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Tomorrow, we have cricket matches with Farleigh across Colts and Foals (Years 5 & 6).

Saturday 29 June is the occasion of Inter-Set Athletics, involving all pupils in Year 3 and up. The junior (Years 3, 4 and 5) session will commence from 9am, finishing around 11.30. The senior session will start at 12.30pm, finishing the presentation by 3.25pm.

At this event, all pupils should do 75m/100m sprint, long jump and junior javelin for juniors and shot for seniors. Beyond this, pupils are being selected for their Sets to compete in one track, one field and one relay. I’m looking forward to it being the culmination of the Pilgrims’ sporting year.

Reminder: The SOCS team sheets password is: 1645 - the same as the gate code and will change each term.

Team	Opposition	Venue Details	Start	Return
Wednesday 12 June 2024
Fly-Fishing	Cancelled		14:50	16:30
Year 7 Cricket	GAMES - Athletics Focus	Home | Main School	14:00	15:30
Colts A XI	Farleigh	Away	14:30	18:00
Colts B XI	Farleigh	Away	14:30	18:00
Colts C XI	Farleigh	Away	14:30	18:00
Foals A XI	Farleigh	Home | Bailey	14:30	17:00
Foals B XI	Farleigh	Home | Wolvesey	14:30	17:00
Foals C XI	Farleigh	Home | New Piece	14:30	16:30
Year 4 Games Group	Swimming & Cricket	Home | Pool / Grid	14:30	15:30
Sailing	Sailing at SWAC	Neutral | SWAC, Southampton. SO14 3FL	14:30	18:30
Tennis	GAMES - Coaching	Home | Dogger	14:00	15:30
Athletics	GAMES - Coaching	Home | Main School	14:00	15:30

Huge congratulations to Daniel, representing Pilgrims’, who won the U10 50m breaststroke at the IAPS National Swimming Championships at the London Aquatic Centre last Saturday. He won the event in 40.48 seconds – a brilliant achievement.

More huge congratulations to Leonardo in Year 2, winning both fights in the 7yo/24kg category at the Bournemouth Open Brazilian Ju Jitsu Tournament, competing as part of the Winchester School for Martial Arts team, to win gold – an improvement on his bronze from last year. Well done!

Match Reports

Tuesday 21 May

U9A vs Stroud 
Pairs 
Stroud 273 
Pilgrims’ 291 
Pilgrims' won by 18 runs 
A return to soft ball pairs for this fixture made for a hard-hitting, exciting game of cricket. Stroud batted first. Their openers looked secure in the middle and brought an attacking element to the game. Anything short sat up on the artificial wicket and was confidently put away. The team bowled very well. I was very impressed to see how little wides we gave the opposition. Our fielding was top draw! Stroud did not have the opportunity to take quick singles. We kept the pressure on, stemming the run flow for most of the game. Some late boundaries towards the end of the innings crept their score up to an impressive, but achievable target. At times, our batting innings was superb, and at other moments very hard to watch! We batted positively, striking the ball hard and cleanly. For the most part we rotated the strike well. However, towards the end of the innings, we were running some really risky singles – that did not pay! We got out 6 times in the last six overs! Heaping the pressure back on ourselves, after what looked a comfortable position. We did prevail and came away with a deserved win. Well done all! MTG 

U9B vs Stroud 
Pairs 
Pilgrims' 291, Stroud 262 
Pilgrims' win by 29 runs 
On an overcast day, the rain stayed away long enough to complete a great game of cricket. Stroud won the toss and put Pilgrims’ into bat first. Teddy H and Rafe gave us a steady start, taking the quick singles when the opportunity arose. They made 21 for the pair before Teddy C.H. and Josh continued the slow steady approach and left us on 232 after their three overs. Caspar and Zach showed excellent communication and scored a notable ten runs off their final over. Bertie and Artem (making his B team debut) were up next, and both were powerful with the bat. Artem played some lovely shots, and Bertie found the boundary three times! They departed with an excellent 28 from 18 balls. George and Bertie (staying in as we had a team of nine) brought us home with a respectable 291 for Stroud to chase.  

Rafe started our bowling off brilliantly with a wicket off his third ball. We were consistent with our bowling, concentrating on line and accuracy over power or spin, and this proved decisive for our win. We took many more wickets than they were able to, and they couldn’t build the score they needed. I must give an honourable mention to a couple of their batsmen who were playing some great cricket. A girl called Mathilde batted particularly well, playing some cultured shots and scoring the only 6 of the match! 

A great match played in the right way by both teams. Well done to all involved.  SXT 

U9C vs Stroud 
Pilgrims’ 305 
Stroud 285 
Pilgrims’ won by 20 runs 
The rain managed to hold off to allow the U9C team to battle against Stroud. All the boys contributed admirably to the team effort, bowling with accuracy, striking the ball with confidence, and fielding with enthusiasm. During the first innings, Pilgrims’ bowled, and it was here that the game was won for us. All the boys have improved their technique over the duration of the season, therefore keeping the number of wides and no-balls bowled to relatively low number. Excellent fielding also kept the number of runs that Stroud scored off the bat low.  

