Knockers Vs Holmesdale

Draw :: Played on Sunday 31st August 2008

Holmesdale
260-6

Knockers
175-9

Match Report

In the dim light of Montreal Park, skippers Guthrie Miller and Mark Epps, approached the middle for the toss, the covers protected a good batting strip despite the monsoon-like conditions of the early hours of Sunday morning. Miller, an expert tosser, won two tosses, the first deciding the match to be timed, the second, to elect to field, a decision bringing an unexpected level of animation from the usually sedate Paul Seldon.

When the game finally got underway, openers Epps and Melbourne, put the opening bowling attack of Ben Cobb and Dan Turner, to the sword, with boundaries a regular occurrence, as the buffet cart was opened for business. After 7 overs the total was beyond 50 and spin was put on the menu. Miller and Tom Cobb taking pace off the ball began to peg back the run rate. Millers guile bought about the fall of the first wicket as Turner clung onto a skier. A change of end for Tom Cobb, due to the introduction of veteran Ken Cowan saw two more wickets in two balls as Melbourn fell for a well made 50. As the bowlers rotated the run rate failed to cease as the Dale looked to be closing in on the 300 mark, thanks to further 50s from Galpin and Browne. A late introduction of Paul Styles (2-15) to proceedings saw two further wickets fall as the batsmen failed to come to terms with the variations in pace and flight.

Spin from both Roffey and Blackaby prevented the knockers from getting away to a quick start as both collected early scalps as Paul Seldon shouldered arms to the off spinner only to be bowled, followed by wild shots, from the normally reserved and reliable duo of Tom Cobb and Stu Seldon. When Tom Watts fell shortly afterwards Knockers were in a dire situation at 23 for 4. With pressure on Captain Miller (45) counter-attacked and blazed the ball to the boundary on several occasions, but with the fall of his wicket and that of Styles, the outlook was bleak with 18 overs to go. Despite this the effervescent Ken Cowan boldly stated that “a couple of boundaries an over and it’s easy” with 6 wickets down and a further 170 runs for victory. Ben Cobb having put the ball into a different county was next to fall, and with a powerful 37 from Dan Turner, heinously cut short by umpire Watts through a stumping the fielding side felt was not out Knockers were deep in the mire. Will Smith got jiggy with a few boundaries but was out leaving the last 10 overs to be battled through by the last wicket partnership of Ed Darry and Cowan. Cowan backed up further statements of intent by “smashing Harris” for a massive 2 as he’d earlier predicted. With Ted Darry, having consumed his weetabix that morning, several boundaries were struck down the ground. In a nervy last few overs, the ball beat the bat as well as the stumps and in the closing light, the tail held on for a draw grabbed from the jaws of defeat.

 

Batting

Batsman	How Out	4s	6s	Runs
Paul Seldon	bowled	0	0	0
Stuart Seldon	bowled	0	0	4
Tom Watts	caught	0	0	7
Tom Cobb	bowled	0	0	0
Guthrie Miller	caught	7	1	45
Paul Styles	caught	2	0	10
Ben Cobb	caught	1	1	15
Dan Turner	stumped	6	1	37
Will Smith	caught	3	0	17
Edward Darry	not out	3	0	16
Ken Cowan	not out	2	0	15

 

Bowling

Bowler	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts
Ben Cobb	4.0	0	32	0
Dan Turner	3.0	0	35	0
Tom Cobb	6.0	1	32	2
Guthrie Miller	4.0	0	32	1
Ken Cowan	7.0	0	47	0
Will Smith	3.0	0	31	0
Edward Darry	3.0	0	27	1
Paul Styles	2.0	0	15	2