Scorecard

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday v Wokingham 2 on Sat 20 Jun 2015 at 1.00
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Lost by 50 runs

Match report It was six and out for Thatcham as their impressive unbeaten run came to a grinding halt against a determined Wokingham second string on Saturday at Brownsfield as the hosts went down by a 50 run margin.

Wokingham won the toss and elected to bat and Scott Gibson struck immediately, clean bowling Ashford for 4. Hicks and Clarke then put on 64 and it wasn't until the 19th over when the spin of John Williams trapped Clarke lbw for 31. Australia women's international Alex Blackwell entered the fray at four for the visitors and together with Hicks added 24 to push the score up to 100 before Hicks finally found a fielder, rather than a gap, and perished for 54 to Chris Bird. Myles (2) and Staples (0) both went in the blink of an eye to John Williams and suddenly at 110-5, Thatcham had wrestled the game back in their favour. Wokingham skipper Gillespie (12) signalled his intent, blasting a four and a big six over deep midwicket but the experience and guile of Chris Bird accounted for him as he came down the track and Bird ripped one past his outside edge allowing Jack Young to complete the stumping. Wicketkeeper Taylor added a useful 34 runs with Blackwell until Bird struck again with a double wicket maiden, Taylor was caught by Josh Winfield for 17 and then the very next ball Blackwell was clean bowled for 32. The visitors were now 159-8 with 8 overs to bat and Thatcham were looking to wrap up the innings cheaply. Healy had other ideas though and together with Wade (8) and Jain (4*) added a vital 37 runs before he holed out to Callum Johnson on the boundary for 20. This gave John Williams a deserved 5 wicket haul as Wokingham were bowled out for 196 in the 51st over. Williams finished with 5-66 from 18 overs, Chris Bird returned 4-31 from 12 overs and the other wicket taker was Scott Gibson, 1-50 from 13 overs.

Thatcham commenced their reply knowing they'd have to bat well with the likes of Simon Rider, Josh O'Flynn, Felix Hartley Russell and Tom Mahoney all missing from their line up, but just 3 overs had been bowled when Simon Gale chipped a drive to mid-on off Staples and departed for 2. Callum Johnson (8) was next to go as he found one of the two fielders positioned at short extra cover for the left arm spin of Jain and when Jack Young was brilliantly caught at slip for 16 off Staples, the home sides reply was in disarray. 32-3 became 42-4 as Steven Bartholomew nicked Staples for 4 and Thatcham desperately needed a partnership. Josh Winfield has reigned in his power game and was holding out with great maturity at one end but frustratingly a combination of poor shots and good pressure meant that wickets kept falling around him. Chris Rochfort (9) was caught and then John Williams (0) repeated the dose and at 61-6 things looked desperate. Wade then deceived Winfield with a slower ball and he was bowled for 19 and Scott Gibson (1) was caught by Blackwell in the gully, also off Wade. Thatcham now 85-8 and a 25 point victory was within Wokingham's grasp. Having been injured in the field, Matthew Denness (groin) and Duncan Johnson (wrist) were at eight and ten and set about trying to reach the total in determined fashion. Denness batted beautifully, with his trademark cut shot employed to devastating fashion as the ball raced to the boundary with regularity. Johnson tried to give Denness the strike as much as possible, but when a chance came he also punished the Wokingham attack. The partnership had reached 61, with Thatcham at 146-8 and well within sight of a remarkable victory when Denness agonisingly sparred outside the off stump and could only direct the ball to Jain in the gully and was dismissed for a brilliant 61, which included a 'six' and eleven 'fours'. With 50 required from 13 overs, the impossible was still on but when last man Chris Bird was clean bowled first up, Clarke has taken two wickets in two balls and given his side a precious 25 points. Johnson remained unbeaten on 15*, his side dismissed in just 36.2 overs in what was a desperately disappointing batting display against a 2nd XI attack. Young seamers Staples 3-23, Wade 3-24 and Clarke 2-10 bowled really well and the left arm spin of Jain returned 2-59 from his 16 overs.

The massive disappointment in the Clubhouse after such a sorry performance was brightened somewhat by the news that Purley had beaten Aldershot and Thatcham retained the top spot by a 13 point margin. It was safe to say a bullet had been dodged and now Thatcham need to go on another unbeaten run, starting Saturday when they visit Finchampstead to play their 3rd XI.

Wokingham 2 Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1w 6b 5lb 
for 10 wickets
12
196 (51.0 overs)		     
P Hicks Caught  54
D Ashford Bowled  4
Clarke Lbw  31
A Blackwell Bowled  32
Myles Caught  2
Staples Stumped  0
D Gillespie Stumped  12
Taylor Caught  17
Wade Caught  8
Healy Caught  20
Jain Not Out  4

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Callum Johnson8.023800.004.75
Scott Gibson13.0250150.003.85
John Williams18.0166513.203.67
Chris Bird12.033147.752.58

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
7w 2b 1lb 
for 10 wickets
10
146		        
Simon Gale Caught  3 1
Callum Johnson Caught  8 2 2
Jack Young Caught  16 2 1 2
Josh Winfield Bowled  19 2 1
Steve Bartholomew Caught  4 1 1
Chris Rochfort Caught  9 1
John Williams Caught  0
Matthew Denness Caught  61 11 1
Scott Gibson Caught  1
Duncan Johnson Not Out  15 3
Chris Bird Bowled  0

Wokingham 2 Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jain16.0359229.503.69
Staples7.032337.673.29
Wade6.022438.004.00
Gillespie2.011400.007.00
Healy3.002700.009.00
Clarke2.201025.004.29

  • Umpire :
    TVL Panel
  • Scorer :
    Rocky