B&PCC v Rankins U15’s (Ben)

Ben, Kieran and the other lads had another game last night and being Thursday and my late night at work I wasn’t able to get along. But from the reports about how cold it was it sounded as though maybe I was better off at work?... No maybe not. I’d much rather have been there!

 The weather which last weeks was warm and summery 20-24 degrees was far colder 10-12 degrees and very windy – 60mph gusts along the south coast.  The reports from the game are some-what sketchy as I’m having to rely on Michelle and Ben’s account of the game, but in short; Ben bowled well, taking a wicket, Bradley turning bowled well, taking a wicket. Kieran didn’t bowl so well going for a 6 off his first ball and then being hit over the boundary for a couple of fours as well, he only got to bowl 1 over. Ben bowled his full allocation of overs, bowling 4 and apparently quite tight, not going for very many runs.  Some of the batsmen put right the wrongs of the Upminster game and came away with reasonable scores and in the end we won. Our lads batted 2^nd chasing a score in the 90’s and got there with three overs remaining, so a result overall.

 If I can get the figures off of the manager or the write up I’ll copy it over or link it sometime in the next few days.

 Here’s the stuff off the website –

 Rankins v BASILDON & PITSEA CRICKET CLUB Under 15 A XI on Thu 09 May 2013 at 18:00
BASILDON & PITSEA CRICKET CLUB Won by 5 wicketshttp://basildoncricket.hitscricket.com/scorecard/fixtureID_321843/Under-15-A-XI-v-Rankins-09-May-2013.aspx

Match report . And so, the 2013 U15 season starts with the customary Peters Cup first round match against a team in Rankins, who have done well over the past few years, and who saw our U13 team off in last years Bradford Cup. Skipper Sonny Downes lost the toss, and so we set out to field in cold and blustery conditions; however as is accustomed now to BPCC sides, the bowling was tight and unforgiving, and the fielding was dogged and even with the Rankins opener retiring on 50, the determined display of the fielding side crucially kept the score below the golden 100 mark, with the hosts having to settle for 96/3 from their allotted overs.

BPCC set out to bat sensibly, however be mindful that we needed to jog along at just under 5 an over. Regan Mead and Harrison Birch opened the batting, and started to enjoy some of the gaps afforded to us by the generous boundaries at Broomfields, picking up some quick singles and keeping the rate ticking along nicely. However an over exuberant call in the middle lead to the run out of Birch, just when things were settling nicely, and skipper Downes came out to continue. Again, quick singles were the order of the day, however a straight one saw Brad Staff come to the crease in replace of the skipper. Staff and Mead worked on keeping the rate achievable; quick runs again interspersed with some excellent shots down the hill for welcome boundaries kept the target in sight. Mead was then unlucky to be fractionally out of his ground, and fall to some quick work by the home teams wk to get stumped on 21. Mitchell McLeod came to the middle, bouyed by 2 good catches in the first innings and played a sensible innings, blocking when needed and knocking some quick runs. Staff was then caught on 35, meaning Tom Hardy came out and played a nice little cameo, prodding the ball around to keep the strike rotated and the scoreboard ticking over. However, the rate was now creeping away, and by the time Hardy was bowled for 7, Harrison Morris walked out knowing it was time that both he and McLeod would need to open their shoulders.

Morris was a mere spectator, as McLeod did just that; needing 11 off the last over he decided that he would plunder those in 3 balls, with 3 sumptious shots taking BPCC over the line.

A second round match now beckons against either Rayleigh or Eastwood.

 I love the way that Dave looks and writes this from a Batsmans perspective! Makes a change from the bowling bias I always err towards!