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2015 Match reports

Season 2016 Match Reports


Saturday 9th July

Wilburton Vs Fen Ditton

Fen Ditton lost to Wilburton by 55 Runs

SCORECARD

An off day for a good side by Michael McCann

Round 10, and a trip to Wilburton with Ditton seeking a 4th straight win, both in form this season, and over Wilburton. Neither came to pass as Wilburton, in their own words 'caught a good side on an off day'.

From the team that beat Over, Fez, Mark Benn and George C came in, Wayne Clements, Ralph and H departing, with H making his 2nd’s debut as work left him free for only one innings.

It should be mentioned as well that the right honourable Thomas H Butler is out for the rest of the season after an unfortunate back injury. We all wish him a speedy recovery to come back and play a big part in 2017.

Ditton won the toss, bowled and had an ideal start; Wilburton 10-2 after 3 overs. Jacko induced Logan to guide the ball straight to Joe at gully, and Joe then took a sharp caught and bowled to dismiss Alsop for a duck.

Joe and Jacko kept things pretty tight but Walker and Shipp rebuilt responsibly for the hosts on a tricky pitch that had trampoline bounce.

Joe completed an excellent first spell of 6-2-12-1, whilst Jacko bowled through for 10-2-34-1, a curious spell full of dots, but with any rare release balls well capitalised on, 32 of the 34 runs coming on boundaries.

Jacko induced an edge from Walker towards the end of his spell but Marc W couldn't take a difficult low chance at first slip. Skip replaced Joe and bowled an excellent spell either side of drinks, which Wilburton reached on 52-2.

Skip had conceded just three runs from his first four overs, including a couple of maidens, and after drinks that pressure told, a wicket maiden seeing off Walker for 18.

Shipp hit Skip for a straight six, who responded well by inducing a skied edge, but unfortunately Fez shelled the catch. A slower ball induced another skied shot, but though three fielders came towards it, not one of them took responsibility for it as they watched the ball land between them.

Skip finally had a much-deserved second wicket when Housden top edged a bumper, prompting cries of 'surely' from the Skipper. Marc W ran back, steadied himself under it and thankfully made no mistake.

This season we're building a terrible history of being punished by batsman after giving them second chances, but thankfully the Shipp drop didn't prove too costly.

Joe provided the breakthrough, replacing Skip who had bowled an excellent 7-over spell despite his knee problems, promptly dismissing Shipp for 37. Rob took a nice catch running around at mid-off, the ball thankfully just avoiding overhanging branches, which had been pre-agreed as being worth 6.

At the other end, after drinks Fez replaced Jacko and bowled well, initially keeping things tight, conceding just 12 from his first 5 overs.

At 86-5 from 30 overs we really should have been ruthless enough to ensure that we were chasing nothing above 130 at the very most, but unfortunately we let things get away from us.

Wilburton came out swinging, and by their own admission, had some fortune with any number of shots going aerial but just out of the reach of fielders.

Joe dismissed Holden for 8, Mark Benn calling loudly and steadying himself to take a high catch at mid-off.

Fez had a wicket in the very next over, getting Nicole for 4, McCann with a sharp catch.

Fez had though been given the unenviable task of bowling 10 overs through as a fast bowler in hot conditions, and visibly tired, his last three overs going for 24.

Our favourite West Indian did though execute a direct hit run out in the penultimate over, dismissing Mushtaq for (by his own team-mates admission) an incredibly fortunate 26. It involved many 'hittable' deliveries being missed, and most decent ones being edged somehow wide of a man. It's still runs though and they were important.

Sellers hit a quick 23 not out involving some good clean hitting as Wilburton reached 143-8. Much like Milton, they got away a bit.

It was a deceptively difficult afternoon to field in due to the humidity, particularly when the sun came out after drinks. It didn’t help that we didn't field particularly well at all by our high standards; not just catches but little things like backing up overthrows.

Joe 10-2-31-3, the best he has bowled for Ditton, Jacko 10-2-34-1, Skip 10-3-26-2 and Fez 10-1-44-1.

In reply Ditton faltered. Rob couldn't continue his good form, nicking off to a good one from Sellers for 4. AB also fell to Sellers, prodding the ball to close fielder Logan for 3.

Both opening bowlers were bowling inswingers in good areas but also a number of good batsman had a bad day. Skip hit a huge 6 off Brook but was out to the same bowler soon afterwards for 9. The same over saw Fez go for 0, prodding a catch straight to Logan.

Ditton were 47-4 with Rob, AB, Skip and Fez making 16 between them, something that one look at the averages will tell you doesn't happen very often.

All this time McCann had been going along well, despite taking a nasty blow on the neck from Sellers after mistiming a pull, but he went for 22. The opener stupidly took his eye off a straight long hop from the change bowler Padmore that kept a little low, always a recipe for disaster.

Marc W batted in the only way he knows, aggressively, but fell to Padmore by skying a catch to Logan for 13, a season’s best. Paul C went in the same over caught behind for 4.

Brook returned to have Mark Benn nicked off for 0, and Joe ran out George C for another duck, this one rather cruel. Joe made 10 before becoming the last man out, caught behind off Padmore.

Jacko a red inker for 5, Ditton a sorry 88 all out. Wilburton the deserved winners by 55 runs.

On a side note it was our first match with a neutral umpire in recent years, and it was nice to only have to worry about doing square leg for once.

So the end of the winning run, leaving us 6-4 for the season now, and with leaders Cherry Hinton visiting next week there needs to be a significant improvement in performance across all three facets to significantly challenge them.