Match Report
A cursory glance towards the weather forecast mid-week and anyone would think the chances of cricket at the weekend were zero. With high winds and thunderstorms predicted, a number of local events had been cancelled in anticipation. The reality, thankfully, was very different with the Saturday team managing a full game the day before and so when White Horse’s Skipper called on Sunday morning to say their ground was in good shape, the decision was made to play even though a shower or two was looking likely.
White Horse CC play their cricket at a very scenic ground at Broad Hinton in the shadow of the white horse at Hackpen Hill (hence the White Horse name). Wilcot had assembled a team of incredible sporting prowess in the hope of ending the sides current losing run. However, things didn’t bode well when the Skipper called incorrectly at the toss and was asked to bat.
The lost toss was quickly forgotten about and with blue skies now overhead, T20 Skip Chris Powell was asked to join Tim Holme in getting things underway. A decent couple of initial overs moved the score to 9 before the White Horse openers found their line and three maidens followed. Tim and Chris managed to see off the opening pair with the first bowling change coming in the 11th (31 scored) only for disaster to strike with the first ball from new bowler Dudson, deceiving Chris with a low bounce and Chris was back in the clubhouse having made a watchful 11. Dex joined Tim at the crease and immediately set about White Horses’ bowlers with his first runs coming from 2 boundaries.
It was at about this time that the heavens opened and the first of several anticipated showers brought the covers back on and the players scurrying for the shelter of the club house. Designated radar watcher / weather consultant Bill Ballenden assured all assembled that play would resume within 15 minutes and true to his word, the players were making their way out to the middle as the rain ceased exactly as and when Bill said it would!
The break brought about the next wicket with Dex falling in a similar way to Chris (52-2), misjudging a straight one bringing Jonathan Evans to the crease. Jonathan had exclaimed in the changing room prior to the game that he was going to put an end to his poor run with the bat so far this season and score some runs so the pressure was on.
Jonathan got off to a good start, scoring freely and with Tim doing the same at the other end, the pair moved the score into the 80s before Tim retired having hit an excellent half century bringing the Skipper to the crease.
The only other wicket to fall was that of Jonathan Evans in the 28th (130-3) and as the rain started to fall again, a decision was made to call an end to the innings and take tea early with the hope that a shortened 28 overs (we’d originally arranged to play 35 overs each) would be achieved after the break.
Following the short rain break, Chief Meteorologist Bill Ballenden was selected to get Wilcot’s bowling attack underway with Jonathan Evans coming up the hill towards the clubhouse.
Bill struck in his first over with a full delivery which the White Horse opener couldn’t keep out and played on. He followed that with another in his next over, courtesy of an excellent catch by Hugh Marshall running around from Mid Off and Wilcot were off to a flyer (9-2 from 3).
The next came in similar fashion, this time via a sharp catch taken in the covers by a prowling Tim Holme and Bill had 3 wickets to his name. This brought about the entrance of bat T. Lowe and Wilcot’s first bowling change as Johnny Campbell-Slight replaced Jonathan Evans.
Johnny was unlucky not to take a wicket with some probing bowling but it was Bill who was in on the action again in the 11th, removing White Horse’s No. 5 bat in his 6th over (67-4).
As Bill completed an excellent spell (7-0-28-4), a bowling change at both ends brought Eben Wheatly & the Skipper into the attack. White Horse by now had been steadily making in roads into Wilcot’s total and managed to reach the 100 mark in the 16th leaving them 12 overs to score only 31 more runs.
The next wicket came about in comical fashion as the Skipper enticed the White Horse bat down the wicket only for him to have such a huge swipe that he wasn’t able to hold onto his bat which went cartwheeling towards square leg. Having missed the ball completely, the batsmen was so far down the wicket that Chris Powell had ample time to remove the bails and White Horse were 5 down (109-5).
Sadly, another rain shower made an appearance at this point and as the players left the field at the end of the 17th over, White Horse were only 22 runs short of their target.
With the rain passing, Wilcot made their way back out to the middle to push the covers off once again (following a break of 15 minutes ….again as predicted to the second by Bill Ballenden), but it was immediately clear that play couldn’t continue due to a variety of puddles that had now appeared around the square and so the Captain’s agreed to abandon the match..
Sticklers for minor details within these situations would likely run the numbers through a Duckworth Lewis calculator which would give White Horse a victory by 29 runs but these are minor details. As far as the Skipper is concerned, Wilcot were on the cusp of skittling out an exceedingly frail White Horse lower order which is almost as good as win!!
This was a frustrating stop-start game which was ultimately won by the elements. A superb half century by Tim Holme got Wilcot off to a good start and Jonathan Evans’s knock of 41 meant Wilcot were able to post a competitive total.
With the ball, Bill Ballenden bowled brilliantly and whilst the wickets regularly fell, Wilcot were never able to stem the flow of runs and in the end, White Horse only needed 2 an over from the remaining 11 overs so I’ll let you come to your own conclusions!!
Wilcot welcome Beehive back to the Old School Ground on Sunday 30th July.
|
Holme. T |
Rtd | 50 |
| Powell. C | Bowled | 11 |
| Dex | Bowled | 11 |
| Evans. J | Caught | 41 |
| Watherston. J | Not Out | 9 |
| Marshall. A | Not Out | 0 |
| MFG | DNB | |
| J.C.S | DNB | |
| Wheatley. E | DNB | |
| Marshall. H | DNB | |
| Ballenden. B | DNB |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| Ballenden. B | 7 | 0 | 28 | 4 |
| Evans. J | 3 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Campbell-Slight. J | 3 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Wheatley. E | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Watherston. J | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 |