Match Reports and News (following on from Tuesday 13 June)
Wednesday 7 June
1st XI vs Chafyn Grove
20 Overs
Pilgrims’ 140 for 2 (Sammy Q 47*, Aditya S 39*)
Chafyn Grove 124 a/o (Thomas R 5-23, Charles L 4-21)
Pilgrims’ won by 8 wickets
An extremely warm and enjoyable afternoon. Pilgrims’ won the toss and batted first. We played at an idyllic, neutral ground on a grass wicket playing very true. Thomas R took his usual slot at no. 1, joined by George S who has impressed all season. The pair made a solid start, deliberate, but measured in their approach. The boundary was short and outfield fast, if you could beat the infield you were guaranteed runs. Chafyn made breakthrough dismissing Thomas and George departed shortly after. In came Sammy Q and Aditya S. There two year 7’s have stepped up to the plate with both bat and ball this season, being instrumental to most things positive. The pair looked comfortable. The rest of the team could sit back and enjoy. The pair but on 98 runs and nearly a ball-by-ball rate! It was a pleasure to watch. Both deserved a 50, but were denied as the innings came to a close at 20 overs.
The boys new this was defendable and stood a good chance to see out the victory. They did, however, make hard work it! Chafyn fashioned their own luck, but we did help them on their way. More lose deliveries than in previous matches and some tired fielding made this run chase very interesting! Captain Thomas R had clearly seen enough. Thomas picked up a wicket in every over he bowled, finding himself on a hattrick in his third. The game started to swing in our favour as Charles L presented a threat at the other end. Charles bowled full and fast, proving too much for 4 of Chayfn’s batsmen. In the end this looked a comfortable victory. A lesson was learnt about complacency, but a win is a win and very much deserved! Well done all! MTG
2nd XI vs Chafyn Grove
20 overs
Pilgrims’ 137 for 2 (Harry H 22ret, Rohan T 22ret, Rohan F 17, Deepak S 17no)
Chafyn Grove 80 for 9 (Rohan F 2 for 3 – hatrick!, Rory K 2 for 2, Yan Z 11 for 2)
Pilgrims’ won by 57 runs
A lovely afternoon this one. With some fiddling with the team lists due to Common Entrance, it was a rather strange, but powerful 2nd XI which took the field. Having won the toss and been put into bat, the boys batted wonderfully. Harry H retired at 22 after opening strongly. Captain Rohan F timed the ball beautifully for his 22 retired and both Rohan F (17) and Deepak S (17no) kept the scoreboard ticking over, despite not perhaps having the power of the earlier batters. In all, it was an impressive innings and a super total. The Chafyn chase was enjoyable, with some good bowling and regular wickets, but some good shots also throughout the innings. At the end of the day, the regular wickets meant they were never going to get near the total, but there was still much for both teams to take from the innings. For us, the highlight was a hat-trick for Rohan F; brilliant! What was even more brilliant was the wonderful, though measured celebration, and the respectful request at the end of the game for possession of the match ball! I hope that he has it mounted or some such! All round, a wonderful afternoon. ASD
3rd XI vs Chafyn Grove
20 overs - pairs
Pilgrims’ 378
Chafyn Grove 300
Pilgrims’ won by 78
The boys were optimistic ahead of a new fixture in the Pilgrims’ calendar and travelled to Chafyn Grove for some soft ball pairs. We won the toss and elected to bat first. The pitch was on an excitingly jaunty slope and the boundary was invitingly small. Sammy P got us off to a flier, hitting 6s and 4s and generally causing cricketing mayhem, with Fraser N nurdling the ball around nicely, too, to put on a whopping 51 in 4 overs. A more sedate period followed, with boys still trying to punish the good ball unsuccessfully(!), but Ayden C hit well, and at the end, we finished on an impressive 378. Our bowling response was generally pretty good, which included a very special moment for Sammy P as he was rewarded with some accurate and quick bowling with a hat trick in his final over, but most boys chipped in along the way, and we ended up comfortable winners in the end. A good performance and one to build on! Well done to all. WD
4th XI/Colts C vs Chafyn Grove
14 overs - pairs
Chafyn Grove 239 for 6
Pilgrims’ 238 for 6 (Jayden 1 for 3, Bertie 2 for 6)
Pilgrims’ lost by 1 run
What a lovely afternoon it was, down at St Cross CC. Pilgrims’ fielded a team of seven pairs, all raring to get stuck into the afternoon’s fare. The fielding performance was pleasing. Jayden opened the innings by taking a wicket, bowled and later bowled a maiden over. There were also two run-outs. Chafyn posted 239 to beat.
