffle the batting order so they could get away early, and the pair opened together.  We knew they didn't want to hang around for too long, but it was still a surprise when in the second over, Forman senior pulled the ball to long leg and called (well one of Formen called) for a second run as long leg gathered the ball.  Dan was at least a yard short when the keeper smashed the stumps.  [Archivist - when's the last time the first wicket to fall in both innings was a suicidal run out?]

Brockbank, Lowin, Tunbridge soon followed, and when Stan Forman was bowled for a handy 16, Mandarins were at a precarious 37 for 5.  Enter the Saturday superstar Mills to join Chris Baker.  Having seen off the useful opening
bowlers, both batsmen made the most of some indifferent change bowling to pile on the runs with only a couple of scares.  A match-turning partnership of 78 ended when Baker was bowled by the tidy Andrews.  When Rakesh was clean bowled trying to impress his fan club (allegedly) with another expansive drive, he was replaced by Wilmot.  There was some tension in the pavilion - at least for Adam Eastaway who was due in next - when Wilmot was put down by the keeper, but Wilmot and the unbeaten Mills picked off the remaining runs without further drama to see the Mandarins home with three wickets and seven overs to spare.

Rob Eastaway

Things I've missed about Mandarins cricket in the past 10 months

Mandarins (138-8) bt Superstars (137 all out) by two wickets
Dulwich College, 19 July

Winning the toss. And making the blindingly obvious decision to field first on a wet and uncovered wicket to be met with hearty congratulations from my teammates immediate dissent regarding how hard it will be to hold the ball.

Not having 11 players at the allotted start time. So I am only half joking when I say that it will be Josie and Adam Eastaway at first and second slip as their father opens up (luckily Arvind appears just in time but latecomers don't get the luxury of fielding at slip, even when Rob is threatening to find edges with his usual unerring line and length).

Mandarins fielding. Yes, really. Brand and Brockbank both take sharp ones and McKeon (C) is tidy behind the stumps. Dare I say we are actually doing okay in the field? Well, at least until I come onto bowl an overlong spell when singles suddenly seem to start to get stolen and a much easier chance goes down at long off. But even I became bored with my bowling after a while so lapses of concentration are, for now, forgiven.

Fatherly pride. Stan (6-1-17-3) applying the brakes in the middle overs with big wickets as some aggressive Superstars batting threatened to take the game away from us. Harry (6-1-38-3) coming back strongly at the end to clean up the tail having taken a bit of tap in his first spell. So 138 to win with a few overs back in our favour having bowled them out. Gettable on a good enough track, but also definitely not-gettable if we don't play well. Good game.

Baker stats. Tunbridge's 2000th run for the club is roundly and rightly applauded from the boundary, a lovely moment that no one would have known about had it not been for Chris's diligent data analysis. Graeme was a young man when he started of course but now sits in the older half of this side. Befitting of this senior status and the man himself, his 28 runs are deftly judged and worth more than the bare statistics might suggest. He sees off some very accurate seamers and some very useful spin, constructs a controlled 50 partnership with Manian (25), and by the time he departs we are well on our way to our target. Well batted Mr T, well batted.

Finding a new player. Rakesh Ramani (5-0-12-2 and 22*) is very welcome in our club indeed. Especially as he is keen to play as often as he can. That he is a thoroughly nice bloke to boot is also a massive bonus. 

Good spirit. Exemplified by Superstars' Konrad refusing to claim a low catch that no one would have quibbled with had he said he held it.

A tight finish. Not quite all results possible territory but close enough to keep everybody interested to the end. Rakesh and a composed Harry (17) got us almost to the line in a partnership of 33 just as the Superstars sensed a sniff of victory. Rob does the rest and we get there with 10 balls and two wickets to spare.

A shaft of sun to defy the weather pessimists. A pretty ground. A couple of cold beers. Who's playing next week? Don't forget your match fees! Anyone get a photo of the book? God I've missed it. But it's great to be back.

Dan

MANDARINS CRICKET CLUB 2008 SUMMARY

Note on Sources:  Records for 12 games are missing from the scorebook. The Ollie Gardiner career record file does not include this year so no “plausible reconstruction technique” is possible. 11 of the 12 missing games have match reports, which have been followed where precise, and also allow some reasonable estimating. However the averages do not record 31 uncredited appearances, 30 uncredited wickets taken by Mandarins for 1348 runs conceded, nor 626 uncredited runs scored for 50 wickets and 10 not out innings

Overall Results: Played 19, Won 4, Drew 7, Lost 8, Abandoned 8.  (39.5%)  

Heaviest Victories: By 6 wickets vs Cranfield.

