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2003 - Results
10th August -Westfield Saints

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Ist innings: 00-0

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 Batsman 1 Bowler 1
 Batsman 2 Bowler 2
 Batsman 3 Bowler 3
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2nd innings: 00-0

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 Batsman 1 Bowler 1
 Batsman 2 Bowler 2
 Batsman 3 Bowler 3
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Match result goes here

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    This was an extremely hot day, to the extent that this day saw the record for the hottest recorded UK temperature smashed to the tune of 101 degrees Fahrenheit at Gravesend. Thenkfully, we were only playing in a miserly 99 degrees. Cap'n Beefy walked out to the wicket with Westfield's captain and for for the toss were surrounded by a gaggle of WECC players, expectant in the hope he'd win and we could bask in the shade of the parasols outside the pavilion. In the best traditions of this season he probably tossed his double-headed coin which came down tails, and West End cc once more took to the field.

     Price and Newton opened for Westfield and didn't hang about. Anything off of a length and line was dispatched to the boundary in no uncertain fashion - 13 came off the first over - and despite a few shots sailing through the air, the strength of shots meant that they usually went nowhere near our men despite consistently good fielding in the heat. Their partnership was fifty up in the 6th over and 104 by the end of the twelfth over. WECC's opening bowlers had proved rather unpenetrative and we needed something special. Two overs it came; the Captain himself replaced James at the pavilion end and tempted Price to attempt another shot to square. Although he'd hit it hard, low and straight it nevertheless went straight toward Neal Haworth whose diving catch clutched the ball just shy of the ground to give us the breakthrough. Andy Horn came on at the other end and struck in his first over, a swinging sod of a ball right in the blockhole trapped Mudger plumb leg-before for zero.

Ian defends a high bouncer  Everyone suitably entertained Neal sweeping the leaves

     The run-rate had been checked, but momentarily. Price and new partner Norris stepped on the gas even more and the next six overs passed at nearly eight apiece. Horn was bowling the sixth of these (the 23rd over) when the seemingly unstoppable Newton was himself stopped on 124. Firmly-hit to mid-wicket (in similar fashion to the first wicket in fact) the ball was athletically intercepted this time by Phil Dawson who managed to get his fingers between the ball and the grass. Newton stood his ground but for a moment; the umpire's finger was slowly raised skyward and he had to go with the total on 177 for 3.

     That difficult catch proved inspirational to WECC. Just two balls later Horn's nagging accuracy proved White's undoing, the swinging, straightening ball messing up his wicket somewhat. Barrett and James were re-introduced into the attack with miserly second spells, yet Westfield still wouldn't be persuaded to give up wickets lightly despite being virtually strangled in the run-stakes to 2 runs an over on what was still very much a batsman's wicket. Eleven overs, 24 runs and a wicket apiece to James and Barrett passed before Westfield broke the psychological 200 barrier. The final four overs realised just 14 runs to leave West End with a not unattainable target of 236 off 40 overs.

Adie L hits the jackpot - and a 6  Bit of a scary moment for Adie Back to the script for this one

     The established left-hand-right-hand partnership of Ian Brown and Johnno Greathead got off to a steady start in the face of some testing deliveries, but managed to find the boundary with a degree of confidence. In the tenth over however, a full-length delivery from Rapley beat Ian in the flight and with nowhere to go was out lbw. Johnno remained in steady form with new partner Neal Haworth, indeed his only scoring shots were confidently stroked fours! Neal wasted no time in playing himself in and it was only a matter of time before his first boundary, a big six through the onside trees.

     When the score was 49, Johnno was caught in the slips to the faintest of edges. Matt Oliver was "inconvenienced" for a short while and, as sometimes happens, was not immediately available as next man in. Thus, Adie Lamberth stepped (into something - ed) in to fill the sudden vacancy.  When Adie comes in with his inimitable style of somehow leaving the biggest gate you could imagine, the bowlers eyes light right up. One of two things will happen: either he makes a good score, or will get out quickly, either way he will attempt giving the ball a good pasting while doing or dying. The new pair upped the ante to the surprise of Westfield who suddenly found themselves on the back foot in the face of well-run singles and strong shots for both fours and sixes. One memorable Lamberth six nearly cleared the ring of trees by the pavilion, one of the longest boundaries on the day and led, not surprisingly, to a temporarily lost ball!

     The entertainment continued breathleslly, and only a mere six overs passed after Johhno's demise when, at ten-to-six in the evening sun, the hundred came up via another crashing six from Adie. Both he and Neal took advantage as more bowling changes initially made little effect on proceedings. As the temperature showed little sign of abating the heat took its toll on these two key members of our fielding side who were making all possible efforts to keep in contention. However, the pace inevitably dropped a bit and concentrations started to waver. Neal got a stinker that popped up and had him caught in the covers bringing in Matt Oliver (at last, I hear you cry) who struggled against spin-bowler Norris who was himself struggling to find any length and line. The first time he did though, the ball started off way outside off-stump and Matt's keen sense of direction suggested he leave it safely. On doing so, the ball cruelly turned in one hell of a way and then some to take his leg stump out. Think of Shane Warne's first ball to Mike Gatting c.1993 and you get the picture. Craig Weston followed Matt in, then out as an in-cutter from Paul Chaplain curtailed his innings.

     A tiring Adie Lamberth was out before too much longer, bowled by Rapley for his magnificently entertaining 61. West End lost a bit of ground and although both Phil Dawson and Andy Horn got off the mark, progress was slower than was desired with a tighter reign being exercised by Westfield's bowlers. Although runs were still being scored wickets fell at an ever-increasing rate and West End were finally all out in the 35th over for 181, an excellent run-chase from the word go which for a long time threatened to make it all the way and was good cricket to watch. While we mustn't forget Westfield's team - remember well over 400 runs were scored on this hottest of days - this was a superb performance from West End.

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