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THE OFFICIAL HOME OF
BLENHEIM PARK CRICKET CLUB
BPCC Match Day Reports
BPCC Match Reports 2025
Please see the pictures below and click to see the match report.
Our Season 2025
BPCC Vs Turville CC
In the pre match psycho-babble we were informed that our visitors – Turville, making their Blenheim debut - were a shell of their side from the previous week. Meanwhile we were quite pleased with the team we’d assembled. Shawn of several youngsters, we did at least have 11 blokes who had played the game before (in many cases for several decades). So, we were optimistic …
We arrived on the South lawn to find the outfield looking more like Croatian karst scenery than a cosy country house cricket pitch with crevasses you could lose a small child down.
A small child watches on from the boundary edge
After winning the toss, and with a new team assembled, and an untested wicket, Skipper West elected to bat. The decision soon appeared to have backfired as the returning Rupert Kelley pushed at one that stuck in the track with his leading edge snaffled by the grateful bowler.
Parker and Boardman settled nerves and restored order with Parker the more expansive in their partnership of 76 in 20 overs before he departed for 35 including that rarest of beasts – a five (courtesy of overthrows), along with four further boundaries. Boardman quickly followed for 25 (also four boundaries).
New boy Parke (not to be confused with Parker) came to the crease and after a nervy start – getting off the mark with a Chinese cut past the stumps and keeper – set about the back-up bowling. He was soon joined by Blenheim veteran and ex-pat Cox.
Turville clearly struggled for a 5th bowler. When one was introduced in the 24th over, 20 runs were the result, mostly off the bat of Parke. And with their 4 main bowlers having just a single over left between them after 28 overs, the final 7 realised 64 runs with Parke and Yates managing maximums and the usually more pedestrian Cox also tucking in, helping himself to 38*
Yates, in at 7, provided a quickfire cameo of 16 taking over from where Parke had left off (39 with 2 sixes, 5 fours) and the innings ended (with a liberal sprinkling of 34 extras) on 191-7 from our allotted 35 overs.
It felt like a defendable score and our mood was further heightened by a cracking tea – courtesy of new suppliers from Woodstock. All tastes (and none) appeared to be catered for so a big thumbs up to Stan (or his phone) for sourcing.
Into the field we went, and Walker did what he always does, probed away, created chances and as usual had no luck with 3 early chances going begging. Turville’s opener, James Hunt, raced away (sorry!) and was soon dispatching boundaries for fun after an early let off. Opening from the other end, new boy Grout also had no luck with a series of mis-fields off his bowling. But the mosaic of an outfield was at least in part responsible for ‘uncertain’ fielding and with a team slightly older and less agile than we’ve been used to over the last couple of years, runs came a-plenty for the visitors.
Having hibernated over winter, young Yates-the-gloves had metamorphosed into a pacey seam bowler. He replaced Walker and soon made the breakthrough castling the left hander who was the first of many from the visitors who had appeared to have perfected the leg side hoik. Indeed, at one point during the innings, a 7-2 leg side field was employed (technically anything over 5 is a no-ball in the local league) as a series of baseball style shots reigned throughout.
The runs continued to flow, and with Spearman now having replaced Grout, the score was a worrying 80-1 after only 16 overs.
The tide turned with Yates snaffling another courtesy of a Kelley catch – one of those that loops up and lingers in the air, teasing the fielder with venomous top spin. Kelley was wise to the aerodynamics and made it look easy. Spearman then got into his groove and ripped out 3 of the middle order – bowling them all. They were all nearly as close as the lbw decision that preceded them. But not quite. Apparently.
Included in the trio was recent team (and tour) mate, ‘Porto’ Andrew Woodcock, who had answered a last-minute SOS from the oppo due to a drop out that morning. He joins a growing list of former Blenheim team mates to be bamboozled by this seemingly innocuous dibbly-dobbly nonsense. And, no doubt, he wont be the last!
West (his name is also on zee liszt), had been unlucky in having the same Woodcock dropped, close in by the same Spearman, in just the previous over.
Catch of the day was then taken as another swish to mid-wicket was plucked from nowhere by Kelley whilst everyone was looking towards the boundary rope. Spearman came within a whisker of a(nother) hat-trick and Yates returned to claim a third thanks to a Grouty grab.
