Match reports and Results 2004

NSA Dorset Cricket League Saturday Division Two

For a while Bere's premier eleven head the members' hearts in their mouths. A potentially catastrophic run of results had seen them plummet to the bottom three of the table, and there was seemingly no light at the end of a long tunnel. The division was strong, especially the batting with Bere's bowlers taking a fearful pounding from all quarters. But having studied the fixture list at length, new captain Andy Kent was confident given that the first half of the season saw Bere on their travels for 6 out of the 9 games before the turn, also there was a team spirit that has epitomised Bere CC over the last 10-15 years that was going to take some cracking.

Bere had studied the rule book, and their fluent batting had seen them to some useful totals batting second, and by gaining these bonus points, this has kept them afloat in the relegation battle. The first part of the season had seen Bere only gain one win from seven games, but they remained in contention for survival and had one or two decisions gone their way, with a visit or two from Lady Luck the outcome could have been all so different.

At the half way point, Bere had a run of three home games, and certainly gave the home faithful something o cheer about, although the start of the Bere Regis CC Centenary Week ended in defeat by a powerful Fovant side, they pummelled Broadstone II at home. The performance was an awesome spectacle with Bere's bowling and fielding second to none, they cruised home by 7 wickets. With the changing room singing, the tills ringing and the points tallying improving, Bere's skipper targeted three more victories to save their status in the division having already done the double over Cattistock.

Wins away to Dorchester and importantly at home to Bridport and Pimperne have sealed Bere's fate. The Bridport triumph was exceptional given that the visitors were chasing a promotion slot and Bere edged them out by 5 runs in a classic at the Rec. A game enjoyed by all, exemplifying the true character of village cricket. With three games left, a pulsating win against the aforementioned Pimperne ensured Bere's safety and the possibility of finishing fourth. There have been notable performances such as Kev Brown, Dean Merritt, Dean Rogerson with the bat and Rogerson, Chris Holland and Rick Davis with the ball, with a titanic effort from all concerned to make sure that Bere remain and play the highest standard in Dorset cricket.

NSA Dorset Cricket League Sunday Division Four

Two successive promotions for Bere's Sunday XI catapulted them into division four of the Sunday equivalent of their Saturday counterparts. A competitive division was expected with Branksome, recent rivals of Bere's likely to take the title. Bere's other opponents were spread far and wide geographically, and venues such as Abbotsbury an Marnhull are old 'stomping grounds' for the likes of Alan Green and Reg Fripp, veterans of seasons past.

As with Saturday, there was a change of captain, and Peter Cheeseman moved across from Saturdays to take up the reigns of Sunday. He had a unit packed with experience and youthful exuberance, and with two promotions under the belts they were ready for anything that the new division could throw at them. For the first games of the season, Bere were for the best part in the driving seat barring a defeat away to Abbotsbury and a first week reverse at Branksome. They brushed aside the challenges of Poole Town, Cheselbourne, Parley and Moordown and on the back of some breathtaking batting displays.

The inevitable meeting between second placed Bere and leaders Branksome at the Rec would go a long way to deciding the title. Bere were set a target of 271 to win, after some indifferent bowling. A record breaking innings of 159 not out from master batsman Matt Tatchell formed the dominant showing in Bere's reply. Sadly they fell 9 runs short, but rarely can it be said that a better game has been seen at the old Rec.

Key performances have been made by Tatchell, who at the time of going to press needed 21 runs to complete 1000 in a season. A remarkable achievement. Wicket-keeper Dave Scott has been awe-inspiring with the bat with solid support at the top order from Martyn Price and Tom Bennett. The bowlers have had their say with stalwart Reg Fripp taking wickets as ever, with son Paul opening the attack. In all a tense final three weeks of the season to come, with Marnhull now favourites to go up with Branksome, but Bere cannot be discounted on going on better again and getting that third relegation.

Read & Woodruff Dorchester & District Evening Division Two

The Evening League continues to flourish, both on and off the field. At the start of the season there was news of four more teams to enter the league, and there was a division added to bolster an already strong set up. There was no change however for Bere, who would carry on plying their trade in division two. The cup draw paired them against St Georges away, although the game was played at home as the Dorchester Rec pitch was not quite ready. It was the third year running that Bere drew first division opposition in the cup, and they were routed in a 31 run defeat in the early May gloom.

Dean 'The Postman' Rogerson took over at the helm with Nick 'Slick' Cheeseman as his vice, and they steered Bere to an eventual mid-table position. Once again the Evening League experience has been greatly enjoyed by the players and spectators alike. The selectors have had the opportunity of introducing youngsters such as Luke Brady and Orrin Elphinstone-Davis to add to the already established Gren Elphinstone-Davis and Bradley Bird. The desired goal is to give the youth academy graduates' a chance, and this has worked again helping secure Bere's future.

