Eltham CC

Match Report

Match report Eltham CC Vs Nuxley CC

An under-par Eltham meekly capitulated to a loss in this limited-overs match against Nuxley, in a nonetheless enjoyable game against an always friendly opposition.

Ricky won the toss and had no hesitation in putting Nuxley in to bat on a drying wicket that had been used in the rain in the previous week. The scoring rate was slow from the off, with batsmen struggling to time the ball. A bit of up-and-down bounce was also working in the bowler's favour. Pad in particular bowled a good line and length with little luck - but many pained expressions and anguished wails! Better luck next time Pad, you'll get a fivefer bowling the same way in another game.

Matt's first over had gone for a few as he found his rhythm, but once he had the batsmen were finding it equally hard to get him away. He induced a leading edge which went up a long way and was safely pouched by Brad. This wasn't his only link to Brad during the match - we were most amused to see his name in the oppo's scorebook as "Bradpitt", although Mr Bulpitt claimed this was based on looks and not a mishearing.

Ricky bowled a fine spell with his nagging medium pacers, and the next two successes went to him. A plum LBW and another catch to old safe-hands Bulpitt gave him figures of 16 for 2 from 8 overs - great stuff Ricklar. Brad bowled nicely without fortune, and then Pradeep shook off a winter's worth of rust and tried to bowl so short that his toes were in danger of requiring medical attention. Daniel bowled his selection of tempters, but Nuxley were not to be fooled on this occasion.

At drinks, Colin and Pete switched as temporary keepers (neither gave away any byes or did any teapot impressions and no bowlers bowled a ball down the leg side - remarkable scenes as we are sure Mr Redman would agree!). This allowed Colin to come on and try some leg spin, and in his first over he induced a leading eye which went to Brad who again took a safe catch. Disaster was about to occur though - in his second over Colin went down as if somebody had just put a pin into a rotund dolly which resembled him. It proved to be a hamstring problem which forced Colin off the field of dreams. Bah!

A decent partnership then took place which Eltham couldn't brea - indeed, the only thing broken was Bradpitt's heart as his last over was taken for plenty! Nuxley finished on 174 from their 40 overs - a decent total on this wicket, but not insurmountable, and Eltham were undaunted over tea.

Well - they should have been!

Eltham's batsmen found it hard to score off good line and length bowling from all of Nuxley's early bowlers. The Fish got an inside edge to be bowled early doors, and Swainy got an edge which was taken nicely by first slip. Matt struggled initially for timing but seemed to be getting his eye in until he had a big shy at a teaser from Rusell and gifted a catch. Brad was out LBW when he was caught in front of the stumps to one that didn't bounce as highly as it should have done. The only real highlight was young Sam Jones, guesting from the opposition, scoring a lusty 19 including a couple of fours. We're sure his dad will have had words later on the way home!

Onwards and upwards!