Match report on the Saturday 2nd/3rd X1 fixture of 20/09/03

Match report on the Sunday 2nd X1 fixture of 14/09/03

06/09/03

Woodmansterne 1st X1 vs Wandgas 1st X1

Woodmansterne kept up the tradition of loosing the toss and were inserted on a pitch offering little bounce or pace. In fact the bounce was so low batsmen would have been better off using a shovel.

Ray Turner proved the theory that Ralph Patel bats are really only good for a couple of games when he offered a thin edge to slip. Andy Conway (15) and David Clisby (23) provided the backbone to the innings as once again Chris Vagg failed to listen to advice and was caught trapped on the back foot to a ball that stayed low. Dave Brazier showed his class once again but the push to a total of 157 was really made by Tom Wortley (27 not out) supported well by Peter Aldus.

Woods had a very experienced team on the field and this was shown when the team coach left a gap you could have driven a bus through to loose his off stump. Delroy (fingers) Gordon showed that even at the age of 40ish you can still run a quick single to deep long on (where the fielder had to run from short leg to field).

The Tea met the usual Hiscox average for the season and was quickly devoured by a team looking forward to the end of a long season.

The bowling started with Pete Aldus preferring to use the old ball (55 overs old) with Tom Wortley. Both bowled well although I would prefer to see Pete with a harder ball in his hands (unless he is bowling to me). Wickets fell at a steady rate despite some bad luck in the field. If the Fantasy Cricket were still running there were plenty of candidates for drop of the season. Luckily team coach George Miller was at hand to offer advice to Pete Aldus who for once kept his eye on the ball at mid off only to find that his unusual technique of removing his hands at the same time from in front of his face wasn't a good one.

With a slightly immobile field and some excellent late order batting Wandgas were able to knock off the runs with 4 wickets in hand. A special tribute to Andy Conway for getting a bowl and nearly turning the game in Woods favour. We really must use our top spinners more often.

The fun continued in the showers after the game with DP deciding after his fourth visit that he was clean enough to return to the Woodmansterne bar. Rumour has it that he just didn't want to stand next to Delroy.

Match report by Dave Clisby

Match report on the Sunday 2nd X1 fixture of 07/09/03

A brilliant innings by Chris Vagg almost brought Woodmansterne to victory over Valley End. As it was, the winning draw they took from the game represented a good team performance.

Valley End were put into bat on a dampish track, and they soon lost a wicket when Andy Conway snapped up a catch at gulley off Bill Bessant. Williams (42) and Fisher (45) put together a good partnership of 70 before the persevering Vagg had Fisher well caught, again by Conway. Williams fell to first change Peter Aldous, caught by Jason Hiscox when the score was 100.

Two wickets fell in quick succession to spinner Tom Wortley thanks to catches by Dave Pryor and Peter Aldous. Aldous struck shortly afterwards when he caught and bowled the Valley End number seven. Woods looked to press home the advantage with the score at 116 for 6, but Newbury (84 not out) batted with increasing authority to help add 79 runs for the seventh and eighth wicket. Aldous and Bessant took another wicket apiece, with Pryor claiming a second catch, but Valley End were able to declare after 48 overs.

Ray Turner and Andy Conway put on 31 to set Woods on their way. Three wickets then fell in short succession, which brought Chris Vagg and Ryan Polley together. Polley, who has now established his first X1 place, played with authority before he was caught for 24.

Jason Hiscox (13) helped Vagg add 27 for the fifth wicket, but Wortley and Bessant didn't stay long. During this period Vagg got very little of the strike, but with the arrival of Dave Pryor he received the support he needed.

Vagg now accelerated the scoring rate to the required seven an over with a series of blistering strokes, none better than a massive on drive for 6. However with just twelve needed to win Vagg was out for 87 off 71 balls, which brought the last pair together (Woods only had ten men). The winning draw now became the priority, and Pryor duly scored the run required to claim it, leaving Peter Aldous to keep out the last ball of the match.

