CALNE CRICKET CLUB

Scorecard

CALNE CRICKET CLUB 1st XI v Purton on Sat 12 Jun 2010 at 1.45pm
CALNE CRICKET CLUB Won by 5 wickets

Match report Calne in the Runs after Merrett’s Teas

The Olive Tree sponsored Calne bounced back from an indifferent start to the season with a comfortable win over Purton at the rec on Saturday. Recent losses had knocked the confidence of Calne’s players, and with cricketing ability not being in question, it was just a change in approach and some captain inspired team bonding that was required to turn the campaign around.

Skipper Downham got the first job of the day done correctly in winning the toss and, in overcast conditions played to the side’s strengths in asking Purton to have first crack on an interesting looking pitch. The Calne square is often maligned by visiting sides but to be fair the pitches normally play very well and it is often the batsmen’s mindsets that leave them thinking that the pitch will be doing all sorts whereas in reality the appearance belies its true nature.

The opening attack of Darren Holcombe and young Joe Clare initially struggled to cope with the prodigious swing and the strict interpretation of the league’s wide law. This allowed Purton to get off to a good start in reaching a fifty opening partnership off only a dozen overs. The introduction of The Baron Knight at The Sheltered Housing end soon applied the brakes to Purton’s efforts. However it was a showboating catch from Jordan Butler off the bowling of The Dazzler that gave Calne the breakthrough removing Chris Newman for a steady 13. One normally brings two and Pete Knight soon clean bowled Mark Gardner after his clutch of lives had run out. Young Tom Richards had no trouble in snapping up the Purton overseas pro and Calne were now well and truly in the hunt. However a fine 50 partnership for the fourth wicket between Hill and Woolford allowed Purton back into the match. Once again though it was Jordan Butler who inspired the breakthrough. In his opening over Jordan clean bowled Woolford, and after spat of verbals with the departing batsman, it was clear that Purton were rattled. A couple of balls later the pressure told and Daren Holcombe kept his nerve to run out the hapless Bauer for a duck.

Calne were now in total control. Further wickets followed for Pete Knight and Darren Holcombe and with a man short, Purton’s innings was wrapped up in style by Jordan Butler after a fine diving catch by Joe Clare in the covers to bring the innings to an end on 163 all out. Pick of the bowlers was Darren Holcombe returning 3 for 30 off his 13 overs. The first half of a day’s work completed satisfactorily by Calne.

The Calne batsmen knew that there was plenty of time to bat and win the game with only 3.5 an over required. Fired up by a piccalilli fuelled tea openers Richards (13) and Anstee de Mas (38) set about the Purton attack with a great deal of calm and application. Content with leaving the wide one and punishing the bad ball they racked up the first 50 opening partnership of the season off the first 10 overs. Purton were not out of the game themselves and would have been mindful of Calne’s recent batting collapses. They managed to apply the brakes with the introduction of the experienced Dale Bowler and young leggie Matthew Francis. After going at 5 an over for the first 10, the next 10 overs only realised 20 runs. Both openers then fell in quick succession with the score on 76. Francis was bowling particularly well, teasing the Calne middle order with his awkward mixture of leg spin and googlies. With Chris Downham (37no) at the crease, the skipper was not going to let two quick wickets turn into a mini crisis. Chris played a true captain’s innings as self determination translated to a resolute defence and ruthless dispatching of the loose ball. In true Calne style however there was a mini wobble which meant that Richards and Anstee de Mas had to go for another lap of the ground to calm the nerves. Tom Knight showed no such worries, and was eager to wrap things up in plenty of time for the footie, smashing a quick fire 22 off only 14 balls.

Appropriately it was left to skipper Downham to hit the winning runs, and after smashing the ball to the mid off boundary, clenched his fist to signal a well deserved, and hopefully the first of many, Calne victory.

After the match a euphoric Pete Knight was just glad to finally get a win on the board “to be honest I am glad the boys went out there and knocked those runs off; at tea time I really did not know what I was eating and don’t think I would have been able to concentrate on batting”.

Next week Calne visit fellow strugglers Devizes in the second part of a must win set of fixtures.

Purton Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
163 (0.0 overs)		     
M Gardner b  P Knight 30
C Newman ct  J Butler b D Holcombe 13
E Hill ct  D Knight b P Knight 33
R Krishnan b  T Richards 8
A Woolford b  J Butler 30
M Samsun ct  J Butler b D Holcombe 19
M Bauer run out  (D Holcombe) 0
D Bowler b  D Holcombe 3
M Francis Not Out  2
S Cole ct  J Clare b J Butler 0
   

CALNE CRICKET CLUB 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Darren Holcombe11.0230310.002.73
Joe Clare4.002200.005.50
Pete Knight13.0246223.003.54
Tom Richards6.0033133.005.50
Chris Downham4.001700.004.25
Jordan Butler4.01924.502.25

CALNE CRICKET CLUB 1st XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
164		        
Steve Richards b  D Bowler 13
Jon Anstee De Mas ct  M Samsun b M Francis 38
Jordan Butler lbw  M Francis 10 2
Chris Downham Not Out  37
STUART WINDSOR st  E Hill b M Francis 6
Dan Knight ct  E Hill b M Francis 9 1
Tom Knight Not Out  22
Darren Holcombe   1
Tom Richards  
Joe Clare   1
Pete Knight  

Purton Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
S Cole3.002000.006.67
A Woolford9.015100.005.67
D Bowler13.0333133.002.54
M Francis13.0445411.253.46
M Bauer1.20900.006.75