Ben Cox, standing in for Petersfield’s crocked captain Caddick, won the toss and asked F&C to bat first, who went on the attack from the outset and amassed a formidable 167 for 3 from their 12 overs. Our bowlers dug in hard and there were deserved wickets for Cox, Newman and young Gabriel Broadhurst. Gabriel, bowling with plenty of flight, could easily have picked up a couple more wickets with a bit more luck.
Chasing a total that was probably always out of reach, ‘Field batted sensibly to reach 115 for 4 and secure those precious batting points. Thomas top scored with 29* with valuable support from Newman (18), Cox (12) and Broadhurst (12).
SEASON SUMMARY
A third place finish was well merited for this talented and dedicated group of players, who worked hard at their game, played some intelligent indoor cricket, and weren’t far away from challenging for the league title itself.
First and foremost, it was a great squad effort throughout the long indoor season, with everyone making major contributions at some time or another.
Alex Thomas finished leading run scorer with 152 (9th in the league rankings) and, with Newman (135 runs; 13th), formed a highly effective batting partnership with sharp shot selection and even sharper running between the wickets.
Ben Cox’s delightful straight hitting earned him 117 runs (18th in the rankings), while Hiscock (109 runs; top score 59) and Caddick (71 runs) were destructive hitters on their day. Friend (76 runs) played solidly when available, and Groves-Hambidge and Broadhurst chipped in with valuable runs as well.
Rory Newman bowled with great skill with the swinging ball to be the leading wicket taker with 7 (7th in the league averages), followed by Cox (6 wickets; 11th) and Caddick (5; 13th), the latter with an impressive economy and strike rate. Hiscock, Friend and Broadhurst were the other wicket-takers.
The strength of the side lay in the quality of their bowling and fielding, which constantly had their opponents under pressure. Indeed they accrued the most bowling points – 51 – in the league by some distance from their nearest rivals (champions Hambledon with 42).
An indication of their sharpness in the field was that 25 of the 45 wickets taken throughout the season came from run-outs. And although the league doesn’t keep detailed fielding stats, it would be a surprise if another ‘keeper matched the 7 stumpings and 1 catch taken by Alex Thomas standing up to the stumps, offering a real attacking threat.
Caddick and Newman took some smart catches in the deep and who can forget the fielding of Alex North in one match, who was involved in three run-outs and took a catch as well.
The U16s should be very proud of their efforts this indoor season. They played some great stuff, showed marvellous team spirit and represented the club with distinction. It certainly bodes well for the summer ahead. Well done lads!
Batting averages
Players are ranked by runs scored.
Name Inns NO Runs HS Average
1 A Thomas 9 6 152 41* 50.67
3 B Cox 9 2 117 34 16.71
4 J Hiscock 6 1 109 59 21.80
5 B Friend 3 0 76 29 25.33
6 N Caddick 7 2 71 25* 14.20
7 M Groves-Hambidge 4 1 32 15 10.67
8 G Broadhurst 2 0 31 19 15.50
9 A North 2 1 4 4 4.00
10 R Straw 1 1 0 0*
Bowling averages
Players (and bowling performances, for determining best bowling) are ranked by wickets taken, then average runs per over.
Name Overs Runs Wickets Best Runs/wkt Runs/over
2 B Cox 24.5 278 6 2/20 46.33 11.19
3 N Caddick 22 167 5 2/10 33.40 7.59
5 B Friend 3 15 2 2/6 7.50 5.00
6 G Broadhurst 4 54 2 1/22 27.00 13.50
8 R Straw 1 19 0 0/19 19.00
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