Scorecard

Great Burstead II v Broomfield Cricket Club 2nd XI on Sat 06 Jun 2009 at 1.30pm
Broomfield Cricket Club Won by 9 Runs

Match report A grey, cold and damp day at bottom of the table Great Burstead made the winning of the toss all important. They say Tails never fails. They lie. After the first over virtually repeated last week's runfest at home to Sandon with an extra and a leg side delivery dispatched, the pitch was clearly offering help to the no-frills bowling attack.

Some skidded, some popped, some bounced and others died. The pudding-like pitch held up the ball so there were no flowing drives; the new ball's hardness and prominent seam meant even short balls could not be trusted to attack with conviction and when the cherry took lumps out of the track there was no pace to manouevre wristy flicks - O'Riordan getting a bit lucky with a couple of leading edges falling short of the fielders. The openers had to be content with waiting for rank long hops or full tosses, to see off the new ball's uneven pace and bounce and hope the rain held off so the pitch could dry over 45 overs and later lower-order hitting could get a respectable score of 160-180.

Unfortunately the skipper could not heed his own advice and after seven maidens in ten overs wafted to give the keeper a feather nick leaving the score 10-1 to bring in Mason's first innings of the season. The right/left hand combination seemed to affect the bowler's rhythms and good running pressurised the fielders with quick twos and tight singles. With the first change bowlers unable to maintain the initial control and poor fielding accounting for four Mason drops, Broomfield were happy with 77-1 at drinks, knowing that with wickets in hand, the pitch getting easier and the uninspiring fielding a score of 200 was possible.

Mason's nine lives expired having run busily with only five fours in his knock to bring in last week's other centurion Holmes with 139 on the board with eleven overs remaining. O'Riordan had already started to open up with some glorious cuts and back foot punches when Holmes stepped on the gas and launched into some trademark straight drives into the trees and even a cover-driven six, but top edged a sweep into his own face and had to leave the field for Asopa to wield the long handle. This wasn't needed however as O'Riordan motored on to reach his first ever ton and smited 31 off the final two overs to give Broomfield great momentum against a Burstead team unhappily trudging off to tea.

Broomfield attacked from the outset, knowing that a few early wickets would raise the required rate and that we would surely put in a better fielding performance. A tight opening spell from Copeman senior worked well in tandem with Baker's more threatening but slightly erratic deliveries, removing both the openers, Copeman junior taking the first wicketkeeper catch this season after the previous four glovesmen had dropped about six chances between them.

Unfortunately the rest of the fielders did not have such safe hands, the Burstead skipper left handed number three having as many lives as our left handed number three and demolishing anything short on by now a placid pitch and quicker outfield. All the bowlers bar Copeman struggled with their lines and lengths in the breeze and a couple with their footing with the raised square, not helped by the drops (let's blame cold hands and poor visibilty with the dark trees as background) but good ground fielding and athletic chasing saw the run rate increase into double figures.

A couple of contentious umpiring decisions sullied the atmosphere with tight wides for the left/right hand combination, an lbw not being given and the batsman not taking O'Riordan's word that he had held an ugly dipper at cover but if we were going to lose the game it would have been down to our drops and bowlers unable to sustain control under pressure with the batsman clearing ropes at regular intervals with clean hits to give themselves an outside chance. Thorn hastily juggled his bowlers around worse than his drop at long off but there were just enough runs on the board to hold onto victory with about thirty needed off the final over.

Overall a good team victory. The fielders never let their heads drop, there was minimal in-house arguing as people kept giving 100% chasing around the large outfield and throwing themselves at the ball to save every possible run to ensure the excellent batting display got the win it deserved to push us further up the table with potential promotion rivals Rayleigh due at Broomfield next week.

Broomfield Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 2 wickets
0
253		        
Chris Thorn ct Ferady b Stratford 7
Chris ORiordan Not Out  119 1
Graeme Mason st Ferady b Knowles 63
David Holmes Retired Not Out  37
Tris Baker  
Scott Fisher  
Luke Farrow   1
Gary Copeman  
Anand Asopa Not Out  3
Jack Copeman   1
Owen Davies   1

Great Burstead II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Patel12.043400.002.83
Stratford11.0351151.004.64
Goody8.015500.006.87
Finch6.003600.006.00
Knowles6.0037137.006.17
Ramsey2.001500.007.50

Great Burstead II Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 4 wickets
0
244 (0.0 overs)		     
Sweet ct J Copeman b Baker 9
Wiseall ct O'Riordan b Baker 5
Ramsey Not Out  82
Foster ct Farrow b Fisher 2
Feraday ct Davies b Copeman 37
Stratford Not Out  71
   
   
   
   
   

Broomfield Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Gary Copeman12.0134134.002.83
Tris Baker12.0160230.005.00
Scott Fisher10.0056156.005.60
Anand Asopa5.003300.006.60
Luke Farrow7.005500.007.86

  • Umpire :
    Hannakins Farm, Linda Gardens, Off Mountnessing Road, Billericay
  • Scorer :
    CM12 0EZ