Third Team Still In The Hunt

The Third team arrived in Eastcote to find a greener looking wicket than our recent roads and opted field when Mark Bater won the toss, despite a lightning quick outfield typical of pitches up and down the country.

Toby Seagrave (pictured) immediately tied our opposition down and picked up two early wickets, supported by Ed Pike whose three maidens in his opening spell helped us build early pressure. This was continued throughout with Dan Boniface tying up an end for the remainder of the innings and finishing with 2-48 from his 16 overs.

Opposition captain William Bramble played well for his 88 but struggled to find partners as we continued to strangle the opposition and the middle order tumbled, until Oliver Harvey joined him to hit a quick 37 as Eastcote threatened to undo our hard work.

However, the return of Seagrave to dust off a hefty hangover and pick up his wicket, amongst others in the lower order, and earn a well deserved five wicket haul ensured we restricted our hosts to under 200, as they finished 199-8 from their 52 overs. To our horror, some inconsistencies in the scorebook saw this grow to 205 over the tea interval.

Our chase started shakily with the early dismissal of Josh Camm, and the loss of last weeks top-scorer Benn Kempster to an ice cool catch at long on left us 48-2.

When James Wheeler inexplicably tried to paddle sweep the oppositions leg spinner after a comfortably made 20, the ball clipped the top of leg stump and we were 88-3. Unfortunately, the ball also ricocheted into the left eye off Eastcote’s wicket-keeper, who was thankfully not injured too badly, but took no further part in the game.

A steady partnership between Robbie Grout and Chris Curry, who both made fifty, put us in control, however both finally gave in to the urge to have a massive heave across the line and were dismissed. Despite this, we were seen over the line 6 down in 34.2 overs, ensuring a return to winning ways as the season enters the business end.