Narrowest Victory: By 1 run vs Benenden; by 3 wickets vs Peper Harow and 6D Handley.

Heaviest Defeats: By 108 runs vs Hetaroi; by 9 wickets vs BBC.

Closest Defeats: by 26 runs vs Charlatans; by 4 wickets vs Essex U.

Highest score for: 254 for 4 vs Benenden. Highest score against 253 for 8 vs Benenden.

Lowest score for: 70 vs Hetaroi. Lowest score against Peper Harrow 56.  

Mandarins scored 5 Fifties and one century. Highest score Chris Healey 104*  vs Worlingworth. Mandarins took one five-for, Best Bowling Jeremy Crump 14-1-64-5 vs Nazeing Common. 

Notable Events: At least 48 players turned out, 14 of them just once. Collapses: 28-7 vs BBC, similar vs. Peper Harow (to win by 3 wickets).

Best Recorded Partnerships

1^st  70 vs Fram C (Dunmore/Porter)

2^nd  57 vs Worlingworth (Healey/Bockbank)

3^rd 151 vs Benenden (Healey/Coupar) Club record for 3^rd wicket, overtaking the 132 added by Wilmot and Hadley at great Tew on 23 September 1984.           

4th  80 vs Captain Crawford (Pharoah/Tunbridge)

5^th   94 vs Fram C (Thomas/Colley)

6^th  21* vs Fam C (Colley/Patterson). 

7^th  24 vs Nazeing (Bardswell/Eastaway)

8^th 28 vs Essex U (Colley/Gardiner)

9^th  75 vs Charlatans (Jarvis/Gray). Club record for 9^th wicket, overtaking the 67 added by Mayhew and Healey at Easton on 20 August 1989.

10^th  No.

Other 50 partnerships: 59 vs Worlingworth (Healey/Lowen).

BATTING AVERAGES

(3 recorded completed Innings)

Note Figures in brackets are approximations using match report data.

                        Played  Innings     N.O.           Runs      HS           Average               100/50

Healey                7            5              0              (254)        104         50.80                     1/1

Colley               10            4              1              112            47          37.33                    

Baxter                 5            3              0              (100)          55         33.33                     0/1

Jarvis                  6            5              2              (89)         (40*)        29.66                    

Dunmore            8            6              0              (146)        (60)         24.33                     0/1

Baker                  9            6              1              (112)          39         22.40

Porter                  6            5              1              70               33        17.50

Brockbank          4            4              1              55               40*      18.33                    

Tunbridge           6            3              0              (51)          (45)        17.00

Patterson             5            5              2              44              24         14.66

Davidson             5            5              0              55             25          11.00

O’Donnell           4            4              1              28             20            9.33

Eastaway             9            3              0              22             19            7.33

Also Batted or appeared more than once (in order of appearance): Pharoah 3-2-0-?41-?35-20.50; McIntyre         8-2-1-3-2*-1.5; Hurst 5-1-0-0-0.00; Heard 7-3-2-22-16*-22.00; Patterson 4-?-?-?; D Williams 3-2-0-29-29-14.50; Lowen 4-2-0-43-27-21.50; Singh 3-1-0-1-1-1; Temple 4-4-?-?-?; J C Gray 8-4-2-?117-34-58.50; Attenborough 2-1-0-42-42-42.00; A McKeon 2-2-0-53-41-26.50; Keayes 2-1-1-18-18*-&&&; C McKeon 2-1-0-0-0-0; Bardswell 3-2-0-2-2-1.00; C Evans 2-2-0-35-33-17.50; Thomas 2-2-0-76-76-38.00; Hoban 2-1-0-1-1-1.00; Hawkhead 3-3-1-5-3-2.50; Gardiner 2-1-0-15-15-15.00; Wilmot 2-2-0-15-10-7.50; Crump 3-2-1-8-8*- 8.00  

One appearance: Matin 2?; L Williams?; Katira 30?; Coupar 75?; Redman ?; Taylor ?; Madzarevic; Baldwin ?; Tawakeley 37*; Fenwick DNB; Neason 1; N Healey 8; Robinson 5.