During our batting innings all the boys batted with confidence. Scipio and Thomas impressively scored boundaries, whilst there were several quick singles run between the pairing of Wilfrid and William.  

Well done to all the boys for maintaining their levels of concentration throughout the game, which allowed us to claim victory in this close match. 

U8A vs Stroud 
Stroud 274 for 5 (Teddy W 1-17, Oliver E 1-17, Alexander O 1-17) 
Pilgrims’ 282 for 2 (Alexander O 15) 
Pilgrims’ won by 8 runs 
Stroud batted first, with a steady run rate. They had a few wobbles as we made a couple of run-outs. Teddy W forced one batter to hit wicket. Oliver and Alexander bowled wickets – Alexander with the last ball of the innings. 

 With a target to work towards, Pilgrims’ reply was steady. The game remained competitive throughout, only surpassing Stroud’s comparative total in the 9^th over and in over 13, the scores were level, on 274 each. Some steady running in the penultimate over, together with the knowledge no more runs were needed, and we just needed to stay in, the boys settled on a total of 282. AJS 

U8B vs Stroud 
Pilgrims' Won By 17 Runs 
Started off with the bat in hand. Alex and Teddy gave us a blistering start to the innings with smashing five 4's between them. Our confidence grew through each pair as they ran on to the field for a chance to bat quicker than the last. Although we were four players short, we still outshone Stroud's bowling attack by bowling very straight and building dots, which ended up in wickets. Sahil took two quality catches and a wicket and a 13 run partnership with Frankie to top it off.? We conceded no wickets and set a remarkable score of 281 to defend, which proved no match for the Stroud batting line-up as they came up 17 runs short. The boys can be proud of their efforts and go into the next game full of confidence. 

U8C vs Stroud 
15 overs 
Stroud – 280 for 2 (15 overs) 
Pilgrims’ – 285 for 3 (15 overs) 
Pilgrims’ won by 5 runs
The U8C fielded 6 players away at Wellington Sports Ground in Southampton for a pairs/incrediball match on astroturf. Stroud batted first and got off to a fast start but was quickly slowed by a run out and lots of dot balls by Pilgrims' which was great to see. Pilgrims’ bowled only 9 extras in their entire 15 overs which was incredible! This left Stroud having to make the runs from batting. Xavier bowled a batsman out in the 10^th over which set them back a little further. Stroud finished on 80 runs. 

Having pegged back the Stroud score with some really straight bowling, Pilgrims' then fielded their batsmen in 3 pairs. Darcy and Kabir batted first and scored an impressive 39 to set up Pilgrims' with half the runs needed after just 5 overs. Kabir scored a beautiful 4.  

Sam and Charlie then added 23 having been pegged back with a wicket. Sam also scoring a 4. By the end of the 10^th over and with just 5 overs left, Pilgrims' had scored 62 runs and needed 18 runs off 30 balls.  

Finn and Xavier came into the bat the final 5 overs and were run out twice in their first 3 overs. With 2 overs to play, Pilgrims’ needed 11 to draw and 12 to win. Some super hitting by Xavier (including a lovely pull shot) and Finn scored 10 off the next over needing just 2 runs off the final 6 balls. 

The first four balls off the final balls were scoreless, leaving Pilgrims' needing 2 runs off the final 2 balls. Mr Jennings was literally praying by this point, desperate for his first win as a Sports Coach at Pilgrims! Finn faced the penultimate ball which was a wide! He then dispatched the spare ball for 4 to win the game with one ball left! Pilgrims' 285 for 4. 

Mr Jennings’ Man of the Match – Xavier (for a solid performance with both bat and ball).  PDJ 

Wednesday 22 May

Colts A XI vs Farleigh 
20 overs 
Farleigh 147/3 from 20 overs (Archie W 1-9; Christian B 1-17; Rufus M 1-25)  
Pilgrims’ 55 all out from 14 overs (Theo W 10; Christian 6) 
Pilgrims’ lost by 92 runs 
Umpiring out ‘in the middle’ gives you the opportunity to become absorbed by a cricket match. ‘Catches win matches’ I could hear myself thinking, as we shelled three simple opportunities. These came at stages throughout Farleigh’s innings, and although the team responded positively, one couldn’t help but think how much they would cost us. Farleigh batted well; decisive, quick running to almost anything, whilst having the knack of keeping out most probing balls.  Given the lack of contact time we have yet had, it was to be expected the boys would be a little rusty, but this was compounded by a handful of elementary fielding mistakes and lots of byes, which, going forward, need to be avoided.  One hundred and fifty is a competitive score on Wolvesey but by no means unattainable, but unfortunately, the Pilgrims’ batters did not give themselves the best opportunity to succeed with poor shot selection, and far too much playing across the line. A slow start saw the run rate gradually rise to over 11 an over at 10 overs, which is when the wheels began to fall off. One cannot fault the boys as they played the game in the right spirit, and sometimes you need to accept you were beaten by a better team on the day. AA 

