Scorecard

Radlett CC 2nd XI v Preston on Sat 15 Aug 2009 at 12.30 p.m.
Radlett CC Won by three wickets

Match report .
The weather at the start of this game was dry, with a grey cloud cover. With no appreciable wind, the RCC flag hung limply. The pitch was dry, and looked firm and hard. It had been used during the preceding week for a three day Middlesex CCC 2nd XI game. Its grass had been cut short, with both ends straw coloured, and a hint of green showing in the middle third. The worn footholds had been repaired, and all was ready for the new game. Stuart Browne, deputising for Nick Fielden, lost the toss, and PCC decided to bat.

PCC began their innings cautiously, scoring slowly from the bowling of Johnson Mafa and Stuart Browne. Towards the end of Johnson's first 10 over spell, he bowled a quick, short-pitched ball which was parried defensively by PCC's No 1. The ball lobbed up midway between wicketkeeper Nish Selvakumar and deepish point David Robinson. In the hope of what would have been a fairly difficult catch for either of them, both Nish and David began to run towards the ball's expected landing point. Johnson joined in, converting his normal follow through into a sprint. All three got within diving distance in time, but all three pulled up for fear of head-on collisions. A call of 'Mine' from anyone might have discouraged the other two and increased the chance of a catch, but the net result was a dot ball, and regrets for what might have been.

John Barr replaced Stuart (O 8 M 4 R 14 W 0) after 17 overs with the PCC score on 31 – 0. In John's second over, Lee Fortis at second slip took a good catch to dismiss PCC's No 2, giving John a wicket maiden in the process. PCC 34 – 1. Lee then bowled over 21, replacing Johnson (O 10 M 1 R 18 W 0). In John's third over, Nish Selvakumar caught PCC's No 3 to give John his second wicket maiden in succession, and to take PCC's score to 46 – 2 from 22 overs. During over 27, with the score on 59 – 2, Lee joined the day's wicket maiden club, obtaining an LBW decision against PCC's No 4. In over 28, he took his second slip catch from John Barr's bowling to dismiss PCC's No 1, who had begun to score a little more freely. PCC 60 – 4. The last ball of that same over was quick, on the stumps, of reasonable length, and rose only about waist high. PCC's No 6 ducked into it, taking a heavy blow on his helmet or his ribs. He retired to recover, and PCC's No 7 took his place.

Lee Fortis handed over to Johnson Mafa for three overs while John Barr continued at the other end. At the end of over 34, PCC’s No 7 retired temporarily with an injury to his bottom hand. PCC’s No 8 took his place, with the score on 75 – 4, plus two retirements. Allowing for a drinks interval and delays while batsmen retired, RCC had taken about 134 minutes of playing time to bowl those 34 overs.

PCC's No 9 also scored quite quickly, but Lee then took the wicket of PCC's tenacious No 5 thanks to a very good left-handed catch by Nish Selvakumar at a score of 165. PCC's remaining four wickets, including brief reappearances by their injured batsmen, fell to Stuart, Lee and Johnson (2) in the next 17 balls, helped by additional catches by Lee and Nish. Unfortunately, the three hour limit for the completion of 53 overs was reached by the end of over 51, when the score was 175 – 8. As a result, the last two PCC wickets, which Johnson took in four balls to end the innings, did not count towards RCC's bowling bonus points, while the single which PCC scored was included in their final score. The 11 extras in PCC's innings were B 5 LB 0 W 1 NB 5.

So RCC finished with only 8 bowling bonus points, PCC received (2 x 3) = 6 batting bonus points, and PCC's captain was given the chance to reduce the length of the RCC innings by two overs, to 45 overs. Very sportingly, he chose to keep to the original limit of 47 overs.

Felix Walker and Lloyd Paternott began RCC's innings in fine style, scoring 34 runs before the end of the sixth over before Lloyd (22 from 24 balls) was caught off its final ball. Felix (12 from 15 balls) followed during the next over. David Robinson anchored the next phase of the innings while Kushal Patel (17 from 14 balls) and John Barr (17 from 19 balls) harvested a crop of boundaries. David (29 from 57 balls) and Nish Selvakumar (12 from 27 balls) proceeded more sedately against PCC's slow change bowlers until they both lost their wickets at a score of 106 in overs 26 and 27 respectively. This brought Matt Soffair and Lee Fortis to the crease. With 20 overs remaining, and 68 runs to get, they kept the score moving at a steady rate, reaching 141 before Lee (24 from 39 balls) was caught and bowled in over 37. The new partnership of Matt (30 not out from 53 balls) and Johnson Mafa (16 not out from 21 balls) saw the side safely home, finishing by taking 13 runs from over 45 to reach 180 - 7, leaving two overs to spare. It is pleasing to note that all of the RCC players who batted reached double figures, an example of the contributions from the whole side.

RCC received the maximum 30 points for their win, while PCC added 7 bowling bonus points to their 6 batting bonus points. The result would have been more difficult to achieve if PCC had reduced RCC's innings to 45 overs because of RCC's slow over rate. Similarly, if RCC had drawn or lost, their total bonus points would have been two smaller than it should have been. RCC could improve their over rate by bowling fewer no-balls, and by taking up their new positions at the end of each over more quickly. That second point could be accomplished if the fielders were encouraged to trot to their new positions instead of walking.

WM
19.8.09
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Preston Batting
Player name Runs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
176 (0.0 overs)
Warren Hearne * Caught  Lee Fortis Bowled John Barr 39
Richard Wharton Caught  Lee Fortis Bowled John Barr 16
Adam Shelley + Caught  Nish Selvakumar Bowled John Barr 0
Indica Samaraweera Lbw  Lee Fortis 0
David Fleckney Caught  Nish Selvakumar Bowled Lee Fortis 32
Casey Walker Bowled  Johnson Mafa 0
Iain Williamson Lbw  Stuart Browne 11
William Gallimore Bowled  Lee Fortis 46
Mark Waters Not Out  20
Andrew Riant Caught  Nish Selvakumar Bowled Lee Fortis 1
Max Anderson Caught  Lee Fortis Bowled Johnson Mafa 0

Radlett CC 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Johnson Mafa13.4227213.501.98
Stuart Browne12.0445145.003.75
John Barr10.042638.672.60
Lee Fortis13.0541410.253.15
Felix Walker3.003200.0010.67

Radlett CC 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 7 wickets
0
180
(0.0 overs)		    
Felix Walker Lbw  Mark Waters 12
Lloyd Paternott Caught  David Fleckney Bowled Casy Walker 22
David Robinson Bowled  Andrew Riant 29
Kushal Patel Caught  David Fleckney Bowled Mark Waters 17
John Barr Caught  Warren Hearne Bowled Andrew Riant 17
Nish Selvakumar Caught  Mark Waters Bowled Max Anderson 12 3
Matthew Soffair Not Out  30
Lee Fortis Caught  and bowled Max Anderson 24 2
Johnson Mafa Not Out  16
Mark Gray   Did not bat
Stuart Browne   Did not bat

Preston Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Mark Waters11.0249224.504.45
Casey Walker3.0019119.006.33
Andrew Riant19.0370235.003.68
Max Anderson9.0227213.503.00
Indica Samaraweera3.011500.005.00