Scorecard

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday v Wokingham on Sat 04 Jun 2005 at 1.30pm
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Lost 6 runs

Match report Thatcham skipper Duncan Johnson blamed Thatcham’s latest loss firmly on his own shoulders on Saturday as having hit his 4th successive league ‘50’, and got his side down to needing 27 runs from 31 deliveries, a ‘rush of blood’ then followed and with it his side’s chance of victory against the League leaders Wokingham.

It had all started very brightly at Brownsfield as Johnson won the toss and having seen Wokingham win all their games batting 2nd, the Thatcham skipper promptly inserted them to see how they would react having to set the pace.
The new ball pairing of Brad Ediriweera and Andy Harland bowled some testing overs, Harland in particular producing some devilish deliveries which Soza and Bushell were lucky to survive, until the breakthrough in the 11th over, when Ediriweera had Bushell caught by Johnson at square leg for 24. Wokingham skipper Dan Reddyhough joined Soza and they added 70 at a steady pace, Reddyhough reaching his 50, before charging Pete Edgcombe, and with Chris Wright stood up, the risk proved too great, Reddyhough missed and Wright whipped the bails off and the visiting skipper was on his way for a fine 53. Dangerman Simon Myles was next in, but Edgcombe and Nick Bishop were doing a fine job for their side, keeping things tight and opener Soza was painfully slow, putting pressure on Myles to get the scoreboard ticking. He made his intentions to spread the field clear, chipping Bishop over long on for ‘4’ and then sweeping for ‘3’ but Bishop has the last laugh as Myles tried to slog sweep him over mid-wicket and was bowled for 7. Wokingham were now 122-3 from 37 overs and needed to get the run rate moving to post a target for the home side. Soza tried in vain, and took Edgcombe on for a quick single and there was only one winner as the stumps were thrown down and Soza was on his way for 33, made in 38 overs ! Johnson then introduced himself into the attack to bowl in tandem with Bishop and make Wokingham hit the ball rather than just use the pace of the quicker bowlers and he snapped up the wicket of Thava for 9, superbly caught by Chris Bird running back at mid off. A good partnership then followed between Appiah and Australian Dan Doran, as they added 73 runs in good time, Doran in particular playing a great role for his side until Johnson struck again, Andy Harland taking a good catch at deep square to remove Appiah for 39. Doran kept up the attack though, hitting Bishop for 3 ‘6’s’ in the 49th over and then taking 10 off Johnson’s last over to leave his side at 231-6 from the 52 overs and him personally unbeaten on 53.
All the Thatcham bowlers did their job in the most disciplined display of the season so far, Pete Edgcombe the pick with 1-34 from his 12 overs, Ediriweera 1-32 from 10, Bishop 1-61 from 10 and Johnson 2-43 from 7 the other bowlers in the wickets.

With Jim Ettridge pulling a hamstring in the field, Andy Harland assumed the openers role with Sri Lankan Brad Ediriweera, Wokingham opening up with leg spinning Aussie Doran and Simon Myles. 35 runs were on the board inside 8 overs before the introduction of left arm spinner John McDonald bought about the downfall of Ediriweera, who smashed a short wide one straight to Doran at backward point and he was gone for 23. Daniel Stone and Harland then added a super partnership of 89 runs for the home side, both playing some attractive strokes and keeping the rate required going until Harland fell just 7 runs short of his 50, caught by Doran off Ali for 43. Ali struck again immediately, Stone well caught by Fleming for 36, Thatcham 124-3 through 28 overs, needing a further 108 from 20 overs and well placed although Wokingham now sensed they were back in the hunt with 2 new men at the crease. Chris Wright and Duncan Johnson now had to rebuild while keeping the board ticking and with Doran proving a real handful and Ali with his tail up, batting was tough going. Doran removed Wright lbw for 4 and then took out Matt Denness for 11, but it was the introduction of Thava that was to prove the masterstroke for the visitors. James Ettridge joined his skipper at 7, but Thava produced a beauty to him first up and he was lbw for 0 and then Robb Fraser mis-hit a pull shot to Fleming for 7 and suddenly the game was in the balance. Johnson looked in good nick again though and was punishing anything loose from Doran and when he took the 43rd over from Thava for 4, 6 and then 2, to bring up his ‘50’ the required runs came down below the balls left and now sensible batting and a sound cricket brain were all that was required from the Thatcham skipper and his partner Nick Bishop, but the ‘red mist’ came down and the very next ball Johnson tried to smash Thava into the Memorial field and was bowled for 51. It was brainless cricket from the home captain and it was now down to the experienced trio of Bishop, Edgcombe and Bird to see Thatcham home, Bishop smashing Thava through extra cover for a boundary and then taking 2 more, to leave 3 overs left and 17 needed. Doran bowled the 46th and conceded just 4 runs and took the wicket of Edgcombe for 2 and Thatcham’s last pair now needed 13 runs from 2 overs. Thava then produced a great over for the visitors holding his nerve and conceding just 2 singles and it was now down to leg spinner Doran and Chris Bird to decide the outcome, 11 runs needed for a Thatcham victory. Bird smashed the 1st ball behind square for a boundary and with 7 now needed from 5 the ground held it’s breath, but from hope and elation then came despair as Doran produced a fuller delivery with ripped through Bird’s defences and bowled him for 5 to leave Thatcham 7 runs short and Wokingham with a full 25 point haul to strengthen their position at the top of the table. It was a great game of cricket that had everything, Doran bowled very well for his 4-68 from 18.2 overs, ably backed by Thava 3-36 from 6 and Ali 2-38 from his 9, with McDonald the other wicket taker 1-21 from 5.
Thatcham will look back on a game they could of won, 4 of the top 5 batters all getting starts but not one of them could bat through and win the game for their side although they will take heart from the best bowling and fielding display of the season and the fact that they pushed the leaders so close in a tensely fought game played in great spirit.

Thatcham would like to thank Melo Associates for sponsoring the match balls.

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
225		        
Bradman Ediriweera Caught  23
Andy Harland Caught  43 1
Dan Stone Caught  36
Chris Wright Lbw  4 1
Duncan Johnson Bowled  51 1
Matthew Denness Caught  11
James Ettridge Lbw  0
Robb Fraser Caught  7
Nick Bishop Not Out  11
Peter Edgcombe Caught  2
Chris Bird Bowled  5 1

Wokingham Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Wokingham Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
231 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Bradman Ediriweera10.0132132.003.20
Andy Harland7.022400.003.43
Chris Bird6.012800.004.67
Peter Edgcombe12.0234134.002.83
Nick Bishop10.0161161.006.10
Duncan Johnson7.0043221.506.14

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Ian Martin