Scorecard

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1st X1 - Sunday v Swindon on Sun 07 Aug 2005 at 2.00pm
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Lost 21 runs

Match report On a clear and sunny day, it was suspected by all that it would be a good day for batting. Added to this, yet another superb Brownsfield strip, it was clear that whichever team won the toss would bat first. Swindon called correctly and as anticipated decided to bat.

Thatcham opened with Peter Edgecombe, bowling a tight line, he managed to find a little swing and beat the edge of the bat on numerous occasions. Pete was with out luck throughout his 9 over spell, edges flying wide of the slips and a catch going down. At the other end, Simon Chapple partnered with Edgecombe. Chapple, having just returned from a 2 week break, took a couple of overs to find his rhythm, but soon had the batsmen driving in the air and was unlucky not to have taken a wicket or 2. Both openers had to be happy with an economy rate of around 4, better than could be expected given the conditions!

The Swindon opening batsmen, Spencer & Williamson, had quickly settled and were looking comfortable. Paul Jenkins, replacing Chapple at the pavilion end, found the lack of pace and bounce in the pitch to his disadvantage. Coupled with some excellent batting, his figures weren't quite what he had hoped. Then the breakthrough came, Williamson miss-timing an on-drive on 54, forcing Chris Bird to move sharply in the field to take a good catch.

Chris Bird then came on at the far end, to replace Edgecombe. The effect was immediate, Bird finding the outside edge and Steve Bartholomew taking a fine catch behind the stumps. That brought the Swindon pairing of Baden & Dickinson together. In the dry, Sunday afternoon heat, they made the Thatcham bowlers sweat. With Chris Bird finding little spin at the far end, and Jenkins followed by Ben Cruise finding no swing from the pavilion end, it was time to change things. Looking to our overseas player to steady the ship, Brad Ediriweera replaced Bird at the far end. His extra pace, though more challenging, meant that when the batsmen laid bat to ball, it reached the boundary even quicker.

The Swindon total was starting to look ominous. In an attempt to stem the flow of runs, a double change then saw Gavin Ansell come on at the pavilion end and Nick Bishop at the far end. With Ansell varying his pace, the batsmen found it harder to play as aggressively as they had been, with big shots only making it half way to the boundary, it was disappointing nothing went to the field. Then Baden, hoping to drive, only managed to get a thick edge to point, Tom Donnelly taking a good catch. In the same over, Dickinson, not spotting the slower ball, played too early. Sadly the stumping was missed as the ball beat the keeper. The batsmen ran for 1 and then 2, but it was a run too far as Dickinson was run out a yard short of his ground. Bringing Iles and the Swindon skipper, Beasant to the crease.

Nick Bishop, coming on from the far end, bowled with his usual accuracy. The run rate was slowing, but it was wickets that Thatcham badly wanted. Cometh the hour... Bishop lures Iles down the track, swing and a miss and Bartholomew makes the stumping. 2 balls later and Bishop traps the Swindon skipper LBW for only 4, bringing the younger of the 2 Baden boys to the wicket... Bishop sends him back 2 balls later, hitting the top of middle stump, bowling him through the gate. Ansell managed to take a further wicket, leaving the Swindon total on 257-8 after their 42 overs.


Requiring a run rate of over 6 from the start, it was going to be a challenge for the Thatcham batsmen to win this one. But the TTCC openers, Ediriweera and Bishop got off to a good start, putting the ball past the rope on several occasions. Ediriweera went for 34, his leg glance only finding the keeper. Bishop had looked good, but played conservatively til this point. Tom Donnelly came and went at 3, with Martin Keep soon to follow for 7. Chris Bird came in at 5 and began to show some resistance before mistiming a cut shot and looping a catch to point for 11.

Bishop had begun to open his shoulders a little and the scoring rate had begun to climb. Ansell joined him at the crease, with the required rate at over 7 an over. A few good overs saw the pair put on 49 for the 5th wicket and the required rate drop to a run a ball. Ansell then played around a straight yorker and departed for 22. Jenkins joined an ever more confident Bishop and together took the total past 200. Some good strokes and aggressive running took Jenkins on to 23 before a mis-timed pull shot saw Jenkins bowled.

Steve Bartholomew came in a looked good for his 9, before an indecisive call caused him to be run out. Bishop, opening for only the second time this year then bought up his hundred with a typically scampered single. The required rate was within Thatcham's reach, less than a run a ball, but with precious few wickets remaining. Then Bishop, having batted superbly for his 103, mistimed an aerial drive and held out to the man at long off. Leaving the field to a standing ovation from team mates and members alike.

It was then not long before the end as some rash shots accounted for the last 2 Thatcham wickets, finishing on 236 all out, 22 short of their target with 2 overs to go.

Nick Bishop was by far the man of the match, having taken 3 wickets for 18 runs and scored 103, the only player on the day to make it into 3 figures. With the challenge of Challow and Childrey to come the following Sunday, Thatcham will look to Nick's performance for inspiration in the games to come.

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1st X1 - Sunday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
236		        
Nick Bishop Caught  103
Bradman Ediriweera Caught  34
Tom Donnelly Lbw  0 1
Martin Keep Lbw  7
Chris Bird Caught  11 1
Gavin Ansell Bowled  22
Paul Jenkins Bowled  23
Steve Bartholomew Run out  9 1 1
Peter Edgcombe Bowled  0
Ben Cruise Not Out  5
Simon Chapple Caught  2 1

Swindon Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Swindon Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
257 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1st X1 - Sunday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Peter Edgcombe9.003900.004.33
Simon Chapple6.012100.003.50
Paul Jenkins6.0045145.007.50
Chris Bird6.0137137.006.17
Ben Cruise6.003500.005.83
Bradman Ediriweera3.002400.008.00
Gavin Ansell4.0033216.508.25
Nick Bishop3.001836.006.00