24/05/2025
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Ware 1st XI vs St Albans – Saturday, 17th May
My word, what a morning! A perishing northerly wind danced impudently down the High Street as I embarked upon my customary promenade to Waitrose. Clad in my tweeds and gripping my copy of The Telegraph like a Churchillian baton, I was torn—nay, riven—with indecision: would two jumpers suffice, or should I risk the third and flirt with over-heating? And dare I say it—was this a flask-of-soup sort of day, or more one for the emergency tin of pilchards?
By half-past twelve the Gentlemen of Ware, resplendent in their club blazers, descended upon the hallowed grounds of St Albans. Well, most of them. That dashing duo, Messrs Griffin and Price, took a more leisurely approach to punctuality—Captain and Vice-Captain, no less! One might have thought they were finishing off a spot of brunch with the Maharajah of Pataudi.
Enter the redoubtable Kevin Meakin, a man of such rectitude and reliability one suspects he was carved from oak. Up he strode, like Horatio on the bridge, and not only steadied the ship but won the toss—a feat akin to parting the Red Sea on some of our recent coin-flipping form. Electing to field, Kev marshalled his troops with Churchillian resolve.
And so to the fray! Chambers and Issitt opened proceedings—two strapping fellows who steamed in with the vigour of bulls let loose in a porcelain emporium. But oh dear, the St Albans opener! A silken touch, wrists like a matador, and a late cut so delicate I suspect he might moonlight as a calligrapher. Seventy runs without loss after 15 overs, and the Ware faithful were beginning to murmur.
But hark! Who is this bounding in like a gazelle with a pint of Adnams in one hand and destiny in the other? It is Kev Meakin, of course! Off-cutters fizzed and danced like dragonflies on a summer pond, and wickets tumbled—three of them, no less, including the fearsome opener who had hitherto treated our bowling as though it were a gentle net with his grandmother.
A welcome drinks break arrived and was met with enthusiastic quaffing of lemon barley water, the universal elixir of village cricket. Spirits rejuvenated, the fielding turned as sharp as the crease of Denis Compton’s trousers. Young Jack (a coltish chap, positively bounding with enthusiasm) nearly pulled off a catch that would have had Wisden scribbling furiously.
Graeme Unwin, our resident art critic turned wrist-spinner, turned in a spell of such guile that even the great Prue Leith might have applauded his variations. Donovan chimed in with a peach of a spell, and then it was left to the enigmatic Mr Price—yes, he did eventually show up—to polish off the tail with Hugh Reid clutching two sharp catches with all the serenity of a butler catching falling crystal.
Chasing a target with more than a hint of banana skin about it, Price and Parker strode to the crease like officers on parade. What followed was nothing short of poetic—a partnership of 100 that ticked every box: patience, precision, and pyrotechnics. Parker was all poise and elegance, while Price… well, Price batted as if he were composing a sonnet with a Gray-Nicolls.
He reached 99—yes, dear reader, ninety-nine!—before tragedy struck. Enter the umpire, a shadowy figure whose raised digit came down with such dreadful certainty that it called to mind Brutus dispatching Caesar in the Forum. A hush fell across the ground, broken only by the wailing of the tea tent as a rogue gust blew it sideways.
But cometh the hour, cometh the men. Griffin—more composed now—and Reid, ever the statesman, calmly ushered us over the line. Victory secured, hands shaken, and sandwiches devoured. A fine day’s cricket. The game, my dear old thing, is still the thing.
Tally-ho!
Ware 2s season opener at the glorious Widford ground started with Ware winning the toss and chose to field. Imran and Alex opening the bowling worked hard as the bats got off to a fast start. Alex struck with two wickets with a good catch from Andy behind the stumps and a c+b Alex finished with 6/2/32 👏👏Imran unlucky in his spell 6/0/20 On came Steve competitive as ever the run rate at five an over, wickets started to fall and how Steve enjoyed taking his wickets finishing with 7/3/27 👏👏Sam however up the over end bowling well didn’t get in the wickets this week. Oscar our young talent came on and bowled exceptionally well and got in the wickets finishing with 7/3/32👏👏 Joel had a bowl and Dom finished the innings taking 2/2/2😀 well done to all in the field great catches from Barney and Joel the oppo ended on 178. We lost Andy lbw then Simon went playing on. Dom joined Joel it wasn’t long before the next wicket fell Dom bowled and Joel getting caught Ware at this point struggling on 23/4 Steve and Sam C now at the crease started the recovery both hitting the ball hard putting on 42 Steve trying to push the score along got bowled for 30 Alex came in supporting Sam the chase was on. Alex out bowled, Imran joined Sam the pressure was on
