Produced by Cricket Statz - www.cricketstatz.com
Last updated 29-Jun-2009.
Match Report
After 2 wins in 2 weeks, confidence was high as we travelled to Fair Oak. With 3 players missing (Pete, Sammy Free and Radski) we welcomed PJ, Steve 'Jon' Whitlam from the 2's and Neil Goodman (from Stoke). Having played there in pre season, we had a fair idea of what to expect, anything around 180-200 was competetive. As it turned out, you could've knocked 50 runs off that on a wicket that was used the previous night for an under 15's game!
Having won the toss and electing to bat, we soon found ourselves in trouble at 16-3 in the 10th over. Scoring was hard against 2 good opening bowlers, with some deliveries flying through to the keeper. Dayer, Si and Jocky all fell before Fred and myself put on 20 before the intruduction of our former skipper Shayne Freemantle, he bowled Fred in his first over. I was run out 16 runs later after PJ joined me, who along with Gooders put on our biggest partnership (25). Then on 77-5, disaster struck! Gooders bowled, 'Jon' bowled, Tom lbw and Jewelly lbw all fell. 4 wickets in 5 balls with 'Jon', Tom and Jewelly making a hattrick. They all fell to Shayne. PJ, watching from the other end decided to open his shoulders with some good hitting. The return of the pacey opener saw Phil bowled for 23, we were all out for 94 in 26.3 overs. 3 Players (PJ, Gooders and me) got into double figures and with extras (26) top scoring. Shayne took 5-19.
Delayed teas were taken, with egg sandwiches!!!
After the heavy roller was sent out at tea, Tom and Gooders opened up. Gooders getting the initial breakthrough, c&b, in the 4th over (6-1). Tom bowled no.3 for a duck, at 16-2, 95 was a long way away. In walked Shayne who we put down first ball! 12 overs gone, 29-2 Jewell replaced Tom. Instant success, opener lbw for 13. Then came a painful partnership of 45 in 20 overs, Fred bowling Plowman for 32. Although he looked rubbish, his technique was perfect for this wicket. Anything straight he blocked fairly well, despite some very close lbw shouts, and swung hard at anything with a bit of width. Tom returned to get Shayne for 17 at 83-5. A couple of wickets could have snatched us victory. It wasn't to be as with 5 slips/gullys the winning runs were struck in the 36th over.
I'll be honest, the pitch was awful, despite what their skipper told me after the game. He tried to convince me that if you knuckled down, it wasn't that hard! He scored 17 from 64 balls!!!! 189-15 from 62 overs gives an overall run rate of just over 3! The result wasn't totally down to the pitch though. Some poor shot selction coupled with good bowling meant that 94 was probably deserved. The bowlers bowled really well, always a tough ask to defend 94, but with some half chances taken, it may well have been different. If we could have exposed their weak batting line up a bit earlier, you never know. Let's forget about this one and look ahead to next week vs Portsmouth.
