Classic Matches

Walkovers CC vs. Sloths CC. May xx 2001. LQ2.

The year was 2001, Andrew Bouchard was still trying out his theory of “what is the perfect length of hair to pull with”, John Patterson still hadn’t passed his driving test and it was a time when Kevin English went out at nights! Yes it was the first ever season for Walkovers cricket club. It contained ups, downs (many downs!) and Nicky being sick. It all began one windy May afternoon in 2001 but my particular highlights began in the winter when this idea started becoming reality…….

Location = Common room, playground football was off for the day due to adverse weather conditions and the Hautlieu contingent were sat around having the season before decided that we were going form a cricket team. Walkovers (this name was to come at a later day) was busy recruiting players. It wasn’t quite the primary school chanting of “who wants to play” but a more mature “list” attached to the notice board signing up promising young cricketers, enthused sportsman and Gareth Lamb.

As we moved through the winter months we had a squad, many brainstorming ideas were taking place for the name, Walkovers was stumbled across given the nature of the make up of the team, a maximum of 5 of us had ever played before (and yes I include John “I’m going to cost St John CC” Patterson). We also had to persuade Paul Michel that Whispering willows CC was not the angle we were looking for and I believe only Steven Mitchell voted in support of this. All these challenges aside 2001 was here and May was fast approaching….

SHIRTS……craned Le Roux, and he was right, we needed to have an outfit if we were going to be taken seriously in Division 3 of the NatWest Evening League in Jersey!! Luckily David Sim was on hand, and the Walkovers could dream of smart cream cricket tops in time for the season….we would however have to wait for 2 seasons after this one for this to come alive however, the shirts arrived with the logo “I’ve been plumber jobbed…have you?” They were however free, and it was this kind of support from friends of the club that would continue to where we are today 9 years on!

I distinctly remember the shirt numbers being given out, The Cow straight in at 1, Joel at 3 with Nicky Sandwiched in between at 2. I could go on and list the whole squad but frankly I can’t remember! Bouchard (with medium length hair at this stage and still no girl) got given 11 due to his complete inability to play cricket and our president settled with 9 forgetting this wasn’t football.

My particular proudest moment was being asked to captain. Feelings of delight, excitement, nerves all came across me but this was probably caused by Miss Vasse saying hello that morning! But seriously chuffed at this point then reality started to strike, how on earth was I going to captain this side that had never played together and with over half the side having never played before in their lives!

In the run up to the first game we had several net sessions which were entertaining to say the least but it helped establish that Vibert wasn’t quite ready to be a front line bowler (or batsman) and that Fosse with all his passion and desire had in fact stepped up to take the number 11 slot away from Andrew Bouchard!!

So team selection took place, the senior players (4 of us!) got together and the side was named, Carter out (arrested for bullying) and Vibert too (AWOL in England) we had Glaun in (our secret weapon from Australia) and Wood (big hands).

Cowling
Richardson
Le Roux
Patterson
Glaun
English
Michel
Bouchard
Lucas
Wood
Fosse

So May 8th arrived and School was out. Walkovers CC looking as smart as they could be in their Plumber Jobbed shirts travelled up to LQ2 in time for the game (probably the only ever time!!)…..in fact we did this with plenty of time to spare….2 HOURS!!!

Paul Michel at this time was still more interested in girls than his career (how things come full circle!! J) and so it was left to Wood to take the warm up with lots of shoulder work and head movement it was clear to see the scouse influence.

As captain the toss was my first chance to express myself, show the team the leadership, gain the confidence of the boys, I could feel them looking up at me, wanting me to step up and deliver….I lost, Tails did fail and Walkovers would begin their season in the most testing fashion, in Bat!!

So out myself and Nicky walked, into the cauldron that the Sloths CC had created. I took guard (Nicky having almost wet his pants with the thought of having to face the first ball). I looked up and we had English in charge, I took my customary look around the filed but couldn’t help focusing on the Square Leg umpire….Paul “trigger” Michel!! This was to come back and haunt me…..

We naturally began slow, the wind causing difficulties for both sides, the chat in the field hostile to the new comers and I knew Nick and myself needed a partnership, two experienced players should not fail and subject the inexperience to this….COWLING GONE!!! I couldn’t believe it, stumped holding a pose to show the boys I am your leader look how confident and strong my defence is, Trigger thought otherwise and caved to the jubilant keeper who quite clearly was trying his luck with the newbie umpire, “the line isn’t yours” came the cocky response we all know and love and like a man I took this (knowing we had just been had).

In came the crane, his natural sporting ability meaning he went straight in at 3..and straight back out again, a Golden for the big man, nerves and confidence would be his enemy all season but form is temporary…you know the rest. President in, what a moment for the little man with big pads, could he avenge his demons of his brief appearance the season before, could he raise the bar, could he get this game by the scruff of the neck with his calypso style…could he NO!!!! GONE!! A golden for Pats and before we could even console him Glaun was walking back in to the Pavilion, the secret Aussie weapon had spectacularly failed, we would later learn that his weapon was Fosters drinking not the destruction of NatWest Evening league Davison 3!!

It was time for Kevin James English. Cricket not Charlotte was his love and it was back in the days when he was avoiding the Optimists membership fee…(wait, he still is!!!!) The flowing locks of Kevin Athers English made his way to the crease. A battling innings full of cross batted defences and little skips to avoid his legs being hit progressed until it was quite magnificently ended with English being cleaned bowled and all 3 stumps ripped out of the ground by the Sloth’s medium pacer.

We were in dire straits (this tune would become relevant to English in a back seat episode not to be discussed here!). Paul Federer Michel and Andrew Marner Bouchard were in at the crease, they worked well together – a feature not normally associated with these two but one that would be consistent throughout the season. They ground out some stability, saw off the danger(ish) bowlers and contributed with 2 and 1 respectively (ok so I may be clutching at straws is 2 runs is a highlight!!)

83-6 off of 12 over’s, by all means no where near a failure, as we would manage to set new records of lowest scores at later dates but was it enough to hold off the might Sloths?

The Cow led the troops onto the field, the outfit looked sharp, the players confident of causing an upset, that until they looked around at each other!! Fielding positions were set, this alone was a victory for the Captain as he battled with so called experts fielding at “extra leg” and with Bouchard wanting 2 mid on’s for his over’s!

Youth was certainly on our side as Joel found himself throwing himself along the boundary robes, Pat’s Jontyesc in the covers and Fosse hidden safely at fine leg. We began well; the bowling and fielding had been real positives from pre-season and would become a real positive in our first season.

Kevin Merlin English bowled extremely well, as did the captain himself but it wasn’t enough to restrain the Sloth’s.

First change bowlers John Patterson and Andrew Bouchard added something different to the attack, with variety and promise and that ever needed evening league skill of one or two wicket taking balls an over (or as I like to call them from these two Pie’s). That said they would battle it our for the best bowling title right to the wire.

The support on the field cannot be faltered as defeat edged ever closer. It was certainly a challenge changing fields but made easier by the willingness to learn, the enthusiasm led our first ever game to be a narrow defeat, and a game to build positively on for the future.

Walkovers were defeated, but only on the field of play, what to come after was a rollercoaster but the beginning of what has now been 9 years!

It only left it time to head off to the Walkovers second home (after the pitch) of the Pub. St Mary’s the venue (Kev hadn’t paid his membership fee!) and the team spirit was fast building off the pitch as much as on it!

It was a defeat (Nicky made sure we all knew that!) but it was the beginning of the journey……