1^st XI vs Sherfield 
16 Overs 
Pilgrims’ 114 for 3 (Aditya S 30*, Barnaby D 17*) 
Sherfield 24 for 6  
Pilgrims’ won by 90 runs 
Despite the overcast conditions, it was good to get out and get another game under our belts. Pilgrims’ lost the toss and were put into bat. In damp conditions, the ball skidded off the artificial surface, but openers Aditya S and George S took it in their stride and settled quickly. The pair put on 25 runs for the first wicket. The whole side batted with a positivity and tempo we have been looking for all season. Taking the singles where possible and despatching the bad ball. Aditya S looked classy again, his cover drives were on point this afternoon. Barnaby D played an excellent cameo as we hit a very impressive 114 off just 16 overs. With our bowling attack, 7 an over was always going to be an ask for the opposition. Niel C was the pick of the bowlers, he had a zip about his game and through bowling a full length gave nothing to the batsmen. Every bowler produced some very tidy figures as we kept Sherfield at bay! A comprehensive win and I nice way to round off the half-term. Onwards! MTG  

2^nd XI vs Sherfield 
20 Over Match 
Pilgrims’ 139 for 3 (Rhian D 30 ret, Seb B 18) 
Sherfield 20 for all out (James P 5 for 2, Hugo C 3 for 2, Felix F 1 for 2) 
Pilgrims' won by 129 runs 
Despite concerns over the weather and state of the outfield, we managed to get this game on, and we were sure pleased we did. With rain a concern, we decided to bat in two sets of 10, so each team will have batted 10 overs by tea. Pilgrims’ batted first and made a very strong start with Rhian D at the top of the order playing strongly for his 30 ret.  Seb B, normally our opening bowler, made hay at number 3, hitting 18.  At the halfway point, we had made 76 for 3 and were set fair.  Sherfield struggled in their reply and regularly lost wickets, with James P, Hugo C and Felix F all claiming 2 wickets.  It looked like we might not need to come out for the ‘2^nd half’, but the Sherfield lower order showed great resistance to leave the game needing completion after tea.  By the time we had finished our innings and made a superb score of 139 (with Zach M making a solid 10 no), the only problem was the black clouds on the horizon.  Cue a lot of fun as the Pilgrims’ boys desperately looked to find the final wicket as the rain started spotting down.  After both Felix F and James P came up wicketless, Hugo C came on to claim the last wicket and deliver a strong victory for the boys. 

A super game, and wonderful to see the boys win, something their recent improved performances have deserved. 

3^rd XI vs Sherfield 
20 overs 
Pilgrims’ 106 for 5 (John G 12*)  
Sherfield 64 for 7 (Balthasar J 3-9, Timothy C 1-4, Arthur H 2-8)  
Pilgrims’ won by 42 runs 
The 3rds were put into bat first and a steady performance saw them reach 106 for 5 wickets. With the ball, there were some particular highlights. The overall economy was very pleasing. Jayden L, for example, bowled three overs for the loss of just 6 runs, John G two overs for four runs and Louis M three overs for seven runs. Nevertheless, Arthur H took two wickets in two balls and Balthasar took 3 wickets for a miserly nine runs. 

The 3rds were great company for the afternoon, and it was great to get the game in despite the ever-threatening rain. AJS 

 4^th XI vs Sherfield 
20 overs pairs 
Pilgrims’ 281 
Sherfield 283 
Sherfield win by 2 runs 
This was an astonishing match, although not necessarily for the right reasons! Having been asked to bat first, we made heavy work of run accumulation, although Bertie W did manage to make 10 from his 4 overs. Thereafter, it was slow progress; we were hugely aided by some excitingly wayward bowling by Sherfield, who hadn’t played much cricket and were not entirely sure of some of the rules. Wides were more common than any other type of delivery, and this was much needed, given the paucity of runs off the bat. Our progress was checked further by some terrible kamikaze running which saw us limp towards 281. Sherfield were equally limited in their response, but we contrived to fashion a defeat through some very average fielding and general reluctance to bowl even notionally straight. The extras started to add up and, despite the unlikelihood of the result, we found ourselves staring at a defeat in the last over. Aptly enough, we handed it to them on a plate through a succession of wides, meaning we lost a game that put simply, should have been unlosable. Not too many positives to take from the game, sadly, but hopefully some room for improvement next time around!  WD 

Colts A v Stroud U11 
20 overs 
Pilgrims' 173/4 from 20 overs (Archie W 45; Patrick B 43)
Stroud 88 all out from 19.3 overs (Boris H 4-4; Austin 1-6; Christian B 1-6) 
Pilgrims' won by 85 runs 
In a game marked by rain showers and overcast skies, Pilgrims’ Colts A emerged victorious over Stroud U11, winning by a commanding 85 runs.  This match, held in the second-wettest conditions ever umpired after a fortnight ago, saw Pilgrims' setting a formidable target of 173/4 in their 20 overs. The aim for the Colts was to reach the magic 150 runs, and they exceeded this with determination and skill.  Pilgrims’ batters had some fire in their bellies, with Archie leading the charge.  He was in a belligerent mood, seemingly trying to hit the ball to the other side of Basingstoke.  The cricketing gods smiled upon him as he top-scored with a powerful 45.  Patrick provided excellent support, scoring 43, and together they forged a crucial 99-run partnership, laying a solid foundation for their team. 