It was nip and tuck in the run chase. Both bowling and batting performances were comparable, both teams lost the same number of wickets, thus thirty runs, from their total. Lo and behold, in the final over Pilgrims’ needed three runs to win – a tight finish. A Chafyn wicket boosted their hopes and gave us more to do but George Si, scoring a boundary with his second ball, and James H worked well together as a team and very nearly got us over the line. The loss, however, was irrelevant on this occasion. What was more important was to see 26 youngsters from both schools enjoying each other’s company and a fantastic game of cricket. AJS
Max demonstrates excellent hosting skills at the 4th XI fixture.
Colts A vs Chafyn Grove
20 overs
Chafyn Grove 170/6 from 20 overs (Rian D 2-26; Hugo C. 2-33; Bertie B. 2-34)
Pilgrims’ 132/8 from 20 overs (Finn R. 54; Charles N. 39; Charlie S. 11)
Pilgrims’ lost by 38 runs
There are some clichés in cricket - they are clichés because they are, of course, true! ‘Catches win matches’ is one which one can hear used up and down the country, and especially at Wolvesey on Wednesday afternoon. Chafyn Grove had one excellent batsman, who played straight and hit the ball hard, and it took him a while to get properly up and running; in that time, he should have been out – he went on to score 122! The fielding performance from Pilgrims’ was sloppy in places and with the dropped catches, sadly, heads dropped, and frustrations grew. Despite the overall dominance of their one-star batter, Pilgrims’ eventually learnt how to curtail the run-rate, give the in-form batter a single and close the field in on the less prolific striker. This approach saw them claw their way back into the match, only for the final three overs to be walloped for nearly 70 runs, which was understandably quite demoralising for the boys!
The Achilles heel of this team this season has been the loss of early wickets and finding the score at 11-3 from the first three overs seems to be the norm. The Colts batters failed to capitalise on the bad balls and instead try to smash the good balls, which got them out, ‘play the good ball, hit the bad ones!’ With Finn and Charles at the crease, one always felt we had a genuine chance of winning the game; both boys are in great form, but they couldn’t quite dominate the Chafyn bowlers enough. By the 17th over, there were a palpable sense of anticipation, as the Pilgrims’ run-chase closed in on the target, but the target was just too big with 14 required of each of the last three overs. This was a great learning curve for this team in so many ways, and it will be interesting to see what they can put into practice in their next match against Elstree. AA
Colts B vs Chafyn Grove
20 overs (Pairs)
Pilgrims': 259 runs
Chafyn Grove: 260
Pilgrims' lost by 1 run
The Colts Bs had a fantastic opportunity to play on Gator Field in the Winchester Grounds on Wednesday, and faced off against a very evenly matched Chafyn Grove side.
Gleb and Cole kicked off the innings with a commendable 15 runs between them in the first four overs. They held their nerve against a fairly tough bowling attack, and protected their wickets well. Rupert (7) and Chenhan (17) played attractive cricket and were able to score relatively freely to keep the score board ticking over. Yashk and William played conservatively to protect their wickets and scored a useful 12 runs between them. Leo and Jago had a tough time of it, and by this time it was sweltering down on the pitch. They both played some attractive shots but lost their wickets twice in their allotted overs. Timothy and Thomas played quite sensibly and managed to get the scoreboard started again, with Teddy and James seeing the team to 260 runs.
