Sat 11th Aug Charlbury vs Bletchley Town

Charlbury 124 (36.3 overs)

Ben Forrester 33

 

Bletchley Town 126-5 (22.5 overs)

 

Charlbury won the toss and elected to bat first. Ben Sinton and Graham opened the batting for Charlbury. Graham got off to a good start hitting a couple of early fours straight back passed the bowler. Ben started slowly, defending the good deliveries and pushing a few singles and twos around. Then disaster struck as Graham flicked one on the leg-side, but a fielder dived in and took a good catch just above the ground. Bimalka now entered the fray. Both bowlers had settled into a reasonable length and line and Charlbury were finding run scoring more difficult. Bimalka crashed a shot through the covers for four. Slowly the score started to move along as both players started to get their eye in. The outfield was still fairly quick and several shots that beat the infield flew towards the boundary. Ben was batting really well, stroking the ball around on both sides of the wicket and leaving anything he did not need to play at. Bimalka was more aggressive, looking for the single, but also pouncing on anything even slightly loose and hitting it away to the boundary. Ben then crashed a boundary four, flicking the ball through the leg-side. A change in the bowling was then made as one opening bowler left the attack and a new bowler entered it. The new bowler dropped straight into a great line and length and both batsmen found him hard to get away for any runs. Bimalka hit another couple of boundaries at the other end to ensure the score continued to move along. The fifty mark was reached and now Charlbury were looking to push on a bit harder to set a defendable total. Then disaster struck as Bimalka was wrapped on the pads and given out adjudged LBW. Ben Forrester now strode to the crease. Ben Forrester looked in top form from the off, pushing a quick two before stroking one off of his legs ands to the boundary for four. Ben Sinton was now starting to open up a bit and started to play a few more strokes, picking up several singles. Ben Forrester just continued to look in good form as he stroked the ball around, putting the ball wherever he wanted and finding a couple more boundaries through the off-side. The score was now starting to race along and Charlbury were looking to take charge of the game. After 20 overs a change in the bowling was made as the opening bowler finished his ten over spell and a spinner entered the attack. The spinner was on the mark from ball one and using his variations of pace and length started to cause some problems. Ben Sinton edged one and the wicket-keeper took the catch, the spinner had his first wicket. Stuart now joined Ben at the crease. Ben continued to smash the ball around on both sides of the wicket, if the bowler dropped it short he pulled the ball and if he bowled it wider then he cut it. Ben hit the spinner for a couple of boundaries to bring up the hundred mark. Then things went wrong. First Ben edged one and was caught at slip for a fine 33. Charlie now came to the wicket. Both bowlers had now settled into great lines and lengths and the batsmen were only able to push the odd single. A couple of overs later Stuart edged one and he too was caught at slip. Josh now came to the crease with Charlbury 105-5. A couple of overs went by, but then Josh was wrapped on the pads and given out adjudged LBW. Marcus now entered the fray. Then Bletchley had a big over as first Marcus hit the ball straight ot a fielder and was caught and then two balls later his replacement, Steve, missed the ball and was bowled. Ollie now joined Charlie at the wicket to try and repair the innings. Both batsmen now looked to use up a few overs and just see how many Charlbury could get. The overs ticked by with a a few ones and twos being pushed as Charlbury just could not find the boundary. Ollie hit out aat a couple of balls and managed a couple of twos. A change in the bowling was made as the first change bowler left the attack and a new one entered it. The new bowler struck quickly when he wrapped Ollie on the pads and he was given out adjudged LBW. Jake now came to the crease. A couple more overs went by with a few runs scored, but then Charlie skied one and was caught by the wicket-keeper and Charlbury were all out for 124.

 

Charlbury had to bowl for an hour before tea and so Stuart and Jake had to open the bowling. The batsmen knowing they had a low target to chase decided to go for it from the off and hit a couple of early fours to put the pressure on the bowling side. Stuart was bowling well, but struggled a little bit with his line. Jake too was bowling well, getting a little movement out of the pitch. The batsmen continued to attack and with the quick outfield found several boundaries. The score was rising quickly, but then Charlbury got the wicket they wanted when the Bletchley captain miss-hit one from Stuart straight to Marcus in the covers and the catch was taken. The batsmen continued to attack the ball and hit a couple more boundaries so a double change in the bowling was made as Charlie and Bimalka entered the attack to slow things down. Charlie dropped straight into a great line and length and found some turn out of the pitch. Bimalka too dropped into a good line and length, causing several problems for the batsmen. The new batsmen was more cautious, just looking to push the od single around. The opening batsman continued to attack and found a couple of boundaries to take the score passed 50. Then Charlbury got their second wicket when the opening batsman drilled one to Charlie stood at mid-off and he took a good catch. Next over Charlbury got another wicket when the other batsman edged one off of Charlie and the ball flew to Ben Forrester low down and he managed to get his fingers under it and take a fabulous catch. A few more runs came and tea was getting closer. Then Charlbury grabbed their fourth wicket when the new batsman edged one to Graham stood close in and he took a fine reaction catch leaving Bletchley 68-4. Stuart bowled the last over before tea, but did not get a wicket. On the resumption A change of bowling was made as Stuart made way for Charlie. This was an inspired choice as one batsman tried to smash Charlie out of the park, but could only find Ollie on the boundary and he took a great catch. Charlbury now thought they were in with a shout, but one batsman had other ideas. One batsman went on the attack and pulled a couple of deliveries rom Bimalka to the boundary for four. Stuart then replaced Charlie after only one over after tea. Stuart dropped straight into a great line and length, but the new batsman kept him out. Then a huge over from the other batsman took the game away from Charlbury as he smashed the ball to all parts. Bimalka came out of the attack and Jake joined it, but to no avail and the hard hitting batsman hit a boundary to win the game for Bletchley.

 

Charlbury 6 points