Scorecard

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday v Chesham on Sat 20 May 2006 at 1.30pm
Match was Drawn

Match report Thatcham took the lion’s share of a tedious draw with Chesham on Saturday at Brownsfield to top the Thames Valley League Div 1 after week 2’s round of fixtures.

With a lengthy rain shower delaying the start of the match for 50 minutes, the sides took to the field at 2.20pm in a 86 over game, split 45-41, Thatcham skipper Duncan Johnson electing to bat so as to not inconvenience his bowling attack with a wet ball, and debutant Gavin MacDonald and James Ettridge opened up in fine fashion, MacDonald offering a good stable partner to the experienced Ettridge and the pair put on a century opening stand in 25 overs, which was just what the home side needed, both players in good form after riding the early spell from Hungerford old boy Robbie Maier. Good running ensured strike rotation and MacDonald was within sight of a half century before charging the spin of Porter and being beaten by the turn and keeper Turnbull did the rest and sent the Aussie packing for a fine 44. Toby Radford joined Ettridge and immediately kept the tempo going, smashing his first ball through extra cover for a boundary. Ettridge meanwhile was looking in ominous form, trademark strokes through mid-wicket were flowing and he passed 50 for the second consecutive week. The pair added 73 before Radford top edged an attempted slog-sweep and was caught by Brinlow off the spin of Wheeler. Ettridge was still there though and Johnson joined him to up the tempo but Ettridge fell just 8 runs short of a deserved century, Wheeler again the bowler as Ettridge was beaten coming down the track and Turnbull completed the stumping. Matt Denness joined his skipper and the ball was now flying to all parts as the pair took the score along to 220 through 43 overs and it was there that the declaration could and should have been taken but Johnson hammered another 2 overs for 24 runs to finish unbeaten on 53 and his side 244-4 from the 45 overs, leaving Chesham a huge task of 245 to win from just 41 overs at just under 6 an over from the start.

Rob Maier and A Saunders opened up for Chesham against the young new ball pairing of Raheel Zaman and Paul Jenkins and they took the score along nicely to 41-0 off the first 12 overs, which matched the Thatcham score at the same stage of the game, but the introduction of Peter Edgcombe and Johnson put a brake on the scoring rate and bought rewards with Edgcombe bowling Saunders for 27. Johnson then had his opposite number Graham Rance caught and bowled for 15, and it was at that stage with the score at 63-2 from 25 overs that Rob Maier stopped playing and decided to bat the game out together with Turnbull and although Edgcombe and Johnson and later on Nick Bishop toiled away manfully, all bowling tidily, it was too late when Johnson decided to try something different by throwing the ball to Ettridge for some off spin in the 38th over, although the tactic provided a breakthrough as the flight and guile of the tall off-spinner proved Turnbull’s undoing, as he forced a straight drive back into the safe hands of Ettridge and departed for 10. In the very next over, with Radford also employed as a makeshift spinner, Maier’s stonewall innings was bought to an end as he departed lbw for 39 in the 39th over and it was a case of what might have been had these tactics been employed by Thatcham 10 or 15 overs earlier as M Saunders and Brinlow played the last 2 overs out to take their side to 105-4 from their 41 overs.

Thatcham took 12 points from the draw and Chesham just 3 and with hindsight, to put the visitors into bat should have been the tactic and a declaration should have been taken with the score around the 200/210 mark to enable the visitors to try and win the game.

Thatcham travel to Harefield on Saturday and will be looking to stay top of the table in the important weeks ahead.

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 4 wickets
0
244		        
Gavin McDonald Stumped  44
James Ettridge Stumped  92 1
Toby Radford Caught  37
Duncan Johnson Not Out  53 1
Matthew Denness Run out  5
Chris Wright Not Out  0
Paul Jenkins  
Faisal Ali  
Raheel Zaman  
Peter Edgcombe  
Nick Bishop  

Chesham Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Chesham Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 4 wickets
0
105 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Raheel Zaman5.021000.002.00
Paul Jenkins6.002500.004.17
Peter Edgcombe11.0421121.001.91
Duncan Johnson13.0232132.002.46
Nick Bishop4.00900.002.25
James Ettridge1.00313.003.00
Toby Radford1.00313.003.00

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Ian Martin