The Pilgrims’ bowlers did well to restrict Chafyn Grove in the early overs of their innings, however, they soon got into a rhythm and scored relatively freely. James bowled particularly well, taking 2 wickets for 3 runs. Sadly, it was not Pilgrims’ day, and after an exciting spell of bowling, Pilgrims’ eventually lost by only 1 run.
This has been by far the most exciting game of cricket the team has played this season. CXC
Foals A vs Chafyn Grove
Chafyn Grove - 70 all out
Pilgrims’ – 75-1
Pilgrims’ won by 9 wickets
A full-strength Foals A team were full of confidence after a strong win before half-term. Bowling first on a lovely cricket pitch, the bowlers produced an attacking style, very rarely allowing the opposition to gain the upper hand. Barney dismissed the Chafyn Grove number 2 with a direct hit run out in the opening over and followed this up with a straightforward catch off the second. Elliot and Archie then produced some excellent bowling, both scoring a wicket off their second ball and Archie repeatedly beating the bat multiple times with some lovely looking deliveries against a left-hander. Edward and Theo M also joined in the fun, both taking wickets with cleaned bowled, leaving Chafyn Grove with 6 wickets down after just 10 overs. With Pilgrims’ firmly on the front foot, Barney, Elliot, Boris and Archie finished off the tail, including a very threatening wicket maiden from Elliot on his second over.
With memories flashing back to a few matches prior, when we bowled a team out for 55 but failed to reach the target, the boys were warned against confidence being too high and thinking the job was already done. However, some strong batting from our opening pair of Christian and Elliot (coupled with a little help from the Chafyn Grove extras) meant that the chase was never in doubt, with Pilgrims’ clearing the post a little before the halfway mark for the loss of just one solitary wicket. This was a comprehensive win, and I am extremely pleased that the boys are learning from previous games and growing as a set of confident cricketers. I hope the boys are looking forward to the final few games of the season as much as I am. Well done. CAL
Foals B vs Chafyn Grove
Chafyn Grove 274
Pilgrims’ 280
Pilgrims’ won by 6 runs
On Wednesday, the boys took part in an exciting match in the blazing June sunshine. Having lost the toss, we were asked to bowl first. Despite the quick outfield, we remained alert and limited the number of runs scored. Austin S continued to show his improving skills as a wicketkeeper and took a spectacular diving catch. Quick thinking in the field from Lucas led to an excellent run out, and many possible boundaries were stopped by our fielders. As a collective, our bowling continues to improve, with the fewest extras being given away this season. Hal H bowled accurately, whilst Seb also bowled well, taking two wickets.
With Chafyn reaching 274, it was our turn to bat. With an achievable target in sight, we felt that this could possibly be the chance to get our first win of the season. It was fantastic to see our boys play shots with a greater confidence. The quick outfield allowed more boundaries than usual to be hit, which further increased our hopes of chasing down the opposition run total. Freddie W, Leon S, Hal H, Austin S, and Seb all hit fours, helping us creep to our total. Having reached 280 with an over to spare we simply had to not give any wickets away in the final over. Despite some accurate bowling from the Chafyn player, resulting in a maiden over, our shot selection was sensible and allowed us to win the match.
This was a super game, closely fought between two well-matched sides. Well done all the boys! TMH
Foals C vs Chafyn Grove
Chafyn won by 24 runs
For many of us this was our fist visit to Chafyn Grove, and we were warmly welcomed in every sense of the word. From the offset, it was clear that we were going to have a very good match from two teams that, according to their coaches, have improved immeasurably this term.
