Knockers Vs Otford
Lose :: Played on Sunday 5th August 2012Knockers
96-10
Otford
99-8
Match Report
Knockers CC almost turned a dire cricketing situation around in this two wicket loss to a vocal Otford team. Ollie Marsh's all-round contribution bodes well for future matches. The entire bowling attack made a game of it with Tom Cobb turning the thumb-screws a little too late to make his excellent figures into ones of celebration.
Captain Paul Cook won the toss and elected to bat. Lynden Spencer-Allen (5) opened along with Tom Sullivan (0) in a changed order which had a whiff of confidence about what was expected to come. Sullivan fell early to a diving catch at second slip. James Mitchell (0) was bowled and Spencer-Allen fell the same way as Leech (15-5) ate into the top order with his first spell.
Cobb (8) and Paul Cook (7) were still around for first change but again the Knockers slipped into a cool veneer of relaxed expectation which was soon to melt away. Cook was bowled and both Cobb and Guy Howe served up dollies to leave the visitors reeling at 40 for 6 making something of a mockery of the 40 over format chosen at the start of play.
Ollie Marsh (21) and Ed Marsh (1) shaped up well as the recovery finally began in earnest. Otford however, were not going to let this turn into a game, bringing their openers back on with Leech completing his five-fer with the scalps of both Marsh brothers. After Ed Marsh was bowled, Matt Watts (8) continued the now necessary guarded batting. He watched Ollie Marsh snick to the gloves and Tom Watts (10no) step into the fray. The outfield was as long as Rasputin's beard but the in-form Tom Watts finally made the boundary look reachable with a four and a six. Had he been in earlier a more defendable score may have been posted but he ran out of partners with Matt Watts bowled and Scott Landers (0) snicking through the keeper soon after with the total at 96.
For all the batting lapses, a certain amount of on-field communication meant that the Knockers were going to make a better fist of their work with the ball. Ollie Marsh (27-2) opened and his pace troubled all but one of the Otford order that faced it. The lone answer to his speed, opener White (18) was initially dealt with by a lifting delivery back of a length which forced him to retire with a busted wrist. Matt Watts (27-1) saw out his eight overs in one spell, removing the other opener, Douglas for 12. Ollie Marsh had Fenn out for a duck and then had to remove White for a second time following his speedy recovery, this time bowled.
Ed Marsh (25-3) replaced Ollie Marsh and removed three including Otford top-scorer Lansley (21). Tom Cobb (9-2) joined him at the other end starting out with two maidens and in his penultimate over bowled two of the tail. At 92 for 8 a grand finale looked precarious but possible. In the end a tame boundary deflated the puff the Knockers had put back into the day's work and Otford won through having done the real work with the ball.
Batting
| Batsman | How Out | 4s | 6s | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynden Spencer-Allen | bowled | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Tom Sullivan | caught | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Mitchell | bowled | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Cobb | caught | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Paul Cook | bowled | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Guy Howe | caught | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ollie Marsh | caught | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Ted Marsh | bowled | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Matt Watts | bowled | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Tom Watts | not out | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Scott Landers | caught | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie Marsh | 6.0 | 0 | 27 | 2 |
| Matt Watts | 8.0 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
| Ted Marsh | 6.4 | 0 | 25 | 3 |
| Tom Cobb | 5.0 | 2 | 9 | 2 |