Scorecard

North Maidenhead v Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday on Sat 07 Aug 2004 at 1.30pm
Match was Drawn

Match report A series of missed opportunities cost Thatcham dear in their table topping clash with North Maidenhead on Saturday. The home side won the toss and decided to bat first on a green wicket, which played alright but was very slow and low.

James Theunissen made the first breakthrough in the fourth over, trapping Shaw lbw for 0 and Bradman Ediriweera followed that up when he bowled Martin soon after. Theunissen came out of the attack after a five over spell and spin was introduced in the shape of Chris Bird and he immediately settled into a good rhythm, bowling a good line and length.

He picked up the third wicket when Rickman tried to break the shackles and was bowled as he came down the track and at 53-3 off 20 Thatcham were on top. Maidenhead would have been happy to see South African Jaco Du Plessis come to the wicket and he quickly settled, patiently waiting for a bad ball and never missing an opportunity when it came. Malpas had bedded in at the other end and set himself to try to bat through. They gradually increased the run rate and had added 64 when the re introduction of Theunissen saw the opener bowled for 47.

Carter joined Du Plessis in what was to prove the key partnership but Thatcham had their chances to break it and failed to take them. First Carter, on 2, miscued Duncan Johnson to mid off but the simple catch went down and then Du Plessis, having just passed fifty, edged one into his pad and Chris Wright did very well to get round in front of him but the ball fell from his grasp when he hit the ground.

Ediriweera came back to bowl the last four overs from one end and he broke the partnership in the 49th over but Carter’s contribution of 38 to the 79 run stand had helped put his side into a strong position. Johnson bowled an excellent 50th over, conceding only three runs and taking the wicket of Rudd and Ediriweera picked up his third wicket to finish with 3-49 from 15. The 52nd and final over started with Maidenhead on 204-7 but unfortunately for the visitors ended at 226-7 as Du Plessis hit the Thatcham captain for 6, 6, 4, 2 and four off the final ball to bring up his 100.

As expected the home side opened with the spin of Leigh Atkinson and Mark Dozell and Thatcham were soon in trouble as Jim Ettridge, despite apparently edging the ball, was given out lbw to the Maidenhead captain for 0 in the third over. Steve Wyatt joined Ediriweera and the pair started cautiously before taking the attack to Maidenhead.

Dozell was replaced by Du Plessis and Atkinson by Martin but the Thatcham pair didn’t let either get into any sort of rhythm, punishing any bad balls that came their way. Ediriweera reached his fifty with his tenth four and looked set to bat through the innings. The 100 came up in the 23rd over and at the halfway point Thatcham needed five an over with nine wickets in hand.

Atkinson brought himself and Du Plessis back on, hoping that the two best bowlers could break the partnership and get his side back into the game. Atkinson did the trick in his third over back as Ediriweera went for a sweep shot and was lbw for a brilliant 78. The wicket fell at 135, leaving 92 required from 19 overs.

Wyatt reached his half century but two balls later Du Plessis got one through him and he was gone for 54. With both set batsmen gone Maidenhead sensed the opportunity to get back into the game and when Chris Wright followed in the next over Thatcham were 144-4 with 15 overs to go.

However, the home side’s bowlers now applied the pressure and Daniel Stone and Johnson were unable to get them away as only 20 runs came in the next seven overs. Stone tried to break the shackles but was caught behind for 10 off Du Plessis. With plenty of batting still to come eight an over was in range but Robb Fraser’s run of good form ended abruptly as he was bowled by Atkinson for 1 and Andy Harland followed in the spinner’s next over, unluckily sweeping one into his boot which then ballooned up to the keeper.

Johnson then took matters into his own hands and with Theunissen offering valuable help Thatcham were back in with half a chance. From needing 50 off five overs they managed to get the target down to 20 from two and some optimism returned to the visitors. Johnson went for a big hit off the first ball of the 47th over, only to pick out Carter on the deep square boundary and he took an excellent catch to dismiss the Thatcham captain for 33. When Theunissen followed two balls later for 13 the visitors decided that with 18 needed off 9 they had to minimise the damage and prevent the league leaders grabbing 25 points. Peter Edgcombe defiantly hit Du Plessis for four in the final over but the innings closed on 219-9.

Atkinson finished with 7-62 from 19 overs and Du Plessis 2-63 from 15 to round off a fine all round performance. Thatcham dropped a further eight points behind Maidenhead and with four games left now face a mountain to climb as they try to make up 37 points in four games.

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
219		        
Bradman Ediriweera Lbw  78
James Ettridge Lbw  0
Steve Wyatt Bowled  54
Chris Wright Caught  1
Dan Stone Caught  10
Duncan Johnson Caught  3
Robb Fraser Bowled  1
Andy Harland Caught  6
James Theunissen Bowled  13
Chris Bird Not Out  1
Peter Edgcombe Not Out  6

North Maidenhead Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

North Maidenhead Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 7 wickets
0
226 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Bradman Ediriweera15.0549316.333.27
James Theunissen10.0140220.004.00
Chris Bird11.0328128.002.55
Peter Edgcombe6.012700.004.50
Duncan Johnson10.0071171.007.10

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Ian Martin