Scorecard

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday v Beaconsfield on Sat 16 Jul 2016 at 1.00
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Lost by 117 runs

Match report It was another desperately disappointing day for Thatcham as they went down to relegation threatened Beaconsfield by 117 runs at Brownsfield on Saturday.

Thatcham's inconsistencies with both bat and ball rose to the fore again, they are a very young side with the exception of skipper Duncan Johnson, Chris Bird and Matthew Denness, and this can be an issue when it comes to consistent performances week in and week out.

Johnson won the toss and although it was a warm day and a good looking track, opted to chase as the previous meeting with Beaconsfield proved them to be a tough side to bowl out with a plethora of left handed batsmen. Restricting the visitors to a gettable total and chasing was Thatcham's best chance of 25 points.

Adam Francis and Jason Harrison opened up for the visitors against the new ball attack of Callum Johnson and Jack Andrews. Andrews spell only lasted 2 overs as he was replaced by Josh O'Flynn but nothing was happening for the home side with far too many boundary balls gifted up to the Beaconsfield batters as they raced to 42-0 from the first 10 overs. The pair doubled this and after 22 overs the visitors were handily placed at 100-0, a fantastic platform with which to launch an assault in the later overs. It took the introduction of 16 year old George Armstrong to provide a breakthrough for the home side as he found a good line and length and clean bowled Francis for 43. Armstrong finished his spell of 6 overs with tidy figures of 1-25 and once again performed admirably. Thatcham now needed the spin twins of Chris Bird and John Williams to put the brakes on the Beaconsfield innings and apply some sort of control for their side. The awkward style of the left handed Odedra was proving difficult to bowl to and although Williams bowled Harrison for 70, this brought David Heavyside to the crease with a reputation for hitting a long ball and so it proved as he blasted five huge 6's and four 4's in a brutal knock of 74*, adding a further 118 runs with Odedra who finished unbeaten on 57* as the visitors finished their 52 overs at 262-2.

Chris Bird finished wicketless for the first time in many a game, although he bowled with control, his 12 overs only yielding 39 runs. George Armstrong returned 1-25 from his 6 overs and John Williams 1-45 from his 9 overs were the only other successes.

With a fantastic deck, a quick outfield and a long batting line up, 262 was probably only a par score but Thatcham made the worst possible start as Beaconsfield took the old ball and opened up with spinners Rendell and Sullivan. The wily off spin of Sullivan dismissed Josh O'Flynn with the first ball of the reply, luring the left hander into a poke outside off stump and O'Flynn edged behind. Last weeks stand out performer Kieran Wood entered the fray but could only watch on as Sullivan turned one through the gate to clean bowl him for 6 and when Duncan Johnson drove hard at Sullivan and was caught at point for 3, the Thatcham reply was in disarray at 28-3 through 10 overs. Peter Spriggs and Jack Young then both batted sensibly to rebuild the innings both looking in excellent touch as they added 63 runs together before the introduction of Odedra accounted for Spriggs who edged behind for 34. The old cricketing term of 'one brings two' then rang true as Young followed Spriggs in Odedra's very next over, clean bowled for 41 and Thatcham were in trouble at 100-5 through 25 overs. The required rate was now approaching 8 an over and with just the 5 wickets in hand it was looking an improbable task. Thatcham do possess some firepower in the lower order but it was not to be as just a further 45 runs were added as wickets fell at regular intervals. Matt Denness had patiently compiled 9 runs before he was bowled by Musk, John Williams mis-cued Odedra and was caught for 17, Jack Andrews was bowled by Rendell for 17, George Armstrong left a ball from Sullivan that turned sharply and clean bowled him for 0 and Chris Bird fell for 1 attempting to slog sweep Sullivan over deep mid-wicket only to be caught and give Sullivan a five-wicket haul and Beaconsfield a priceless 25 points. Callum Johnson was left unbeaten on 2* as the home sides reply finished at 145 all out in just 41 overs.

The spin heavy Beaconsfield attack bowled with far more discipline than their hosts, Sullivan returned 5-30 from his 11 overs, Rendell 1-37 from his 11 overs and Sam Musk, 1-37 from his 10 overs. Odedra completed a fine match as his medium pace claimed 3-28 from a 7 over spell in a man of the match display.

Thatcham remain in 7th spot, although on the same number of points as next weeks opponents Burnham 2's and Beaconsfield make a big leap up to within just 3 points of both Thatcham and Burnham 2's courtesy of their victory.

A much improved performance is required at Burnham if Thatcham are to remain outside of the relegation places by the end of play next Saturday.

Beaconsfield Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
3nb 11w 4lb 
for 2 wickets
18
262 (52.0 overs)		     
Adam Francis b  George Armstrong 43
Jason Harrison b  John Williams 70
Nilesh Odedra Not Out  57
David Heavyside Not Out  74
Sam Musk  
Andy Higgins  
Brian Richardson  
James Rendell  
Mark Sullivan  
Ross Richardson  
Connor Thomas  

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Callum Johnson7.023200.004.57
Jack Andrews6.014400.007.33
Josh O'Flynn10.014900.004.90
George Armstrong6.0025125.004.17
Chris Bird12.033900.003.25
John Williams9.0045145.005.00
Peter Spriggs2.002400.0012.00

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 2w 11b  
for 10 wickets
15
145		        
Josh O'Flynn ct  Mark Sullivan 0
Peter Spriggs ct  Nilesh Odedra 34 3
Kieran Wood b  Mark Sullivan 6
Duncan Johnson ct  Mark Sullivan 3
Jack Young b  Nilesh Odedra 41 6 1
Matthew Denness b  Sam Musk 9
John Williams ct  Nilesh Odedra 17 2
Jack Andrews b  James Rendell 17 2
Callum Johnson Not Out  2
George Armstrong b  Mark Sullivan 0
Chris Bird ct  Mark Sullivan 1

Beaconsfield Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Mark Sullivan11.003056.002.73
James Rendell11.0137137.003.36
Sam Musk10.0137137.003.70
Nilesh Odedra7.002839.334.00
Connor Thomas2.00200.001.00

  • Umpire :
    TVCL Panel
  • Scorer :
    Paul Armstrong