Pilgrims’ batted first and evidence of improvement from this age group was immediately apparent as Chafyn took several early wickets. Eleanor, voted player of the match by the umpires was to take a hat-trick with three excellent deliveries that were simply unplayable. Pilgrims’ rallied especially in the last few overs adding thirty runs from the last two. A respectable target was set but having lost six wickets, our bowling and fielding would be critical. There were some notable performances both in the field and with the ball. Albert, captain for the day, ran around all afternoon chasing down seemingly lost causes and saving a lot of runs. There were also excellent bowling spells especially from Wilfred and Alvin. However, all this effort was to fall short as the difference of 24 runs or five wickets was to prove the difference between the two sides. Chafyn were deserved winners, but anyone watching would have seen that cricket was the real winner and an excellent afternoon was enjoyed by all. TWR
Foals D vs Chafyn Grove
Chafyn Grove 275 for 3
Pilgrims’ 288 for 2
Pilgrims’ win by 13 runs
What a fantastic match! Pilgrims' arrived with news they would be playing indoors! With air conditioning on a hot day outside this was well received! A small boundary with the chance of numerous 4’s and 6’s was also an exciting prospect! The indoor format suited our boys very well who bowled first. The close proximity meant fielders were always alive and alert and showed quick reactions. Super deliveries from Alfie H, Alexander L and Edward D in the early overs saw a few wickets and when the innings was done, Chafyn made a score of 275. Pilgrims’ were confident they could chase that total down and got off to a flying start. Some great strikes from Alfie O and Edward D saw the total runs rise early, but te rate sowed towards the end of the innings. In the final over it was all to play for! Pilgrims got over the line with a couple of fantastic shots and managed to reach an impressive 288! A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon was had by all! Well done, boys. JB
Thursday 8 June
U9 A vs Prince's Mead
Pilgrims' 251
Prince's Mead 257
Pilgrims’ lost by 6 runs
What a fantastic game of cricket to be a part of. I was impressed by how the boys batted on Thursday. Prince’s Mead bowled well, showing a fairly consistent line and length. Pilgrims’ were clever when batting, backing up well and calling sensibly. They applied pressure to fielders, capitalising on any miss-field. Alex S and Rio C finished off the innings in style. The pair scored 26 runs in 3 overs. Pilgrims’ finished with 251. A good score on a hot afternoon! It was all to play for. There was a real buzz and energy from the team as we entered the field. Charlie L and Teddy Y offered the opposition very little to hit. Both boys bowled extremely tightly, picking up 3 wickets between them. As the last couple overs were in play, you could cut the tension with a knife! It is never easy bowling in those moments, when a game is on the line. I would like to congratulate Rio C, Alex S and Finlay N, for stepping up when the pressure was on! Prince’s Mead narrowly took the victory. This game could have easily swayed in our favour! Keep going boys! MTG
U9 Sandstorm Vs Prince’s Mead
The Sandstorm had an insightful game of cricket this Thursday. Prince’s Mead opened the batting with an extremely impressive performance which resulted in them scoring over 100 runs. Despite this, Pilgrims' managed to put in a good bowling show accompanied by some tight fielding which helped restrict their opposition. A particularly notable moment was when Soichiro H earned himself an excellent wicket with a brilliant ball which was caught by William W on the leg side – well done both boys! In Pilgrims’ batting innings, the team were well coordinated and displayed some great skill in their decision-making as well as in their running between the wickets. As team captain, Marek G set a very good example with his 2 overs and was able to get his team off to a solid start. It was especially pleasing to see many boundaries scored by multiple different Pilgrims' boys throughout their innings. Overall, the Sandstorms were not quite able to chase down their opposition’s total score, but they certainly gave it a valiant effort and fought right to the end. It was excellent to see their continued improvement and ability to apply what they’ve been learning in training sessions this term. I wish them the best of luck in the weeks to come! MMG
U9 Seawolves vs Prince's Mead
Pilgrims' 275 for 1
Prince's Mead 296 for 2
The boys rose to the occasion and really concentrated well throughout the game. In both innings there were a fair amount of wides and no balls, and we are learning when to run for a bye if the wicket keeper doesn’t make a clean take. Daniel was the pick of the batters, smashing five boundaries.
