Blewbury & Upton CC v WHC CC - 14th July 2010
WHC CC win by 5 wickets (or some number of runs) 

Pretty girls at Wimbledon, Pimms at Henley and three glorious weeks of sunshine set the scene for the defence of the honours of the 20twenty match for WHC CC versus Blewbury CC. Yet upon arrival the whether was turning like JP’s spin attack and unlike John Stocking’s spin, the sun actually managed to hit the wicket in between the spitting rain.
Battered and bruised from the 1 ball defeat at Warborough two weeks ago, the vice skipper Mike ‘Treacle’ Latham (who wasn’t there for that defeat) rallied the troops with Churchillian gusto before that match with the immortal words of ‘get a grip’.
Blewbury, including Colin Allen but missing Waggers choose to field, and as a Hurricane flew overhead (the plane not the storm) the opening pair of Matt ‘bean counter - it doesn’t get better than this’ Armitage and Hearn strode purposely to the crease like Gary Glitter spotting a small boy in a glittery latex one-piece body suit.
Facing an intimidating pace attack that every 12 year school boy could easily manage, the pair quickly starting dispensing the ball around the park with 2s, 4s and a few 6s to boot.
This pair could have taught the great openers of Australia’s past a thing or two as they immediately started stretching the athletic Blewbury fielders, average age 58.
As per the rules, both players reached 35 and out which led to the big boys of Charlie Stockings and Treacle to continue the noise of leather on willow. Unfortunately this didn’t last long with big Stocko being bowled first ball to be replaced by Charlie Lester.
Treacle visually nervous after his duck last year, skied his first ball but was dropped at mid on, but he still managed a dashing run for one. The tension was gone, the relief was palatable, no duck today (apart from his dinner). This green and pheasant land, this sceptred isle hadn’t seen a man this exorcised since Stuart Pearce scored his penalty in Euro 1996. The shackles were off and further 4s and a 6 ensued; no more could Scampi state that he had scored more than Treacle.
Lester meanwhile, showed panache and zeal like an Italian in a knocking shop with a spare 50 Euros, he demonstrated class with the bat – something he hasn’t really demonstrated with his hockey stick and was also 35 and out.
The middle order of new man Sankey and the Skipper, Tim ‘High Tower’ Chamberlain finished off the overs with some slick off drives and one massive hoick over the pavilion.
The team scored 181 for 3. The crowd got to their feet and applauded, well Scampi’s mum did anyway.
With renewed vigour the team entered the field.
Sean Spillard, sorry Millard, tried to live up to his reputation as a safe pair of hands behind the stumps, however, according to the keeper, the wicket wasn’t up his usual standards and too many balls pitched on the leg side. Some say that the scorers said, (a little harshly I add), around half of Blewbury’s runs came from the ball running past the keeper.
Early wickets came with 2 catches for safe hands Armo on the boundary and a sea gull impression from Big Stocko run and flapping his arms towards the ball. Although unorthodox it proved to be effective and was certainly the catch of the day (apart from the Scampi in the basket).
Further wickets tumbled with Scampi in his cricket attire looking a spit for King Creole and the coconuts, taking 2 in two overs.
WHC CC comfortably won the fixture by 5 wickets. The teams retired to the pavilion with cool cans of Red Stripe and a packet of Benson & Hedges. As Lord Byron most certainly didn’t say, ‘the next stop must be St John’s Wood for these intrepid heroes’.

Team: Stockings J, Stockings C, Lester, Armitage, Hearn, Philips, Sankey, Clamp, Latham, Millard, Chamerlain T (c).

Mike 'Treacle' Latham