Pyestock CC vs Kings CC

PYESTOCK CC vs. KINGS CC

Sunday 9th May 2010

A very welcome return to the fixture list this year after a break was a visit to Pyestock - and with it the chance to meet up with old friends with whom we have locked horns over the last 16 years or so. As it was, due to the delayed relaying of the home pitch,  the match was actually played at Aldershot CC. From the first game of the season Kings had four changes bringing Paul Nangle, Simon Pipe, Jamie Gale and Richard Sones - whilst missing were Dave Perry, Richard Warne, Pat Daye and Paul Bygrave.

On what was a cold, cloudy and breezy days Pyestock won the toss and elected to bowl first on what was a multi coloured pitch that looked likely to be two paced. It looked a good toss to win as Chris and Dan Heath tested Miller and Tighe with some balls that would zip through and climb whilst others would stick in the pitch. It was the latter that helped claim the first wicket as Tighe push forward and the ball traveled tamely to mid off (4-1). There then followed a period where the bowlers really dominated and Miller and Melligan had to be very watchful as bowlers beat the bat time and again. At the end of the sixth over Kings had just 5 runs on the board. Then when Chris Heath got one to climb Miller went for the pull shot and feathered an edge through to Paul Heath behind the stumps (9-2). However the arrival of Nangle changed the nature of the game as his effortlessly drove both bowlers for four. The attacking approach of Nangle was the opposite to Melligan who continued to strive to get the ball away. Things continued to go the way of the home side as Miles replaced Dan Heath and he was unlucky when Nangle pulled the ball to square leg but the catch was split. It was not until Chris Heath was replaced by McGoven that the shackles were really loosened, and Nangle was quick to punish some short balls with some crunching boundaries. However when he again went to punish a short ball he could only pick out Butler at deep mid wicket (60-3). It could have been worse when new batsman Wright offered up an easy catch to mid off but again the chance went begging, and Wright enjoyed another life when he skied Miles straight in the air but some how, Heath behind the stumps, failed to take the simplest of catches. By now Melligan was finding his stride and he was now starting to push on. When McGoven was replaced by Blenkinsop Melligan and Wright grasped their chance and started to push on strongly. Melligan duly brought up a very deserved and hard fought half century - but having done all the hard work he would felt disappointed, and felt his dismissal to be somewhat soft, being caught at mid wicket (120-4). Soon after Pyestock struck again, when Miles finally got reward for some excellent bowling, when he bowled Wright (129-5). With time starting to run down Pipe was in his element as he used his feet well to meet the bowlers and plunder some excellent boundary shots. Mears was meanwhile was finding life a little more tricky, and he when he tried to force the game he was unluckily caught as the mid off juggled he ball 3 times before taking the catch (145-6). There then followed an excellent partnership between Pipe and Gale as they quickly added 28 runs in in three over to take the to 173 by the tea interval.

Pyestock made the worse possible start to their reply, as having seen out the first few overs they lost their first wicket when Sones beat the defense of Chris Heath (0-1) and then Sones and soon repeated the feat when he bowled McGoven (8-2), and Pyestock were reeling when Butler became the third wicket for Sones (8-3). Kings opening bowler was on a roll now and when Ford looped up an catch which Gale took at short mid on he claimed his 4th wicket (11-4). Needless to say Pyestock had to dig deep now to try and stay in the game and Dan Heath and Bunch did well to keep the bowlers at bay, but scoring remained difficult. When Pipe produced a beauty, which cut back, Heath was trapped leg before without playing a shot (36-5). Gale appeared to have bunch leg before but his confident appeal was turned down - however Gale was to get his man when Bunch was bowled (42-6). There then followed a stubborn partnership between Miles and Paul Heath and which looked to be helping Pyestock possibly to a drawing position. However when Tighe delivered up a superb ball that cut back to take out Miles off stump an end was open (59-7). As it was Paul Heath was next to fall, when he was trapped leg before to Gale (63-8) and then Blenkinsop appeared to have been stumped first ball, but his reprieve was short lived as Gale bowled him second ball (63-9). The innings was wrapped up when Gale struck again, claiming his fourth wicket when Padwick was leg before. 

Despite the one sided nature of the result, it was a game played in excellent spirit and it was indeed pleasing to once again lock horns with the boys from Pyestock

Kings CC	How Out	Bowler	Runs
D Miller	Ct. P Heath	b. C Heath	7
N Tighe	Ct. Miles	b. C Heath	0
J Melligan	Ct. Butler	b. Blenkinsop	54
P Nangle	Ct. Butler	b. McGoven	23
D Wright	Bowled	b. Miles	20
S Pipe	NOT OUT		27
O Mears	Ct. Ford	b. Miles	4
J Gale	NOT OUT		10
R Young
S Smith
R Sones
Extras			26
Total	For 6 wickets		173

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