A Resumption of Cricket (1920-1924)

[LENGTH:5mins Reading Time]

Following the First World War, cricket was resumed at Chipping Sodbury in 1920, fixtures being arranged on a limited scale with a number of local Clubs. On July 24th, 1920, Chipping Sodbury were tumbled out for the low total of 21 at Hawkesbury, five batsmen failing to score. The home side reached 75, A. W. Hall taking six wickets. Chipping Sodbury's team was : S. Turner, J. Lemon, A. E. A. Searle, A. Dando, C. S. Ponting, C. D. Waters, -. Kelson, A. W. Hall, J. Mayoh, T. Baker and -. Hillier. Hawkesbury won the return match at Chipping Sodbury a week later, the scores being 78-23.

In the opening match of the 1921 season at The Ridings on April 30th, Chipping Sodbury lost to Bohemians 2nd XI by 15 runs. J. Mayoh claimed seven wickets and A. W. Hall made 37 out of 87. Hall took the honours in the return game in July taking 5 for 14 and scoring 45 out of Chipping Sodbury's total of 196. W. F. Brown made a similar score and C. D. Waters (late headmaster of the Grammar School) made 30. The Bristol side were dismissed for 70.

"Chipping Sodbury C.C., go on from success to success " wrote a Chipping Sodbury correspondent in the Gazette of July 23rd, 1921, and there was proof of this when they visited Winterbourne and won by 122 runs to 54, W. F. Brown and C. D. Waters being the leading scorers and J. Mayoh claiming five wickets. At Badminton on July 23rd, Chipping Sodbury recorded a five-wickets win. J. Lemon (39 not out) and W. F. Brown (20) batted well, enabling a declaration at 135 for 5, and with Hall and Mayoh securing five wickets apiece, Badminton were dismissed for 87.

R. A. Hone (another member of the Grammar School staff) started playing for Chipping Sodbury in 1922 and it was thanks to his partnership with Alfie Dando that Chipping Sodbury were able to reach 53 at Oldland on May 6th after six wickets had fallen for 25. Oldland had taken their score to 57 for 8 when stumps were drawn. On May 27th, Chipping Sodbury travelled to Clevedon and dismissed the home side for 35 with R. A. Hone taking six wickets and A. W. Hall, three. Hall (31) and Dando (27 not out) figured in a useful stand and Sodbury won comfortably.

"SPORTING LOT"

The return match with Oldland was played on the Grammar School ground on June 17th when Chipping Sodbury totalled 112 (A. E. A. Searle 32, R. A. Hone 27, R. Sargeant 25, A. W. Hall 15). Oldland had reached 72 for 3 when time was called but the home captain sportingly agreed to play to a finish, Oldland knocking off the runs to win by six wickets. Wrote an Oldland correspondent in the '' Gazette ": ''The match was a very enjoyable one and Oldland, who had made the journey by charabanc, greatly enjoyed the trip as the Sodbury fellows are a real sporting lot which makes all the difference to the real enjoyment of the game."

While this game was in progress, remarkable things were happening at Oldland where Chipping Sodbury 2nd XI were playing Oldland 2nd XI. The home team scored 150 for 8 declared and Sodbury were dismissed for 11 runs! P. Marshall (7) and G. Marshall (1 not out) were the only players who scored, the other nine players making "ducks " and Mr. Extras providing the remaining three! F. Mortimer, who did the damage, took 8 wickets for 3 runs, including the "hat trick." Chipping Sodbury gained two fine wins over Badminton and Bishopston in July and drew with Wotton-under-Edge in August.

Rain intervened in the opening match of the 1923 season against Mangotsfield on May 5th when the visitors were dismissed for 33, R. 0. Davies taking 5 for 6 and J. Mayoh 5 for 12. Sodbury's openers, A. E. A. Searle and R. A. Hone had put on 25 when rain stopped play. There was an exciting match at Badminton on May 12th ending in a victory for Chipping Sodbury by four runs. Their team on this occasion was: A. E. A. Searle, E. Savory, R. 0. Davies, J. Hulbert, R. A. Hone, T. Bennett, C. D. Waters. W. Allen, J. Mayoh, S. Turner and S. Blakeney.

On May 19th, R. A. Hone, who opened the innings with A. E. A. Searle against Pucklechurch, had a splendid knock of 73 (including twelve fours) in a total of 140 for 7 declared and Pucklechurch were dismissed for 104, J. Hulbert taking five wickets. Oldland were the visitors on June 2nd and were dismissed for 61, R. W. Sargeant (5-26) and J. Mayoh (5-28) bowling unchanged. Chipping Sodbury won by 50 runs. A forceful knock by A. E. A. Searle, whose 87 included one five and fifteen fours, enabled Chipping Sodbury to reach 204 for 5 declared against Kingswood YMCA on June 9th. Then they dismissed the visitors for 95.

Spectators at the match between Wotton-under-Edge and Chipping Sodbury at Sodbury on June 16th were provided with a thrilling finish. The home side compiled 139 (E. Savory 39 not out, C. D. Waters 26, A. H. Turner 25) and Wotton had lost nine wickets for 44 when A. H. Jotcham was partnered by F. Paget. Their stand yielded 62 runs before the Wotton captain fell to C. D. Waters. R. W. Sargeant bowled well for Chipping Sodbury taking 7 for 37. Opening Chipping Sodbury's innings against the Schoolmasters 2nd XI at Chipping Sodbury on July 7th, A. E. A. Searle made a splendid 103 not out, the home skipper declaring at 225 for 5 . But the Schoolmasters still won by one wicket!

Chipping Sodbury's current performances were compared with " The brave days of old " in the Gazette " of August 4th, 1923. A correspondent wrote: Chipping Sodbury do not possess a particularly strong cricket team now but at one time the villagers could field the strongest XI in the County. That was during the days "when 'E.M' (Grace) took an interest in the Club. There have been many Dr. Graces in the Sodbury scorebooks."

Fine Stand

In the last match of the 1923 season on August 25th, Chipping Sodbury took Wotton-under-Edge's ground record thanks to a fine fourth wicket stand of 127 between A. W. Hall (70) and E. W. Banting (64) after three good wickets had gone for the same number of runs. Then there was another collapse and the side were all out for 158. But this proved sufficient to beat the Wottonians by 31 runs, J. Mayoh and C. D. Waters taking four wickets each.

There was some remarkable bowling in a 12-a-side, two innings match at Chipping Sodbury in June, 1924 when B. Miles, for the Downend A side, took 10 wickets for 24 runs in Sodbury's first innings and secured 6 for 19 in their second knock. In Downend's first innings, I. Mayoh turned in a fine bowling performance taking nine wickets. Seven batsmen were clean bowled. Scores were: Chipping Sodbury 52 and 37; Downend A 71 and 78. Chipping Sodbury won both matches against neighbours Yate, J. Mayoh taking six Yate wickets in the first game and seven in the second.