Scorecard

Cove v Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday on Sat 12 Jun 2004 at 1.30pm
Match was Drawn

Match report TVL 1 MATCH REPORT
COVE v THATCHAM TOWN CC
SATURDAY JUNE 12th 2004

Thatcham endured a frustrating afternoon at Cove on Saturday as the home side settled for a stalemate from, what was quite clearly, a decent position !

Thatcham skipper Duncan Johnson called correctly and for second week in a row, opted to bat first, put a total on the board and bowl the opposition out to claim a maximum 25 point haul.
Things did not start well for the visitors however as although Bradman Ediriweera drove Short to the cover boundary 2nd ball, he was adjudged to have edged the 4th ball to keeper Randall and the visitors were 4-1. From then on though, the Thatcham batsmen knuckled down and batted in partnerships, a strategy sorely missing from previous innings, and made good progress towards a combative total. Matt Denness and James Ettridge added 28, before Denness, who was looking in sublime form, played across one from Short and lobbed a catch to Marsh at mid-off to depart for 17 and then Ettridge and Steve Wyatt added another 36 until Ettridge was unusually tempted by a wide one outside the off-stick and he edged to keeper Randall for 28. It was a strange dismissal for the Thatcham opener who normally leaves the ball so well in that area. The partnerships kept developing though as Chris Wright and Wyatt added a further 48 together, Wright striking the ball as cleanly as ever and Wyatt in dogged, determined fashion, compiling his runs steadily. A rush of blood then saw Wright clean bowled by Smith for 14 though and at 116-4 from 33 overs the visitors innings could have gone either way. Skipper Duncan Johnson joined Wyatt though and the two vastly experienced heads used all their knowledge and years of batting together to add the highest partnership of the innings, a fine 62 runs, with Wyatt reaching his half century from 90 balls and Johnson cracking some delightful shots all around the wicket until he was adjudged LBW to spinner Joe Ashton for 23. The Thatcham batting then showed all it’s depth as Andy Harland added another 44 runs with Wyatt, the former West Ilsley all rounder continuing where his skipper left off before he was caught on the boundary by Neil Randall, also off Ashton, for 29 to leave the visitors 222-6 from 49. Double nelson struck twice however as Wyatt was next to go without adding to the score, caught by Audsley off Short for 87. It was a superb innings from the former Berkshire player, who now looks to be somewhere back to his best after an indifferent start to the season. Robb Fraser perished for 6 in the quest for quick runs at the death, Ashton picking up his 3rd wicket and it was left to James Theunissen and Nick Bishop to take Thatcham upto a healthy 246-8 from the 52 overs, Theunissen unbeaten on 12, with 6 to Bishop.
Joe Ashton was the pick of the home attack, taking 3-65 from his 17 overs of right arm off-spin.
It was a much improved Thatcham batting performance from a line-up, which on paper, has so much potential.

With 247 needed for the win, Cove needed around 5 an over for the duration of the innings, so it was vital for the visitors that the early overs were tight and some decent breakthroughs were achieved. Ediriweera and Theunissen opened up and on a flat pitch offering little assistance, it was obvious it was going to be tough to get the 10 Cove wickets needed, so quick changes and pro-active decisions were needed from the Thatcham captaincy. Andy Harland was bought on in the 11th over to replace Ediriweera with immediate effect as he bowled Smith for 13. Neil Randall replaced him and added 24 with Marsh until Chris Bird found some turn and bowled the left-hander through the gate for 18. When Jones was then caught and bowled by Ediriweera for 11 to leave Cove at 76-3 from 23 over, the pressure was on the home side as the visitors went on the attack, but opener Marsh and Zimbabwe U-19 star Stanley Marisa batted superbly well, Marsh in particular playing some sumptious shots through the leg side and Marisa looked a quality player for such a young man.
They added 76 together to take the score to 152, before Nick Bishop struck, enticing
Marsh out of his ground and Chris Wright completed a smart stumping, Marsh departing for 59. Cove skipper Tromsett joined Marisa and at 40 overs the home side were 171-4, compared with Thatcham’s 155-4 at the same stage. 76 runs were needed from 8 overs at a rate of just under 10 an over, with 6 wickets in hand, Marisa had reached his 50 and was picking his spot all around the ground on a flat pitch offering no help at all, when skipper Tromsett decided that enough was enough and gave Marisa the instruction to stay at the crease and take the draw. The Thatcham fielders were astounded as the lack of ambition from the Cove skipper and the final 8 overs were played out like a Sunday friendly, James Theunissen eventually picking up some reward, Ediriweera taking a smart catch at slip to get rid of Tromsett for 23, before the close of play, Cove finishing on 203-5, with Marisa unbeaten on 62 and the home side picking up 9 points for their draw, Thatcham with 12 finishing 3 points better off.
Just 17 runs came off the final 5 overs of the match !!
The Thatcham bowlers toiled hard, Chris Bird the pick, finishing with 1-28 from 11 overs and James Theunissen ran in to claim 1-26 from his 10. There were wickets also for Ediriweera, 1-44 from 9, Andy Harland 1-31 from 7 and Nick Bishop 1-43 from 8.

Thatcham now look to next weeks visit of Amersham to get back to winning ways after dropping more points on leaders North Maidenhead, who picked up 20 points with a win at Windsor. Harefield moved into second place, chasing down High Wycombe’s 200 for the loss of just the 1 wicket to claim 20 points. Windsor now lie in third, with Thatcham in fourth spot with 91 points, 21 behind North Maidenhead.


Duncan Johnson
1st XI Captain
Thatcham Town CC

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
246		        
Bradman Ediriweera Caught  4 2
James Ettridge Caught  28
Matthew Denness Caught  17
Steve Wyatt Caught  87
Chris Wright Bowled  14 1
Duncan Johnson Lbw  23
Andy Harland Caught  29
Robb Fraser Caught  6
James Theunissen Not Out  12
Nick Bishop Not Out  6
Chris Bird  

Cove Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Cove Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
203 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Bradman Ediriweera9.0044144.004.89
James Theunissen10.0126126.002.60
Andy Harland7.0131131.004.43
Chris Bird11.0328128.002.55
Nick Bishop8.004300.005.37
Duncan Johnson3.002400.008.00

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :