Coggeshall go too high and pay the price

Coggeshall were defeated by BT Waldringfield on Sunday afternoon at the Gainsborough Sports Centre in Ipswich by 41 runs. Playing in a shoe-box with ridiculous rules made a farce of what is supposed to be a National competition played with ECB rules and conditions. This was far from it, and I honestly cannot see the Suffolk representatives making any further progress once they reach Canterbury. A small hall was bad enough to start with but when players were not required to wear two pads, and if the ball went over a red line eight feet from the floor you were given out "too high" with the bowler getting credit for the wicket, then you begin to realise this was not the game as we know it but some strange hybrid of our traditional indoor game and the Australian version. They also used a rule that no additional deliveries were given if wides or no-balls were bowled until the final over when they would be, and further recognition with our game all but departed. Oh, they did, because they had to, use the same ball. For the record, BT Waldringfield were put into bat and scored 86-5, the Coggeshall boys, without Jim Rees and David Denny, doing well. However, a challenge was hardly ever mounted as Sam and Ollie Blackwell and later Matt, were all given out "too high" after hitting above the red line. Only Craig Lesiak, with 17, reached double figures as they were eventually dismissed for just 45.

The top three in two divisions all win

Witham were able to marginally increase their lead at the top of the Division One Championship table after securing maximum points from their match against Chappel & Wakes Colne. Their rivals, Coggeshall and Braintree Youth could only take a dozen points from their wins against Rayne and Cressing respectively. In Division Five, the top two, Three Fields and Braintree Reserves both collected the maximum fifteen points, while Sampfords Reserves lost a bit of ground as they collected twelve from a 30 run victory. In the remaining match, Rayne III's defeated Coggeshall A Reserves by 15 runs.

Witham were meeting Chappel & Wakes Colne at the Leisure Centre for the second Sunday running, and they recorded a much bigger victory in the League than they had done in the Cup. Chappel did rock Witham with two early wickets, but 53 not out from Leroy Facey, and 41 not out from Kaan Hawes took Witham through to 155-4. Michael Headley then ripped Chappel apart with 3-19 as they slid to just 49 all out. Coggeshall overcame their disappointments in Ipswich to defeat Rayne by 25 runs, but they could really have done with matching Witham's points haul. Craig Lesiak top scored with 34 not out as Coggeshall closed on 134-4. Rayne were hampered by Dave Dawson being caught second ball, but they tried their best to gain something from the match, and managed to take three points before their innings ended on 109-4. Peter Dawson top scoring with 28 not out.

Cressing, like Chappel, maintained their 100% losing record at the Leisure Centre this season in the league when Braintree Youth defeated them by 25 runs. Simon Jones hit 43 not out aided by 29 not out from Andrew Sherry as they closed on 137-4. Matty Hart, Andy Goding, and Billy Hickman all got runs for Cressing but they could not get their total beyond 112-4.

Three Fields and Braintree Reserves have almost booked their promotion tickets following their maximum point victories. Three Fields crushed Boreham Reserves by 97 runs, after scoring 136-4 from eleven overs before dismissing their opponents for 39. Nick Oliver taking 4-11, which included a hat-trick, and four wickets in five balls to finish Boreham Reserves off. Barry Stephens hit 60 not out as Braintree Reserves stayed in reach of Three Fields as they hit 134-3 against Halstead. Halstead were dismissed for 72 in reply. Sampfords Reserves lost ground by three points as they could only gain a 30 run victory over Kelvedon & Feering III's. James Smith and Colin Caister helped them to reach 98. Ryan Webster then took 2-11 as Kelvedon III's were restricted to 68-4. Rayne III's came back from being 1-2 to reach 89 all out, thanks to 38 from Barry Mouser, and 30 from James Garner. Coggeshall A Reserves tried their best to overhaul that score but with two overs left unused they were bowled out for 74.

Current League Tables>>

February 17th 2008

Witham see their lead cut

Witham may have moved one match closer to regaining the League Championship trophy, but their lead was cut by two points after they could only defeat Cressing by four wickets. Cressing were dismissed for 77 at Notley Sports Centre, but it only took three deliveries for Witham to lose the chance of all fifteen points as Richard Green was caught. Cody McDonald hit 31 not out, and Leroy Facey, 30 not out, as Witham crossed the winning line with two wickets down. Coggeshall smacked 164-4 against Bocking, thanks to 44 not out from Jim Rees, 42 from Ollie Blackwell, and 37 not out from Will Blackwell. Bocking were never in contention and succumbed for just 58 with Rees taking 3-11 and Dave Denny 2-13, proving just how much they were missed in Ipswich the previous Sunday. Those wins for Witham and Coggeshall just about ended Braintree Youth's hopes of the Championship, but they did make light work of Chappel & Wakes Colne. Brett Patmore top scored with 27 not out as they closed on 68-3. Simon Jones and David Hale took Braintree Youth through to 69-0 with Jones retiring on 27.

