PDQ 3 Match Rpts
8th June - West Mersea 147 all out Boxted 139 all out Lost by 8 Runs
After probably the latest debut match in a season Boxted 2nd’s kicked off their league programme away to West Mersea on a damp and not surprisingly green and slow wicket.
New captain John (Hambo) (Curtley) Hamblion won the toss and inserted the opposition who almost without exception struggled against some good tight bowling and athletic fielding. The opening attack of Matt Wilson (1 for 30) and Rick Springett (2 for 14) lasted 14 overs at which point Mersea had been restricted to 38 for the loss of 2 wickets. Jon Wilson (2 for 22) and Sean McGovern (1 for 27) kept up the pressure followed by Debutant Rob Nutter (0 for 19 off 4 overs) and the ever consistent Mark Applin ( 3 for 22) and but for some sloppy wides and byes the 2’s could be pleased with their performance in the field.
In reply Boxted were shattered by the early loss of Clive Honey run out. Shattered firstly because he was run out and also because he took a run. Rick Springett and Matt Wilson looked to repair the damage adding 26 before Rick departed for 14. Then followed a mini collapse reducing Boxted to 35 for 4. Mark Applin joined Matt in a potential match winning partnership of 51 runs before Mark was unfortunately dismissed for a well made 31. Matt was also in fine form but Boxted lost wickets with monotonous regularity including a hat trick leaving them on 101 for 9 with 16 overs still available. Sean McGovern playing the innings of his life added 38 with Matt before he was unfortunately caught with Matt carrying his bat 70 not out and Boxted a mere 8 runs short.
This was always a very close contest which could go either way and it is certain that Boxteds’ lack of match practice contributed to their defeat. Weather permitting they might get another go next week.
15th June - Boxted 134 for 6 Real Oddies 135 for 3. Lost by 7 wickets
Not an awful lot good to say about this week’s performance by the second eleven.
Winning the toss for the second time skipper Hambo decided to take first use of the wicket but with the exception of Clive Honey (63 not out) no batter played anywhere near potential. Batting conditions were not perfect but on a softish green track the Oddies bowlers showed how to maximise the conditions with some mean bowling and tight fielding. The only support for Clive came from the skipper (19) and Jon Wilson (8 not out) and after 45 overs the total was an under par 134 for six wickets.
In reply the Boxted bowlers without exception failed to bowl with the accuracy and discipline that was clearly required. All too often we would bowl four good balls an over only to see the other two despatched for boundaries. Matt Wilson gave the team hope with 2 quick wickets but apart from 1 wicket from Sean McGovern later on Boxted were never really in the match. The Oddies ran out clear winners for the loss of three wickets with a massive 19 overs still remaining.
Next week our opposition is the League leaders and a much improved performance is required from everyone.
22nd June - Little Bardfield 265-9, Boxted 194 all-out - Little Barfield won by 71 runs
What was always expected to be a tough match against the unbeaten league leaders turned out to be just that. With Hambo winning the toss for the third consecutive time Boxted spent the first half once again in the field. Against a very strong batting line up the Boxted bowlers toiled hard backed up by decent fielding and turned in a performance 100% better than last week. Early on the visitors comfortably went along at an easy 5 per over until first change Jon Wilson dismissed the dangerous opener in his first over. Boxteds’ bowlers could never really dominate and whilst wickets fell at regular intervals the run rate remained steady with the visitors reaching 265 in their allotted overs. Pick of the bowlers was Jon Wilson 5 for 63 backed up by veteran Sylvester McKnight 2 for 43. Matt Wilson bowled a steady spell of 10 overs straight off claiming 1 for 37 but all the other bowlers struggled to contain some aggressive batting.
Boxteds’ reply started badly with Tim Bellamy dismissed to a brilliant slip catch quickly followed by Clive Honey with the score only on 13. Rick Springett (49) batting as well as he has for some time and Matt Wilson (35) sought to repair the damage putting on a well made 90. Both batters departed in quick succession together with Mark Applin which again required a need for consolidation. Skipper John Hamblion and Sylvester McKnight set about to repair the damage adding 32 before Mac dragged on a wide ball and left having made an untroubled 24. This left Hambo to shepherd the tail to gather as many batting bonus points as possible. Unfortunately the tail did not wag leaving John not out for a well made 35 and the team 71 runs short.