In the corresponding seconds game Woods scored 232 (Mickey Joyce 84 and Tom Stoker 49) but lost to Valley End (235 for 6). The Thirds lost by just one run to Egham. Egham scored 147 (Guy Burbedge 5 for 26) and Woods were all out for 146 (Ed Spirling 38, Richard Peareth 29).

Match report on the Sunday 2nd X1 fixture of 31/08/03

After waiting two months for their second win of the season, Woodmansterne managed back-to-back victories when they comprehensively beat Merstham by 7 wickets.

For only the fourth time this season Woods won the toss and skipper Wortley opted to field. Bill Bessant and Peter Aldous opened the bowling, but Aldous had a bit of trouble maintaining control and was replaced after two overs by Chris Vagg. Vagg ( 1for 24) and Bessant (3 for 32) bowled tidily and between them took the first 4 wickets to fall. Dave Brazier claimed two catches off Bessant, the second a brilliant one handed effort at point.

Smales (34) and Deavin (39) put together a stand of 61 for the fifth wicket, before the spin of Wortley accounted for Smales. Wortley ( 2 for 29) claimed his second wicket when a jet propelled Jason Hiscox at short leg dived forward to scoop up a great one handed catch. Wortley decided to give Aldous a second spell and he responded magnificently. He gradually regained rhythm and control and blasted away the tail in a blaze of flying stumps. He picked up the last 4 wickets in 10 balls, with three clean bowled's. and finished with figures of 4 for 53.

Ray Turner and Darryl Lucas opened the batting for Woods and put on 58 in good time for the first wicket. Lucas was stumped for 29 and the unfortunate Dave Clisby fell lbw for 0, but Turner found a reliable partner in Chris Vagg (24). These two put on 43 for the third wicket before Vagg skied to mid-off.

The immaculately turned out Ryan Polley (26 not out) carried on from where he left off last week, and he and Turner saw Woods through to the victory target. Turner (64 not out) made his second consecutive 50 and ended the match in style with 4 and 6 off successive deliveries.

The second X1 had a winning draw against Frimley, who made 195 for 9 (Wells 4 for 57) with Woods replying with 154 for 6 (Wells 32). The thirds also had a winning draw, scoring 186 for 6 (Rob Anderson 48 not out, Richard Peareth 40) in reply to Kempton's 217 for 6.

Woodmansterne at last managed their second victory of the season, bouncing back against Worplesdon and Burpham to take their last 7 wickets for only 43 runs.

After losing the toss as usual, Woods began their innings with the new opening partnership of Ray Turner and Tom Wortley. Wortley was the first to go, given out caught behind for 6. Clisby hit a couple of boundaries in his ten, but it was the partnership between Turner and Ryan Polley which formed the backbone of the innings. In their contrasting styles they played well together, Polley alternating solid defence and all-out attack and Turner gradually accelerating from a steady start.

Polley was finally run-out for 48, just two short of a deserved 50. Of the remaining batsmen, none lasted longer than 14 balls (this was Pryor incidentally who was going well until trapped plumb in front of all three for 6), but Turner kept going and played a number of very fine drives and square cuts. He was last out for a magnificent 89 and the Woods total of 196 on a pitch that offered the bowlers a little bit of help looked to be a good one.

Peter Aldous and Jim Selby opened the bowling for Woods and found Pryles (51) in good touch. The first wicket went to a run-out when good work by Jason Hiscox at short leg deflected the ball in to the path of the advancing Aldous who threw the stumps down with a direct hit. First change Bill Bessant then bowled numbers three and four and when Wortley came into the attack he immediately began to extract some turn from the wicket.

Grant (22) was playing well until he was undone by the spin and bounce of Wortley and was caught by Clisby at point. Wortley then tempted Crowkant down the wicket and he was stumped by 'keeper Pryor. Dave Brazier held a fierce drive off Bessant's bowling and Wortley picked up the crucial wicket of Pryles when he chipped to Bessant at cover. Brazier was in the action again when he held a great catch on the square leg boundary. With 5 overs left and two wickets to fall, Wortley recalled Aldous who tore in and clean bowled numbers ten and eleven with successive balls, to the great delight of the entire Woods side.

