Meet the Frogs...
Thomas Marshall
Nickname: T-Mars, Sid, Number 3, Medius.
Role: Bowler, top order bat.
Clubs: Harefield CC, Ealing CC, University of Birmingham Men's CC, Golden Point CC.
Frogs Highlights: 105 vs Amersham (2019). 5-37 vs Hampshire Hogs (2019). Knicking off England test player Jamie Overton (test batting average of 97) vs North Devon CC (2013).
Andrew Marshall
Nickname: Malc
Role: Slow right arm, lower order blocker, first slip (emeritus).
Clubs: Middlesex over-50s, Ickenham CC, Hunstanton CC, Kings Lynn CC, Nomads CC, UCLAS CC, Old Edwardians CC.
Frogs Highlight: Dismissing the world's no.1 batsman Marnus Labuschagne
A key member of the Frogs - not least because he taught his kids to play - Andy Marshall can be relied upon for canny overs of off-spin in any game situation. Vastly old experienced he has served diligently as a match manager and provider of players for many years. A consistent - in that he always stands there - first slip, Andrew is a reassuring source of wisdom on the field; unless you happen to be one of his sons, in which case he is mainly a source of good-natured fatherly abuse. A match-winner with the ball, game-saver with the bat (many balls faced but still without a fifty!) and most importantly a misser of very few fixtures, Mr Marshall will continue to be central to Frogs' cricket for a good many seasons.
Chris Lawton
Nickname: Posh
Role: Top order bat, Right arm (very) medium bowler.
Clubs: Biddestone, St John's College Oxford, Ickenham, Maidenhead & Bray
High score: 106* St John's College vs. St Anne's Allstars.
Frogs Highlight: Dismissing England test batsman and selection guru Ed Smith.
Chris, or Posh as he is known to those without an Oxbridge education (and everyone else -ed.), is a top order batsman and occasional medium pace bowler. His batting often leaves bowlers frustrated and powerless, as they watch another ball fly between keeper and first slip for four runs. Renowned for his dynamic fielding, his self-penned book "Fumbling in the Covers" has sold over one copy to date.
Duncan Ellis
Nickname: Cat, Ello.
Role: Wicketkeeper, appealer-in-chief, occasional batsman.
Clubs: Highway CC, Coventry & North Warwick CC. Ealing CC, Ickenham CC, Chalfont St Giles CC, Nomads CC.
Frogs Highlights: Falling asleep during tea at Amersham 2012 and delaying the game; wearing "rascal clobber" to matches (no Frog - including Duncan - has yet worked out what this means); getting an LBW with a late solo appeal at Warnford 2016 off A Marshall who had not enquired!
Peaked early - being bowled first ball for Warwickshire U11s at Barnt Green CC in 1977 - and been going downhill ever since. Duncan has several career 90s to his name but is still yet to properly score! Still using a GM bat from 1990 and wishing he could still pick up his VR5* Fearnley.
Occasionally keeps the chickens in the coop, but usually they are all over the farm. Loves 'keeping for the Frogs because so few Frogs' bowlers require him to "waste time" standing back being a goalkeeper instead of a wicketkeeper.
Richard Chalk
Nickname: Chalky, Chalkaldinho, Big Hat
Role: Middle order batsman, chunter
Frogs highlight: 50 vs OU Authentics in front of an extensive entourage.
Old head (and old body) Richard Chalk has been a rock in the Frogs’ middle order for over a quarter of a century and recently sent the tabloids into meltdown when he ditched his long suffering bat of 25 years for a much younger, more curvacious model. Resplendent in his extra large cap (pictured), his flowing cover drives have adorned many Frogs’ innings. One half of a comedy circus double act in the slips with Andrew Marshall, Chalky can always be relied upon for a juggle and assist, and is also adept in the outfield despite exclusively using his feet.
Recently appointed to the Frogs’ committee after two decades’ apprenticeship, we hope his love of spreadsheets and aggressive emails to opposition skippers will safeguard the Frogs’ reputation for peerless organisation.
Joe O'Gorman
Nickname: Jog, Jogger, Le jog, Piechucker, First Class.
Role: Legspinner, fielder, batsman of last resort
Clubs: Bank of England, Oxford University.
Frogs Highlight: "Worst five-for of all time", four full tosses and a long hop vs Gents of Worcester 2010.
