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2008 Season Report April 20th 2008 |
COLCHESTER GARRISON - Due to bad weather looming overhead, we decided to play a 30 over match. We only had 7 men but managed to borrow a couple of fielders from the Garrison. Lexden bowled first with Ed Vandermark opening the bowling giving away just 16 runs from 5 overs. Jeremy Jenkins was the main wicket taker claiming 2 LBW decisions early on which was the start of his excellent figures of 4 for 23 from 8 overs. Everyone got a bowl, Anthony Shearman took a wicket with his first ball and Ashley Ling bowled very tidily from his 6 overs. After 30 overs we had managed to keep them down to 130 for 5, but didn't have enough batsman to realistically get near that total. Anthony(12) and Mark Howlett(18) opened the batting, and got Lexden off to a positive start, but by the end of 30 overs Lexden had only managed 67 for 5 with Ed(11) and Ashley(1) the two not out batsman at the end of the innings.
A cold grey day, but a good bit of practice for both teams at the start of the season!
BOCKING - The first league match was played unusually early on 20th.April & there was a cool, damp feel to the weather – unlike last year when the whole of April was gorgeous. Overnight rain had left the pitch slightly soft on top but rock hard underneath & not surprisingly they put us in. That decision bore early fruit as 2 lofted drives & a run out left us on 10 for 3. Captain Robin Seller set about rebuilding things but having reached 18 was caught behind cutting. This brought in Jon Jones to join last season’s Friendlies Player of the Year Mark Howlett, now promoted to no.4 in the league side on the strength of his performances in 2007. Watching these two batting together was aesthetically delightful as both possess wonderful natural timing, Mark somewhat languid & graceful while the ball cracks off Jon’s bat with no apparent effort on his part. Together they completely turned things around with a partnership of 136, our 4th.highest on record for any wicket. Mark was finally out for 89(10 fours & a six) in the 44th.over while Jon finished 80 not out(11 fours & a six) – astonishingly, that is the only recorded instance of two Lexden batsmen scoring more than 70 in the same match! Our total of 202 for 6 was a challenging one but we then suffered an enormous slice of bad luck. Ali Manhire, having arrived in good shape, developed a stiff back so was unable to bowl & left the field after only 4 overs. Neil Morrison had turned up to watch & was pressed into service as a substitute but couldn’t stay throughout. He did manage to bring off a fine catch on the deep midwicket boundary before leaving, but thereafter the lack of an 11th.fielder took its toll. Led by Danny McIntyre with 49, Bocking put in a solid batting display to win by 5 wickets with 4 overs to spare. All the bowlers did a decent job in the circumstances but there were just too many gaps in the field. Jon with 10-2-37-2 & Ed Vandermark(10-0-38-0) were the best.
**Champagne Moment** Catch as ‘sub’ by Neil.
GREAT BENTLEY - On a good afternoon for swing bowling there was plenty of movement with the new ball. When the openers went cheaply further alarms were averted as Anthony Shearman(18) & Jerry Morgan(9) saw the shine off with a stand of 33. At 50 for 3 after 24 overs Robin Seller then immediately injected some momentum, hitting 9 off his first 4 balls. He continued to attack judiciously in adding a further 33 with Anthony, keeping out the straight balls & punishing anything with width. He was then joined by Jon Jones in a partnership of 56 for the 5th.wicket which ensured that we would make a reasonable score. The long outfield grass made fours hard to hit but Robin still managed 5 of them plus 3 sixes in a commanding innings of 63. Jon went on to make a quick 34 & was ably supported by Neil Morrison(8), making his league debut as another 25 were added. Our total of 166 for 7 was a decent effort in the conditions but looked like being totally inadequate as Bentley reached 83 for 1 after 24 overs when drinks were taken. Neil Morton had made 59 & was looking ominously comfortable but then a piece of brilliance from Colin Hayward ran him out with a direct hit. That changed the course of the game as the other batsmen were unable to keep up the run rate. Colin took much of the credit for that too as, having conceded 21 runs in his first 3 overs, the other 7 cost just 5 & he finished with 10-4-26-0. Pick of the bowlers was Allan Highfield who maintained tight control throughout his 10 overs & picked up 3 for 23 including a smart stumping by Neil from one that kept low. Jon wasn’t far behind with 3 for 26 from his 10 overs & Ed Vandermark was equally tidy with 8-2-21-0. The fielding was generally good & included another run out as they were restricted to 143 for 8. Great credit is due to all the bowlers who didn’t deliver a single wide or no ball in 45 overs. Mention should also be made of a promising performance by Neil behind the timbers with a catch, a stumping & only 4 byes conceded.
