23 degrees! Quality Sunday lunch settling nicely! Picturesque ground with village church dominating in the background! Scones for tea with clotted cream and jam! Entertaining cricket with a close finish! Good company! What could be better? Answers on a postcard, please!

Another great day out for the Friendly XI at Bolney.

Chicken one week! Quality the next! It’s surely no coincidence that Patrick Spencer, Matt Machan and Ian Parker all performed really well this week after the ignominy of their joint award last week! Yass Bahemou has scored loads of runs since becoming the first recipient of the Chicken Nugget; the 2s are winning games; various ‘Golden Boys’ have ‘upped their game’ and results are improving generally. We do, of course, take major credit for this! Mediocrity is not an option!
 

In a season dominated by strong batting performances so far, a number of our bowlers excelled this weekend! Patrick Spencer and Max Burzler (or Matt Burglar according to the league website) both took six wickets. Will Howie and Dan McDonnell took four apiece, with Will taking the second hat-trick of the season by a Benson. Must be the warm weather, or was there the incentive of finishing early in order to catch Paraguay v Slovenia (unmissable) in the 7.30 k.o. in the World Cup?
 

Bats Out Of Hell!

So what bat are you going to blame this season for your lack of runs? Will it be the ‘Gentleman’s Outfitters’ selection? You went for the Millichamp and Hall option…or the Bellingham and Smith choice…or, that old favourite, Gunn and Moore!

Or did you visit the Chemists to purchase something for the weekend, and came out with a Duncan Fearnley or a Newbery?

Alternatively, did you go for the punk or heavy metal band merchandise and buy a Screaming Cat, a Woodworm or a Smasher? As a last resort you might have played the novelty card and gone for the Bosom Bat (‘the Double D for the player who likes big hits’ and no, I didn’t make this up!) or the Piri Piri Jalapeno and ‘become the hottest batsman around’!

It’s your call, but why not try the ‘Big Boy’ for size? It should improve your average and your reputation!

The Hare and The Tortoise

Fascinating stuff in the 2s game against Eastbourne on Saturday! Even as we were hurtling towards a halfway decent total of 169, skipper Dave Mates has noticed a problem with the overs and told the tailenders to stay in as long as they could, advice that they failed to follow (not deliberately, of course)! Eastbourne, despite the loss of some early wickets, had 63 overs to reach their target. They didn’t rush! 55 overs later, they made it! Fair play to them! Some you win….

Why on earth would anyone do it? Umpires! Football referees! Line judges (‘you cannot be serious!’)! I’ve refereed hundreds of football games over the years and have taken huge amounts of stick from all concerned, yet ultimately, any game wouldn’t take place without some sort of judge. No-one’s perfect! You’re going to get dodgy decisions, especially with lbw – too high, foot too far forward, not in line, it hit the bat – and the club (and probably, the opposition) got plenty of them this weekend, so well done everybody who was out ‘dubiously’ and just got on with things! Let’s face it, the changing room wall will always need a lick of paint!

They're not Swiss! They're not a blockbuster movie from God knows when! And they're certainly not a yodelling troupe! But the cricketing dynasty came of age this weekend! JP took five wickets, as did son, Louie, including a hat trick! And Joe scored a ton! Even more importantly, Rebel didn't bite anyone!

Well done, everyone!
 

Youth Policy 

I’m sure people have noticed how many colts and ex-colts are playing for the men’s teams already this season! This pattern has repeated itself over a number of years now and is a reflection of the quality hours put in, week after week, by Dick Roberts. It is noticed, and it is appreciated!

The club's bowlers at last came up with some decent figures this weekend, even if results could have been better. So, plenty of candidates for this week's Golden Nugget Award!

              Nuggets - Week 3

Friends From The North

O.K.! Let’s get the jokes and stereotypes out of the way first! What’s the best thing to come out of Yorkshire? – The M62! Soft Southerners, Hotpot and Mushy Peas for a slap-up meal! Allotments, whippets and flat caps! Haddock and chips – the height of sophistication! Constant moaning about high prices, especially of a pint! Use of the words ‘reet’ and ‘ba gum’ in an incomprehensible manner….and so on…Job done!

