Bring Me Sunshine

On a cold early May day Reigate Priory 2nd team played Kempton 1st team at St Albans Road.

Kempton play in Division 4 of the 1st eleven competition, using the same tier 2 playing conditions (Power-plays/free hits etc) as the Premier Division of the 2nd eleven competition; so today’s friendly fixture was ideal preparation for both teams in their forthcoming league programmes. It was also a platform to see where our 2’s might sit in a 1st eleven competition although Kempton were about 3 players short from their likely starting eleven in the league.

Kempton won the toss and chose to bowl. With only 2 fielders allowed outside the 30 yard circle for the 1st 10 overs it would be interesting to see how the Llama openers approached potential free scoring areas in the 1st Power-play.

Jon Bateson & Nip Makwana opened the bowling against Smudger and Jordan Bunyan but neither bowler broke through the Llama openers although Smudger was dropped in the slips in the 13th over. Change bowlers Dylan Patel and left armer Ethan Walsh didn’t break though either and Captain Smudger was 1st to his 50 followed not long after by Jordan.

At the end of the 1st power-play the run rate was about 5 an over and after 20 overs remained at about 5 an over so the power-play didn’t seem to change the approach of the openers as what hadn’t changed is they still face a new ball and fresh bowlers.

Kempton skipper Andy Ward brought himself on and in the 33rd over he broke the opening partnership with the score in the 190’s when he bowled Smudger. Seth McDowell, in at 3, found the deep wide mid wicket fielder in the 36th over to give Dylan Patel his 1st wicket at 200’ish for 2 (apologies for the approximate scores as the report is written without reference to the scorebook and my hands were cold and I can’t read my own notes). Dylan’s 2nd wicket came in his next over (the 38th) when very late movement got through Will Irving’s defences to see the Llamas (about) 216-3.

In the 42nd over 1st change left arm bowler Ethan Walsh struck leg stump to see the end of Jordan who had scored a classy 111 including quite a few ramp shots (233’ish for 4). David Gent and Nick Rotsey pushed the score along with some powerful hits from Nick before being caught at cover in the 48th over at 278-5. Will Brewis was caught behind by a superb diving catch from keeper Martin Watts (catch of the day at that point in the match) for 279-6. Genty pushed the accelerator in the closing overs but lost partner Ollie Massey (297-7) and was out for 41 at 297-8 in the last over to see the Llamas pass the 300 mark with Connor and Ed Russ not out (did not face in Ed’s case) at the end of their allotted 50 overs. Kempton wickets were shared between Ethan Walsh (4), Dylan Patel (2), Andy Ward (1) and Jon Bateson (1).

Kempton’s openers powered through the 1st couple of overs from Ed Russ and Toby Briggs and were already 14 off the 1st two with their only problem being cramp for the opener who temporarily retired injured. In the 7th over with the score on 30 Ed Russ made the breakthrough when Seth McDowell took a fine low catch at point. After 10 overs Kempton had reached 52 so similar to the Llamas Power-play overs.

Kempton were making good progress before Connor Newbold changed things when the Kempton batsman attempted and missed a sweep to a straight delivery for 77-2 and the incoming batsman couldn’t have been watching as Connor then repeated the delivery in his next over and the batsman repeated the shot for 81-3.

You couldn’t keep Connor out of the game and he got Will Brewis a wicket when he took the catch of the day (& it had to be good to beat the Kempton’s keeper’s diving catch) running towards the boundary with the ball coming over his head for 88-4 in the 21st over. Connor again; bowling this time, took the 5th wicket at 104-5 in the 23rd over getting out the big hitting Kempton batsman and having changed ends and umpires he repeated his earlier success when he got his 4th wicket when he had Kempton skipper Andy Ward lbw missing an attempted sweep at 118-6 in the 29th over. Irvs and Nick Rotsey bowled 5 and 4 overs respectively before Ollie Massey took the only other wicket to fall when he took the 7th wicket with the score at 144 in the 36th.

By now the weather was not only cold (I might have mentioned this) it was raining and it was dark and the Umpires took the sides off after 40 overs with Kempton (just halfway to their target) on 151-7 with 10 overs left. Duckworth Lewis would have seen a Priory victory but nonetheless useful practice before next week’s away game at newly promoted Dulwich when the temperature will hopefully have risen (doubled even) and players, scorers and umpires aren’t freezing.

Connor Newbold (4), Ed Russ (1), Will Brewis (1) & Ollie Massey (1) were the wicket takers. Connor’s wonder catch and 4 wickets on most weeks would have guaranteed him man of the match but he has to step aside for Jordan Bunyan’s 111.