**Champagne Moment** - Run out by Colin.
CLACTON RAMBLERS - Choosing to bat first on a fine afternoon we began with an opening partnership of 50 in 12 overs between Allan Highfield(14) & Chris Martin(27 with 4 fours), who then added a further 53 for the 2nd.wicket with Anthony Shearman(37 with 3 fours). Anthony helped move the score on to 156 for 5 in the 35th.over along with Jon Jones, who then accelerated the scoring making 41 with 5 fours & a six. Colin Hayward(8 not out)lifted our total up to 212 for 9 which owed a great deal to an amazing 71 extras including 48 wides! Ramblers made a solid start with an opening stand of 32 from 10 overs but then Ed Vandermark set them right back by bowling the dangerous-looking Daniels for 20, the first of 3 wickets he took for one run in 9 balls – the other 2 being caught behind by Mark Howlett. The 4th.wicket pair of Walker(59) & James(29) took the score from 38 to 105 before the latter was caught at gully by Chris off Allan. Colin, held back to bowl his overs at the end, used all his experience in an excellent spell of 9-1-46-4 including a sharp caught & bowled above his head to remove Walker. Thereafter the run rate became too high for the later batsmen & they were all out for 182 as we won by 30 runs. All the bowlers played their part which their figures show :- Ed 10-0-41-3 Jon 9.5-2-40-2 : Allan 10-0-25-1 : Jeremy Jenkins 5-1-17-1.
COLCHESTER & EAST ESSEX II - The following day was Bank Holiday Monday & with several regulars unavailable we took on Colchester with what was virtually our friendlies side. The sun shone all day & luckily acting captain Jerry Morgan won an important toss & had no hesitation in choosing to bat first. Allan Highfield got us off to a decent start, making 23(4 fours) out of 36 in 11 overs before being caught at gully off one that bounced a bit more. However it was a 4th.wicket partnership of 81 that gave our innings real substance & took the initiative away from their bowlers. Michael Rudge was the catalyst, playing his shots straight away & cracking 5 fours in an entertaining 28 that gave us much needed momentum. Added to that was the serene quality of Mark Howlett who stroked 7 fours & a six in a well-judged 57, his second half-century in 3 knocks. From 138 for 3 we lost our last 7 wickets for only 15 runs to be bowled out for 153 in the 44th.over. Jeremy Jenkins struck the first blow, taking 1 for 21 in a tidy spell of 6 overs, and Jason Summerfield removed their other opener when the score was 50 & they were going well. Ashley Ling, bowling full & straight as always, picked up another with an L.B.W. – the appeal unexpectedly vociferous coming from his small frame! However it was the ‘spin twins’ of Allan & Michael who weaved a web of flight & guile that bamboozled their batsmen. Such was the control they exerted that, from being 74 for 2 & well ahead of the required run rate, Colchester lost their last 8 wickets for just 40 runs. They were all out for 114 in only the 30th.over as we earned a somewhat surprising victory by 39 runs. Allan finished with 9.4-2.19.4 & Michael 5-0-12-3. The accuracy of all our bowling is demonstrated by the unusual fact that all their batsmen were bowled except 2 – who were L.B.W. It should also be noted that Neil Morrison conceded only one bye.
