Scorecard

Wokingham v Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday on Sat 06 Aug 2005 at 1.30pm
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Lost 6 wickets

Match report Thatcham’s slim chance of winning the Thames Valley League Division One title ended at leaders Wokingham on Saturday as a disappointing performance saw them go down by six wickets.

With a 33 point deficit to make up Duncan Johnson had to go for maximum points to close the gap so chose to bat first on winning the toss. Bradman Ediriweera and Neil Rider looked comfortable against the opening bowlers until a terrible mix up saw Rider stranded and run out for 2. Daniel Stone joined the Sri Lankan and they made steady progress against some accurate bowling, particularly from the spin trio of McDonald, Mathews and Doran.

Ediriweera started to find some fluency though and looked set to launch Thatcham towards the 230+ total they hoped for. Unfortunately he chose the wrong ball to attack and was bowled by McDonald for 49. Phil Makings and Stone then struggled in adding 18 in seven overs before Makings miscued a pull shot and was easily caught for 9.

With Johnson now in that total was still possible but when he mishit a full toss to mid off the visitors were 128-4 after 40 overs. Stone was still in though and he brought up his maiden fifty for the first XI but couldn’t go on to bat the rest of the innings and gave Mathews his second wicket.

It was left to Matthew Denness to try to hold the innings together and at least try to top 200. The lower order had to come out all guns blazing but only Nick Bishop (13) and Peter Edgcombe (12) contributed with Denness 19 not out as the innings closed on 195-9 from 52 overs, well short of their target but still a total they felt confident of defending. Mathews finished with 4-43, Doran 3-46 and McDonald, the pick of the bowlers, 1-39.

It was crucial that Thatcham’s bowlers didn’t leak runs if wickets didn’t come at the start but Ruckshan Soza and skipper Dan Reddyhough showed positive intent from the word go and despatched all the loose deliveries that came their way. Half a chance came when Reddyhough edged between first and second slip but the ball went through for four and the home side had few problems in reaching fifty in the 12th over.

A double change saw Edgcombe and Johnson come into the attack and the breakthrough almost came when Soza drove Johnson to mid on but the difficult chance went begging. The one Thatcham bowler to find the right line and length was Edgcombe and he finally dismissed Reddyhough, bowling him for 40, the total on 82. More quick wickets were vital if Thatcham were to get back into the game and two overs later a fierce cover drive from Bushell was well caught at cover by Robb Fraser and then Edgcombe produced a Harmisonesque slower ball to bowl Appiah and at the halfway point Wokingham were 95-3 and the game was back in the balance.

Browitt played himself in sensibly though while Soza continued to punish anything loose. He passed fifty and celebrated by hitting a huge straight six and with 14 overs left only 52 were needed. With Johnson now ringing the changes Chris Bird came on and after a disappointing first over managed to tempt Soza (69) to go across the line and Johnson at square leg took a spectacular one handed catch.

If Thatcham sniffed half a chance to get back into it Australian Dan Doran and Browitt had other ideas and as the visitors had to take wickets they took advantage of the attacking fields to end the game quickly, getting home with 5.3 overs to spare, Browitt on 36 and Doran 32.

Edgcombe was the by far the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-39 from ten overs with Bird 1-25 the only other wicket taker. Thatcham will now have to pick themselves up for the rest of the season knowing that in the biggest game of the season they couldn’t produce their best when it was needed most.

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
195		        
Bradman Ediriweera Bowled  49
Neil Rider Run out  2
Dan Stone Caught  51
Phil Makings Caught  9
Duncan Johnson Caught  9 1
Matthew Denness Not Out  19
Andy Harland Bowled  5
Nick Bishop Caught  13
Robb Fraser Bowled  0 1
Peter Edgcombe Bowled  12
Chris Bird  

Wokingham Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Wokingham Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 4 wickets
0
199 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Bradman Ediriweera7.004100.005.86
Andy Harland9.013900.004.33
Peter Edgcombe10.0339313.003.90
Duncan Johnson9.022400.002.67
Nick Bishop2.011000.005.00
Chris Bird4.0025125.006.25
Neil Rider1.00900.009.00
Phil Makings0.30400.008.00

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Moira and/or Dan Stephenson