In passing, The Benson offer a warm welcome to new members from the north - Chris Atherton (from Woodhouses CC, apparently his brother used to play a bit)  and Anthony Statham (from Hinckley Town CC, more the midlands really) and promise to buy their fair share of drinks at the bar!
A friendly welcome is also extended to an Australian, Sam Monk, who will be spending his season at The Nevill. We’ll welcome him with the old joke about …what’s the difference between Australia and a pot of yoghurt? I’m sure you all know the answer.
Other new players include Simon Webster (Rosehill Taverners CC), Jake Comaschi (St Peters CC) and Dave Mates (Steyning CC) who will be skippering the 2nd XI. Let’s hope for an enjoyable and sociable season for all players and spectators.

Anthony Statham

Dave Mates

The Weekly Nugget Awards

The Third Man team are delighted to announce a couple of new weekly awards - the Nuggets. Each week we will pick the outstanding performance to receive the Golden Nugget and the worst performance to receive the Chicken Nugget.

There may or may not be a prize in both or neither categories at the end of
the season, in keeping with the random nature of these 'awards'! The
editors' decision is final...or not! We are open to bribery, of course!
Nominations may be made by any player, spectator or interested party!

Nuggets for 24/25 April 2010

Nuggets for 18 April 2010

 Golden Nugget or Chicken Nugget?

The Diminutive Opener 

Our splendid chairman, Chris Grammer, achieved the status of ‘first class cricketer’ last summer, playing in the Varsity Match for Cambridge University at Lords, as well as playing against some county sides, scoring a couple of fifties in the process. He might even have taken some wickets – not bad for a man of his size, according to one student publication. The world is clearly his oyster! Well done, Nugget!

      First class record

      Varsity match 2009

As I’m sure many of you know, both Luke Wells and Matthew Machan, former colts’ players at B and H, have both been awarded contracts with Sussex C.C.C. Most kids at some time in their lives harbour ambitions to become professional sportsmen or women and these two have succeeded! The chances are small, but in Luke and Matt, we can all see that it can happen! There’s the incentive to keep practising and learning!
 

More details from the Sussex CCC website:

Matt Machan

Luke Wells

Curtis Ford, Charlie Hetherton and Josh Poysden are all playing cricket in Sydney at present for Gordon, Roseville and Macquarrie University, respectively. They’ve all scored fifties already, taken a few wickets either bowling, catching or stumping and have been mercilessly ‘sledged’, as one would expect. Needless to say, they’re all having a brilliant time, aided and abetted financially by their long-suffering parents! When they return in April, catching practice on a cold evening in Hove may seem a tad unnecessary!

Willow on Leather (the sound of cricket!!)

The ability to waste time on devising pointless lists is probably a male characteristic comparable to the female capacity for multi-tasking (discuss!!). The link between music and cricket is a fairly strange one, but if anyone wants to add to the two lists that we have started, feel free. You’ll wish you hadn’t! Try getting to ten!! 

Songs About Cricket (title/artist/reference)

Roy Harper – When an Old Cricketer leaves the crease (JP thinks it’s brilliant!)

Half Man Half Biscuit – F****** ‘ell, it’s Fred Titmus!  (Couldn’t make it up!)

10.C.C. – Dreadlock Holiday

Songs About Cricket (puns/dodgy references etc.)

Snow Patrol – Run

Kylie – Spinning Around

Sherbet - Howzat

Edwin Starr – Extra Extra

The International Scene

The Nevill might seem at times to be a cricketing backwater (Lords, it isn’t!!), but many international cricketers have graced its hallowed turf, either for us or against us. Below are a few of the more recent sightings at the Nevill:

David Hussey   - Australia

Matt Prior - England

James Kirtley - England

Dinesh Mongia - India

And not forgetting our very own world cup winners - Katherine Brunt. Sarah Taylor, Holly Colvin & Laura Marsh

Please watch this space as the list will be regularly updated.

David Hussey

Matt Prior