Barnards Green cricket Club

BARNARDS GREEN CRICKET CLUB

MATCH REPORTS

6th July 2013 - Match Report.

Leamington vs BGCC 1sts

BGCC 1^st XI travelled to bottom of the table Leamington with some momentum following two good wins and a fine showing in recent T20 games.

Leamington won the toss and chose to bat so 24 points were up for grabs. Graeme Cessford struck early when Swann edged one to Andy Ford at 2^nd slip. Shahbaz Alam was joined by Mark Best. A healthy run rate meant the score had passed 50 in the 12^th over before Mark Hardinges trapped Best lbw for 16. David Bailey joined Alam and this pairing looked comfortable – scoring at around 5 an over. Captain Andy Ford rotated the bowling and this brought a breakthrough. Cessford took a wicket with the first ball of his second spell as Bailey was caught behind by Ash Brewer for 27.

With Leamington 135 for 3 in 28 overs and Shahbaz Alam on 83 a big total looked likely although Jon Dovey and Blair Kingsland slowed the run rate. Alam’s superb innings finally came to an end when he was caught behind after being tucked up by a quicker short ball from Cessford. His run-a-ball 102 included 15 fours and 2 sixes. Paul Best was joined by Luke Hopkins he took the score past 200 in the 42^nd over with a four through the covers. The Leamington innings stuttered as two wickets fell on 214. First Mark Hardinges yorked Paul Best for 36 then Jon Dovey trapped Simon Magill lbw first ball. Luke Hopkins fell next when he was well caught by Graeme Cessford on the deep mid-wicket boundary for 21 to give Mark Hardinges his 3^rd wicket. Andy Ford took a fantastic diving catch off his own bowling to dismiss Grant Thornton for 3. Leamington posted a decent total of 260 for 8 off their 55 overs. Captain Richard Williams batted out the innings ending 27 and Tom Warner was 11 not out.

Barnards Green faced chasing 261 for the full 24 points and set off steadily with openers Mark Hooper and Adam Dovey bringing up the 50 in the 17^th over. Dovey was dropped by captain Williams on 28 and went on to take full advantage. They increased the run rate as the innings progressed – passing 100 in the 27^th over and the 150 in the 36^th over. Their impressive partnership had reached 151 when Dovey was caught by keeper Luke Hopkins of Shahbaz Alam for 75 – an innings which included 10 fours. Hooper fell the next over when Tom Warner trapped him lbw for 50.

Alex Hepburn and Mark Hardinges built on the solid foundation and upped the run rate. The Green had progressed to 197 when Hepburn was lbw for 23 off Khalid. Graeme Cessford went the same way for 5 2 overs later to leave the Green 205 for 4 – needing 56 off 9 overs. Hardinges and Andy Ford hit a series of boundaries before Hardinges was caught on the long off boundary by Alam for 36, to give Khalid his third wicket.

Despite some tight bowling from Grant Thornton, Ford and new batsman Ash Brewer took the total to 258 with one over remaining. Ford took a two off the first ball to tie the scores then hit the winning runs with a straight drive for four. BGCC finished 264 for 5 to win by 5 wickets, Ford not out 30 and Brewer not out 7. At the halfway point in the league BGCC lie 5^th and on the up!