Marble Hill win by 128 runs
Marble Hill began their Sunday fixtures for 2020 with a thumping win against CrossBats CC, batting superbly to set an imposing total before dominating with the ball, Ashley Ironmonger starring in both disciplines.
In any other year, mid-August would signal the height of the season; batting line ups are settled, ringers have become regulars, and the rustiness of April and May are but distant memories. However, this is not just any other year, and it would prove interesting to ascertain how Marble Hill would begin this delayed and truncated campaign. In addition, Sunday’s fixture marked the beginning of 50th anniversary celebrations for the club. In a touching moment, David Bird provided a moving address before presenting each player with a commemorative cap to mark the occasion. Sport is littered with instances of clubs and players freezing on their big day, allowing the occasion to overawe them, rendering them mere passengers as an expected coronation becomes a nightmare. Fortunately for Marble Hill, they did not disappoint.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Courtney Austin’s requests for a fellow opener were not exactly met with an enthusiastic response. If this was a recruitment campaign, the Australian would have been forced to return to the Board with ‘position not filled’. By process of elimination, Ironmonger was sent in to bat with Austin: well known in the local area as an aggressive, counter-attacking middle order batsman, but perhaps lacking the patience and temperament to build an innings, this was a bold move. We needn’t have worried: Ironmonger bludgeoned 73, batting for over 27 overs before falling. Ably supported by Matthew Sanderson, returning to first class cricket after a two year absence, and Joseph Cumberbach (45), Ironmonger led Marble Hill to a commanding position. Aseef, recently recruited as a result of being Sushil’s Uber driver – good to know that ‘village’ traditions are alive and well! – entered the fray and looked classy for his 53.
After a brief shower – and a visit from the groundsman, Sting – Marble Hill set about defending their total, with CrossBats chasing a notional 262 to win. With so many runs on the board, and the muggy conditions overhead, it would have been easy for the hosts to relax. Far from it; a brilliant opening spell from Ironmonger and Sanderson, and compact, miserly support from first change bowlers Wes and Paul, immediately strangled the opposition, with runs very much at a premium. Sanderson – who has always struggled with his weight – looked, incongruously, in superb shape despite his 2 year hiatus, and he and Ironmonger consistently beat the bat. Behind the stumps, Cumberbach was extremely solid, taking a screamer off Sushil Thomas, and Thomas Dawson took his maiden wicket, creating further history on a day already littered with landmarks.
In honesty, CrossBats never looked like getting close to Marble Hill’s total, with the opposition seemingly content to bat out their allocated overs and occupy the crease, possibly with one eye on future engagements. Marble Hill were dominant from start to finish, and with more Sunday fixtures lined up in the coming weeks, it promises to be a fruitful campaign as the club enters its 50th year.
Man of the Match: A. Ironmonger