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BYFLEET vs KINGS
Kings took an under strength side to play Byfleet, with 9 senior players missing young Oscar Finn was handed a debut, whilst Mark Hearn made only his second appearance and Josh Tighe came in for his first game of the season. There was also a welcome return to the side for Joel Miah following his pre season injury. Having won the toss Kings elected to bowl on a wicket that looked likely to offer some assistance to the bowlers.
The opening overs saw Kings make a solid start with MIAH and SONES keeping the batsman in check. For the home side HOCKIN looked the biggest threat as he looked to force off the back foot. MIAH beat the bat on several occasions, whilst SONES always looked threatening. The first wicket duly arrived when JARMAN clipped MIAH to square leg where FINN, despite juggling the ball 3 times, eventually took the catch. After a four over burst MIAH was replaced by PIPE and he struck in his first over when he induced an edge from DENHAM and WARNE took the catch behind the stumps. Kings were well in command when HOCKIN appeared to gloved SONES to first slip but the surprise of all, including the batsman the umpire gave the decision not out. But SONES was not to be denied for long and he got his revenge when bowling HOCKIN. When BYGRAVE struck in his first over, RANNIE being snapped up by a well judge catch by TIGHE in the covers Kings seemed to be taking full command of the game. At the halfway point the hosts had just 58 on the board for the loss of four wickets, but the game was to be turned on it head. With first teamers CALLANAN and CROCKFORD at the crease they started to take the attack to the Kings bowling. CALLANAN seemed fortunate to survive a confident run out appeal but made the most of his good fortune with some effortless and well struck boundaries, whilst the tall CROCKFORD took the long handle approach in trying to breach the short leg side boundary. CROCKFORD got a life when he skied to fly slip but WRIGHT was unable to hold the chance. As the overs ticked down CROCKFORD went totally on a assault of the bowling peppering several large sixes to the short boundary, with TIGHE and HEARN being shown no mercy, but his best maximum was a superbly straight driven shot off MIAH to the long on boundary. In the final over the batsmen saw the score past 200 to leave Kings with a challenging target.
Kings makeshift batting line up made a positive start with WARNE and NICK TIGHE quickly finding the boundary to post 14 off the first two overs. However in the 3rd over WARNE was caught behind (16-1) and soon after MIAH went for a suicidal second run and was run out by some distance (22-2) to leave Kings struggling with both their best batsmen out. Worse was to follow when the in form PIPE holed out at mid off (31-3) and it seemed Kings were likely to capitulate meekly. However TIGHE and WRIGHT dug deeply and kept the scoreboard moving with some fine batting to keep the run rate close to where it needed to be. However after a confident innings, TIGHE was caught for 28 (71-4) to be replace by his son Josh. There then followed an excellent partnership, with WRIGHT dispatching the ball to all parts of the ground with some excellent strokes. WRIGHT looked to be closing in on a second fifty for the club when he picked out the fielder on the mid wicket boundary (99-5) falling for a superb 42. There then followed the partnership of the innings and of some real class, as young JOSH TIGHE was joined by BYGRAVE. These two batted with supreme assuredness as they rotated the strike well, while TIGHE played some masterful shots, non better than an immaculate straight drive to the long off boundary. Although not quite up with the run rate these two matched anything that was put before them as they brought up the fifty partnership. In the 35th over they took the score to 150, but shortly after TIGHE’s valiant innings was brought to a close as he was bowled by AHMED for a personal best 37 (150-6). With over ten an over needed now Kings had one last throw of the bat which saw YOUNG caught at mid off (157-7) and HEARN run out (171-8) before the innings finished on 173. BYGRAVE, who had batted with confidence throughout equaled his personal best with 33 not out and FINN finished 2 not out.
Given the side out Kings had made a decent fist of their run chase, they had bowled and fielded well, and led by TIGHE (father and son), WRIGHT and BYGRAVE had done well to get close. The outstanding performance though was from JOSH TIGHE, who had fielded superbly all day and then batted with great maturity in making his personal best score. The defining moment being the handshake between father (who was umpiring) and son (batting) when the latter over took his father’s score!
|
BYFLEET |
HOW OUT |
BOWLER |
RUNS |
|
S Hockin |
Bowled |
b. Sones |
18 |
|
R Jarman# |
Ct. Finn |
b. Miah |
6 |
|
M Denham |
Ct. Warne |
b. Pipe |
5 |
|
N Callanan |
Not out |
|
84 |
|
M Rannie |
Ct. Tighe |
b. Bygrave |
5 |
|
B Crockford |
Not Out |
|
80 |
|
S Ahmed* |
|
|
|
|
Amer Hamid |
|
|
|
|
Sofdar Pinnu |
|
|
|
|
Ashan Ahemd |
|
|
|
|
J Coetzee |
|
|
|
|
Extras |
|
|
4 |
|
Total |
for 4 wickets off 40 overs |
|
202 |
|
BOWLER |
|
|
Joel Miah |
8-0-42-1 |
|
Richard Sones |
8-0-21-1 |
|
Simon Pipe |
8-0-23-1 |
|
Paul Bygrave |
8-0-31-1 |
|
Nick Tighe |
6-0-43-0 |
|
Mark Hearn |
2-0-38-0 |
|
KINGS |
HOW OUT |
BOWLER |
RUNS |
|
R Warne # |
Ct. Jarman |
b. Coetzee |
9 |
|
N Tighe |
Ct. Pinnu |
b. A Ahmed |
28 |
|
J Miah |
Run Out |
|
1 |
|
S Pipe |
Ct. Crockford |
b. Hamid |
7 |
|
D Wright |
Ct. Coetzee |
b. Pinnu |
42 |
|
S Tighe |
Bowled |
b. S Ahmed |
37 |
|
P Bygrave |
Not Out |
|
33 |
|
R Young * |
Ct. Crockford |
b. Denham |
5 |
|
M Hearn |
Run Out |
|
4 |
|
O Finn |
Not Out |
|
2 |
|
R Sones |
|
|
|
|
Extras |
|
|
4 |
|
Total |
For 8 wickets off 40 overs |
|
173 |
| BOWLER | |
| Josh Coetzee | 6-0-26-1 |
| Amer Hamid | 8-1-30-1 |
| Sopdar Pinnu | 7-0-28-1 |
| Ashan Ahmed | 8-0-48-1 |
| Malcolm Denham | 8-1-20-1 |
| Shakel Ahemd | 3-0-20-1 |