England V SAVCA Invitational XI

England V SAVCA Invitational XI – Wednesday 4th December 2024 @ Chateau Tanunda

England made the short journey from the team hotel to the picturesque Chateau Cricket Ground, situated within the grounds of the magnificent Chateau Tanunda, one of the oldest wineries in the Barossa Valley. The cricket ground, with a backdrop of the Chateau at one end, and the vineyards and rolling hills at the other end must surely be one of the most beautiful grounds the England Over 60 team have played at.

England made several changes from the side that played out ‘The Thriller in Benalla’, last Sunday. England skipper Edward Gordon Lennox would surely be hoping for a more disciplined performance from the team, particularly from the batters, but must have taken great heart from the performance in the field on Sunday, when England defended a total of 129.

The South Australia Veterans Cricket Association Invitational XI skipper, Paul Clarke won the toss and had no hesitation in putting England into bat.

The pitch looked a good one, and England opened up with two left handers, Nick Gaywood and Mark Eames. Tim Pellen opened up for SAVCA from the Chateau End, with Dave Crocker opening up from the Vineyard End, and it was Pellen who made a breakthrough in his second over, clean bowling Eames, with a delivery that moved in the air, and crashed into the leg stump. Eames out without scoring, England 1-1.

Montie Douglas made his way out to the middle, to join Gaywood, but their partnership was short lived, as Pellen got Gaywood to chase a wide delivery outside the off stump, Gaywood getting an edge which flew quickly towards the slips, only for the SAVCA keeper, Clayton Johnson to dive to his left to take a stunning one-handed catch. Gaywood out for two, England 9-2 in the fifth over.

Gordon Lennox was the next batter in, and looked to start the rebuilding of the innings, and playing in his customary style, soon looked to play his shots, hitting Crocker for six over long-off to show his intent. Together with Douglas, the score began to accelerate, and with Douglas hitting some powerful shots through the on-side, England reached 50 in the 11th over, and Douglas brought up the 50 partnership between himself and Gordon Lennox with a boundary in the 14th over. At drinks after 15 overs, England had reached 64-2, with both Douglas and Gordon Lennox looking well set, batting on a pitch that was increasingly batter friendly.

However, Crocker, bowling the first over after drinks from the Vineyard End, induced a thick edge from Douglas, which went flying towards David Smith at gully, who took a magnificent one-handed catch low to his right. Douglas out for 36 off 44 deliveries, which included seven fours. His partnership with Gordon Lennox yielded 59 runs, England now 68-3.

The England wicketkeeper Steve Aston was the next batter in, but his stay at the crease was short lived, being caught at gully by Smith of the bowling of Daryl Chiproniere in the very next over. With one wicketkeeper departing, another one made his way out to the middle, Simon Routh, with England needing to rebuild once again, and rebuild Routh and Gordon Lennox did, to good effect.

Gordon Lennox brought up the England 100 in the 21st over, and he brought up his 50 in the very next over, smashing a full toss from Chiproniere over deep mid-wicket for six. A very fine 50 from the skipper, from just 47 balls, with three fours and four sixes, and the 50 partnership between the two was reached off the final delivery of the over, off just 33 balls in a little over 20 minutes.

So, England were going well and looking set to post a good total, but Chiproniere made a vital breakthrough for SAVCA with the first ball of the 25th over, bowling a delivery at yorker length that the skipper Gordon Lennox couldn’t keep out. Gordon Lennox out for 63 off 54 deliveries, his partnership with Routh yielding 62 runs, England now 135-5.

The England 150 was brought up in the 26th over, but another wicket in the next over left England needing to bat responsibly to see their overs out. Routh being the man out, trying to drive through the off-side, and getting an edge which the SAVCA keeper gobbled up, diving away to his right off the bowling of Chiproniere. Routh out for a very well made 35 off 34 deliveries, which included seven fours, England now 152-6.

Lee Selfe joined Mike Palmer out in the middle, and the pair were still together when drinks were taken after 30 overs. However, much like the first drinks break 15 overs earlier, England lost another wicket almost straight away, this time, the man out was Selfe, pushing forward to a delivery from the SAVCA skipper Paul Clarke, and getting a thin inside edge, which the keeper Johnson caught comfortably. Selfe out for two, England 161-7.

Razi Ahmed made his way to the crease, knowing that it was vital for England to not only score runs, but to make sure they batted their 45 overs out, and he started well scoring four off the first delivery he faced, but England were dealt another blow, when Palmer edged Clarke to the keeper Johnson. England 168/8 and Palmer out for nine, with his side still having 12 and a half overs of the allotted 45 overs remaining, and in serious jeopardy for the second match running, of not batting their overs out.

Nick Gargaro was the next man in, but he went in the 37th over, and it was yet another stunning catch that was taken, this time by Darren Cheek at first slip, reaching out with his right hand, to take a one-handed catch just above his ankle. Gargaro out for eight, England 187-9.