An expensive attacking legspinner with a dangerous googly, Joe has become stalwart of the Frogs side over the last 15 years. A difficulty with maidens (steady) means the game moves on apace when he has ball in hand. A livewire and irritant in the field, he can usually be found at backward point or winding up a Marshall. Despite the fact that he may as well bat with his top hand in his pocket, Joe has occasionally contributed runs (or at least balls faced) during the rare Frogs' batting collapses. His Oxford Blue remains his teammates' preferred stick with which to beat him, which has at least stolen focus from his ancient, purple, left-hand-drive, French clown car. Has delivered more long hops than Jonathan Edwards.
Stephen Walsh
Nickname: Walshy, Courtney, The Metronome.
Role: Boring slow-medium bowler, (very) occasional batsman.
Clubs: Eagley CC, O.U. Authentics CC, Outlands Park CC, Roehampton CC, Barnes CC.
Frogs highlights: 141 vs Cryptics (2015) in partnership of 236 with T. Marshall after Statto had been out for a duck, second ball of the day. Scoring three off the final ball against Amersham to win with a feeble shot that barely reached mid-on - the fielders managed to provide him and renowned sprinter A. Marshall with two separate overthrows!
Walshy is even older than he looks. The first ball he faced in 1st XI cricket in Bolton was bowled by Sonny Ramadhin (look him up). Walshy is convinced every ball he bowls is a fiendish combination of swing, varied pace and nip off the seam. In truth it is military medium on a good day and the occasional ball wobbles if it hits a pothole. But the Frogs have always been short of bowlers and someone has to get the ball softened up so that it won't go so far when the batsmen get after Jogger and the rest of the "spinners". Give him a chance and he will tell you he has batsman when he was young. Harbours a secret grudge against Chalky and Andy Marshall for having secured the old men's slots in the slips - Walshy feels he can fumble sitters and chunter as well as they can, if not better.
No-one has bowled more overs for the Frogs than Walshy without having a single highlight to record.
Tom Allen
Nickname: Monkeh, GT, Jeetan,
Role: Right arm off leg-spinner.
Clubs: Maidenhead and Bray CC.
Frogs Highlight: " Last game of the season when that bloke was whacking me and then I got him out two balls later and then the umpire called us an early tea"
Mr Allen is one of a number of the Frogs' Maidenhead and Bray CC contingent. A clubman, who is well known by the barstaff at 'The Pavillion', and an owner of one of M & B CC's jazzy purple blazers. Tom has quickly become one of the more reliable members of the Frogs who is always keen for a game on a Sunday, despite having had a couple of beers the night before (probably explaining his IHCC membership card). A keen off spinner, who often picks up wickets caught by the men strategically placed onto the leg-side boundary, Tom shows extreme resilience (often with the game of cricket itself) when bowling to high quality batsmen. On more than one occasion send offs have been supplied to them once Tom has claimed their wicket. The Frogs no doubt hope that Tom will be around over the next few years to test out a new tour morning outing; Indoor Bowls. On the 2019 Western Tour, Tom earned the nickname 'Maestro' after a competitive game of bowls with tour manager Andrew Carson.
[Update] In 2021 GT re-adopted bowling leg-spin after being convinced to convert to bowling offies as a young cricketer. Since the change, GT has transformed into a new bowler person. He now loves bowling, and has had his IHCC membership revoked. During the 2021 season, he bowled beautifully, eventually coming second in the wicket-taking charts (behind his leg-spin Jedi master, JOG). However, unlike JOG, GT only tends to bowl one type of bad ball per over, which can only be hit out to deep cover. This has led to GT becoming a integral member of the Frogs' bowling attack, and the vice-captain of our 4 pronged leg-spin contingent. The Frogs are delighted to see the change in GT's outlook on cricket, and we look forward to see him battling JOG for the bowling award in 2022.
Robert Shenkman
Nickname: Shenk.
Role: Medium pace bowler and middle order batsman.
Clubs: Bowdon CC, University of Birmingham CC.
Frogs Highlight: 61* vs Cross Arrows @ Lords.
A unique recruit courtesy of Tom Marshall’s association with the University of Birmingham, proficient Rig Manager Robert Shenkman comfortably usurps Ridders as the best Real Tennis player the Frogs have to offer. A proponent of medium pace and pragmatic middle order batsmanship, ‘Shenk’ is a two time Devon tourist and has often donned Frogs’ green on the M40 belt when other sporting and work commitments allow. Playing against the Cross Arrows at Lords is a comfortable Frogs career highlight, closely followed by a spell of 4-22 at Exeter in 2017. Being described as ‘indefatigable’ by A.Carson in the 2018 tour report was literally the most endearing compliment he has ever received. Robert has quickly become known as one of the largest badgers of the current Frogs crop, being one of the very few to give A. Carson a run for his money.
