2009 2nd XI match reports and stats.

29/08/09 Ropley II vs Twyford, Away - Match Lost.

22/08/09 Ropley II vs Easton & MW II, Home - Match Lost.

15/08/09 Ropley II vs RNA Sports, Away - Match Lost.

25/07/09 Ropley II vs Meadstead, Home - Match Lost.

04/07/09 Ropley II vs Sherfield on Loddon, Home - Match Won.

27/06/09 Ropley II vs Kingsclere II - Match Won, contemporaneous notes by Oliver Green

A day in the life of Dave Forrest.

Another sizzling Saturday in the Cricketing Summer Season of 2009.

Must get there early to open the pavilion and re-mark the creases – does nobody else in the club do any work?
Here come the lads – ah, great, lots of the young guns: all the Stennetts, Ed White, Mattie Hunt, Rob Smith – shouldn’t have too much running to do in the field.
Good, at last Skipper Sutts wins the toss, but oh, no … the clod has decided to field in this heat.
No Happs or Les, so the young guns open up, and great news, Tom gets a wicket with his second ball – great catch Mattie Hunt.
Good, things getting better, good spell from Rob at top end claiming another wicket, and Tom claims another too. Steady Eddy puts in a useful spell at the ‘Stennett’ end and Sutts looks good after a disastrous start. Any one need a good spin bowler…. turns the ball a mile?
Ah, yes, skipper has come to his senses… ‘Top end, Dave?’ ‘ Certainly skip’.
All going well, tidy line and length….
Whoops, long hop…. Jesus H … he’s hit it back at me…. Sorry, lads!
Good, hit it straight at Old Fart Green…. What’s the ageing so-and-so doing, completely misjudged it……… Sorry, Dave.
Yeah, top man has managed to kick it on to his stumps.. 1 for…
Yup…… bowled him……2 for… racing up Walker’s miserable ‘most valuable’.
Problem, here Rob now has a couple from the other end and Tom has got three – great catches from Mattie again and Sutts……….. and what is this, the Skipper is muttering about bringing himself back to tidy up the rabbits!
At last, a skier, Green under it… oh, my goodness he’s got it completely wrong….. ‘Well caught, Olly, sadly no cameras around, mate!’……3 for…
Batsmen crossed, this guy likes a tonk…. Just float it up there… gotcher….’Well caught Olly (another miracle!)……4 for
Chance of hat-trick…. Just float up a straight one…… oh, no, he’s going to block it…….no, he’s pushed through it….. yes, Sutton a hero.
5 for, including hat-trick – and tea still to come. Only chasing 126, sit back and enjoy.
Oh dear, a sorry trail of wickets, Toby skies straight, Olly leaves straight one, Rob nicks straight one, Tom pats straight one into hands of lurking close fielder, Sutts out caught………God, it’s up to me again – must I do everything in this team?
Will giving a few chances at other end, but chasing along nicely…..disaster, he’s missed a straight one.
Here comes Martin….. ‘cometh the hour…….’ Goodness me, a front foot defensive shot from ME, has he been reading the Coaching Manual? And he has hit some lusty blows.
Finally, scores level…… Thank you, Great Man in the Sky, a full bunger down the leg side……. Hits winning run and ends 26 not out. Hero, or what?
Sun setting serenely over field of conquest, a few beers with the boys all heaping praise on me (well, paid for the beer didn’t I?) Wife, picking me up at 9, rib-eye steak for supper…… with trimmings, she said, I wonder what that can mean?
All in a day’s work for Super Dave of the Ropley IIs!

20/06/09 Ropley II vs Compton & Chandlers Ford II - Match Lost, report by Oliver Green

On another very hot day in Season 2009, Ropley Captain John Sutton won the toss and elected to bat on a very hard track at Compton – a decision partly enforced by availabilities for the game.

The track did indeed prove to have a lot of bounce and openers Sutton and Green had to do a lot of ducking and diving against the new ball. Sutton was first to go as yet another delivery climbed wickedly on him to glove to the keeper. After a couple of fine-looking strokes Keith Purchese was beaten by the Compton ‘Mystery Spinner’.