Pilgrims' sensed blood early on, with Boris delivering a zingy first over that ended with a deserved wicket.  This set the tone for the rest of the match as Pilgrims' were alert and energised in the field.  Boris continued to wreak havoc, finishing with extraordinary figures of 4-4, supported by Austin and Christian, both claiming 1-6.  Stroud's innings never quite took off as wickets fell regularly, largely due to their batsmen playing across the line and scoreboard pressure of failing to meet the required run rate.  Despite the break for rain showers that intermittently slowed the game, Pilgrims' fought on. The fielders closed in with increasing intensity, sensing victory.  The final wicket, which occurred from the 3^rd to last ball, was met with much jubilation. AA

Colts B XI vs Stroud 
Hard ball pairs 
Pilgrims’ 272-4 
Stroud 224 –5 
Pilgrims’ win by 48 runs 
An impressive victory for Pilgrims’. The boys looked good in all areas which brightened a grey afternoon. Some steady scoring from all players set a very decent target of 272, with Harry Ch getting the pick of the shots with a beautifully struck boundary. The bowling from Pilgrims’ however, was particularly impressive. Anton and Theo sent the bails flying with good deliveries, and Seb W got himself 2 wickets and a catch! It was great to see Alexander L stepping up and performing well behind the stumps too. Well done to all!  

Colts C XI vs Stroud  
Soft ball pairs 
Stroud 237/4 
Pilgrims’ 237/2 
Result: Draw 
This was a close encounter for the Colts C team, and they managed to limit Stroud to a 37 runs for the loss of four wickets. The notable bowling performance of the day came from Ivor L who took 1/1 in his over. Pilgrims’ struggled with the bat and were not hitting the ball with enough power to score many runs. Fortunately, A.N. Extra was on fine form and secured a few runs for our boys. Pilgrims’ lost two wickets in their race to 37 but were unable to seal the deal at the end of the day. The game ended in a draw. CXC 

Foals A vs Stroud 
Stroud – 105 
Pilgrims’ 113 
Pilgrims' won by 8 runs 
Today was a very shortened fixture as requested by Stroud, due to there only being a short break in the weather. It was a shame, as both teams were evenly matched, and it could have been an enriching fixture. Nevertheless, the boys managed to get something out of the day, with each pair facing 2 overs and every player bowling an over. Wickets fell quite heavily from the Stroud players, who were looking a little underdeveloped, and Pilgrims’ managed to bowl with tighter accuracy than we have seen in previous games. An encouraging performance, and a well-deserved victory. CAL. 

Foals B vs Stroud 
Pilgrims’ – 233 for 5 (12 overs) 
Stroud – 252 for 1 (10 overs) 
Stroud won by 9 wickets. 
In a very shortened match at Stroud that was affected by a light drizzle throughout the afternoon, a rapid format of 6 pairs/2 overs each was set to get some play in. 

Pilgrims' chose to bat first but could only achieve a score of 33, due to some quite ludicrous running between the wickets that ended in 4 run outs. With another batsman getting bowled out, the 25 runs taken off the Pilgrims' score was to prove pivotal. 

Stroud then batted and, as expected, passed the Pilgrims' target after just 6 overs. The umpires decided to end the match after Stroud’s 10^th over with their score at 52. 

A special mention goes to Casper who kindly offered to play for the opposition, (who were short of players) for the entire match and then proceeded to show me the batting performance of the season………..for the wrong team!!!!!!! ;-) 

Honoré was also quick on the field today and was deservedly the opposition's man of the match at the end. 

The other positive was that many of the Pilgrims' bowlers showed improvement today and just to squeeze in any cricket today was bordering on a miracle.  

Onwards! PDJ 

Wednesday 5 June

Colts A XI vs Farleigh 
20 overs 
Farleigh 147/3 from 20 overs (Archie W 1-9; Christian B 1-17; Rufus M 1-25)  
Pilgrims’ 55 all out from 14 overs (Theo W 10; Christian 6) 
Pilgrims’ lost by 92 runs 
Umpiring out ‘in the middle’ gives you the opportunity to become absorbed by a cricket match.  ‘Catches win matches’ I could hear myself thinking, as we shelled three simple opportunities.  These came at stages throughout Farleigh’s innings, and although the team responded positively, one couldn’t help but think how much they would cost us. Farleigh batted well; decisive quick running to almost anything, whilst having the knack of keep out most probing balls. Given the lack of contact time we have yet had, it was to be expected the boys would be a little rusty, but this was compounded by a handful of elementary fielding mistakes and lots of byes, which, going forward, need to be avoided.  One hundred and fifty is a competitive score on Wolvesey but by no means unattainable, but unfortunately, the Pilgrims’ batters did not give themselves the best opportunity to succeed with poor shot selection, and far too much playing across the line. A slow start saw the run rate gradually rise to over 11 an over at 10 overs, which is when the wheels began to fall off. One cannot fault the boys as they played the game in the right spirit, and sometimes you need to accept you were beaten by a better team on the day. AA 

