Wilcot vs Collingbourne – 21/05/2023

On a sunny but blustery day, Wilcot’s Sunday elite assembled for their next fixture vs local rivals Collingbourne.  Last season’s fixture had been a one-sided affair (in Wilcot’s favour) and so the Skipper was keen for a repeat performance to secure a third win (in three games).

 

Playing on the Astro again (due to a broken-down mower & heavy roller), the Skipper elected to bat on winning the toss and chose Jonathan Evans as his opening partner to get things underway.

 

A cautious start took the opening pair into the fifth over with 16 runs scored and with it, the first wicket fell with Jonathan hitting a well struck glance to mid-wicket.  The skipper followed four overs later, outdone by a delivery which jagged back off the seam and Wilcot were struggling (29-2). 

 

Incoming bat, Chris Powell started to find the middle of the bat but Konrad (in to replace the Skipper) was soon making his way back to the clubhouse also (36-3) and Wilcot needed a solid partnership from which to start to rebuild.  

 

Incoming bat James Cox hadn’t had the best of starts this season with only two runs to his name, however, a well struck boundary got him underway and with Chris, the pair started to build a meaningful partnership.

 

Drinks were taken with the scoreboard showing a slightly more respectable 61 runs and with the run rate now up and two set batsmen at the crease, things were looking a little rosier for Wilcot.

 

Unfortunately, as happens so often, the drinks break brought about the fall of the next wicket and Chris Powell was departing having hit an important 14.  Wilcot’s fortunes didn’t improve from that point.  In fact James Cox’s dismissal; a delivery that ricoched off his pad, up into the air, bounced on the ground before hitting the stumps, seemed to sum up Wilcot’s woes.  By the end, Wilcot limped to a very tame 111 scored, a total that felt a good 20/30 runs short of where we needed to get to.

 

Tea brought about a lift in mood as Wilcot re-charged, tucking into some excellent egg sandwiches (most notably from Chris Powell’s team of banthams), cheese & pickle sandwiches (on Kerr home-made bread), some excellent sausage rolls, cakes and brownies.

 

Whilst the total felt short, if Wilcot could find their A game in the field, it was certainly defendable and so the Skipper turned to the reliable duo of Jack Cox and Andy Smith to get their defence underway.

 

The first two overs started in the same measured way to Wilcot’s innings, however, opening bat Highnough hit two boundaries from Andy’s second over and it became clear very quickly that this wicket was key to keeping Collingbourne in check.

 

Both openers were unable to make the breakthrough and with the score now at 43 in the tenth, the Skipper brought himself on, coming down the hill, hoping that some spin would have the desired effect.  

 

Again, the drinks break and another change of bowling brought about the wicket Wilcot desperately craved with Jonny Kerr’s first delivery (coming up the hill) hit at pace to Jack Cox, who took a stunning catch on the deep mid-wicket boundary (73-1).  Whilst ahead of the run rate, with some tight bowling and another couple of quick wickets, Wilcot felt like this could be the turning point.

 

Wilcot had to wait until the 22^nd over for the next wicket to fall; the Skipper drawing A Mcguire out of his crease with Chris Powell taking the bails off (83-2).  Johnny took the next, with Chris Powell again in on the action, catching a ball that seemed to hang in the air for a lifetime.

 

With 10 overs to play and 96 runs scored, whilst the wicket was welcome, it was the final wicket to fall and Collinbourne bypassed Wilcot’s total in the 30^th over.

 

Wilcot ultimately lost this game with the bat as 111 runs was way short of a defendable total.  However, with up to five catches put down (including the dangerous Highnough early in his innings), Wilcot didn’t help themselves in the field and barring some notable contributions (James Cox’s 42 was his top score for Wilcot, Johnny Kerr was the pick of the bowlers & some v. good keeping by Chris Powell) Wilcot will have to up their game if they’re to beat the mighty Avon Valley, whom they face in their next fixture on June 11^th.