Scorecard

Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Saturday 1st XI v West Reading 2 on Sat 04 Aug 2012 at 1:30
Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Won by 76 runs

Match report Despite early morning showers, the rain held off for what was a bright and sunny day.

The first topic of conversation was the newly "stolen" covers, which have now been spray painted green and yellow. Possession is 9/10s of the law after all.

Skipper Knight once again lost the toss and after some delay, the Crows were put into bat. Mickey Gopie and Ant Cluett strode out to the crease looking to make a solid start to the innings.

Despite middling the first 2 balls of the innings, Mickey was bowled a jaffa and a catch comfortably carried to second slip for a good catch. The experienced campaigner was replaced at the creased by Smokey Joe.

With the opening pace bowler bowling a good over, he was not so ably supported by a pie chucker at the other end. Ant making short work of the large full tosses eased himself to 8 off the over and the Crows were underway. The pie chucker was replaced after just one over.

Joe showed all his class and ability by effortlessly stroking a drive through the covers for a majestic 4, and looked in good nick with 2 more fine boundaries. However having smashed a couple of short balls, Smokey nicked the ball caught behind.

In came Jeff to join Ant at the crease and with Crows 16-2, it wasn't quite the start the Crows had expected. Jeff and Ant started building a partnership and with good running between the wickets and punishing the bad balls to the boundary.

Both players were finding good runs and navigated the Crows through to drinks at 22 overs with the score at 95. With the score at 106 Jeff was given a very high full toss to which misjudged and sent it skywards. He believed to be a no-ball, but having the rule clarified by his team-mates of no-balls from spinners, the big man had made his contribution of 33 and helped build the platform for the Crows.

In came the other inform batsman in Will Avrilli, and he soon showed why as he belted a straight drive past the bowler for 4. With Ant still offering a completely chanceless innings and working the ball into all areas, he navigated his way safely to yet another half century. The opposition were very genorous in their applause.

The Crows needed to push home the advantage, and they did this in some style. Accelerating with fluidity and efficiency, the score was 153 from 35. Quick running between the wickets and pulling the fielders all over the place, runs were made to look easy by the Cluett, Avrilli partnership.

With the final ten overs underway and both batsmen seeing it well, Will dispatched the ball to the boundary for a massive 6 and shortly thereafter made it safely to his half century. Ant was still working hard and running tirelessly as the Crows pushed for more runs.

With the score at 405 off 41 overs, Ant finally made it to his second century in as many weeks. Again the opposition were gracious as they could appreciate that they never had a wiff of getting him out.

Avrilli fell for 53 in the 44th over having skied one, but his work had been done. Great knock. He was replaced by Matt Childs, making his Saturday debut. Ant had been run off his feet, but kept going until the end and following a final push, the Crows made it to 245 off their allotted 45 overs.

Ant writes himself into the history books back to back league centuries and begs the question, will he be out again this season?

The Crows took to the field confident that victory was within their grasp and opened up with the spin twins of Dan and Joe using the old ball.

After 6 tight overs, Dan took the first wicket, caught and bowled. The tactic of using the old ball had paid dividends again. Both bowlers were replaced, with Joe going for just 7 runs from his first 5 overs, and Dan having a wicket.

On came seamers O’Loughlin and Jeff and the latter made another breakthrough in his first over. A hard hit cut raced to gully, where Danny pouched it like a leaping salmon. The Crows were making good inroads. Meanwhile, Matt Childs was playing his own game of smashing the stumps everytime the ball came his way. Great accuracy and later in the innings the opposition should have heeded the warnings.

The Crows continued to bowl and field well with only one tough catch going down off the dangerous number 3 batsman. As Crows made it through to drinks, WR2 were 65-2 and both batsmen fending well, without really threatening the hefty Crows total. If the Crows were to win the game, a quick fall of wicket was a must.

O’Loughlin was rewarded for his tight lines and good pace as the batsmen flashed outside off stump and the ball looped to Jouanides at point, who nabbed it comfortably. The breakthrough had arrived, and the Crows began to turn the screw again. Jeff continued bowling with intent, and was almost rewarded when Jouanides couldn’t quite hold a difficult diving catch. Great effort.

