Eltham CC

Match Report

Match report Eltham CC Vs Ide Hill CC

A controversial decision by Eltham to carry on batting after tea, in an effort to try to get some quick runs and make Ide Hill's chase a bit more frenetic than it might otherwise have been, ultimately proved farcical when the late order batsmen didn't get the Skipper's memo - and took 3 overs to get precisely no extra runs.

Thanks to Matt Bulpitt's excellent fifty (during which he checked on how many sixes had been scored the previous week and smoothly went into the lead in the annual Sixhitters competition) and Brad Frey's battling 23, Eltham posted 116 on a very slow batting track.  Whilst it didn't feel like enough, especially with the short boundaries at Ide Hill, at least it gave something for the bowlers to have a go at.

Three "Amelias" today - Colin, Callum and Bernie.

The bowling opened with Conor "Cabbage" Mitchell (Conor let slip that this was his school nickname "on account of having a large head"),  and "Marky" Mark Horak.  Conor was returning from ACL surgery, and Mark was returning from a trip the previous weekend to Portugal with Clinton. We're not sure which of the two bowlers looked more scarred by their recent experiences.

Conor quickly found a good pace and rhythm (no, his other half has not been speaking to us) and was unlucky not to be amongst the wickets.  Mark will have better luck as the season progresses, as the Ide Hill openers took a liking to his teasing deliveries.

Eltham's luck changed with the introduction of Matt Bulpitt (buoyed by a lovely tea provided by Ide Hill, during which he had been spotted with a second cupcake) and skipper for the day George Boylan.  George bowled Wrigley with a lovely delivery that nipped back in, bringing in Charlie Jerrom at no.3, who last season destroyed the Eltham attack with 171 in a brutal innings.

Matt wasn't believing the hype (it's not actually hype, Charlie is bloody good - and we were told by the Ide Skipper Pete that he was on the back of another century last week) and managed to bowl out the in-form batsmen by getting one right on his legs, clipping leg stump. Two down and whilst not quite game on, Eltham were in the game.

With 'keeper Wouldham then snaffling a George Boylan-induced edge from Pete Calthorpe, the other Ide Hill opener, Eltham had suddenly got rid of three of Ide Hill's big guns, with still around half the target to get. George was bowling a beautiful line and length and looked capable of getting more wickets, but selflessly took himself off to give others a go.

Coppendale, the Ide Hill 'keeper, was now in.  Callum Burgess, fresh from his debut last week, came on to bowl and warned us that last week's wickets were a flash in the pan.  When his first delivery bowled Coppendale he was forced to review his appraisal.  Nicely done Callum. Matt then bowled Lijoy for 1, and suddenly Ide Hill were five down and still requiring 30 to win.  

With Eltham buoyant, Nathan Calthorpe and Rob Littleton did well to calm the Ide Hill nerves and start edging towards victory. Although all of the Eltham bowlers were on form today, a couple of loose deliveries from Matt were dispatched to the short boundary to bring Ide Hill within a handful of the 117 runs needed for the win. A couple of singles later, and it was game over and handshakes all round.

A good game and we hope that Ide Hill do not think too unkindly of us for continuing to bat after tea - there was a plan there to make the game more exciting, but it most certainly didn't come off!

As always, it was back to the Cock Inn for a couple of drinks and great hospitality from the home team. Some disgraceful photoshopping of photos was undertaken by Conor Mitchell, who will surely be taken to task for this behaviour later in the season.

Reporting: Colin Wouldham