Match Report
YOUNG GUNS STAR IN RESPECTABLE DRAW!
Sunday afternoon saw a welcome return to action after several weeks of inaction due to either the weather or lack of numbers. Unfortunately we went into the game with what was, on paper, a very decent bowling line up but a rather thin batting line up, with two new players making their debuts Richard Garner & Will Stewart. Accordingly, as acting skipper I successfully persuaded the visiting captain to have a bat first in the interests of a full length game!
We actually had a great seam attack, not quite the ‘Fab Four’ of the 1980’s Windies quartet of Roberts, Garner, Marshall & Holding but as a captain it was very nice to have the options of Messrs Carter, Griffiths, Lesser & Hallam! Adam & Josh started off with their usual accuracy against the visiting openers, the diminutive and circumspect Phil Smith & the tall more flamboyant Liam Goodwin. Adam beat Phil Smith’s outside edge umpteen times whilst Josh produced good pace and troubled both batsman although several flew through the slips to the third man boundary. Adam made the breakthrough when young Goodwin miscued a drive which was well pouched by Nigel Wright at cover point, 25-1. Josh Ashbury came in a no.3 and after a cautious start built an innings which ultimately produced a good fifty! After both bowling their permitted 7 over burst, Adam & Josh gave way to Brandon & George, and it was the cunning flight of George that produced the next wicket when he bowled Phil Smith for 26 making it 65-2. Brandon bowled an excellent spell with no luck at all before giving way to Matt who bowled with great discipline from the pavilion end, concentrating on a full length & tight line to keep the opposition from accelerating the scoring, and he notched the 3rd wicket when slightly surprisingly, Josh Ashbury shouldered arms to one that nipped back and was bowled for 52. George gave way to the writer at the top end, who somehow managed to conjure one bad ball an over as the visitors ‘threw the bat’ at the end, but manage to entice the no.5 to mistime a pull and George took a smart catch at mid wicket. The visitors declared at 204-4 at tea . Against a good batting line up, the bowling was generally very tight, fielding was a bit mixed with the Camberley lads excelling in the outfield with some brilliant ‘boundary prevention’ and tremendous throwing although on the other hand about 4 catches went down, none of them easy, but the writer, Matt & Nick all suffered despite diving efforts.
At tea I asked the 3-4 recognised batsmen we had, to get their heads down and all responded very well. Nick Freeman opened with young Adam, and against a very accurate attack they built a watchful but impressive opening partnership of 55 before Adam departed for a very good 31 when, attempting a leg glance, he top edged one to square leg. Brandon replaced him and combined watchful discipline with some lovely clean hitting to anything over-pitched or short. All the time Nick, who felt he was in no real form, battled away holding one end up until he was suddenly run out for 34 by the keeper when backing up for a ‘cheeky’ leg bye. Josh joined Brandon and got off to a flyer, hitting his first ball for three, and in the next over a beautiful boundary off the back foot through extra cover.However, the introduction of the off spinner saw him unluckily play a ball back onto his stumps for 8. By then we were well into the last 20 overs needing about 8 an over. Debutant Richard Garner opened his Concorde CC account with a nice boundary down the ground but soon perished for 6, stumped off the off spinner, Matt H. looked good supporting Brandon before he miscued a leading edge which dollied a catch to mid wicket, but then accompanied by a ‘chirpy’ Nigel who smacked a couple of quick fours, young Brandon reached a well deserved fifty which included a six over the Oak Tree down the ground and several fours. He ended on 59 n.o. and we finished 30 runs short at 175-5. Will Stewart never got to show us what he could do with the bat whilst George, Simon & myself were just relieved we never had to!
A very enjoyable game against a very decent side!
ConcordeSheen Park 