BOWLING AVERAGES

(Bowled more than once, 10 overs, 1 wicket)

Figures in brackets show additional wickets taken or probably taken, not included in averages

                         Overs    Maidens      Runs      Wickets             Average

McIntyre          11                1                   53           5 (+6)             10.60

Crump              32.3             1                153            9                     17.00

Hurst                 28               2                110             4 (+4)             27.50

Baker                14               0                  83              3                    27.66

Eastaway          25               3                  84               3 (+11)          28.00

Colley              21                3                  74               2 (+2?)          37.00

Heard               18                2                  75               2 (+3)            37.50

Hoban              12                0                  90               2                    45.00

Healey             20                0                 101             1                    101.00

Gardiner          31.3             1                 108             1                    108.00

J C Gray          19                2                   80               0 (+6)

Also bowled: Pharoah ? 1 wicket; Tunbridge 4-0-11-0(+2 wickets?); Keayes 9-4-16-0; Neason 1-0-2-0; Pattison 3-0-25-0; Baldwin 1 wicket; L Williams 1 wicket; Singh 7-0-29-2 (+4 wickets);Dunmore 3-0-11-0; Bardswell 1-0-8-0; Tawakeley 2 wickets; Robinson 2-0-20-0; Porter 7-1-42-1; Patterson 3-0-11-0; Attenborough 3-0-26-2; Lowen 9-0-46-3; Brockbank 2-0-18-0.

Fielding: Mandarins took at least 17 catches and 6 stumpings: Dunmore 2+2 (all at Benenden); Healey 3 stumpings; Temple, Colley 2; McIntyre,Porter, O’Donnell Hoban, Anon, Brockbank, Attenborough, Crump, A McKeon, Jarvis, 1; Thomas 1 stumping.

Chris Baker

Season Begins (Finally!)

Mandarins 155 all out off 39.5 overs ( Baker 55, Pharoah 41, Rakesh 27, Eastaway 4-13) drew with Heber 154 for 9 off 39 (Mills 3-13, Healey 2-22).

Three months late but the 2020 season got off to a scintillating start in glorious weather at the superb Dulwich College setting. We all signed the COVID-19 register, applied the sanitizer, and gave each other the Wuhan elbow. Much discussion of transmission via pads and how to sanitise a pad, especially the Velcro bit. Arvind fell off his bike and was a late withdrawal, but we managed to be 11 thanks to SMCC Colt Ben Snowden stepping into the breach.

Chairman-supremo Jonathan was nearly on time, so vicar-General Healey won the toss and batted. Early progress was slow on a slow wicket against the admirable Phil Borthwick and the miserly Eastaway. The latter took the first four, Mills unlucky to middle it to mid wicket, Baxter definitely / marginally / debatably LBW (delete as applicable), Tunbridge and McKeon falling to the out-swinger  to close catches the Mandarins would not have taken. 32 for 4, innings in the balance against a Heber attack and fielding looking anything but 9 months rusty. Eastaway comes off. Robin starts middling it, Baker muddles it  using a broken bat that has spent the last 25 years in a shed ( but I did smack Eastaway back over his head, verrrry satisfying.....).

A 64 run partnership for the 5th wicket ends with an egregious failure of social distancing by Heber as Robin hit the ball straight into the air and bowler Rob Elias gouges out the eyes of Keeper Jules in a shuddering collision mid pitch. The catch is, amazingly, held, Jules has running repairs and continues. Robin's momentum is continued by débutante Rakesh Ramani. Delicate declaration decision for Chairman-now Captain in Chief Wilmot avoided by a sudden late order subsidence. We reckon it is a par score.

Paul Mills challenges the archivist. When is the last time the top 6 in the batting have been right handed and the last 5 left handed? I won't bother to check, I'll stick my neck out and say it is a first.

Robin is quick but wicket less, Ben much quicker. Healey in swing mode is niggardly and makes the two early breakthroughs. Jules looks briefly as if he will win it in boundaries and is agonisingly dropped by McKeon at mid wicket as the ball bobbles off every conceivable part of his anatomy. But shortly he repeats the shot off Ben and Baker clings on. McIntrye lures oppo. skipper, Olly, but Dan and Ed Faulkner progress steadily to 107 for 4. 49 needed of 12 overs, advantage Heber. But, having taken a number of outrageous singles to creaky Mandarins, Dan takes on Ben who is far too quick for him. The run out is followed by another wicket for the tidy Rakesh,and it is 107 for 6, advantage Mandarins.

