Full Fixture Information

Result Descriptiom

Win

Man of the Match

Ali Wheeler ? making opening the batting look easy

Champagne Moment

Tim Lawrence?s catch at point to end the innings

Teddy Bear Moment

Chris Moor lowering himself on to the ball to stop it with his box

Full Match Report

A new fixture, or at least a fixture that?s not been played for many a year, saw us heading up the road to Froxfield for a Sunday game. Froxfield don?t have a Sunday side, playing two league sides on a Saturday, but they were looking for a Sunday match for the end of the league season and Josh Haslett, a regular for them on a Saturday and us on a Sunday, swiped both left and right and the match was arranged.

Unsure of quite how good they would be, but with a timed game agreed at the last minute, negotiated down from a 40-over match, I lost the toss (again) and we were invited to bowl.

Wayne and David Blackburn opened up. Wayne bowling his usual, nagging, away swinging line and David bowling his usual angry fast, furious, short, full and everything in between. Froxfield started cautiously and the score was on 11 after the first four overs. David charged in for his third over and was slapped this way and that way for three fours, before slipping a delightful slower ball that was full and straight and bowled their opener for 17. David may even have given him a bit of a send off.

This brought Josh Haslett to the crease. There?d been a bit of a chat during the week on the whatsapp where Josh wondered if he?d get a cap when he took five wickets or scored a hundred against us, so I think we were all a little bit on edge and up for it. The first ball Josh faced was from Wayne, it was another nagging just outside off kind of ball from Wayne, and it was slapped straight (and quite hard) to Ali at extra cover and then dropped. Lucky Josh and unlucky Wayne.

In David?s next over their opener slapped the ball straight to Ali at extra cover where he took an excellent catch. Poor old Wayne at fine-leg could only curse and grumble at the opening bowler?s lot to see fielders taking catches identical to the ones they?d just dropped. This brought their number four to the crease, we were reliably informed he was 12 and was on the Hampshire pathway. David Blackburn lengthened his run up, ran in and promptly bowled a bouncer that gave a very resounding clang off his helmet first ball and sent the batsman back to the pavilion for a concussion check. Proper fast bowler that David: send offs and bullying children.

Wayne realising he couldn?t rely on his teammates promptly dismissed their number 5 LBW for 0 and Froxfield were 37-3 in the 10th Over. David finished 6-1-29-2 and Wayne 6-1-17-1. Good opening spells for both.

Tim Lawrence came on first change along with Chris Wilton. Tim immediately into it having Josh caught off the back of his bat by Oli running round to leg-slip, and then picked up another wicket in his third over when their returning number four holed out to Ali at extra cover ? 68-5. Tim finished his spell 6-2-17-2 and Chris Wilton was probably a bit unlucky to finish 5-1-31-0. Ali Wheeler, who?d spent most of the last week telling me we?d have won last Sunday if he?d been given a bowl, came on after Chris and sure enough picked up a wicket in his second over as their number 9 played on, and Dave Rees came on at the other end, struck first ball as the batsman drove hard straight to Ali at cover and then third ball as their number 8 edged to slip via the keeper?s gloves.

Suddenly it was 104-8.

Ali finished up 3-0-17-1 and was replaced by me (Andrew) (Lakh having refused an invitation to bowl because of a dodgy elbow ? more of a batsman nowadays) and then Dave bowled their number 10 for 25 (Froxfield?s top score) and I picked up their last man in the next over superbly caught by a diving Tim Lawrence at point.

Despite a few quick runs at the end ? we?d bowled them out 25 minutes before tea for 149.

It had been an excellent fielding and bowling performance, bar a tough drop from Ali ? but there?d been no loose balls at all and the fact that all the catches were full-blooded drives into the covers and two at slip rather that terrible shots or slogs showed we?d been playing a good side. A real five star performance from East Meon.

We took an early tea and headed out feeling confident, but only ever a few wickets away from nerves kicking in, that we would chase down the total.
It couldn?t have started better, Ali and Oli (and Ali in particular) set about the bowling sensibly and aggressively bringing the 50 up in the 9th over.

Josh came on in the 12th over and on the boundary we held our breath. Who would crack first and claim the bragging rights. Oli sensibly watched and blocked the first four balls before dispatching the 5th ball for six and then could only drive the last ball of the over straight back at Josh to depart caught and bowled for 30 with the score on 74 and unusually for any opening partner of Oli?s and especially Ali, he?d been outscored with Ali 42 not out at the fall of wicket.

This just brought Lakh to the crease. Lakh was probably unlucky for the first ball he faced from Josh to turn and spit and was caught behind.

Would this start the wobble? Not at all. George Barnes came out at number four and Ali and he put on a quick-fire 75 for the third wicket in 11 overs and we?d won at a canter by 8 wickets.

George was 34 not out and Ali had made an excellent 70 not out ? including the most enormous six off Josh?s bowling over mid-on.

What a great result. Oli reliably informed me that my win percentage was now 26%, which might be good enough for a Man United manager but clearly EMCC still expects more from their captain.

A quick round of fines where it was hard to find fault with anyone and then off to the No Name where Ali bought a jug and we sat in the sun thinking about what a great day we?d had.