19th June 2011
Right Tigers, lets start this match report with a little history lesson.
On 13 August 1704, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough commanded a British army who in a single day (with a bit of help from the Austrians) crushed French forces on the banks of the River Danube.
The Duke’s victory turned the Spanish War of Succession and probably saved a lot of us from speaking French, working a 30-hour week and having a great culinary reputation.
For this great service to the people of Great Britain, Queen Anne gifted the Duke Blenheim Park and £250,000 to build a new pad. In case any of you didn’t notice it, that was the big house that the Blenheim Park batsmen were trying to hit with the ball. Must be a of custom of theirs.
Anyway, the kicking the 1st Duke’s men gave the Franco-Bavarian army at Blenheim was a right old duffing-up. But it was nothing compared to the duffing-up the Dukes men dished out to the Tigers last Sunday.
Chris Grain won the toss for the Tigers and elected to field to utilise our big-gun bowler, Steve Brackley, who was unable to play the entire match.
The Blenheim Park CC innings started steadily enough with openers Wright and Liddicot seeing off the opening salvo from Tigers strike bowlers Brackley and Ellis. With the score on 23 however and the Blenheim batsmen probably thinking they had weathered the initial storm, Chris Ellis enticed Liddicot into edging a straight, good length ball. Tigers keeper, Serge Eaton was happy to snap up a smart catch and send Liddicot on the long walk back to his teammates.
Next man in, Henman, had fared poorly against the Tigers in last season’s fixture. He wasn’t about to do the same again.
In a vicious assault, Henman bludgeoned the Tigers bowlers and had the leg side fielders working overtime.
Having seen off the opening bowlers, Wright found that 13 was unlucky for him as John Grain lured him into sending another edge into the waiting hands of keeper Eaton. Nice opening over for John as he enjoyed a wicket maiden.
With the departure of Wright, Cox entered battle.
Henman continued his assault, sending shot after shot into the leg side. Meanwhile the newly arrived big man played a more laid back innings.
Finally, with the score on 101, Henman tried hoisting to leg side one time too many and was bowled by Tigers stalwart Bill Donegan for 61.
The end of the battering? Don’t you believe it. Enter Blenheim number 5, Canham.
As Cox moved into his twenties, Canham cannoned his way through his innings like the 1812 overture. A keen eye and excellent co-ordination saw Canham despatch most of the Tigers bowling with ease with Cameron Newton-Grain and Ben Rainford as notable exceptions. As their teammates suffered some pretty severe punishment, Cam and Ben kept their cool and their bowling tight.
Eventually Cox walked … well hobbled to be exact. Retired hurt with hamstring problems on 29 to be replaced with the seasoned skirmisher, Stan Angol.
The Blenheim innings ended at 4.40 with Canham on 78 not out and Angol 6 not out. The Tigers hadn’t helped themselves in the field – it was their first game of the season and it showed. The fielding was nowhere near as sharp as it could have been leading to runs leaked and opportunities missed.
Still, Blenheim had finished at 220-3 and the Tigers felt the game was there to win. Oh dear Tigers, how wrong you were.
John Pawsey and Ben Rainford opened the Tigers batting to face the experienced and quite deadly Nigel Walker and co-strike Canham (yes, he of the 78 innings … the bugger can bowl as well!).
It was Walker who drew first blood. With Pawsey on two, he edged to Cox in the slip cordon and found himself taking an early walk. Earlier than anticipated, skipper Chris Grain entered the fray. But with Grain on 6, Walker struck another deadly blow. The Tigers skipper fell to a jaffa as he played and missed at a ball pitching outside off. The death rattle behind him signalled a premature end to his innings.
Floyd, aiming to end his ‘death or glory’ reputation, kept Rainford company for a couple of overs before falling to Canham. The bowler’s overpitched ball seemed away from Floyd as he tried to drive through cover. A thick edge, a shout from Blenheim keeper Angol and Floyd found himself caught behind at Blenheim for the second year running.
At this point The Tigers, reeling at 14-3, still had batting to come as John Grain walked to the crease. The reliable Grain could be just the man to steady the routing Tigers.
But Tigers hearts sank as Canham ran in, delivered Grain an absolute pearler and bowled the rock-like number 5 for a golden duck. The Blenheim bowlers had the Tigers by their tails.
Undaunted by the dismissal by the Tigers’ old guard batsmen, young debutant Tom Juszczak entered what was becoming an embarrassing situation. But it was the older and more experienced opener, Ben Rainford – still to get off the mark – who was to be despatched next. Bowled by Walker after watching four of his teammates walk before him. 15-5 and the Tigers are playing for pride as another youngster, Cameron Newton-Grain took the crease.
After his tight bowling and sharp fielding, would this be Newton-Grain’s day? Would he be a comic book hero and save the Tigers from a crushing defeat. Sometimes cricket can be a cruel old game. No such luck today Cam. A change of Blenheim bowlers did nothing to slow the Duke’s men as CN-G was bowled by Saunders for a duck.
Ed Juszczak, making a father son combination at the crease departed next. Bowled by Saunders for 0. By this point, there’s more bloody ducks on the Tigers’ scorecard than on Blenheim lake.
As number 10 batsman Bill Donegan strode out, the Tigers were a wounded animal that needed to be put out of its misery. Saunders obliged, despatching Tom Juszczak and Serge Eaton in quick succession – both bowled and leaving him with figures of 3.4-0-3-3.
19 all out and an absolute disaster for the Tigers. After our victory last year we came to Blenheim with high hopes. We left with a coat or two of learning.
Congratulations to the undeniably worthy winners and hopefully we’ll see you again next year for the Tigers’ 3rd battle of Blenheim.
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