Kellard comes of age!

Windsor 160 all out; 33 overs (Birch 63; Noble 38)
Lord’s Taverners 161 for 7; 31 overs (Hinks 61, Kellard 4 for 13)

After many months of hard work and preparation, the visit of Mike Gatting’s Lord’s Taverners team to Windsor Cricket Club, was a fabulous success this past Sunday and saw a huge swath of sponsors, players and spectators enjoy a fabulous day’s cricket. A star-studded team of Taverners were entertained to a tea by the marvellous surroundings of the town’s premier club.

Upon winning the toss, the Taverners chose to bat first. Opening bowlers for the Taverners were Andrew Green (of Radio 4 fame) and Vince Wells (Former England One-Day international), who both found exaggerated movement and had Windsor regular openers Davis and Bird feeling for the ball in a nervy start. Davis was unlucky to be first to go, adjudged lbw despite a very audible inside edge off Green. New man Smith didn’t hang around either as an overambitious swish to leg saw him bowled by a Green away swinger. Green then left proceedings to avoid bowling the entire Windsor side out. Huggins departed shortly after for the second duck of the innings to a brute of a leg cutter from Wells and when Bullock departed to Salmon shortly after, Windsor were in deep trouble at 24 for 4. A brief cameo from skipper Bird was cut short by a top edge from International rugby referee Chris White. This brought Birch to the crease to join Noble in an innings changing partnership.

Both started nervously and would find runs hard to come by. Chris Tarrant in particular finding movement off the seam. The introduction of Jack Russell though seemed to create the spark need as Birch began to play his usual domineering game. Hitting a number of fours and sixes, he proceeded to score a marvellous fifty of just 34 balls. Finally perishing to a fantastic catch by Graham Roope on the boundary for 63 off Mike Gatting. Noble also fell shortly afterwards for a fine 38, but celebrated the knock with a lap of honour around the ground.

Windsor’s innings finally closed on 160 all out two overs early when Kellard played on to Gatting. A below par total and with the knowledge that two former first-class stars were opening for the Taverners, a tough task was ahead to defend it.

Opening bowlers Edge and Birch bowled well in the early overs and were unlucky not to remove the class Taverners openers. Anything slightly loose was punished and the ball raced about the field with aplomb from both Hinks and Roope’s bat. The pair managed to take the score to around 80 before Roope was first to go, caught well on the boundary by Condon. Hinks, after giving a number of chances finally fell stumped to Smith when on 61, wandering out of his crease in an attempt to take a phone call. This brought Nick Hancock to the crease to join and already set Paul Tisdale (Exeter FC’s new manager).

The introduction of Kellard at the River End would put a brake on the Taverners innings. First removing Tisdale through a fine skied catch taken by Hill in front of a well-lubricated beer tent, then through the bamboozling of Hancock, caught by Noble at mid-wicket. With Chris White joining Jack Russell at the crease, Windsor sensed the opportunity to take a few prize scalps. Indeed when Russell tried to late-cut a sharp spinning delivery off Smith, Davis took a fine catch stood up to the stumps to remove the former England keeper. When White and Salmon both departed to Kellard’s spin, new batsman Chris Tarrant, was joined by former England skipper Mike Gatting. Memories of 1993 and Old Trafford were re-born as Kellard attempted to pull a Warne on Gatting, and narrowly missed a five-for when a sharp turner just missed his outside edge.

Some entertaining running by Tarrant and Gatting, along with the usual banter saw the Taverners close on victory. Then a mighty swing of the bat from Tarrant saw Smith bemused as he was sent back over his head for 6. Another fine swish to fine leg saw the winning runs come and the Taverners closed out the game with 4 overs to spare.

A wonderful day was capped by the presentation ceremony after the game. Speeches from headline sponsor FM Global and Tony Monk was followed by the presentation of the winner’s Trophy to Mike Gatting. The man of the match award, sponsored by FM Global, went to 16 year-old Windsor spinner Chris Kellard for his match figures of 4 for 13 off 6 overs, with 2 maidens.

Nichols piles the heat on Stoke green

Sunday 16th July 2006 - Maidenhead Advertiser Sunday League

Stoke Green 88 all out (Nichols 4-24, Lines 3-28)

Windsor 89-1 (Huggins 46*)

Windsor Won by 9 wickets

Another scorching summer Sunday beckoned as Nobsey’s road show moved onto a baking Stoke Green. As usual Windsor’s strong Sunday 1’s looked to bat first on a used pitch, which they knew would break up as the game wore on. As it transpired though Windsor were made to field first with Nichols and Cornish sharing the new rock. Both had immediate success each taking a wicket in their first over and after 4 overs Stoke Green were reeling on 1 for 3. Young Cornish continually troubled the batsmen and had some very close LBW appeals turned down, the umpire claiming one was “going down off”. After his initial success Nichols set into a constant rhythm pinning down the batsmen with well-directed bouncers and dangerous Yorkers. A weak looking Stoke Green struggled to 13 for 4 after 12 overs when Cornish was taken off and left arm spinner Lines was introduced into the attack. Lines had success in his first over dismissing the Stoke Green number 6 with Woodward holding a good catch on the boundary. Nichols then capped his spell with 2 wickets as he finished with tidy figures of 4 for 24 from 8 overs.