Turbo Charles was brought into the attack to strangle the run rate and apply pressure to the batsmen. He did better than that and an attempted pull went to mid-wicket where Childs took a Knight-esque moob catch. Solid. The Crows could smell blood, but 113 off 32 overs, the number 3 bat had to be dislodged and quickly.

Partridge replaced the hardworking Jules and after being belted for 6, the number 3 now on 63, was trapped in front and up went the finger. The batsman protested that he hit it, the Crows celebrated and despite his dissent, Alan stood fixed with his finger in the air. Eventually the batsman went and Crows wondered what all the fuss was about.

The last push for wickets saw all sorts of cricket. Charles was hit back over his head for 6 from nowhere, but Dan took revenge by having the batsman removed LBW the next over. The new bat blasted Danny through the covers only to then be cleaned bowled by the quicker ball. The tail was exposed.

Childs, fielding off Charles’s bowling unleashed a missile from midwicket that took Turbo’s knee out with a very loud thud. However the batsman decided to try and take on Childs’ arm again, and fell foul to the power and accuracy. Childs smashing the single stump he could see and the batsman was well short.

Childs was involved again as Partridge served up a ball that the batsman tried to launch to mid-wicket, however Childs covered a lot of ground to take a good catch on the run. 5 for 52 from Dan and only 1 wicket remaining.

Davies back on at the other end, was rewarded with the tight spell of bowling by nabbing the final wicket via stumping following some brisk work from Avrilli. Game over and 37 points to the good.

Extremely good performance all round as Crows recovered very well in the batting and worked hard in the field.

Congratulations to Ant Cluett on making a little bit of Crows history. Long may his unbeaten innings continue!

Special mention to Mickey Gopie who bravely stepped in to open the batting, having not really having any time out in the middle for some weeks. Always gives his all.

Also thank you to Luke Jouanides who travels from London every week, and this week we were unable to get him a bowl. He continued to field like Jonty Rhodes, took a vital catch and almost took 2 others.

Great team effort as we hit the crunch part of the season. Two massive games now. Welford Park away and Embrook & Bearwood at home.

Up the Crows!!

Skipper

Man of the match: Ant Cluett, Dan Partridge and Will Avrilli
Debuts: Matthew Childs (League debut)
Duck: M Gopie
Sixes: W Avrili
Catches: M Childs (2), L Jouanides, D Partridge
Run Outs: M Childs
Baggy Greens: No

Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Saturday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
12nb 9w 7b 2lb 
for 4 wickets
30
245		        
Micky Gopie Caught  0
Anthony Cluett Not Out  113 16
Joe Davies Caught  12 3
Jeff Cluett Caught  33 6
Will Avrili Caught  53 5 1 1
Matthew Childs Not Out  4 2 1
Julian O'Loughlin  
Mark Knight  
Terry Charles  
Luke Jouanides   1
Dan Partridge   2

West Reading 2 Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Amaar8.0045145.005.63
Imran1.00900.009.00
Ali12.0251151.004.25
Khan5.003100.006.20
Zashraf9.0135135.003.89
J Ahmed11.0063163.005.73

West Reading 2 Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
5w 3b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
10
169 (41.1 overs)		     
Arif Hussain ct D Partridge J Cluett 17
Adnan Raja ct + Bowled D Partridge 7
Waseem Amin lbw D Partridge 63
Usain Ali ct L Jouanides J O'Laughlin 12
Mudin Ahmed ct M Childs T Charles 18
Zafran Ashraf lbw D Partridge 7
Taskeen Ahmed ct M Childs D Partridge 18
Jabran Ahmed b D Partridge 4
Imran Razaq run out M Childs 2
Zulfi Khan st W Avrilli J Davies 10
Amaar Raja Not Out  1

Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Saturday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Dan Partridge12.0252510.404.33
Joe Davies7.1219119.002.65
Julian O'Loughlin9.0136136.004.00
Jeff Cluett8.0135135.004.38
Terry Charles5.0022122.004.40

  • Umpire :
    A Brown
  • Scorer :