Although it wasn't the finest British summer on record, in fact August was the wettest in recorded history, I spent a great deal of time over the weekends playing cricket for the Dogmersfield Cricket Club in Hampshire. My performances were on average, dreadful but some good times on and off the field were had, and mid-season we were top of the league for two weeks running - after which we failed to win another game. The final standings at the end of the competition are here.
The setting for the club is very picturesque, the pitch is on one side bordered by trees and on the other by a farm. During the first game of the season, all the cows came over to see what the story was, but soon became bored and went back to the other side of the paddock and ate the grass over there. It could have been the electric fence that kept them away though - it certainly surprised one of the fielders in the opposing team during that game when they went to retrieve the ball that had gone over the boundary in that direction.
Aylward Cup & Plate 2004
There are 4 groups of 3 teams. Group teams will play each other once. The winners of each group will qualify for the semi-final of the Cup competition. The runners-up of each group will go through to the semi-final of the Plate. The first round group matches must be complete by 23 June and the semi-finals by 7 July. The final of the Plate is on Tues 13 July and the Cup on Tues 20 July.
Group A Yateley, Odiham & Greywell, Finchampstead
Group B Eversley, Dogmersfield, Hook & Newnham
Group C Hartley Wintney, Fleet, Frimley
Group D Farley Hill, Aldershot, Cove
Semi-Finals Group D v Group A, Group B v Group C
The club reached the final of the Aylward cup, a midweek competition and although I'd never played for that team, I managed to get a run in the final against Cove at their place. We were soundly beaten on the day, but everyone played well against a much better side. The team on that day is pictured below.
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| From left top: Tom, Tim S, Tim A, *Len, Nic, Dave, Fraser bottom: Bruce, +Baggy, Luke, Ryan |
Another highlight of the Saturday fixtures was breakfast at Nic's parents place in Fleet. After Nic, Bruce and I had come down the M3 from London, a fantastic fry up greeted us every morning which is a far cry from the occasional slice of toast that I used to grab on the way out the door before cricket in Sydney.
