Sunday 25 August 2013

Petersfield 3s V Herriard 2s

Result: Herriard - 2nd XI Won by 37 runs
Date: Sat 24th Aug 2013
Start Time: 14:00

After all the early morning rain in Hampshire it was a surprise that the game was on but Herriard had the covers on and worked hard to get the game on. On a green pitch with a lot of grass on it Petersfield captain James Stratford-Tuke won the toss and elected to bowl first. Both sides were pushing for the last promotion place so there was a lot to play for.

The Herriard openers looked circumspect against the seaming ball but had pushed the score along to 21 before young Ben Turk (4-38 off 10) broke the partnership with a full length delivery which cleaned up N Wolley (10) removing leg stump. They added just six more before Turk repeated the ball accounting M Bullpit for a duck.
Herriard then set about rebuilding the innings as Captain S Weston (41) and K Peachy (52) put on 107 for the 3rd wicket taking advantage of some wayward and short bowling. Omar Iqbal (2-33 off  who had been struggling with the foot holes got 1 in the correct place and removed Peachy LBW as he missed a full straight delivery. With that breakthrough captain Stratford-Tuke brought Turk back and in his first over back he removed Captain Weston with another full straight delivery LBW to cap another wonderful bowling performance from the young 13 year old medium pacer. Petersfield looked to be right back in the game with Herriard 150-5 but J Holder (51) batted fantastically well with the rest of the lower middle order despite wickets falling regularly at the other end with Ollie Simpson (2-44 off 7) removing 2 wickets in 2 overs despite some wayward bowling at times. Oscar Windebank (2-38 off 9.5) finished off the Herriard innings bowling Holder. With only 4 players reaching double figures Petersfield will be disappointed with the number of extras conceded (40),Herriard finishing on 212 all out which looked a very competitive total even with the pitch and outfield drying out after 15 overs of light rain in the middle of their innings.

Petersfield struggled at the start of their innings to get the ball away as Herriard started with 1 spinner and a slow medium pacer reduced Petersfield to 18-4 with openers Lawes (3-21 off 10) and young spinner Coombs (3-36 off 10) bowling an accurate line and length. Eoin Seager (53) and Omar Iqbal (20) looked to be performing the same rebuilding task as Herriard until Omar missed a very slow delivery from P Mccarthy (4-54 off 9.1) to be bowled. That brought Rob Anscombe (57) to the crease and proved yet again what a valuable asset he has been in the success that Petersfield 3s have seen this season. Rob carried on from where Omar had left off and put on 85 for 6th wicket with Eoin Seager.Both players manouvered the ball around the field keeping the score ticking along at 5 or 6 runs an over. Coombs and Lawes returned to the attack and helped to dry up the runs which forced Eoin to play across the line to a Coombs delivery to be caught at mid wicket. WIth Petersfield having a strong batting line up there was still a good chance that Petersfield could chase down the total despite having lost 6 wickets.

Unfortunately this proved not to be the case as the lower order struggled to generate the pace off the slow bowlers Coomb and.Mccarthy and succumbed to these bowlers trying to force the score along. When Rob Anscombe went again trying to push the scoring rate up it was a lost cause even with some lusty hitting from Ed Davenport (10) including a massive 6 off the first ball he faced. Petersfield ended on 175 which meant they scored only 11 points and Herriard taking a maximum 24 points.Herriard batted well and having home knowledge had the better bowlers for the wicket produced.

Petersfield have now dropped to 5th in the league and Herriard are up to 4th there is now only 1 average point between 4 sides vying for the last promotion place going into the last weekend of the season.

Man of the Match - shared between 3 players Ben Turk, Rob Anscombe and Eoin Seager
Moment of the match - Ed Davenport's mighty six off his first delivery
http://petersfield.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11731628

Petersfield 2s vs Rotherwick ITW

Petersfield 2s vs Rotherwick ITW 

The Mighty 2s beat Rotherwick at the Heath last weekend in a dramatic finish played out in torrential rain and near darkness.

Losing the toss and inevitably asked to bat on a showery, dismal day, ‘Field got off to a slow start, losing Matt Salmon early for 12. Fellow opener Alex Thomas took until the first rain stoppage to get off the mark, but then played increasingly fluently in an impressive partnership with Chris Russell.

The pair put on 153 and looked in little difficulty as they rotated the strike and put away the bad ball, so it was something of a surprise when Thomas top-edged a sweep to short fine-leg for 52. Russell then pushed the scoring along and expertly marshalled the tail on his way to a superb, unbeaten 118, an innings of the highest class.

