Scorecard

Great Waltham Cricket Club 1st XI v Bentley 2nd XI on Sat 03 Aug 2019 at 1pm
Great Waltham Cricket Club Won by 60 runs

Match report After being diagnosed with cricketing performance writer’s block, the wordsmith of Waltham has returned after an impressive 2 game stretch in the league. It doesn’t take that much. First up, after 4 defeats on the Jonathon Trott, the 1st team had some soul searching to do as to how they wanted to end the season.

After finally winning the toss and batting first, we looked to set a large score against a team we scored almost 300 against earlier in the season on a flat, Chapman rolled, Waltham deck. Both opening bowlers bowled tightly in the first 10, Bentley choosing to open with a spinner as a proper, New England, T20 esque team. It worked effectively as young France, in his first 2nd team game, bowled 10 overs straight through only going for 47 runs. The first 10 overs of the game went for 40 runs as we got off to a solid, if unspectacular, start as Reedy insisted on getting every bowler down to third man at least twice an over. He was eventually undone by that shot as young Alavoine got one to jump off the surface as Reedy gloved behind.

The next 31.1 overs reaped 231 runs as the D Bloom - S Harris partnership finally turned up for the year. A young bowling line up was put to the sword as Dan and I both amassed centuries. Every bad ball seemed to be put to the boundary and the good balls seemed to go for 1s and 2s. This was the 2nd double century partnership that had been seen at Waltham this year. For those historians out there (Nipper), have there been more in a season?

The assault continued when I got out as Duggers put the cherry on the innings as he took 21 from just the 10 balls he faced. Amongst all this Dan carried his bat for his 3rd century of the season. It perhaps wasn’t his most fluent century but he was the rock of the innings which allowed everyone (me) to play around him. Plus its always the sign of a good batsman who can score runs when perhaps he isn’t quite as free flowing as he would like.

In response of an imposing total Bentley made a good start, going at 6 runs per over, however could never really string a big partnership together that would effectively challenge the total. Ollie made the first 2 breakthroughs as he first removed Mcdonald LBW before having Sapwell snaffled behind the stumps by Reedy, deputising for Gary. Joe got his last wicket off the season before he departed for America and shortly after Chappy did Chappy things, getting a ball to lift a little bowling his right arm bounce finding the edge of Gordon which essentially ended any hope Bentley had of chasing the 305 they required to win.

Throughout this, Rhys was probably the stand-out of the bowlers and deserved a wicket, which he unfortunate not to get in his first spell. Having been asked to bowl up the hill into the wind during his first 1st XI game, Rhys was returned to his more familiar end and made the most of it. Returning for his 2nd spell at the back end of the innings, Rhys deservedly picked up his first wicket, closely followed by his second much to the delight of the team. What can only be described as a bear hug by Chappy ensued followed by a mass team embrace highlighting the importance of an impending victory for team morale. His line and length were nothing short of superb throughout on what was an extremely flat pitch. Bentley eventually finished on 244, 60 runs shy of their target, Whelan finishing on a composed 52 not out.

All in all a solid win which was very close to being desperately required as we had begun to look down instead of up the league table. We look a much better team when we can bat first and defend the total, something perhaps I have deviated from times this season. Next week we move(d) on to a more difficult clash, high flying Rettendon away from home, hoping to carry the momentum forward.

Great Waltham Cricket Club 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
6nb 25w 4b 2lb 
for 3 wickets
37
304		        
Matty Reed ct Waring b Alavoine 14 29 1 48.28 1
Daniel Bloom Not Out  101 130 10 77.69
Samuel Harris ct ? b Alavoine 135 96 20 1 140.62 1
Graham Wickes ct ? b Alavoine 0 2 0 1
Matt Duggan Not Out  21 10 3 210.0
Ollie Fitzwater   1
Lewis Tucker  
Joshua Fitzwater  
Rhys Chapman  
Mark Chapman  
Joe Reed  

Bentley 2nd XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Whelan10.016400.006.40
France0.004700.000.00
Alavoine9.0069323.007.67
Crispin4.003200.008.00
Mcdonald8.005200.006.50
Waring2.001400.007.00
Baukham2.002100.0010.50

Bentley 2nd XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
3nb 10w 3lb 
for 7 wickets
16
244 (45.0 overs)		     
Gordon ct G. Wickes b M. Chapman 57
Mcdonald lbw O. Fitzwater 23
Sapwell ct M. Reed b O. Fitzwater 14
Sprules ct S. Harris b J. Reed 36
Waring b R. Chapman 43
Whelan Not Out  52
Alavoine b R. Chapman 0
Crispin run out O. Fitzwater 1
Bauckham Not Out  2
   
   

Great Waltham Cricket Club 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Joshua Fitzwater6.003000.005.00
Ollie Fitzwater10.0048224.004.80
Rhys Chapman10.0139219.503.90
Lewis Tucker2.301900.007.60
Mark Chapman7.0037137.005.29
Graham Wickes0.30400.008.00
Joe Reed9.0064164.007.11