Chevening Amblers 130 for 7
Shoreham 132 for 9
Shoreham win by 1 wicket

After contrasting events for either Saturday side the previous day, the Sunday side were hoping to achieve three goals:

1. Win
2. Make it a ‘crowd pleaser’ in the immediate wake of the ashes triumph
3. Get down the pub as fast as possible

Read on to see if they achieved all three…

Pat won the toss (my sources tell me) and decided to field on a swelteringly hot day, and opened up with Steve and Nigel, who reduced the visitors to 8 for 3 from 6 overs, with Steve (8-6-6-2) bowling with venom and Nigel (5-3-6-1) bowling with Glenn McGrath style accuracy. They were then replaced with Tom Palmer (5-0-22-0) who bowled well with few breaks, except to wonder how the ball didn’t reach any of the fielders, before Alex continued his 100% record with 1 dropped catch on Saturday, and another on Sunday in a similar fashion, in the covers. Jamie Bromfield then struck a crucial breakthrough and set up a good spell for George Rivett (5-1-31-2), which started with 1 over for 15 runs, and the other 4 overs going for only 16 runs with two wickets to bring the score to 100 for 6. Sam Trick (7-1-22-0) then bowled a really tight spell at one end, with Alex Haysler (3-0-17-1) coming on and bowling their slogger with a quicker ball. Debutee Dan James (1-0-6-0) then bowled a tidy over to leave the target at a gettable 131.

After a Trick tea which went down a treat and left some of our senior spectators full (both in stomach and in confidentiality, so don’t worry Brownie), Ray and Nigel took to the crease, scoring quickly to reach 36 in 8 overs before Ray was out to a regulation edge for 10. George Rivett then arrived at the crease, found a hole in his bat, and promptly departed for a Golden duck, which brought Tom Palmer to the crease on a hat-trick ball, which he survived. However, Nigel departed the next over by skying a catch for 24 to leave the hosts struggling at 43 for 3. However, from then on, Tom knuckled down and Alex hung around to pull the home side ever nearer the target, before Domestic Tom departed for a well compiled 33, the top score for the innings. However, Alex then swung from the hip at a straight one and departed for 9, and Captain Pat departed for 1 in an innings where he kept finding that fielder with cover drive after cover drive, to leave Shoreham teetering on 87 for 6.

However, Paul Styles met Jamie Bromfield at the crease and put on a stand which saw them get to within touching distance of that target, with Jamie (16) departing with Shoreham needing 3 an over from the final 10 overs. Steve then met Paul at the crease and blasted 14 (a cry of ‘serious beans’ heard from the viewing gallery) before trying to finish the game with a six and leaving Shoreham on 128 for 8. Debutee Dan then departed for a golden to leave the players and spectators alike on the edge of their seats at 128 for 9, just three short of victory. Two overs passed without a run being, which added to the tension from the gallery, before Paul (13*) cut the last ball of the over for four to give Shoreham a tense, although well deserved victory – another good team effort. 2 out of 3 goals ain’t bad.

Alex Haysler

Posted on Wednesday, 26th August, 2009 in Friendly Match Reports.