The Prince's Mead chase was relatively speedy, catching our total in the ninth of twelve overs. We took a further wicket, but not enough to slow the run rate. Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed the game. Well done in the heat boys. AJS
U8A v Prince's Mead
Prince's Mead 276 for 3
Pilgrims’ 271 for 4
Lost by 5 runs
Pilgrims' played some excellent cricket at times but came up just short on the final ball of the match! An incredibly exciting and high-quality match. Pilgrims’ bowled first and were very impressive. A few wides here and there helped Prince's Mead notch a few extra runs, but some excellent and organised fielding kept the run rate down to a reasonable 276 at the break. Pilgrims’ have scored well with the bat this season so were confident that they could chase the Prince's Mead score down. George and Alfred stared well and scored a steady 29 from their 4 overs, Patrick and Isaac were next in and fell victim to some very efficient fielding from Princes mead taking 2 wickets, slowing the Pilgrims run rate down. Abhinav and Edward came in for the final 4 overs and ticked along slowly leaving the scores very close into the final over. So close in fact that Edward faced the final ball of the match needing a single run to win! Edward played a fabulous pull shot which was flying to the boundary. From nowhere, an incredible piece of fielding from Princes mead saw a 1 handed flying catch! Prince's Mead win! The disappointment on the faces of Pilgrims’ was clear, but a very mature reaction from all boys and an appreciation of being part of an incredible match was lovely to see. Perhaps Pilgrims' could have scored more heavily and, on another day, with our batters in top form could have won comfortably. But this will be a match they remember for a long time! Well done, boys!
U8 Scorchers v Prince's Mead
Today was a great representation of all the things the boys have been working on throughout the term, merging to produce a great overall cricket performance. The boys showed their great running intelligence, with quick, loud and smart calls that gave us many runs off wides and overthrows. Through this Bertie L and Baxter N-B were able to get 40 runs between them off the first 4 overs. Shout out to them! With the other boys also putting in a good bat to get us up to 288 by the end of the innings, a great score no doubt. After a quick chat about what they needed to do to try and get the win, the next innings were on the way. Prince’s Mead came out strong hitting a few big boundaries early, however the boys stayed composed and confident and saw the first pair off with a wicket from Teddy H. Throughout the next two pairs I saw brilliant fielding all round. While we may have dropped a few catches, the boys showed impressive use of short and long barriers, as well as great backing up and situational shuffling of fielders around to stump their run rate. In the last over Winston G was able to seal the game beyond doubt with a beautiful bowl and catch that got the crowd buzzing. Needless to say, a good day out on the wicket today for the Scorchers. Go Pilgrims! EJG
Saturday 10 June
1st XI v Elstree
20 overs
Elstree 155 for 4
Pilgrims' lost by 29 runs
Another cracking afternoon of weather and cricket. Elstree won the toss and elected to bat. Not a bad toss to win. The team worked tirelessly in the afternoon heat, putting on a strong display. Elstree’s openers put on 47 for the first wicket as they took a hold of the game. The second wicket fell shortly after as the hosts were held to 49 for 2. A power display from their number 6, saw him score 51 and 73 runs added to the total. Harry took a sublime catch, low to his right! A few tired, lose deliveries were punished as Elstree posted a very strong target of 155 for us to chase.