At 163-7 after 29 it was anyone’s game. Crucially, Hunt was still there though and having gone quickly through the gears was now in a rush to get to the finish line. Despite landing a lofted drive perfectly between mid-on, long-on and cow, and larruping another over the advancing (too quickly) long-on fielder, he succeeded and saw his side home with 2 overs to spare having scored an undefeated 116.
So, it was good to be back, and a mostly enjoyable and close game, albeit a defeat in disappointing temperatures especially given the heatwave of March/April.
We retired to the BLT to lick our wounds and where top scoring Parke, perhaps sensing jug avoidance accusations on his first appearance (and with 39, jug avoidance avoidance, if you will), alleviated such qualms by getting in a round of BBQ chicken wings. Well played, sir! You’ll be back for sure.
Many thanks are due - several players went out of their way to make themselves available:
Rupert who travelled up from Bath
Coxy from Paris
Rob Kerr from deepest Lower Bumblefut out in the country. And after conceding just 10 byes in the 35 overs, we were all thankful for that!
Andy Parke who on debut also brought a Brill teammate. That is, they play for Brill. I’ll leave it to you to decide if they are actually brill or not.
Andrew Woodcock who answered the oppo’s SOS at short notice.
Also thanks to the dedicated committee members who rolled, cut, and watered the wicket to ensure it was as playable as it was (you’ve seen the outfield, right?)
David Hughes for the above and acting as stand in treasurer after the game.
Richard for his umpiring.
Stan and his phone for digging us out of a hole regarding teas.
The spectators/fans/extended family members who sat and watched this drivel in the cold.
BPCC 191-7 (35 overs): A. Parke 39, M Cox 38*, S. Parker 35, P. Boardman 25, H Yates 16
TCC 192-7 (32.5 overs): P. Spearman 4-30, H. Yates 3-37
Rhino
We arrived on the South lawn to find the outfield looking more like Croatian karst scenery than a cosy country house cricket pitch with crevasses you could lose a small child down.
A small child watches on from the boundary edge
After winning the toss, and with a new team assembled, and an untested wicket, Skipper West elected to bat. The decision soon appeared to have backfired as the returning Rupert Kelley pushed at one that stuck in the track with his leading edge snaffled by the grateful bowler.
Parker and Boardman settled nerves and restored order with Parker the more expansive in their partnership of 76 in 20 overs before he departed for 35 including that rarest of beasts – a five (courtesy of overthrows), along with four further boundaries. Boardman quickly followed for 25 (also four boundaries).
New boy Parke (not to be confused with Parker) came to the crease and after a nervy start – getting off the mark with a Chinese cut past the stumps and keeper – set about the back-up bowling. He was soon joined by Blenheim veteran and ex-pat Cox.
Turville clearly struggled for a 5th bowler. When one was introduced in the 24th over, 20 runs were the result, mostly off the bat of Parke. And with their 4 main bowlers having just a single over left between them after 28 overs, the final 7 realised 64 runs with Parke and Yates managing maximums and the usually more pedestrian Cox also tucking in, helping himself to 38*
Yates, in at 7, provided a quickfire cameo of 16 taking over from where Parke had left off (39 with 2 sixes, 5 fours) and the innings ended (with a liberal sprinkling of 34 extras) on 191-7 from our allotted 35 overs.
It felt like a defendable score and our mood was further heightened by a cracking tea – courtesy of new suppliers from Woodstock. All tastes (and none) appeared to be catered for so a big thumbs up to Stan (or his phone) for sourcing.
Into the field we went, and Walker did what he always does, probed away, created chances and as usual had no luck with 3 early chances going begging. Turville’s opener, James Hunt, raced away (sorry!) and was soon dispatching boundaries for fun after an early let off. Opening from the other end, new boy Grout also had no luck with a series of mis-fields off his bowling. But the mosaic of an outfield was at least in part responsible for ‘uncertain’ fielding and with a team slightly older and less agile than we’ve been used to over the last couple of years, runs came a-plenty for the visitors.
