Avon Valley vs Wilcot – 11th June 2023

With storm clouds gathering a band of exceptional cricketing talent gathered at Avon Valley’s home of cricket in Rushall.  A couple of Wilcot’s elite, hadn’t played at the ground before and given the ground’s remote spot, had to be guided in but all were assembled in good time. 

 

The torrential rain of the previous day had slowed the outfield and made the wicket a tad ‘springy’ and with the weather seeming to improve the Skipper chose to bowl on winning the toss believing that both wicket and outfield would quicken with the prospect of some sunshine.   The late start time of 2.30 meant that 30 overs per team would be played.

 

Bill Ballenden and Jack Cox were given opening bowling honours as a youthful Dauntsey’s cricket shirt wearing T. Campbell (assume son of usual AV Skip (though not playing today) Simon Campbell) and E. Oldrey made their way to the crease.   Some insider intel from fellow Dauntsian Jemima Richardson informed the Wilcot Skip that Master Campbell had scored 74 for the school first team the previous day and so this was clearly going to be a key wicket to take.  

 

True to form, both AV openers started positively and with both looking untroubled (37 from 7), the Skipper turned to the leg spin of Jemima Richardson to make the breakthrough.  Jemima was unlucky not to take a wicket in her first over with a couple of chances coming from it, but was rewarded in her second with the wicket of E. Oldrey, courtesy of a well held catch by Bill Ballenden at mid-wicket.   However, the key man remained and so a game of cat and mouse ensued between the two school friends.   

 

Drinks were taken at the halfway mark (65-1) with no further wickets falling.  

 

Jemima made the breakthrough in her last over (& first after drinks) tempting the key man into a sweep which was top edged and held by the Skipper running in from Long On and Wilcot sensed a momentum shift.   

 

Andy Smith, having taken the place of Bill Ballenden from the other end, was immediately in on the action also, removing AV’s J. Lishman in the following over and AV were stumbling (73-6 from 18).  

 

Unfortunately, the hope of a batting collapse didn’t materialise and new bats J. Heas and H. Oldrey started to build a decent partnership and it wasn’t until the 24^th over that the next wicket fell….an accurate Bill Ballenden throw to the bowler’s end found a v. calm Hugh Marshall who took the bails off.  Another run out followed in the 26^th, this time Chris Powell, collected and threw down the stumps from behind the wicket but no other wickets fell and Avon Valley completed their innings with 160 runs scored.

 

With the sun now bearing down both teams retreated into the shade of the clubhouse to re-hydrate (tea) and re-fuel (crisps and chocolate biscuits).  Whilst batting conditions were undoubtedly improving, 160 felt like a tough total to chase on what was still a difficult batting wicket.

 

With Wilcot Chairman, Pete Williams now taking up position amongst the large group of travelling Wilcot supporters, King of the LBW appeal from square leg, Wilson (Shabash) Saraj was selected to join Jonathan Evans to get Wilcot’s chase underway.  

 

Sadly, Wilson’s much anticipated return to the Sunday side didn’t last long.   He departed early, undone by a straight one which kept low in the second over and Jonathan fell soon after, having looked in good touch, three overs later and Wilcot were not off to the best of starts (18-2 from the first five).  

 

New bats Chris Powell and Mark Warburg dug in and started to build a decent partnership with Warburg regularly finding the boundary and so with drinks taken at 15 overs bowled, Wilcot had clawed their way back into the game with 67 runs now scored (two runs ahead of where AV had been in their innings at the halfway mark).

 

Just as the Wilcot faithful were sensing the notion of a second victory (at this ground in successive years), the wickets started to tumble.  Chris Powell was given out LBW to a ball that he’d sworn he hit & Mark Warburg departed the following over for a hard fought 38 (72-4).  This triggered a collapse with a further four wickets falling for only 26 runs in 6 overs and any hopes for a Wilcot victory were firmly dashed.  A superb cameo from Jack Cox, hitting 18 runs in just over two overs saved Wilcot’s blushes at the close, helping to deliver a semi-respectable total, but Wilcot finished 40 runs short with all wickets falling by the 26^th over.

 

As always, a fun game played in good spirit though this is a game which Wilcot could’ve won as the teams were evenly matched.   Wilcot did an excellent containment job initially but some decent running between the wickets coupled with some loose fielding in the second half of the innings allowed AV to claw their way to a decent total (which felt 30/40 runs more than it should’ve been).

 

That said, a score of 130 still would’ve been beyond Wilcot as decent batting performances, (Mark Warburg and Jack Cox) were sadly, not backed up by the rest of the team and AV won comfortably in the end.

 

Wilcot return to the Old School Ground for their next fixture vs Wilton on June 25^th.