Catches Also Draw Matches

When Paul Orton delivered the final ball, Chesham needed three runs for victory with only one wicket in hand, so all four results remained possible. But just one bye was scored from it leaving Chesham on 222-9 in pursuit of 224 for victory.

There were three specific incidents of note that prevented the Second Team from being defeated.

There were two excellent catches. With eight runs an over needed Chesham launched a serious assault on the Second Team bowling led by Luke Dawson and 92 were scored from 11 overs. But with just over five overs remaining, Dawson smashed Lawrence Snookes to the long on boundary and it seemed certain that the ball would go for six and bring him a 32 ball half century. But Toby Wastling standing just inside the rope jumped, palmed the ball forward and stretched out to catch it one handed.

Then from the first ball of the final over with six runs needed, James Anderson edged hard and wide and the ball would have reached the third man boundary had it not been for Andy Dixon behind the stumps diving high to take the catch as it passed through the vacant first slip area.

The third incident was perhaps even more unusual. Todd Bamber was in at number four in the sixth over after Tom Weymes and Snookes had both openers back in the pavilion with only seven runs on the board. On the way to making 59, before being bowled by Shelvin Gumbs, he drove Wastling hard, aerially and straight and four would have been scored if, despite him trying to take evasive action, the ball had not hit umpire Michael Knox and only one added to the total. He received a painful blow on the forearm and play was delayed by several minutes while he recovered.

Snookes ended with three wickets, the last being a perfect yorker that bowled Henry Moore.

The foundation for the Second Team’s total of 223-8 was laid by the 17-year-old pair of Solly Woodall and Scott Rolfe (pictured) who put on 71 for the first wicket. Rolfe demonstrated his range of shots early on as he clipped the first ball of the third over through the leg side for four and straight drove the next to the boundary. He was out trying to force the pace nine short of what would have been a well-deserved second century of the season.

Shelvin Gumbs gave the innings some impetus with 49 from 39 balls including three sixes, one landing on the pavilion balcony. After he was out the expected late push for runs didn’t materialize and the final total ended up being twenty or so runs short of what had looked likely earlier.