05-May-2003, Under 15's League vs Optimists & Clifton played at Optimists
Optimists & Clifton Win by 100 runs
Optimists & Clifton Innings (Overs 20)
Batsman Fieldsman Bowler Runs
Hopper b J.Withers 0
Long c L.Groves b A.Crooks 0
Johnson not out 74
West not out 72
extras (b1 lb0 w8 nb0) 9
TOTAL 2 wickets for 155
Bowler O M R W
J.Withers 5 0 28 1
A.Crooks 4 0 38 1
T.Bond 4 0 25 0
A.Burroughs 2 0 18 0
R.Moore 4 0 30 0
J.Chastney 1 0 15 0
Blagdon Innings (Overs 20)
Batsman Fieldsman Bowler Runs
A.Palmer b Johnson 4
T.Bond run out 0
A.Crooks b Blakemore 5
J.Withers b Johnson 0
R.Veater b Blakemore 5
J.Chastney b Blakemore 4
R.Moore b Blakemore 0
M.Smith c Hopper b Benson 3
W.Day run out 0
A.Burroughs not out 6
L.Groves not out 1
extras (b4 lb1 w20 nb2) 27
TOTAL 9 wickets for 55
Bowler O M R W
Johnson 3 0 4 2
Hopper 4 0 10 0
Blakemore 3 0 10 4
Carr 2 0 7 0
Benson 2 0 7 1
Connock 2 0 5 0
Woodward 2 1 2 0
Long 1 0 2 0
West 1 0 3 0
MATCH REPORT
Our entry into the U15’s league in the first
season was always going to prove a daunting task without 6 or 7 of our
most experienced players from last year, who are now unavailable at
boarding schools around the region. This opening game was certainly
a ‘baptism of fire’-power to which we had no answer.
Bowling
first we breezed into a very promising start with a wicket being taken
in each of the opening 2 overs .. Optimists 1 for 2 !.. This was, however,
to be our only success as we rued the cost of some missed catches against
each of the 3rd wicket pairing batsmen before they had reached double
figures. They then went on to produce a massive partnership of 154 (Johnson
–74 n.o. & West 72 n.o.)in the remaining 18 overs giving Optimists
a nigh unassailable total of 155-2.
It
was not that our bowling was bad but once these two batsmen had got
their eye in they hit everything in sight. At 99-2 at the end of the
15th over we were doing well to contain them but in the last 5 overs
they ran amok scoring at over 10 runs an over. Jenny Withers returned
the best bowling figures of 1–28 off 5 overs, with a commendable
effort from Russ Moore of 0-30 off 4 overs. Captain Adam Crooks had
a heavy pasting in his fourth over and settled for 1-38. We finished
with several players nursing bruised hands/fingers etc as well as egos
due to the onslaught!
We
never really got out of the starting blocks on the batting front as
we obliged Optimists with a needless run out in only our second over.
Johnson’s power & speed, 2-4 off 3 overs, made it difficult
to get runs but it was the accuracy of Blakemore, 4-10 off 3 overs,
which decimated our batting and left us gasping at 31-6 by the end of
the 10th over. Adam Crooks & Richard Veater of the top order batsmen
got 5 runs apiece. Three overs later we were 39-9, including another
run out! In a defiant rearguard action though our 10th wicket pair,
Adam Burroughs, 6 n.o.(top score), and Luke Groves, 1 n.o., remained
unbeaten, although the final score of 55-9 was more down to the extras
accumulated as Optimists brought on a variety of untried bowlers!
So a hefty 100 run defeat but hopefully a bit of experience gained and
a few lessons learnt?