So, as the England number 11, Melvyn Holmes made his way out to the middle, England still had work to do to get to the end of their innings and post a defendable target, and it was Ahmed who took the initiative, hitting the ball powerfully to all parts of the ground, as England passed 200 in the 38th over, courtesy of a six from Ahmed.

England had reached 217 in the 41st over, when Ahmed was bowled by Clarke, for a very entertaining and vital 40 off just 26 deliveries, with four fours and two sixes. So, England 217 all out, with 4.4 overs of their innings remaining.

The SAVCA skipper Clarke claimed figures of 4-22, and Chiproniere 3-45. Clayton Johnson the wicketkeeper caught four England batters, in what was a good bowling and fielding performance from the SAVCA team, with some stunning catches being taken.

At the innings break, it was difficult to assess whether the England team had set a challenging total. The innings, like many of the innings on this tour had its share of good moments, with batters getting in, but not going on to make a big score. England knew that they would have to bowl and field well if they were to register a victory.

Palmer from the Chateau End and Gargaro from the Vineyard End opened the bowling for England, and Ray Wilson and Paul Kerber opened for SAVCA, and right from the start, both England bowlers got movement in the air and off the pitch, bowling a very good opening six overs between them.

It was Gargaro who struck first for England, bowling a magnificent delivery to the left-handed Kerber, which moved in the air, pitched and left him, just getting him to step forward, allowing the England wicketkeeper Steve Aston to whip off the bails, with Kerber just out of his ground. Kerber out for six, SAVCA 12-1 in the 8th over.

This brought the SAVCA skipper Clarke to the crease, but he was the next man to depart in the very next over, edging a delivery from Palmer, with Aston moving smartly to his right to take a good catch. SAVCA 13-2 with Clarke out without scoring.

England were making good inroads into the SAVCA top order, and another wicket fell in the very next over, and it was Gargaro again, trapping Wilson in front, the batter hardly moving in his crease and being hit just below the knee roll, giving umpire Chris Johnson a very easy decision to make. Wilson out LBW for 11, SAVCA 20-3.

The England bowlers, working in tandem were getting good movement in the air and off the pitch and it looked like it was only a matter of time before they would strike again, and so it turned out, when a couple of overs after Wilson’s dismissal, Darren Cheek was tempted by a wider delivery from Gargaro, but only managed to loop the ball to Palmer at point, giving him a very simple catch. Cheek out for four, SAVCA 28-4 in the 12th over.

Holmes, returning to the team following injury, replaced Palmer at the Chateau End, and he was the next England bowler to strike, bowling a magnificent delivery to Alan Favell in the 15th over, the ball inswinging before pitching and leaving the right hander, crashing into the stumps. SAVCA 33-5, with Favell out for two.

To all intents and purposes, the game as a contest was over, with the dismissal of Curyer in the 21st over, SAVCA were six down, and despite some good batting by Rob Rozee, 37, and Clayton Johnson, 31*, wickets continued to fall. However, it is to the credit of SAVCA that they managed to bat their 45 overs out, eventually finishing on 132-8 – England winning by 85 runs in the end.

Following the game, the Chateau owner John Geber addressed both teams, and the presentations were made. England selected Paul Clarke from SAVCA as their player of the match for his four wickets whilst SAVCA selected the England skipper Ed Gordon Lennox as their player of the match for his top score of 63 and in addition Razi Ahmed for his 40 runs and 2-31.

On behalf of all the members of the England touring party, our thanks must go to John Geber and all the Chateau Tanunda staff for their help and assistance during the day, and for the staff conducting the guided tour of the Winery at the conclusion of the game.

A view from the sidelines
This was the second match in a row that England defended a total that fell below their expectations. After last Sunday’s heroics with the ball, the England skipper would have hoped that his highly talented and experienced top order batters would post a score that would put the game out of reach of SAVCA from the start. This once again did not happen, with England making an indifferent start. Credit must go to the England skipper for playing a positive innings, who together with good contributions from Douglas, Routh and Ahmed carried the fight to the SAVCA bowlers.

But the concern for England supporters must surely be that as yet, the top four or five England batters have collectively in an innings not scored well, with wickets being lost early, and a slow scoring rate putting increased pressure on the batters to come. Luck as always plays a part in a game of cricket, and England have certainly been on the receiving end when it comes to almost every chance, they have given being taken by the sides they have played. The opposition have pretty much taken all of their chances, taking some wonderful catches and in the main fielding very well. That luck must surely change at some point in England’s favour.

From a bowling and fielding point of view, England have shown a real tenacity and determination to attack the batters. The last two games against Victoria Country and SAVCA have shown that as a bowling collective, they have more than enough talent and ability to take wickets and get through the top order of teams, but as with the batting, it is a case of putting it all together, so that when they as a bowling unit are in the ascendency, they continue to apply pressure and look to end innings quickly.

There is a real determination in this England squad to ‘click’, and to execute all three phases, batting, bowling and fielding in harmony during a game, and what better time for this to happen, then on Friday 6th December, when they take on Australia in the third ODI, a game they must win to have any hope of retaining the Grey Ashes.