Match Report

Wednesday 12 August 2009, at Wannock Road, Polegate, East Sussex - Won by 6 wickets (Ref. 200921)

If the team totals had been based on the age of the players Polegate would have won this 40-over veterans' fixture hands down. In the event the home side never recovered from a poor start against Corinthians, who had seven players over 50 and three over 40, to earn their sixth limited overs victory in succession. On a mottled but dry pitch Alan Williams opted to bat first with high hopes, which were dashed within 10 overs when he was out to the best ball of the day along with both openers. Such was the strength of the attack that all six bowlers used took at least one wicket, with Dharmik Shah and Phil Cundy, who would have shared the last 7 overs, not being required to bowl. Instead they helped knock off the runs within 30 overs, with Dharmik inspired by a return to the seaside and Colin Clark appropriately dropping anchor. Some things just don't change.

Polegate 109 (32.4 overs), N Shah 3-11, Raj Meswani 2-13, M Beasley 2-20, S Brown 1-9, M Matthews 1-24, S Stratford 1-26

After a maiden from Steve Brown the first run was a single to Booth off Raj Meswani and Pollard cover drove him for 4 next ball. Thereafter Raj was equally difficult to score off due to the generally low bounce and excessive swing, which caused him to concede five wides. The breakthrough came in the 4th over when he fired a yorker towards middle and leg, and the local umpire gave his first LBW of the day. There was no doubt about the next wicket, a rising delivery that Williams could only edge to Phil Cundy at slip, where a sharp catch was well held. Another good pouch removed Booth three overs later when he drove Raj to Narendra Shah at cover, and the low catch stuck. A fine leg glance quickly got new batsman Geoff Morley off the mark before skipper Andy Naylor made a double change after 10 overs, bringing on a somewhat rusty Mike Matthews and the in-form Martin Beasley. He struck with his 4th ball when a gentle leg side delivery came back with the slope to clip Morley's leg stump. Some things just don't change, and it was 28-4. Matthews switched from spin to medium pace and began to find his radar, so much so that when he hit Hover on the pad he appealed, and another unhappy batsman was on his way. This added pressure to Des Hughes, who had struck three pleasant fours on his way to 19, and in the next over he drove Beasley uppishly to mid on where Nick Cundy held another good catch. From 57-6 Polegate rallied a little, though Spink escaped on 0 and Underdown's innings led a charmed life at times before the pair added 41. It was Narendra Shah who ended the partnership and the innings with a spell of 3 for 1 in 14 balls, hitting the stumps twice to remove top score Spink for 23 and Barker for 1. Steve Stratford took over from Beasley, who had excellent figures of 7-2-20-2, and trapped the left-hander Underdown for 22, and without addition Narendra induced a catch from Bourne to Dharmik at point.

Corinthians 113-4 (29.5 overs), D Shah 40* (50 balls), Colin Clark 18 (67 balls), A Naylor 13 (26 balls), P Cundy 11 (16 balls)

The pitch had not played as well as expected, though Corinthians felt a par score to chase would have been 140. The home side opened with a quality leg spinner named Geoff (no, not THAT one) and Barker, who was edged through the slips for 4 by Naylor and gloved to fine leg off a no ball to get Phil Cundy off the mark. He added 2 and 4 in Barker's next over and pulled another 4, before trying to repeat the stroke to a ball angled down the leg side. When it struck high up the pad there was a collective appeal, and the only man on the field who really thought the ball was hitting the stumps was the one that mattered. Some things just don't change. This allowed Colin Clark, Corinthians veteran of the 70s and 80s, to make a reappearance and he got off the mark with a sharp single off Hover. Naylor moved into double figures by cutting Barker for 4 and it was 32-1 after 8 overs. A double change brought on Geoff Morley and Ken Bradshaw, at 77 the oldest player in the match, and with his second ball Naylor could only toe a wide long hop to Hughes at cover. Nick Cundy played some positive shots before holing out to Bradshaw at mid off for 7, making it 48-3. Much needed time in the middle allowed Dharmik Shah to start cautiously, with two singles from 16 balls, whilst Clark splendidly cover drove Morley for 4. Dharmik gradually built momentum and at one point moved from 9 to 39 (well past his best of the season) whilst Clark remained unmoved on 16, including a 6 in Morley's last over and all of the 26 Bourne conceded in his 4 overs. At 40 Dharmik was compulsorily retired, allowing Steve Stratford to level the scores with a superb on drive off Hover for 4. Although Clark's resistance was ended when he was hit on the pad by Pollard's first ball Raj Meswani soon slammed him past extra cover to complete yet another victory.