I have had occasion before to remark on the sang-froid, hidden depths and impenetrable sense of destiny exuded by Puppet-master Wilmot. He now plays his master ploy: a double leg spin finish, Mills and Baxter. And the final 8 overs unfold like a script. 39 needed, 4 wickets. Mills temps, Ed swings, Graeme makes good ground at deep mid-wicket. OUT. Johnny Hill and Johnny P keep swinging. 142 for 7, 14 needed off 3. Hill swings, Jonathan utters a cry of surprise as he realises he may have misjudged at deep mid- wicket, he back peddles, he clings on above his head. Extraordinary. 9 needed off 2. Wilmot's next ploy: Baxter is axed, Healey returns. One run is conceded off the penultimate over. 8 needed to win off the last bowled by the nerveless Mills. Single off the first, Eastaway facing. A glorious extra cover drive for 4. Three needed off 4. Dot. One. OUT. A second catch for Jonathan. Final ball, two needed, all four results possible. Mills bowls a wide one . Very wide. Not actually a wide, you understand, it being a timed game.... Umpire Nick Davidson remains imperturbable in the face of suggestions... It is a wonderful, wacky, wizardly finish. Draw. Worth the wait.

Chris Baker

Mandarins 2020 Season

The Mandarins committee met today to discuss the ECB guidelines that were published today.

Below are the key points we agreed on

1: Subs: Originally, we planned to raise the subs to 35 pounds starting this season. We also planned to raise match fees to 10 pounds per player for games in which teas were provided.  However given the crisis and the slightly shortened season for this year, we have decided to postpone the change in subs and match fees to next year.

For this season, we will retain the subs at £30. While we will start off with match fees of £5, we may have to increase it for games later this season. While we want to play as many games as possible this season, there is a strong chance that ground rents could be more expensive this year. For example, for the first game we have had to pay £450 to reserve a pitch. We will try to find cheaper grounds where possible but  match fees may increase to £10 later in the season.

2: Equipment: All players will need to bring their own gloves and boxes to each game. We think all players who can keep wickets have their own pair of gloves but if anyone does not, they can use the club's wicket keeping gloves. While players can share the club's bats and pads, we do request that all players sanitise club equipment after they have used it. The club kit will be equipped with sanitisers. 

For the first couple of games, it is unlikely that we will have the club kit. However we have a minimum of 4 - 5 players who are happy to share their personal bats and pads with others. We will have sanitisers for the games. 

3: Schedule: Assuming we can play till the end of September, we anticipate playing 15-17 games this season. We will look to schedule a couple of mid-week games in.

Look forward to playing cricket again and catching up with all of you over the summer.

Arvind Manian

MANDARINS CRICKET CLUB 2007 SUMMARY

Note on Sources: Records for 5 games are missing from the scorebook. The Ollie Gardiner career record file does not include this year so no “plausible reconstruction technique” is possible. 3 of the 12 missing games have match reports, which have been followed where precise, and also allow some reasonable estimating. However the averages do not record 26 uncredited appearances, 5 uncredited wickets taken by Mandarins for 739 runs conceded, nor 393 uncredited runs scored for 26 wickets and 6 not out innings.

Played 20, Won 3, Drew 3, Lost 14, Abandoned 11 (including Cranfield long game, replayed as 20/20.)  (22.5%)  

Heaviest Victories: By 6 wickets vs EssexU; By 32 runs vs Brondesbury. 

Narrowest Victory: By 1 wicket vs Cranfield.

Heaviest Defeats: By 114 runs vs UCS Old Boys; by 9 wickets vs Jesus College. 

Closest Defeats: by 11 runs vs Thursley; by 3 wickets vs Peper Harow.

Highest Score For: 203 vs Thursley.

Highest Score Against 232 for 5 by UCS Old Boys. 

Lowest Score For: 76 vs South Woodford.

Lowest Score Against: Essex U 119.

Mandarins scored 4 Fifties. There were no centuries. Highest score Chris Healey 86*  vs Brondesbury.

Mandarins took no five-fors, Best Bowling Rob Eastaway, 11-1-44-4 vs East Horsley.  

Notable Events:

• At least 53 players turned out, 17 of them just once.

• Collapses: 0 for 3 in the first over, chasing East Horsley’s 173.

• Baxter took three stumpings vs Cranfield, and 4 victims on the day( but in two matches).

• Johnny Extras top scored at UCS Old Boys (first game) getting 60 out of 182 for 5.

Best Recorded Partnerships

(note – this was a particularly poor year for recording partnerships)

• 1st  79 vs Hetairoi (A McKeon/Porter)

• 2nd  39 vs Elstead (A McKeon/Baker)

• 3rd 45 vs Brill (A McKeon/Tawakeley)

• 4th  42 vs Elstead (Healey/Dunmore)

• 5th   61* vs Essex U (Patterson/O’Donnell) 

• 6th  45 vs Pink Elephants (Porter/Denny).  