The boys were physically and mentally tired, but to their credit dug in, and found more. Thomas R and Rory K opened up. They both played some lovely shots. However, it wasn’t until the third over until our first run was scored off the bat. Then the floodgates opened! Rory hit three glorious cover drives, leaving the fielders stranded – effortless and with exceptional timing. Uncharacteristically for Thomas at the start of his innings, he took the ariel route. He played more aggressively that usual, but still looked in control. Elstree weren't expecting it, as Thomas and Rory took their bowling attack apart to put on 33 for the first wicket. Sammy Q continued his good form, scoring a measured 21. Thomas scored a greatly appreciated 52 before being bowled. The middle order knew what was required and went after the ball. A flurry towards the end by Rohan F and Nikhil D made things interesting. Sadly we ran out of steam and Elstree closed the game out. A huge effort from all, in tough conditions. MTG
2nd XI v Elstree
Elstree
Pilgrims’
Result
3rd XI v Elstree
Pilgrims’ 71 for 7 (Michael. Z – 15*)
Elstree 72 for 2
Elstree won by 5 wickets
This was our performance of the season by an absolute country mile! The most pleasing aspect was that we batted our allocated 20 overs. The fact that it came at the expense of a more imposing run rate is something we’ll need to look at, but it was great to see some tenacity in the boys’ batting. Another hallmark of our innings was that there were fewer boys bowled out, most wickets falling to either good catches, as was the case with Sammy P, or just having a go. The boys also had to contend with a spinner who was turning it round corners and could bowl a devastating googly - what he was doing in the 3rds was beyond me! James P batted well and saw off a number of balls early on in the innings, but it wasn’t until Michael Z and Balthasar J came to the crease, that our run rate increased. Michael particularly, played some imperious shots and really looked to move his feet and get his hands through the ball. Balthasar’s unorthodox approach was the perfect foil!
Sadly, our bowling and fielding, which is typically the stronger suit, let us down. We dropped two catches in the first two balls and that rather set the tone. In fairness, Elstree’s 3 and 4 were very handy and they made batting look easy, meaning they chased down the total in under 10 overs. However, it was a much improved performance and one that I was delighted with from 1 to 11. Michael Z’s drive through the covers for 4 was the stuff of dreams and worthy of MOM any day of the week, but a really good match, and one that was happily discussed with some parents in the Library afterwards(!). Well done to all, a most enjoyable afternoon. WD
Pilgrims 4 XI v Elstree
Elstree 228 for 3
Pilgrims’ 28 all out
This was a tricky afternoon for Pilgrims’ who came up against players with far more experience and who were playing at a different level. Pilgrims’ did as well as they could and bowled magnificently well. Consistent straight deliveries with very few wides or no balls was great to see. The lack of pace however played into Elstree’s hands and they hit boundaries with ease, 3 players were retired at 50 each and the lower order batters continued to score heavily. Pilgrims’ remained positive and played with a smile, which was to be admired. After match tea, the theme continued, Elstree bowlers were too quick for Pilgrims' and the wickets fell. George M and Tristan S gave it a good go and scored a few good runs, but the game was over rather quickly. The afternoon finished with the boys acknowledging the superior opposition and strolling back along the river in the summer sun with a very proud Mr Buck. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Well done, Pilgrims’!
Colts A XI v Elstree
20 overs
Pilgrims’ 125 for 4 from 20 overs (Finn R. 54*; Charlie Shi 16; Charles Nield 14)
Elstree 127 for 7 from 12.5 overs (Finn R. 3-26; Chenhan Z. 2-35)
Pilgrims lost by 3 wickets
The modus operandi of the Pilgrims’ innings was to limit the number of early wickets, which has been a common theme all season. Despite losing one early wicket, the second wicket partnership of 75 runs provided a notion that this might be Pilgrims’ afternoon. Coupled with some excellent running between the wickets, some fine timing from Finn, and some laboured fielding form Elstree, Pilgrims' were the arguably stronger side. Following Finn’s retirement, the momentum was not sustained, and despite having wickets in hand, Pilgrims' failed to capitalise on the last five overs as one would have expected, scoring just 30 runs (bear in mind Chafyn Grove scored over 60 in their final three overs in the preceding match!). However, 125 should have been defendable, but Elstree started strongly and seemed to have a knack of finding the gaps in the field as they scored at a blistering rate from the get-go. The difference being that one always felt if we got through their middle order, it would be a tight finish, but sadly those meagre final five overs of our innings caught up with us at the end of the match as we fell short of runs to defend.
