Monday June 08, 2009

Sunday 31st May vs Stokenchurch (Home)

Fulmer drew with Stokenchurch

Blessed with another glorious, and hot, day on which to play cricket, Fulmer’s players gathered in the home dressing room hoping that captain Dave Jackson could do them a favour and call correctly at the toss. This he duly did, and sent openers Nick Box and Del Randall in to open the batting. 

This pair laid a solid foundation for the team to build on, making 80 runs for the opening wicket (Nick 22). Del continued his good form of late by punishing the regular ‘four-balls’ from Stokenchurch’s inexperienced attack, and was looking set for three figures when he clipped a full toss to square leg on 78. Tony King (26), Jamie King (27) and Danny Jackson (24) all added some good blows without going on to really big scores, and so it was left to Uzair, batting with a technique all of his own, to crack some fearsome shots in his unbeaten 35, Fulmer ending up on 246-6 off just 38 overs, due to a frankly poor over rate from the opposition. 

Unfortunately it became clear from the off that Stokenchurch had no intention whatsoever of chasing their 247-run target, and the ball hardly made it off the square in the first 10 overs, which yielded just 11 runs (Uzair bowling five maidens). With boredom setting in, Dave Paddon made the breakthrough on his way to figures of 3-12. This was followed up by Paul Colloff picking up 2-32, and suddenly Fulmer were into the impetuous middle-order of Stokenchurch colts. Wickets fell (Nick Box, Mark Overall and Del Randall all grabbing one each), but the blocking continued and the clock began to run against the home side. Needing 2 wickets from the last 6 overs, there was no shifting the diminutive No.10 batsman who belied his youth with a fantastic defensive display under intense pressure with close fielders all round. Uzair finally got the wicket he deserved with an outstanding delivery which nipped back to knock over the top of off stump. Alas it was the final ball and Stokenchurch had held on by one wicket, 109-9.