Barnards Green cricket Club Match Reports.

July 9th 2005

BGCC 3rds vs Old Elizabethans. The Green could blame only themselves for failure in what should have been a much closer match. Skipper Bob Rogers, obliged to bat on a well-grassed track, sprang his first surprise by opening with Lewis and Knapper, neither renowned for prompt attack. The OEs seamers, hostile but wayward, and then some looping legspin, were patted back while the score advanced mainly by extras. Still, Knapper did his job for the first ten overs, and when he went Rogers (jr) and Lewis raised the pace as expected. Unfortunately, the first of the day’s series of poor umpiring decisions left Rogers in place after a run-out call, OEs furious, and Lewis unsettled. Both bats then fell almost together, and Brown and Hill, with their slightly different styles, regrouped as so often before. Brown edged behind for a solid 30, and Perkins arrived for a further important stand, ended when Hill top-edged to deep square. Spragg’s’s offbreaks collected the Green tail with little delay. Five batsmen had each scored 30 or so out of the 195, but none had played a big knock. Rogers surprised again by opening with the medium pace of Beaumont and Lewis; the calamitous outcome was not entirely his or their fault, but the Green needed a more accurate beginning. Price and particularly Nicholls took immediate advantage of loose length and line, and Rogers was quickly under pressure trying to defend all sides of the wicket. Hill, replacing Beaumont, was unbalanced by the Newland slope at first, but began to deploy some fierce leg-cutters. He partly retrieved the game by dismissing Nicholls (64), well snaffled at the wicket by Perkins, and by catching Price’s fizzing hook off a high full toss from the Green’s Dave Price, who soon took another wicket with genuine turn. At this crux, around 120 for 3, the Green sat back, Longmore and MacMillan could apply no pressure, and the left/right OE partnership ambled towards safety, mixing nudged singles and hearty drives with the inevitable crop of byes and wides. The youngsters in the field, and indeed the mobile Price, never stopped trying, but the bowlers never stopped feeding bad balls to both off and leg, so that OEs were untroubled through the last fifty runs. Alvechurch and Hopwood vs BGCC Singles. The ‘Singles’ slumped to a heavy seven wicket defeat as they were on their travels for the fourth week in a row, and still yet to find a decent wicket to play on. Frantic phone calls from the Swan at Whittington to find out exactly where the ground was led to a very tight convoy along the motorway. Only for it to be undone as the lights changed to red on the exit slip with the Proton Love Machine and the ‘air con’ Mondeo trapped. Skipper Ratcliffe, who could have done with losing the toss as everyone was unsure what to expect from the soft track, called correctly when the coin landed on its side. Batting first Freeman and Brookes had to be very watchful and runs were at a trickle as Saunders and Haywood made the most of the new ball. Saunders was darting the ball off the seam whilst Haywood with prodigious swing had the batters struggling to score. Brookes, dropped on nought, crashed two boundaries but these were rare. In the twelfth over Freeman looked to whip Haywood’s legside delivery through mid wicket for it to clip his off stump. Brookes then edged to slip for 14. Curtis played lovely shots backward of point but had no answer to Haywood and was comprehensively bowled. White and Metcalfe then mirrored each other in their dismissals, both slapping a Haywood outswinger into the hands of the man at mid off. At 29 for 5 the innings was in disarray, Haywood should have and could have taken a ‘five for’ but grounded a simple caught and bowled from Tyler. The opening pair had conceded 39 runs and gained five wickets in the opening 24 overs. Ratcliffe and Tyler steadied the ship and started to build, doubling the score and starting to accelerate but Tyler’s watchful innings ended with Newman trapping him in front for 11. Churchill, feeling the cold, bobble hat on under the helmet, illuminated proceedings with some lusty hitting until heat got the better of him. This was relieved when his hat was removed from his helmet, your correspondent is unsure of the medical term for this procedure but with this new found freedom Churchill injected some impetus to the innings. Ratcliffe, who had played a captain’s knock, suddenly opened up to the spinners but one dance too many saw his stumps disturbed for 24. Spiers entered the fray, given a chance to shine with overs remaining, played himself in and getting off the mark with a push for 2. Newman, who had seen the dangerous Spiers, promptly took three wickets in four balls to rout the ‘Singles’ first dismissing Churchill for 14 and then deceiving Clack and Clarke to see the Singles all out for 97. Stirring speeches at tea re: “We can do it”, “Pitch it up”, “Did you have the last Chicken dipper?” had the Green fired up to put in a match winning display. The opening salvo from Brookes and Churchill had the batsmen in trouble and early wickets came, as Churchill had Lea hole out and Brookes trapping Brookes in front. The Green built the pressure and an edge from Rudge saw Metcalfe ambling to the ball, Rudge called for a second but Metcalfe’s arrow throw into the gloves off White saw him well short and at 30 for 3 Green sniffed a chance. Churchill and Brookes kept up the pressure but wilted under the sun forcing Ratcliffe into a bowling change. Spiers opened with a maiden as the batters had a good look at him. They saw him big time after this first over as Smith decided he was the one to get after. The game was delayed as we all looked for the ball (three times) in the long grass and Spiers was out of the attack. Clarke fared little better as an annoyed Smith then clubbed two further sixes into the adjoining Harem. The game had gone away from the Green in the space of four overs and Alvechurch had cruised to an emphatic seven wicket victory with Smith 47 not out.

