Scorecard

Quantel v Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham XI- Wednesday on Wed 13 Jun 2012 at 6.10
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Won by 58 runs

Match report Thatcham Mighty Trouts Reel in Quantel and Eye Promotion Push

Why did we not play Weds cricket in recent years? We’ve been missing a trick. We play on quirky, scenic village grounds, see the odd classic 1970s Duncan Fearnley bat and pre-velcro buckle-up pads, get a tasty tea thrown in, have a good laugh and get a cheeky pint (or 2) in after the game. It improves morale, integrates youngsters and seniors, and boosts the club’s coffers behind the bar. And not to mention keeping ourselves fine tuned ahead of the all important Saturday fixtures.

After a week of selection turmoil with the U15s having a q-final cup clash and the U17s head down in exams, plus a large party of hardcore Town members taking the trip to Lords to celebrate the life of club legend Robb Fraser, captain Rochy managed to scrape together a competitive XI. The opposition, Quantel, play at charming Welford Park, with fantastic views over the North Wessex Downs. You can’t have everything though, and with Euro 2012 in full swing there were a few mutters about the ‘70s black and white TV set that nobody even bothered to turn on.
With Town batting first, veteran Trouts XI stalwart Nathan Redmond got promoted up the order to bat alongside the globe-trotting Felix Hartley-Russell, tanned brown and full of stories of fraternising with murderers, being sold fake bus tickets and generally disappointing his parents whilst gallivanting in Mexico and Guatemala. He didn’t let the Mighty Trouts down however and despite a 4 week absence dispatched the first 2 balls of the innings for emphatic boundaries. Cue the opposition captain piping up and saying “it’s not fair, he can bat.” The third ball went for 2 and as Redders jnr crossed the line he tripped over himself and rolled (cartoon-like) past the bemused umpire Dave Allison, much to everyone’s entertainment.
After a swift 31, that included fending off a rapid beamer with his forearm (“tis nothing, I sweet-talked Mexico’s most wanted last week”), Whiskers departed and Rochy (13) and Nathanator (13) entered into a steady spell of rotating the strike with singles and the odd 2, keeping the scoreboard ticking at a run-a-ball. Josh Winfield again started to free his arms after feeling his way around a slow, low pitch and like last week, began hitting boundaries with increasing regularity. With only young paceman Brad Alton (3-0-14-1) impressing with the ball, Ballbag was joined at the death by another Trout debutant Simon Rider (11*), and the pair took the team to a challenging 129/4 at the interval, Winfield (43) clearing long on with a towering 6 before unsuccessfully trying to chip short fine leg in the last over.

Matty Taylor opened up looking to make up for his annihilation at Yattendon and with some good lines took 2/9 from his 3 over spell including a wicket-maiden. Tom Allison (1/23), still fired up from a confrontation on Saturday with a particularly obnoxious Hurst 2s batsman, also bowled well and was unlucky not to take more wickets, regularly bewildering the batsmen with nagging in-duckers that also jagged off the seam, but the inswingers also costing him in the wide department. At 32/2 from 4 overs, Quantel were well up with the run rate but the introduction of Man-of-the-Match Nick Monger swung the game definitively in Town’s favour, watched on by his old man Vince who earlier produced a Jonty Rhodes diving save in the field. Mixing up his pace and flight, Mongman (3-0-13-4)` had the Quantel changing room aflutter, Rochy claiming 2 of his victims with neat stumpings, and a third blatantly-out stumping inexplicably turned down denying the Monk a deserved 5-for. Mention must go to the left arm orthodox of Eddie-the-Cheesemonster (3-0-6-1), who bowled a wily (geddit?) line and length at just 2 runs per 8-ball over. With fortune favouring the Monger’s, Vince was called on to bowl but he declined and Rochy instead opted for more spin via Felix HR (2-0-5-2), with Rochy taking a 3rd stumping off a rubbish leg-side wide. Finally the ball was struck toward Dave Allison, still grinning like a Cheshire cat at his Mighty Trouts call-up, but the easiest catch of the day was comically shelled. Undeterred Felix bowled his man instead to complete a good allround performance. Only B. Flux (10) made double figures and Quantel were all out for 71.
Cue the dash to the Rising Sun pub in Stockcross and a tea of burgers and wedges and a choice of 5 West Berkshire Brewery ales and the local Tutts Clump cider... good times.
Promotion to Div 2 is still on the cards!! Weds' upcoming game against top-of-the-table Cold Ash could be the defining game of the season. COYT!! (Come on You Trouts!!)

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham XI- Wednesday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 4 wickets
0
129		        
Felix Hartley Russell b Alton 31 4 1
Nathan Redmond b Keep 13
Chris Rochfort ct Thornton 13 3
Josh Winfield ct Knape 43 3 2 1
Simon Rider Not Out  11
Nick Monger Not Out  0
Eddie Wylie  
Vince Monger  
David Allison  
Tom Allison  
Matt Taylor  

Quantel Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
W. Knape3.0029129.009.67
B. Alton3.0014114.004.67
A. Keep3.0021121.007.00
B. Flux3.003000.0010.00
R. Thornton2.0018118.009.00
R. Scarr1.001100.0011.00

Quantel Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 20w 4b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
28
71 (15.0 overs)		     
M. Digweed b M. Taylor 0
B. Flux st N. Monger 10
B. Alton b T. Allison 1
I. Dixon b M. Taylor 7
L. Rogers b N. Monger 0
A. Keep b N. Monger 5
M. Aspwall st N. Monger 1
W. Knape ct E. Wylie 5
M. Heaford st F. Hartley-Russell 8
R. Scarr b F. Hartley-Russell 2
R. Thornton Not Out  1

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham XI- Wednesday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Matt Taylor3.01924.503.00
Tom Allison3.0023123.007.67
Nick Monger3.001343.254.33
Eddie Wylie3.00616.002.00
Felix Hartley Russell2.00522.502.50
Nathan Redmond1.00800.008.00