Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

League Success, But Sunday Side Pipped August 1st/2nd 2003

The 1st and 2nd XIs prevailed over Cookham Dean XIs in the League games, but the Sunday side went down by 22 runs in a hgh-scoring match with Fulmer.

Denham XI v Cookham Dean 1st XI (See scorecard)

A fluent second-wicket partnership of 88 between Flash Tobin (61) and Dave Maynard (63) got Denham off to a strong start. Useful contributions by Paul Hazell (21), James Nicholas (33 not out) and Dave Hales (25) kept the runs ticking over and enabled Denham to reach 239/5 off their 52 overs.

Jack Grover (6/30) soon had Cookham Dean in all kinds of trouble and they slumped to 104/8. Enter Rory Larkin, a 12-year old. Dave Hales refused to bowl pace at him, yet he swung the bat furiously to become Cookham's highest scorer by far at 57. Just when we were thinking of a draw or even a defeat, Phil (the Lionheart) Dickson (2/50 off 12.4 overs) finally brought the Cookham innings to an end with the home side 35 runs short of the Denham total and with only 8 balls to spare.

Denham XI v Cookham Dean 2nd XI

Cookham Dean reached 216/7 off their 52 overs. There was an amusing incident which followed one of the Cookham players becoming injured and needed a runner. The runner pulled a muscle and the replacement runner was then run out.

Once Mark Shepherd (59) came to the crease, the Denham scoring rate accelerated sharply. Andy Leach - sorry, the Flaxen Haired Stallion - then produced one of his vibrant innings (of 54) and the in-form Ambrose Treacy chippped in with an unbeaten 37 to enable Denham to pass the Cookham total in just 34 overs.

Sunday XI v Fulmer (See scorecard)

Over 500 runs were scored at Denham on Sunday, but the home side just failed to reach the Fulmer total.

Fulmer's openers (Randall 91, Wharton 58) pasted the Denham attack to all parts of the ground, reaching 124 after just 15 overs. Catches were going down in droves (especially off Alex Hales, with skipper Brathwaite not being completely blameless). It seemed likely that Denham would face a target of over 300.

Richie Brathwaite (1/27) and Harish Bhatt then managed to restrict the run-rate. Young Sam Rogers (2/51) made the break-through by bowling the dangerous Randall, while James Nicholas (2/42) also chipped in with two wickets to restrict Fulmer to 268/5.

In reply, James Nicholas was just begining to dominate the Fulmer bowlers when he perished for 48. Dave Maynard (29) was also beginning to play with real fluency when Randall snapped up a smart caught-and-bowled chance. Steve Bull (42) had begun to delight the crowd with some aggressive hitting, but was lured into a stumping. Alex Hales (24) then came to the crease and began hitting some powerful drives before he was surprised by a faster ball from Wharton.

The asking rate had climbed to 85 wanted off the last 10 overs, meaning that risks had to be taken. Richie Brathwaite, looking 'set' was dismissed by a stunning running and diving catch, while Patel produced an excellent delivery to induce the promising Pete Schrembri (a rapidfire 27) to give the thinnest of edges to the keeper. And then we had run out of options, Denham were all out for 246 in the 39th over, some 22 behind the Fulmer total.

The difference between the sides was possibly the early dominance of the Fulmer openers, but a big part was the fielding and especially the catching; the Fulmer boys took some stunners, while we dropped some scunners.