It was 20 years ago this year that Al Rowe taught the boys to play!

The First Season

As we enter the 20th season of the merged St Cross Symondians Club, we thought it appropriate to look back at that first campaign. The detail is provided courtesy of Andy Quick’s end of season report. This is interspersed with thoughts of a few of those players who are still “with us”. Most of them seem to revolve around Steve Morgan and a hedge.

A wet summer with the first game rained off. Our first game was played at North Walls beating Leckford Andy Quick 70 and Jon P 63 they finished 30 short of out 192 for 6 with Tim bowling 12 overs 4 for 30 (typically miserly spell from Mr Sensible). Lost away at Aerostructure where we were winning a low scoring match only for them to slog it away from us in last 2 overs, I got out when well set on 69 and 77 for 1 crumbled to 144 to give them their chance to pull of a last gasp victory. Lost at St cross to Basingstoke and NH not getting close to their 227 for 6 after I unwisely gave them first use of the big ground and then our nadir away at Ampfield we allowed them to make 167 and despite a hard hit 50 from Morgey and a typically fighting 31 from John Boniface we finished 11 short, at least I’d finally picked Steve Postle, Selection committee not happy hardly the start we wanted, 1 win and 3 defeats low midtable.

Turned it round against Amport , we all chipped in to post 198. Paul Stringer 5 for 43 and Tim 3 for 29 from 12 had them on their knees but I had come on to keep them interested at 87 for 6 and boy did they get interested smashing me for 21 in what thankfully proved my last over. We fielded brilliantly as a team with the two Steve’s in their pomp, Lionel Hooper took a great catch to remove their danger man Andy Lorimer.

John Boniface – Wicket Keeper / Bat (Various) – Old Symondians
"I just remember it being an ideal amalgamation. OSR brought the league status & some first team players, St Cross had the facilities, great organisation behind the scenes as well as players who could slot straight into the first team. Everyone seemed to be so keen to make it a success, and it was. I would argue that there has never been a greater success story of two clubs merging. Great credit for that has to go to all the captains, vice captains & of course Alan Rowe as ‘Chairman of Selectors’."

Steve Morgan – Bat 4/5 – St Cross
"As I recall (I do really), we just missed out on promotion in our first season as a unified team.
We played a game at St Cross, which we won comfortably. With the team in first playing the team in third elsewhere. The only outcome that would have deprived us of promotion was the team in 3rd beating the team in 1st with maximum points, which is what happened.
We were all in full-scale party mode at the Queen, when someone delivered the news and things went a little flat after that. Some bushes got damaged a landlord was insulted, that kind of thing."

Then we briefly recruited briefly the great Mario Mohammed a cricketer not short of ability or confidence. He starred in our away win over a dangerous Portsmouth side elegantly stroking 73 after we had held them to 138 and Steve Poss had pulled of yet another of his spectacular run outs. At St Cross we defeated a highly placed AWRE (clearly before the cuts probably lucky to raise 11 now) Jon P 69* and Tim Player 44* finished off a good team batting display to take us to 225 for 6. At 111 for 1 of 21 overs we were starring down the barrels, but our out cricket held up, 3 run outs the most important being great pick up and throws from the deep by Lionel and Matt, then an unlikely spell of 7 overs 2 for 19 from me saw us safely to victory.

The team was now settled and growing in confidence but the next 2 games were rained off both against promotion rivals. We resumed at Salisbury at a ground so small even I could hit sixes. I broke with tradition by hitting one in the first over on the way to 81, but it was Alan Whitman who played the standout innings smashing 97 in 67 balls, crashing 5 6s. One of his huge blows flew into a Church across the road and as their dodgy skipper went in to fetch JB quipped “I bet that’s the first time he’s been to church for a long time”. Cowed by our 278 they declined to chase and even my bowling could not get them interested and crucially 2 bowling points eluded us. Next we easily overwhelmed struggling Rotherwick at St Cross holding them to 128 for 8 and passing their total barely breaking sweat.

