Your club needs your help … and you can have a few laughs while you do it!
The Valley of Peace Cricket Club needs your help to keep membership and game-day costs affordable so we can keep attracting new members! The Club faces significant ongoing costs, especially ground maintenance, machinery costs, and tree maintenance.
It’s not a cricket quiz or a sports quiz … it’s just a normal pub quiz
Supper will be provided
Lot’s of good prizes
Raffle draws
Teams of 4 … but if you don’t have a team, just come along and we’ll find a team for you – no problem!
$15 p.p. (please bring cash)
It’s more the merrier! Bring your neighbour, wife, girlfriend, flatmate, or cousin. We just want to see people supporting the Valley of Peace Cricket Club!
If you are able to provide a prize for the raffle and/or quiz, please contact Scott Cartwright or Phil Smith.
When the Valley of Peace CC team list was written up it appears that our captain for the match George Ritchie somehow mistook the ‘C’ to mean ‘Cripple’ and went and broke a bone in his arm the week before the game! Luckily we had some local knowledge and managed to fill this 11th spot on the morning of the match, and George came down to show off his cast and enjoy a cold drink in the sun.
The Valley lost the toss and were asked to bat first – an ominous sign after batting first the last two years and not winning either match. Josh Blackmore (37*) and Callum Rhodes (12) did very well in the opening batting pair against some good line and length bowling from Aaron (0-41-7) getting us through to 50 before Josh retired on 30*. The wickets started tumbling when we went from 63/1 to 65/2, then 65/3 before Micheal Goldstein (44) and Jesse Tritschler (33*) steadied the middle order a little bit. Drinks were taken at 93/3 and before long into the second session both batsmen retired on 30* each. During the second 20 overs, we lost Jeremy Wilson (2) and Geoff Olson (14) before Ed Murray also retired with his 30*. Coming into the final overs we saw 3 of the 4 retirees recycled and the VOP ended 211/8 after 40 overs – about par according to the locals.
The run chase didn’t get off to a great start for the home team after G Olsen snared an early wicket in the 3rd over and Graham Aveyard worked hard from the other end, his first 5 overs going for just 16 runs. Geoff grabbed another in his 3rd over and we were well placed with Millbrook at 56/4 after 16 overs, and we were still ahead of the game at drinks with Millbrook on 74/4. Unfortunately for us, the catching in the field stuttered somewhat after a refreshment, and some good middle order batting meant that by the time we held a catch in the deep the batting team was on 199/8 and we were just a little too late. C Rhodes claimed another scalp to a catch at deep point and with Millbrook now at 208/9 it came down to Mike to come back from his retirement and hit the winning runs safely….a very close finish as it transpired.
The local rules at Millbrook Cricket Club make it a tough day out for the bowlers – no LBW’s effectively also means no one gets bowled out either – of the 17 wickets taken on the day 15 were catches, there was 1 runout and Geoff Olson was the only bowler to achieve hitting the stumps – so well done to Geoff on sticking with it on a hot day in the field.
Having covered all of this, on the day we had 22 people have a bat and 18 have a bowl so I don’t think there can be too many complaints about not getting a go. And to have it come down the last wicket certainly made it a match that could’ve gone either way – a really good finish.
Thanks to Frazer Skinner for not only his long umpiring spell but also for running off and cooking the BBQ lunch – very much appreciated and a good showing of that classic Southern Hospitality we all enjoyed while in Otago. And thanks to Rob, Glen, and all the Millbrook guys for hosting us and continuing the great relationship we have between our clubs – we look forward to seeing you in Christchurch in December 2021.