Will Hudson likes to dispel mysteries in his own forthright way, after several lusty blows the spinner was removed and things were back to seam on the lifting pitch. Olly Green(27) was next to go, having got bogged down against a young seamer who he certainly seemed to find very mysterious (Will notably not having the same problems!) Ed Stennett(0) also fell swiftly to the seamer. A long partnership than developed between Will H and Dave Forrest, this ended with a calamitous run out of Will for a well-made 71. After this the end of the innings hobbled to closure at 156 for 8. Dave F was eventually deceived by the Spinner for 21, Martin E was run out, as was the late-arriving Toby S. Poor Miles Greenwood was left at the non-strikers end and Les had us all in a state of panic by reaching for that bat again.

The start of the Compton innings was probably the crucial phase of the game, they won this after a bout of verbal sparring and a couple of lusty ripostes with bat. Our bowling was again too loose at this important stage, eventually John S and Keith P bringing some sense to it all with good, accurate spells. There were good catches from John and James Forrest to help us along the way, but with their best batsman tucked away at No6, Compton eventually eased to a 5 wicket victory.

We again showed glimpses with both bat and ball, we really now have to show real concentration and determination to work our way up the table.

06/06/09 Ropley II vs Basingstoke & NH IV - Match Lost

06/06/09 Ropley II vs Old Basing II - Match Lost

After winning the toss in overcast conditions and mild drizzle, it seemed a wise precaution for Ropley to insert Old Basing on what looked like a carefully tended but damp wicket.

This decision immediately looked good as John Happel began a lively and accurate spell, dismissing both openers for less than 30. Les Spevock seemed to be struggling a bit at the other end, forcing Ollie Williams into many good ‘takes’ down the leg side – the umpire being more than generous on several occasions. The Old Basing numbers 3 and 4 settled in well for the major partnership of the day, one eventually being run out by fielder-of-the-day Dave Forrest for 55, the other continuing merrily on his path of demolition before being stumped by Williams off the bowling of Ed Stennett for 111. Nearly all the bowlers were tried, but it was left to John H and Ed S to finish off the innings with some accurate bowling, Happel finishing with 3 for 48 and Stennett with 2 for 44. Old Basing ended with a daunting 243 for 6.

The Ropley reply was steady rather than spectacular, Ollie Williams(11) being bowled just as he was getting going and Olly Green(20) picking the wrong ball for a mighty heave. Keith Purchese(10) played several classy shots before finding an edge, and John H not really getting hold of a drive intended to clear Hampshire. A delightful cameo in short time from Martin Evans(30) was the highest score of the day and without doubt the best innings of the day came from Ed S who ended with 21*. Old Basing used 9 of their team as bowlers, it was perplexing to see some of this assortment being played with respect, particularly as we finished on 147. Yet again we have ended up with a low score and with few wickets lost, ‘hit out or get out’ may well be a slogan to be adopted.

The same shortcomings were much in evidence, too many ‘4 balls’ sent down by the bowlers and too little aspiration by many of the batsmen. We have the makings of a useful side, go to it Merry Men!

30/05/09 Ropley II vs Hook & N Basics III - Match Lost

On a glorious Saturday, captain Olly Green won the toss and elected to bat on a good looking wicket. The start didn’t go to plan however, with Toby Sampson being bowled early in the innings and Phil Coleman managing to pick fielders with some well struck shots before being bowled for 18. With only 40 runs or so off the first 20 over’s, it was looking like a low score when Barnie Green was run out and Will Hudson misfired with the bat. Olly Green raised the tempo & hit 23 before also being run out, things looked dire. Young Tom Stennett then took to the field and played himself in nicely before starting to hit out. With 3 overs to go Martin Evans joined him at the crease with the aim of keeping Tom on strike as much as possible. At the end of the innings Tom had scored a really fine 50 n.o., an excellent innings to give Ropley’s bowlers at least something to bowl at.

Hook's batsman took control of the game quite early, although good bowling from Toby and Tom put them under some pressure, they managed 4 or 5 runs an over for the early part of the innings. Toby was the outstanding bowler with 10 overs 4 for 31, our best hope of winning the game was to get them out as the runs looked easily achievable. Tom & Ed Stennett both bowled well however, some solid batting from Hook saw them comfortably home with 4 wickets & 10 over’s to spare.