Colts B XI vs Elstree
Pilgrims’: 40 all out (15 overs)
Elstree: 41/1 (12.2 overs)
Result: Pilgrims’ lost by 9 wickets
Another warm afternoon on the pitch saw the Pilgrims’ Colts Bs stride out valiantly against a formidable foe. Wickets fell fairly regularly, and the boys found themselves 8/3 down early in the innings. Rupert (9) and Yashk (10) steadied the ship somewhat before Rupert was bowled by a tricky fast delivery. Yashk batted well but soon fell prey to a slower ball that required some good timing to punish. Pilgrims’ fortunes were a bit of a fait accompli at this point, and the last few batsmen were somewhat ornamental.
The boys fought well with the ball in hand, and Elstree did not run away with it as they may have assumed they would. Yashk produced a beautiful full toss that secured Pilgrims’ only scalp, however, this did not stop the opposition from marching steadily towards an inevitable outcome. The boys must be commended for their fighting spirit and enthusiasm. They are a delight to spend time with. CXC
Colts C v Elstree
Hardball Pairs
Pilgrims’ 307 for 2
Elstree 308 for 5
Pilgrims’ lost by 1 run
History repeated itself as, once more, we were beaten by the narrowest of margins. Nevertheless, it was an exciting finish to this contest. The Pilgrims’ batters were fairly modest until Leo came in to smash the ball to all corners of the ground. With partner Johnnie, they got the scoreboard whizzing along. Zain and David also scored a few boundaries to contribute to the total. The half time ‘Agincourt’ chat covered what we had learned from the Elstree fielding innings, such as avoiding overthrows on the short boundary. As on Wednesday, the extras given through wides/no balls was equitable to Elstree’s performance and, unfortunately, we couldn’t quite contain our enthusiasm when it came to overthrows. Jago, bowling to Zain behind the stumps enjoyed a remarkable over of three wickets, one bowled and two run outs. Therefore, it was no surprise we had a finish as exciting as this. Leo bowled a wicket to bring Elstree back to a lead of one and the last ball, on target to hit the stumps, just had a bit too much bounce to land safely in the keeper’s gloves. AJS
Foals A vs Elstree
Elstree 155-5 (20 overs)
Pilgrims’ 124-7 (20 overs)
Pilgrims’ lost by 31 runs
A slightly depleted Foals A side - fresh from successive victories over the last two matches – arrived at Elstree hoping to continue the winning streak. Elstree opted to bat first and, with Pilgrims’ bowling slightly straying from the right lines in the opening overs, momentum quickly moved in the opposition’s favour. The first wickets fell in the sixth over when Edward, who was turning the ball well on a dry pitch, removed the Elstree opener through an excellent diving catch to captain Christian at mid-off before bowling their number 3 on the last ball of the over. Elstree re-grouped, until our other spinner Christian produced a similar result in the twelfth over, removing two Elstree batters clean bowled. Archie and Patrick both then bowled extremely well in the death, with more dot balls bowled in the final four overs than at any other point in the game, reducing the Elstree card to a total still within our reach.
Going in to bat, the boys were reminded not to focus on the required run rate or opposition’s total until the start of the eighteenth over, but to focus on playing themselves in and building a partnership with whoever was down at the other end. Our top three batters carried out this instruction to the letter, with Christian (17), Edward (16) and Archie (19) all setting a strong foundation for the team and bring the momentum of the game back in Pilgrims’ favour. Sadly the 20 overs were up before we could get over the line, but this was a much-improved batting display and a much healthier scoreline than previous matches earlier in the season. I can now say with confidence that this team is has improved significantly since the start of the season, and as their knowledge and understanding of the game is developing, their love and enjoyment is flourishing as well. Well done all – I’m looking forward to the final two matches of the season. CAL
Foals B XI vs Elstree
Elstree 279 (starting on 200)
Pilgrims’ 285 (starting on 200)
Pilgrims’ win by 6 runs
A slightly altered Foals B team took on Elstree on Saturday at our alternative home venue at Prince's Mead School. Our boys bowled first, and once again demonstrated their improvement in this area. Consistency was impressive, although the heat wore the boys down and a few more extras crept into the final few overs of the innings. Amongst those to take wickets were Wilfred S, Lucas J, and Alexander. Elliot N showed fantastic dedication throughout, bowling well and fielding in an enthusiastic manner. Elstree kept their run rate ticking over and finished on 279.
