Scorecard

Match Report For local cricket fans Saturday 17th of September has long been in their calander of events as the day Clackmannan County would play the mighty Warwickshire as part of Dougie Browns Benefit year. After a season of poor results for the clubs senior sides but notable as a summer of dry sunny weather that day had arrived. The members of the club had worked hard putting things in place for the big day, but as all cricketers will testify the one imponderable is the Scottish weather. For the only time throughout the 2005 season the rains came and stayed. From early morning the extensive preparations were overseen by a dark threatening cloud base which grew ever more menacing as time passed. The cricket began with the two local clubs Clackmannan County and Stirling County competing in a junior kwik cricket match of two innings each which gave all of the players an opportunity to play. The game played, as is the way with this local derby, in good spirit but with a competitive edge, gave the young players the chance to play before the ever increasing crowd for the big game. As the Kwik cricket game was approaching its conclusion the Warwickshire bus arrived and the players mingled with the crowd to watch the end of the juniors game. An opportunity for the coaches to spot the next Dougie Brown from the ranks of the enthusiastic under elevens.

David Mudie the club president welcomed the teams and supporters of both sides and also thanked sportscotland representative David Ewart for his organizations part in ensuring the progression of cricket on the Arns through the Lottery Grant for the drainage scheme. Dougie Brown presented certificates to all of the Kwik cricket players, possibly envisaging himself back at their level, not so many years ago and now the role model for all aspiring young cricketers.

The Twenty/20 game started late, due to the many photographic opportunities offered by the Warwickshire guys, with Warwickshire batting. Warwickshire opened with Jim Troughton and Neil Carter on a pitch which could best be described as rain effected. The Clackmannan County select made up from some of the cream of Scotland's cricketers with local connections had until now kept a low profile. The bowling of Ian Stanger of Greenock and Grange Road, Alloa, combined with Sanjay Patel, an ex-Clackmannan junior and son of local star player Mahendra, to send Carter back to the pavilion with the score on seven and a personal tally of nothing. The slowness of the pitch which was evident in the dismissal of Neil Carter was also noticeable in the dismissal of his opening partner Jim Troughton for 6. The local connection again evident in this dismissal as Clackmannan captain for the day and ex Clackmanan junior Bryn Lockie took a catch off the bowling of Stenhousemuir's Graham Gardiner. The partnership between Jonathan Trott and local hero Dougie Brown had only just started when Puggie skied a ball in the air to be caught by Stewart Davidson, again off Gardiner. Douglas Brown caught Davidson bowled Gardiner for 1. The prayers of the local fans that the catch might be dropped as effective as their prayers that the rain would stay away. By this stage the weather had worsened to the extent that the teams had to go off. The rain break lasted for half an hour but on their return, Jonathan Trott had decided that steps had to be taken to score some quick runs, or to get back to the dry and relative warmth of the dressing room. The former he did to good effect, defying the conditions to score a quick 25 before succumbing to another catch by Sanjay Patel, this time off the bowling of Davidson. The umpires David Potter and Mike Nash, also an ex-Clackmannan player, had decreed by this point that the match would be a seventeen overs a side game and Trotts innings helped push the Warwickshire score along to 42 for 4 wickets. Alex Loudon joined Geoff Mostert at the crease and they began to nudge the score along. Loudon was caught by Ian Stanger off the bowling of ex-St Modans player Glen Rodgers for eleven. Nick Knight joined his teams medical expert, but after a crashing boundary by Knight, the rain intervened again, Knight not out 4, Mostert not out 10, Warwickshire 70 for 5 wickets. A look at the approaching weather predicted a dismal time, which in normal conditions would have seen the game brought to a close. All credit to both teams, the decision was made to close the Warwickshire innings and to use the" Potter Nash" method!! to calculate that the Clackmannan side had to make 100 runs in twelve overs to win. The game would continue. The Clackmannan sides innings opened with Steve Crawley of "Caledonian Brewery" and Graeme Garden of Forfarshire to the bowling of Warwickshires Ian Westwood and Luke Parker. Garden returned to the pavilion, in short order, run out for zero after four minutes play with score on 3. Sanjay Patel joined Crawley and proceeded to give the Warwickshire guys a sore head to equal the one created by the brewery dinner the evening before. By the time Steve Crawley was bowled by Dougie Brown for a well deserved 22, including two well spanked sixes, Clackmannan were 37 for 2 wickets. Bryn Lockie joined Patel in a reunion on their old stamping ground and their local knowledge proved the turning point as they remained undefeated for the remainder of the game. Despite some creative use of their bowlers, obviously in an attempt to nullify the Clackmannan Coaching teams video analysis program, the Warwickshire side were unable to stem the tide of runs. Sanjay Patel was not out for 37 including four fours and a six and Bryn Lockie not out for 39, his innings including seven fours. Clackmannan scored 105 for 2, the winner was the game of cricket. The attitude of both teams must be commended, playing in conditions that at times were appalling, they stuck to their task and gave the spectators a great day out. That the Warwickshire players were prepared to turn out in such conditions when any injury could have had serious consequences for their own game and future, speaks volumes for them. For the joy they brought the Clackmannan Juniors and (senior) by their preparedness to sign shirts, chat and get involved with the off field activities at a small Scottish club, a big thank you, and with this an understanding of why Warwickshire are such a well supported and successful side. The club and the supporters all had a great day, all thanks to Dougie Brown and his team. The chat, the meeting of old friends, the way the players fired up the enthusiasm of the youngsters, made it a great day for the club and for cricket, despite the weather. Lastly, some advice for Warwickshire, although they might have guessed it by now, never field second on a cold, wet, September day in Scotland without the thermals.