Match Report Archive: 2003

Take a stroll down memory lane with club news and match reports from the Jesters CC 2003 season.

Updates appear in reverse chronological order... 31st December 2003 - new committee members

Three new committee members were elected at the club AGM which took place before the 75th anniversary dinner: Robbie Hudson, John Murphy and Matt Williamson. Roger Lewis has stood down after several years valiant service as Fixture Secretary - thanks Roger! - and Simon Cleobury has taken his place. All the other committee members - Simon Rawson, Alan Porter, Patrick Allen and Andrew Short - were re-elected.

28th November - award winners

The club’s three awards were presented at the dinner: Performance of the season went to Noddy Blackman for bowling a wicket maiden of leg-spin at the death to tie the game with Lindow. Roger Lewis won the most Jester-like performance award for arranging a fixture with St. John’s College, Oxford by mistake. He thought he’d arranged a game with St. John’s College, Cambridge. The truth only emerged on the morning of the match. The Michael Meyer award for big hitting was presented to Alex Smith for his display against the Cricket Society (and for his good humour when his captain declared with him 91 not out).

28th November - a good time was had by all

We are pleased to report that the 75th anniversary dinner was a superb occasion. 124 diners were entertained by John Barclay’s memories of bowling at Viv Richards and Simon Rawson’s masterly performance as compere. Thanks to all who came along and made it such a splendid evening. Photography was strictly forbidden in the Long Room, but if anyone sneaked in a camera we’d love to put a few pics up on this site.

12th November - latest news of the dinner

120 Jesters and their guests have already booked places at the dinner. If you wish to join us you must let Simon Rawson know no later than Monday 17th.

The club AGM will take place before the dinner at 6.30pm in the MCC Film Theatre.

22nd September - booking now open for Lord’s dinner

We have begun taking bookings for the 75th anniversary dinner.

6th September - John Barclay agrees to speak at Lord’s dinner

Former Sussex captain John Barclay has kindly agreed to speak at the 75th Anniversary dinner on 21st November.

5th September - Our record this season

With all games now played, the final record for the season is: won 9, drawn 5, lost 7, tied 1.

5th September - Victory at Maidenhead

We rounded off the season with an excellent win at Maidenhead & Bray. The captain on the day reports:

“I put them in and we managed to get them out for 179. Alex Smith bowled an excellent 15 over spell 2/51 and Eddie Fulbrook, first change, took 3/29 off 11. Andrew Deverill-Smith opened at the other end and bowled quite tidily. Paul Durban got 2 , Tony Crockert got 1 and Will Drake got the last. Simon managed a direct hit run out.

Withers cracked a rapid 47. Richard Whelton and Simon Cleobury then saw them off with 65no and 43 no - 180/1! A good performance as they had a fairly strong side.”

1st September - Victory at Roehampton

We beat Roehampton by 5 wickets in a convincing performance. They were all out for 130 - having been 4 runs for 5 wickets at the start of their innings - which we knocked off with 4 or 5 overs to spare. Adnan Mohammed took five wickets.

16th August - Hoddesdon

On the hottest day ever we were confronted by Daan van Bunge who opened the batting for Holland in the world cup. His century was only the beginning as Hoddesdon amassed 360 in 45 overs. Our 260 was a decent response, but this was a sweltering and fractious game that all involved will want to put behind them.

7th August - Cuckfield

We beat a strong Cuckfield side by 3 wickets in the penultimate over chasing 270. Phil Darby’s 84* and Adrian Moylan’s 60 were the major contributions, but several others batted bravely against their Australian opening bowler, a 1st grade player from Sydney (“Big Red”).

5th August - More results

The three games following the tour produced a win, a draw and a defeat. Horsham were beaten by three wickets after we bowled them out for 170-odd - an excellent performance. We lost at Leatherhead after totalling little more than 100 in our innings - Sean Udal once again turned out against us. At Headley we snatched a draw from the jaws of victory, losing several wickets at the death as we closed in on 220-odd after being in a very strong position.

27 July - Exciting news about the dinner

The dinner will now take place in the Long Room at Lord’s instead of the Committee Dining Room.

26 July - Cheshire tour

A good time was had by all. We beat Davenham and tied with Lindow (the second time this has happened in the brief history of the fixture).

Match managers might like to know we have a new keeper in our midst (Simon Cleobury - four stumpings at Lindow) and that after all these years Alan Suttie is still making it to the bowling crease!

26 July - 75th anniversary caps and shirts

These are now available from Simon Rawson: caps £16; shirts £13. Both are embroidered with the club badge. The caps are “test” baseball-style with velcro fastening and the shirts in one fairly large size - so they should fit everyone.

26 July - Recent results

The five pre-tour games followed a broadly similar pattern: we scored stacks of runs but were unable - sometimes narrowly - to bowl sides out.

The exception was Amersham - a strong fixture - where we comfortably exceeded 200 and then took all ten opposition wickets.

After a similar total at Cobham - Simon Cleobury 130-odd - we had them nine down. Highgate won by two wickets in the penultimate over chasing our 200. We dropped their best batsman at a crucial moment.

