Concorde v Pyestock

Match Report

Following a blazing hot Saturday, it was something of a disappointment to wake up on Sunday to dark skies and the threat of rain. And rain it did commencing at about 12pm. Not particularly hard but sufficiently to threaten the game. By 1.30 pm, both sides were present but so was the rain and initially, the Pystock hierarchy expressed a desire to call an early abandonment so that they could get off to watch Aldershot Football Club’s push for promotion. It was decided that a decision would be made by 2pm by which time the rain had eased and the Pystock enthusiasm for a game had risen and so it was agreed, much against historical preference, that a 35 over per side game would begin.

On winning the toss, Captain for the day, Jerry Wright, elected to field in time honoured tradition and opening from the House End, Ben Westen opened our attack. Although a bit wayward, Ben induced a pull to midwicket where Nick Freeman, not keeping due to injury, took the catch and then clean bowled the other opener for 3. At 14 – 2, things looked good. However, Ash, having opened from the other end, had to be removed from the attack due to a back spasm after 3 overs and Phil Hall, having bowled only 2 overs had to be stood down for the same reason.

In the meantime, the two incumbent Batsmen had settled in and were having a lovely time. Assisted by some pretty average bowling, runs positively poured from their bats and the next wicket did not fall until the score had reached 269 and even that wicket was as the result of a run out at the non strikers end. No bowler emerged with any great credit and most, if not all, will look back on some rather unpleasant bowling figures without much enthusiasm. 13 year old James Briley showed a great deal of promise in his 3 over spell but it was not the ideal day to make his debut. The Pystock innings closed on 284 – 4 with Matt Stockbridge taking the only other wicket to fall, that of the aggressor in Chief, Bromley, who was out for a brutal 147.

A swift tea courtesy of Mrs Westen and Georgina Briley was taken before Edgar and Nick Freeman strode to the wicket. Both were aggressive in pursuit of an unlike total and Ed was soon bowled for 12. Ash took a huge swing at his 4th ball and having further damaged his back, was forced to retire and his replacement Justin was bowled third ball. However, Phil Hall and Nick now put together the most substantial partnership of the innings putting on 49 for the 4th wicket before Nick was bowled by a shooter for 32. Jerry Wright then joined Phil Hall who was now seeing the ball well and was effectively hitting everything within reach to the boundary. These two added a further 38 runs taking the score to 114 before Jerry Wright lost his off stump, his contribution to the stand being a well crafted single!

Curiously, Phil Hall was applauded for reaching a well deserved 50 but upon being caught and having returned to the pavilion, it was reported that his score was in fact only 46. Regardless of this disappointment, he did have the satisfaction of being one of only two batsmen in the Concorde innings to avoid being bowled which would seem to show up some obvious technical issues.

Other than some dogged defiance from Matt Stockbridge who was undefeated on 27, that was pretty much that. James Briley raised perhaps the biggest cheer of the day in smiting his first ball for a single and Ben Western hit three lovely boundaries before being bowled, easily the most popular mode of dismissal for the day, and the Concorde innings closed on 153.

Finally, if I ever agree to a limited overs game again, please feel free to batter me to death with a cricket bat! The shortcoming of the format was quickly exposed after about 20 overs of the Pystock innings when it became obvious that they would run up a huge total which we would have no chance of challenging. The contest was effectively over at that point and without the objective of achieving a draw, the game simply became a procession to the finish!