Knockers Vs Weekely and Warkston

Win :: Played on Friday 5th July 2002

Knockers
167-5

Weekely and Warkston
117-10

Match Report

Despite the inclement meteorological situation, Smith managed to negotiate a thirty overs a side game on a very damp and mossy artificial wicket. Knockers batted first and opened with C. Irwin and G.Howe. Both made a shaky start, struggling to come to terms with the low skidding bounce of the saturated wicket. However, Irwin soon gained confidence after some solid straight drives. Howe eventually got his eye in and picked his moment to unleash his first stylish cover drive of the season and continued to work the ball to all parts of the field off the back foot. C. Irwin was the first to fall victim to the low bounce, adjudged lbw for 11. Howe was then joined by C. Spencer-Allen who was quick to smash the lack-lustre attack around the park. With excellent timing. With Howe providing the support, C. Spencer-Allen sped to 50 then shortly after was bowled for 67, unselfishly hitting out trying to up the run rate. Howe was joined at the crease by E. Irwin, but Howe was then dismissed by a fantastic diving catch for 41, agonisingly short of his maiden Knockers Half-Century. E. Irwin was next to lose his wicket miss-timing a drive to mid-off. Thomas faced his first ball with confidence having scored heavily the previous day but failed to connect with the same effectiveness. Having played some ugly shots Thomas was bowled for 12 leaving Smith and Schofield to take the total to 167.

The Knockers bowling attack started strongly with Irwin and Seldon putting the batsmen in difficulty from the outset. Irwin bowled with pace down the hill but struggled to find solid footing on the moss covered artificial wicket. Seldon, as usual, picked up a couple of early wickets, swinging the wet ball and neatly taking a caught and bowled to claim the first wicket of the match. This was soon followed up by an inswinger which cartwheeled their opener's off stump.
L. Spencer-Allen took over from E. Irwin and bowled a superb line which had the batsmen playing and missing, ball after ball. Eventually his persistence paid off and an edge carried through to the keeper. Jariwalla replaced Seldon up the hill but struggled to find a good length. The batsmen were quick to capitalise and had E. Irwin sprinting to save boundaries every other ball. However, Jariwalla was able to pick up a wicket, L. Spencer-Allen holding a catch at fly-slip off a Jariwalla mystery ball. Nick once again proving that however he bowls he always seems to bag a wicket. Trounce was next to lend his weight to the attack and soon had their batsmen frustrated, bowling an excellent length. Trouncey picked up their captain's wicket and was unlucky to end his spell with only a single wicket. At this point the weather took a turn for the worst and looked as though it was going to cruelly deny Knockers a tour victory. But desperate times call for desperate measures and Captain P. Smith duly unleashed the fearsome attack of Howe and Schofield to see off the tail. Schofield opened his account immediately, the batsman beguiled by the spin miss-timing a drive to Trounce whose safe hands claimed another victim. Inspired by his first tour wicket, Schofield continued to turn the screw. A good length delivery to their much maligned wicket keeper turned between bat and pad and Thomas whipped off his bails to send him back whence he came. At the other end a fired-up Howe was rewarded with a wicket thanks to a sharp take in fading light by Smith. Schofield then took his third wicket of the day at which point the rain became torrential. The opposition were extremely good sports to carry on and were soon put out of their misery as their last batsman was skittled by Howe to top off an excellent Knockers performance.

M. Thomas

 

Batting

Batsman	How Out	4s	6s	Runs
Charlie Irwin	lbw	1	0	11
Guy Howe	caught	5	0	41
Corin Spencer-Allen	bowled	7	2	67
Ed Irwin	caught	0	0	1
Martin Thomas	bowled	1	1	12
Peter Smith	not out	0	0	6
Paul Schofield	not out	0	0	2
Paul Seldon	dnb	0	0	0
Lynden Spencer-Allen	dnb	0	0	0
Nick Jariwalla	dnb	0	0	0
Steven Trounce	dnb	0	0	0

 

Bowling

Bowler	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts
Ed Irwin	2.0	0	13	0
Paul Seldon	3.0	2	1	2
Lynden Spencer-Allen	2.0	0	5	1
Nick Jariwalla	5.0	0	28	1
Steven Trounce	6.0	0	32	1
Paul Schofield	4.0	0	25	3
Guy Howe	2.1	0	10	2