GREAT TOTHAM - A shoddy display with both bat & ball saw us squander a great opportunity against a team containing four children. On another cloudless day with a hard, true pitch & fast outfield we were surprisingly put into bat. However, our opponents didn’t have to wait long for that decision to be fully justified as a combination of poor shots & good bowling dropped us deep in the brown stuff with half the side out after only 16 overs. The only partnership of any substance took our score from 67 to 107 before Robin Seller, having just hit a six, tried to do the same with the next ball but was caught at deep midwicket for 25. Jerry Morgan then dug in, trying to ensure we used all our overs, but hardly helped matters by running out Ali Manhire with 20 still left. He added 25 for the 9th.wicket with Colin Hayward whose contribution included the only other 6 of the match. Jerry was left 25 not out but thanks to his stickability the last 5 wickets mustered 108 runs from 22 overs. Even so we wouldn’t have come anywhere near our eventual total of 175 had it not been for another massive number of 68 extras of which 46 were wides. Anthony Shearman(15) was the only other batsman to make double figures. In reply Totham raced to 91 for 2 off only 18 overs before Colin came on & applied some control. He took 2 wickets in his first 3 overs & finished with 8-1-26-2. Jon Jones took the first two wickets & also had respectable figures of 10-3-31-2. Allan Highfield was similarly economical until his last over, ending up with 7-1-30-1. Like them we were profligate in conceding extras – 56 in all which included 26 wides & 27 byes(most of those being leg side boundaries). They reached their target easily in the 36th.over with 5 wickets in hand, sealing a poor performance all round from Lexden.
LITTLE BADDOW - Another limp batting display against a strong Baddow side meant we were never in the hunt in a very one-sided game. Their bowling attack is the best we have faced in this division so it was a minor triumph that we managed to stretch our innings into the 45th.over. Ali Manhire & Colin Hayward each made 13, while the dogged Ed Vandermark top-scored with 16 not out. Yet again, however, our total was inflated by extras – another 45 of them. Mercifully, on a cold evening with a bitter wind they did not hang about administering the coup de grace. S.Robinson hit 60 as they cruised past their target in only the 19th.over. Once again Colin was the pick of our bowlers with 1 for 22 from his 5 overs. No one has reached 30 in either of our last 2 games, a situation that must be put right promptly.
BOCKING - An accident on the A120 meant we arrived late at Bocking and things didn't improve as we lost the toss and fielded first. Boasting the best batting line-up in the Division our hosts started solidly, with Danny McIntyre especially, looking in good touch. Ali Manhire bowled tightly as he conceded just 11 runs from his opening 7 over spell and he was backed up by some good ground fielding. Although the pitch was low and slow, Bocking always had wickets in hand and duly upped their scoring rate during the second half of their innings as they eventually closed on 211-5. McIntyre (60) and the hard hitting Greenwood (65) were well supported by Billy Hickman (24) and Darrell May (33) as the league leaders kept building good partnerships. Colin Hayward (2-38 from 10) was the pick of the bowlers and he also took an outstanding running catch at long on to give Ali (1-36) his first wicket of the season. We maintained our high standards in the field with Craig Alderson and Jason Summerfield especially saving dozens of runs with enthusiastic and committed fielding.
Our chase started poorly and we never really recovered. Alen (3-15 from
10) and May (1-16 from 10) restricted our scoring options as we steadily lost a stream of wickets. Our only shining light was Mark Howlett who made a sublime 47 showing excellent technique and concentration throughout. He also struck the only 6 of the game with a wonderful on drive. We eventually struggled to 106 all out with no other batsman making double figures and no partnership exceeding 21 as McIntyre (4-24) cleaned up our tail. It was a lot of effort to put in for a 3 point return but with a number of regulars missing there were some promising signs despite this being our 3rd consecutive defeat.