1^st XI vs Chafyn Grove 
20 Overs 
Chafyn Grove 104/5 
Pilgrims’ 105/2 (Aditya S 43*) 
Pilgrims’ Won by 8 wickets 
This was a game played in a good spirit, Chafyn batted first and put on a good opening partnership of 47. It was not the start we wanted, but after the first wicket fell, we gained a hold on the game, managing to pick up our wickets at fairly consistent intervals. Although he did not get a wicket, Barnaby D was the pick of our bowlers. He went for just 5 runs off his 2 overs. With Chafyn finishing on just over 100 off their 20 overs, a sensible batting display would see us over the line. George S and Aditya S put on 84 runs for the first wicket. A wonderful display of shot selection and running between the wicket. George fell to a fantastic delivery, quickly followed by Sam Q. Slightly nervy times, but with plenty of time and wickets left to get our runs. We were steered brilliantly home by captain Aditya S and Barnaby D. Aditya looked composed in the middle, timing the ball excellently through the covers. Aditya carried his bat as the winning runs were hit. He looked all set for a well-deserved fifty! A great all-round performance, well done all. MTG  

2^nd XI vs Chafyn Grove 
Pilgrims’ won
3^rd XI vs Chafyn Grove 
Pairs 20 overs 
Pilgrims’ 326 
Chafyn Grove 218 
Pilgrims’ won by 108 runs 
The boys won’t get a chance to play on a wicket like the one they played on here too often, with their 1^st and 2^nd teams both playing away, we were afforded the opportunity to play on a very nice, flat strip that was primed for batting. We lost the toss and were asked to bat, and with an invitingly short leg side boundary, I was looking forward to fireworks. Accordingly, both John G and Louis M were bowled with the first balls they faced, which left their very gentle opening bowler on a hattrick after 2 balls! We survived that, and began some more meaningful run accumulation, with Charlie S and James H finding the boundary rope with some fluency and coupled with some impressive running between the wicket, we kept the pressure on the opposition. Our bowling response was good, and in truth, too good for Chafyn, who struggled to get the ball away whilst losing wickets at regular intervals. The pairs format of the game meant that they only added 18 to their starting total, resulting in a comfortable victory. Well done to all. WD 

Colts A XI vs Prince’s Mead 
16 overs 
Pilgrims' 165-1 (Elliot N. 60*; Archie W. 53*) 
Prince’s Mead 98-7 (Harry C. 3-11) 
Pilgrims' won by 67 runs 
In an exciting and well-contested match, Pilgrims' secured a comprehensive 67-run victory over Princes' Mead in a 16-over encounter. Prior to the start, both coaches concurred that Pilgrims' batting first would ensure the longest game possible, leading to a unique arrangement where Pilgrims' batsmen faced a 30-ball limit each. This strategy paid off handsomely as Pilgrims' amassed an impressive 165-1. Elliot and Archie spearheaded the innings with outstanding half-centuries. Elliot remained unbeaten on 60, while Archie contributed a swift 53. Their powerful hitting was so forceful that they broke the seam of the ball, an extraordinary first for me in 18 years of Colts cricket! However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing as both batsmen had their share of missed chances, reminding everyone that there were opportunities for Princes Mead to make inroads. Nevertheless, their match-winning partnership of 144 runs set Pilgrims' up for an energetic fielding stint. 

Princes Mead's batting attack faced a tough challenge, especially with the aggressively set field. This was made even more challenging after Boris struck with the first ball of the innings. Christian’s delivery was a highlight, beautifully flighted and pitching perfectly to turn away and clip the top of the off stump, a moment of pure skill and precision.  Despite four regular Pilgrims' bowlers not bowling, Pilgrims' still dominated, and Harry was particularly impressive, nearly achieving a double-wicket maiden and ending with figures of 3-11 on his debut. His control and consistency dismantled the Princes Mead batting lineup, restricting them to 98-7. AA 

Colts B XI vs Prince’s Mead
Softball pairs 
Pilgrims’ 289 – 5 
Prince’s Mead 236 – 8 
Pilgrims' win by 43 runs 

A comfortable win for Pilgrims’ who were very impressive in their bowling and proved too much for Princes Mead. The soft ball format took a bit of getting used to for the boys who struggled initially with the bat. A shorter wicket and some wayward deliveries to have to deal with meant that the scoring rate was low, but Prince’s Mead gifted us a few runs, leaving the boys with a healthy total of 289. 

In the second innings, it was clear that the Pilgrims’ bowlers were going to get the job done, Prince’s Mead did have moments and played a few good shots, but the win was inevitable. Well done Pilgrims’!  

