August  2017

Prog Rock themed thought piece I forgot to include

Longparish 1st XI

The month began with a home win over Fareham & Crofton who batted first and were dismissed for 147 with Harry Martin and James Bevan taking 3 wickets each. A target that Longparish passed in the 19th over with William de Cani unbeaten on 67.

Over the sea to Skye the following week and an away day against Ventnor II which was done and dusted in just under two hours as the home side capitulated for 73 in the 20th over with Jack Levy and Matt Jackman taking 3 wickets each. A target that Longparish passed in the 9th over with William de Cani unbeaten on 49.

The games against Ryde and OT's and Romsey II were lost to the weather.  Longparish returned to action at Burridge II, who won the toss and opted to bat. James Bevan was the pick of the Longparish attack with 4 for 21 from his 10 overs as Burridge II were all out for 178 with 2 overs remaining. Ben Gardner hit 37 and Jack Levy 32 in the Longparish reply,  but wickets continued to tumble and it took cool heads at the bottom of the order, principally 20 for the 9th wicket from Alex Coetzee and James Bevan to see Longparish to a 1 wicket win.

With three games remaining Longparish currently sit second in the top division of the Hampshire League and vie with Portsmouth & Southsea and Lymington II for the pair of promotion places to the Southern Premier League.  

Longparish 2nd XI

With 3 games lost to the weather, only one game for Longparish II this month. A one sided affair away at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Tadley (That last bit may be subject to the official secrets act, and I know it's difficult but please erase from memory what you are about to read, or possibly print this email off and eat it. Clarkie took some brilliant photos of the game that we are unable to use on the website because of spooks and such like. There are things going on that we know nothing about)   Anyway. AWE Tadley were all out for 55 with Barry Blackmore taking 3 for 5 and Matt Jackman 4 for 11. Adam Lister struck 24 and Jamie Blackmore 17 as Longparish II eased to an 8 wicket win.

Longparish II currently lie 9th and mid table in County Division 4

Longparish 3rd XI

Longparish III are on a three game unbeaten run that began at home to Littleton & Westhill II. George Kousseff carved 47 and Alex Bundy 31 as Longparish III posted 175 for 8.  A target that Littleton & Westhi II failed to reach by 32 runs with Nathan Smith the pick of the Longparish III bowlers with 4 for 20.

Will Arnold top scored with 30 in a tremendously exciting game against Calmore Sports III who dismissed the home side for 145. A brilliant display in the field and 2 wickets each for Harry Samways, Alex Brinton, James Young and Will Arnold terminated the Calmore Sports III reply 1 run short of the target.

It was a similar story away at Hungerford II who batted first and closed on 136 for 7 with Christian Dawson and Barry Blackmore bagging a brace of wickets each. Longparish III lost wickets at regular intervals throughout their reply but the glue that is Gary Taplin held the innings together with a superb unbeaten 55 to see Longparish III to a 1 wicket win.

Three games to go and Longparish III occupy 5th spot and harbour hopes of promotion from Regional Division 2

Midweek 20/20

League business is done and Longparish clung  on to their top division status. But we're currently a cup team and so to another Tichborne Trophy semi final, a fixture that in previous years has invoked high drama and no little nervousness. In a repeat of last year's final, Tichborne Park were the visitors who batted first and scored 163 for 7 from their 20 overs with Coetzee & Coetzee (A & O) taking two wickets apiece.

Michael Taplin tonked 41 at the top of the Longparish order and William Samways was unbeaten on 53 in a Longparish reply that closed 8runs short of the target.

Longparish U11

In the perennial Friday friendly with Primrose Hill, Edward Tressler, Zac Allen and Thomas Parker picked up wickets and Zac Allen and William Stone scored 20 and 22 respectively in a narrow defeat to the London based side.

Away to a strong IBM Hursley U11 side, Thomas Parker scored 16 and was also in the wickets along with Niamh Cooper-Smith and Daniel Sanderson as Longparish U11 fell to a 29 run defeat..

It was a different story at home to Andover U11 where Conal Proctor and Oliver Keefe were in the wickets. James Newman top scored for Longparish U11with 22, Conal Proctor added 18, Fynn Bryan 12, Oliver Keefe 11 and William Stone 10 in a 49 run win for Longparish U11.

Thank you to all who have been involved with making Longparish U11 cricket such a success this summer, the players, the coaches, the parents, the supporters, match ball sponsors - everybody!

Longparish U13

In their penultimate league game of the summer, Longparish U13 took on IBM Hursley U13 who batted first and scored 121 from the 20 overs with Oliver Oram and Jude Cooper-Smith taking wickets. Myles Cole scored 25 and Zac Allen an unbeaten 31 in the Longparish U13 reply that closed 14 runs short of the target.

Away to St Cross U13, Zac Allen's fine form continued with an unbeaten 32, Jude Cooper Smith chipped in with 15 and Cameron Wigmore added 14 as Longparish U13 set St Cross a target of 126. A target that they failed to reach by 12 runs thanks to a superb team display in the field and wickets for Harvey Randall, Cameron Wigmore and William McDermott.

