Scorecard

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday v Harefield on Sat 29 Jul 2006 at 1.30pm
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Lost 2 wickets

Match report A fantastic game of game of cricket saw TVL 1 leaders Harefield edge out Thatcham with the last ball of an enthralling encounter at Brownsfield on Saturday.

Winning the toss Thatcham skipper Duncan Johnson elected to bat first on a dry track that looked spin friendly all the way as the game wore on and Julian Wood and Nick Shea strode out to face former Zimbabwean strike bowler Douglas Hondo, in for Ed Rainsford who is on duty with Zimbabwe against Bangladesh, and his new ball partner D King. Wood and Shea got the home side off to a flyer posting 57 without loss from the first 10 overs, Wood smashing Hondo for two 'sixes' over extra cover and Harefield skipper Akshay Reddy introduced his off spin into the attack in just the 8th over of the day to try and stem the flow. Wood had reached 49 before Hondo found a way through the Berkshire skippers defences and he was bowled bringing Toby Radford to the crease to join Shea.

The young 17 year old Aussie was in great touch, posting a fine half century from 59 balls and with the experienced Radford for company the runs kept coming, Radford using his feet impressively to the left arm spin of Webb. It was this that was to prove his downfall however as Webb got one to turn and bounce and Radford was stumped for 21. Steve Wyatt joined Shea and the Harefield bowlers were powerless to stop the runs, the 200 coming up in just the 34th over for the loss of just 2 wickets.

Wyatt smashed Webb for 2 big 'sixes' but the introduction of Cavanagh bought an end to the fireworks as he celebrated a wicket maiden, bowling Wyatt for a quickfire 26. Shea meanwhile was imperious, despatching the ball to all parts and reached a super 100 in the company of his skipper Johnson who hit 3 quick fours before departing to Cavanagh attempting an ugly slog which bought in Matt Denness who added a 50 partnership with Shea before the latter’s innings finally came to an end, bowled by the returning Hondo in the 45th over for 125 and a well deserved standing ovation from the Thatcham faithful. With the score at 283-5 Johnson decided enough was enough and called an end to the innings, Denness unbeaten on 35 from just 17 balls with 5 'fours' and 2 'sixes' leaving the visitors from Middlesex 55 overs to chase down 284 for victory.

Thatcham were well aware that Harefield, with Richard McLeod, Akshay Reddy and Sam Foley in the top order, could chase well and it was vital that early breakthroughs were made. Julian Wood got the home side off to the perfect start in the 1st over as a quick short ball surprised McLeod and he could only glove it behind, Steve Bird taking a good catch behind the sticks and Mcleod gone for duck. Things got even better for Thatcham as Faisal Ali bowled Reddy for 9 and at 24-2, with 2 big guns gone, Harefield were staring down the barrel.

Sam Foley though is made of stern stuff and although he struggled against the pace and hostility of Wood, the talented left hander toughed it out and with opener Ollie Richards, got down to building a foundation for their side. Bowlers were chopped and changed in the search for a breakthrough, but contrary to all opinions, the Brownsfield pitch flattened out and much to Thatcham's dismay started playing like an absolute dream. Richards and Foley both passed 50 and the partnership was 127 when Richards got in a tangle and was run out by Nick Shea for 64.

Another quick wicket was needed, but D Wood added another 77 with Foley before he was caught behind by Steve Bird off the returning Julian Wood. With the score at 222-4 from 43 overs, runs were now becoming an issue as the game reached boiling point, Thatcham had to get Foley out. Hondo came in with just the one intention, but Wood nailed him before he got going and then the big wicket for Thatcham, Pete Edgcombe nagging away induced a poor shot by Foley, he edged to Bird for 99 and Harefield were 238-6 and suddenly the home side smelt blood.

Webb was stumped by Bird off Nick Bishop for 7 and then Johnson bowled Cavanagh for 13, the visitors 8 down now for 260 with 3 overs left to get the 24 required and Thatcham needing 2 wickets for the win but Petley and Cokeley batted superbly and it boiled down to the last over, Julian Wood ball in hand, Harefield needing 7 runs. A single and a dot ball were followed by a rasping drive through extra cover by Cokeley, the ball crashing into the fence before the fielders could blink and it was 2 from 3 needed. A dot ball, then a quick single left Petley on strike for the last ball, scores were tied and the field was up, Petley got bat on ball and scrambled through before Radford could release the throw and Harefield had won a remarkable game of cricket and collected 20 points for their efforts to stay top of the tree. Thatcham can take great heart and took 14 points from the loss and a brave declaration with cricket the winner at the end of the day.
Julian Wood produced a herculean effort for his side, bowling 18 hostile overs taking 3-73 with Nick Bishop 1-52, Faisal Ali 1-35, Pete Edgcombe 1-37 and Duncan Johnson 1-51 the other bowlers in the wickets.

Harefield enjoy a slender lead at the top with 191 points, just in front of Kew who thumped 3rd placed NPL Teddington, bowling them out for just 66, to lay 2 points behind on 189. Thatcham jump above NPL to 3rd spot with 175 points, still in touch 16 points from top with 6 games to play and 150 points still up for grabs. The West Berkshire side travel to Cove this coming weekend, whilst elsewhere Harefield entertain a resurgent Marlow whilst Kew will expect to win when they travel to High Wycombe 2's. NPL have a home fixture against Amersham. Division 1 is the most open it has ever been and there are surely more twists and turns in the coming weeks ahead.

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
283		        
Julian Wood Bowled  49
Nick Shea Bowled  125
Toby Radford Stumped  21
Steve Wyatt Bowled  26
Duncan Johnson Bowled  12
Matthew Denness Not Out  35
Stephen Bird Not Out  0 3 1
Faisal Ali  
Peter Edgcombe  
Nick Bishop  
Chris Bird  

Harefield Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Harefield Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
284 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Julian Wood18.0273324.334.06
Faisal Ali5.0035135.007.00
Duncan Johnson10.0151151.005.10
Peter Edgcombe8.0037137.004.62
Nick Bishop10.0052152.005.20
Chris Bird4.012500.006.25

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Ian Martin