Calmore Sports are though to next month’s National Village Championship final at Lord’s.
They crushed Stoke Green, from Buckinghamshire, by ten wickets in the semi-final at Loperwood Park.
Spin bowlers Liam Carty and Mark Lavelle took four wickets each as the Thames Valley League leaders, Stoke Green were dismissed for 117.
Ben Johns, who almost missed the match through a back injury, and Will Brewster each hit an unbeaten half-century as Calmore – after a two-hour stoppage for rain – cruised to victory with 15 overs to spare.
The final is at Lord’s on Sunday 19 September against either the Welsh side Neyland, from Pembrokshire, or Cheshire County League side Alvanley, who play their delayed semi-final in South Wales next weekend.
Lavelle revealed how close the semi-final tie came to being called off when a deluge hit the ground with Calmore 24 without loss having bowled Stoke Green out for 117.
“At 5.30pm we didn’t appear to have a chance as the square was swamped, but the lads who look after the ground did a magnificent job in getting it playable and we’re dedicating our victory to them,” he beamed.
“The support we got from neighbouring clubs was superb. Totton & Eling hurried in a ‘super sopper’ and Paultons came up with a huge bag of saw dust. Wonderful stuff.
“In their position, Stoke Green obviously didn’t want to continue with the game, but the sun came out just in the nick of time and helped dry the surface out. Perfect timing.”
Stoke Green are 21 points clear at the top of the Thames Valley League and are hot tips for promotion into the ECB Home Counties Premier pyramid next season, but never got to grips with the traditionally slow, low Loperwood Park bounce.
“They had never played here before. They kept playing their shots, so we set appropriate fields and let them make their own mistakes – which they did,” Lavelle added.
They crushed Stoke Green, from Buckinghamshire, by ten wickets in the semi-final at Loperwood Park.
Spin bowlers Liam Carty and Mark Lavelle took four wickets each as the Thames Valley League leaders, Stoke Green were dismissed for 117.
Ben Johns, who almost missed the match through a back injury, and Will Brewster each hit an unbeaten half-century as Calmore – after a two-hour stoppage for rain – cruised to victory with 15 overs to spare.
The final is at Lord’s on Sunday 19 September against either the Welsh side Neyland, from Pembrokshire, or Cheshire County League side Alvanley, who play their delayed semi-final in South Wales next weekend.
Lavelle revealed how close the semi-final tie came to being called off when a deluge hit the ground with Calmore 24 without loss having bowled Stoke Green out for 117.
“At 5.30pm we didn’t appear to have a chance as the square was swamped, but the lads who look after the ground did a magnificent job in getting it playable and we’re dedicating our victory to them,” he beamed.
“The support we got from neighbouring clubs was superb. Totton & Eling hurried in a ‘super sopper’ and Paultons came up with a huge bag of saw dust. Wonderful stuff.
“In their position, Stoke Green obviously didn’t want to continue with the game, but the sun came out just in the nick of time and helped dry the surface out. Perfect timing.”
Stoke Green are 21 points clear at the top of the Thames Valley League and are hot tips for promotion into the ECB Home Counties Premier pyramid next season, but never got to grips with the traditionally slow, low Loperwood Park bounce.
“They had never played here before. They kept playing their shots, so we set appropriate fields and let them make their own mistakes – which they did,” Lavelle added.
Captain's role ! Mark Lavelle took four wickets and two catches ...
Stoke Green’s demise began on the final ball of left-armer Steve Wright’s opening over when Hashim Hussain pulled across the line and was trapped leg before.
Lavelle didn’t take too long to bring his cagey left-arm spin into play and was twice rewarded in consecutive overs with dolly catches served up to Brewster at mid-off. Stoke Green 37-3.
Lavelle struck again with a return catch to make it 52-4. The Slough visitors moved to 89 without further loss through Gagan Singh (26) and P Bacho (23), but patience at the crease wasn’t a great virtue and once they were parted the last six wickets fell for 28 runs.
Lavelle finished with 4-20, while Carty, eldest son of well known local left-arm spinner Adam Carty, was twice smacked for big sixes, but maintained a splendid loop and well deserved his 4-21 return.
They were no mean figures for a rookie spinner who was playing Hampshire League Division 2 cricket only five weekends ago.
Calmore openers Brewster and Johns, knowing the surface, were far more circumspect in their approach and amid a cacophony of constant screeching appeals from the Stoke Green players eased the local Southern Premier Division 1 side to 24 without loss in the seventh over.
The keys to the historic Grace Gates at Lord’s were almost jangling before Calmore’s eyes when some serious rain swept in across the New Forest and threatened an abandonment – and a start-again replay in Stoke Poges next Sunday.
Lavelle didn’t take too long to bring his cagey left-arm spin into play and was twice rewarded in consecutive overs with dolly catches served up to Brewster at mid-off. Stoke Green 37-3.
Lavelle struck again with a return catch to make it 52-4. The Slough visitors moved to 89 without further loss through Gagan Singh (26) and P Bacho (23), but patience at the crease wasn’t a great virtue and once they were parted the last six wickets fell for 28 runs.
Lavelle finished with 4-20, while Carty, eldest son of well known local left-arm spinner Adam Carty, was twice smacked for big sixes, but maintained a splendid loop and well deserved his 4-21 return.
They were no mean figures for a rookie spinner who was playing Hampshire League Division 2 cricket only five weekends ago.
Calmore openers Brewster and Johns, knowing the surface, were far more circumspect in their approach and amid a cacophony of constant screeching appeals from the Stoke Green players eased the local Southern Premier Division 1 side to 24 without loss in the seventh over.
The keys to the historic Grace Gates at Lord’s were almost jangling before Calmore’s eyes when some serious rain swept in across the New Forest and threatened an abandonment – and a start-again replay in Stoke Poges next Sunday.
Ben Johns sweeps one of his six boundaries.
It was the last thing Calmore wanted – or deserved – but, by good fortune and some remarkable mopping up, umpires Dave Bull and Denis Emery got the game going again after a near two-hour delay.
Stoke Green continued their raucous screeched appeals virtually at almost every time the ball struck a Calmore pad – and, shortly after the 13th over had been hit for 11 (lifting the Calmore total to 52), the umpires issued their captain with an official warning.
Brewster and Johns were content to pick off anything loose, something they did with great effect as the evening sun shone through and both players reached unbeaten fifties, Brewster, Hampshire cricket’s media man, lofting a six over long-on and into the heart of the large contingent of Stoke Green supporters.
It was all done and dusted by the 25th over – Brewster making 53 not out and Johns one more, with 54.
After losing at Rowledge the previous day, Calmore’s dream of promotion to the ECB Southern Premier Division in 2022 may have ended, but a September 19 trip to Lord’s should keep their minds focused ….
Pictures by kind permission of Les Chase.
Stoke Green continued their raucous screeched appeals virtually at almost every time the ball struck a Calmore pad – and, shortly after the 13th over had been hit for 11 (lifting the Calmore total to 52), the umpires issued their captain with an official warning.
Brewster and Johns were content to pick off anything loose, something they did with great effect as the evening sun shone through and both players reached unbeaten fifties, Brewster, Hampshire cricket’s media man, lofting a six over long-on and into the heart of the large contingent of Stoke Green supporters.
It was all done and dusted by the 25th over – Brewster making 53 not out and Johns one more, with 54.
After losing at Rowledge the previous day, Calmore’s dream of promotion to the ECB Southern Premier Division in 2022 may have ended, but a September 19 trip to Lord’s should keep their minds focused ….
Pictures by kind permission of Les Chase.
Will Brewster clips the ball off his legs.