Foals A XI vs Prince’s Mead 
20 overs 
Prince’s Mead 140-2 (Finlay N 2-13)  
Pilgrims’ 92 all out 
Pilgrims’ lost by 48 runs  
Pilgrims’ won the toss and put Prince’s Mead into bat. Finlay broke through in the fourth over as Rio, at wicket keeper, took the edge that flew to him. Finlay’s last delivery of the over found the batter clean-bowled. However, Prince’s Mead held firm and no further wickets were lost, although William W came the closest with a couple of his deliveries barely missing off stump. As the innings wore on, the Prince’s Mead run rate accelerated, leaving them with a healthy 140 from the 20 overs. 

In reply, the Foals were perilously at 11-4 but Benjy and, later, Connor steadied the ship with the Pilgrims’ tail wagging as Prince’s Mead struggled to take the remaining wickets with the same momentum they had initially. In the end, Foals made it to 92 in the 18^th over and I enjoyed my afternoon with them in – temporarily in place of new Dad, Mr Lingard. AJS 

Foals B XI vs Prince’s Mead 
Prince’s Mead – 221 for 10 (20 overs) 
Pilgrims’ - 226 for 7 (20 overs) 
The Pilgrims won by 3 wickets
Foals B’s first home game of the season made for a refreshing change and with it a win on the Gater Field pitch, a 20-minute walk away from school at Winchester College. 

Pilgrims'won the toss and bowled first and Wow! What a massive effort by everyone. Bowling straighter than an arrow through the keyhole of a mouse’s bungalow! And with that reward: Ten (yes 10!) Princes’ Mead batsmen bowled cleanly by 6 different Pilgrims’ bowlers! Four wickets in the first 5 overs leaving the opposition on zero runs by the end of the 6^th over! Five more wickets continued to peg back any meaningful score with Mead finishing on just 221 after 20 overs! Mr. Jennings starts to feel secretly smug…hopeful….no! Joyful! Could this be the first win of the season? 

In come Pilgrims' with bat in hand. Casper and Cameron steady as a rock putting the first 14 runs on the board after their 4 overs. Just 8 more runs to pass the target. Jacob and Teddy arrive, and Pilgrims' take the lead in just the 6^th over! Mr. Jennings now privately dances at square leg!  

But then…disaster! A Mead’s bowler enters the fray and takes 1….2….3 wickets….2 dot balls and a 4^th wicket in a single over. Pilgrims’ score collapses from 32 runs to 12 runs and Mead are back in front! A teardrop slowly runs down Mr. J’s right cheek. Surely not? Not today! 

Inigo and Ryan (the victims of the onslaught), shell-shocked and bewildered, heroically scrape the score back to 20 runs by the end of their 4 overs. Just 2 runs to get! 

But the roller-coaster continues. It’s like Paultons Park and Alton Towers all in one day! Nicholas and Jacob step up…First over and……2 more wickets for Mead. Score back to 12 once more. Mr. J now internally sobbing. 

But back Nicholas and Jacob come!...adding 14 and back into a winning position again, finishing on 26 runs. 

4 overs to go…5 runs to defend……Cameron and Casper back in to bat BUT WAIT! OH NO! that pesky Meads bowler has been primed to bowl the last over!!! Casper faces…..Casper! Save us!  

All Casper needs to do is to defend 6 balls that will come at him faster than a terrified fly on the windscreen of a Porsch 911 on the M3! 

First ball – defended. “WAIT!” shouts Casper! Voice like thunder. No running – no risk! Defend the 26! 

Second ball – defended “WAAAAAAAAIT!!” demands Casper. The Meads team are now edging in, applying the psychological pressure…..Casper sees fielders all around him waiting to pounce like a bunch of crazed hyenas! Prowling……salivating! 

3^rd ball cut to 4^th slip but no runs. Cameron…sweat pouring down his brow for his batting chum. 

Mead desperate. Casper and Cameron stoic. None shall pass!!! 

4^th ball – 5^th ball WAAAAAAAIT!!! Shouts Casper…..this is mine to lead. The match is drawn at least now. 

Final ball. One wicket for Mead and it remains a draw. One more heroic block and it’s a win for Foals! 

The ball is delivered and……. THUD! Straight into the centre of the Casper bat. The ball falls to the floor and with-it Mead’s hearts. Like a gazelle who just won the lottery, Mr. Jennings leaps skyward (internally)! What a match!! What a win!! What a day!!!!                                    

Man of the Match: Casper ‘None shall Pass’ H'

Foals C XI vs Prince’s Mead 
Prince’s Mead – 262 (20 overs) 
Pilgrims’ - 245 (20 overs) 
Pilgrims' lost by 17 runs
What an excellent afternoon. Pilgrims’ started brightly and, despite losing 5 wickets, ended up with a creditable 245. Some strong batting and running between the wickets enabled a very entertaining match and Julian hit two superb 4’s. Ryan and Lucas also waded in with an excellent 6 each and our batting was much improved.  

