Page 190 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

THE UPPER PAVILION HAS DONE DUTY FOR A MINIMUM OF 70 YEARS AND IS IN URGENT NEED OF UPDATING, THE COST OF WHICH IS PROHIBITIVE FOR THE RIFLES
The Ri es Cricket Club (RCC) welcomed its new Chairman in April only to have to say au revoir in June as Lieutenant Colonel Gary McDade left Britain for Mali to miss half the season while the Club Secretary, Captain Tom Legge, also missed the season on a Short term training Team mission. This left the RCC in limbo and early season matches went unful lled. Captains Nick Dawnay and Kenji Ara then stepped in and ensured that the commit- ments of the remainder of the season were met – a great effort.
Equally new to The Ri es CC but not cricket was Nigel Green. Nigel who having “retired” as the senior Ground Keeper at the Ageas Bowl after the 2016 season, is now our St Cross Groundsman ensuring that the RCC has the best wickets in southern England. It is such a shame that, in spite of his time and effort, 4 x Home matches were cancelled.
Following the success – enjoyable T20 match at St Edward’s School Oxford in 2016,and the regular humdinger against the HAC at Armoury House as well as the annual Kenya Inter Battalion Trophy, T20 is evidently the exciting choice. A match against Cheltenham College was added to the Fixture List and it was disappointing that, ultimately, The RCC failed to nd suf cient players. A quirk of fate and an Old Boy’s knowledge brought a xture against King’s School Bruton into the List and added further to the number of schools RCC plays. This new venue marked the centenary of a game played between the school and the subalterns of 3DORSETS on 9th June 1917; the rst game to be played on the present square and honoured those young of cers who were shortly to be ghting in the mud of Passchendaele. 100 years on, the atmosphere was more enjoyable even if the weather was not!
The season however has been disjointed with players away and games cancelled. The odd decision by RMAS to call off on the Wednesday: conspiracy theorists have it that though it rained heavily that day, the groundsman’s “slot” was lost for the following four days saw glorious sunshine! The next week saw the RAC cry off without players while the following Saturday, the RCC could only muster one player for the Stragglers’ of Asia CC game. The inability of the Free Foresters to raise a full XI saved RCC blushes and, in spite of a fun Kenya Trophy, a competitive showing against the Symondians CC at St Cross and an enjoyable, though losing game, against the IZ , the Festival ended on a disappointing note. The only game lost to weather was that against the Old Wykehamists though, again, both sides were struggling with numbers. While RCC under performed against Winchester College, Teddies and
Ri es Cricket Club 2017
Played: 10 Won: 2
Notable Performances
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
Abandoned: 1 Cancelled: 5
the Guards CC, other games were both competitive and enjoyable: to lose having posted a score of 294 at Highclere suggests an exciting game.
St Cross Ground
Signi cant changes to the St Cross ground will be seen over the next couple of years:
1. The Ri es have granted Symondians CC the
ownership of the Upper Pavilion which will be replaced by a modern dual-aspect two storey building that will allow viewing of both pitches and provide changing rooms for 4x teams along with disabled access, a function room and a viewing balcony. The 2nd XI pavilion will become the Groundsman’s “shed”.
2. The Ri es Trustees have agreed to fund Ri es cricket at St Cross to 2038
3. 2x Ri es have been taken on to the Symondians CC Committee to both assist site management and ensure Ri es interests are retained.
4. All Ri es cricketers have been made Honorary Members of the Symondians CC Social Club. This will allow attendance at all social events and such occasions as the regular Friday night social gathering around the re pit and meals will be available.
5. Ri es cricketers are welcome to play for the Symondians CC. Note that Cpls Alexander and Bishop have already done so!
This should be seen as positive. The Upper Pavilion has done duty for a minimum of 70 years and is in urgent need of updating, the cost of which is prohib- itive for the Ri es, and the Symondians CC desire to retain the regimental character of the Upper Pavilion, underlines the ever closer relationship between the “them” and “us”. Nevertheless, signif- icant funds need to be raised and such events as the President’s Lunch in the Festival Week which launched the ‘Project’, the celebrity T20 match between Hampshire CCC and a PCA XI on 17th August should be supported by the RCC whenever possible.
Matches
The season opener was against St Edward’s School (Teddies) on 28th April; a tough assignment in late April. Teddies are a formidable experience: they had played half a dozen xtures already, were undefeated beating, inter alia, the Oxford University 1st XI, and elded a three England U-18 international players. The Ri es players were met by a highly ef cient set of drills the like of which a Household Brigade Sergeant Major would have been delighted with. Already the disparity between the teams was recognised which the Teddies team addressed by dropping one of their international stars! In like, the RCC elected to eld rst and secured their rst wicket when the score was 94; an excellent catch by Major Tim Jarvis in front of a large crowd exiting lessons. But it was slim pickings as Teddies reached 283 for only 3 wickets, in spite of Cpl Chris May’s tidy bowling that kept the batsmen guessing, in the allotted 20 overs. A score of +300 is not unknown in County cricket
James Fulton Matt O’Connor James Barry
J Tilney Wesley Hurn Si Swindells Joe Cavanagh
117* I Zingari
72 Winchester College 59 Earl of Carnarvon’s XI 57 Eton Ramblers
59 Earl of Carnarvon’s XI 59 Symondians CC
52* Eton Ramblers
50 Earl of Carnarvon’s XI
188 RIFLES SPORTS
THE RIFLES