Concorde v Worcester Park CC

Match Report

For the first time this year, a team was readily forthcoming with the 11th member inked in by Friday although all plans were then thrown into confusion by head selector, Ian, reporting in with a broken index finger on Sunday morning. Luckily, Benjamin Wright stepped into the breech so all was well.

Worcester Park won the toss and elected to bat. What followed was almost a carbon copy of the previous week with their opener batting almost through the innings in making 71 and with only one other batsman making double figures. On a much firmer pitch, albeit with some uneven bounce, and a much faster outfield, this looked a lesser target than the previous week and reflected some good bowling and better catching. Perhaps the highlight was Nigel’s catch in the second over to dismiss the opener off a ball travelling at speed high above his head but also included a sharp catch behind the wicket by Nick Freeman and a safely taken chance by James at Mid on.

Well though Ashley , Matt Jarrett, Edgar and Matt Stockbridge bowled, the star of the bowling performance was definitely 15 year old Ben Westen who bowled 10 excellent overs of well controlled medium pace, taking wickets at regular intervals and finishing with his best figures to date of 4 – 33, a fitting reward for accuracy and a bit of movement through the air and off the pitch. The WP innings closed after 2 hours on 157 with only 27 overs having been bowled.

The Concorde innings too looked as though it would follow the same path as last week as early wickets fell with James being caught behind off the first ball of the innings, though in the opinion of the writer, there was a some doubt as to whether the ball carried. Ashley, played a most uncharacteristic shot to his 4th ball and spooned a catch to the keeper and Justin after looking comfortable, gloved one down the leg side to the keeper who had now been involved in the first three dismissals. Edgar, fortunately, was looking good and adopted the tried and tested policy of blocking the good ball but smashing anything short or overpitched and he kept the score ticking over nicely. However, when Matt Jarrett was out with the score at 50 for 4, things looked a trifle bleak and 157 seemed a long way off.

In company with Nick Freeman though, things were stabilised and with Nick playing in similarly forthright style as Edgar, the score mounted quickly and the balance had tipped to even when Ed was bowled aiming a tired shot down the ground for 33. With score at 90 for 5, Jerry joined Nick and a further 20 runs were added, mostly by Nick with Jerry defending staunchly, before Jerry nicked one to the keeper and then Matt Stockbridge continued in much the same vein though with the occasional blow for a boundary.

Nick innings epitomised what is best about his batting being aggressive yet well contained and was truly a match winning effort. When he passed 50, the first for the club this year, what had seemed an unlikely victory had come into view much helped by indiscipline from the bowlers who took Matt’s wicket twice with no balls. When Matt finally out for a skilfully crafted 12 (3 fours), 5 runs were required with young Ben striding purposefully to the wicket but without any record of run scoring behind him to lend confidence to the anxious spectators. We need not have worried as he played a delightful shot off his legs to long leg for two runs before, fittingly, Nick Freeman struck a meaty boundary to complete the win. Nick finished on 69no (with 12 fours) a fantastic effort in the context of an otherwise low scoring match.