Princes Mead certainly had to be on their mettle and though they got home, it was a difference in wickets that made the difference. Neck and neck for most of the game, they started to pull away in the latter overs. Two excellent catches from Honoré brought Pilgrims' back into the match and with the last over it could have gone either way. In the end, Prince’s mead pulled away. However, an excellent game played in the right spirit and all boys showed significant improvement.  

1^st XI vs Elstree 
25 Overs 
Elstree 156 a/o (Yan Z 22-3) 
Pilgrims’ 130-9 (Sam Q 44) 
Pilgrims’ lost by 26 runs 
19 wickets and 286 runs! A great afternoon of cricket, played to a high level from both sides. This was a great match to watch, as it ebbed and flowed, with both teams staking claims for the win. Pilgrims’ won the toss and elected to bowl. With a bit of cloud cover, I think this was a good one to win. Elstree showed there was still plenty for the batsmen too, with their middle order picking up some important runs. Barnaby D was on the money this afternoon. He was bowling with real conviction, offering very little width to the batsmen. Elstree’s captain scored a tidy 38, before being caught by Barnaby. Neil C recovered from dropping an easy catch by making a much harder one look easy! Our fielding was good today, and we held on to most of our catches and made it hard for Elstree to get singles. Yan Z had the ball on a string, moving it both ways. At times, he was completely unplayable. A cameo from Elstree’s no.6, including 3 maximums, pushed on their score significantly. We had them contained at 128, but they scored 24 off the last two overs to reach 156. A big target for sure, but achievable in the 25 overs to follow. Elstree bowled well and got the ball moving, but our boys kept chipping away at the target. Sam Q battled brilliantly, for a well-paced 44 runs. Again, so unlucky not to score that illusive 50. We threw everything we could at this one, with each boy going out there with intention. It wasn’t quite our day, falling slightly short. A great effort, a strong run chase and unfortunate not to get over the line. MTG  

2^nd XI vs Elstree 
3^rd XI vs Elstree 
Pilgrims’ 74/4 from 20 overs (Tim. C 22*, James H 16) 
Elstree 75/1 (12 overs) 
Pilgrims’ lose by 9 wickets 
Elstree have been traditionally strong opponents for us over the years and are always a good test of our sporting capabilities. Louis B won the toss and elected to bat first on the artificial strip. We got off to a steady start, too, with John G and Tim C looking quite comfortable against some decent, accurate bowling. The ball had a tendency to get quite big on batsmen if bowled back of a length, but the openers coped with this well. The issue was making runs! The outfield was lightning quick, and Arthur H, who made a quickfire 11, showed that if you got bat on anything quick, it tended to shoot off to the boundary. But there were far too many dot balls, and whilst Tim did well to carry his bat for 22*, and James H stuck around gamely, too, for his 16, 74 was never going to be a defendable total. And so it proved; Tommy Q bowled nicely to start with, but Elstree were always ahead of the run rate. We didn’t, as has often been the case this season, take the two manageable catches that were offered to us to at least try and build some pressure, and Elstree chased down our target with relative ease. Some definite signs of improvement here, but we were comfortably second best to a team that were just that bit sharper in every department. WD 

Colts A XI vs Elstree 
Elstree 122 for 9 – 20 overs 
Pilgrims' 121 for 9 – 120 overs 
Elstree won by 1 run 
What. A. Game!  

We went into this game with some injuries and against a traditionally strong Elstree side who always excel on the cricket filed. Pilgrims’ elected to bat first and this paid off handsomely. Despite losing two early wickets, Theo (37) and Patrick (25) not only steadied the ship but pushed on with some lovely shots and at 57 for 2 at the halfway mark, things were looking promising. Losing Patrick was a blow, but Rufus with his unorthadox ‘running between the wickets’ kept the scoreboard ticking over. Farid came in and with a 6+4 added 10 in only his first 2 balls. As the innings progressed Pilgrim’s were well set and only the final over did Elstree come back taking 4 wickets as we pushed for those final runs. The Elstree bowling was superb with their first 6 bowlers delivering high class pace and pinpoint delivery. Therefore, it was a testimony to Pilgrims’ that the batting was strong, and they got on top. 6 an over would be a chase for any side and at the midpoint there was a tangible air of excitement.  

This became even more tangible as in the first over, Boris took two quick wickets. And at 4 for 2, Elstree were reeling. What followed was the most entertaining, frustrating, nerve-wracking and enjoyable 90 minutes as the game ebbed and flowed. At 40-2 after 6 overs. Elstree was cruising. Mr Rainer suggested to Captain Fantastic that he may wish to use his stronger bowlers to break this partnership, or the game might be done and dusted. Christian thought for a minute, obviously decided to take responsibility for this situation and bowl himself. A double wicket maiden and Pilgrims’ were very much back in this. And then disaster as Elstree go the bit between their teeth and accelerated to 107 for 5 needing 15 from 4 overs. In this form, clearly, they would win. With 5 missed catches, questions were being asked as to how this game had got away. Time for Christian to throw his dice once more and gamble-Patrick got a week and there was a glimmer of hope, Christian then got 2 wickets for his 4 wicket haul and Pilgrims’ were back in it. 15 were needed from the last 2 overs with 2 wickets left. Archie, despite an injury, came on to bowl and took a wicket with his first ball. By now the crowd were going wild! 3 runs left Elstree needing 12 off the last over with one wicket. A no ball and overthrow gave them 3. A quick single which could easily have been run out gave them another. 3 balls left, 1 wicket, 8 needed......... 

