Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club

Scorecard

Yateley v Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Sunday XI on Sun 21 Apr 2013 at 1:30
Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Won by 2 wickets

Match report Debutant Nick Outram starred as Crows Sunday team got their season off to a perfect start with a hard-fought victory over Yateley.

Winning the toss and wanting to “make a game of it” against a usually strong opposition, Crows skipper Hester had no hesitation in electing to bowl first. This tactic paid immediate dividends as the new ball attack of Miller and Clarke (P) asked a few questions early on. Clarke followed up his form from the end of last season with 2 quick wickets in his 2nd over. First he removed he Yateley skipper with a nice out-swinger that was edged to the safe hands of Hester behind the sticks. Then 2 balls later he produced a big in-swinger to deceive the large-framed Pienaar Jnr. The hosts were reeling at 5-2.

This however bought Muir and the rosy-cheeked Harris to the crease and this pair showed their obvious talent as they milked the bowling for 4-5 per over before accelerating as tea loomed. Miller and Clarke were replaced by Outram and Patel. Outram , making his debut in Crows colours made a moderate start. A no-ball being bashed for 6 over deep square leg. Things were to improve for Outram…Patel was making his return to the fold after a period of paternity leave. His absence for almost a year seemed to show as he struggled to find his range to begin with. However he did manage to show signs of his former self as he found his rhythm and pace.

At Drinks the 3rd wicket pair had added 153 in 20 overs and the Crows were staring down the barrel of a hefty total to chase. However, the Skipper rallied his troops and the Crows returned from the interlude with a renewed purpose of intent. Outram in particular was in no mood to leak further runs and tied up one end and began to chip away at the wickets. Firstly he clean bowled Muir then followed up with a caught and bowled the very next ball to put himself on a hattrick. The hattrick ball passed without incident but the Crows had importantly opened up one end.

The next few overs were that of cat and mouse as the Crows tried to starve the tiring Harris of the strike. Outram struck again and the tide began to turn. With the runs drying up, Partridge removed Harris with a well-disguised inswinger and Outram completed his five-wicket haul by bowling the amusingly named Grummit and Morton-Wardle. A Baggy Green on debut had been well-earned.

With 2 wickets left, Outram was eyeing cleaning up the tail. He didn’t quite manage it but did claim the most impressive of 6th wickets. Smith edged one to the heavily populated slip-corden. Partridge made a valiant attempt to catch it as it fizzed over his head at 1st slip, only managing to parry it backwards, where 2nd slip, Rich Barron, ran several yards before diving full stretch with his wrong hand to take a fantastic catch. There was almost a mass pile-on as if we’d won the world cup!

Outram finished with 6/35 and Partridge claimed his customary 2nd wicket by bamboozling the tail ender and trapping him LBW. The Crows had managed a remarkable turnaround and dismissed Yateley for 173 in 31 overs having been 153/2 in 20.

A fine Tea was then offered and devoured, eventually being awarded a very respectable 8/10 in the MacKenzie Tea scale.

Messrs Leach and Barron were sent out to face the fresh-faced bowling attack and set about their task with good intent. Barron showing no signs of rustiness despite not facing a ball since August last year and Leach looking to revel in his new found opening role.

The score ticked along and the pair approached the 100 partnership when Leach’s luck ran out, having been dropped a couple of times before, a Yateley fielder decided to catch him. He’d made 39 and entertained the crowd with several trademark shots. Barron continued past his 50 with the guidance of his captain at the other end. However, Hesters departure started the rot and a middle order collapse ensued. MacKenzie, with a belly full of tea, was looking composed before spanking one right at short cover, who probably will never hold one like that again in his life. Irish import Sean O’Clarke swiftly followed before Partridge made an immediate impact on the duck leaderboard nicking the slow non-spinner to the keeper.

This bought Outram to the crease and when Patel and Pete Clarke departed in quick succession it looked like the Crows were going to throw away a probable victory. Yateley sniffed a victory – or maybe it was just Jimmy they could smell as he arrived at the crease, eager to avoid the almost inevitable duck. Carson and Outram batted well as a pair with Nick showing his all-round abilities with a composed 29not out whilst Carson did his job with a valuable 2not out. The Crows had triumphed by 2 wickets with under 2 overs remaining and avoided their annual drubbing in what pundits now refer to as the “Tri-lakes El Classico”

Skipper Rich Hester was in Jubilant mood afterwards: “It was a great game of cricket that ebbed and flowed at several points. Both team clawed their way back at different points when defeat looked probable. Congratulations to Nick on his fine debut. We welcome him to the club.”

Match Details:
Skipper: RP Hester
Keeper: RP Hester
Debuts: Nick Outram
Baggy Green: Nick Outram (6/35)
Ducks: Dan Partridge
Man of the Match: Nick Outram

Yateley Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
9w 6b 4lb 
for 10 wickets
19
173 (31.1 overs)		     
Howells ct  R Hester bowled P Clarke 2
Muir b  N Outram 56
J Pienaar b  P Clarke 0
Harris b  D Partridge 80
Dodd ct  & bowled N Outram 0
Stentiford b  N Outram 1
Moran-Wardle b  N Outram 5
Smith ct  R Barron bowled N Outram 0
Grimmett b  N Outram 1
Davies lbw  D Partridge 1
G Pienaar Not Out  8

Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Sunday XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Marshall Miller8.004800.006.00
Peter Clarke5.0120210.004.00
Mehul Patel6.005300.008.83
Nick Outram8.023565.834.38
Dan Partridge4.11623.001.44

Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Sunday XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 14w 1b 2lb 
for 8 wickets
19
177		        
Richard Barron b  Stentiford 62 6 1 1
Tim Leach ct  ? bowled Muir 39 6
Richard Hester ct  ? bowled Moran-Wardle 5 1
S.D. Clarke ct  ? bowled Harris 5 1
Brendon MacKenzie ct  ? bowled Harris 7 1
Mehul Patel lbw  Harris 5 1
Dan Partridge ct  behind bowled G Pienaar 0
Nick Outram Not Out  29 3 1 1
Peter Clarke b  G Pienaar 3
James Carson Not Out  2
Marshall Miller  

Yateley Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Grimmett4.002600.006.50
Davies5.003000.006.00
J Pienaar4.202300.005.31
Dodd4.002800.007.00
Muir4.01717.001.75
Moran-Wardle5.0111111.002.20
Stentiford2.0012112.006.00
Harris4.03130.330.25
Smith2.001300.006.50
G Pienaar4.001628.004.00