Bickley Park CC – 3rd XI vs Wickham Park CC – 2nd XI

vs

Results

TeamRunsWickets LostOversOutcome
Bickley Park CC – 3rd XI1211031.1Loss
Wickham Park CC – 2nd XI124129.5Win

Report

Saturday will be a day quickly forgotten by the Bickley Park participants.

Our Captain Sunny had tried all week to expunge the generally flat feeling in the victory of last week.  We had  a strong side; we were playing on a ground we knew well;  What could possibly go wrong?

The general position with the Warren is:  If dry and you have a batting line up; You Bat;  The pitch gets slower and lower.  If it  is wet; you put them in and watch the vagaries of the square take its toll on the opponents top order! 

The pitch was wet.  We have to win the toss and put them in, although even at that early stage we were already losing our cohesion!  There was even talk of batting first if we had the choice!  We lose the toss and are invited to bat. Bad Sunny!  You only have one thing to do…..The leading protagonist of batting first get invited to show us all how to do it, particularly as half our proposed opening partnership had not yet arrived at the ground!  

 But things are going to work!  We have enough people playing well to post a competitive score.  We have learned how to bat together with confidence:  To be honest, with the exception of season virgin, Tom Franksmore we never really got going.  His pretty and well grafted 42 was lacking support.  He seemed the only one able to exhibit the patience necessary to turn a difficult to defend score of 120 off 30 overs to a likely wining score of 170 off 40.     

121 all out in 32 overs was rarely likely to be enough, particularly playing the second place in the league. 

Yes we were flat at tea.  But those of us with significant experience of this ground know that sometimes, just sometimes, it is enough.  We just need an element of control and some early wickets!

Neither proved possible, although the apparent (adverse for us) redefining of leg side wide’s /LBW and run out laws at tea didn’t help.  In respect of the last area apparently the bat hovering some distance from the ground as the wickets were broken was not deemed to be out because the umpires in the first innings did not raise their finger in similar circumstances!  No reasoning was given to contradict the LBW and lack of wides granted in the first innings!     

Yes there were half chances but we never managed to produce sufficient pressure.  Long standing nemesis and man of the match Bala did what he customary does with the bat.  Hit the ball very hard in a few key areas.  We simply did not make it difficult enough for him!  His 2-37 with the ball and 72 not out was the stand-out performance in the game.  He was ably joined by young Mr Hayward who started slowly but accelerated to reach a supportive 40 not out as a foil.   

With the ball there were few positives.  Matthew Arman will learn from his opening spell up the hill and brother Marcus continues to impress with his leg spin.  The wickets will come with a little more experience and accuracy! 

In the end both innings were effectively the same length.  It is only a pity that we lost 10 wickets in ours, whereas Wickham Park lost only one!

 Let’s move on.   

Details

Date Time League Season
11 August 2018 1:30 pm 1B - Metropolitan 2018 2018

Venue

The Warren
The Warren, Croydon Road, Coney Hall, London Borough of Bromley, London, Greater London, England, BR4 9HX, United Kingdom