Having hibernated over winter, young Yates-the-gloves had metamorphosed into a pacey seam bowler. He replaced Walker and soon made the breakthrough castling the left hander who was the first of many from the visitors who had appeared to have perfected the leg side hoik. Indeed, at one point during the innings, a 7-2 leg side field was employed (technically anything over 5 is a no-ball in the local league) as a series of baseball style shots reigned throughout.
The runs continued to flow, and with Spearman now having replaced Grout, the score was a worrying 80-1 after only 16 overs.
The tide turned with Yates snaffling another courtesy of a Kelley catch – one of those that loops up and lingers in the air, teasing the fielder with venomous top spin. Kelley was wise to the aerodynamics and made it look easy. Spearman then got into his groove and ripped out 3 of the middle order – bowling them all. They were all nearly as close as the lbw decision that preceded them. But not quite. Apparently.
Included in the trio was recent team (and tour) mate, ‘Porto’ Andrew Woodcock, who had answered a last-minute SOS from the oppo due to a drop out that morning. He joins a growing list of former Blenheim team mates to be bamboozled by this seemingly innocuous dibbly-dobbly nonsense. And, no doubt, he wont be the last!
West (his name is also on zee liszt), had been unlucky in having the same Woodcock dropped, close in by the same Spearman, in just the previous over.
Catch of the day was then taken as another swish to mid-wicket was plucked from nowhere by Kelley whilst everyone was looking towards the boundary rope. Spearman came within a whisker of a(nother) hat-trick and Yates returned to claim a third thanks to a Grouty grab.
At 163-7 after 29 it was anyone’s game. Crucially, Hunt was still there though and having gone quickly through the gears was now in a rush to get to the finish line. Despite landing a lofted drive perfectly between mid-on, long-on and cow, and larruping another over the advancing (too quickly) long-on fielder, he succeeded and saw his side home with 2 overs to spare having scored an undefeated 116.
So, it was good to be back, and a mostly enjoyable and close game, albeit a defeat in disappointing temperatures especially given the heatwave of March/April.
We retired to the BLT to lick our wounds and where top scoring Parke, perhaps sensing jug avoidance accusations on his first appearance (and with 39, jug avoidance avoidance, if you will), alleviated such qualms by getting in a round of BBQ chicken wings. Well played, sir! You’ll be back for sure.
Many thanks are due - several players went out of their way to make themselves available:
Rupert who travelled up from Bath
Coxy from Paris
Rob Kerr from deepest Lower Bumblefut out in the country. And after conceding just 10 byes in the 35 overs, we were all thankful for that!
Andy Parke who on debut also brought a Brill teammate. That is, they play for Brill. I’ll leave it to you to decide if they are actually brill or not.
Andrew Woodcock who answered the oppo’s SOS at short notice.
Also thanks to the dedicated committee members who rolled, cut, and watered the wicket to ensure it was as playable as it was (you’ve seen the outfield, right?)
David Hughes for the above and acting as stand in treasurer after the game.
Richard for his umpiring.
Stan and his phone for digging us out of a hole regarding teas.
The spectators/fans/extended family members who sat and watched this drivel in the cold.
BPCC 191-7 (35 overs): A. Parke 39, M Cox 38*, S. Parker 35, P. Boardman 25, H Yates 16
TCC 192-7 (32.5 overs): P. Spearman 4-30, H. Yates 3-37
Rhino
BPCC Vs Minster Lovell
The length of match reports often correlates to the result and the margin of victory / defeat of the game in question. So, spoiler alert, this might be brief …
Let’s start at the beginning. Mid-week we had 5 players. The usual frantic scramble mustered a coalition of the willing and a merry band of disparate mercenaries were gathered together under the Blenheim banner to face Minster Lovell. Part of that band included 2 ‘on-loan’ players from the opposition but when they themselves had 2 dropouts on the morning of the game, we were down to 10 men again.
