Scorecard

Great Waltham Cricket Club 2nd XI v Purleigh 1st XI on Sat 11 Aug 2018 at 1pm
Great Waltham Cricket Club Won by two wickets

Match report Flashback to Old Trafford July 26th 1984, England v West Indies. Jeff Dujon joined Gorden Greenidge with the Windies tottering at 70-4 in the first innings of the 4th test. Greenidge (one of my favourite openers, similar style to mine) had pulled a hamstring similar to our own Joe Reed last week. He refused to go off even with the Windies 3 nil up in the series. He effectively batted on one leg added 197 with Dujon and 160 with Winston Davis. Windies 500, Greenidge 223, Windies won by an innings and the series 5 zip!
Forward to current day. The GW 2nd team captain strides to the wicket, no hobbles on one leg and one pad (honest). He had undergone major knee surgery and required 24 stitches only 24 hours earlier, sometimes I wish I were a like a Northern lad! Like Greenidge he doesn't shirk responsibility, and with his team on the verge of an embarrassing defeat and div 5 cricket becoming a reality he found his 'Dujon' and 'Winston' in Rhys and Cameron. We were 55-6 when Robbo joined Rhys, requiring another 177 in 25 overs. What followed would have been a script even beyond 'Bollywood'. Driving the ball like 'Gower' and sixes reminsince of a 'Gilchrist' the complexion of the game started to change. Back in pavilion there was excited mutterings "could we repeat our chase against Great Wakering"? Runs started to flow and Rhys batting as though he was facing colts bowling began to instill further excitement and belief. Rhys if you've never played with him is the most chilled/calm/emotionless person I know. Whether he is taking wickets, dropping catches or stoking boundaries, facial expression and body language is the same...a bit like 'Jason Duffer' Pga tour professional (Google him). In such a run chase he was the perfect foil for Robbo, running hard ones and twos and not getting flustered if he didn't score of consecutive balls. Its a rare deposition for one so young.
By now the partnership had added 97 and nervous excitement that we were now favourites and ahead in the game for the first time. It was a shock to see Rhys bowled, which brought a quietness and disbelief amongst the home supporters. Enter Cameron 'Winston' Brown. He was instrumental in the Great Wakering chase. Could he replicate the feat? Batting with a clarity of mind and timing of a Sam Harris, the momentum was not surrendered and when the when the captain hoisted his third effortless six over mid-wicket followed by 4 over extra cover...pandemonium broke and we had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. A truly amazing experience for those of us who were present. Oh how I love this game.
Apart from their batting heroics, Robbo's bowling figures 1-19 off 10, Rhys 1-18 off 7.

Earlier in the day the Purleigh opener, Freegard, having been dropped on 1, went on to make watchful and potentially match winning 124. It was not an easy wicket to bat on, the rain during the week creating uneven bounce. At tea we sat knowing that one of the front line batsmen would need to make a major score if we were to have any hope of div 4 cricket next season. Little did we know they were batting at 7, 8 and 10.

So we travel to East Hanningfield next week, just 5 points behind Great Totham and everything to play for. No meaningless games for us. We are capable of winning all three. If our batting fires our reign in div 4 will continue.

Its good to be back.

Ps A mention to the Webb family, I suspect this is a first, all four members playing in the same eleven for the 3rd team on Saturday. Great commitment Alfie, Keiran, Simon and Lisa (see photo on homepage).

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Purleigh 1st XI Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
7nb 10w 2b 5lb 
for 5 wickets
24
231 (45.0 overs)		     
C Freegard Not Out  125
J Taylor ct  Tanner b Chapman 7
S Rynn ct  Dhanjal b Robinson 27
M Oliver ct  Chapman b Harman 15
G Stanley ct  Tanner b Reed 18
D Cann ct  & Bowled Tanner 12
J Patel Not Out  3
   
   
   
   

Great Waltham Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Rhys Chapman7.0218118.002.57
Cameron Brown7.003400.004.86
Neil Robinson10.0219119.001.90
Nindi Dhanjal4.002800.007.00
Dean Harman9.0152152.005.78
Joe Reed6.0057157.009.50
Luke Tanner2.0016116.008.00

Great Waltham Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 4w 2b 5lb 
for 8 wickets
13
233		        
Atul Patel b  John 2
Luke Tanner b  J Patel 23 5 3
Nindi Dhanjal ct  1st slip b John 0 1
Phil Whettell ct  mid-on b Freegard 16 1
Harrison Elles b  J Patel 0
Ryan Brown b  John 5
Neil Robinson Not Out  112 9 3
Rhys Chapman b  J Patel 40 5 1
Joe Reed ct  deep mid-wicket b Oliver 1
Cameron Brown Not Out  21 1
Dean Harman  

Purleigh 1st XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
M John10.062137.002.10
J Patel10.0058319.335.80
C Freegard10.0141141.004.10
D Cann6.004600.007.67
M Oliver5.0048148.009.60
Taylor2.001300.006.50