Theale & Tilehurst Friendly XI vs Lower Earley 8th July 2001

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Report by Fingers

The Sunday side has been on a very good run of late with this, albeit, narrow victory making it four wins on the trot. The last seven games have seen five victories and the better of two draws.

Leighton Park School provides a fine setting for a game of cricket, even if the pavilion smacks of faded glory, and in fine weather the square and outfield must make it a batsmen's paradise. However, despite the covers being used the heavy overnight rain had made its way on to the strip, somewhat unevenly making the pitch two paced, to offer the bowlers plenty of encouragement. On winning the toss skipper James Codd had no hesitation in electing to bowl first.

At first it seemed like the inexperienced Chris Lemm and Osman Mahmood were not going to be able to take advantage of the conditions with Lower Earley making it to 44-1 off ten overs. The introduction of the excessively experienced Bob Williams in to the attack, however, made a second breakthrough and in conjunction with the excellent Khadim Aslam a stranglehold was put on the innings. Collectively in their sixteen overs Williams and Aslam took a very impressive 4-23 and were well supported by excellent catching from Chris Lemm and Dennis Robertson.

The Lower Earley innings was never really able to recover from this stagnation and Chris Lemm returned to give the lower middle order batsmen a torrid time. The no. 9 Gordon was worked over with the classic combination of fearsome bouncer followed by yorker to middle stump, a very impressive piece of bowling.

Chasing 108 should have been relatively straightforward but at this stage Khadim, this time in conjunction with a strangely subdued James, managed to put a stranglehold on his second innings of the day. After 14 overs the score had crawled to 17-2. Dennis Robertson, who has scored consistently on Sundays all season, made a useful 20 but when he was out at 46-5 in the 22nd over it looked a long way to the finish line. What was needed was a partnership to consolidate the innings and John Morris and Alex Moore came together in a valuable sixth wicket partnership to do this.

At 12.30pm Mike 'the big O' Orriss had been sat in his flat contemplating how to spend his afternoon not knowing the carnage that existed in one Tilehurst garden. The 'phone rings and he gets asked can he come down and help us out. As ever with Mike the answer was positive and what happened must have been better than the alleged promise he was on could ever have been. The hardest thing to do with the bat is to see a tight innings through to the end and be on the winning side. A target of 44 off 12 overs with four wickets in hand can be an awkward line to cross. However, Mike joined Alex in a partnership of 31 for the seventh wicket to see the team to the brink of victory and then saw it through to the end himself with one ball to spare in making a fine 21no. Even the sight of seeing Brian Cooper being run out whilst falling on his ass could not distract him.