Kelvedon move closer to return

Kelvedon & Feering moved closer to securing their return to Division One following their 29 run victory over Elmstead Grasshoppers. Elmstead had started the day in second place but they are now one point behind Shalford, though they do still have one game in hand. Kelvedon scored 121-1 with James Baker, Ed Smith, and Frank Warner all retiring. Elmstead's reply began well as Darren Davies, 24, ad Fraser Eadie, 34, made good progress, but then the wheels fell off a bit. Dilanka added 20, but Stuart Warner bagged a brace of wickets before Ed Smith bowled Eadie to end Elmstead's reply on 92. They will have two and a half overs remaining when that final wicket fell. Shalford defeated Helions Bumpstead by two wickets in the other vital match in the top half of the Division Two table, and moved one place up the table. Lee Parish claimed 2-11 in the early part of Helions Bumpstead's innings to put Shalford in control and they retained that throughout in keeping Helions Bumpstead down to just 79-3. Andy Rose was their top scorer with 25 not out. Shalford, too, lost early wickets but 39 not out from Lee Parish and 23 not out from Robin Metson saw them through to 83-4 with two overs to spare. The final match paired Coggeshall Reserves and Terling, two teams destined to remain in Division Two next season, so the match was fairly meaningless in the overall scheme of things. Chris Wager, 27 not out, and Peter Tomkin, 29 not out, took Terling to 105-2, but Coggeshall Reserves reached 106-3 with George Blackwell top scoring with 27 not out.

Braintree benefit as rivals slip

Braintree had a wonderfully unexpected day at the Leisure Centre, as they saw their main rivals in the Division Three Championship slip up, and they were able to crush Kelvedon & Feering Reserves to move to the top of the table and to within ten points of assuring themselves of promotion. It was also a good day for Steve Isaac in particular. On the day the League began, November 11th 1979, he hit 44 not out for Silver End against Six Bells, but from that day he had never topped that score indoors. Now 28 years, 3 months, and 6 days later he finally has, as he hit 54 not out, and retired twice as Braintree rattled up a total of 169-3. Daniel Broyd adding 32 not out, and Steve's possible future son-in-law, Glen Smith, adding 24. Kelvedon & Feering Reserves were then bowled out for 49 with 20 from Clive Bennett being their top score. Boreham lost to spot as a result of Braintree's win and their two wicket defeat to Braintree College. Tim Pulham did take his tally of runs in the league this season to 346 with 38 but Boreham were dismissed for 115. Dan Garner, 33 not out, Trevor Spalding, 25 not out, then put Braintree College on course for victory and with Yunus adding 21, they reached 117-4 with three balls to spare to keep alive their hopes of a top three finish. Dunmow also slipped up as Coggeshall A defeated them by four wickets. Five man Dunmow could only manage 103-3 from eleven overs with Ollie Rooney top scoring with 40 not out. Greg Stephens then brought the match to an end with a rapid 28 not out which took Coggeshall A to 105-2 with nine balls to spare. I doubt many would have imagined that Great Totham would defeat Sampfords by 83 runs, and less so after they had lost Steve Whiting in the opening over, but they almost match Braintree's total, as they went on to score 165-3. Paul Marks hitting 55 not out, Barry Mays 46 not out, and Andrew Whiting, 31 not out. Paul Edwards was then the only Sampfords player to score more than seven. He hit 62 before he was caught with Sampfords on 82.

Little Bardfield Village almost home

Nine points from three matches is all Little Bardfield Village now require to be assured of playing in Division Three next season. Of course it it highly unlikely that they will not be, but the i's have to be dotted and the t's crossed first. They did have a massive stroke of good fortune against Helions Bumpstead Reserves, as they had to call Alan Kemp and Paul Sheridan into their team for their first indoor games for a few seasons, and it was Alan Kemp who had the good fortune to see a ball land on the bails and not dislodge them before he had scored a run. He went on to score 60 not out, with Sheridan adding 356, as they finally reached a total of 117-5, Dan Suckling taking 3-30. Helions Bumpstead Reserves may be bottom of the table but they came closer than anyone to defeating Little Bardfield Village this season as they just came up short on 108-4. Adrian Stebbing-Cox top scoring with 28 not out, and Dean Sharp scoring 26. Peter Bray took two more wickets for Little Bardfield Village, to take his tally for the season, in the league, to 18. His is just five away from equalling the league record, and he has three matches in which he can still play. Witham Reserves won the battle between the chasing two teams, and with was Witham Reserves' victory by 21 runs that actually prevented Little Bardfield Village from celebrating promotion on Sunday. Michael Headley top scored for Witham Reserves with 25 as Dick Pryke's 4-44 saw them kept down to 84-5. Though he took four wickets, as you will see, he also gave away nearly all the runs! Bocking Reserves then almost perished without trace but Dick Pryke did manage to reach 18 not out to take Bocking Reserves to 63-5 and three vital points. The other two matches in the division were really only of academic interest, as with no relegation, anyone below the top three is playing solely for final positions. Shalford Reserves defeated a four man High Garrett team, and Earls Colne defeated Margaretting by 18 runs. So Earls Colne and Shalford Reserves remain in fourth and fifth places respectively.

