Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club

Scorecard

Sonning 3 v Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Saturday 1st XI on Sat 04 May 2013 at 1:00
Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Won by 7 wickets

Match report The Alternative Match Report- Sonning III v Crowthorne I


The first match of the season; the promise, the anticipation, the opposition, the weather. The toss. Skipper Knight strides manfully back from the middle with his trademark poker face, keeping his troops guessing…until the Sonning III captain, his misplaced smile resembling Harry Redknapp’s after signing “big wages” Chris Samba, wafts an invisible bat in what will prove to be their straightest shot of the day, having boldly decided to bat first.


And so the mighty Crows take to the field resplendent in gleaming early-May whites, entrusting the new ball to the triple threat of Cluett J, Charles and Fortune. Unfortunately while the efforts of the former pair render runs a near impossibility, the latter proves a cruel mistress. After innumerable near misses the hopeless number two shows all the resolve of a French soldier by fleeing to the pavilion after being struck in the upper thigh by a Turbo rip-snorter. Unfortunately the new batsman, only slightly less inept, picks up where the other left off and immediately chops one off the inside edge just past the stumps in what will prove to be a costly strike of luck for the dominant Crowthorne bowlers.


Having been restricted to scraps in the first 15 overs Sonning try to move from 1st gear directly into 5th, agricultural swings fortuitously rewarded with streaky runs. Thus moving quickly from 40 off 17 to 70 off 21 the indomitable Partridge steps in to spoil the party with a speedy yorker bamboozling the clueless opening batsman and disturbing the bails. In much the same way the inspired Jouanides comes on at the other end and is soon in amongst the wickets; the Sonning number three, showing all the composure of Oscar Pistorius, after reaching his 50 is bowled next ball attempting an unsightly heave to long on.


In what will likely prove their undoing this season, Sonning’s tail begins with the number five batsman who is equally uncomfortable against the imposing partnership of Partridge and Jouanides. The commanding duo decimate the opposition with three wickets apiece, the highlight of which being a steepling caught and bowled for the Sussex man. Like a Spartan warrior however Luke is not satisfied by wounding the enemy and requests a change of ends to put the rest of the opposition line-up to the sword. This allows debutant Shakeel to get a late bowl at the Road End and with the confidence of a seasoned veteran he quickly delivers two wickets. All that is left is for Jouanides to complete a storied Michelle, removing the bails twice in as many balls to wrap up the innings and claim the first match ball of the season. Oh what might have been for the regretful Sonning team, their collapse from 110-2 to 155 all out the key period in the game.


After tea the newly-formed opening partnership of Cluett A and Arshad resolutely take to the middle. Belying his Boycott-esque reputation Cluett effortlessly rockets to 20 odd in the first few overs as the Sonning openers show their impatience. Not to be rushed though he immediately goes back into his shell, allowing Shakeel to accelerate his own run rate with a series of impressive blows. His growing timing ironically leads to his downfall however, as he times the proverbials off a low full toss from the decent spinner Raheem and is unluckily caught for 28 on the long on boundary after a teasing juggle from the fielder. The Sonning delight is short-lived though as all they succeed in doing is bringing Crowthorne’s own Gareth Bale, the “Young Player of the Year” Joe Davies, to the crease. As you would expect he settles into a steady partnership with the ever workmanlike Cluett, their relentless partnership bringing the dominant Crows batting line-up cruising over the 100 mark, sapping the life out of the Sonning fielders so much that the outfield begins to seem like the waiting room of the Dignitas clinic.


Despite seeming to be coasting to the required total though, Cluett has other ideas. Possibly due to early season rust, potentially due to the uneven wicket, probably due to being tired from carrying all those trophies from last season around with him, Ant tamely chips the indifferent spinner Ijazz to extra cover to be dismissed for 52. This brings the returning P Northall out into the evening sunshine who threatens with a couple of meaty swings before being trapped leg before. All that is left is for the impressive Barron, his post-match curry clearly at the forefront of his thoughts, to speed the Crows to their opening win of the 2013 campaign with a breezy 23 not out, helped along by Davies who finishes on 32 not out.


Victory, thy name is Crowthorne.


Captain: Mark Knight
Keeper: Mark Knight
50s: Ant Cluett
5 wickets: Luke Jouanides
6s: Richard Barron (1)
Ducks: none
MOM:

Sonning 3 Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 3w 5b 1lb 
for 10 wickets
11
155 (43.2 overs)		     
Sohail b  D Partridge 33
Bowers b  L Jouanides 12
B Johnston b  L Jouanides 50
Ijazz ct  & Bowled L Jouanides 21
Shakeer b  D Partridge 11
Kennealey ct  R Barron b. D Partridge 6
Williams b  MS Arshad 7
Abbas b  L Jouanides 7
Alluri b  MS Arshad 1
Ray Not Out  0
Skinivisan b  L Jouanides 0

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

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jeff Cluett12.024800.004.00
Terry Charles9.051200.001.33
Dan Partridge10.0057319.005.70
Luke Jouanides8.212454.802.88
Muhammad Shakeel Arshad4.00422.001.00

Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club Crowthorne Saturday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 9b 3lb 
for 3 wickets
14
157		        
Anthony Cluett ct  ? b. Ijazz 52 10
Muhammad Shakeel Arshad ct  ? b. Raheem 28 5
Joe Davies Not Out  32 4
Peter Northall lbw  Ijazz 8 1
Richard Barron Not Out  23 3 1 1
Nick Outram  
Jeff Cluett  
Mark Knight  
Terry Charles  
Dan Partridge  
Luke Jouanides   1

Sonning 3 Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Abbas7.003000.004.29
Williams8.002700.003.38
Raheem9.0226126.002.89
Ijazz10.0250225.005.00
Kennealy2.001400.007.00

  • Umpire :
    A Brown
  • Scorer :