Eltham CC

Match Report

Match report Eltham CC Vs Nuxley CC

Following a week of bitterly cold weather and showers, both Eltham and Nuxley were delighted to arrive at Sidcup Cricket Club in glorious sunshine. Thanks go to Chris Wright for stepping in to help us out when we were a player short.

The match itself was an overs match and Skipper Bill won the toss and decided, after considering his bowling options and getting a headache, to have a bat. Asjad, who'd arrived in full whites and a blazer the likes of which your correspondent hasn't seen since his schooldays, padded up immediately. To he who turns up in whites go the spoils.

Following a clatter of early wickets from a number of Eltham batsmen who hadn't heard that the newly-laid pitch was somewhat erratic in bounce, the defining partnership of the innings between Fisher and Wouldham took the score from a precarious 50-4 to 143 for 5. Pete's first fifty of the season and we hope for more. The final score of 165 all out was felt to be plenty on this wicket - but you never know!

Following a paracetomol infusion, Gary threw the ball to Ricky and - no doubt following a tea spent loosening up his shoulders near the skipper - Matt Bulpitt. Ricky bowled tight and was not helped by Bulpitt moving fielders and creating gaps which the batsmen exploited. This was preferable to his fielding on the boundary mind you, where he slipped and kicked a ball that he'd stopped over the boundary! Stung by sniggering Matt decided that his best course of action was to take wickets so that's exactly what he did - 4 for 13 off 8 overs a fantastic spell of bowling to put Nuxley in deep trouble.

Nuxley then had something of a recovery in the middle overs and things were beginning to look dicey until Pradeep got a crucial wicket, a catch held in the (very) deep by - you guessed it - Mr Bulpitt. Pradeep got another couple and then Wouldham, hobbling around like an octogenarian hip-replacement patient, bowled Nuxley's last batsman around their legs with a leggie that turned. Game over and a nice win to start the season.