Cookley vs BGCC 2^nd XI The seconds travelled to Cookley with probably the youngest side to of played for the green in twenty years ,included in the side were James Scullion and Tom Hale both fourteen years old,together with the three under fifteen Amigos Harris ,Lewis and Paddock,making Sam Spencer almost one of the old boys at seventeen. Once again the toss was lost and the green were asked to bat,Derek Goodman on his return from injury opened the innings with Jason Brewer who was keen to answer his critics after last weeks short stay at the wicket.This time Brewer decided to use his bat and was in a positive mood punishing any over pitched deliveries ,Goodman was feeling his way back into form with a patient innings.When the score was on 76 Brewer went down the wicket and was decieved by a turning ball ,he was stumped for 42. This brought Paddock to the wicket determined to make the big score his undoubted ability deserves.He beat Goodman to fifty with a series of drives through both off and onside.The home side began to wilt in the extreme afternoon sun,Paddock took full advantage of any loose bowling .Once Goodman reached his fifty he too started to punish any bad balls until he was finally out for 74 with score at 210 in the 38th over.This brought Phil Harris to the wicket to witness Liam Paddock stroke the ball to the boundry again to bring up his maiden century.The green declared their innings on 279 for 2 after the 46th over.Harris not out 20 and Paddock undeafeted on 118 ,a fine chanceless innings made in sweltering conditions,hopefully the first of many. The bowling for the green was started by James Scullion and Lewis Hooper they soon had the cookley reply in tatters Hooper claiming three early wickets and Scullion one to a fine diving catch by Brewer .At 14 for 4 it looked like an early finish was on the cards but the experienced Dixon showed great deterimation in defence to keep the young green attack at bay.Spencer replaced Scullion and soon had the batsmen playing and missing he was rewarded when Feraday was caught Scullion snr.The green were now being frustrated by Dixon and Cartwright who were determined to play for a draw.Tom Hale bowled a tidy spell of medium pace on his senior debut . Skipper Spencer then turned to Brewer to bowl left arm spin,Dixon completed his half century in the 40th over then he crashed a short ball from Brewer to the diving Harris who brought his run of missed catches to an end with a superbly held diving catch.Hooper and Spencer were brought back into the attack and soon mopped up the tail.Lewis Hooper finishing with 5 wickets for the second week running at the cost of 21 runs and Sam Spencer gaining reward for his bowling taking 3 for 18.Cookley were allout for 105 in the 48th over leaving the green victors 174 runs.Another 24 points gained. A special mention to Liam Paddock on his maiden century for the green.