Bere were off to the races at the start of the campaign with three wins on the bounce, and some confident displays from the above mentioned starlets, with the captain and Dave Scott showing the way with the bat. The hoodoo of Abbotsbury was banished with a victory away at the fourth attempt, and crushing victories against Puddletown II and Plush were the mainstay of Bere's 7 wins. The final weeks saw a fixture pile up that clashed with the Centenary Week, and it all caught up with Bere as they were outclassed by the two sides above them. All in all another good season's work with plenty again to build on for 2005.

Bere Regis CC, Centenary Week

One of the major milestones in the history of Bere Regis arrived on January 1, 2004 and will leave on December 31. The Centenary of Bere Regis CC is upon us, and the committee decided on having a 'cricket week' as part of the major celebration of the event. A commemorative publication has been produced in an attempt to capture the scene both past and present for members and visitors to the ground. The net was cast far and wide for contributions to the yearbook and gracious thank yous must be recorded in favour of Mr John Hyde, Mr Steve Cooper and ex-Chairman Duffy Pearce (not to mention the committee) for their efforts in filling out the pages. The yearbook can still be bought from the Sports Clubhouse or at local shops, priced £2.99.

For the cricket week, it was decided to stage the cricket fest between 17 & 25 July and fingers were crossed from around late December 2003 that the weather would oblige. It duly did and Bere had a glorious week of cricketing weather. For the record, the scores were as follows:

NSA Saturday Div. 2 17 July FOVANT 249 for 7. BERE REGIS 143 allout

 NSA Sunday Div. 4 18 July ABBOTSBURY 160 allout BERE REGIS 162 for 4 BRCC 

Youth Game 19 July BERE REGIS 71 for 5. PUDDLETOWN 59 allout 

League Representative XI 20 July BERE REGIS 222 for 7 LEAGUE XI. 186 allout 

Evening League 21 July BERE REGIS 140 for 5 CATTISTOCK 142 for 6 

President's XI v Chairman's XI 22 July PRESIDENT'S XI 156 for 8 CHAIRMAN'S XI 152 for 8 

Ringwood Best Evening Friendly 23 July GENTS OF DORSET 140 for 8 BERE REGIS 136 for 7 24 

NSA Saturday Div. 2 24 July BROADSTONE II 139 allout BERE REGIS 142 for 3 

NSA Sunday Div. 4 25 July IWERNE MINSTER 125 allout BERE REGIS 126 for 2 

Robin Smith Select XI 25 July RA SMITH XI 157 for 4 & 148 for 7 BERE REGIS 104 for 6 & 135 for 5

For the entire week the spirit at the club and on and off the field was tremendous, and an absolute pleasure for all who participated. The profile of the club has been raised in no uncertain terms and the week got underway with mixed results against Fovant and Abbotsbury. A special mention must go to Fovant who presented the Bere skipper with a commemorative plaque, but they did not play to the script by outclassing Bere on another sunny afternoon. The youth game on 19 July was a joy to see such a well organised and attended event with Bere coming out on top. The Evening League clash was the tightest contest of the week, with twenty runs coming from the final over and Bere crashed to a 4 wicket defeat, nevertheless a great game against worthy opponents.

Few can argue that one of the most memorable moments of the week was the sight of 6 year old Adam Thompson walking out to bat with wicket keeper's pads on to save the game for the Chairman's XI with the President's XI closing in. Adam is the son of former Bere favourite Pete Thompson, and it was great to see the family in the village once again, with the likelihood of a more permanent return in 2005. The President's & Chairman's day was a great occasion for the club, and other former stars such as Martin 'Toad' Mullins reminded the faithful that Saturday Night Fever really was the film to watch when Bere re-formed in the early eighties. The Vice-Presidents were invited for the Ringwood Brewery sponsored event and all enjoyed the competitive evening thrash against the Gents of Dorset. Darts professional Mike Gregory took on the area's finest arrow merchants in the club on 24 July, a great evening was had by all.

The showpiece event was the visit of former England and Hampshire batsman-Robin Smith and a select XI made up of Hants stars past and present. The Rec was in fine fettle, with the Chairman Herbie Swann spending countless hours perfecting his manicure of the ground in co with Rick and Gren Davis. Their efforts must be thanked in getting the week's cricket off successfully. The Robin Smith day was a tremendous coup for the club, and the game was played over a two innings per side of 15 overs each. The visitors wasted no time in putting Bere's bowlers to the sword and set a first innings total of 157, with The Postman claiming the scalp of the great man with a return catch.

Bere matched their illustrious opponents for the first few overs, however their reply fell back and there was a 53 run deficit at the tea interval. The Sunday XI arrived after their convincing win at Iwerne Minster and took over for the second match after tea, and with something for the 200 or so crowd to shout about they finished 63 runs short, on a day when the result was immaterial. Thanks must be extended to Robin Smith and his team for their participation and the spirit that they showed to the club on what turned to be the icing on the cake for the Centenary.

