Match Report

Saturday 9 May 2009, at Fulmer Common Road, Fulmer, Buckinghamshire - Lost by 4 wickets (Ref. 200904)

On another sunny May Saturday, Corinthians visited the new opposition of Fulmer looking for their first victory of the season. Skipper Steve Brown felt obliged to bat first on winning the toss, on such a good looking wicket. A collapse of 1980s proportions meant Wealdstone were many runs short of a good total, although an inspired spell of bowling by Martin Beasley kept them in contention. The teams turned out to be well matched, before Fulmer emerged narrow winners in the last hour. The result meant it was Corinthians' worst start to a season since 1983.

Corinthians 139 (37.1 overs), S Stratford 36 (59 balls), S Brown 17, A Samarth 15*

A surprising lack of willing volunteers to open the batting meant the skipper took the role himself with Raj Meswani. The first over was a fairly tame affair with several balls down the leg side including a full toss which was hit for four past fine leg. A single off the last ball apparently given as a leg bye meant Brown kept the strike. A two, a wide and another boundary to Brown the next over meant he had reached double figures before his partner had faced. However, Meswani hit a four and a single off his first two balls and it looked like it was going to be a run fest for Corinthians. Brown hit a two the next ball and it was 19-0 after 3 overs. Even by now there was a concern as to whether the scorers were keeping up.

Kumar was replaced by Sayam after one over due to a muscle strain and the leg spinner started with a maiden. Brown scored five more runs off the now more accurate Box and then faced Sayam. He left three good length balls before top edging a wide full toss outside off stump to be taken by the bowler. Phil Cundy emerged in the position usually taken by his Godson and Meswani managed a two off Nick Box's next over. Cundy got off the mark with a four in the next over and followed up with another off the last ball. The score was still moving steadily and with the batting yet to come the 200+ total the skipper sought still looked viable.

Then came Box's 6th over. Meswani pushed a single on the second ball, then Cundy was out to a diving catch at deep mid on. Chris Brown snicked his first ball just outside the off stump to the keeper, Fish. The usually steady Andy Clark replaced him and edged one down leg side to Fish to give Box a hat trick. From a promising position Corinthians were four down for under 50. Mike Matthews avoided four wickets in four balls with a single off the last ball of the over. That was all he managed as in Sayam's next over he edged to slip to bring Steve Stratford in. He needed to do what he does best, stay in and steady the innings.

Box's spell ended after the hat trick over and another spinner, Manu, came into the attack. Second ball Meswani holed out similarly to Cundy, this time straight into mid-on's hands, who held on after some juggling. Mark Windsor supported Stratford well for a few overs, making a valuable 9 runs before edging Overall to Kumar at slip. Akshay Samarth was next and after a dropped edge at slip played steadily alongside Stratford. After one of the best partnerships of the innings Stratford fell the same way as Windsor for 36. Chris Clark made a useful 8 before missing a straight full toss from sixth bowler Colloff. Martin Beasley hit a two off the last ball of the over before playing too early in Colloff's next over for an easy return catch, leaving Samarth not out on 15.

Fulmer 140-6 (35.3 overs), M Beasley 3-29, A Samarth 2-39

During the tea interval the skipper noticed several discrepancies in the scoring, not least the omission of the two boundaries scored by Cundy. There was a difference of 16 between the batting and bowling totals so after discussion with Fulmer they agreed to chase the higher total of 139.

Their openers Kumar and Nick Box faced Samarth and Windsor. Samarth bowled tidily with little luck but Windsor struggled with his line, bowling wides both sides of the wicket. After an improved third over he was replaced by Beasley, who struck straight away by bowling Box. The left handed Jules scratched around for four runs until bowled by Samarth, who had his reward for accurate bowling. Further pressure from Samarth and Beasley caused the batsmen to take risky runs, leading to the run out of P Box.

Kumar remained steady although he did start to walk back to the pavilion when he was caught off Samarth by Ian Windsor, who was watching at the short leg side boundary. It was in fact a six and only when the umpire signalled this did he realise he was not out. After Beasley bowled Fish for 8 and Armando for 3 Samarth finally got his man, when Kumar sliced one to cover and was well held by Chris Brown. Suddenly a victory looked possible for the Corinthians. During the drinks interval Mark Windsor took advice from his sister Joanne, one of the other spectators along with Ian, Karen, Chloe and Nick.

Windsor replaced Samarth for a second spell and though he bowled better still leaked runs and was unable to make the vital next breakthrough. At the other end Beasley was replaced by Steve Stratford, who also failed to trouble the batsmen aside from a difficult caught and bowled chance from Sayam, who was now seeing the ball well. Brown replaced Windsor and created a difficult chance from Overall that Andy Clark dived forward for, but could only get fingertips to. He managed to pass the outside edge of both batsmen during his two overs, rather like Samarth previously, but the only touch by Overall dropped short and went for a single. Sayam won a good match with a boundary off Stratford through extra cover. Another 40 runs from the visitors would have meant an even closer finish, as Fulmer mentioned that all that were left to come in were true tail enders.