Scorecard

Berkhamsted Cricket Club 3rd XI v Watton-at-Stone II on Sat 23 May 2009 at 1:30
Berkhamsted Cricket Club Won by 108 runs

Match report The sun was shining and there was a whisper around the club .. “3 wins out of 3, top of the league, centurion Alex Hardwick on a three peaks challenge and today our tail might not wag.” Charlie won the toss and elected to bat first!

Tim Buckley and Simon Brennan opened the batting and pushed on to 52 off the first ten overs. This pace was maintained to 95 off the first nineteen. We all felt gutted for Simon succumbing for a well made 49 in the twentieth. Enter Jez O’Neill, on loan from the I’s; 4,4,1,3 then a lovely straight 6 and long root around in the nettles under Pud’s gnarled oak. Tim completed a consecutive 50 and Jez quickly jugged up before losing Tim in the twenty-eighth with the score on the snooker max 147. The next ten overs saw the rest of the team have a bat with Steve Wale going on the 7th ball of an over, Jez completing 81 with some sublime timing and 3 more sixes. Despite the support of wag Jo and the team mascot Woofers wiggling her furry caudal appendage it was fair to say the team’s tail only twitched. A joy to see the skipper on the square with little inclination to run hitting 5 fours for a rimfire 22. Ian Merritt put on a quick 10 and the captain decided not to forgo Goughie’s batting point and declared on 241 for 9 off 42 overs.

An excellent tea was enjoyed by the batsmen although the bowlers had to decline seconds. No effort was made by Watton to chase the total and after ten overs for not many Berko thought they were in for a long drawn out tedious afternoon. The reality was more that Watton’s openers could not get the bat on Ian Merritt’s and John Ezard’s bowling. Goughie came on - the first ball turned! The second, the stock straight one, sent the opener back to shed. Ian bowled the other opener and Charlie literally saved his throat at first slip palming one up to take on the second attempt to give Ian his second.

Mikey Antonelli showed his versatility by bowling some off spin. Leveraging his height, when he tossed them up, he proved quite a handful and collected 3 well deserved wickets. With nothing happening with the Goughie guile, Steve Wale was brought on to give the ball some ice and encourage Watton to at least try and get a batting point. Steve’s rocket paced, half tracker ball taking the outside edge and nearly killing Tim was the most amusing ball of the day. The change worked to see their main batsman caught driving for 40 off an AWAC flighted, fuller pitched ball by Izzy at mid off.

The skipper then brought Izzy back on and having earlier missed out on three half chances, probably while rueing breaking his bat, Tim Buckley showed his mettle and proved his merit by equalising the mathematics on the 50:50’s. Three wickets in 8 balls: bowled Ezard caught Buckley at first slip, one being the captain on 50! Watton all out in 41.4 overs and thirty more glorious points to Berko III’s.

A very good win keeping Berko III’s undisputed division 11 leaders. Charlie’s decision to bat vindicated and the winning habit maintained. Played four won four. There is a great team atmosphere with everyone contributing – long may it continue. Our thanks to Dickie, on loan from the II’s, for umpiring for the afternoon.

Berkhamsted Cricket Club 3rd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
241		        
Tim Buckley ct Beadle b Clayton 52 3
Simon Brennan b Clayton 49
Jez O'Neill ct & b Beadle 81 1
Ian Putman st b Clayton 5
Steve Wale ct Wright b Creaty 1
Max Jones ct Wright b Creaty 0
Charlie Hussey ct Williamson b Beadle 22 1
Michael Antonelli b Clayton 0 1
Ian Merrett Not Out  10
Jon Ezard b Clayton 2 1
Martin Gough Not Out  1

Watton-at-Stone II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Watton-at-Stone II Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
133 (0.0 overs)		     
Wright b Merrett 8
Miller ct Ezard b Wale 40
D Westwood b Gough 1
Darcy ct Hussey b Merrett 6
C Westwood ct Buckley b Ezard 50
Williamson ct O'Neill b Antonelli 0
Trahar b Antonelli 0
McBrearty Not Out  17
Clarke ct Buckley b Ezard 0
Beadle ct & b Antonelli 0
Clayton ct Buckley b Ezard 1

Berkhamsted Cricket Club 3rd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Ian Merrett11.061628.001.45
Jon Ezard8.44832.670.92
Martin Gough8.0028128.003.50
Michael Antonelli10.0140313.334.00
Steve Wale4.0033133.008.25