Written by Tom Mardon
10 Jun 21
The Sun always shines on Holcot when the Strokers play. It is some scant compensation for the regular pastings we have received over the years.
Despite the warmth and blue skies we arrived in a state of disquiet. The ECB had announced it was widening the investigation into abusive Tweets. Todd looked furtive, Middleton was frantically deleting his social media accounts and there were mutterings that cancel culture had gone too far. But fear of public humiliation was soon overcome by the call to arms from skipper Potter, and we were invited to take the field.
Par score for the home side over the years has been north of 150 but we were confident we were fielding a reasonably strong side with a mere dusting of gimpery. Indeed we were relatively youthful with three fine young cricketers in Potter Jnr, Atkinson Jnr and Boyle Jnr. That these three sprung from the gene pool of their fathers, speaks firmly to the nurture over nature argument, and the value of an Oundle cricketing education, but more on that to follow.
The rest of the team, bar the lean figures of Hill and Raby, was on the greyer, plumper end of the cricketing spectrum. Worthers in particular looked like he had enjoyed his food over lockdown. And Anne’s.
We opened with Hill and Mardon. Hill bowled whippy in duckers that had the batsmen pinned back, Mardon bowled less allsorts than normal, and it led an astounded Potter to quip that we actually looked like we were playing cricket. First blood came quickly, and literally. Mardon beat the batsman for lack of pace and induced a top edge from a slow long hop straight up into his conk. Given the person he usually hits in the head with his bowling is himself, he was probably more excited, and less convincing in his contrition, than strictly appropriate. This proved a slightly unfortunate occurrence though, as it brought a rather more impressive bat to the crease. We had the other opener caught behind, though Worthington with his typical Yorkshire optimism felt it was a bump ball, and brought another fine bat in, just in time for Potter and Worthers to enter the attack. Potter, once the butt of the correspondent’s jokes, but now pretty much meriting the senior bowler tag, speared in his now customary bag of nagging left arm spin and cutters. Worthers looked a little off his best form, carrying an injury and well as a small child, but was contending with some strong batsmen in no mood to go easy as his limbs slowly loosened.
Kisiel managed to dance around a sitter of a catch, but otherwise the Strokers were neat and tidy in the field. The youth pinged the ball in from the far reaches of the oval as we stood back and admired.
The run rate dipped as the better bats retired, and Potter started to take some wickets. Potter Jnr was keeping with panache and agility, words not usually associated with a Stroker match report.
We then brought on our secret weapon in Atkinson. Rapid enough for the Strokers when playing no regular cricket, his bowling has gone up a gear to the ‘glad he is on our team’ level. After his opening ball, Todd mused it may have been quicker than the total career Stroker balls of his old man added up (first class tennis player and gentleman that he is). Then we got the fear. What if they had one too? An eye for an eye etc etc. The opposition skipper also gently suggested he may be a little quick for the level of the game. Hastily the young gun was spiked. A first for the Strokers, to be told we were too good. Atkinson, Boyle and Todd bowled out the overs. There were a few late boundaries and we were chasing 137.
But who would open? Raby looked tired and in need of a beer, Mardon was hiding for fear of retribution, Kisiel played his usual clever hand of wait to see if they are good and adjust the order accordingly. Step forward the yeoman Middleton, ever dependable. With the ECB police a mere algorithm away, it may have been his last innings before a lengthy ban so in he went, with the dependable Hill also volunteering.
Neither opener bowler looked frightening, unless in the case of the opening spinner, you were a well-stocked buffet hoping to last the day. But his floaty donkey drops were accurate and made the batsmen do the work, and, well, it didn’t look easy. For Middleton at least. Hill was making hay at the other end. He retired for 25 with Middleton playing out an important 0. Worthington and Kisiel looked solid, kept the board ticking and were never in danger, other than from each other. Kisiel smeared a cover drive straight to a fielder, set off for the single the shot deserved (naturally) and then realised Worthington hadn’t moved an inch. ‘FFS Welly’ he squealed as his feet came out from under him. We winced as he hit the deck posterior first. He got up, he fell over again, he ran back…..the fielders managed not to run him out, presumably from hysterics, and so luckily WW3 was avoided and they both were able to retire -dignity, if not arse, intact.
Todd and Mardon were next in. Todd was Todd, a swift 19 then stumped chasing the retiring 6. Boyle joined Mardon with the run rate of 35 off 20 looking a little heavy for a Stroker-level chase. 5 balls later, 15 runs and a near run out after running back the whole length of the crease to pick up his hat, Boyle was out having made the target a very gettable 20 off 15. A lot of rapid singles and twos kept us in the hunt, with Raby deciding to fall on his sword to let the rapier of youth re-enter the fray, and we needed 9 off the last over. Mardon added 2 then wisely got off the strike with a quick single, Atkinson smashed it then fell chasing a second and Potter Jnr was at the crease needing 5 from two. A clean hit 2 from the first ball left it all down to him, 3 needed for victory, 2 for the tie, loss otherwise. All results were on, and a last ball thriller had arrived.
Now the Potters have previous on these occasions. Older Strokers remember the 2014 game with the ‘6 that wasn’t a 6’ that Potter senior hit against the Short Legs. So close to glory, yet so far. Would Henry manage to take the one further step to victory? The answer, hell yes. A low full toss, a youthful eye with youthful timing and the ball sailed over square leg, one bounce and four. Potter snr and jnr punched the air, the bowler punched the earth, Middleton did a delighted skip and landed his spikes on Kisiel’s bare feet so Tim (nearly) punched him…what a match!
A first victory at Holcot, but all the sweeter for the wait. Our hosts were delightful, generous in defeat after trying to the very end. This was a proper match and reminded us all why we still turn out, despite the increasingly angry moaning of our limbs telling us we are too old for this kind of thing. Bugger that. With a judicious injection of youth, the Strokers have legs in them yet.
The scorebook isn’t perfect so apologies for any misses as sure Potter got 2!
Holcot 137-3
Strokers 138-5
Bowling – Hill 0-20, Mardon 1-19, Potter 1-19, Boyle 1-18, Atkinson 0-7, Todd 0-20.
Batting – Middleton 0, Hill 25, Worthington 28, Kisiel 25, Todd 19 Mardon 14 NO, Boyle 15, Raby 6, Atkinson 1, Potter Henry 6 NO Well played all.