ChantillyExpat.com

Who scheduled a cricket match for Father's Day? What a great idea! To be honest, after the usual burnt toast and cold coffee in bed followed by the obligatory key ring and picture gift who wouldn't love to spend a couple of hours with their mates in a glorious setting playing a game they love?

And so it was for Father's Day this year, CCC's first and only away match of the season; the return fixture against Thoiry (the first having been won at home - see the match report in this section). The summer was hanging around for a few more days, unusual in itself, and with a full eleven and four cars to transport we were set to play. Doris (the navigator) did a great job (for Nick S & Co) on getting us to the venue (almost) on time, via some of the smallest 'main' roads in France whilst the other cars only turned up 20 minutes adrift of schedule. Matt was the notable exception as he had, german-style, got there early en famille to bag the best parking place.

And what a setting it was! Entering via the Safari Park entrance the pitch is a hidden gem just off to the right of the car park, surrounded by Cyprus and Oak trees. You can't quite see the animals in the Safari park but you can certainly hear the lions - either that or Nick J's stomache was noisier than normal. With puffy white clouds in an azur blue sky it was as close to paradise as you could probably get, certainly east of Paris at any rate.
The match started with Chantilly in the field, Collins facing. And what a start it was, Jean-Francois poaching a catch off Craig to leave the home side reeling on 0-1. At this point Chantilly figured this was going to be easy - especially having beaten the side at home only a month or so before. Unfortunately Moodley and Malcolm had different ideas.

For a small chap Moodley can certainly hit a ball! For over after over he belted the visiting team bowlers all over the park, eventually falling for 72. A few quick wickets in the middle of the innings kept Chantilly in the game but with Shrivastava and Baves scoring a handy 44 between them Thory eventually settled on 176 for 9 from their 35 overs. Matt returned figures of 2-13 from 5 and Charlie managed to take 3-38. That 7 of the 9 wickets to fall were from catches shows how Thoiry were playing the game.

Tea was taken in the pavillion, oh to have a pavillion! A great spread with sandwiches and cakes whilst sat on the terrace outside went down well and the pictures in the pavillion of past glories show just what a great history Thoiry have in the game in France. Maybe in years to come we'll be able to look back and take pride in being in at the beginning of a great club at Chantilly.

Set that small target of just over 5 an hour Chantilly started their reply steadily, Rob and Nick S squeaking through to 25 before losing a wicket to a superb catch by Moodley off the tidy bowling of Shrivastava (1-7 off 7!). Hardy and Collins provided some balls that could actually be hit allowing Chantilly to get to 52 for 1.

By the second bowling change Chantilly were not far off the required rate and hoping for some relief on the bowling front. Unfortunately, when you have a second change bowler in the shape of Bavesh you're not going to get many runs! His first two overs were both wicket maidens (bowling Rob for 24 and seeing Nick S caught magnificently for 17) and he finished (early thank goodness, I think Thoiry were feeling sorry for us at the time) with figures of 2-3 off 4 overs.

After blocking and dashing singles (I like to think of them as dashing anyway) Chantilly struggled to 59 for 3. Smati came onto bowl, at last taking some pace off the ball and offering something to aim at! It was all too much for Adrian, who holed out the first slow ball he faced to a well placed man on the square leg boundary. The slower bowler allowed Matt to get up to 28 including three fours and a six and a cameo blast by Patch added another couple of maximums but that well placed man at square leg poached a further 2 catches to allow Smati to finish with figures of 5-26; surely warranting a plaque in the clubhouse? Patch was somehow bowled via his bat, front leg and back foot for 16 off Moodley's first ball whilst Craig and Nick J could only watch some great catches do for them. With Charlie having left the field early for a concert of all things his poor father was left stranded on 1 not out - all good for the averages though Simon!

In the end Chantilly were all out for 121, some 56 runs short of their target. Our only consolation being that without Moodley in the team, who took a couple of smart catches, top scored and finished with bowling figures of 1-4 off 2, we'd have thrashed them! It only remains to thank Thoiry for their superb hospitality, and for arranging rather better weather for us than what we'd arranged for them. With honours even this year we look forward to a great contest again next season.

Adrian P