Our opening pair of Elliot N and Seb W got us off to a fantastic start, scoring 31 runs off the opening three overs, with Elliot confidently hitting three 4s during his overs. This good foundation was built on by the rest of the team, most notably with Austin S, Lucas J, and George W contributing to our overall total. The boys surpassed Elstree’s score to win by 7 runs. I would like to commend all the boys’ sportsmanship. Due to numbers, we helped Elstree with their fielding, and all put in 100% effort. Elliot took an extremely good catch for Elstree, demonstrating a super attitude and sense of fair play. A good victory, and another sign of the progress that the boys have made as the season has progressed. TMH
Foals C XI Internal
The hottest day of the year greeted an enthusiastic XI as we headed off for our internal match. Pairs were the order of the day and Ivor and Niran opened the match with a very creditable 22 off their 3 overs. James and Ethan were to accumulate what appeared a match winning score of 34 before henry’s pair of him and Mr Rainer, roped in to make up the numbers, set about with an intention to quickly overhaul the leading score and set an impossible target for others to reach. The plan was excellent, the implementing of it fell a long way short as a quite magnificent ball from Nicholas clean bowled Mr Rainer! Much to Henry’s dismay and to cries of ‘can we do a transfer sir’, the target was never realised despite some good efforts from henry. Sasha and Ralph were next in with a very creditable 30 from their 3 overs and Ralph commenting ‘this is the best I’ve ever batted’. Finn and Nicholas chipped in with another creditable score of 27 and so it came to the last pair of Will and Hugo. 34 was the target and despite losing a wicket, they managed to find themselves needing 3 to tie off the last ball. The boys set the field around the boundary-there was no way they could win. Or was there........
The last ball of the day went flying for a magnificent 4 as Will and Hugo won by 1 run. An excellent afternoon in blistering heat was finished when we all headed off to a much-deserved match tea and some ice-cold drinks. Mr Rainer could be heard muttering about the ‘unplayable ball just like Kholi long into the evening’..............................but, on reflection, he realises he must learn to play the straight ball! (AA)
Winchester Primary Swimming Gala and Canford Y5/6 Gala
Swimmers Bertie, Ike, David, Barney, Sasha and Daniel have been involved in the Winchester Primary Schools Gala and the Canford Gala recently with tremendous success. In Winchester, against all primary and prep schools in the area the relay teams progressed from their heats having won both. The Medley relay was a tight affair with the slimmest of victories over local rivals, Twyford. Pitted against each other in the freestyle relay, Twyford were wanting revenge, and they got it, beating us into second place. Daniel won his freestyle heat in Year 4, placing 2nd in a very close final.
At Canford, the rivalry with Twyford continued. With the programme expanded to individual events, David also accompanied the team and I will publish the rather nice team photo when I receive it from the organisers. David plaved 4th in 50m backstroke, Barney was 1st in 50m breaststroke, Bertie was 1st in 25m butterfly, Ike was 2nd in 50m freestyle, Bertie was 2nd in 100m individual medley. The relays mirrored the Winchester event. At least, the results were the same but this time we gained victory by some margin in the medley and were pipped in the freestyle in a very tight finish.
Overall, we were crowned champions of the boys’ event from six competing schools. Both the Winchester Medley relay trophy and the Canford winners shield are now proudly on display in the front hall. Well done boys! AJS
Andrew Short
Director of Sport