Skippers Final Farewell Finishes Fantastically

Betsham All Out for 142
Shoreham 146-6

Shoreham Win by 4 Wickets

After winning the toss in his final game of the season the Sunday Skipper had no hesitation in putting the opposition into bat and being the unselfish guy he is decided to open the bowling down the hill with the wind, while poor Ed Walker had the hill and the wind to battle against (I suppose it’s the advantage of being skipper!!!).

Within the first 6 overs the home side got off to a cracking start with runs coming thick and fast with the batsmen getting full value for their runs, 4′s a plenty. With the score on 60 the first wicket was well over due and the skipper duly obliged with a delivery cutting back and cleaning up the opener Skivingtons middle stump. With the confidence now flowing Walker clean bowled the other opener Rasho for 36 another peach of a delivery leaving the stumps in tatters and Alex and Pat diving for cover from the flying bails !!

This brought together the two most explosive Betsham batmen, Whifield and Bam (Whitfield always getting a ton when the two teams meet and Bam an overseas player from South Africa with a KP hairstyle and Kamikaze batting style to match). The skipper persisted with himself and Walker knowing if both batmens could be got rid of the game would be in Shorehams reach !!

The Skipper came up trumps and clean Bowled Bam for 18 and in the following over Walker got the all important wicket of Whitfield for 27 with a rasping delivery taking middle stump out of the ground, the score now on 110-4, this quickly went to 110-5 with the skipper getting his 3rd of the day. A great display of partnership bowling from Walker and Bromfield !!

With the damage done, Bromfield turned to his younger brother to take the fight to Betsham and this inspired change bore fruit with James’s first ball, another cleaned bowled and only Bromfield Jnr 2nd wicket of the season .

At the other end Brad Simms replaced the impressive Walker and was immediately getting more swing than a 1970′s disco, Confusing the Betsham batsman and even managing to get a SUNDAY LBW decision to everyone’s amazement. Bromfield Jnr was causing trouble at the top and had a great shout from LBW which was turned down but the quick thinking Haysler seeing the Batman out of his crease stumped him.

the betsham innings was coming apart at the seams and Brad Simms finished off them with a great catch from Jack Rivett and a lovely cleaned bowled.

Betsham were all out for 142 after being 102-2. Great effort Boys. (Don’t worry Greg I told you I wouldn’t mention your dropped catch)

With no early tea Nick Walker and S Bromfield opened the Shoreham innings at 2.30pm which surely has to be a record !! with both batmen struggling to move their feet and chasing loose delivers, it looked like an early wicket would fall but it was not the case with both batsman battling to get the score to 37 without lose but in the final over before tea, Nick lost his head and chased a wide one and was caught for only 4. With the score on 37-1 tea was taken.

After the break, Alex Haysler joined the skipper but didn’t last long and was clean bowled by the impressive Hermitage for 1. This brought Bob Simms to the crease and he took full of advantage of some early luck (dropped 3 times) and played some magnificent strokes rolling back the years. Meanwhile the skipper still struggling for a little bit of form managed to get to his 6th 50 of the season taking the team to within victory when he played a silly stoke against Bam, clean bowled for 63, with the score on 108-3.

Jack Rivett came to the crease and played a nice cameo of 8 from 2 balls but was soon clean bowled. Greg Taylor didn’t fair much better and was bowled for 0, this brought the score to 117-5 (surely not another collapse), but James Asplin came to the rescue and scored 16 with 4 impressive drives off some fast Betsham bowling (the feet was more impressive considering James left his glasses at home-Nick mentioned he should do this more often !!).

Shoreham were now within a whisker of Victory. However Asplin was clean bowled and left it to Pat Barratt to get the teams level with a lovely stroke for 1 but fittingly it was impressive Bob Sims who glanced the winning runs of his pads for 4 (leg bye’s) !!

Great Win in the Skippers final game

Man of the MATCH: THE BOWLERS (Great effort)

As it is my final game for a while I would just like to make a few Thank You’s to everybody who have helped me this season.

Most notably Richard Nash, Francis De Sousa, Kumar, Russell Brooks, Alex Haysler, George Rivett, Steve Gear and most especially Ed Walker (playing 2 games a weekend most weeks to help the Sunday team be a lot stronger).

These players have been the back-bone of the Sunday team through thick and the thin this season helping not only on the pitch, making it easy to captain as they are a great bunch of lads but also helping get EXTRA players when the team was ever short.

Thanks As well to Bob and Brad Simms, Ray Trick, Nick Walker, Dan Setterfield Russell Smith, Nick Pearce, Tom Palmer, Greg Taylor, James Bromfield and Steve K and all those I didn’t mention ESPECIALLY THE W.A.G.S and John Bromfield for lovely TEA’s.

Thanks to Ray Trick and Chris Brown who were also ready to over advice and sympathy over player recruitment.

But as a note to the CLUB where the atmosphere of League Cricket seems to dominate current thinking, please do not let the Sunday Team slip down the pecking order.

Sunday is a great day to play a good game of VILLAGE CRICKET in the best location in KENT, it is not a dead rubber game with nothing to play or aim towards. Sunday Friendly cricket offers the opportunity to not only develop new players but develop life long members and friends.

Have a great season next year guys, hopefully I will try and play at least 1 or 2 games.

Many Thanks

Sean Bromfield

Posted on Tuesday, 16th September, 2008 in Friendly Match Reports.