**Champagne Moments** - Colin's catch and Mark's six.
CAVALIERS - Morning drizzle was unfortunately insufficient for us to call off a game in which we fielded a much weakened side. Having been put in we batted steadily if unspectacularly throughout against good quality bowling. Robin Seller was the mainstay, curbing his normal aggression as the situation required before unluckily playing on for 43. Chris Martin(13), Anthony Shearman(13), Mark Howlett(12) & Ali Manhire(12) all made starts but were unable to go on while Jerry Morgan(10 not out) ensured we used all our overs. 139 for 8 would have been hard to defend with a full strength team but as we only had 2 regular bowlers it seemed like mission impossible. Those two, however, responded magnificently. Ali bowled with all his old fire & accuracy, sustained throughout a superb spell of 10-2-25-2. His opening partner was Allan Highfield who wheeled away at the other end with commendable control & not a little guile. He persuaded the in-form Gilhooly to offer a return catch & picked up 2 other wickets to end with 10-1-27-3. When they came off Cavaliers had been reduced to 53 for 5 but the non-regular bowlers, although performing well, were unable to maintain the same pressure. D.Skinner(74 not out) & S.Johnson(34 not out) saw them home without further loss yet both were dropped off difficult chances & had either of those been held it might have been a lot closer. In the end it was an achievement to put out 11 players & not be humiliated but we do need to field stronger sides if we’re to be competitive in this division.
CLACTON RAMBLERS - With close to a full strength side we were just able to ‘do the double’ over Ramblers & halt a run of 4 successive defeats. In glorious sunshine, tempered by a brisk wind, the openers gave us a perfect start. 14 runs came off the first over as Chris Martin struck 3 commanding boundaries, going on to make 22 out of 52 from just 8 overs, their 2nd. 50 opening partnership of the season – the other also coming against Ramblers. However, this position was almost squandered as 3 more wickets fell quickly & we slumped to 67 for 4. Through the carnage, though, Allan Highfield hung on, becoming more assured the longer he batted. He was joined in a stand of exactly 100 for the 5th.wicket by Jon Jones who, after some playing & missing early on, soon recaptured his timing & placement – contributing a well-made 46 to our 2nd.hundred partnership of the season. Allan followed soon after having more than doubled his run tally for the season in a knock of 83 that contained many fine strokes & provided much needed substance to our innings. A mini-partnership of 28 for the 7th.wicket followed between Jerry Morgan(16) & Colin Hayward(18 not out) with some enterprising running between the wickets as our total was lifted to 227 for 7. Jon began their reply with a first ball beamer that struck Steve James on the bicep, forcing him to retire hurt. The 1st.wicket didn’t fall until 86 runs were on the board & Colin entered the attack, bowling S.Walker for 43. James returned but quickly fell to a brilliant catch behind by Neil Morrison, one-handed away to his right. A stand of 69 for the 3rd.wicket seemed to be easing Ramblers towards their target as they reached 165 for 2. At this point Jon was brought back on & changed the course of the match with 2 wickets in an over, including the dangerous Clayton Jeffrey for 24. He then made it 3 when Chris took a breathtaking catch at slip, one-handed diving to his right & clutching the ball when it was barely off the ground. Still the result was in doubt while A.Daniels remained at the crease but as his partners were unable to keep the score moving he tried to launch Colin over long on. He didn’t get enough on it, however, & we all held our breath as it sailed towards Jeremy Jenkins on the boundary. Showing great coolness under pressure he held on to a crucial catch. As the left-hander unluckily departed for a chanceless 96, with him went their prospect of winning & they were all out for 209. All the bowlers performed admirably against some quality batsmen on a good pitch & this was reflected in their figures :- Jon 10-0-41-3 ; Ed Vandermark 8-1-41-0 ; (both those after not playing for several weeks) Jeremy 9-0-38-0 ; Colin 9.3-0-47-4 ; Allan 8-0-32-0. That was the second time this season that Colin had taken 4 wickets in an innings, the other time also being against Ramblers with almost identical figures(4-46). It was a hard earned & much needed win in which the old cliché ‘catches win matches’ was never more true.
