Match Report

Sunday 12 July 2008, at Cuxham, Oxfordshire - Won by 65 runs (Ref. 200915)

A well-paced batting performance from Wealdstone Corinthians was the key to their latest limited overs success. The final total of 200 was around 50 runs above par on a slow, low pitch that was superbly exploited by the Cuxham opening bowlers Rich Murphy and Chris Abbott. They restricted the visitors to 12-0 from the first 10 overs, but none of the remaining bowlers in the Cuxham attack could exert similar control and from then on the scoring rate exceeded 6 an over. Andy Naylor played his most intelligent ever innings for Corinthians, showing excellent placement that brought him ten boundaries. He was well supported by Steve Stratford, whose 15 runs helped add 50 for the 1st wicket and see off the new ball pair. Naylor then added 81 in 10 overs with John Wakeling, who recaptured his early season fluency. The first four Corinthian bowlers shared 30 overs and ensured Cuxham fell well behind the rate required, and Martin Beasley was the pick with figures of 8-3-10-3. Phil Cundy, who had earlier produced a fine batting cameo, kindly allowed others to bowl in the last 10 overs, and although Cuxham added 61 runs three less regular bowlers each picked up a wicket.

Corinthians 200-6 (40 overs), A Naylor 73 (83 balls), J Wakeling 45 (46 balls), P Cundy 22* (23 balls)

Corinthians were invited to bat first and both openers got off the mark first ball. Naylor then drove Abbott uppishly past mid off for 2 and clipped him into a gap at square leg for 3, but other than that there was nothing to hit on the leg side. Murphy was particularly hard to score off, ending his first spell with 5-3-3-0, whilst Abbott was withdrawn at 6-1-13-0. Four singles came in his last over to take the score to 17-0, ending crowd speculation that overs might overtake runs. Both batsmen drove Stu Murphy to the long on fence, and Naylor hit leg spinner Atkins for two fours. The stand reached 50 in the 17th over with a Naylor cover drive and a bye, but Stratford lost his chance to cash in on the lesser bowlers when he was bowled by Murphy. With good placement and running John Wakeling hit Murphy for three 2s, and it was 66-1 at the halfway point. Corinthians felt they had the bowling to defend 130, so with wickets in hand had the confidence to aim for much more than that. After drinks both batsmen hit boundaries off Hester, and Naylor hit Murphy round the park and out of the attack with 14 off his 7th over. It seemed every time skipper Rich Murphy plugged a gap Naylor exploited another one. His first boundary, a cut to third man, brought his 50 from 69 balls, and two more fours through mid on and cover meant 25 runs had come in 2 overs. Ash Saunders fared little better, going for 22 in his first 2 overs, with Wakeling slamming 4,2,4 and reverse sweeping a no ball beamer for a single. Knowing he was on one of the four scores between 0 and 75 he'd never made, Naylor then holed out instead of using the remaining 13 overs to reach his maiden hundred. Abbott returned for his last 2 overs and Chris Brown handled him well but was bowled by Saunders, and it was 137-3 with 10 overs left. Saunders was then withdrawn after Wakeling pulled him over mid wicket for 6 and Ian Windsor did likewise in the same over to get off the mark. Poor running saw Wakeling run out just short of his fifth 50 in 7 innings, as Windsor ran on a misfield after an initial call of "No" had been loosely agreed. Umpire Joanne, loosely related to both batsmen, gave him a piece of her mind with the immortal words "Dad, why have you just run out our best batsman?" In a clear state of shock he was bowled for 10 by one that kept low when Rich Murphy returned. Dharmik Shah hoisted McGahan over mid wicket for 4 and 6, only to be bowled trying to repeat the feat. Phil Cundy spoilt the skipper's figures by scoring 11 in the next over, including two glorious square cuts to the fence. With help from Narendra Shah seven singles were eked from the last 3 overs to bring up the healthy milestone of 200 from the last ball of the innings.

Cuxham 135-8 (40 overs), M Beasley 3-10, J Wakeling 1-9, C Brown 1-15, S Stratford 1-24, C Abbott 54 (64 balls)

With at least eight bowlers capable of keeping it tight the visitors had the resources to change the bowling if anyone had proved expensive, whereas the Cuxham batting line-up included eight of the players who had only mustered 3 an over on a similar pitch the previous year. For them the odds were about as promising as England surviving in Cardiff. Steve Brown and Akshay Samarth bowled well without reward, though Brown claimed he would have held the left-hander Gavin at fine leg off his opening partner had the ball not been coming out of the sun. An early breakthrough came in the 4th over when Rich Murphy drove Samarth to Dharmik Shah at mid off and was run out by a direct hit on middle stump. The fielder later spurned the chance of a hat trick (2 in 2 the previous day) by bowling spin. With figures of 6-1-6-0, one of those a controversial wide, Steve Brown handed over to Martin Beasley and he produced similar accuracy. He bowled the mesmerised Church for 1, made off 32 balls, via a faint bottom edge and after Gavin had begun to play some shots he went the same way for 28. Atkins was next to be Beasled, surprised by one that bounced and providing a thin edge to give Naylor a one-handed catch. Chris Abbott accumulated steadily and hit six fours, without ever threatening the rate required. The score slumped to 74-5 in the 30th over when he pushed Narendra Shah wide of Wakeling at point and called for a run, only to see the fielder involved in another run out with a dive and return to the keeper from the ground. The victim Edgar was well short and well miffed. McGaham showed the intent that had been lacking with two fours in his short stay, but he was bowled by one that kept fairly low from Wakeling, and Steve Stratford then had Saunders caught at fine leg by Beasley to make it 106-7. Abbott was denied 4 runs by his father when his straight drive struck the umpire, who did well to get his arm in the way, though he did complete his 50 before being last out when inside edging a short ball from Chris Brown onto middle stump after the second bounce. Abbott senior was well enough to join Stu Murphy and claim a not out apiece.