Long Itchington Cricket Club

Please be at the pond for ELEVEN FOURTY FIVE – Dont be late at this is the longest journey of the season. If you are going straight to the ground please let me know

Graham Foster

Martyn Rawbone

Will Grindall

Tom Perks

Alex Jack

James Clark

Richard Cressey

Steve Rawbone

Martin Clark

Steve Chapman

Andy Wood

Long Itchington visited Bearley on Saturday, with last week’s win giving the visitors some encouragement in what had been a below par season to date. Skipper Clark called the toss wrong, and the home side elected to bat in what were hot conditions, with a brown outfield.

If Itchington were to take anything from the afternoon, then Ross and co needed to be put under pressure from the off. Tweedy was first to go, driving upward into the covers….the first of two solid catches for the skipper…..and this opened the way for Powell to join Ross, who was looking in good form as well. When he pulled a half tracker to the leg side, he picked out Alex Jack who took an excellent catch…Itchington were in the game.

Powell was stumped for 63, D Ross made 54 and the home side reached 239 for 6 in their allotted 45 over’s. All the bowlers stuck to the task in what where hot conditions, and with last week’s chase in the mind, the visitors had every chance of chasing down the target. Cressey took 3 for 65 in his 10 overs, Clark 1-38 of his 10….with every one giving 100%

Tea was taken and the run chase was on…..Eadon nicked a wide one and was well caught by the keeper, Jack was caught trying to pull, and Perks gloved a lifting delivery behind first ball….Itchington were going backwards. Rawbone looked to carry on last week’s good form until he launched one to the boundary to pick out the sole boundary fielder…….game over at 62 for 5….and he had made 32 of them.

Insall played a conservative role from number 6, as points were now the order of the day. 5 Itchington batsmen didn’t make double figures, and a swift last pair partnership of 32 between Insall and Clark pushed the total to from 118 to 150, Insall last out making 22, the skipper not out on 18, with 4 over’s still remaining.

Castle was the pick of the Home side bowlers taking 3 for 36.

Blockley at home next week at from now on in, every point looks more and more valuable for Itchington to stay in the league. Skipper Clark got the Man of the Match award, but would have gladly swopped it for a win. Nick Brookes is out for next week as Jenny is making an honest man of him!…so changes to be made, let’s hope they are for better and not for worse.

Itchingtons latest fixture was a trip to Catherine De Barnes who at the toss, laid bottom of the league and had yet to win a match.

A good strip was presented to the away skipper who duly won the toss.

Due to the fact that Itchington were missing 8 regular players from the usual selection because of Nicks Stag do, an afternoon in the field was chosen with the hope of getting some early wickets.

The afternoon ebbed and flowed with the home side getting off to the better start and after 10 over’s were 54 for 1. The change bowlers of Skipper Clark and Phillips turned the tide somewhat, and at 30 over’s things looked better for the visitors at 114 for 5. No one Catney Batsmen stood out, and 4 made 40, 33, 26 and 20 plus contributions, and with a late rally in the last few over’s the home finished on 203, or did they?

Andy Wood bowled well in his 10 over split spell, as did Phillips White and Clark.

Tea was taken and whilst checking the score book things didn’t seem to tally up, as the runs in the batting section where 10 runs out. After consulting the home skipper a hand shake was agreed at a revised 201 total, with 202 required to win, and Itchington thought that was the end of it.

Cleary not, as some of the home sides fielders seemed to go on about it for the rest of the afternoon. Itchington got off to a bad start in reply, losing Foster and Rogers for 1 and 2 each. The opening bowlers performed well and Itchington were up against it. After 15 over’s the visitors had slumped to 28 for 3 and an uphill struggle was there for all to see.

To be fair, all the Catney bowlers played their part, and they were backed up by some good fielding. Itchington were in reality probably not going to make the run a ball target now required, which made the behaviour of some of the home sides fielders all the more puzzling.

A run out and a caught behind that were not given by the Itchington umpire caused several heated exchanges and there was also an over the top appeal for a catch that didn’t carry……..this rather marred the game, as Itchington’s lower order dug in and tried to get bonus batting points and in the end shut up shop and finished the afternoon on 123 for 8. Perks again picked up a 40 plus score, but no other batsmen looked like getting runs.

If you had watched the game from Start to Finish you would wonder why Catney had not won a game, and perhaps they had the players available for the 1^st time that the visitors didn’t this week, but by the by, if they play like that for the rest of the season I would be surprised if they are still bottom.

A few heated exchanges with our umpire is the memory of the afternoon that will stick in my mind, which was a shame as they are a better side than that.

Andy Wood got his 1^st MOM of the year.

Chipping Camden next week, with an early start for the World Cup, let’s hope someone does well…

Bidford on Avon were the visitors to White Hall Farm for Itchingtons 2^nd home game of the season, and as with the first, the rain was falling. Unfortunately it rained only slightly, and the Itchington wickets fell faster.

After a rain delayed start, 40 over’s a side was the format and Nicholls was on the way to his Man of the Match award, as he correctly called tails…Itchington were asked to bat

And bat they didn’t, Foster was first to go after a couple of boundary balls were dispatched and 24 were on the board when he departed. Perks and Cressey also made double figures, but 6 other Itchington players didn’t make double figures.

The visitors bowled well all afternoon, Leyton, Cooper and Wyatt all picked up wickets in their tidy spells, but the stand out performer was that man Nicholls who picked up 5 for 11, in his allotted 9 over’s. Phillips and Clark batting at 10 and 11 put on 32 for the last wicket making 16 and 18 each to lift the total to a well below par 124.

Tea was taken, and Alex was at the helm, Martyn was on the Tea Pot, and Miriam was called in as a late change to clear up….thanks to all involved.

Wickets were the order of the day to give Itchington any chance at all of getting anything out of the afternoon, but they never came. Cleary the experienced Bidford boys were batting for maximum points and who could blame them. They had 41 over’s to see themselves home, and they managed it losing only on wicket.

Richard Cressey bowled a tidy spell of nine over’s, and the Skipper took the only wicket, his 9 over’s going for 24, but the visitors never had to go through the gears, and won in convincing style picking up 21 valuable points and are well in with a chance of promotion.

As for Itchington, 2 points was all that was mustered, and its Catney next week. The home team skipper got the Man of the Match award, but he would have swopped that for a win…….and maybe next week that’s what we will get….we shall see…..

Team Selected to play at Home on the 29th May against Bidford Upon Avon. Please meet at the ground before 1.00pm

Martin Clark ( Captain )

Tom Perks

Graham Foster

George Insall

James Clark

Martyn Rawbone

Alex Jack

Richard Cressey

Nick Brookes

Steve Rawbone

Craig White