Longparish U13 finished runners up in their division. Well done to all of the players and thanks as ever to all of the coaches, parents, supporters and sponsors who have done so much for the team this summer.

Longparish U15

Away at Hursley Park U15, Tally O'Farrell starred with both bat and ball, scoring 31 and bagging a brace of wickets. Luke Benzing scored 11 and Liam Whitehorn 10. Benzing also picked up 2 wickets and Louis Pereira took 1 as Longparish U15 fell to a 5 wicket defeat. .

Their final game against bottom of the table Twyford U15 fell to the weather, leaving Longparish in 5th place in the U15 division.

Congratulations to all of the team, and thanks to all of the coaches, parents supporters and sponsors who have put so much effort into the U15 season.

Thanks also to Alison Allen who has forced confectionary, crisps and coffee on all who attend colts games this summer and raised £176 for the depleted club coffers.

Sunday Friendly Fixtures

The description is legally binding, they cannot be held on a Monday or be unfriendly, it's in the statute book so just live with it. There was a brief hiatus for academic matters but the games have recommenced and are open to anyone of any level who wishes to turn their arm over or brandish the willow once or twice a summer or the more regular player perhaps seeking to rediscover form. If you would like to make yourself available for a Sunday game please let Martin Bearpark know.

Presentation Day

The day for the ceremonial giving of gongs for all those involved in senior cricket during the past twelve months has been set as Friday 15th September and will once again be kindly hosted by The Cricketers Inn.  Yes there are the speeches, but in an age when we have been gifted Sony walkmans, ifaxes and ipagers ( and just when did Samsung take over the manufacture of the chocolate bar in the brown wrapper) there are ways of getting through this kind of thing. A pig is already being fattened up and chased around a field and for our vegan  friends, beans are under careful cultivation.   Ticket prices  as ever will be much lower than a KFC bargain bucket and slightly more than a McDonalds Filet 'O' Fish. It's the senior teams presentation night but everybody is welcome to attend on what was once a good night out.

Ground

Well it's a little greener than it was but the aquifers can still take all that the sky can throw at them. Thank you to Mikey O'Neil for the gift of a gold bell. It's a required item at higher levels of cricket, and it's gift seemed to coincide with the 1st XI sojourn at Ventnor  and whether one of the IOW ferries is now bongless we can only surmise. Thanks again Mikey for the bell.

The man with the machine with the things on the back that whizz round and round and tear up the square is already booked, as has the acquisition of many tons of loam which must be worked into the square by his other machine with bits on the back that do different things.

Ground marks for the Longparish track have again been good this summer for which we offer thanks to Paul Blackmore, Alan Longden and Ray Smith for all their efforts with regard to grass.

Survey

It is not enough that each year we issue a call for the disgruntled to march on the club AGM wielding placards and issuing chants calling for change.  Meddling Bureaucracy demands that we write this kind of thing down as a record that will be preserved across the ages.

You do not have to respond if you don't want to, and there are no prizes to be presented but it is a Clubmark requirement that  members are asked how they feel about their club every twelve months. If you would like to offload in a positive or negative way then please email your response to any of the following questions to Mr Chairman at bearparks.bspo@btinternet.com clearly stating which question you are responding to, and your replies will be duly noted.

Question 1: Where did it all go wrong?

Question 2: Is front of house ok, do you feel welcome at the club?

Question 3: Should we have a club tie/cravat?

Question 4: We don't claim to be a refuge, and yes there are no tigers in the long grass, but how safe do you feel at the club?

Question 5:  Did Mo Farrah just qualify for the 5000m final? (missed it, chuckin up this guff)

Question 6: Is the club run in manner that meets Clubmark requirements ?

Question 7:  Will Gareth Bale move to Man Utd and Coutinho head to Barcelona? ( getting a little distracted now, but if either of these events happen I don't anticipate a good winter Liverpool fans)

Question 8: Oh just anything, if you have any opinion, gripe or suggestion concerning t he machinations of Longparish Cricket Club, don't be a stranger           bearparks.bspo@btinternet.com

Box ticked (this is the first survey I have compiled if you feel it went well please respond accordingly)

Hundred Club Draw - August

Thank you to everyone who wrote in with their font of first choice to herald the winners of this month's hundred club draw.

A Mr Optio Draconarius, 5th Legion, 3rd Cohort writes

"Trajan" is a particularly favourite font of mine as it serves as a reminder of the greatest expansion in Roman history, Caeser gets all the heat when it comes to the Roman empire but Trajan was quite a guy.  He liked a market did Hadrian and enjoyed a bath and there was less of that interminable marching down long straight cobbled roads because he didn't mind a corner did Trajan he was quite a guy!"  

Ave Optio

 Thank you for your email. Surprisingly my ancient. version of Word (which you may be acquainted with) doesn't offer the Trajan font, I hope "Times New Roman" will suffice

£35  Ben Wills   £15   Zac Allen        £15   Rachel de Cani

If anyone out there, Optio or Centurion,  has a font that they are fond of with an accompanying tale that they would like to see used to display the Hundred Club winners, please send a postcard to:  Fonts I am fond of, Stable Cottage, Bransbury, Winchester SO21 3QJ.