BGCC
2nd XI vs
Coleshill.
After the
rain of the
Bank Holiday
weekend it
was a joy to
see some
cricketing
weather on
Saturday
when the
Green second
eleven
hosted
Coleshill CC
at North End
Lane. Home
skipper Judd
Doughty lost
the toss and
was asked to
bowl first
on a sun
bleached,
hard surface
at the near
edge of the
square. The
visitors got
off to a
steady start
against the
opening
attack of
Matt Brookes
and James
Scullion. A
change in
ends for
both bowlers
changed the
nature of
the game
however, as
Brookes
(15-4-45-5)
began to
swing the
ball with
the wind,
back into
the batsmen,
and began to
rout the top
order
including an
excellent
hatrick.
This was the
third
successive 5
wicket haul
for Brookes
who, by the
end of the
day was the
number one
ranked
bowler in
the
Birmingham
League
averages!
Some very
good
opportunities
were missed
by the home
side but
they
remained on
top
throughout
the first 40
overs. The
change in
ends also
helped
Scullion
(11.2-1-39-2)
who found
his usual
consistent
lines and
lengths,
aided by
some varied
bounce off a
good length
which gave
keeper Dave
White a
tough
workout
behind the
stumps. Jack
Macintosh
(4-0-27-0)
returning
after his
seaside
escapade
bowled
without luck
whilst Lewis
Hooper
(11-0-46-1)
found his
usual
control
somewhat
missing. Tom
Clack
(9-1-30-2)
used to help
slow the
scoring rate
bowled very
tidily and
with
accuracy and
speed. A
stout
partnership
between
Baker (89)
and Pudge
(41) shifted
the balance
of the game
slightly but
the innings
closed,
perhaps 50
runs light
of a par
score on 204
all out in
the 50th
over.
After
yet another
good tea
by ‘H’, Anna
Brewer and
co, openers
Doughty and
Andy Wheeler
began their
account in
quick
fashion.
Doughty, was
happy to
play second
fiddle to
the
aggressive
Wheeler who
began
hitting the
ball sweetly
from the
off. The
Coleshill
bowlers
played into
the hands of
both batsmen
by offering
Wheeler
width and
balls full
and short of
length which
he
dispatched
with ease
whilst
giving his
partner the
opportunity
to pick-up
lots of
risk-free
singles.
Wheeler,
mid-innings,
pledged that
he would get
to his
hundred
before
Doughty
reached his
50 – no mean
feat as the
former was
on 48 at the
time and the
latter was
on 40.
However,
after some
lusty
hitting,
(116 not out
including
19x4’s and
5x6’s)
Wheeler did
indeed reach
a well
deserved
hundred
before his
skipper had
chance to
reach 50!
Both batsmen
ended not
out (Doughty
57 not out
including
8x4’s) when
the total
was reached
with a well
paced
unbeaten 208
partnership.
Next week
the Green,
who now lie
in second
place,
travel to
local side
Eastnor in a
bid to
reduce the
gap between
themselves
and league
leaders
Barnt Green
CC.
4th June 2011 - Match Reports. |
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| Tenbury Wells 2nds vs BGCC 4ths | BGCC 3rds vs Tenbury Wells 1sts. |
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With the hottest day of the Summer
promised, the Green Fourths took the meandering road to the delightful
Tenbury Wells ground to play the top of the table team without an opening
bowler in sight. Tenbury must have known this and having won the toss
elected to bat. Green skipper Steve Hunt called upon Louis Loader and Dan
Hunt to open the attack and they did not disappoint. Pitching the ball up to
the bat, a trait often lacking at this level, soon brought Loader the reward
of bowling Thompson for 1 and soon after he deceived Ingram with a well
flighted slower ball and he too was bowled for 1. Sellers and Hunt then set
about trying to repair the damage, but never really mastered the tight
bowling from the young openers. After 14 overs Steve Hunt introduced
himself and the ageless Robbie Lewis into the attack and it was Lewis who
struck first bowling the dangerous D. Hunt for 28. C. GILES then holed out
to a good catch by Adam Greaves off Hunt which saw the grey skies throw down
some wet stuff to prove that the forecasters really haven't a clue as to
what they are talking about. A 40 minute delay meant that the Green would
lose 13 of their overs when batting, but undaunted by this Skipper Hunt
continued to bamboozle the opposition with his leg spin and occasional offa
and wickets continued to tumble including opener Sellers for a good 48
although he was out bowled to an uncharacteristic swish across the line.
Lewis chipped in with two more wickets and both bowlers were well supported
by their fielders with 14 year old Sam Daffin showing he is a useful
prospect for the future. The skipper picked up his fiffa finishing with 5
for 27 and with soe astute captaincy showed how he is grwoing into the role.
Dave Smith took a good catch off Lewis to end the Tenbury innings on 133.
Coleshill vs BGCC 1sts. Chasing what appeared to be a low score the Green’s openers started well with Adam Dovey stroking an early boundary. However, it didn’t take long for the Coleshill bowlers to take a grip of the game with Golder and Dovey falling in quick succession. After a brief recovery, with Harris stroking several glorious boundaries, he and Drury fell quickly to leave the Green struggling at 48 for 4. Smedley and McEwan showed high levels of application as the wicket started to turn and bounce unpredictably. Both hit a number of boundaries as Coleshill attacked, leaving wide gaps open to punish the bad ball. Just as the Green looked to be heading to comfort both were dismissed in identical fashion, caught at slip of left arm spinner Bird to balls that spun and bounced. Again the Green recovered with Jez Clarke, in typically aggressive mood, and young Hennessy edging the league leaders to victory. Once again, inexplicably, the Green then lost wickets in a flurry. This time three wickets fell in quick succession, including both established batsmen and skipper Williams, all to left-armer Bird. This left the Green 9 down with 13 still required. Jon Dovey and Ash Brewer proved to be the calmest players on the field with the former stroking 3 fine boundaries in quick succession to see the Green home. Brewer and Hennessy, the Green’s youngest players proved their value with a great show of ability under immense pressure.
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With a degree of inevitability The Green’s Dick Brown lost the toss and was asked to bat first. Feeling confident that he had one of his strongest batting line-ups of the season so far he sent in-form Chris Hill and Graham Baddeley to the middle, both men having scored half-centuries the previous week. Most of the The Green’s batsmen however contrived to throw their wickets away as they struggled to come to terms with the pace of the pitch and the unexpected bounce extracted by, in particular, Corfield for the visitors. Five players gave catching practice to the opposition and Roger Thompson ran himself out. Julian Hall (46) and Ryan Scullion (23) were the only men to build any sort of an innings and with six batsmen failing to reach double figures the Green were bowled out far too cheaply for 137. Morris and Farrah both picked up three wickets with Pearson and Corfield claiming the rest. Skipper Brown tried six bowlers in an attempt to get something out of this match. Hill was as tight as ever, restricting Tenbury’s scoring rate and beating the bat numerous times without success conceding just 27 runs off 13 overs.. Ryan Scullion bowled a controlled first spell before age forced his replacement and then had his figures ruined on his return by going for 22 runs off 2 overs. Shane Thompson bowled with aggression but could not make a breakthrough. The Tenbury batsmen found that they could pick up enough runs off the seam bowlers and decided to block out the accurate bowling of Dave Price. Only Jack Cullity took wickets, albeit at a cost, but he would at least finish with respectable figures of 4 for 37 as the visitors cruised to an easy and early victory. The Green lost this game by simply not posting a reasonable total leaving their bowlers little to defend and Tenbury’s experienced players just needed to bat sensibly to pick up the win.
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