Match Summary:
Valley of Peace CC (211/8) lost to Millbrook CC (213/9) by 1 wicket
VOP, 211/8 off 40.0 overs
M Goldstein 44
J Blackmore 37*
J Tritschler 33*
E Murray 30*
Bill (3-18-3)
Ross (2-22-5)
Millbrook CC, 213/9 off 37.0 overs
Jason 38
Mike 37*
Alan 33*
James 28
G Olsen (3-25-7)
J Kirk (3-50-7)
G Aveyard (1-22-7)
C Rhodes (1-26-3)
E Murray (1-21-3)
J Wilson (0-28-6)
M Kirk (0-22-3)
M Goldstein (0-18-2)
Jesse Tritschler, Valley of Peace Cricket Club
Millbrook CC pavilion – BBQ’s up
Millbrook CC pavilion and spectators
Millbrook CC the long boundary
Millbrook CC – an alpine backdrop
Millbrook CC pavilion and grounds
The Valley of Peace cricket team, Millbrook Feb 2021 (G Olsen)
Over the many decades, indeed centuries, that cricket has been played across the globe there have been far too many many memorable moments to record, some with the bat, some with the ball, some out in the field, and some in the changing rooms (“What happens in the changing rooms, …..”, as the cliche goes!). In searching through the Valley of Peace Cricket Club’s archives we came across an extreme example of field positioning by Team Boon, showing a degree of confidence that few other field settings can portray. “Intimidating” could well be the term but the more competitive types would proffer the use of “strategic” instead.
Team Boon stand out as having what’s become a dramatic & long-held tradition in the field. In the words of Scott Cartwright, “they start (every game) with this formation until the first run is scored; the person at 9th slip, who is usually the youngest player playing for them that day, has to field the ball where ever it goes in the field. They resume their normal positions after the first run has been scored. A terrific tradition that has been going over 20 years”.
Team Boon open the innings in their familiar field positions
Team Boon are not the only team to have colourfully spread themselves across the greater slip cordon over the decades, with 9th slip almost closer to the boundary than to the stumps! For example:
Damien Fleming bowling for Australia’s 50-over side vs the hapless Zimbabweans
Australian, Dennis Lillee’s familiar set field for all English batsmen
The Valley of Peace achieved a comfortable six-wicket win over Hawkeswood Wanderers XI in the 2021 annual fixture. After winning the toss, Hawkeswood decided to set the target batting first.
The win was set up by the cohesive VoP bowling and fielding performance, one of the best I have seen in my years as a member. Seven great catches from seven opportunities set the platform with Will Tipping gloving a screamer (webbing) behind the stumps and Phil Harris catching a strident opportunity at first slip. Catches win matches – they say.
A great display from Sam Sidey with the ball (4-15) was a memorable highlight and well deserved. Tight bowling from Simon Carter 1-4, Ben Larter, James Hoban (2-11) and Hugo Davison (1-23) contributed with wickets and to the stranglehold on runs.
Top scoring for Haweswood, S. Burnett was caught on the long-on boundary for 26. Well set, if this chance was not taken, he could have gone on to a larger score and left the Valley chasing a more significant total.
Valley debutants, Harry Peeters and Benji Andrews, both contributed with wickets tidying up the lower order and the Hawkeswood Wanderers XI were surgically bowled out for 102 with overs remaining.
I congratulate the entire Valley unit for the performance. The Valley were set 103 to win.
Sam Sidey saw off the new ball well. As president of the Cheviot CC he had a fair amount of heat batting for the VoP. As his opening partner, we set the platform for the win, and I was fortunate to go on to make 50.
Will Tipping was caught early in his innings with the catch of the day by Mr Woods, caught and bowled for the Hawkeswood XI. Bert Walker commented, “the catch remains a scintillating memory in my short tenure of six decades with the club.”
Ben Larter, Simon Carter, and Hugo Davison brought the team home comfortably and showed maturity in their approach. Chasing small targets always remains a psychological challenge late in the day. The Valley went on to hunt down the target with six wickets in hand.
(Simon Carter remained Not Out 17 and Hugo Davison Not Out 11.)
Bowling performances for Hawkeswood Wanderers included a tight spell from Alex Kirkland (0-14) bowling left arm over with impeccable shape. At 15, he is a talent for the future and commendations to Hawkeswood for integrating young players into their succession plan.
Great game and a resounding win for the Valley. The players thank you to our hosts, for the luncheon and the immaculate preparation of the grounds.
Justin Haley – Captain for the day
Will Tipping slashes an on-drive for Valley of Peace
