Old Parkonians v BENFLEET CRICKET CLUB Benfleet 3rd XI on Sat 18 Aug 2007 at 12:30pm
Match was Drawn
Old Parks v Benfleet
Benfleet won the toss and fielded.
Old Parks 242 for 6, Benfleet 208 for 9 (M.Ware 89)
Match Drawn - Old Parks 12, Benfleet 6.
Another fixture where it is always nice to get a win but not very often that it happens. Capn Willis got to the ground and with Benny, Tony Russ and Jacko all stuck on route the obvious decision would be to bat first when the toss was won.
But a niggling feeling was playing with the skippers mind. The top four had all been out of form and the prospect of being 10 for 3 with half the team missing didn't bode well, the weather looked decidedly dodgy as well, we had two second team bowlers with us AND the opposition looked decidedly young..... We'll Field !
The Old Parks skipper was clearly taken aback and didn't seem too pleased.
Setting a field with just 8 fielders was not easy and it was going to be tricky to keep the runs down. Indeed Chris Wilkins opening with the new ball was dismayed to see, a few clips and nudges meant his first over went for 12 !
However, the mathc progressed and the Peter Boat got going at the other end to put the brakes on, and Wilko bowled an absolute beaut to peg back the openers off stump to make it 22 for 1.
As the rest of the team arrived, we were back in the game but Old Parks continued to score on the fast outfield. Y.Karine in particular going ariel and getting every sort of luck going. It soon became attritional with OP's ammassing 242 for 6 with Karina eventually going for 67 thanks to a smart fallng catch at short mid off from Jacko off Amrish Joshi's bowling.
Joshi managed to pick up three wickets with the most ragged assortment of long hops, twice bouncers and the odd good ball that you will ever see.
Enough for Chris Wilkins to seethe after his 15.3 overs of half decent seam bowlng went for 92. Welcome to 3rd team cricket Wilko.
The total looked a bit daunting with probably 30 or 40 more runs being conceded than ideal. Benny Ware and Gav Blowes opened the reply for Benfleet.
Gav fell early for 5 and the luckless Jacko followed soon after for a duck.
Tony Russ, and Ben Singer also failed and Benny was starting to look like the only one to trouble the scorer.
His 50 came up and as we entered the last 20 overs skipper Willis was keen to keep Benny going with a target of 140 off the last 20 we had a chance.
By now the grey skies had finally started to get ugly and light rain decided to accompany the chase, but with both sides 'in the game' there was no need to come off.
The Old Parks skipper then pulled a master stroke, bringing on his young son who immediately made an impact with a beautiful leg spinner that pitched outside leg and turned past the bat and the off stump !
It was enough to worry, Ware and Willis who were looking to get 5 an over to force it home.
Willis perished trying to play for the spin with a push, and got beaten by the arm ball that took his leg stump and Benny followed soon after from a full toss
when on 89 !! Great knock Benny.
Chris Coldicott then came out playng his first game for the 3s and immediately looked quite a home in the wet against some good bowling.
Pete Hitchcock came in with him and the two batted superbly to share a stand of 50 although the game had just got away from us.
Chris eventually went for 35 and Pete holed out on the last ball for 29 to share a draw.
Next Match : Home to Leigh
BENFLEET CRICKET CLUB Benfleet 3rd XI Batting
208 for 9
Old Parkonians Bowling
Old Parkonians Batting
242 for 6
BENFLEET CRICKET CLUB Benfleet 3rd XI Bowling