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Last updated 03-Jun-2008.
Match Report
This was always going to be a tricky one. The visitors have a bevy of Southern Hemisphere visitors who have been performing well. They had lost one game (on Cup final day, I believe) and were determined not to slip up again. The pitch was wet and difficult to bat on and we were without Pete. However Fred didn't let these thing get him or the boys down. They were very focussed and winning the toss (again!) chose to bat. Both openers were gone quickly and Simon and Bondy now had to graft like mad. They worked so hard against good bowling on a tricky pitch with a desperately slow outfield. Then, after 26 overs, one popped up on Simon and he was caught for 26 out of 71 for 3. Matt came and went for a brisk, important 15, Jason bowled for 0 and then the skipper came to the crease for a really excellent knock of 35 off only 40 balls, combination of grim watchfulness and hard hitting (4 boundaries). The total was then 164 off 47 overs and they finished on 171 and the general consensus was "just about adequate" The hero? Michael Bond with 49 runs off loadsa balls. He held it together and gave a demonstration of quality crease occupation.
Just how good Bondy had done was shown very early in the second innings as P & S squandered wickets to the point of being 57 for 7 off 17! Our performance in the field was quite superb, a great overhead catch by Sean, a sharp c&b by Matt, a run out by Matt and two stumpings by Squidge who had a brilliant time behind the stumps to go with his crucial runs. The bowling was disciplined with Tom and Phil once again among the wickets (Tom dismissing two of the overseas guys who regularly score runs)and Matt going for 14 off his first over and ending up with 3 for 24 off 5! Fred showed great control ang got a crucial wicket, caught by Matt who just couldn't be kept out of the Game! However by this time the opposition had fought their way grimly back into the game with Treagus hitting an excellent 54*. With 5 overs to go Treagus had just hit Dave Agha's long hop for 4 taking them to 148 for 9 and some of us were beginning to get really worried. Pete had come along to cheer on the boys but he bottled it and went down the shop! We needn't have worried, they went for a quick single and Tom's direct hit run out calmed all our nerves. a win by 23 runs and another really great team effort, although we still have a few who haven't yet come to the party.
