2013 Match Report Bagshot

Chris Bags Six

As Hosts Shot Down!

Bagshot CC Vs Pyestock CC

Sunday 11th August 2013

Weather Conditions: Sunny and warm

Pitch Conditions: Wicket: Dry, green, hard. Outfield: Green, dry, fast,

Match Type: Time

A catastrophic batting collapse saw Bagshot CC fall from 53 without loss to 94 all out this Sunday and all but end their hopes in this friendly contest.

Chris Heath claimed 6 wickets, his best figures since September 2009, as tight bowling and a selection of poor shots saw Neil Harris’s side crumble from what looked a formidable position.

Fielding first in a preferred timed format of the game, Billy Leader and Chris Heath began the day well, keeping Michael Davis and Adam Passfield at bay, only 8 runs were conceded from the first 3 overs.

A few loose overs from Billy, however soon had the scoreboard ticking along nicely with Davis looking assured and confident, while Passfield latched onto anything wide, and scored well, despite giving half chances, Chris was unlucky with a caught and bowled chance just not carrying into the opener’s hands.

Neil Butler introduced himself into the attack and from this point Pyestock really kicked into gear. A shorter ball from Chris Heath invited a loose drive from Passfield straight at Chris McGovern, who made no mistake in the covers.

5 balls later remarkably Davis too was back in the pavilion, a similar shot gifting Chris his second wicket this time Colin Butler the fielder targeted by a misplaced drive. Suddenly both openers had gone and Pyestock could look at kicking on. Ishak and Geoff Young now held centre stage and looked confident. However in a real purple patch for the Pyestock opener, a ball that drifted down the slope caught Young unawares and the faintest of edges saw the Bagshot number 4 depart. Bowler and umpire were unsure, Glenn Taylor behind the stumps was confident and the batsmen walked, much to the admiration and gratitude of the Pyestock fielders.

Derek Budd was next to fall as an ugly pull shot looped up to Jon Ford at square leg and in doing so reduced the home side to 73 for 4. Ishak at the other end was left wondering what fate had befallen his departing partners, and this trend continued as Neil claimed his first wicket of the afternoon bowling the shaky looking Harry Kearsley who could have edged behind in all of his previous 2 deliveries faced before his timbers were disturbed by the Pyestock captain.

This brought the formidable figure of Toby Roome to the crease, looking every bit a decent cricketer, and it looked as if Pyestock would need to pull something special from their hats if they were to prevent the number 7 staging a powerful fight-back. A thunderous lofted drive from his second ball confirmed Pyestock’s fears.

When the gods are smiling down on you however, anything is possible and in Chris’s next over the threat was gone with a sizable inside edge disrupting the stumps, to end Roome’s innings. The batsman was furious with himself, the Pyestock players jubilant in congratulating Chris on a five wicket haul.

Five became six only 4 balls later as James Somerville was trapped on the crease to give the umpire an easy decision and further deplete the hosts. 4 wickets for 6 runs in a crazy middle period left Bagshot reeling on 79 for 7.

Andrew Passfield became Ishak’s 7^th partner in 11 overs and the pair started to consolidate. Ishak was batting sensibly and scoring where he could. Chris may have claimed a seventh wicket but the resilient number 3 twice placed the ball wide of cover fielders, while at the other end the tailender was efficiently handing the strike back wherever possible. The runs began to flow a little easier as Chris tired, but Neil at the other end continued to be as miserly as ever with a host of maidens.

Just as it looked as if the home side were to reach 3 figures disaster stuck, with fatal consequences to their battered innings. Passfield’s defence was breached by Neil Butler and in the next over Dan Heath, introduced for his brother tempted Ishak into a fierce drive over the bowlers head, but the ever reliable Pete Harris was lurking on the boundary to claim a superb catch.

It was all over 4 balls later as Neil once again disturbed the bails as Mark Sutherland collected his teams 3^rd duck of the afternoon, at the other end captain Neil Harris looked perplexed as his sides disintegration suggesting at mindset rather than lack of quality was to blame for his sides failings in the batting department. Pyestock were satisfied. Superb fielding by every player meant that there was no weak link in the field for the batsmen to relieve pressure, the bowlers collectively fed from this pressure and forced the batsmen into mistakes. Neil conceded 9 runs from 10.2 overs in a super spell while 6 for 46 from Chris Heath did the majority of the damage.

Pyestock were wary after tea. They knew that Bagshot are a good side, who possess very handy bowlers who work as a unit, to hunt down teams. In previous years Neil Butler’s sides have almost come unstuck chasing small targets in this fixture and didn’t want a recurrence. Additionally Bagshot were a wounded animal, clearly embarrassed by their batting performance, they wanted to set the record straight. Jon Ford and Glenn Taylor needed to be on their guard to ensure a good start was accomplished.

Roome and Somerville opened tightly, as they needed to. Pyestock had the best part of 3 hours to make it to the finish post, meaning wickets were realistically the only way Bagshot were to get anything from the match. In the 4^th over the breakthrough came, Jon Ford prodding at a quicker ball from Somerville and Davis made no mistake behind the stumps.

Glenn was keeping up the tempo at the other end with an array of powerful strokes, and when Vaughan Newcombe was bowled by Roome for the innings second duck it looked again like a lot of Pyestock’s eggs were in the opener’s basket. In fact with the score on 20 for 2 and Glenn scoring every single run, the hosts knew exactly how to thwart the early stages of the visitors run chase.

Joining the form player at the crease was a man in almost the opposite frame of mind. Dan Heath, really struggling for runs in the Pyestock middle order was afforded the luxury of time in this match to spend some valuable minutes in the middle. This was time he didn’t waste as he played himself in sensibly ensuring his wicket was not given away with his team in a precarious position.

As the openers were replaced, the runs started to arrive a little easier and Dan burst into life striking Andrew Passfield for 10 in 3 balls as the away side passed 50 in reply. Disaster struck in the next over though as main man Glenn mistimed a cut up into the air; gully Geoff Young making no mistake.

Jack Bromley joined the resurgent Dan at the crease, and the pair confidently moved Pyestock closer to their target. A maximum over by the road, proof that the confidence had drained back into Dan as a 7 wicket win looked inevitable.

With the score on 92 however, the experience of spinner Neil Harris told with one that pitched and moved down the slope, Jack Bromley shaped to let the ball pass, but it thundered into the pads giving the umpire no option but send the youngster on his way. The captain was bowling well, and it was almost a shame that the match was over so soon after this as a true tussle could have ensued between bat and spinning ball.

As it was however, Colin Butler wrapped up proceedings with a leg bye to bring Pyestock their ninth success of the season with a sparkling performance lit up by a truly superb all round fielding display.

Bagshot will no-doubt look to exact revenge next season, until then we part with fond wishes exchanged and good luck on the new ground!

Bagshot CC 94 All Out (C.Heath 6 for 46)

 Pyestock CC 97 for 4

Pyestock CC Win by 6 Wickets

Pyestockcricketclub.co.uk Man of the Match: Chris Heath