**Champagne Moments** - Catches by Neil, Chris & Jeremy.
ARDLEIGH - There are many words that could describe our performance in this game but the one I shall use is woeful. The pitch was hard but with some uneven bounce & having been put in we were given a good start by Allan Highfield(11) & Chris Martin(14). But from 35 for no wicket after 7 overs we subsided with barely a whimper to 87 all out off 30. Only Keith Farrow(11) offered any resistance before being last out having a swing when there was nothing else left to do. Although Colin Hayward(6-0-17-0), Ed Vandermark(10-3-29-0) & Allan(6-0-18-0) bowled tidily there was never any pressure on their batsmen. T.Harvey made 62 not out as they easily won by 10 wickets – a wicked waste of a glorious sunny afternoon. It was the first time we have recorded nul points since losing by the same margin at St.Osyth in 2002. Scratching around for positives – Jerry Morgan, the old-timer among our wicket keepers, conceded no byes; albeit only 26.2 overs were bowled.
TENDRING - This was a ‘banker’ – at home against the bottom side – which we needed to win to steer clear of the relegation zone. Part one of the plan went well as Chris Martin made a welcome return to form with some thumping blows in a powerful innings of 65. Ali Manhire partnered him, displaying all his usual languid elegance in compiling a stylish 66. Together they put on 137 for the 2nd.wicket – our 5th.highest on record & the best ever for the 2nd.wicket – beating Jerry Hadcock(66*) & Chris himself(64*) at Mersea in 2000. Ali then added a further 31 for the 3rd.wicket with Mark Howlett(26) to set up a decent total of 208 for 6. Having made top score Ali was also the leading bowler in their reply, going straight through in an accurate spell of 10-1-37-2. That’s the good news. With their score at 74 for 3 we had chances to remove the batsmen who scored most of their runs, but missed them both. Steve Starling made an aggressive 66 & Michael Haywood went on to produce a classy innings of 75 not out that completely took the game away from us. Their comfortable win by 5 wickets was a bitter blow in a season that is rapidly going pear-shaped.
COLCHESTER & EAST ESSEX II - Everything started promisingly, a warm day, a flat Castle Park pitch and having won the toss we looked forward to setting a decent total. Allan Highfield(17) & Anthony Shearman(15) added 28 for the 1st.wicket & after they were out in quick succession Ali Manhire(6) and Mark Howlett(21) put on 37 for the 3rd wicket to take us to 78 for 2 at the half way stage. Again 2 wickets fell quickly before Robin Seller(6) and Jon Jones(13) added 20 but from 98 for 4 we collapsed spectacularly to 109 all out as Colchester skipper Neil Lenihan helped himself to 6-16 with his fizzing off spin. It was always going to be difficult to defend with the lightning fast outfield but Jon bowled with fire, passion and no luck to record figures of 10-2-29-0 and beat the edge so many times that he ended with 8 slips during his final maiden over.The hosts' opener Jamie Barry rode his luck to end unbeaten on 51 as Allan(6-1-19-1) had the only success by deceiving Robert Mead (26) in the flight but ultimately we ended up with a solitary point having conceded the previous day's match at Ardleigh. At the end of July we are rooted to the bottom of the table having lost 9 of our last 10 matches after winning 3 of our first 4.
