Scorecard

Amersham v Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday on Sat 21 Aug 2004 at 12.30pm
Thatcham Town Cricket Club Won 5 wickets

Match report Having failed to take advantage of North Maidenhead’s defeat the week before Thatcham captain Robb Fraser elected to send Amersham in to bat on a wet wicket and give his side the best chance of a win. As it turned out a win for the leaders at home to High Wycombe 2’s meant the gap would remain at 33 points.

They got off to the perfect start as Bradman Ediriweera (1-22) drew Warner into a false stroke in the first over and Matt Denness took the simple catch at cover. Bennetto and Viney set about building the innings, with the former particularly keen to go for his shots. Peter Edgcombe (1-25) followed in Ediriweera’s footsteps by taking a wicket in his first over as Bennetto went for one shot too many and edged a fine outswinger to slip.

Owen followed soon afterwards to Nick Bishop as Chris Wright parried a bottom thick edge on to Jim Ettridge at slip. Stephenson came in and took the initiative, looking strong on the drive and sweep shots. Along with Viney they took the score along to 86 in the 29th over when the opener’s anchor was finally prised up. Needing to increase the run rate he advanced down the track to Bishop who turned on past the left hander and gave Wright the simplest of stumping chances.

Andrews followed Stephenson’s lead, although neither could get Bishop away, the off spinner varying flight and pace superbly. A change in the field brought about Stephenson’s dismissal for 38 as he tried to hit over the top and Bishop ran back to take a good caught and bowled. The sixth wicket soon followed, as Hamilton-Pike was well caught by Wright off Bishop and Amersham Skipper Ward was bowled eight runs later to give the veteran spinner a well deserved fifth wicket.

James Theunissen came back and kept things very tight towards the end of the innings but Andrews managed to keep the scoreboard moving, albeit slowly. With boundaries difficult to come by Hands went for a single to short fine leg but reckoned without the rocket powered arm of Chris Bird and was run out by yards. Theunissen picked up his first wicket, bowling Rajabali and then got a second when he trapped Andrews in front in the final over to end the innings on 167.

Theunissen finished with good figures of 2-36 from 11.3 overs but the star of the show was Bishop with 5-48 from 19 overs.

Having seen the wicket offer assistance to spin Amersham opened with left armer Rajabali, a man with 51 league wickets to his name already this season. However, he hasn’t bowled to Bradman Ediriweera every week and the Sri Lankan signalled his intentions with a big six over long on in his first over. Every time the spinner tossed the ball up Ediriweera used his feet superbly to pick him off for easy singles and when he got right to the pitch of the ball, fours and sixes. This caused Rajabali to drop the ball short and he was then cut away for more boundaries.

Ettridge looked to play the anchor role but didn’t miss an opportunity to score and played some fine shots of his own. Ediriweera reached his half century, his sixth of the season, from only 41 balls with his third six. Rajabali’s next over saw two more fours and a fourth six as the hundred came up in the 15th over.

With a century seeming inevitable all in the ground were stunned when Ediriweera played a lazy shot in Hands’ first over and was caught at cover for a splendid 71 and ended his partnership with Ettridge on 111. Nelson struck again in the very next over as Denness tried to cut Owen’s first ball and was caught behind for 0. 111-2 became 112-3 as Daniel Stone fell in identical fashion to Denness.

Last week’s centurion Rakesh Patel came in and looked solid enough, adding 21 with Ettridge before he mishit one to mid off and was gone for 10. Chris Wright, who has struggled for form this year, was positive from the start and any thoughts of a typical Thatcham collapse were quickly dispelled as a flurry of boundaries from the wicketkeeper took the visitors to within ten of victory.

Meanwhile Etrridge had moved quietly onto 46 but as he went for the shot to bring up his fifty he miscued to long off. The end was not long in coming though as Wright (30 n.o) despatched Rajabali straight back over his head for six to finish the game in fine style.

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
168		        
Bradman Ediriweera Caught  71 1
James Ettridge Caught  46 1
Matthew Denness Caught  0 1
Dan Stone Caught  0
Rakesh Patel Caught  10
Chris Wright Not Out  30 1 1
Robb Fraser Not Out  0
Nick Bishop   1
Nick Bishop  
Chris Bird  
Peter Edgcombe  

Amersham Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Amersham Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
167 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thatcham Town Cricket Club Thatcham 1XI- Saturday Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Bradman Ediriweera7.0122122.003.14
James Theunissen11.3036218.003.13
Peter Edgcombe8.0025125.003.12
Nick Bishop19.044859.602.53
Chris Bird6.003100.005.17

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    Anyone know someone who could score?