Bangladesh XI vs Cricket Web Blue
at the PDV Dome
Habibul Bashar struck an even ton, and the Bangladeshi last pair added 28 unbroken, as the Blues were edged to a third consecutive preseason defeat. Despite a fiery first innings spell from Travis Demeza that saw Bangladesh dismissed for 147, the visitors fought back to bowl CW Blue out for 198 and then chase 352 for victory, aided by some deplorable fielding.
The Blues batted first after being inserted by Bashar, and scored 300 all out. Wilshere, Fuller and Jellett scored half-centuries and were the mainstays of the innings, but Mashrafe Mortaza came back nicely from an indifferent opening spell to limit the hosts. Aside from Rajin Saleh and Nafis Iqbal, Bangladesh managed little more than a meek reply. After some quality swing bowling by Matt Smith, Demeza wrapped up the tail in quick fashion to take a handy 153-run lead for CW Blue.
Cribb and Wilshere got stuck in at the crease the second time around, but neither could score freely against the accuracy of the Bangladesh spin attack and both ultimately perished to good deliveries. Dylan Jellett livened up proceedings with a boisterous 57 down the order, but Mortaza wrapped up the tail to finish with 8 in the match.
Chasing 352, Bangladesh received a solid opening stand of 74. Demeza knocked back Javed Omar's offstump and Smith had Nafis Iqbal caught at slip to set the score back at 101/2. At stumps on day four, however, the chase had progressed to an imposing 238/3. A quick double strike by Fuller on the final morning put Blue back in the hunt, and by the time the 9th wicket fell, the result seemed a close formality with 25 runs and a wicket left in the contest. The Blues put down three catches and had a close LBW shout turned down, and each run that ticked off the requirement only increased the frustration toward the disappointing end result.
Cricket Web Blue 1st Innings 300 all out
Bangladesh XI 1st Innings 147 all out
Cricket Web Blue 2nd Innings 198 all out
Bangladesh XI 2nd Innings 355 for 9
Bangladesh XI won by 1 wkt.
Cricket Web Red v Cricket Web Green
at the CWBCC Stadium
Batsmen struggled and collapses were clinical in a coach's nightmare of a game at the CWBCC Stadium. After the Greens elected to bat first, the innings crumbled from a steady foundation of 129/1 to 200 all out, and Gaurav Nayak destroyed with hosts with his seam bowling. Not much better for the experience, the Reds quickly found themselves at 14/4 and at the mercy of Andy Cameron.
Rob Dauth played beautifully to rescue the innings from utter shame, but found that the next best score was a meagre 14 and he was left unbeaten on 96 of 158 all out. Continue from their first innings exhibition, the Greens showed once more the correct way to fall apart, reaching 146/2 this time, before collapsing to 206.
This set CW Red a target of 249 for victory, which seemed a formality with the score at 128/1. That was far from the case, however, and when James Stedman was run out for 53, the Green spinners proceeded to take ahold of the Red innings. In a tumble of wickets, Rob Dauth stood firm and still looked like winning the game for his team. Alas, he was knocked over by terrific googly from Weber short of his hundred. Indeed, Tarick Weber was the premiere assassin and snared 6 wickets, as only Borcich and Watt gave much of a fight down the order.
Watt smashed five boundaries in an unbeaten 31 off 29 balls, but ran out of partners with his team requiring just 15 more for victory.
Cricket Web Green 1st Innings 200 all out
Cricket Web Red 1st Innings 158 all out
Cricket Web Green 2nd Innings 206 all out
Cricket Web Red 2nd Innings 234 all out
Cricket Web Green won by 14 runs.
Cricket Web Colts 272/4 (50 overs)
Bangladesh XI 267/7 (50 overs)
Cricket Web Colts won by 5 runs
Cricket Web Black vs Cricket Web Green
at Goffmouth Park
Both teams encountered a typically flat track at Goffmouth Park, as batsmen flourished and bowlers cursed in the conditions. There were five centuries and five half-centuries in the game, and a total of 30 wickets fell in a high scoring draw. Dave Richards chose to bat first after winning the toss and Simon Jones' hundred looked to vindicate the decision. Fitzsimmons, Dubb-Lynch and Langley also contributed well.
However, a collapse of 5 wickets for 39 runs meant that Harry Warwick was needed in partnership with George Roberts to take the score to the heights of 388. Nick Hancock finished with 5 wickets, albeit in an expensive spell. The Colts reply slipped to 63/3, but Daniel Towns and Shan Jasotharan reversed the fortunes with a superb partnership of 154. The batsmen complemented each other perfectly with contrasting styles of play and levels of aggression. Bharat cashed in with an aggressive half-century down the order, and the Colts took a lead of 45 on first innings.
Not perturbed by the deficit, Simon Fitzsimmons and Ash Chaulk proceeded to pile on 206 runs for the first wicket. Chaulk was brilliantly caught-and-bowled by Hancock short of his ton, but Fitzsimmons got to his second of the preseason before giving his wicket away to allow Blackman time in the middle. Both Blackman and Jones then cashed in with half-centuries and the former was unbeaten in a score of 346/4 declared.
The Colts returned to the crease needing 302 runs for victory from 64 overs, but settled for more batting practice instead of a genuine chase. This, largely because the score read 19/3 at the dismissal of Pitt. Towns and Jasotharan paired up once more with the former out at 99/4. Jasotharan continued onward, however, and plundered a second hundred of the game. He was assisted by classy knocks from Vaughan and Bharat, and the Colts drew comfortably at 263/6.
Cricket Web Black 1st Innings 388 all out
Cricket Web Colts 1st Innings 433 all out
Cricket Web Black 2nd Innings 346 for 4 dec.
Cricket Web Colts 2nd Innings 263 for 6
Match Drawn.