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Weekend Review, June 15

Weekend Review, June 15

James Wheeler19 Jun 2019 - 19:24
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Saturday saw a brilliant win for the First Team, a draw for the Third Team and defeats for the Second and Fourth Teams

FIRST TEAM TAKE DOWN SLOUGH

Week six saw the start of nine consecutive weeks of ‘timed match’ format. Having won the toss, the visitors Slough had no hesitation in inserting us in damp and cloudy conditions.

Slough's opening bowlers made excellent use of the seam bowler conditions taking early wickets and consistently setting back with four batsman out for a combined total of 13 runs.

With the score on 45-5, a partnership was badly needed as captain Shelvin Gumbs joined AJ Woodland at the crease. Interrupted by rain on two occasions, the pair set about rebuilding the innings before Gumbs was out for 48 with the score on 141, a much needed partnership of 98.

Woodland continued his resistance as he batted with the tail carrying his bat for 86 as we finished with 174 for 8 from 55 overs (reduced from 64 due to rain interruptions).

When we took to the field, we could not have asked for a better start as both Slough open batsman were removed without scoring with Simon Stanway and Tom Weymes taking one wicket each.

A partnership of 57 then threatened to take the game away, then Mo Choudhry took his first wicket to halt Slough’s resistance. Andy Harris then took the wicket of Slough’s informed overseas. By now Slough was beginning to fall behind the rate and the First Team continued to work together resulting in them chipping away at the Slough wickets.

The visitors was eventually bowled out for 121 with Andy Harris taking three wickets, and both Choudhry and Steve Clark taking two wickets each.

This was a much needed win for our First Team as they moved from the bottom of the table up to seventh place. Next week the First Team travel to Finchampstead.

AFTER FOUR DUCKS, HAWKES' EFFORTS IN VAIN

Kew won the toss and after a very wet week it was not surprising that they chose to put the Second Team into bat.

After six overs everything was going well for the Second Team with 32 on the board. But there was a big collapse with four ducks and when rain enforced a break in the 22nd over the score had crumbled to 67-8. As play was about to resume captain Toby Wastling said to Paul Orton ‘See if you can get it to a hundred to give us something to bowl at.’

That seemed like a very optimistic prospect. So the match resumed with James Hawkes on 15 and Orton yet to score. Hawkes clearly knew it was his job to see the Second Team out of the mire. He sensibly took singles towards the end of overs to retain the strike, defended when it was needed and when the bowlers drifted down the leg side he showed what a good onside player he is.

But he demonstrated that he has other shots too as he produced a number of pleasing off drives. Orton played has part, taking nineteen balls to get off the mark and helped see the score passed the target set when he was out with the total on 104.

That brought Australian Nick Grant to the crease; three league innings in England and two runs scored. Surely the end was in sight. But when Hawkes couldn’t keep the strike he defended valiantly, pushed the occasional single and eventually cut the ball backward of point for two.

He unleashed a very stylish looking off drive to find to his obvious disappointment that it was fielded at mid off and score nothing rather than the four the shot deserved. He kept Hawkes company for an hour to see the score to 160 and utilize the maximum entitlement of 52 overs, a scenario that seemed way beyond the horizon two hours earlier.

Even though there had been an heroic rearguard action, 160 was obviously a sub standard total to set with a rate of 3.35 an over needed for victory. The openers progressed slowly against a good opening bowling spell from Lawrence Snookes and Nick Grant as they scored just 20 from the first ten overs.

But the vital early breakthrough didn’t come and the first wicket was not until the seventeenth over when Orton got one to nip back and bowl Barney Atkins. Two wickets fell in consecutive overs as Wastling had David Ramsden caught at mid off by Jake Seagrave and Snookes bowled Lewis Abbott.

But with only 46 needed from just over 16 overs the writing was on the wall. There were a couple of late wickets for Grant to bring up a third bowling point but the inevitable happened as Kew won with nearly four overs to spare.

THIRD TEAM FALL JUST SHORT OF VICTORY

The Third Team fell agonisingly one wicket short of victory against Princes Risborough last Saturday. The visitors won the toss and asked the Third Team under the captaincy of Chris Curry to bat first in helpful conditions.

With the ball swinging from the off, the Third Team lost two early wickets as Robbie Grout and Tom Calder were dismissed with only nine runs on the board. Opener Josh Camm was joined by Will Darraugh who had returned from university as they looked to survive the early onslaught. Camm, struggled for rhythm and timing but battled very hard in challenging conditions and saw off the new ball and scored a more than useful 26.

Darraugh in his first innings since returning from Exeter University looked like he had never been away as he defended with assurance and punished the bad ball as he gave our innings some momentum. He struck the ball all round the ground as he brought up his half century as he looked to put the Third Team in a strong position.

In partnership with Chris Curry, the boundaries began to flow between the pair as a competitive total of 200 looked in reach. Darraugh brought up a deserved century, which was his seventh for the club. He was dismissed shortly after as was Chris Curry who’s energetic 31 was ended by a brilliant diving catch at mid-off. Some late order hitting from wicket-keeper James Wheeler (32*) saw the Third Team end with a total of 214-7 off 48 overs.

Tom Powell-Williams gave the Third Team the perfect start when he trapped Princes Risborough wicket-keeper Matt Greaves for nought in his first over. A few overs later, Powell-Williams was forced off the field with a back injury. He was joined shortly afterwards by Robbie Grout who was unwell, while experienced seamer Ian Ridley broke down with a calf injury and was unable to bowl.

Toby Seagrave was brought into the attack to replaced the injured Powell-Williams and he immediately found his rhythm dismissing Farhad Khan for LBW with a beautiful outswinger. With Princes Risborough settling for a draw early on in their innings, it was up to Curry and his bowling attack to force the win. Seagrave was bowling beautifully, beating the outside edge with his stock ball outswinger while nipping the ball back as his variation. He picked up a further two wickets as he kept the Third Team in the hunt for the win.

Off spinner Sanjoy Bassi was brought on by Curry and he gave the Third Team a sniff of a chance with a three wicket spell, with the Princes Risborough lower order particularly struggling to cope with Bassi’s quicker ball. With one wicket needed for victory, the final pair held out for six overs denying the Third Team victory.

FOURTH TEAM BEATEN AT BURNHAM

It wasn't the strongest fours batting line up that took the field at Burnham and an accurate bowling attack had us in deep trouble at 6-4 off 10 overs.

Debutant Stanley Baughan top scored with an unbeaten 35 but nobody else got into double figures and the Fourth Team ended up 64 all out off 30 overs.

The Fourth team took three wickets in reply with Baughan and young Finlay Wade the pick of our bowlers . Thanks to all who played to ensure we got a side out.

Hopefully captain Andy Grout won't need to open the batting again!

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