Scorecard

Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 4th XI v CHELMSFORD on Sat 18 Aug 2007 at 12.30PM
Match was Drawn

Match report Both sides entered this match at Gallows Corner within a couple of points of one another at the top of the table, but whilst Park played positive cricket their opponents were cautious in the extreme, despite having the best of the conditions in which to bat and bowl, and the game was bogged down by their approach. The visitors won the toss and chose to field first on a pitch that was fresh from overnight rain and had seam movement and swing for the bowlers, and with a slow outfield. The opening bowlers did not make best use of the conditions however and failed to make the batsmen play enough, and bowled 8 wides in the first 11 overs (indeed the youthful Akhtar had 0 for 6 off his opening five overs, all of which were wides!). As a result, Jas Chaggar and Ammar Zahid put on 43 for the 1st wicket off 15 overs before Ammar was caught in the covers. The field placings were conservative, increasingly so as the innings progressed, and partnerships had to be the order of the day given the batting conditions. The 2nd wicket added 60 in 15 overs before Jerry Trayler was well held on the boundary. Suki Jutla added a bright and fluent 23 as 42 were added for the 3rd wicket, and thereafter all the batsmen contributed in small degrees as Park reached 205 off 52 overs. Jas was 5th out for an excellent and well paced 83 in the circumstances containing nine 4s and one 6. For Chelmsford there was an imnpressive spell of leg spin from Tom Halsey who thoroughly deserved his figures of 16 overs 1 maiden 6 wickets for 63 runs, taking a cluster of victims at the tail end of the innings as Park pushed for maximum batting points. Overall Chelmsford bowled 22 wides and the over rate was tardy even with a leg spinner on, and the innings 52 overs was finished after 3 hours 10 minutes!
By the end of the Park innings the pitch had dried out and the conditions were much more conducive for batting. The visitors made a confident start, opening with 10 off the first over, but Hafiz Ali struck twice when the score reached 20, having Sterland caught behind and clean bowling Burns with a beauty. Andy Jenner chipped in by bowling Balmford to make it 27 for 3, but then regrettably the remaining Chelmsford opener declined to walk after getting a very big nick to Hafiz held by Lee Carter behind the stumps and gained the benefit of a not out decision. This was the first occasion this season in Park's 4th XI matches when a player of any side has adopted this approach, and it was disappointing to see. Had this decision been given it would have been 27 for 4 and Park well on top, but as it was Andy Jenner then picked up a further wicket to keep up the pressure. The reprieved batsman went on to make 34 before he was run out by a brilliant piece of fielding by Ammar Zahid as he attempted a quick single and Chelmsford were rocking at 58 for 5. Understandably at this point (with what proved to be 27 overs remaining) the 6th wicket pairing of skipper Thurston and youthful Witham consolidated and defended all the bowlers of what ever pace. Having created a better situation for themselves and adding 30 runs however they did not press harder to try and gain batting points. Even with Park's close set fields they just carried on blocking or leaving deliveries, and with the pitch by now flat this proved an almost impossible task for Park's attack to break down. It was a disappointing lack of ambition. The only spark of life from the batsmen was when they could see a chance of a single batting point, duly achieved in the penultimate over but by this stage their turgid performance meant an inevitable draw. Thurston batted 31 overs for 23 not out, and Witham 24 overs for 32 not out, and the 6th wicket added 75 in 24 overs, which just about sums it all up! Hafiz finished with 2 for 50 off 15 overs and Andy Jenner 2 for 22 off 18 overs.
There is till plenty to play for in the remianing three league matches. Next week it is Basildon at home.

Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 4th XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
205		        
Jas Chaggar Bowled  83
Ammar Zahid Caught  17 1
Jerry Trayler Caught  13
Sukhvir Jutla Caught  23
Baljit Jutla Run out  4
Graham Redwood Bowled  2
Hafiz Ali Stumped  7
Lee Carter Not Out  3
Mike O'Neil Caught  10 1
Andy Jenner Not Out  1 1
Dave Cobill  
A.N. Other  

CHELMSFORD Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
R REDMAN11.0137218.503.36
I AKHTAR10.012200.002.20
O DEVENISH10.014200.004.20
S DRAIN5.012300.004.60
T HALSEY16.0163610.503.94

CHELMSFORD Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
133 (0.0 overs)		     
J STERLAND Caught  12
S PLEASANT Run out  34
M BURNS Bowled  0
G BALMFORD Bowled  0
A THURSTON Not Out  23
O DEVENISH Lbw  2
T WITHAM Not Out  32
   
   
   
   
   

Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 4th XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Hafiz Ali15.0250225.003.33
Andy Jenner18.0922211.001.22
Mike O'Neil4.001600.004.00
Dave Cobill3.00700.002.33
Ammar Zahid4.012200.005.50