I remember at Sarisbury Green wrestling with Matt who after a heavy Friday night seemed to have his handbrake very firmly stuck on and I had to draw heavily on my knowledge of Clint Eastwood films (Kelly Heroes, Odd Ball Donald Sutherland) as I kept telling him not to hit me
with those negatives waves, I want beautiful positive waves...)

Our run was halted away by promotion rivals Portsmouth Enterprise. I was on holiday in the Scilly isles and was to rue missing a close defeat, Steve M made 50 but we only managed 156. On my return we massacred Bournemouth 2s, JB promoted to open made a crucial 52, Murray Raw crashed 42 including a number of his trade mark straight 6s, our 201 for 6 was a lot to many for them especially with Matt bowling a really tight opening spell, handbrake very much off and decidedly quick, AT and I both got 3 wickets each as we wrapped them up.

Alan Whitman – Bat 3 – St Cross
"I don't remember much to be honest, other than enjoying the higher standard of cricket that the merger brought for the St Cross players, and teaming up with a great bunch of guys. Many of whom I still have the pleasure of sharing a pint with today. Oh yes.. Steve Morgan spent a lot of time drunk and disorderly in the Queen Inn's hedge; he never spilt a drop! If we had had a particularly good day Paul Stringer used to get his cigars out! Not sure whether it was '92 or '93 season Andy Quick biffed the first ball of the first game, over guess where, yup backward point, for six. I think it was in Portsmouth at a hospital ground (Portsmouth and Southsea) I also believe that he did get one boundary that season between mid off and cover! Happy Daze."

Jon Player – Bat 4/5 – Old Symondians
"We were just so grateful and relieved that we had a home, albeit the smaller St Cross pitch for the majority of matches, and that we had an endless supply of good youngsters to refresh the team. To have found such a good bunch of lads at the other end of the amalgamation was a massive bonus and one which helped set the Club up for future success."

Our away game at Wellow was a standout crucial match they were strong side with the great Mickey Page in his pomp. We lost 2 early wickets on a lively wet track. Andy Q 69 and JB 18 grafted us out of trouble and set the platform Jon crashed 32 including a massive blow which dislodged a tile on the pavilion roof, Poss and Tim joined in the hitting all smashing huge sixes. They batted well and got dangerously close the difference was our fielding, we picked up 4 run-outs the best was a characteristic Morgey swoop and explosion, in a tense finish we won by 10 to go 2nd.

Next week it rained again depriving us of a game against struggling Flamingos whilst Botley avoided a difficult away trip to Leckford. Last round of games we won at South Wilts comfortably but dropped a point, worst case scenario Botley took 22 off already champions BAT to deny us by .07.

It had taken us a while to get our best team sorted but when we did it was equal to any side. Our fielding was exceptional and batting and bowling strong. It was a rollercoaster season, the expectations were very high and at times I felt the pressure. If it had not rained so much we would have done it.

Matt Perry-Lewis – Fast Bowler – Old Symondians
"A couple of things come to mind including JP whacking Raj Maru over the hedge a number of times at St Cross, Morgie falling into the hedge (snow blindness) and Al hitting that ball into the church at Sarisbury."

An exciting season great to be part of a set up that was going forward that realistically could win the league and even better be a force in the first division. Took a while to sort out our best team, our fielding was awesome players like Morgey raised everyones standard I can still remember vividly a catch he took out at Easton in an evening game and Poss was no slouch. Loved the chance to practise properly and be around coaches who knew cricket, when Alan Rowe started talking cricket I started listening. Disappointed by some of the defeats and not going up but when I thought about it confident we could win the League next year and go up in style.

Andy Quick (Capt) – Bat1/2/3 – Old Symondians
"An exciting season great to be part of a set up that was going forward that realistically could win the league and even better be a force in the first division. Took a while to sort out our best team, our fielding was awesome players like Morgey raised everyones standard I can still remember vividly a catch he took out at Easton in an evening game and Poss was no slouch. Loved the chance to practise properly and be around coaches who knew cricket, when Alan Rowe started talking cricket I started listening. Disappointed by some of the defeats and not going up but when I thought about it confident we could win the League next year and go up in style."