AMERSHAM CC

Scorecard

AMERSHAM CC Saturday 2nd X1 v Stoke Green on Sat 13 Jun 2009 at 13:30
AMERSHAM CC Lost By 12 runs

Match report Amersham fall just short of an improabable win
The recent good run by Amersham II's was brought to an end with defeat to a well drilled Stoke Green side.....but only just!
On a glorious day at Shardeloes, Amersham were asked to bowl first on a hard and true wicket beautifully arranged by Groundsman Jim. As ever, Ward and Rogers opened the bowling with the latter continuing his miserly form. Ward was hit down the ground on a number of occasions but made the first and second breakthroughs with good straight bowling. Rogers, having gone wicketless last week, appeared to be without luck once again. His increasing pace, and intelligent use of swing (honestly!)was too much for the Stoke top order. The ball thus passed the bat on numerous occasions only touching the edge on his very last delivery, clung onto by Ash at second slip. A well deserved wicket for a good spell of fast bowling.
The enforced rest brought Dixon, with a point to prove to the skipper, into the attack. His first over ended with an official warning for running down the wicket and subsequent removal from the attack.
As the 20 over mark was reached at 71-3, Malik (88)and Chaudrey (31)were beginning their assault on the Amersham attack. Wards last couple of overs somewhat ruined his figures (before he finally fell over after another 10 over spell and sepnt the rest of the innings at first slip), whilst Emsley, unlucky with a dropeed catch at long-on, was savaged.
Ash brought himself into the attack and introduced a bit of calm to the proceedings, as well as inducing the demise of Chaudrey.
Amersham were somewhat Jekyll & Hyde-like in the field as the afternoon sun shone down. Three dropped catches, a missed stumping, and an uncharacteristically untidy display behind the stumps from Ketteringham let Malik, in particular, off the hook (gifting another 30-50 runs) whilst Colquhoun with a direct hit and Weston, (ensuring he was included in the write up this week) with a strong arm, brought about two run outs.
Rogers managed another three overs before the heat became too much (the girl) so it was left to Ash and Dixon (bowling from our umpires end!) to bowl at the death. Both bowled with a certain control but were punished for anything off line.
Malik, the last man out, batted with great composure and worked well with the tail offering his wicket for the good of the team rather than batting for his 100.
Amersham tea-d believing 210 was well within their grasp.................an hour later, tettering on 50-7, the grasp had loosened quite considerably!
I am at a loss to explain what happened, mainly because it was so bloody quick, but it was neither brilliant bowling or woeful batting - it just happened.
Weston (tickling one down leg side), Ketteringham (caught luckily behind the wicket), Palmer (run out having been called for a "quick" run), Hamilton Pike (bowled through an extravagant drive), Khandelwal, Emsley & Ash (bowled by Ok ones) were all gone within 18 overs.
Thank God for Colquhoun and Ward!
Colquhoun continued his superb start to the season with wonderful shots all around the ground - the difference in class was abundantly obvious as straight drives and pulls through mid-wicket sped to the boundary. This skipper loves him batting at 3!
And then there was Ward. Demoted to 9 to get a bit of a rest (although there wasn't much time for that) after an arduous fielding display, Ward similarly continued his good form with 90% of his runs coming down the ground.
The chirping that had, understandably, been prevalent became less vocal amongst the Stoke Green players as the partnership passed fifty.
Hope, growing in the Amersham camp with every run, was dashed, however, as Colquhoun played one drive too many and was well caught in the slips for 58 with the score on 108.
Dixon walked to the crease with just over 100 needed with his words (let's not panic) ringing in the sippers ears.
He sensibly rotated the strike to ensure the more dominant Ward faced the lions share of the deliveries but struck anything loose when received. Astonishingly, given our earlier position, the result of the match began swinging back in Amersham's favour and a shock victory was on the cards. The target began shrinking as Ward passed 50 and Dixon moved into double figures - 70, 60, 50...!
There were a couple of twists left though.
Ward's wonderful innings of 79 finally came to an end with the faintest of touches down the leg side off the impressive Patel (4-59) leaving our final pair to hit the remaining 39 runs off 9 overs.
They did wonderfully well with Dixon taking responsibility and coaching his younger partner through. Fabulous shots through mid wicket and down the ground continued piling the pressure on the Stoke Green bowlers.
Unfortunately it was not to be. Rogers was dismissed by a tumbling catch at slip off Ifraz (4-64)(the ball finishing up in the catchers lap) with 12 runs needed in 3.2 overs.
A great fight back by the lower order but perhaps we used our luck last week. Windsor will feel our fury next week!!
Men of the Match - Colquhoun, Ward, Dixon
TFC's - Ketteringham, Weston, Palmer, Hamilton-Pike, Khandelwal, Emsley, Ash

Stoke Green Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
210 (0.0 overs)		     
C. Bourne ct  & Bowled Ward 9
S. Patel lbw  Ward 10
W. Afzal ct  Ash b. Rogers 24
S. Malik b  Dixon 88
S. Chaudrey ct  Dixon b. Ash 31
I. Ahmed Run out  16
R. Ifraz Run out  6
I. Mughal ct  & Bowled Ash 1
R. Sharma b  Ash 5
T. Razaq b  Dixon 6
B. Quelch Not Out  0

AMERSHAM CC Saturday 2nd X1 Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Duncan Ward10.0045222.504.50
Stuart Rogers11.0231131.002.82
Tom Dixon10.4143221.504.03
Steve Emsley3.003000.0010.00
Matthew Ash12.0256318.674.67

AMERSHAM CC Saturday 2nd X1 Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
198		        
Elliot Ketteringham ct  Patel 0
Paul Weston ct  Ifraz 0
Dan Colquhoun ct  Mughal 58 1
Neil Palmer Run out  0
Evan Hamilton-Pike b  Ifraz 0
Ankur Khandelwal b  Patel 5
Steve Emsley b  Ifraz 0
Matthew Ash b  Ifraz 4 2
Duncan Ward ct  Patel 79 1
Tom Dixon Not Out  37 1
Stuart Rogers ct  Patel 0

Stoke Green Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Patel16.4459414.753.54
Ifraz18.0464416.003.56
Malik7.002000.002.86
Afzal3.002300.007.67
Mughal6.0024124.004.00

  • Umpire :
    Greg Theaker
  • Scorer :