Scorecard

Epping v Ongar Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI on Sat 23 Aug 2008 at 1.00
Match was Drawn

Match report And so to our local rivals Epping. Ongar arrived bright and early to inspect the pitch and get some fielding practice in. Early indications were not good with at least one Ongar player remarking that it was hard to tell the difference between the outfield and the strip, to which another responded that it wa hard to tell where the car park ended and the strip begun.

The toss then was crucial and calling tails for the umpteenth running Tom won and promptly inserted the 'ping.

Peter opened up from the pavilion end while Big Rob got the nod from the Lower Bury Lane end. Peter made the early breakthrough nipping one back to bowl the dangerous Dan Twitchett for just 5. This early breakthrough wasn't followed up quickly though as Eppings' high quality up order got stuck in to the Ongar bowling.

Peter took the second wicket with Merrit shouldering arms to another one that Peter seamed in. It was a top wicket and well deserved by Peter who was looking a threat with a mixture of outswingers, incutters and slower balls.

At the other end Rob was replaced by upcoming all rounder Jamie "Broady" Watson. Jamie bowled well but his luck seems to have completely deserted him. For example the first three balls of his last over were edged over point, past gully and over first slip respectively.

Peter took the third and fourth wickets with Sam Sweeting taking a juggling catch out at long on and then another Peter ball hitting the stumps to leave Epping four down with the only number 3 J Ellis managing to defy Ongars P Ellis

With Peter taking wickets consistency some control was needed at the far end and this control was to be offered by Ongars new left arm mystery spinner Ian Groves who having remodelled his bowling action in recent weeks now bowls very useful slow left arm spin.

Peter's fourth wicket brought theleft handed Hyde to the crease. Sam Sweeting had a big hand in his dismissal as he recalled Hyde's habit at prodding at balls outside off stump. Sweeting thus found himself at silly mid off and a few overs later plunged forward to take another catch off Peter to dismiss Hyde. Peter decided not to use his team mates for the next two wickets as he bowled the numbers 7 and 8.

Epping skipper Twitchett was in at nine and added some quick runs particularly when Ian had to be withdrawn from the attack after tweaking his knee walking back to his mark. Although wicketless it was another great spell from Ian and proves that Ongar have found another part of the balanced attack that they crave.

This left Peter on 8 wickets dreaming of all 10. However Tom Hartington got in the act after replacing Ian and managed to get the number 10 to slice one to Powelly at point. With the Epping skipper and the numer 11 hitting out they where able to declare early on 224 for 9 off 45 overs to deny Peter his ninth wicket.

After a good Epping tea Ongar selected to use the early departing Ellis and Suker to open and they immediately found themselves up against some disciplined bowling. Progress was slow but the partnership was unbroken for 7 overs until Suks was out bowled. Tom was in three and got off to a quick start with a couple of fours. With Peter having to leave at 6 it was perhaps appropriate that he should get out early but being run out attempting a second that wasn't there was probably not the plan.

So two down for less than twenty Ongar found themselves in a tough situation. However there can be few players at the club who are better in these situations than Micky Ayres and so it was great to see him striding to the crease. Tom and Micky steadyed the ship, at first playing themselves in and trying to guage the slow pitch. After a few scares both increased in confidence and increasingly the runs flowed as Epping rotated their strike trying to make a breakthough.

With Micky playing some quitessentially Micky late cuts and Tom hitting square of the wicket both players started to believe that the chase was on as going in to the final 20 the required run rate of 7 to 8 an over seemed achievable. Some good overs where the runs were scored with ease reinforced this belief, but progress was mixed with some precisely placed fielders stopping some well struck shots on several ocaisions. Worse was to come when Tom was out for 46 lbw playing a sweep too many.

Sam Sweeting was in next and having to play himself in during a run chase was not going to help the chase and despite some lusty blows from Sam and nurdles from Micky Ongar fell further behind the rate. Micky's dismissal for a great 55 was the end of the run chase and Tom Hartington and Sam were left to play out to give Ongar a comfortable draw and having ended on 150 another batting point.

So while some of the Epping players complained that Ongar were boring in not going for the win earlier it was important that Ongar put up a solid performance and given the accurate bowling from the openers thier early caution was justified.



Epping Batting
224 for 9
Player name Runs
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Ongar Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Peter Ellis23.0691811.383.96
Rob Fisher6.003700.006.17
Jamie Watson5.004400.008.80
Ian Groves8.022400.003.00
Tom Hartington3.0026126.008.67

Ongar Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI Batting
151 for 4
Player Name RunsCatchesStumpingsRun outs
Peter Ellis Run out  6
Mark Suker Bowled  1
Tom Stock Lbw  46
Mick Ayres Lbw  55
Sam Sweeting Not Out  18 2
Tom Hartington Not Out  4
Billy Ayres  
Jamie Watson  
David Powell   1
Rob Fisher  
Ian Groves  

Epping Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.
OCC Twitter Speedy Hire Sponsors websites New Sponsors 2009