12 Sept

v Old Send XI

Won by 8 wkts

Old Send XI 190
Jerry Wright 4-31

Concorde 193-2
Matthew Haddow 115*
Rob Symondson 31*

 

 

Unbeaten run continues

This was a nostalgic, if not emotional occasion for many of the opposition, all of whom had played on the ground before, many for years. As we went out to toss their skipper told me he had taken over 2000 wkts in a career starting in 1966. We also had a presentation to our patron Michael Cowan, and speeches during the tea interval as Old Send players, past and present, enjoyed their homecoming. They won the toss and elected to bat.

Ash and Robin L. opened the bowling and bowled many good balls although nothing was nicked and we always seemed to concede a boundary an over with the visitors left handed opener particularly harsh on anything short or overpitched. We didn't help ourselves when we dropped him at mid on when only on 13, an expensive miss as he went on to make 85. However a change of bowling gave us the breakthrough when Mick snapped up their opener at backward point off Jerry W. and we soon started to slow the scoring rate with Jerry and Alex, off a shorter run, both putting in excellent spells. Their middle order struggled and we slowly gained control, particularly after Alex had the opener caught behind as he edged towards a ton. Jerry W. was the pick of the bowlers tightening his grip on the bowling prize with another four scalps. Toby and I finished off the tail and Old Send finished on 190 all out. Bowling figs. were Ashley W. 6-0-49-0, Robin L. 7-2-34-0, Alex C. 14-1-45-1, Jerry W. 13-3-31-4, Toby C. 4.2-0-17-2, and myself 4-0-12-1.

In reply we started with Alex and Matt Haddow, making his first appearance of the season for us. Alex hit the first ball for four, pulled another over mid wicket first bounce, and looked in 'good nick' but then missed a straight one trying to work the ball to leg, to be out for 13. Ashley joined Matt who soon looked in command against a modest Old Send attack, but on 13 Ash was adjudged leg before attempting a sweep. Rob S. then came in at No.4 and from there nobody else got a look in as Matt raced to a superb century, our fourth of the year, finishing on 115 n.o. Whilst Rob tonked a rapid 31 n.o. including a monster six down the ground. We won in 26 overs with 19 to spare, to record our ninth victory of the season, the seventh time batting second.