Match report: Deando-Ruxley (A)

Ford Motors Pyestock to

Win Number Eight!

Pyestock CC Vs Deando Ruxley CC

Sunday 5th August 2012

Weather Conditions: Sunny and Warm.

Pitch Conditions: Wicket: dry, soft. Outfield: Green, fast.

 

Pyestock returned home after 5 successive away games hoping to continue the form that saw them demolish Warfield in their last match on perennial turf.

Without Neil Butler, vice-captain Chris McGovern lost the toss and faced the prospect of setting a target, with his side being put into bat.

Opening with the regular pairing of Jon Ford and Glenn Taylor, things started well, with Jon making early use of the short boundary to rattle the scoreboard in the early overs.

Deando-Ruxley remained disciplined though and bowled well, in the 12^th over Armstrong got his just rewards for consistently tight bowling by forcing Glenn into a shot that saw him caught for 23.

At the other end, Milesh was also toiling away without much reward, but soon joined the party by frustrating new man Jack Bromley and eventually forcing him into a loose lofted shot straight at the cover fielder,

At 39 for 2, Pyestock looked rattled, however Jon and new batsmen Dan Heath were in mean mood, first seeing off the remaining overs from Armstrong and Milesh before opening up on the change bowlers of Moore and Gachet.

As the overs moved on, the run-rate began to increase, Dan in particular beautifully interchanging between flicking the ball into the gap regularly found between square-leg and fine-leg, and powerfully finding the boundaries over long-off.

It was Jon Ford that was first to 50 though, with a sublime boundary to give him his first half century in Pyestock colours this season, Dan soon followed in similar fashion as the hosts started to take control.

Pyestock were beginning to look very comfortable and as the 100 partnership passed, were looking to set a big total on a pitch that looked like it would have runs in it all day long. In the 3th over however, disaster struck, when Dan tried to cut a shorter ball from Gachet, only succeeded in chopping the ball downwards onto his stumps.

With the score on 161 for 3, and time running out, Pyestock went on the attack, although this unfortunately only cost Billy Leader his wicket early on as he too was bowled by Gachet.

From this point onwards though, Jon Ford, who had remained solid and attacking throughout, really turned the screw, joined now, by Vaughan Newcombe, a master in adding quick late runs the score accelerated once more.

No more wickets were forthcoming for the visitors, and Pyestock ended their innings on 214 for 4, Jon Ford really providing the lynchpin that so often has been missing as Pyestock try to set competitive targets batting first.

Deando-Ruxley started their reply in positive fashion, opening bowler Chris Heath started scruffily gifting runs to the opposition cause as Warner and Moore settled in. It was Billy Leader who struck first, opening the bowling for the second time this season, was well into his stride and deserved to claim Moore for 13 and reduce the visitors to 20 for 1.

Billy’s next over started with 2 wides, but the third produced his second wicket, Patel also bowled for a duck.

By this time Chris at the other end had semi sorted himself out after his uncharacteristically expensive opening, with Burns skying to the square-leg region where Mike Carpenter held a fine catch. The very next ball almost heralded a fourth wicket when a feint edge from Hales was not picked up by first slip Mark Padwick.

Hales time was short-lived however when in Chris’s next over another, thicker edge was found and Glenn Taylor reacted well to take a sharp catch above his head.

In a double bowling change Chris McGovern introduced Jack Bromley and Dan Heath into the attack to move the score onwards from the current 65 for 4. The match was also now into the final 20 overs and the hosts knew they would need to work hard to secure the final wickets and force the positive result.  

Jack did produce a wicket in his first over removing stubborn opener Warner for 27 in what was a patient well crafted innings. Shea and N.Patel were now at the crease and looked like the draw was on their minds, producing excellent defence when called upon and did well at trying to shut out the Pyestock attack.

With the score on 88 and the overs ticked down to 14, Jack struck again with a lovely ball to dispose of N.Patel.

Mark Padwick was introduced to the attack in a wise move by the captain, as it tempted the batsmen into attacking, and stopping the game petering out. Dan took the next wicket of Moore with the help of a smart catch by Billy and followed this up in the next over by bowling Gachet.

Suddenly with the score on 113 for 8 with 10 overs still remaining, the game had swung dramically in Pyestocks favour, as with no eleventh man, Deando-Ruxley were staring at a defeat with only 1 wicket remaining.

To their immense credit, the visitors stuck to the task well and tried to score at every available opportunity, forcing the score along to 136 before a peach of a delivery saw last-man Armstrong bowled and presenting Pyestock with a 78 run victory.

Many thanks to Deando-Ruxley for firstly providing us with an excellent afternoon of cricket and agreeing to turn up despite adverse weather earlier in the day, and it is hoped that you will return soon!

Pyestock CC 214 for 4 (J.Ford 78*, D.Heath 60)

Deando Ruxley CC 136 All Out

Pyestock CC won by 78 runs