February 24th 2008

Advantage Witham as Braintree Youth snatch a tie with last ball six

Michael Joyce hit a six off the final ball to give Braintree Youth a tie against Coggeshall in the day's most important fixture. It was not a result that Coggeshall wanted, now they are one point behind Witham, but Witham have a game in hand, and Witham will also know that if they gain all fifteen points from their encounter with Braintree Youth in five weeks time, then the League Championship will, once again, be in their possession. Coggeshall had gone into the match with half of their regular team away on the ski slopes, so there was no Sam Blackwell, Ollie Blackwell or Jim Rees in their line-up. Coggeshall were also looking for some measure of revenge for their BDICL Cup defeat against Braintree Youth a few weeks earlier, but in that dramatic climax they were to be denied this. Dave Denny, playing against his former team-mates, top scored for Coggeshall with 33 not out as they posted a score of 122-5. Chris Woodward added 27, with Will Blackwell and James Neale also topping 20. Braintree Youth only had five batsmen as they used a substitute wicketkeeper, which lead to Andrew Ledgerton getting a very rare three over spell while David Hale cannot bowl because of a shoulder injury. However, it did not affect his batting, as he hit 42 in Braintree Youth's reply which also saw Ledgerton hit his best score of the season, 22. Coggeshall had chances to win the match comfortably but I was told their keeper had a bout of the keeping yips with the teflon gloves. They must still have fancied their chances of winning when David Hale was caught with ten balls to go and the Youth still needing 22 to win the match with only Michael Joyce at the wicket. The arrears narrowed to the fact that to tie the match Joycey needed to hit David Denny's final ball for six. Denny having already spilled a chance to dismiss him. With nothing to lose but with a lot for Witham to gain from a tie, he went for the big shot and got it to move his score, also to a seasons best, 25 not out, and Braintree Youth to 122-4.

Rayne's 40 run defeat against Cressing does confirm their relegation to Division Two, and as a result Rayne Reserves will be relegated to Division Three, with three teams now being promoted from Division Three this season, thus Braintree are now just one point away from gaining promotion to Division Two. Cressing were in full control of this match throughout. Robert Cross and Matthew Hart both hit 32 not out, and Matthew Blackwell, 28, as they closed with 140-4. I hope Matthew has now learned the run out laws properly as he seemed dismayed that he had to go even though he was sixteen yards down the wicket, he had not actually passed his batting partner. Rayne then lost John Norgrove in their first over and struggled thereafter. Paul Shephard with 28, and a last flurry of 26 not out, from Rob Kearney gave them two points as they closed with 100-5.

Bocking defeated Chappel & Wakes Colne in the day's other Division One contest to move above them in the table. For Chappel it was their ninth consecutive defeat in the league and but for Rayne having points deducted, they could still not have been safe from the drop. Hardly a classic match as Dean Bass and Danny McIntyre both took two wickets as they dismissed Chappel & Wakes Colne for 78, but Bocking made hard work of winning the match, and it was 25 not out from Keith Merrell and 19 not out from McIntyre that saw them reach 82-4.

Little Bardfield Village's run ends but they are promoted

Little Bardfield Village began their match against Bocking Reserves knowing that Witham Reserves defeat against Helions Bumpstead Reserves had actually promoted them to Division Three, but they must then have been disappointed to suffer their first ever league defeat as Bocking Reserves enhanced their promotion hopes and kept the Championship contest alive, by defeating them by four wickets. Tom Graham hit 50 not out for Little Bardfield Village as they closed their innings on 116-5, but then Dean Bass, 31 not out, Danny McIntyre, 32 not out, and Geoff Butler, 23 not out, saw Bocking Reserves take a giant step towards Division Three with their reply of 118-2, and with matches remaining against Margaretting and Shalford Reserves it is difficult not to see them gain the points they require for a second consecutive promotion. Little Bardfield Village need eleven points to be assured of the Division Four title.

Witham Reserves may yet regret losing to the team that began the day bottom of the table, but Helions Bumpstead Reserves ran out winners by 18 runs. Helions Bumpstead reached 114-3 with Adrian Stebbing-Cox top scoring with 37 not out. Michael Headley did they pass the 300 run mark in the league for Witham Reserves but his 26 not out could only get the score to 96-3. They can now only hope that Bocking Reserves slip up for them to snatch second place.

Earls Colne look destined to finish in fourth place after defeating Shalford Reserves by five wickets. Shalford Reserves were a man short but struggled to only 71-4 from their twelve overs. Though it could have been far worse after John Gibson's 3-16 had reduced them to 35-4 with only Sam Godding, on his debut left at the wicket. Sam then hit 35 not out but it was never going to be sufficient to prevent an Earls Colne victory. Nick Oakley hit 25 not out, and David Brooker, 20 not out, as they raced to 72-1 in less than seven overs.

High Garrett and Margaretting, meanwhile served up a thriller, and set a new highest aggregate score for the division. High Garrett hitting 162-2, with Margaretting almost pulling off a remarkable victory, but finishing on 159-4. Just about everyone contributed to this "meaningless" match with runs, but for the record, Peter Perkin top scored for High garrett with 35, while Elliot Moore hit 50 not out as Margaretting made a tremendous effort to snatch an incredible victory. Had they managed it, then it would have been the highest score achieved to win a fixture by a team batting second.