Scorecard

Colchester & East Essex v Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI on Sat 23 Aug 2003 at 11.00
Match was Drawn

Match report Park lost the toss and Colchester made first use of the only hard ball to be used. With ridiculously short boundary one side the score rattled along in uncontrollable fashion.Both opening bowlers tried hard but with the margin for error at its absolute minimum changes quickly had to be implemented in the fashion of Andy Churchill and Mel Hussain. All the Colchester batsmen adapted well with Flanagan 49 , Ivulich 28, Hembry 63 and Seymour 87 the pick of the scorers.Andy Churchill toiled away for 2 wickets Andy Clarke tried hard but in vain and finished wicketless.With a disintigrating so called county wicket Barry Hyam the Essex wicket keeper even took off his pads to bowl off spin and was immediately rewarded with the prize wicket of Flanagan.Colchester finally declared on 299-4.
Park got off to a good start with Montgomery promoted up the order to get the runs flowing. Hyam in great form pushed the score rapidly along to keep Park in with a shout for an unlikely victory on an ever dustier wicket. Montgomery was bowled by Flanagan who adopted an around the wicket approach for 18.Hyam was then amazingly given out LBW to what must have almost been an impossible decision to make on the conditions given for 49. The runs were becoming harder to score but Park kept going .Husssain 44 , Davey 15 and Andy Churchill continuing his fantastic form but the run rate was now increasinly rapidly as Flanagans around the wicket bowling made runs impossible to come by from the top end.Collard was bowled for 2 and it was left to Churchill 81 not out and Baker 16 not out to see Park to the important 4th batting point and seal a draw on a disappointing day at the County ground.
It was very disappointing to find a pitch placed on the out outfield for a Premiership game of cricket between 2 of the best sides in the Essex league. There was a 25 yard boundary one side which was definitely not conducive to Premiershoip standard cricket nor was it one for raising the so called ECB directive of "raising the Standard". The wicket was just dust with apparently no where near enough preparation to sustain any form of a game.It was a tribute to the ability of the batsman that so many runs were scored but it has to be said that a hard new ball and first go on a deteriorating wicket and ridiculous boundary contributed to 50 boundaries being scored.There were no sightscreen supplied at the top end of the ground only hospitality tents and at the Tom Pearce end there was only one sightscreen for right arm over which made interesting work for the batsmen when left arm was applied.In a game which everybody look forward to playing in it was turning into an embarrasement for the recreational game and which was apparently no interest shown again by the Essex county Cricket club.It is a shame that when the County want imput from the recreational game that recreational cricketers were showed such lack of respect. With such little cricket left to play at the ground this season why couldnt Essex League recreational cricket be better looked after why couldnt the county ? Had this wicket and other conditions been produced in a league game on the league circuit i believe quetions would have been asked.It was extremely disappointing that two good sides were presented with such poor conditions on which to try and play a VERY important game in an attempt to secure an important result for each club.Many look forward to playing at this ground to experience the atmosphere but were left wondering why any of us bothered going there except to see the County's lack of interest in the Shepherd Neame Essex league.Surely not a good PR moment for the County or the recreational game !!

Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
264		        
Barry Hyam Lbw  48 1
Ben Montgomery Bowled  18
Andy Churchill Not Out  81
Mel Hussain Caught  44 1
Leigh Davey Caught  15
Andy Clark Caught  26
Russell Collard Bowled  2 1
Luke Baker Not Out  16
Richard Whatling   1
James Redwood  
Waheed Khan  

Colchester & East Essex Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
M.Dias7.012700.003.86
I.Flanagan 20.0185328.334.25
P.Edwards20.0367233.503.35
A.Seymour3.002200.007.33
I.McQueen3.001900.006.33
E.Kuvarajah7.0030130.004.29

Colchester & East Essex Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 4 wickets
0
299 (0.0 overs)		     
I.Flanagan ct Hussain b Hyam Caught  49
J.Ivulich ct Hyam b Churchill Caught  28
T.Hembry ct Whatling b Churchill Caught  63
A.Seymour Not Out  87
T.De Grooth ct Collard b Khan Caught  23
M.Dias Not Out  12
   
   
   
   
   

Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Andy Clark15.017500.005.00
Leigh Davey3.002100.007.00
Andy Churchill23.0271235.503.09
Mel Hussain5.002900.005.80
Russell Collard3.001500.005.00
Barry Hyam6.0030130.005.00
Ben Montgomery3.001500.005.00
Waheed Khan3.0111111.003.67

  • Umpire :
    Panel
  • Scorer :
    John Collins