GREAT TOTHAM - An excellent game of cricket in which over 500 runs were scored went right down to the wire as we fell just 6 runs short in a run chase. Going into a game with only 4 regular bowlers is always tough & on this small ground it was very nearly disastrous. Having won the toss Totham juggled their batting order & this produced immediate results as Ed Vandermark took a wicket with the first ball of the match. A catch was skied to cover where Jon Jones, gamely turning out despite feeling the effects of a virus, pouched it. Robin Seller then took a good one diving forward at short cover. Soon afterwards Jon held an even better one as the ball went over him then came down out of the sun but somehow he managed to clutch it with his fingers & hang on whilst falling over backwards. At this point they were 15 for 3, all taken by Ed, but then Charlie Powell entered the fray & completely dominated proceedings. Driving & pulling with gusto he cracked 9 sixes, many of which ended up in the pub car park across the road, plus numerous fours in a blistering innings of 120 in very quick time. In the end it was a part-time bowler, Anthony Shearman, who undid him when he top-edged a sweep & was caught by Mark Howlett running back from behind the stumps. Barry Mays then batted through to the end making a well-judged 63 not out, those being the only significant contributions to their total of 257 for 8 which included just 2 byes conceded by Mark. Ed was the leading wicket taker finishing with 10-1-44-3. Jon conserved his energy by bowling spin yet was as economical as ever with 10-6-12-1. Neil Morrison was also pressed into service with the ball & took his first wicket for Lexden in a useful spell of 5-2-18-1. Jon, Robin & Mark held 2 catches each. Allan Highfield was quickly run out for 11 then Chris Martin top-edged a hook onto his forehead & retired for treatment. Mark played 2 splendid pulls but was caught for 14 attempting a third. Chris then bravely returned to the crease & laid the foundation for our attempt to reach the target. First he added 69 for the 3rd.wicket with Anthony who ensured there were no further alarms & was just starting to move the score along when he was out for 27. There followed a partnership of 67 for the 4th.wicket which took us to a really good position at 185 for 3. Chris, although tiring, still hit boundaries regularly & Jerry Morgan kept giving him the strike so he could do so, before becoming more expansive himself. Chris was eventually LBW for 82 but the momentum was maintained by Robin(14) & Jon(18) so that only 18 were needed from the last 3 overs. Unfortunately Jerry was then out for a well-paced 38 & the task proved just too difficult against tight bowling. We finished quite late but it was a cracking game in which we stuck at it under fire in the field & batted with discipline to bring about a very close finish. It was a heartening performance going into the final phase of the season.
**Champagne Moment** - Second catch by Jon.
WICKHAM BISHOPS - Finally we managed to play our second friendly of the season on 17th.August – with a full side! By mutual agreement we bowled first & the first over was a wicket maiden by Jeremy Jenkins. Before a run was added the second over also produced a wicket when Jason Summerfield found a bit of bounce for a catch behind. He was back to his best here, bowling in the right areas at a decent pace in a fine spell of 7-2-19-1. Their only substantial partnership followed as Bownes & Barber put on 65 for the 3rd.wicket before the golden arm of Ashley Ling had the former LBW. Soon after the latter was caught at slip off Will Collins, having only his second bowl for the club. A catch in the gully gave him another wicket & he finished with a creditable 2 for 27. As another partnership looked to be developing Colin Hayward was introduced & immediately broke it, taking 1 for 8 from 3 overs. Jeremy was brought back & produced a double wicket maiden for an overall return of 8-2-21-3. Finally Ashley came back & took 2 wickets with his only 2 deliveries, both bowled, earning himself another great analysis of 4.2-0-9-3. Keeper Neil Morrison was called upon to make several full length dives but conceded only one bye. Our target was 124 & we were left plenty of time to get them. Openers Chris Martin & Anthony Shearman set about the task with admirable calm & assurance, keeping the good balls out but missing few opportunities to score. They posted a 50 partnership off 15 overs & looked as if they could win the game on their own. But having reached 84 for 0 Anthony fell LBW for a well-paced 29. Shortly after Chris was sent on his way for a similarly patient 36, again LBW – despite getting a nick into his pads loud enough to be heard from the boundary! The umpire on both occasions was Jeremy…Mark Howlett, having played one splendid pull shot, edged one into his stumps that kept a bit low & suddenly we’d lost 3 wickets for 10 runs. But Neil, with a little help from Jeremy, took charge making 18 not out in busy fashion, hitting the winning runs with a reverse sweep, & we eased home by 6 wickets. It was an enjoyable game in which everyone got involved & played in a good spirit.
