Shropshire's worst batting innings ever?
On Sunday, May 15, 1966, Hinstock's village cricket team set what may well have been a Shropshire sporting record. But not in a good way.
Their hero of the hour, relatively speaking, was their top scoring batsman on the day, one C. Jackson.
He scored five runs before being bowled out. They were Hinstock's only runs of the match as visiting Cheswardine scored a remarkable victory with some amazing aspects.
During the entire match, there were only three scoring strokes.
After the entire Hinstock team were skittled out for just five runs, Cheswardine went in to bat. Sillitoe scored a boundary with the first ball. The next ball missed everybody and went to the boundary for four byes. Game over.
For the story of that day, we turn to the match report in the Newport Advertiser, which said it was the shortest game on record.
"Two balls to win a match! That was Cheswardine's achievement on Sunday when visiting Hinstock, and it must surely set a club record for the county," it said.
"It must also rank as the shortest game on record and only three scoring strokes were made during the match!
"Hinstock's batting display was an amazing affair with one batsman – Jackson – scoring the team's entire total of 5.
"He did this by hitting a boundary and a single and the other 10 batsmen contributed nothing."
Cheswardine bowler Michael Jones had had a field day, bowling only 21 balls with a return of seven wickets for no runs.
The captain, Tony Jones, bowled three overs and took two wickets, and conceded five runs.
Then came Cheswardine's innings, opened by P. Sillitoe and M. Haden, facing Hinstock bowler K. Swinnerton.
"Off Swinnerton's first ball Sillitoe hit a boundary. The next ball was missed by batsman and wicketkeeper and went to the boundary for four byes – so off walked the teams with Cheswardine victors by 10 wickets."
The Hinstock figures for that day were: J. Scoltock caught A. Jones, bowled M. Jones for 0; C. Jackson bowled M. Jones, 5; T. Robinson bowled Mr. Jones, 0; H. Hall run out, 0; A. Babcock lbw bowled M. Jones, 0; K. Swinnerton bowled M. Jones, 0; A. Evans bowled A. Jones, 0; F. Loynes bowled M. Jones, 0; B. Flynn bowled M. Jones, 0; D. Edwards bowled A. Jones, 0; P. Clark not out, 0. Total 5.
And the Cheswardine performance: P. Sillitoe not out, 4; M. Haden not out, 0. Extras 4. Total, for no wicket, 8.
Bowling: M. Jones 7 for 0; A. Jones 2 for 5.
If you were one of the cricketers on that day, we'd love to hear your glorious or not-so-glorious memories of the occasion – email toby.neal@shropshirestar.co.uk.