‘Field finished on 237 for 6, their highest total of the season batting first and surely a match-winning one... or was it?

Tea was taken early as the weather closed in, and it was raining quite heavily as Rotherwick started their reply. Conditions worsened as the afternoon drew on – at one stage the covers were being dragged on and off quicker than a pair of a you-know-what’s drawers – and when the ground was hit by a particularly heavy downpour at the 17-over mark, it looked that Petersfield, well on top at this stage, would be denied a vital victory and the match abandoned. 

The ‘Field players refused to leave the pitch as the rain teemed down (apart from Doddy, who was heard to mutter “**** this was a laugh” before retiring to the warmth of the pavilion for a fag). And when the rain somehow stopped momentarily, immediately off came the covers and unbelievably it was game on – again.

With the calculators out, the equation was this: Rotherwick needed 146 off 23 overs to win this rain-reduced game. At this point they were behind the rate thanks to skilful bowling from Ben Cox and Nick Woodruff, but some superb hitting from veteran opener Buccingham (69) put Rotherwick right back in it. This was suddenly going right down to the wire. 

Despite some tight seam-up bowling at the death by Chris Russell and Richard Stephens, with the pressure mounting all the time, backed by some heroic fielding on the boundary from Cox and Nigel Straw in particular, 8 needed off the last over became 2 off the last ball.

Stephens took the ball. He paused at the top of his run-up, gimlet-eyed, as the rain poured down. The batsman fidgeted at the other end and adjusted his pads. This was cricket not as a team game (none of the fielders were able to see the ball anyway in the gathering gloom) but mano-a-mano, man-to-man. Who would prevail? 

Stephens skipped in, the ball pitched, seamed away slightly, the batsman swung.... and missed. ‘Keeper Thomas gathered the ball, decided against throwing down the stumps (wisely), sprinting up to demolish them instead. Batsman run out and a breathless victory to Petersfield.

This was a superb game of club cricket, played in a wonderful spirit by two teams going all-out to win. Full credit to Rotherwick and also to their umpire, who was scrupulously fair in allowing both teams every chance to push for victory in the wettest playing conditions that anyone could remember, more suitable by the end for wallowing hippos than highly-toned, mud-spattered athletes (ahem...)

This tremendous win for the 2s may not be enough to stave off relegation but it was a desperately determined, fighting performance, and also one of great skill, and the team should take great pride in it.

http://petersfield.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11731612

Tuesday 20 August 2013

PETERSFIELD CC MATCH REPORT VS DONNIGTON 17/08/13

PETERSFIELD CC MATCH REPORT VS DONNIGTON 17/08/13
PETERSFIELD REMAINED ON COURSE FOR PROMTION WITH A 5 WICKET VICTORY OVER DONNINGTON IN A RAIN AFFECTED MATCH. JACK HANNAM WON THE TOSS AND PREDICTIABLY PUT THE HOSTS INTO BAT AS IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT THE GAME WOULD BE REDUCED IN THE SECOND INNINGS.
DONNINGTON MADE A SLOW START AGAINST HANNAM, BLANKS AND NIGEL STONE WITH JUST 55 ON THE BOARD FROM THE FIRST 16 OVERS WHEN LAWRENCE WAS ADJUDGED LBW TO STONE. TAIT AND SKIPPER DANDO INCREASED THE RUN RATE TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF ONE INCREDIBLY SMALL BOUNDARY ADDING 45 FROM THE NEXT 8. HANNAM TURNED TO TOBY AUSTIN (10-1-33-3) IN SEARCH OF THE BREAKTHROUGH GETTING INSTANT REWARD WITH A WICKET FROM HIS FIRST DELIVERY WELL HELD BY CRISTIE SALMON AT SECOND SLIP.
THIS ONLY BROUGHT THE DANGEROUS SHEPARD TO THE CREASE FRESH FROM HIS UNBEATEN 140 THE PREVIOUS WEEK. WITH THE WEATHER GETTING INCREASINGLY BAD HE RODE HIS LUCK AND DESPITE BEING DROPPED SEVERAL TIMES SMASHED AN UNBEATEN 99 FROM 76 DELIVERIES LEAVING THE HOSTS WITH A COMPETITIVE 235 FROM THE 45 OVERS.
WITH THE SECOND INNINGS REDUCED TO 40 OVERS PETERSFIELD REQUIRED 226 FOR VICTORY. THE VISITORS LOST SALMON IN THE 4TH OVER WITH THE SCORE AT JUST 17. WILL RICE JOINED ASH SPENCER AND PLAYED IN TYPICALLY AGGRESSIVE FASHION SCORING 33 FROM 28 BALLS BEFORE HE SKIED A FULL LENGTH DELIVERY AND WAS WELL HELD BY LAWRENCE. BLANKS (11) AND NEWMAN (0) CAME AND WENT LEAVING IN FORM MAN TOBY AUSTIN (27) TO REPAIR THE INNINGS WITH SPENCER (79*). THEY ADDED 58 WHEN AUSTIN ATTEMPTING A BIG STRAIGHT DRIVE MISJUDGED THE DELIVERY AND WAS STUMPED.

