Southern Tour - Dorset

Posted by Tony Hutton

Saturday 22nd May

Yesterday was my birthday and we had a day off from cricket with a marvellous visit to the animal safari park at Longleat. It was much better than I anticipated and we saw all sorts of animals in their natural state, including the famous lions.

Today after a morning tour of Stourhead gardens, a wonderful National Trust property, at its very best with rhododendrons and azaleas all in full bloom and a pleasant lunch it was back to business with a vengeance at 2 p.m. sharp. Although we were just inside Wiltshire the first match we saw was in the Somerset league, but we spent the rest of the day in Dorset.

After doing the tour of the house at Stourhead made our way to the pleasant cricket ground inside the park where Kilmington & Stourton were playing Huish & Langport in Somerset league division three. The main attraction was the photo opportunity with the stately home in the background and the peace and quiet with only a handful of spectators compared to the hundreds visiting the next door gardens.

Then travelling south into Dorset our first stop was at Clayesmore public school in the village of Iwerne Minster. We came across three matches in progress in the extensive school grounds, only to realise these were all very young boys from the prep school. The main school ground was some distance away, but we were told that the school first XI were playing away. However a perfect setting, how lucky these boys are to have such marvellous facilities.

A mile or two down the road and you come to the neighbouring village of Iwerne Courtney, also known as Shroton for some reason. The cricket club near the Cricketers Arms is certainly known as Shroton and they were piling up a huge score of
332-4 against Corfe Mullen, A very picturesque ground with a lovely wooded hillside and a gently sloping outfield was another good photo opportunity.

Then further south still to Blandford Forum not far from where we were staying to see the Old Blandfordians playing at the school ground and Blandford playing Swanage at the Park Road ground which has been used for Minor Counties cricket. As we had seen elsewhere a beautiful line of chestnut trees ran beyond the pavilion and again the runs were coming thick and fast on this very hot day.

Our next call was to another public school, Bryanston, up a very long drive to the playing fields with three matches going on. The first team were playing King Edwards, Southampton on the main ground, while the under 14a side and under 14b were playing against two other sides from the Southampton school. A good number of parents were watching all the three games and again all the facilities were absolutely first class. Star of the show was a young man playing for Bryanston under 14a who made 146 not out, including six sixes and twenty two fours. His elder brother also scored runs for the first eleven.

The final visit of the day took us to yet another school, possibly the jewel in the crown, Milton Abbey, situated deep in the Dorset countryside next to the quaint village of Milton Abbas whose main street is full of thatched cottages originally built as an estate village by the Hambro family.

The two cricket grounds were situated in a long wooded valley with perfect views back to the school and abbey buildings. The school first eleven and under 15s were playing against Downside school and the standard of cricket looked pretty good, but it was the setting and the perfect weather that made it all such a wonderful sight.

So a long day but one which left us with the feeling that there is much more of this lovely county to explore. The route back to our hotel through narrow country lanes suddenly found us on the top of a high ridge with views for miles in all directions.