Boxted 163 for 5 Gt Braxted & Tiptree 164 for 6 Boxted lost by 4 wickets
Skipper Hambo lost his first toss of the season and Boxted were given first knock on a good looking track. Initial progress against some tight bowling was slow and made worse by the early loss of Clive Honey and Matt Wilson both dismissed in unlucky circumstances. Tim Bellamy (27) and Sylvester McKnight (44) set about repairing the damage in a partnership of 63 Mac in particular in sparkling form. Mark Applin joined Mac with the score on 81 and they were just beginning to look good when Mac departed just short of his fifty. Mark departed shortly after for a confident looking 24. Pat Gilbert (29 not out) joined skipper Hambo (20 not out) and after a circumspect start saw the Boxted score up to 163 at the close of innings. Given the conditions this score was a good 50 runs below par.
A good bowling and fielding performance was called for and initially things went quite well. Matt and Jon Wilson opened the attack Jon claiming an early breakthrough with the score on 13 in the sixth over. The opposition batters gradually wrestled the initiative and despite a good spell of bowling from Mark Applin (4 for 47) the flow of runs could not be stemmed. Boxted fought back and with the opposition needing 28 more runs but with only 4 wickets remaining the game could have gone either way. Some lusty and unorthodox tail end hitting saw our opponents home with some 12 overs to spare.
The Boxted batters are going to need to start building some big innings once they get set sufficient to give the bowling a fighting chance otherwise relegation is more than a possibility.
Boxted 218 for 4 Great Horkesley 129 all out. Boxted won by 89 runs
Playing under vice skipper Graham Dell for the first time and with several new faces in the team this match started in a familiar manner with the loss of the toss.
Unsurprisingly Boxted were inserted on an atrocious looking wicket which unfortunately was to play as it looked. Openers Tim Bellamy and Clive Honey rode there luck in the early stages ducking and diving against some ordinary bowling made good by the conditions. Once Tim had mastered the Andy Murray topspin forehand and Clive had tested the aerodynamics of his new cap the partnership blossomed. Clive was first to go for 59 in the 31st over with the score on 123. Pat Gilbert joined Tim but the latter fell shortly afterwards for 61. Newcomer Tom Arculus came and went in controversial circumstances. Jon Wilson promoted up the order for the first time joined Pat Gilbert in the 39th over. Both batters took the game to some lacklustre bowling the last six overs producing 75 runs. Jon smashed his way to 42 unbeaten with some clean hitting including a mighty straight six and Pat fell just before the end for a well made 37.
In reply openers Mike Dell(1 for 19) and Jon Wilson( 0 for 11) bowled good tight opening spells putting pressure on the opposition batters who were always to be well behind the asking rate. First change Paul Dowde bowled an impressive spell of ten overs taking 6 for 51 well supported by Rob Nutter who claimed his first wicket for the club. With the game all but won Richard Wilson earned his first fantasy league points of the season with the wicket of the Horkesley top scorer thanks to a superb catch by Tim Bellamy. The icing on the cake was to come from debutant Tom Arculus who claimed his first wicket for Boxted with only his second delivery.
The seconds are now off the mark but still need to play well in the matches ahead if they are to avoid relegation.
Boxted 268 for 2 wickets Abberton 176 for 4 wickets. Boxted won by 92 runs
Anyone listening to the weather forecast would not have expected this match to take place. However with both teams keen for a result for differing reasons the match went ahead reduced to 35 overs each and apart from one very heavy shower the game concluded without interruption.
Stand in skipper Chris Wilson kept up tradition for the second team by losing the toss and not surprisingly in damp and overcast conditions Boxted were asked to bat. Regular openers Tim Bellamy and Clive Honey started confidently against some fairly ordinary bowling. Tim making maximum use of the edges of his bat protected its middle with true efficiency and departed for 5 in the tenth over with the embarrassment of being outscored fourfold by his opening partner. Rick Springett joined Clive and both were settling in when Clive departed for a well made 37 off just 43 balls (not overs as most had thought). Out of form Chris Wilson joined Rick and after a circumspect start both began to find their touch against even more ordinary bowling. These two amassed an unbroken and record 3rd wicket partnership of 186 off just 19 overs Chris finishing on 123 and Rick a personal best for the club 67.
Abbertons’ reply began in confident mood with both openers dealing mostly in boundaries but they were never able to score at the required rate to overhaul the Boxted total. A Jon Wilson slower delivery split the partnership with the score on 55 and although thereafter wickets were hard to come by our opposition fell 92 runs short for the loss of only 4 wickets. A total of seven bowlers were used by the skipper all bowling well with a very wet and slippery ball backed up by excellent ground fielding.
Two wins in two days now mean that there is more than a possibility of avoiding the dreaded relegation. The seconds now go into summer purdah with no match until the end of July.
