Hardings Here There & Everywhere! • Bayshill Cricket Club

Colonel Mustard returns to bring to you a first-hand account of the game between the mighty Bays and old rivals Cowley CC.

If you were to be awarded the ACM you’d think it was some military thing or other, you know the sort of thing to have a bar attached and to be talked about in whispered tones. (Now I’ve got your interest by Jove!) Well, you would simply be wrong, because the ACM is something more refined and dare I say something most of us will never achieve. It is of course, for those of you who love your cricket well know, the Award for Cricketing Merit. This gong, is handed out every few years at Lords no less, to cricketers who have ‘gone beyond’ in their endeavours within the game. No fund raising nonsense, no helping deprived groups, no efforts to help anyone at all, no ’nuffink’ in fact! The gong is for efforts on the field of play and nothing more. It is the VC, if you like for cricket.

Now in the Bays most recent game, a family were awarded this most coveted of medals. Yes, that’s right, not an individual player, but a whole family. I can hear you gaping in wonderment and I must say that I don’t like it. Now, back to the script. The medal had gone to none other than the entire Harding family for their efforts on and in the field on this, the most summery of summer days. With the air full of buzzards, red kites, pigeons and other things with wings, the Hardings boldly went where other players had not gone before. The ACM is wholly appropriate of course to the family as the letters herald the names of the players themselves; A for Alex, C for Colin and M for Michael. It could have been named after them.

There were records aplenty to record. First, Colin helping the other side out with a spot of fielding, managed to run out Alex Van Dyke, only later to run out Dave for theBays. Two run outs, for different teams in one game. A first I think. Then there was the bowling record, surpassing Steve, Tom and Jamie Liley who all took one wicket for the same family in one game on tour. The Hardings, A(2),C(2) & M(1) took five wickets between them! Moving on to the field, they were at it again, this time managing 4 dismissals between them; – Alex 2 catches, Michael 1 catch & Colin 1 run out, equalling Steve, Tom & Adrian Liley this time, who all took a catch in the same game for the bays (twice in fact). So, my learned reader, you can see why the medal is in the post. (Sadly not to be presented at Lords this time, due to Monkey Pox ravaging that part of the capital)

Bayshill won the toss and on the dusty track that had as much reliability as a Robin of the same name. The ball was everywhere. Up tiddly up up, down tiddly down down, up down flying around, looping the loop and defying the ground. Magnificent some would say, but not those on the receiving end. It’s a surprise that only one player was hit by the ball – that of the Bays’ keeper, who copped aquick one on the right shoulder from Angus Guthrie’s sharp bowling. The pitch was a cross between a dried out Rocky Road and a Flake Bar that had been sat on by a drunken lobster. Bays batting line incidentally chosen apparently by the letter A. A Pierce, A Guthrie, A Van Dyke, AJ & so on. Albert Aardvark was very unlucky not to get a bat this week, as was Anthony Antelope.

43 runs were put on before the first wicket, that of Guthrie fell. He made 18 off 17, with three fours. Nobby (Buds) the Nobster at the other end had climbed to 18 and it was only the second ball of the seventh over. Alex Van Dyke, looking to blow away the Cowley attack, made a rapid fire 30 off just 17, before he was bizarrely run out by Colin Harding, fielding for the other side! Two touches of the boot. a leisurely pick up, a pinch of snuff, a quick half pint, two novels, a bike ride around the pitch, an accurate throw and Alex was bread that had been heated both sides! it was close though. I’d estimate about 13.5 yards. About the distance I’d plant my row of potatoes.

There were 96 runs now on the board and the Nobster was up to 31. Sadly, he was next to go only an extra run on the acore; the adage of a wicket brings a wicket seemingly true here at least. Michael Harding made just the two before he went with the score up to 101 in the thirteenth over. Fran Stirrup not wearing his pith helmet dropped in on the game and did a bit of scoring. Well done to him I say! The two new batsmen were AJ and Steve Liley, who steadied Steamship Bays with a partnership of 49 off the next 8 overs. Steve was out, caught well in the 22nd over, for 21 off 30, with three fours. AJ batting sensibly in the heat went just with an extra on the score, now 151. Rahul on debut left on a quacker after 4 deliveries. Alex Harding came and went for a quick three, before being bowled by ex Bays player Keith Franklin.

Paul Saunders and Tom Liley in at eight and nine began to help salvage the innings with an knock of 71, only to be broken with the last ball, when Paul was bowled by Peck on 43 with 8 fours. Tom at this stage had moved to 34 off just 24, with 5 fours and a splendid six. 248 posted by the Bays.

After tea which for those interested, was comprised mostly of cheese and mustard rye bread sandwiches with Abbot Ale, Cowley began their innings. The openers Toby and Sam made 53 before Colin Harding bowled the latter for 37. Alex his son then caught the other opener off Colin again with the score up to 74. Tom Liley then had a bowled and a caught, getting rid of Charlie and Matt for 9 and 36 respectively.

Angus Guthrie bowling quickly had two clean bowled, getting Darren 36 and P Wayne for a quacker. The Harding then wrapped things up with three bowled wickets between Alex (2) and Michael (1) and one catch Alex and Colin’s run out, mentioned earlier. So Cowley were 188 all out and the players retreated into the shade for beer of many types and great quantity. After this further quaffing took place at The Plough Inn in Prestbury where at least 20 of the team and supporters sat in the late evening sunshine chewing the fat or in the case of the veggies, chewing the Twiglets.

Bayshill CC 248/9

Pierce A 32 28 4 0

Guthrie A 18 17 3 0

Van Dyke A 30 17 6 0

AJ 12 28 1 0

Liley S 21 28 3 0

Saunders P 43 41 8 0

Liley T* 34 24 5 1

Extras 46

Franklin K 6/0/29/2, Peck 2/0/7/1, T Gould 4/0/18/1, Mat 2/0/25/1, Wayne 4/0/26/1

Cowley CC 188 all out

T Bond 37, Sam 15, Charlie 45, Darren 36