Scotch College

Cricket Team tour the UK

On 23 June, Coach Gary Peckham and Manager Don Davenport led 14 cricketers and scorer Brett Dumbell of Year 12, through Tullarmarine to begin another Scotch Cricket Tour of Scotland and England.

Some of the Year 11 boys had 1st XI experience, and the majority were from the 2nd XI, whilst two were from Year 10.

On arrival in Edinburgh and after a day to recuperate, practice and see the sights, we travelled to the Uddington Sports Club near Glasgow to play Scotland's western district Under 19 team. Given that it was our first game of cricket since March, and that it was about 10 degrees with bursts of rain coming and howling winds, we played reasonably well. Although comfortably beaten James Dune took 5/37, the only five-wicket haul for the team.

The next day we give a hiding to our hosts, Edinburgh Academy, in a match highlighted by Richard McCann's quick fire 101 (retired).

Another tidy win followed at the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle where Scotch passed RGS's mediocre 127 with 6 wickets in hand.

The Huntington 2000 Development Squad passed our 170 with just 1 wicket in hand and through the generosity of Umpire Peckham who allowed the game to reach a conclusion in pouring rain. Andrew Sutherland, taking his time out of the Scotch team rotation, filled in for the one-short hosts and very much contributed to our downfall, by claiming the wicket of Captain Dylan Best and making 18 not out in the tense and wet last overs.

From the delightful and quaint Godmanchester Cricket Club in the Midlands we travelled to the famous Eton College to take part in the Silk Trophy over three days. Our first match was against the eventual winners, Eton, who fairly comfortably chased our 177. Hamish Dick had batted brilliantly for 48, before being 'done' by the slowness of the pitch. McCann, 35, and Best 26, also did well.

Day two was a washout and on Day three against the Oundle School we played poorly for a comprehensive drubbing.

In a lovely change of fortune, two days later we bowled out Bristol Grammar for 68. With some sundries and a careful 5 n.o. from Al Boughton, Hamish Dick virtually beat them single handed, knocking up an unbeaten half century off 16 overs.

The early finish led to a marvellous England vs Australia soccer match, where the Bustol lads recovered some pride in a hard fought encounter. The last of our fixtures was in Birmingham where, on the day of our arrival, King Edward's School was celebrating its 450th Anniversary. Our team seemed tired and didn't play well. Only McCann and Sutherland performed near their best.

So our record reads three good wins, one narrow loss, two well played losses and two drubbings. Given that the opposition was in most cases 17 and 18 year olds, we performed creditably.

As well as the cricket, the boys were able to experience some of the wonderful places the U.K. has to offer - Castles at Edinburgh, Windsor and Warwick, the cathedrals at Durham and York, Hadrian's Wall, Bath, Stratford-Upon-Avon and of course London. We hope memories of many of these historical masterpieces will be as strong as the triumphs achieved at the summer sales.