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Welcome to the official Boxgrove Cricket Club website.
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The first weekend in August saw the traditional Boxgrove v Singleton match with
the home side bidding for a first win in the fixture for a decade.
In
terms of team news things didn't look promising for Boxgrove missing a number of
key batsmen and bowlers but then again Singleton were not at full strength
either. For Boxgrove there was a return to the side after a 5 year absence for
Murray Collis and a debut for Scott Pratt. Meanwhile Singleton handed a first
start to the bloke simply known as Dave.
From the early rain it was clear
that it would be a good toss to win and when Singleton skipper Steve Doel
correctly called "heads" he had no hesitation in asking Boxgrove to
bat.
Wayne Barrett and John Chamberlain donned the pads but it was hard
going from the off as openers struggled against the unerring accuracy of Francis
Ward and the pace of Henry Stephens. After 7 overs just one run had been scored
- a wide - but at least no wicket had fallen. The watchword for Boxgrove was
clearly caution but JC soon decided it was time to up the run rate moving the
score to 11 off 10 overs. Barrett hit his first 4 but with the score on 27 off
17 overs he was bowled by the impressive Rooke for 5. That brought Holl to the
wicket and he soon got off the mark with a glanced boundary off
Court.
The conditions were certainly testing and Rooke was getting
exaggerated swing but his control was excellent meaning that every delivery
looked like it might take a wicket. Still, the partnership began to grow and
Chamberlain began to take on the Singleton bowling. He was undone however by a
low inswinger from Rooke and bowled for an excellent 36.
It was clear
that the run rate needed to be upped if a competitive score was to be racked up
and the incoming Thorpe appeared to be the man to do just that. However after
seeing out a number of dangerous balls he skied one straight to Doel off Rooke
and was out without scoring. Langton was next but when he was also out for a
duck caught well low down by Williams to give Rooke his 4th wicket, Boxgrove
were in trouble at 60 for 4.
Holl and Collis began to rebuild the
innings with a combination of defence and attack putting on 30 for the 5th
wicket before Collis was bowled by the impressive Stephens for 12. Bugden was
next and smashed a powerful boundary to get off the mark but when Holl was
bowled by Stephens for 27 the score was 90 for 6. Glasspool soon followed bowled
by Stephens for 1 and when Bugden selflessly ran himself out off the last ball
the innings was closed at 102 for 8. It was a below par score but would still
take some getting. A lot of credit had to go to the Singleton bowling and
fielding however with Rooke 4 for 10 off 8 overs and Stephens 3 for 13 off 8
overs particularly impressive.
Boxgrove's reply saw Collis and Langton
trying to make the early breakthrough and the former had opener George Stephens
in trouble early on. He survived however but skipper Steve Doel was soon back in
the pavilion caught behind by Holl off Collis for just 2. Glenn Stanford was
next down the ramp and signalled his intentions by thumping his first ball down
the ground for 4.
Collis (1 for 13) was replaced after 3 overs as he was
obviously tired after his earlier running and the fact he hadn't played for so
long! He had however shown what he could do. The replacement at the Halnaker End
was debutant Scott Pratt who was swinging the ball more than Glenda at an 80s
Revival Night but it was only when he got it under control that he looked
extremely dangerous. Indeed, he soon managed to induce Stanford into an edge
which was snapped up by Thorpe at slip and Singleton were wobbling on 35 for
2.
Langton (0 for 23 off 7) then tempted Stephens into a loose shot but
the chance went begging depite Jim Reed's best efforts at cover. Symonds was
struggling to get off the mark and had a number of close shaves against both his
nemesis Thorpe (0 for 17 off 5 overs) and the newcomer Pratt. The pair then
combined to almost have Stephens caught at slip but the chance was spilled. It
was however a quality maiden from Pratt.
As Singleton got ever nearer the
total Thorpe tried a number of combinations with the ball, all to no avail.
Stephens duly passed fifty and he saw the game home with an imperious 72 not out
despite being dropped behind off a good delivery by Bugden (0 for 26 off 3.4) at
the depth. It barely mattered by then however as Singleton were home and
hosed.
Well played Singleton and unlucky Boxgrove, it was certainly a lot
closer than the stats on their own might show.
Boxgrove 102 for 8
(Chamberlain 36, Holl 27, Collis 12)
Singleton 103 for 2 (Collis 1 for
13, Pratt 1 for 21)
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