Against the Cricket Society we totalled 286-4 on a very small ground (Alex Smith 91*) but could only take five of their wickets as they made their way to 210 by the close.

Blackheath cancelled the fixture at the last minute - but we managed to find new opposition in the shape of Old Cranleighans. Despite having very little bowling we did well to lose narrowly to what was their full cup side.

18th June - three recent results

We lost a high scoring game at Ashtead in the penultimate over. On a beautiful sunny day Jesters lost the toss and were inserted by Ashtead in a 45 over game. A good looking new pitch was changed for a previously used one after the toss and with one of the strongest Jesters' batting line-ups for some years, confidence was high.

Following a lively start one man of Jesus ran out another; the victim Robbie Hudson, the executioner Matt Williamson who proceeded without further ado to take the score to 117 with new candidate Abeed Janmohammad making his debut with a fluent 51. (Abeed was in the Kenya Under 19 World Cup squad and played 4 1st class games for Oxford UCCE).

Then with the ball starting to swing in cooler, windier conditions we subsided to 159-8 with Williamson dismissed for 43 and Roger Greenslade for 22. At this point, with three swing bowlers in their side and more than 15 overs left, Adnan Mohammad hit a rapid 46 not out ably supported by Patrick Allen and Simon Rawson. We reached 223 before being bowled out in th 45th over.

Ashtead attacked from the start - their left handed opener savaging a rapid 78 (I think) whilst their New Zealand pro nursing a big hangover supported him well without too much running between wickets. With some excellent leg breaks from Janmohammad and hostile left arm bowling from Adnan Mohammad we were very much in the fight with three wickets going down and Ashtead needing 117 from the last 20 overs.

However two expensive overs costing 36 and seven dropped catches saw Ashtead worthy winners in the 44th over - a good containing effort but we should have made 300 with such batting riches.

Merrow were beaten by 4 runs in a tense finish. Chasing 168 for victory they were 130-odd for 2 but subsided against hostile bowling, Adnan Mohammed taking six wickets. At one point during our innings the ball beat batsman and keeper to hit a helmet behind the keeper - the run penalty making the final difference between the sides.

We came a distant second at the National Physical Laboratory. We lost by 120 runs chasing 228, their Australian scoring a century. The less said about our batting the better.

14th June - change of venue

The game against the Cricket Society on 6th July will now be played at Southborough CC, just north of Tunbridge Wells. It’s a picturesque ground by a church - and a small one with plenty of 6 appeal.

13th June - change of match manager

Simon Cleobury has taken over as match manager of the Cobham game on July 13th.

25th May - Exeter College, Oxford

More rain, this time just after tea. The Jesters declared on 204-7 and gamely took the field in steady drizzle. A few miserable overs later everyone saw sense and the match was abandoned. Jesters batting stars were the new slimline Matt Williamson with 77 and Alex Smith with an undefeated half-century.

19th May - Recent games

Rain, rain and more rain has done for recent Jesters games. The HAC match was called off in advance, while Broadhalfpenny Brigands were 35-2 when the weather intervened, new member Tim Harty taking both wickets. One bright spot was victory at Jesus College, Cambridge. An eye-witness writes:

“We beat Jesus by 3 wickets (I think). We were generously set 217 to win with a very short boundary. Their captain was 12th man for the Blues last year and scored a bad hundred - we dropped him four or five times. Our spinners sadly fed him with full tosses with regularity that he duly dispatched into the trees over the short boundary. We batted well with a little hiccup at 92. (92 for 1 became 93 for 4). But Dave Hancock and Chris Bloor (guest) put on 90 to steady things up. In the end we managed to win with a couple of overs to spare.”

6th May - Blackheath

Please note this site has been showing an incorrect date for the game at Blackheath. It will take place on Sunday 29 June as printed in the fixture card.

5th May - Cambridge weekend

The St. John’s game was cancelled. We beat Queens’ by 5 wickets chasing 167. A marathon spell by Charles Fellows-Smith and several late wickets from Danny Karlin were the highlights with the ball. With the bat, Roger Greenslade’s 51* included some wonderful driving, Chandrahas Choudury (a guest) smote 50* and Fred Allen contributed an intelligent 25 odd in his first Jesters innings.

27th April - Dramatic run chase at Hurlingham

The season began in high drama. We lost by 5 runs against Hurlingham, chasing 252 for victory, the last wicket falling on the third ball of the final over.

Sam Martin, a New Zealander guesting for us, hit 79 from 47 balls, while new members Omar Hameed and Paul Durban contributed 40 and 25 respectively.

21st April - New Fixtures

We have a new fixture with Broadhalfpenny Brigands on Sunday 11th May. The Brigands play on Broadhalfpenny Down, near Petersfield, the home of Hambledon Cricket Club in the 18th century.

We also have new fixtures with Exeter College, Oxford, Highgate CC in north London, Blackheath CC near Guildford, Hoddesdon CC in Hertfordshire and with The Cricket Society.

21st April - Club clothing

We have ordered caps and shirts embroidered with the club badge (available during May). Sweaters will be ordered later in the season if there is demand.