The club is having a Centenary Dinner Dance at Bulbury Woods Golf Club on Friday 1 October 2004. Tickets are priced at £16.50 to include four course meal and entertainment. Those interested please contact Herbie Swann on (01929) 472812 or Steve Cheeseman on (01929) 471022. This event is to cap off a most successful Centenary to date.

25 Apr	Weekend Friendly
	MOORDOWN II	126 for 9
	BERE REGIS	130 for 7
	(M Price 48, N Cheeseman 20)
3 May	NSA Dorset Cricket League Sunday Div. 4
	BERE REGIS	151 for 5
	(M Tatchell 71no, R Fripp 32)
	BRANKSOME	154 for 1
9 May	NSA Dorset Cricket League Saturday Div. 2
	BERE REGIS	176 for 8
	(A Kent 37, D Merritt 41, N Carruthers 20)
	CATTISTOCK	166 allout
	(C Oram 5-28, D Rogerson 4-41)
10 May	NSA Dorset Cricket League Sunday Div. 4
	BERE REGIS	214 for 7
	(D Scott 77, M Tatchell 48, P Fripp 22)
	POOLE TOWN II	167 allout
	(G Elphinstone-Davis 3-10)
12 May	Dorchester & Dist Evening League Knockout Cup Round 1
	ST. GEORGES	103 for 8
	( S Cheeseman 2-13, P Fripp 2-27)
	BERE REGIS	72 allout
	(G Price 23)
15 May	NSA Dorset Cricket League Saturday Div. 2
	FOVANT	173 for 7
	(C Holland 4-27)
	BERE REGIS	127 allout
	(G Price 27)
16 May	NSA Dorset Cricket League Sunday Div. 4
	ABBOTSBURY
	(M Tatchell 4-56)
	BERE REGIS	146 allout
	(R Hewitt 42, N Cheeseman 21, S Hewitt 23)

 Saturday XI

 Bere began life under the tutelage of a new captain-Andy Kent.  The legendary Dorset cricket coach’s first job was to reluctantly call off the opening home game against Weymouth II.  The following week saw Bere travel to Cattistock in near sub-zero temperatures.  The previous week has seen an unseasonal amount of rain threatening a second cancellation, but the unswerving dedication of the Cattistock groundstaff ensured the pitch was playable and there eventually was a rare break in the clouds.

Bere were asked to bat first and got off to a slow but sure start, although the wickets of Kev Brown and Russ Hewitt were claimed for 5 runs apiece.  The captain redressed the balance with the portly Dean Inzamerritt and they notched a third wicket stand of 100.  A succession of wickets tumbled until Nick ‘The Greek’ Carruthers who played in an uncustomary patient fashion took the score along with Nick ‘Slickster’ Cheeseman.  They reached near respectability with some late order hitting.

 During 2003 Bere were denied the services of Chris ‘The Boy’ Oram who was sidelined by a crippling knee injury.  After countless hours of physiotherapy and numerous Swedish massages he was able to re-fill the void that was evident all last year.  His return to the bowling ranks in particular was a welcome sight, and he gave Bere a lift with a first ball wicket going on to post figures of 5-28.  Cattistock possessed a potent batting line-up and they almost ran away with the contest until Peter Macklin pounced to catch a skier down at deep mid-wicket.   

The game went through key phases with the initiative changing hands frequently.  It was a great spell of gentle spin from Dean ‘The Postman’ Rogerson who harvested 4 wickets, two of which were presented to him from ‘easy as you like’ catches from Inzamerritt basking on the long-on boundary.  Bere left the home side needing 18 runs to win from the last over.  Thankfully only 7 runs were hit, but crucially two wickets made sure Bere hit the maximum 20 points.  All retired to The Fox & Hounds for post-match summaries.  This was village cricket at its premium best.

Next up was the second of three successive away trips.  The venue was Fovant, a newly promoted outfit from South Wiltshire on the A30, just up the road from extremely famous residents’ country manor.  For once May lived up to its rightful place in the calendar and gave some glorious weather.  Some remembered that Bere were soundly beaten two years ago here with the Fovant track offering bounce and movement with the new ball.

 The strip was understandably damp but true, and with more bowling options available, Captain Kent decided on bowling first after hearing all sides of the argument.  The Bere side was decimated from the previous week, but a shift in personnel proved that Bere have strength in depth.  The opening attack was made up of Chris Oram and youth academy graduate Nick White.

 Fovant’s opening bat, wicket-keeper and captain is arguably the most prolific batsman in the division, but Oram induced him into a speculative shot off the first delivery, but it failed to carry to the close catchers and Bere were left to ponder.  The Fovant openers batted with a comfortable authority and carved a solid base for the innings until Bere’s first change bowler Chris Holland removed them, but some buffet allowed the home side to motor on until the pairing of Holland and Oram returned to curtail the advance and claim six wickets between them.  Bere’s outcricket was satisfactory but four catches were spilled.  Fovant ended on 173 for 7.