The seconds lost narrowly to Farncombe (Woods 185, with Waller making 79, and Effingham 188 for 8). The Thirds were victorious against Farncombe,dismissing the visitors for 187 and reaching their target for the loss of 3 wickets (Ralph Patel 72 not out, Bob Conquest 42 not out)

Match report on the 3rd X1 fixture of 16/08/03

Match report on the Sunday 2nd X1 fixture of 17/08/03

Woodmansterne's losing run extended to 6 matches when a weakened side was comprehensively beaten by Ottershaw

Woods once again lost the toss and not surprisingly Ottershaw opted to put Woods in the field on a stiflingly hot day. Woods made a good start, with the first 3 Ottershaw wickets falling with the score at 25, two of them to Jim Selby (his second to a brilliant slip catch by Andy Conway) and one to Peter Aldous. Woods were unable to build on this advantage and the Ottershaw middle order rebuilt the innings thanks to solid knocks by Tindall (35), Risk (32) and Frost (65).

Bill Bessant, Tom Wortley and Ian Park picked up a wicket each, but it was the return of Jim Selby which brought another flurry of wickets. Dave Clisby, Dave Brazier and Jason Hiscox all took good catches, and Selby and Aldous took the last 4 wickets between them for only 5 runs. Aldous returned figures of 2 for 45 and Selby, in a whole-hearted performance, 5 for 38.

For the umpteenth time this season, Woods got off to an awful start in their reply, finding the pace and bounce of Lancaster (5 for 9) too much to deal with. Wortley and Bessant in particular paid the penalty for some poor shot selection and at 20 for 6 there was no way back for Woods. Hiscox (13), Selby (12) and Pryor (5) at least helped to lift the score to 62 , but then 3 wickets fell for one run, and the game was over, Woods losing by 137 runs.

The Second X1 had a much needed victory against Roehampton. Roehampton's 184 for 8 (Wells 4 for 37, Phillips 3 for 36) was passed by Woods for the loss of 8 wickets (Mickey Joyce 43, Ross Jacobs 40). The Third X1 scored 152 for 9 (Delroy Gordon 46), but found their total passed by Chipstead and Coulsdon for the loss of 7 wickets.

Match report on the 3rd X1 fixture of 09/08/03

On a blazing August day Woodmansterne continued their losing run against Southbank, going down by 5 wickets with one over to spare.

Woods batted first and soon lost a wicket when Bessant was bowled by Khan for 1. This bought Andy Conway and Dave Clisby together and with a mixture of watchful defence and good attacking shots they added 73 for the second wicket. Conway went for 24 and although Clisby continued to play well he lost three middle order partners (Vagg for 11, Selby for 0 and Lockton for 12) while 37 runs were added.

Clisby was finally out for an excellent 68 when he was caught and bowled by Padia. Dave Brazier (21) and Jason Hiscox (18) put on 42 for the seventh wicket, but the final total of 196 for 9 was 20 or 30 runs short of an ideal score.

Choudary (23) and Padia (38) gave Southbank a rapid start, but the partnership was broken when Conway held an excellent catch at gulley off Bessant to dismiss Choudary. Jim Selby bowled without much luck and was replaced by Peter Aldous, whose awkward line and extra pace gave the batsmen a few problems. He took two wickets thanks to catches by Dave Pryor and Chris Vagg.

At 88 for 4 it seemed unlikely Southbank would reach their target, but Mahinda (40) and Raja (55 not pout) applied themselves very well and put on 103 for the fifth wicket. Skipper Vagg tried the spin of Dave Toms and his own medium pace, but they couldn't make the breakthrough. Bessant finally dismissed Mahinda thanks to a brilliant catch by Vagg, but it was too little too late.

The Second X1 hung on for a draw against Thames Ditton, scoring 115 for 8 (Peter Bull 42 not out) in reply to the home side's 206 all out (Ken Wright 5 for 39). The Third X1 chased 205 against Ashtead, and came close with 191.