• 7th  30 vs UC Old Boys (Colley/Baker)

• 8th 28 vs MOD (Coupar/Baker)

• 9th  No

• 10th  21 vs Peper Harow (Heard/Hurst).

Other 50 partnerships: 50 something vs Pimpernels for 2nd wicket (Porter/Wilmot).

BATTING AVERAGES

(3 recorded completed Innings) Note Figures include match report data.

Played Innings N.O. Runs HS Average 100/50

Healey 9 8 3 341 86* 68.20                 0/3

Martin 3 3 0 128 79 42.66                 0/1

Tunbridge 4 3 0 86 48 28.66

A McKeon 7 6 0 131 46 21.83

Baker 10 9 0 172 44 19.11

Hurst 7 5 1 72 24 18.00

Wilmot 5 5 0 87 39 17.40

Temple 5 4 0 63 26 15.75

Crump 7 6 2 61 45 15.25

Dunmore 4 4 0 59 41 14.75

Porter 10 10 0 118 29 11.80

Coupar 3 3 0 32 17 10.66

Baxter 4 3 0 31 19 10.33

Colley 6 5 0 39 22 9.80

Heard 13 11 1 90 45 9.00

Eastaway 6 5 1 30 15 7.50

Gardiner 8 6 2 29 11* 7.25

McIntyre 9 7 4 19 14* 6.33

Jarvis 3 3 0 17 8 5.66

C. McKeon 5 4 0 21 14 5.25

C Evans 4 4 0 12 9 3.00

Bardswell 6 5 0 14 12 2.66

Hawkhead 4 4 0 2 1 0.50

Also Batted or appeared more than once (in order of appearance): Fowles 5-4-2-50-42*-25.00; D Williams 3-2-0-41-22-20.5; Farooq 2-2-0-5-4-2.50; Pattison 3-2-0-17-16-8.50; Gray 3-1-0-3-3-3.00; Redman 2-2-1-13-10- 13.00; Pharoah 2-2-0-32-20-16.00; C Jarvis 2-2-1-10-10-10.00; Davidson 2-2-0-18-14-9.00; Tawakeley 2-2-0-61-39-30.50; Patterson 2-2-0-14-14-7.00; A Evans 2-2-0-17-15-8.50.   

One Appearance: Davies 8; Eames?; Hayder?; N Healey? Nicholson 6; “Matthew”?; Taz 7; Seville 16; Denny 3; Attenborough 7; Davis 0*; McGuiness 10; Hoban 5; J Lowen 0; T Jarvis 0; M Evans 4.

BOWLING AVERAGES

(Bowled more than once, 10 overs, 1 wicket) – figures in brackets show additional wickets taken or probably taken, not included in averages

        Overs Maidens    Runs Wickets     Average

Healey 22.4 3     77     9                8.55

Porter 14.1 1     64     5              12.80

Hurst 48         10           156          11              15.22

Bardswell 28         0   153     9 (+2)      17.00

Fowles 16         0     68     4               17.00

McIntyre 53         10   190     9                21.11

Baker 22.2 0   143     6                23.83

Gardiner 57         15   201     8                25.13

Tawakeley 11         2     49     2                24.50

Gray 23            8     61     2               30.50

Crump 59         3   257     8                32.13

Eastaway 43            4           169     5 (+2)        33.80

Coupar 10         0     68     2                34.00

Heard 66         9 283     6                47.17

Also Bowled: Pharoah 8-0-22-2; Tunbridge 2-0-12-1; Pattison 6-0-30-0; Dunmore 2-0-7-0; Patterson 2.2-0-15-3; J Lowen 4-0-16-2; Nicholson 4.5-1-8-3; McGuiness 8-1-39-1; Taz 8-1-26-1; Hawkhead 1-0-4-0; O’Donnell 1-0-7-0; Davis 4-0-18-0; Denny 11-3-42-1; Farooq 8-0-31-1; C Jarvis 2-0-17-0; M Evans 6-0-24-1; C Evans 3-0-34-0; Redman 4-0-14-0; Colley 22-2-112-0 (+4 wickets); Hayder (+3 wickets).

Fielding: Mandarins took at least 46 catches and 7 stumpings: Baxter 3+5; Wilmot 4+1; McIntyre 4; Healey 3+1; Heard,Martin,Eastaway,Gardiner,3; Fowles, Bardswell, Dunmore, Jarvis, Anon, Temple, Porter,2; Hurst,Coupar, Temple, Baker, A McKeon, Tawakeley, 1.

Chris Baker