With Lines bowling superbly from one end spin twin Kellard was brought on from the other. Lines took his second wicket soon after and with only 10 men it was only a matter of time before stoke were dismissed from the position of 48-8. To their credit though the 2 Stoke youngsters batted well with their 15 year old number 4 taking the strike well and dispatching the bad ball, including a 6 off Kellard. In the end though Lines finished off the stoke innings as their number 4 miscued a cut and the catch was taken by Cornish at point. With Stoke Green finally all out for 88.

After tea Windsor knew it would only be a matter of time before they would be on their way home. Huggins and Condon opened the batting and got Windsor off to a flier hitting their fifty partnership off just 8 overs. Huggins was particularly productive with his cover drives and Condon dispatched anything loose. After this the scoring rate slowed a bit and Condon was out to a sharp catch at midwicket. This brought South African Abe Smith to the crease and with some lusty blows (Including a massive 6 into the Windsor spectators) he allowed Huggins to finish the game off in style with a good looking straight drive, taking his score to 46 not out. With another win under their belt, Windsor will be looking towards victories over Burnham and North Maidenhead in the coming weeks to have them in with a shout in the MASL title race.

Next week the league season will take a break as Windsor take on Mike Gatting’s star-studded Lord’s Taverners team on The Home Park.

French Connection too much for sorry Bledlow

Windsor CC 1st XI vs Bledlow CC 1st XI – Sunday 9th July 2006 – MASL

Windsor 292-7 (A. Smith 65, B Davis 42, R Doye 38)

Bledlow 88 All Out (Granger 6-34)


Windsor CC currently poised very well in the Sunday league this year were looking to get another win under their belt on this breezy day as they fielded a strong team against a Bledlow side who had never visited Windsor before. After winning the toss the Bledlow skipper surprisingly decided to field which was a blessing for Windsor as they only currently had 9, very fragile, players after a big night out in London. With Birch nowhere to be seen and Holmes, called in as a late replacement for the unavailable (but surprisingly selected) Shafti, currently in transit, the Windsor openers strolled out to bat looking to put runs on the board.

Birthday boy Nichols and skipper Noble both looked uncomfortable against the Bledlow opening attack. Opening bowler Mould removed Nichols for 8, which introduced South African Abe Smith to the crease. Smith looked in good touch hitting a brace of 4’s off both the opening bowlers. Skipper noble played a good supporting role until he was out for 16. Lefthander Brian Davis was next in, fresh from his 50 the day before and him and the aggressive Smith both looked to attack the Bledlow first change bowlers, Davis in particular plundering 3 fours off of 4 balls. Davis was then caught off the bowling of downers, 8 short of his second 50 of the weekend.

Smith continued to attack with his new partner Ryan Doye as they ran well between the wickets and made the most of some lacklustre Bledlow fielding. Smith brought up a very entertaining 50 with a big six over square leg welcomed by warm applause from the balcony. The scoreboard continued to tick over until Smith tried one hit too many and was caught on the long on boundary. The next man in was the dangerous Granger, who in the fixture a year before had ransacked Bledlow’s bowling in scoring a fantastic hundred. He looked in good touch again today and some aggressive hitting and positive running between him and Doye again upped the scoring rate until he perished, caught on the boundary, trying to up the scoring rate in the last 10 overs. Doye was out shortly after and it was left to youngster Cornish and the clean hitting Birch to drag Windsor towards 300. Finishing on 292 for 7.

Windsor now knew that with the big total on the board that Bledlow would have to attack and with plenty of bowling options they were in a very strong position. Windsor didn’t start very well, opener Cornish spraying the ball about and going for 16 in his first over. This was no problem with the fired up granger charging in at 1 end and Aussie Nichols plugging away from the other they pulled it back and 2 Bledlow wickets fell in quick succession, which saw the introduction of the dangerous Oxfordshire player Mould. Wickets kept tumbling around him though and by the end of his spell nichols had picked up 2 wickets. Granger then picked up 2 wickets in a row, one caught by Smith in the gully and one by Doye at point. Next to join the party was young left arm spinner Mark Lines. His first over was spot on and he deceived the Bledlow number 7 with a perfect ball which drew him down the wicket before turning and keeper Davis picked up a sharp stumping to go with his catch earlier in the innings off the bowling of Nichols. In the next over with granger charging in with 4 slips and a gully he claimed another Bledlow wicket, again caught in the gully by Smith. Lines then produced another perfect over and was unlucky not to have another stumping, but with Bledlow now 8 wickets down it was left to granger to finish up the innings with the final 2 balls of his spell, clean bowling skipper mould for 26 and then claiming the Bledlow number 11 LBW to finish with outstanding figures of 6 for 34.

Next weekend the Sunday road show moves onto Stoke Green before a hard run in to the end of the season including Burnham and North Maids.