Little Clacton 152 all out Boxted 128 all out Lost by 24 runs
Fielding first against a strong Little Clacton batting line up good bowling from Matt Wilson (2 for 32) and Rick Springett (2 for 25) surprisingly saw the opposition struggling at 57 for 4 after 16 overs. Change bowlers Rob Nutter and Richard Wilson (5 for 27) carried on the good work with wickets falling at regular intervals. The fielders supported the bowlers well with some cracking catches particularly a one hander at slip by Tim Bellamy. That said a few half chances were spilled and with a total of 30 wides from 43 extras things got a bit ragged. Rob Nutter (1 for 24) came back taking the final wicket no more than he deserved but the opposition had managed to push their score to 152 but still well below par for the conditions and easily within our range.
The Boxted reply started calmly with Tim Bellamy (16) and Clive Honey (19) putting on 29 without concern. Tim fell to the first ball from the Clacton first change spinner. Rick Springett (23) joined Clive and looked in particularly good touch these two moving the score on to an untroubled 54 after 17 overs. After Clives’ departure LBW Matt Wilson (17) joined Rick and again both batters moved carefully along until Rick patted back a catch to the bowler with the score on 75. Skipper Hambo (18) joined Matt but with the score on 107 both were back in the hutch. With the tail not wagging Boxted were all out for a very very very disappointing 128 falling 24 runs short.
This was definitely a case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory with none of the top five batters, who all got in, going on to make a decent score. Equally our bowling was ragged at times and the opposition score flatters us a great deal. Relegation is now a real possibility and we need everyone giving 100% in the remaining matches if we are to avoid this. We need some dogged fighting spirit because we are good enough to stay in this league but we do not have a divine right to do so.
Little Clacton 267-5, Boxted 271-6 - Won by 4 wickets
On an overcast afternoon skipper Hambo got back to winning ways on the toss of the coin and asked Little Clacton to bat first. The 2nd X1 welcomed the experienced opening bowler Matt Francis into their team and he soon had the dangerous J. Lloyd caught for (4).Richard Springett continued his excellent bowling form with his opening 7 overs conceding only 16 runs and capturing the wicket of M. Parlour (5) magnificently caught by Hambo showing his goalkeeping days have not deserted him yet. After the opening bowlers the experienced evergreen Clive Honey was introduced to the attack along with Pat Gilbert making a very impressive bowling debut producing pace & bounce that the Lt. Clacton batsmen found difficult to deal with. Pat eventually gained reward for his efforts removing the dangerous M. Cross (33). Lt. Clacton then regrouped with the experienced pairing of J. Newlands(58) & K.Priestland (65) adding 100 runs for the 4th.wicket in 12 overs providing the base for Lt. Clacton to kick on. Priestland was eventually run out by R.Nutter ,who also had Newlands caught behind by the excellent & agile Alex Carter. Lt. Clacton then went on to put our all round bowling attack to the sword scoring 125 runs off the last 10 overs to register a daunting total of 267runs. Well done to Graham Dell & Jack Thorndyke for some sterling work in the field, as our brilliant cover fielders.
With old boy Honey resting his weary limbs the experienced Steve Philpott(30) opened with Bello and got us off to a good start with a 65 run opening partnership. With the removal of “Phyllis” Richard Springett came in showing his intentions right from the start with 12 runs from his first 3 balls.Springey went on to top score with a magnificent 80 well supported by Bello with 66 producing a 122 run partnership providing our own base to kick on. Pat Gilbert (15) , Alex Carter (13) and with Honey (1) batting at 6 (thanks for stepping down the order Clive) kept the score ticking along nicely. It was left to the experienced M.Francis (22 not out) showing his prowess with the bat and skipper Hambo (2 not out) to see the team home and win the game. Hambo was delighted with his first win as skipper, a magnificent effort by everybody to win such a high scoring game.
West Mersea 146 all-out, Boxted 149-3 - Won by 7 wickets
With Boxted getting to the game early showing good enthusiasm Hambo strolled out to the above average wicket bearing in mind Saturday’s weather conditions; which resulted in Boxted fielding first.
The opening bowlers, Pat Gilbert and Matt Francis started extremely well with 1 wicket falling in the 6th over caught very smartly by the captain bowled Francis. This continued with the introduction of Richard Springett into the fray in the 12th over going for a very deserved and well constructed 31 runs off 10 over’s and 1 wicket. At the mid way stage West Mersea had totalled a score of 75 but Boxted wanted more. On came Rob Nutter who further restricted the run rate with a very well desired 2 wickets for 17 runs off 6 over’s. With the continual pressure by the above bowlers including Andrew Wilson and Mark Applin and some sharp catching and fielding by “Bello” (your stuck with it mate!!) and Hambo, West Mersea were limited to 146.