 With the mood decidedly confident Bere tucked into a splendid tea and mapped out their batting strategy.  Martyn Price or the Wool Stopping Service occupied the number one berth with Captain Kent at two.  The wider berth of number three was accepted by Inzamerritt.  Price was out unluckily gloving a leg-side bound delivery onto his stumps.  Inzamerritt joined the captain before the salacious salesman was run out whilst turning for an improbable second and being about 2 metres adrift.

 Wickets came and went for Bere with their reply faltering along with the dipping form of The Postman, The Boy and The Slick.  The bright spot was the innings of Graeme Price who top scored on 27 including a sumptuous six over square leg into the turnip patch.  The game inevitably petered out over the course of the balmy evening.  Bere’s innings was full of promise, but crumbled in the face of a tight bowling and fielding display.  The sun was most accommodating as it disappeared over the surrounding hills, with Bere’s beleaguered troops reflected over a Stella or two.

 Sunday XI

 A change of roles or a sideways move for Peter Cheeseman saw him take over the reigns as Sunday captain following the BRCC cabinet re-shuffle during the Winter.  The first encounter was a trip to recent rivals Branksome who Bere had edged out in a classic game at the BRACA last season.  They were keen to put the record straight and their side looked powerful.

 The old adage of “if you cannot decide what to do then bat first” was applicable as Pete Gilersuriya invited Branksome to bowl and Bere prepared to draw first blood with the bat.  The opening overs were a struggle for Bere’s top order and they stumbled to 44 for 3 until Matt Tatchell and Reg Fripp put the house in order with a 4^th wicket stand of 77, but the home bowlers had some venom and their spinners had wintered well and restricted Bere to 151 for 5, the high spot being Tatchell’s 71 not out.

 Bere’s bowlers were given no margin for error on a pitch designed for the batters.  Branksome came to the wicket needing 3.4 runs per over and they were helped enormously by Bere’s generosity in the extras department, as 30 wides were bowled in a total of 40 sundries.  The home side capitalised on Bere’s failing and romped home with 15 overs to spare.  Nick White bagged the only wicket to fall.

Another potentially tough clash with Poole Town II at home was blunted by Poole showing with only 9 players, 2 having to withdraw at short notice.  The optimised their points haul potential by fielding first and Bere bats dipped their bread.  The prolific Tatchell followed up his previous innings of 71with a typically aggressive 48, but centre stage was saved for wicket-keeper batsman Dave Scott who blasted 77 from Bere’s 214.  Paul Fripp continued his good form with the bat with a cameo innings of 22 at the death.

 Poole were to come out with a purpose during their innings, and despite one or two skied shots, they remained in check with the run rate but only had 8 wickets to fall which Bere skipper Gilersuriya had his sights set on.  The first fell to a supremely sharp low down catch from Texas Tom Bennett in short at gully.  The recipient bowler was Gren Elphinstone-Davis, one the biggest names in local cricket.  He too had proved far more than his worth during the successful indoor campaign and his eventual figures of 3 for 10 were the innings breaking analysis. 

 Bere had Poole in all sorts of trouble at 67 for 6, until a late flurry of runs from the visiting number 8 batsman who plundered 82 and had most of the spectators searching through the bushes for lost balls.  For a good ten overs or so Bere felt the game begin to slip through their fingers until a crucial run out was engineered by Shane Hewitt and the Poole challenge faded, falling 47 runs shy.

 Evening League

 The final placing in the league for 2003 saw Bere come second by virtue of the alphabet, so a strong showing was expected for 2004.  The ring of captainship had passed to The Postman, and he was determined not to succumb to its powers but to guide the ship through calm and successful waters.  The first battle was in the knockout cup and away to division one veterans St. Georges, a side packed with experience.  After some consultation with the Dorchester Rec. groundsman, the venue was switched to Bere giving the square more time to recover following a hefty Autumnal refurbishment. 

 Winning the toss was vital and it was a great advantage to bat first given the limited period of light.  Bere were asked to bowl first and for the best part of the innings kept the dangerous visitors to an overall 5.7 runs per over and Bere needed 104 to win.  Their fielding was athletic and a limited number of extras aided the batsmen’s cause.

 The Bere reply was ineffective for the first part, as they were in crisis at 7 for 3.  The bowling was of the highest order and Bere could not get the ball away for the allotted number of boundaries.  Graeme Price showed a welcome return to form with the bat and in tandem with The Monstaah he added 26 for the fourth wicket as Bere tried in vain to make a contest of it.  The light was dreary and Bere’s lower order were whisked away by the visitors bowling to secure a 31 run victory.