After watching
the rain pour
down for the
last two weeks
it was a welcome
relief to take
to the field on
Saturday against
a competitive
Redditch side.
Visiting skipper
Judd Doughty won
yet another toss
and
unsurprisingly
opted to bowl
and damp looking
deck.
Demonstrating
the importance
of this toss,
home skipper
Mukhtar was met
with a chorus of
boos from his
disappointed
team-mates with
the news they
were batting
first (all
credit to the
groundsman for
producing a
wicket which
looked and
played
exceptionally
well).
Eliot Hennessy
took the new
cherry and
bowled with pace
and promise
before having to
curtail his
spell after only
3 overs due to a
shoulder injury.
Lewis Hooper
(17-7-43-3)
bowled with
accuracy and
guile with the
new ball whilst
debutant Jack
‘Mac’ bowled an
excellent spell
(6-1-13-2) aided
by some
excellent
catching by
Georgia Hennessy
(5-0-22-1) who
then followed
the ‘Mac-Attack’
by bowling her 5
over allocation
keeping the
batsman in
check. Wickets
fell at regular
intervals
throughout the
innings as
batsmen looked
to hit the ball
in the air on a
wicket which was
two-paced, due
to the moisture.
The fielding
was, at times a
little sloppy
but the outfield
was a little
bumpy and the
weather cold
which certainly
did little to
help the
visitors (plus
we haven’t
played for a
couple of
weeks!). Dan
Hunt (8-1-38-1)
spliced his
spell between
Hooper’s two
stints and found
some turn up the
hill whilst Rich
Brown
(11-0-36-2)
bowled the best
has done all
year on a
Saturday. Both
bowlers slowed
the scoring rate
down as wickets
continued to
fall at quite
regular
intervals until
the innings
closed on 184
for 9 wickets in
50 overs.
After a solid
tea (the tuna
baguettes,
crisps and salsa
dip were
favourites of
mine) during
which a heavy
cloudburst
emptied itself
on the wicket
causing the game
to be shortened
by two overs the
Green batsmen of
Doughty and
Steve Alamutu
took to the
crease. Alamutu,
who raced to the
game straight
from work
continued his
frenetic
approach and
tonked the
bowling to all
parts for his
bright and
breezey 22 which
included 4 fours
and a six before
he perished try
to play one shot
too many.
Doughty (55*),
very watchful at
times, made slow
progress as
wickets tumbled
at regular
intervals at the
other end.
Hooper (0)
played onto his
stumps, Adam
Greaves (17)
feathered a
catch behind
whilst Hennessy
(7) was trapped
LBW in front of
the stumps
encouraging the
home side to
attack further
and press for a
win. Ash Brewer
(7) hung around
for 33 balls as
he tried to
steady the ship
but fell to the
excellent
‘china-man’
bowling of
Ahmed. Concerned
about losing and
finding runs
hard to come by
Doughty, having
consulted with
the in-coming
Brown (26*),
decided to aim
for the bonus
point targets of
125, 150 and the
losing draw
points of 139
runs rather than
risk exposing
the tail to some
decent bowling
in an effort to
secure a win.
Brown batted
excellently and
played the spin
and the seam
with equal
caution whilst
Doughty, batting
in first gear
for the 145
balls he faced,
hit a four in
the final over
to pass the
final target of
150 to secure 8
well deserved
points for a
young team.
BIG THANKS go
to John Hennessy
and Steve
Alamutu who both
made sacrifices
to play at short
notice to help
the team and the
club out
(other’s take
note) and to
Anne Wilson who
braved the
freezing
conditions to
keep yet another
immaculate
record of the
game.
28th August 2010 - Match Reports. |
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| Redditch vs BGCC 2nds | Barnards Green 4ths vs Tenbury 2nds |
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With Dick Brown absent due to injury
the much-awaited captaincy debut of Steve Hunt came at Newland
against a Tenbury side lying in second place in the table with a real
chance of clinching the title. Tenbury batted first and sufferd an early
setback with Brad Adams removing Thompsons bails without him scoring and
Steve Hunt running out the other opener Giles for a mere 7 runs. Da
Costa having survived the run-out set about the bowling attack, being
particularly harsh on Adams who struggled for line and length. At the
other end the miserly Chris Hill bowled 7 maidens in his 12 over spell
and was at times unplayable. With Da Costa dominating, the captain gave
the ball to the experienced Robbie Lewis who struck immediately
with a first ball full-toss which was well caught at deep backward point
by Dave Price. Another average ball saw Steve Hunt hold on to a skyer to
dismiss Da Costa and Tenbury were in trouble. Hill claimed two wickets
with catches by Mark Perkins and Andrew Wheeler and with Price and Lewis
picking up three more wickets between them Tenbury could only achieve a
total of 143 off their alloted overs. D Gordon was left undefeated on 43.
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