North Walls, 16 May 2025
Nepal is famously one of the only countries to have successfully resisted colonisation by the British, having fought us to a virtual stalemate 200 years ago. Today, Winchester is the happy beneficiary of that unique moment in history. The British began recruiting the opponents who had so impressed them into their own, new “Gurkha” regiments. Later, many Gurkha soldiers retired to the UK, and their sons and daughters grew up here. All of which explains, in part, why many young Nepali men and women now live and work in Winchester. Some are (much-liked) postmen, others have started their own, thriving businesses.
And all of that is why the Winchester Nepalese cricket team sport the legend “Gurkha Cleaning” on their team shirts. It was the Racqueteers, though, who cleaned up the Gurkhas, at least on this occasion. Perhaps we should have been there in 1816. It’s possible that the Nepalese made some rash shot choices, early on, and perhaps the bounce was more than a little variable, after weeks of drought and a single tumultuous downpour (thunder, lightning and hail!) two days before. But that does not explain how they found themselves three wickets down with less than 20 runs posted. No, it was the President (3 for 22), who found that notoriously unplayable line and length of his, and took the first three wickets – one caught and two clean bowled. Meanwhile Leo (1 for 16), at the other end, kept the batsmen pinned down.
From there on, the task for the Nepalese was uphill. Not Himalayan-scale uphill, but a moderate-sized foothill at least. Rupe (0 for 19) and the Bard (0 for 16) tempted the bat with some legspin, but it was our pacemen who were rewarded. Rishi (3 for 17) and OC (1 for 9) were more than the middle-order could handle. Two deliveries, in particular, tickled off the top of one bail very satisfyingly. It was good to see the Skipper back with a ball in his hand too – and he was rewarded with a wicket on his fourth ball, after a year out. In general, our extras might have looked a little costly, but then wides were being given, with agreement, for most deliveries on the leg side. The Racqueteers’ fielding, though, was tight, and the highlights of the innings were undoubtedly the run-outs: OC’s fierce throw-in, cleanly taken by G, and Skip’s response to a confused second run – his nonchalant underarm flick from behind the slips scored a direct hit.
At the crease, this was one of the Racqueteers’ most positive performances, especially given the condition of the track. Benno (retired, 25) and Alex (9) opened strongly, managing the inconsistent bounce – three balls were up by Benno’s ears – and repeatedly finding the boundary, at least before Alex lost his wicket, edging a cut into the keeper’s gloves. Skip (18) came out fighting, stroking two fours and lofting a song of a straight six into the hornbeams before being caught. Rishi(7) came to the crease in even more pugnacious mood, and was unlucky to be caught on the boundary at long on. That took us to 88 for 3, off 16 overs, and it was left to Leo (13 not out) and OC (16 not out) to take us to the finish line – which they did in style, attacking the loose ball and sometimes the tight one too. The manner in which OC closed proceedings reflected the innings as a whole: he uncoiled like a wound spring and sent the ball for six over deep midwicket.
Both teams then retired to the Hyde Tavern, renewing Anglo-Nepalese friendship once more – this time over pints and pizza.
The Racqueteers Cricket Club 
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