**Champagne Moment** - Reverse sweep by Neil.
GREAT BENTLEY - Rain overnight & in the morning meant a delayed start and reduction to 40 overs a side. It was a bowl first day but unfortunately they won the toss. Nevertheless Allan Highfield(24) & Chris Martin(28) batted with skill & responsibility against the moving ball in compiling an opening partnership of 54 in 15 overs. Anthony Shearman(15) & Jon Jones(24) built on this firm foundation as the score was raised to 108 for 5 off 28 overs. There was then a stand of 39 to which Jerry Morgan contributed 5, the driving force being Robin Seller. Employing a sensible mixture of power & subtlety he struck 6 fours in a controlled innings of 46. Colin Hayward(13) helped lift the total to 177 for 9, a very good effort in the circumstances. In their reply Colin struck early with a wicket maiden in his 3rd.over then added another in his last. Such was his control of line & length that he didn’t concede a single boundary in a simply brilliant spell of 9-5-6-2. Jeremy Jenkins backed him up by bowling his first 4 overs for just 5 runs. The pressure was maintained by Neil Morrison & Jason Summerfield before Allan removed top scorer L.Clayden for 44, thanks to a stumping by Mark Howlett. He followed that with a wicket maiden in a spell of 8-1-40-2. Having been held back, Jon delivered 3 maidens in his first 4 overs including a wicket maiden. He also bowled their other main scorer R.Haxell for 33 & finished with 9-3-29-3. Towards the end Robin effected a run out, diving on his stomach & making a direct hit on the stumps with an underarm throw. They ended on 147 for 9 giving us a much-needed win by 30 runs.
**Champagne Moment** - Run out by Robin.
LITTLE BADDOW - This was a splendid game of cricket on a lovely ground with a pitch as hard as concrete. Having been put in our openers gave us a perfect start putting on 64 in 15 overs. Allan Highfield was first to go having hit 7 fours in a fine innings of 40 during which he employed timing & placement to good effect before getting an inside edge onto his middle stump. He was well supported by Chris Martin who made a solid 28 before departing in similar fashion, dragging a ball onto his off stump. The momentum was maintained by Mark Howlett whose 20 included some sweetly timed strokes. The rain that was promised duly arrived but the pitch was covered & tea taken early so little time was lost. There was then a partnership of 82 off just 13 overs for the 6th.wicket. Ali Manhire, making a welcome return, was just finding his timing when caught in the deep for an attractive 25. Jon Jones was the main aggressor, easing the ball between fielders to collect 6 fours & a six in a classy innings of 64 before bizarrely being caught at third man. In the last over there was a champagne moment as Jeremy Jenkins advanced down the pitch & struck a glorious drive through extra cover all along the ground to the boundary. In reply to our 224 for 8 they put together three 50 partnerships. 57 for the 1st.wicket by D.Vickery(21) & D.Bucknell(37) was followed up by 52 for the 5th. by M.Bucknell(39) & D.Cole(41 not out). The latter was then joined by S.Bucknell(29 not out) in an unbroken stand of 54 for the 7th.wicket & try as we might we couldn’t remove them. Needing 6 an over when they came together these two youngsters played so well that they swept their team to victory with more then 2 overs to spare. Neil Morrison, nursing a hangover, took 2 for 28 from his first 7 overs. Ashley Ling was his usual tidy self with 4-1-9-1 & Jon was unlucky not to have more than one wicket from his 9 overs. It was very disappointing to lose a game in which we were on top at times but in the end were unable to finish it off.