After a very satisfying tea out rolled “Bello” (I told you) and Clive. After a few over’s against the opening bowlers both started getting their eye in for the boundaries and quick singles resulting in a very positive start; then came over 4 ball 6. Bello took strike and played a strong defensive shot, however ended with the ball rolling back onto his stumps, 1 wicket down. From here Springett was out for a very unexpected duck bearing in mind previous scores and Dom Gilbert for 2. Boxted were looking around thinking was this another collapse on the cards from being in a strong position to 36 for 3 off 7? Though our worries were squashed when Pat Gilbert in partnership with Clive played a fantastic game winning innings; with both reaching over half centuries.
At the final hurdle with only the loss of 3 wickets, Boxted continued their winning streak and looked forward to the up and coming weekends games.
Boxted 194, Gt Horkesley 170 - Boxted won by 24 runs
As Graham Walked onto the pitch as captain for the 2nd time of his career Boxted’s hopes were high after convincing wins in previous games. With Boxted winning the toss and electing to bat, the game started well. With the normal openers, Clive Honey and Tim Bellemy walking out the game started on what was felt a good bating track; though this was dashed with the loss of Bello in the 1st over for a very uncharacteristic duck. It was then time for Pat Gilbert to walk and continue the good partnership him and Clive have gained. However once again this was dashed with the loss of Pat in the 3rd over with an unfortunate play onto his stumps for a total of 4. Chris Wilson and Mark Applin then played a strong role in getting Boxted to a figure worthy of a chase leaving us 99 for 4 off 26 over’s. From here Tom Arculus’s increased the run rate hitting one 6 out of his 13 total, these being his first runs for Boxted.
At the loss of Tom and then in quick succession Graham Dell, Paul Dowde walked in with Clive still working hard at the other end and did a fantastic job securing 50 further runs off the last 9 over’s. This resulted in Boxted gaining a score of 194.
With the end of a quick tea Boxted were eager to commence the bowling attack which started in an indifferent manor with Pat Gilbert and Paul Dowde. Great Horksley scored rapidly each over though were losing key wickets. At the 13 over stage Great Horksley were 96 for 2 and were looking to securing victory very quickly. However with a bowling change with Clive Honey and Chris Wilson our fortunes changed and with 10 additional over’s Boxted managed to gain 3 further wickets for the loss of only 20 additional runs. The game was back on! Continued pressure and some fantastic fielding / catching by the Boxted team, especially by Jack Thorndike who took a brilliant boundary catch allowed Boxted to restrict Great Horksley to 136 off 30 over’s for 6 wickets.
With the introduction back of the openers and Mark Applin, Boxted gradually took each wicket until victory was ours.
Chappel 187-8, Boxted 190-5 - Boxted won by 5 wickets
Boxted’s next game against Chapel and Wakes Colne looked promising with a very strong team and a recorded ‘above average’ pitch; even in light of some seriously wet weather the night before.
Boxted started well in an unorthodox manor with us losing the toss, however being elected to field as desired had we one. Accordingly Matt Francis (33 runs; 10 over’s) and Jon Wilson (33 runs; 10 overs; 1 wicket) commenced the bowling onslaught doing extremely well keeping the un-rate down though not taking any wickets. The first breakthrough came in the 13th over by Richard Springett who then continued to bowl exceptionally well taking 4 wickets for 59 runs off 10 overs. With the gradual taking of wickets throughout the game by the remaining Boxted bowlers, Matt Wilson, Clive Honey and R Nutter, Boxted managed to secure a very chase worthy 187; though some miss-fielding and drop catches could have seen this total reduce somewhat.
On finishing tea, Matt Francis with the aid of Tim Bellamy (37 runs) managed to put on a good solid foundation of 47 with the loss of Matt having totalled 33 on the 11th over. Some consistent however low scoring batting by Clive Honey (1 run) and Domonic Gilbert (2) and with the aid of Pat Gilbert (16 runs) saw Boxted 120 off 30 overs. During this time Richard Springett was working extremely hard and batted exceptionally well putting a total of 66 runs off only 68 balls, a very good innings, something becoming expected of him this season! By the final overs; Matt Wilson (15 runs) with the aid of Richard brought Boxted home; eventually securing the win in the 41st over with the loss of only 6 wickets.
Overall it was another good game and since I’m typing this (Graham Dell) I should mention that’s 3 captaincies and 3 wins!! Role on tomorrow’s game I say!
