🧢 Captain's Log

Sun 13 Jul 1947 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · AwayformDDWLL

Sunday 13 July 1947, and away we went to Charles Arkcoll, hopes high and coin luck absent as usual — they called it right and had no hesitation whatsoever in sticking us out into the field first.

It proved a long afternoon of leather-chasing. Randolph Thompson made merry with a fine 57 not out, and A Fuller kept him company with an unbeaten 33, the pair of them doing rather more damage than we'd have liked. Small mercies came in the shape of Edgar Humphreys, back for a duck, and we did claw at things throughout — Don Hartridge worked hardest for 3-53, with G Vince and J Enfield chipping in a wicket apiece. Don's third scalp, incidentally, nudges him past H Freed into 9th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, which is the sort of thing that ought to earn a man a pint regardless of the result.

With the bat we never quite got going, Herbert Rayner leading the way with 21 and your captain doing his modest bit alongside him with 21 of his own — proof, if nothing else, that I can still middle one occasionally.

So it's back to the nets with heads up rather than hung, beaten by 21 runs on a day when the opposition simply had the better of the key moments. Basil Sears continues to top our season's run charts and Don Hartridge sits handsomely second among the wicket-takers, so there's much to build on. Not our day — but rarely a dull one either.

Sun 15 Jun 1947 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLDDWL

Sunday 15 June 1947 saw us at home, and having called correctly at the toss I took first use of the pitch — the right call, I still maintain, whatever transpired later. The lads made a fair fist of it: Gordon Larking led the way with 27, John Thirkell chipped in a tidy 24 and C Fenner weighed in with 21. Not every entry in the ledger reads so proudly, mind — G Vince and Derek Pantony both endured that lonely walk back for nought, and I shall spare them further comment out of Christian charity.

With ball in hand we fancied our chances, but a chap named X Harris had other ideas, compiling an unbeaten 46 that we simply couldn't shift him from. Our reply with the willow fared little better — John Thirkell twice, and W Bunting, all departed without so much as a run to show for it. Herbert Rayner was the chief tormentor, taking 4 for none, well supported by Gordon Fenner, also 4 for none, and Stan Wratten with one. I managed to find some rhythm myself, claiming four wickets, for whatever consolation that offers the scorebook.

One footnote for the club historians: Gordon Fenner's four scalps see him leapfrog Jack Fryer into third on our all-time wicket-takers list — a fine achievement amid the gloom.

In the end we fell 24 runs short. A losing afternoon, no question, but there was enough good cricket in it to suggest we'll be the better for it next week.

Sun 08 Jun 1947 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformWLDDW

Sunday 08 June 1947, and off we trundled to West Farleigh CC, hearts full of optimism and, as ever, hoping the tea would outshine the cricket.

The toss went against us — it usually does — and we were asked to field first, which at least gave the lads something to do while the optimism wore off. West Farleigh's innings closed on None all out, with H Webb top-scoring on 27 and W Payton chipping in a handy 23. But the day belonged, unarguably, to Herbert Rayner, whose 5-0 was as fine and deserved a five-for as you'll see on any village green this season. He had good company too: Don Hartridge and X Henfield both took 2-0 apiece, tidying up nicely behind him.

With the bat, we mustered None all out ourselves, P Clark leading the way with a well-made 25 — the innings' one shining thread. I permitted myself a quiet grin with the ball too, taking 5 wickets of my own, for whatever consolation that's worth on a losing afternoon.

There was, mind you, a genuine reason to raise a glass: Don Hartridge's two wickets nudged him past Herbert Sunley and into 10th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list — a proper piece of history amid the gloom. And for the season so far, P Clark tops our 1947 run charts on 25, with Herbert Rayner leading the wickets on 5.

In the end, though, it wasn't our day — beaten by the narrowest of margins, two runs. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets we go.