What happened next was what sport is all about as the tailender took a bit of Christian's positivity and stepped up, smacking the ball passed the bowler for four. Austin said, ‘i can’t look sir.....’ (This was how everyone was feeling). Mr Rainer thought ‘surely, he can’t do that again as 4 were needed from 3 balls’. But he did, and Elstree were home with one wicket in hand and two balls to spare.  

It is hard to know what to make of it all. A quite brilliant bowling display from Elstree which Pilgrim's’ did well to navigate and even post a daunting score. Missed run outs, dropped catches, some quite exquisite bowling from Boris and Christian put this game right up there in quality and excitement. We often say it could have gone either way. In the end, we didn’t get the result, but what a match and what a performance. All credit to Elstree and the hospitality of the Pilgrims’ parents, this was simply a super day of cricket.   

Colts B XI vs Elstree 
Elstree 121 for 6 
Pilgrims’ 80 all out 
Lost by 41 runs 
A very frustrating afternoon for Pilgrims’ who were outstanding in the field. Pilgrims' bowled magnificently and took 6 great wickets. Their concentration in the field was good, and they gave very few extra runs away. Elstree batted well at times and set a respectable score of 121. After Tea, Pilgrims' got off to a slow start with the bat but the quality of the bowling from Elstree meant there was certainly potential for Pilgrims’ to easily chase down their total and get the win. The slow ball being tossed up to smash to the boundary was there, but Pilgrims’ just could not get their eye in! Numerous swings and misses meant the runs did not come quick enough. If the boys can start to score more heavily, and ensure their batting meets the standard that their bowling sets, more wins will come their way. Unlucky chaps. 

Colts C XI vs Elstree (Incredi pairs)
Pilgrims’ 286/6 (James Y – 16, George W – 22) 
Elstree 290/4 
The Colts C team looked fired up and ready to go, with the opening pair of Will and James scoring 34 runs between them. It was a lovely display of batting, and there were some wonderful boundaries thrown into the mix as well. Our third pair, George and Henry continued this lovely form and scored 37 runs. Unfortunately, some good bowling from Elstree saw Pilgrims’ lose a few wickets, and at minus 5 runs per wicket, this impacted on the final total, 86 runs (286). 

Elstree fired back in their innings, and did not hang around in terms of scoring. Some loose deliveries and a dropped catch or two, saw Pilgrims’ let them off the hook quite easily (this combined with a lightning fast outfield!). Elstree dashed our boys’ hopes by scoring 90 runs (290) in their allotted overs, winning the match by 4 runs.  

It was a good afternoon of cricket though, and the boys can feel proud of the manner in which they played, considering that they were two men down. CXC 

Foals A vs Elstree 
Elstree won 
A mixed team, with athletes away at Walhampton, the Foals put Elstree into bat and fielded reasonably well/ Alex S bowled a wicket, as well as taking two catches at short mid-off. The first was from the bowling of Ryan M and the second from Connor’s. 

In reply, we struggled against Elstree’s accurate, quick bowling. To one of their bowler’s credit, he took a hat-trick. With some spirited play, we eventually were all out in the 14^th over. Well done to their boys for keeping their heads up, we look forward to Farleigh on Wednesday. AJS 

Foals B vs Elstree 
Elstree 97 for 4 – 16 overs 
Pilgrims' 52 for 2 – 16 overs
Elstree won by 45 runs 
Foals B fielded a 6 man ‘B and C combined’ team for their softball/pairs away match at Elstree. It was always going to be a challenge against an 11 strong, unweakened opposition. 

Elstree batted first and progressed well from the off, managing to reach 97 runs by the end of their 16 overs. Pick of the Pilgrims’ bowlers were: 

• Toma who took 2 consecutive wickets but was deprived of the chance for a hattrick as he had no more balls left to bowl. 
• William who bowled conservatively and took a wicket 
• Julian who bowled consistently 

A special mention should also go to Harry Lin who fielded beautifully with real energy and accuracy. 

Pilgrims' then batted.  

Inigo and Jacob Stiles put on 12 runs off their 18 balls without loss. 

Julian and Soichiro could only add 5 more due to a wicket. 

Toma and Harry added 15 runs with Toma hitting a beautiful four in their final over. 

William and Edward added 16 for no loss. 

Mr Jennings then asked Toma and William to bat out the innings. They were pegged back by a very strong Elstree bowler so could only add another 8 runs. 

A hard day at the office for Pilgrims' all round but some nice contributions made. 

 Mr J’s ‘Chaps of the Match’: Toma, William, Julian and Harry. 

 

Andrew Short
Director of Sport