King Edward VI School, 21 May 2025
The serene playing fields of an august educational institution are not quite the place for slapstick, but we had more than our usual share of comic moments at King Edward VI school, on Wednesday night. There was Alex, who tried to turn one around the corner and instead sent it high and loopy one to Shep at square leg, as if he was giving a deliberate catch to a child. Poor Shep. He waved his hands in the air haplessly as the ball dropped all but on top of him – straight out of the sun. There was Rishi, trying to cut off a fast one on its way to the boundary; stretching out a cricket boot he neatly kicked it out for four. There was Shaun, fielding at deep backward square leg, who picked up the ball to cries of ‘have a go!’; as the Vikings ran he hurled it in, with perhaps more enthusiasm than accuracy, striking not the stumps but, alas, the square-leg umpire.
And then there was the Skipper. Umpiring, he authoritatively no-balled a Viking bowler for approaching the crease from well wide of the popping crease – so authoritatively in fact that the bowler pulled up short without actually delivering the ball. Consternation ensued, and some debate. In the end, it was concluded that a no ball that is not a ball at all is a dead ball. Ah, cricket…
This fixture is an unusual one, for us. The wicket is unusually excellent. So is the weather! While Winchester endured a downpour, the legendary Blue Hole of Shirley remained resolutely open. And the opposition are a little unusual, too. Half the team are teachers who, for the most part, bring wisdom and experience, while the other half are lithe young sports coaches. Men and women, English and South African, they bring zest, vigour and, in one case, some impressive hockey-style slap shots. Overseeing matters is their wicketkeeping captain, Alex. He is unusual too – just in that on other days he can be seen sporting Racqueteers green.
When we have him on our side, Alex is one of our best players. Our job then, as the Vikings went in to bat first, was to get him out before he did too much damage on the Vikings’ behalf. He’d reached ten in six deliveries when the President served him up a plate of cold, cold Caldwell: Alex got underneath it, and lifted it towards Benno, waiting in the ring. Benno’s excellent catch was exactly the start we needed, and our bowlers pushed home the advantage: the President (2 for 13), Rishi (1 for 11) and Leo (2 for 14) all gave away fewer than four runs an over. Impressive – as were the efforts of Aussie Stu and OC, who both took turns behind the stumps. OC, Head of Trout and Benno all bowled well, if without quite as much success. The laurels, though, went to the Skipper (3 for 12), who took three wickets – including one delivery that stranded the batsman in the no-man’s-land of indecision, and then nipped back in to pluck off the off-stump bail. Textbook off-spin.
We needed 106 to win. The Vikings did their best to put us off with a first-class tea, but The Bard (26 not out, retired), Shep(25 not out, retired) and Rishi (26 not out, retired) laid the right foundations. Aussie Stu (0) had the bad luck of receiving the perfect delivery first ball (from that vigorous young South African pace bowler), but the Pope (5 not out) and OC (2 not out) brought things home. We reached our target in 16.5 overs, for the loss of just that one wicket, and repaired to a nearby hostelry for well-deserved refreshment. A good victory against a likeable opposition.
The Racqueteers Cricket Club 
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