LIAM CHARLES JOINED SPENCER AND ADDED 16 RUNS FROM THE NEXT 10 DELIVERIES. THIS PROVED VITAL AS THE GAME WAS CLOSED BY THE UMPRIE DUE TO BAD LIGHT AT THE END OF THE OVER WITH PETERFIELD ON 168. IT WAS CALCULATED THAT THE VISITORS REQUIRED 164 GIVING PETERSFIELD ANOTHER VITAL VICTORY.

Thursday 15 August 2013

Petersfield U9 Panthers Secure SEHCA U9A League Title

Petersfield U9 Panthers Secure SEHCA
U9A League Title
Final Win caps great season for Panthers
Petersfield Panthers U9s went into the last game if the season against Purbrook needing a win
to guarantee them the champions spot in the SE Hants U9A league. The Panthers gave debuts
to William Osbourne and Finn Robersen and the two showed no signs of nerves as they opened
the bowling and took 3 wickets in their opening spell. Purbrook fell further behind as Louis
Wadsworth took 20
and Sam Paul (219)
turned the screw and as the final pair came to the
wicket it looked as though the visitors would struggle to raise a defendable total. However a flurry
of boundaries raised the final Purbrook score to 246. Petersfield made steady progress when
they batted and ended up comfortable winners finishing up on 299.
This marks the second year of success for the team, who added the U9A title to the B league
won last year. The final analysis read won 8 and lost 2 games and included wins over top
Southern League teams Portsmouth, Hambledon and Burridge. Top run getters for the season
were David Evans (124 runs) Jack McKechnie (66) and Fergus McClean (63) while Seb
Browning (11 wickets) Tom Griffin (9) and Zac Franklin (9) toped the bowling averages. Together
with a semifinal
place at the Hants CC Ageas Bowl U9 tournament this capped a great season
for the team where every player has contributed to the teams success.
With victory over Purbrook in their last match of the season, the Panthers won the U9A title,
finishing with 8 wins and two losses from their 10 games played. It was a great performance by
the squad, with every member playing their part.
The season started brightly with two wins over Purbrook, a win over Portsmouth and (my
personal favourite) a win over Hambledon – where some excellent bowling restricted Hambledon
to a mere 214, taking 12 wickets in the process.
Even a midseason
blip, with away defeats to Hambledon and Portsmouth, couldn’t stop
Petersfield’s march for the championship. A doubleheader
against closest challengers Burridge
ended in two crushing victories for Petersfield, setting up the titleclinching
finale with Purbrook.
Special mention to David Evans, whose 124 runs led the league, and Seb Browning, who topped
the league bowling averages with 12 wickets (ahead of Zac Franklin, David Evans, Tom Griffin
and Sam Paul, with 10, 9, 9 and 8 wickets respectively, which meant that Petersfield had the
league’s top 5 wickettakers).
Thanks go to the parents and, of course, the brothers and sisters who supported the side so
well.With several members of the squad still being U9 next year, there is a good chance that,
with a lot of hard work over the next year, the boys can retain the title in 2014.
Petersfield U9A Panthers Squad 2013:
Seb Browning, Mark Butcher, David Evans, Zac Franklin, Tom Griffin, Fergus Maclean, Hamish
Maguire, Tom Mason, Jack McKechnie, Tom MorganRush,
William Osbourne, Sam Paul, Fin
Roberson, Theo Truss, Louis Wadsworth.
Well done lads!
Back row l-r Seb Browning, Zac Franklyn, David Evans, William Osbourne
Front row l-r Finn Roberson, Sam Paul, Fergus Mclean Louis Wadsworth