Scorecard

Finchampstead v Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday on Sat 28 Jun 2008 at 11.30am
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Won by 3 wickets

Match report Thatcham produced an excellent performance away at Finchampstead on Saturday as they chased down a below par total on an excellent wicket. Pro Ali Naqvi put in a match winning performance, firstly claiming a 5 wicket haul with the ball and then 74 not out with the bat to see his side home to a much needed maximum 25 point haul.

Winning the toss skipper Duncan Johnson inserted the home side and Sam Cheetham and Bucks opener Russell Lane made a steady, if unspectacular start against the Thatcham new ball attack of Naqvi and Paul Jenkins. Cheetham survived an early scare when he edged Naqvi high to Steve Wyatt at 1st slip only for the difficult chance to go down. It was Lane who was the aggressor punishing anything loose, mainly dealing in boundaries, but Jenkins and Naqvi stuck to the task well. With the score on 50 Lane hit Naqvi to James Ettridge, one of two gully’s, and he clung on, Lane going for 39 and it was a big wicket for the visitors.
Naqvi then bowled Cheetham for 18 and put his side right in the hunt. Jenkins meanwhile had finished a tidy and disciplined spell of 10 overs and deserved more than his 0-33 return, skipper Johnson replacing him with his left arm spin. Bell and Patterson set about rebuilding the Finch innings and both looking assured until Patterson drove Johnson to Bird, who took an excellent catch low down at mid-on to dismiss him for 28. Johnson then decided to give Naqvi the last over before the lunch break and he duly delivered with the very last ball trapping Augustus leg before for 8, to leave the score at 123-4 and nicely poised for the afternoon session.
Play resumed after lunch and Bell was making his way to a 50, when he tried one sweep too many and was bowled by Johnson for 46. Finch skipper Sam Taylor was next to go, Rakesh Patel taking a good catch at point as Johnson got his 3rd wicket, Taylor going for 14 and when Morris was caught behind by Dan Stone off the returning Naqvi, things were turning Thatcham’s way. Finch must surely have hoped for a 250+ total from their 60 overs but at 170-8 they were staring down the barrel. Naqvi and Johnson were really turning the screw, runs were not flowing and when Steve Bloyce tried to accelerate the rate his middle stump was knocked back by Naqvi as he celebrated another 5 wicket haul. It was left to Parson and Harper to get the home side’s total up above 200, as they finished on 208-8 from the 60 overs.
It was an excellent effort in the field, probably one of the best displays of the season with the bowling unit really functioning. Naqvi claiming 5-74 from 22 overs and Johnson 3-56 from 19 overs with Paul Jenkins and Chris Bird providing able support.

Thatcham openers Matt Denness and James Ettridge set about the reply against the pace and bounce of Steve Bloyce and Darren Augustus, but with the score on 28, Ettridge nicked Bloyce to Lane at 2nd slip and a good catch accounted for the in-form left hander for 14.
Steve Wyatt entered the fray at 3 and was positive from the off combining stout defence with bruising boundaries and he dominated a partnership of 40 with Denness before he played on Finch skipper Sam Taylor for 26. Denness was next to go, edging Parson to Harper at slip for a patient 17 and at 82-3 just before tea, the visitors needed Naqvi and Dan Stone to get to the interval with no further loss. Unfortunately wasn’t the case as Stone drove at Parson and edged to Bell in the gully for 6.
Skipper Johnson joined Naqvi and got to tea with no further alarm and after the interval the pair started to build the highest partnership of the innings to get their side nearer the Finch total. Naqvi was his usual calm, unflustered self, punishing any loose deliveries with a boundary and finding the gaps in the field with his usual expertise and the partnership reached 51 when Johnson, who had already hit two boundary four’s off Bloyce in the over had a rush of blood and egded a flat footed attempted drive to Hillman behind the stumps. It was a shot that left a lot to be desired for the situation the Thatcham skipper found himself in and he departed for a frustrating 17. Bloyce then trapped Rak Patel lbw for 0, and when Paul Jenkins tried to hit spinner Harper over wide on and only succeeded in finding Lane, Thatcham were 168-7 and still 41 runs short of victory. Finch thought they had a sniff, but working in Thatcham’s favour was the fact that Gavin MacDonald had tweaked a hamstring in the field and had gone down the order from his usual opening slot and walked to the crease at number 9 to support Naqvi.
MacDonald batted superbly, running as best he could between the wickets and letting Naqvi take control as the target was reached in 49.5 overs, Naqvi hitting a boundary to seal the win and take his score to 74 not out, with MacDonald 20 not out at the end, Thatcham 211-7 and a 3 wicket win and 25 points to climb above Buckingham Town and Gerrards Cross in the table to 6th.

Thatcham entertain high flying Basingstoke next week at Brownsfield without both MacDonald and Chris Bird, but will have skipper Andy Harland and Nick Bishop back and available for selection.

Finchampstead Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
208 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Ali Naqvi22.0174514.803.36
Paul Jenkins10.033300.003.30
Duncan Johnson19.0256318.672.95
Chris Bird9.004200.004.67

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 7 wickets
0
211		        
Matthew Denness Caught  17
James Ettridge Caught  14 1
Steve Wyatt Bowled  26
Ali Naqvi Not Out  74
Dan Stone Caught  6 1
Duncan Johnson Caught  17
Rakesh Patel Lbw  0 1
Paul Jenkins Caught  8
Gavin McDonald Not Out  20
Steve Bartholomew  
Chris Bird   1

Finchampstead Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Ian Martin