Monday 11th February
Masters XI v Cricket Web Black
Casston Reserve
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
As they did after their first loss against the Colts, Cricket Web Black rebounded from first-class defeat to beat the Masters XI by a comfortable margin in the one-day fixture. It was not quite as authoritative a showing as their win over the Colts, but the Blacks won with almost 14 overs spare.
The Masters XI were asked to bat first in testing conditions, conducive to swing bowling. And as they have all season long, the CW Black bowlers exploited what gratuitous assistance they received. Kexing Su ignitted the effort by getting Geraint Jones (13) to nick to second slip, then he found the edge of Lara's bat for a meagre 1. At the other end Blake Donald found some rhythm, being entrusted with the ball as first change, and he took the wickets of Hinds (26) and Inzamam (15), before the in-form Damien Martyn was taken at slip for 24.
For the first time this season Smith only had to rely on his main five bowlers, as all contributed healthily toward bowling the Masters out for 162. All of the bowlers operated both economically and potently, and for once Kev Gough was the least of them, finishing with only 1-40.
There was little variation in conditions when the Blacks started their run chase, so the game remained alive in the mind of a kind audience. And to their credit the Masters also exploited the pitch and weather, particularly Tyron Henderson. The South African quickie beat James Stedman with a cracking length delivery that jagged back in to topple middle stump. Stedman walked for 1 in the first over, inviting Andrew Cloete to the crease in a rich vein of form. He never dazzled and struck only two fours in 29, then he too was felled by a lovely Henderson delivery. Quick wickets set CW Black back at 78-4, and Smith walked out with his team in crisis. To his advantage, he met the already entrenched Ash Chaulk, batting on 31.
Neither batsman took a risk in a partnership of 85. Instead they settled for working the ball into gaps and dispatching the loose deliveries, concentrating desperately on guiding CW Black to a much-needed win. Chaulk backed up a stunning performance with the gloves - 4 dismissals, including 2 stumpings - with a composed 67 not out.
Masters XI 162 (39.4 overs)
WW Hinds 26 (37), DR Martyn 24 (31)
ZE Gelman 3-37 (8), NS Pickup 2-21 (8)
Cricket Web Black 163-4 (36.2 overs)
AP Chaulk 67* (98), DP Smith 41* (59)
T Henderson 3-37 (10)
Cricket Web Black won by 6 wickets.
Man of the Match: AP Chaulk (Black)
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Cricket Web Blue v Cricket Web Colts
PDV Dome
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
Guided by an expert Sean Fuller hundred, Cricket Web Blue beat Cricket Web Colts comfortably in front a disappointing crowd at the PDV Dome. Only a few hundred turned out to see a game which featured some engrossing cricket, despite its one-sided 6-wicket result.
The Colts were inserted by Travis Demeza amidst awful wet weather and crumbled dramatically to 44-4 before the end of the second powerplay. Bosco Fitzsimmons got another chance to establish himself and he joined Chris Butler in a positive rebuilding effort. Neither batsman got bogged down and instead played with surprising freedom during their partnership of 144. Heading into the final overs the Colts looked to be batting themselves into a healthy position, but after Butler was bowled by part-timer DeSilva, the fragility of the lower order was shown up.
DeSilva tricked Mike Wilson into mistiming a slower ball, and Pete Young took the catch at long-off. An over later Fitzsimmons flashed hard at Fuller and was caught brilliantly by Luke Tyson, diving full stretch forward from his position at backward point. His innings of 83 contained 4 boundaries and 2 impressive sixes, lasting 95 balls. From the point of his demise 27 more runs were added by the Colts tail, largely due to the batting of Tarick Weber, with 16 not out. A score of 227 looked far better than it could have in the early stages of the game, but disappointing in the context of the mid-innings revival.
There were few early alarms when CW Blue set about to chase down the score. Both Liam Camps jr. and Sean Fuller played well within themselves to ensure a solid start, and they posted 90 for first wicket. The first breakthrough came from Jack McNamara, bowling Camps for 37, then he took the wicket of DeSilva for 8, well before he could get settled at the crease. Stephen Young batted solidly with 36 to deny any hints of a collapse, but threw away his wicket wildly when 39 runs were needed.
Pete Young (15) played a brief cameo and ******ed Fuller to a deserved hundred - off 141 balls - but was caught behind attempting to late cut Weber. It was Luke Tyson then who got to hit the winning runs, sweeping the ball fine to do so. He shook the hand of Fuller, unbeaten on 116, and the two walked off the field to a scattering of applause.
Cricket Web Colts 227-9 (50 overs)
BC Fitzsimmons 83 (95), CR Butler 67 (97)
LA Camps 5-51 (10), MW DeSilva 2-15 (6)
Cricket Web Blue 229-4 (44.5 overs)
SE Fuller 116* (151), LA Camps 37 (51), S Young 36 (40)
JP McNamara 2-43 (10)
Cricket Web Blue won by 6 wickets.
Man of the Match: LA Camps (Blue)
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Cricket Web Red v Cricket Web Green
CW Oval
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
The disappointing turned humiliating for Cricket Web Red, as they were crushed by Cricket Web Green by 10 wickets behind a Nick Scott ton. The home side batted recklessly but scored 255, then surrendered the total within 44 overs.
Jamee Gray played with great poise at the top of the order, and his 52 was the clear topscore in an innings that constantly flattered to deceive. Kenny Dobson jumped at the opportunity to open the batting again, striking 5 boundaries in a delightful 32. Thus his was an untimely and hugely disappointing demise, skying a attempted slog to be caught by the wicketkeeper. Rob Dauth (5) suffered a rare failure, but David Kearsley looked to be in good nick along with Gray. The score was 128 when Rose induced an error from Kearsley, on-driving uppishly to Scott at mid-on. Bennett then epitomized the carelessness of the innings, hitting a six, then a four, then picking out Gundry at deep midwicket. His was an innings of 10, lasting just 3 balls. To make matters worse, Gray ran himself out to finish the over from Rose.
All involved in the lower order contributed to the total, reaching double figures but failing to kick on. From 138-5 after Gray was out, the Reds did well to get to 255, though it was largely due to an unbroken partnership of 24 between Kennett and Clapham at the very end. Martyn Corrin was again very effective with the ball, barely spinning it, but taking 3 wickets in 6 overs.
It seemed CW Red would have something to bowl at, though they started their defense in need of early wickets. Instead they were met by an unstoppable force of Scott, batting as well as any Green has over the last week. He raced through to his fifty in the 13th over, needing 42 balls, and by the 23rd over CW Green had posted 150 for the first wicket. The batting slowed down in subsequent overs, then Scott upped the tempo again with a cover-driven boundary to reach 100. Meanwhile Rob Malone jr. stayed out of the spotlight, all the while compiling a fine innings of his own. He was again denied a maiden hundred, taking the winning run halfway through the 44th over and ending 91 not out.
Cricket Web Red innings 255-9 (50 overs)
JR Gray 52 (69), GKK Dobson 32 (26), DA Kearsley 31 (45)
M Corrin 3-24 (6), TC Halsey 2-47 (10)
Cricket Web Green 256-0 (43.3 overs)
NG Scott 146* (148), R Malone 91* (113)
Cricket Web Green won by 10 wickets.
Man of the Match: NG Scott (Green)