Scorecard

Great Waltham Cricket Club 2nd XI v Navestock 1st XI on Sat 01 Sep 2018 at 1pm
Great Waltham Cricket Club Lost by 2 wickets

Match report It was no surprise the final game of the season was concluded in the final over. It was a gallant effort from our bowlers to pull off an improbable victory, in the end Navestock reign Division 4, winning this game by 2 wickets and 4 balls to spare.

With 221 points, including 7 victories, many past seasons we would have avoided relegation. The final margin of 7 points will ignite conversations of 'what if' and 'if only'. Those conversations and emotions cannot be halted. Pain sometime has to be endured for growth to take place. When Ricky Ponting's Aussies lost 'The Urn' at The Oval in 2009, he ordered his team to watch England celebrate so they could all come back stronger and with more drive, energy and purpose. We all know what happened in the return series.

If you were a neutral on Saturday, it was the perfect finale. One team fighting for survival, the other needing to win for promotion. The game ebbed and flowed, momentum shifted at the tail end of our innings with Harrison (34) smiting mightily over the pavilion on four occasions. With Ryan (53) continuing his fine end of season form, resuscitating an innings that was dying (yours truly unable to hit the ball of the square and occupying way too unproductive balls), we manage to get a total that could possibly challenge the league leaders, if we bowled well and held our catches.

At 54-0 after 16 overs, 'Sky's Win Viz' had us at 2% chance of victory. Chappy then held a sharp chance at first slip off Duggers to remove Scott. Was this our opportunity? The bowling tight , the fielding was keen. Greaves (39) who had started well and batting with ease in the early overs, now started fret and became occupied with scoring with the sweep against Robbo. The 2nd wicket pair had moved the score to 101 (WinViz 1%) when Robbo had Greaves LBW sweeping and three balls later removed Firth (37) chipping to Swanie at mid-wicket (I had in the previous over shelled the same man, thanks Swanie) - WInViz 21%.
Swanie had now found a rhythm and turn and soon had the visiting captain Simmonds groping hopelessly. The very next ball Patel (P) was brilliantly caught by Duggers charging from long-on, diving in front of the 'members bench supporters'. Robbo's flighted full toss the following over to Patel (M) was well on the long mid-wicket boundary by Swanie, inches inside the boundary, game on. Two overs later it was 118-7 off 40 overs, 'WinViz' 50%. One more wicket and I'd be writing a different tale. Faulkner and Greaves junior then ran enthusiastically, turn one's into two's and none into ones. They had taken their side to within a strike to victory when the ever trying Duggers bowled Greaves (13), Swaine followed up with a maiden and Faulkner then toe-ended to the third man boundary to secure the Div 4 title. A magnificent game and hearty congratulations to Navestock. I can think of a few sides who's behaviour may not have been sportsman like in a tight game.

For some of us the pain will linger as we process the emotion of 'if only'. Conversely, we are blessed with some hugely talented and promising youngsters who have the desire to play and all, Harry, Rhys, Cameron, Harrison have played major roles in victories this year. It has also been a pleasure to watch Ryan play (albeit a few games) with smile on his face and bat without fear. I don't know what the strength of Div 5 is, however I am looking forward to the challenge.

A special mention to my golfing partner, 'The Romford Express' (Nind), 502 runs in 16 games; Robbo 24 wickets also 16 games, great commitment and effort gents. Here's to more of the same in 2019.

Winter well, ap

"I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth – certainly greater than sex, although sex isn’t too bad either"
Harold Pinter

Great Waltham Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
3w 1b 1lb 
for 9 wickets
5
149		        
Atul Patel ct M Patel b P Patel 22 3
Matty Reed b McCarthy 3
Nindi Dhanjal ct Simmonds b M Patel 11 2
Ryan Brown ct b Scott 53 7 2
Craig Swan ct M Patel b P Patel 10 1 1
Matt Duggan ct Greaves b Simmonds 6 2
Harrison Elles Run out  34 1 4
Neil Robinson ct Richards b M Patel 0
Mark Chapman ct Richards b M Patel 0 1
Cameron Brown Not Out  5
Rhys Chapman  

Navestock 1st XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Mc Carthy7.04919.001.29
Greaves8.05900.001.13
Simmonds10.0158229.005.80
M Patel6.001728.502.83
P Patel8.0227213.503.38
Scott6.0127127.004.50

Navestock 1st XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 2w 1b 3lb 
for 8 wickets
7
153 (44.2 overs)		     
Greaves lbw Robinson 39
Scott ct M Chapman b Duggan 18
Firth ct Swan b Robinson 37
Simmonds b Swan 4
M Patel ct Swan b Robinson 7
P Patel ct Duggan b Swan 0
Faulkner Not Out  26
Richards ct Duggan b Swan 0
Greaves b Duggan 13
McCarthy Not Out  2
Scott  

Great Waltham Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Cameron Brown2.001100.005.50
Rhys Chapman4.011200.003.00
Craig Swan9.0142314.004.67
Matt Duggan9.2330215.003.21
Mark Chapman10.051200.001.20
Neil Robinson10.0141313.674.10