Eltham CC

Match Report

Match report Eltham CC Vs Old Pilotonians CC

To Sevenoaks and a new home ground for the Pilots. Those Eltham players who are connoisseurs of such things were expecting a Bank Holiday weekend that promised to be warm and sunny. Those other Eltham players who are cynical curmudgeons (ie Messrs Redman and Wouldham) expected a more grim reality. Guess who was right! [Clue: it wasn't the BBC Weather page...]

With 15 minutes to go before play started, the Skipper was seen to be counting how many players had arrived and were available to field, having just won the toss. The answer - not enough! A plea from the club please to all players to arrive in good time - it really does help Pete decide what to do and makes sure we don't look like a bunch of plums to the opposition. A range of excuses were heard drifting across the ether - "I was lost", "I was sitting in my car listening to the football" and "a big eagle swooped down and nicked my kit" - but none of them were that helpful to the Skipper.

Just before going out to field, Colin discovered that for some reason his studded boots were not in his bag. Before he could utter an oath, however, the much-missed father-and-son duo of Matt and Alan Horne came to his rescue, having supplied Matt Bulpitt with a bag of spare kit to pick through earlier in the week, amazingly containing a pair of boots of exactly the right size. If only Alan could have batted for Colin as well...but more of that later!

Pad and Matt opened the bowling and although they looked threatening, a propensity to bowl the odd loose delivery meant that a few boundaries were given away early on. Farid, a perpetual thorn in Eltham's side, hit one glorious cover drive off Matt Rosenthal which promised much. However, Pad was to get his prized wicket from a low full toss which was gleefully caught by Wouldham at cover in the next over. Eltham don't often get Farid out for a score under 50, so this was an enjoyable wicket.

Following a rain delay which made bowling treacherous for at least half an hour after play resumed, Roberts and Bevis then enjoyed a very good partnership which Eltham struggled to contain. Ash and Colin came on to bowl, with Ash catching the eye with some respectable figures, but Colin was not his old economical self, giving away too many boundaries and not finding his line and length. Roberts eventually succumbed to a rare straight one from Colin, walking across the line and attempting to hit to the shorter leg side boundary, but misjudging the line. Although he didn't look too happy with the LBW decision, it looked pretty good from the bowler's perspective!

Cooke then joined the fray and hit some nice shots in a brisk 16 before being trapped in front of the stumps by Skipper Swain. With Greg receiving a bit of rough treatment in the last few overs, Pilots managed to get to 189 from their rain-reduced 30 overs, a tough ask.

Following a tea that shocked seasoned Eltham players by having no sugar available for their cuppas (an old ruse but an effective one!) the Eltham reply was begun by Fisher and Bulpitt. Matt begun in his usual way, with a little bit of biff, while Pete, in his first game of the season, remained circumspect. The bowling was tight without being particularly threatening, but very little width was being offered. Following a beamer which Matt grinned at, his next ball was straight and kept a little low. Matt played across the line and was bowled - in truth, not a great shot on this pitch, but the sort of delivery that Matt hits for 6 at other times. Chalk it up to experience Matt!

Colin then came in and after gliding one for four to third man with his trademark shot which even Farid liked, then tried the same glide again to one that nipped back in sharply and bowled him. Two down and in trouble. This was worsened considerably when Gregos Traitorelli then misjudged a straight one, leaving Eltham precariously perched at 24 for 3. Swain came in and after taking more of a look at the bowling this week, was unlucky to miss a straight one. Eltham in deep trouble at 35 for 4!

The best period of the match then started for Eltham, as Pad and Pete Fisher rebuilt the innings and began to accelerate. A large partnership (69 runs in all) saw a faint glimmer of hope, as first Pete and then Pad began to score freely. By the time Pete Fisher departed for a very good 67, Eltham were on 120-5, needing around 10 an over for the last 6-7 overs to get up to the Pilots score. Although debutant James Evans didn't trouble the scorers, Matt Rosenthal looked very dangerous, hitting some thunderous boundaries, until he was caught in a very unorthodox manner by O'Brien at deep long-off. Derek and Ash tried to keep the scoring rate going (Derek succumbing to an LBW decision that took Greg so long to give, Derek had run 7 by the time the finger went up) but in truth it never quite looked like we would get the runs. Our last man, Andy Redman, was run out going for a second run, with a direct hit from deep midwicket - proof it it was needed that this wasn't our day!

So, a loss by 24 runs but Eltham had shown some fighting spirit and this was a much better performance than the opening week of the season. As always our hosts were a gracious and fun bunch to play against, and we look forward to seeing them later in the season.

Reporting: Colin "I insist on sugar in my tea or I won't score runs" Wouldham