Quintessence

The notion of village cricket likely prompts certain images in the mind. Such images may be something of a cliché or of a bucolic utopia but they represent the inextricable link between cricket and countryside in the United Kingdom. Thus, farmers’ fields, a village pub, thatched cottages overlooking the green, a nearby river or watercourse and quaint shops likely feature in most visions of the village cricket scenario.

Nine or so miles south of Oxford, tucked into a corner of the Thames valley, is the idyllic village of Warborough and its near neighbour Shillingford. Quite simply, the locale ticks almost every box in the archetypal, quintessentially English, chocolate box venue; village green, beautiful bucolic views and a nearby pub. The ground itself is surrounded on three sides by sycamores, limes, horse chestnut trees and oaks whilst from the eastern side of the ground one can see the Chiltern Hills in the distance. Rather whimsically the lanes flanking two sides of the ground are simply listed as ‘The Green North’ and ‘The Green South.’ Any cars parked on the macadam are at risk of a well struck shot caroming with the bodywork or, worse, a window. Upon arriving and exploring one is really left in no doubt as to why the hosts have no issues organising home fixtures.

Indeed, it is not just visiting cricket teams that enjoy visiting the village and the cricket ground. Esteemed actors Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie made an appearance during the 1991 Jeeves and Wooster episode A Plan for Gussie, for instance, but the most regular visitors have been those doyens of rural whodunits: Midsomer Murders. The near twenty-five year old program has visited and used the village for ten separate episodes with the cricket ground featuring on two or three occasions. Naturally, the local watering hole, the Six Bells pub near the south-western corner of the ground, is another regular host for Midsomer Murders. (The pub’s website features its own Midsomer Murders section)

Hence, Warborough and Shillingford’s fixture list is not short of home matches and the club plays host to a fine selection of wandering cricket teams with marvellous monikers such as Captain Scott Invitational XI, Gloucestershire Gypsies, Hetairoi, the Authors, the Erratics, the Buccaneers and the Nomads. Indeed, such is the beauty of the venue that the Erratics are due to host a match of their own, against the Mandarins, in early September.

Today’s contest is against Proper Job XI and begins with the visitors batting first in a declaration contest with a fresh breeze scudding white clouds across the sky. The openers begin resolutely and accumulate; boundaries are few and far between on a noticeably large playing area for a village green whilst the outfield appears on the lush side. Warborough skipper Paul Baker completes a stunning, one handed catch off of his own bowling soof after though and the hosts have forged a couple of quick breakthroughs.

One of the afternoon’s early sanitiser breaks provides an opportunity to fully cogitate upon one’s surroundings. The Green itself is surrounded by an eclectic mix of thatched cottages and grand countryside houses, some of which regular viewers of Midsomer Murders will likely recognise. There is also plenty of room for spectators to bimble around the boundary and comfortably social distance. Indeed, the open nature of the ground all but implores one to undertake perambulations and explore. Cars line the ribbons of macadam that form part of the village’s centre as the pub and the cricket jostle for attention whilst those that venture along the thoroughfares dutifully pause as the bowler approaches the wicket. Meanwhile, a red kite glides overhead en route to settling in the upper boughs of a nearby tree, shrieking a high pitched cry upon landing whilst a pair of swallows skitter just a few inches above the outfield. Cricket offers some truly beautiful spots to enjoy an afternoon watching a match and Warborough would challenge most for its sheer beauty. Even a quick bimble away from the match to explore the village proves a joyous experience. One is not surprised that the production company of Midsomer Murders make regular returns to Warborough.

Upon resuming play Proper Job’s third wicket partnership, between Tom Nichols and Anthony Scammell, builds a more than useful response that is briefly interrupted by a passing rain shower. The players retreat toward the attractive, yet understated, pavilion but have barely made their destination when the precipitation relents and they return to the square. None of the professional tomofoolery of the paid ranks at this level; players have committed their day to a game, they want to play.

The hiatus has little effect on the incumbent batsmen as the visitors reach three figures without further loss. Showers continue to threaten though and cricket’s subtle shifts take effect as Warborough claim three quick wickets; Junaid Hassan bowling particularly effectively with flight and variation. Anthony Scammell remains in situ though and reaches his half century before building a similar partnership with Richard Tilley as the visitors strike some late order runs en route to closing their innings at 181-5 from forty odd overs.

Post a brief intermission for tea the match restarts at just before a quarter to five, dictating that Warborough will have two and a quarter hours to reach their target. One would expect that Proper Job would proffer somewhere between thirty-five and forty overs during such a time period, offering a realistic timeframe for both teams to complete victory.

Nevertheless, the hosts toil during the early part of their innings, losing two wickets inside the first ten overs as run scoring proves difficult. Middle-Order batsman Jonnie Bradshaw leads a renaissance with Lucy Johnson though as the scoring rate begins to improve; Proper Job’s rapid over rate aiding the hosts’ cause. As the match enters its last hour, in which twenty overs are to be bowled, Warborough require a further runs 112 for victory, by no means beyond them with Jonnie Bradshaw at the crease.
Bradshaw is leg before wicket on the stroke of six o’clock though and the match balance shifts significantly toward a draw. Warborough’s batsmen see out almost half of the remaining overs but three wickets fall in a dozen deliveries to threaten a dramatic denouement. Almost sixty deliveries stand between both sides and victory or a draw. The experienced pair of Alan Gregory and skipper Paul Baker deny the Proper Job bowlers in redoubtable fashion as Warborough chalk off the remaining overs to claim an honourable draw.

 

The danger of village cricket is that the idea in one’s mind often fails to match with actual reality. One subconsciously extracts the very best of the concept whilst conveniently ignoring the aspects that don’t necessarily fit the stereotype. Inevitably, most locales will possess some characteristic or foible that proves different to one’s narrative. Perhaps something is lacking or there is a feature that is a little incongruous. To believe that a ground or village is perfect sets a standard that cannot be reached or matched. Nevertheless, plenty of villages and grounds possess fabulous attributes that nestle quite nicely with the vision in one’s eye. Take a trip to watch Warborough and Shillingford play and there is little, if anything, that will disappoint. One is not surprised that the club is not short of opponents willing to undertake the journey to South Oxfordshire.

 

RVCG: 11 out of 92