**Champagne Moment** - Cover drive by Jeremy.
TENDRING - It was a lovely sunny afternoon although there was a cool September wind. We batted first & struggled to find any timing on a pitch made sluggish by rain during the week. Chris Martin(16) & Ali Manhire(15) shared a stand of 35 for the 2nd.wicket as runs were hard to come by. There was then a substantial partnership of 62 for the 5th.wicket of which Mark Howlett made 11. Jon Jones was the more prolific scoring an effortless 45 with 3 fours & a six which set us on the way to a decent score. Another 45 were added for the 7th.wicket with Robin Seller in dominant mood, hittting 2 fours a six & a five in his 36. He was supported by Jerry Morgan(9 not out) then Colin Hayward chipped in with 10 not out as 40 were scored from the last 5 overs. This gave us an imposing score of 186 for 7 which was excellent in the conditions. Tight bowling early on built up scoreboard pressure, with Ed Vandermark(10-2-28-0)impressing in a rare outing this season. But it was Colin who deservedly took the wickets in a fine controlled spell of 10-2-20-3. However Tendring then put on a spurt which took them to 89 for 3 in the 26th.over with two batsmen scoring freely. However, an inspired piece of fielding by Jon then turned the match. Picking the ball up in the covers & with only one stump to aim at he made a direct hit on the bowler’s end stumps to run out Watkinson for 24. Jon followed this up by hanging on to stinging catch at short cover from a shot that came right off the middle. Meanwhile he also turned in an accurate spell of 9.1-2-28-3 to round off a match-winning all round performance. Jeremy Jenkins picked up 2 for 33 & when Allan Highfield removed their other main scorer Rutledge for 32 the outcome became inevitable. They were all out for 132 leaving us winners by 54 runs. It was a game we needed to win in order to make ground on Great Bentley but, unfortunately for us, they also won so we are no better off in our fight to avoid relegation.
**Champagne Moments** - 1) Run out by Jon 2) Catch by Jon 3) A bizarre piece of misfielding by Jeremy when he knee’d the ball towards the boundary.
GREAT HORKESLEY - I won’t waste much ink on this. Abysmal, dire, inept, pathetic, shambolic – are some of the words that could describe our batting in this game. In the end it was just embarrassing to be so utterly humiliated. There were some excuses - one or two questionable umpiring decisions, a poor pitch & we only had 10 players. But overall it was a naïve performance as we plummetted to the depths of 35 for 8 in only 17 overs, like a 3rd.rate pub team in an evening knockabout. The highest stand was 18 for the last wicket which took the score up to a mere 53 – and 18 of those were extras!! Defeat by 8 wickets was a formality & there were no highlights from our point of view. There was, however, one freakish incident – unique in my experience. Colin Hayward went to retrieve the ball from beyond the boundary & was bitten by a dog! There was blood aplenty but fortunately, after treatment in hospital, he was able to join us later in the pub.
**Champagne Moment** - Colin’s canine calamity.
BOXTED - We needed to win this game & hope that Great Bentley lost. Things started well enough. It was a lovely sunny day, Boxted only had 10 players, we won the toss & batted first on a superb pitch with fast outfield. Allan Highfield made 15 before being adjudged run out, as did Anthony Shearman until he left an offbreak & was bowled. Promoted to no.4, Jon Jones played a quality innings, always in control & full of crisp strokes. Having made 52 with 9 fours & hardly a shot in the air he lofted one straight to deep midwicket. Unfortunately his was the only substantial score and although Jerry Morgan chipped in with 12 & Colin Hayward a bright 18 not out, no one else made double figures – a disappointing return in the circumstances. It was only 40 overs a side but still 200 would have been par & our 169 for 9 looked well short. Colin struck in the first over thanks to a handy catch by Allan & bowled tidily throughout for 7-2-20-1. The 2nd.wicket pair put on 60 before Jon hurried one through, finishing with 9-2-33-1. However Pearce, helped by some dropped catches, bludgeoned 72 including a huge 6 into the children’s playground. Eventually he was well caught by Neil Morrison off his own bowling, running away towards wide mid-on, but Booker made an assured 44 not out to see them home comfortably by 7 wickets.
It was a pity to end on a losing note but ultimately it didn’t matter as Bentley were gifted a win courtesy of Great Totham who couldn’t raise a side. That would have been bitterly ironic had we won, considering the penalties already imposed on us by the league for games we conceded previously.
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