West turned up early, about 7am, to start pitch prep, before disappearing again for a morning’s work to return to win the toss and open the batting. And for all this effort, he was rewarded with … a golden duck ☹. It was reminiscent of Ian Botham’s infamous pair at Lords, 1981, as he trudged off to silence from the MCC members. On this occasion though, Allan Engel was in attendance so there was every chance of at least some acerbic ‘encouragement’ as Malcolm left the field. And we all know what followed with Botham …
Parker took a leaf out of his captains’ book as he too played a straightish delivery with a less than straight bat. Gone for 10. Youngsters Yates and F. Spearman (27 and 33 respectively) were both well set before both succumbing to the demons of the pitch.
New boy Awais met his first ball with a swivel pull for four and looked good for his 39.
The last addition to our side (that morning), Golledge, stepdad of Minster’s 13 yr old bowler, came to the crease and soon got to work despatching the youngsters quick time to end on 50*.
Dixey showed potential and later did a better impression of a point fielder than his buddy Boardy.
We closed on 212-7 off our 40 overs. So far so good. The sun was shining, tea was good (again).
In the field, it didn’t really work for us. There were a couple of early miscues from the openers, but the reality was we didn’t really trouble them too much. Later in the innings, some genuine chances were created and squandered but by then the game had long been up anyway. Pick of the bowlers was new boy Kamran Ahmed (‘Kami’ to his mates) but our solitary wicket came near the end courtesy of a Yates juggle behind the wicket and Minster romped home in the 35th over.
Congratulations to Minster and especially to openers Kev Clue (96) and Marc Summers (100*) who put on 201 for the first wicket.
We face Minster again in 4 weeks time. Down the BLT after the game, (injured) Stan effectively challenged undefeated centurion Summers to a duel in the return match with one of his famous pub monologues. Watch this space.
BPCC 212-7 (40 overs) M. Golledge 50*, A. Awais 39, F. Spearman 33, H. Yates 27, K. Ahmed 17
MLCC 213-1 (34.1 overs) (Nothing much to see here, move along please)
Let’s start at the beginning. Mid-week we had 5 players. The usual frantic scramble mustered a coalition of the willing and a merry band of disparate mercenaries were gathered together under the Blenheim banner to face Minster Lovell. Part of that band included 2 ‘on-loan’ players from the opposition but when they themselves had 2 dropouts on the morning of the game, we were down to 10 men again.
West turned up early, about 7am, to start pitch prep, before disappearing again for a morning’s work to return to win the toss and open the batting. And for all this effort, he was rewarded with … a golden duck ☹. It was reminiscent of Ian Botham’s infamous pair at Lords, 1981, as he trudged off to silence from the MCC members. On this occasion though, Allan Engel was in attendance so there was every chance of at least some acerbic ‘encouragement’ as Malcolm left the field. And we all know what followed with Botham …
Parker took a leaf out of his captains’ book as he too played a straightish delivery with a less than straight bat. Gone for 10. Youngsters Yates and F. Spearman (27 and 33 respectively) were both well set before both succumbing to the demons of the pitch.
New boy Awais met his first ball with a swivel pull for four and looked good for his 39.
The last addition to our side (that morning), Golledge, stepdad of Minster’s 13 yr old bowler, came to the crease and soon got to work despatching the youngsters quick time to end on 50*.
Dixey showed potential and later did a better impression of a point fielder than his buddy Boardy.
We closed on 212-7 off our 40 overs. So far so good. The sun was shining, tea was good (again).
In the field, it didn’t really work for us. There were a couple of early miscues from the openers, but the reality was we didn’t really trouble them too much. Later in the innings, some genuine chances were created and squandered but by then the game had long been up anyway. Pick of the bowlers was new boy Kamran Ahmed (‘Kami’ to his mates) but our solitary wicket came near the end courtesy of a Yates juggle behind the wicket and Minster romped home in the 35th over.
Congratulations to Minster and especially to openers Kev Clue (96) and Marc Summers (100*) who put on 201 for the first wicket.
We face Minster again in 4 weeks time. Down the BLT after the game, (injured) Stan effectively challenged undefeated centurion Summers to a duel in the return match with one of his famous pub monologues. Watch this space.
BPCC 212-7 (40 overs) M. Golledge 50*, A. Awais 39, F. Spearman 33, H. Yates 27, K. Ahmed 17
MLCC 213-1 (34.1 overs) (Nothing much to see here, move along please)
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