Neal Kanabar
Nickname: Kandybar
Role: Hard-hitting batsman, medium pace/off-spin bowler.
Clubs: Harrow St Mary CC, Parkfield and Headstone CC, Stoke Gabriel CC, Plymstock CC, Shenley Village CC, Stanmore Warriors CC, Ferndown Wayfarers CC, Ickenham CC.
Frogs Highlight: Nominated for Elgar every single day of debut Western Tour. Single-handedly winning the game for the Frogs vs Knebworth Park in 2021.
Neal was introduced into the Frogs CC gradually over a number of seasons by Neerav Trivedi. After attending The John Lyon School with Big Trev and the Marshall brothers, they all knew what to expect from the hard-hitting all-rounder: the ability simultaneously to look a million dollars and as if he'd never picked up a bat.
During the 2021 season, Neal came into his own both on and off the pitch. On more than one occasion he provided a quick start to a Frogs innings with a flurry of clean hits, or has come in to get us over the line. He had the game of his life at Knebworth Park; taking 3-16 opening the bowling, and hitting a match-winning 56 from 49 balls to take the Frogs from 67-7 to 160-8. This truly demonstrates the devastating ability Neal has with the bat, and thankfully his off-the-pitch exploits are just as devastating. Neal is an extremely outgoing member of the Frogs, taking full advantage of the Western Tour's social opportunities. Just like his batting, Neal provided the entertainment on many occasions during the week; from the dancefloor of Andover's premier nightclub, to the dinner table of the Boathouse. Neal was extraordinarily able to receive a nomination for Elgar every single day of the tour, before finally receiving the coveted award on the final day for being stood up by the lovely lady he had raved about all week. We look forward to enjoying whatever Neal has to offer in the years to come.
Matthew Ogden
Nickname: Shog, Oggy.
Role: Top order batsman, slow left arm bowler.
Clubs: Harefield CC, University of Birmingham Men's CC.
Frogs Highlight:
Matt was introduced to the Frogs by Tom Marshall after they both attended the University of Birmingham. A natural run scorer and dependable top-order batsman, Matthew frequently gets onto off stump and works any ball through the backward square leg region, much to the amazement of the bowler. Having been on tour on a couple of occasions, Matt is usually a safe bet for some alcoholic refreshment whilst in Andover. It is probably fair to say that he's equally likely to get out to Ninian the morning after too.
Not only does Matt have the ability to make a difference with the bat, but he also bowls some very effective left-arm spin and could probably spin the ball on glass. Matthew is usually a great option as a partnership breaker, and has been an excellent addition to the leg-spinners' splinter group within the Frogs as an honourary member as he turns the ball away from the right-handed batsman. It is little known that Matt can also bowl some handy right-arm spin as well, with many a Harefield batsman frustrated in awe of his tendency to bowl with either arm during training sessions. The Frogs are excited to see more of Matt as the years go by, be it on the Western Tour or during summer fixtures.
Kieran Grey
Nickname: KG, Beefy.
Role: Whatever demands the least amount of effort of him on the day.
Clubs: Maidenhead & Bray CC, Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy, Swansea University.
Batsman, wicketkeeper, bowler, Kieran Grey does it all...except on Saturdays.
Kieran shot to cricketing fame in 2012 when he took figures of 1-1-0-6 against Taplow Under 13s but, realising he had reached the zenith of his bowling prowess at such a tender age, he now chances his arm at batting and the occasional spot of wicketkeeping, returning to bowl only when situations are particularly desperate.
Particularly effective on a flat one or against school XIs, a skill mastered during a winter in Adelaide, Kieran is usually a banker for runs at the top of the Frogs' order with his most destructive contribution with the bat - 101* (or was it?) - taking place at the picturesque but postage stamp-sized ground of Valley Of Rocks in a 213-run partnership with Tom McLeod.
As 1st XI captain at Maidenhead & Bray C.C., many of his M&B cohorts would wish his Frogs' form could somehow translate into league runs but an uncanny ability to convert Saturday evening pints into Sunday afternoon runs makes Kieran often a first on any match manager's team sheet.
