|
Date: |
3rd June 2009 |
Opponent: |
Burgh Heath 2nd XI |
|
Attendance: |
15 |
Result: |
Win by 141 runs |
|
Scores: |
EMCC: 290 for 3 (40 overs)
Johnson 122*, R Darke 78,
Grant 53
Burgh Heath 2nd
XI149 all out (37.5 overs)
MacIntyre 5-11, Mears 48
|
Captain Mark
Johnson recorded the highest individual score in the club’s history, as
a fine team batting effort set EMCC up for an excellent victory.
Andy Grant and
Matt Yelland laid the foundations for Epsom’s imposing score, with a
partnership of 37 for the first wicket (the highest opening stand so far
this season). When Ikram got under a steepling up and under from Yelland
on the fine leg boundary in the 9th over, it bought the
skipper to the crease for what was to be a momentous innings.
Initially in
Johnson’s knock however, it was Andy Grant who took much of the strike,
and most of the limelight. Anything short and wide was dispatched with
tremendous ferocity to the offside boundary, and Andy reached a
well-deserved first fifty of the season from an impressive 72
deliveries. He was dismissed shortly after.
After joining
Andy as a half-centurion (his third successive fifty), the strength of
EMCC batting beneath him gave Mark the confidence to really take on the
opposition bowling. Some fine footwork in an uncharacteristically aerial
onslaught saw the captain move from 50 to an excellent100 in just 29
balls. It was Mark’s fourth EMCC ton, and undoubtedly his best. It soon
became his, and the club’s biggest individual total, as some clever
reverse sweeping, and a brilliant run of four fours in five balls, saw
the skipper move past Duncan Hay’s record 121. His final tally of 122*
came off 87 balls in 128 minutes. It featured 20 fours.
Prior to Mark’s
knock, the clubs second and third highest scores were held by Richard
Darke (who had twice hit 120). Such was the focus on Mark’s innings,
that Darke appeared almost unnoticed to a 38 ball half-century, a
nonchalant six over mid-wicket bringing him his first landmark of the
season.
When Darke was
caught behind for a 52 ball 78 off the last delivery of EMCC’s innings,
you sensed the game had been psychologically won. Rarely have cheese and
tomato sandwiches tasted sweeter.
But work still
had to be done in the field, and as Mears and Ikram guided the
opposition to 90 for 1 inside the first twenty overs, an unlikely
victory for the visitors remained a possibility.
Enter Sulai.
Having not been required with the bat, he had sufficient energy to bowl
one of his quickest spells for the club. As he repeatedly eluded the
outside edge, the Burgh Heath run rate dropped significantly, while the
pressure on the batsmen increased.
This pressure
enabled Geoff Morris to remove both danger men in quick succession. Both
wickets were snaffled at slip by James Yelland, reviving memories of his
exploits at Upper Clatford in 2007. By bowling the powerful Khan, Geoff
registered impressive figures of 3-45, and became the first EMCC bowler
to reach double figures in the wicket stakes this season.
Geoff was soon
joined in double figures by Doug MacIntyre, who ripped through the Burgh
Heath lower order, picking up five wickets for an incredible eleven
runs. His dismissals included a smart take from Matt Yelland who did
well deputising behind the stumps. Paul Briggs versus the on loan Ian
Briggs provided some entertainment at the climax, as the game petered
out in the final overs.
It was a
terrific performance to return EMCC to winning ways, and excellent
preparation for one of the tightest annual fixtures, against Morden
Corinthians next week.
UNINTERESTING
FACT OF THE DAY 1:
EMCC batsmen
threw all caution to the wind after reaching their half centuries.
En-route to fifty, Andy, Mark and Rich played out 56% of deliveries as
dot balls (88/158). After reaching their landmarks, this figure was
almost halved to 29% (16/56).
UNINTERESTING
FACT OF THE DAY 2:
Steve Darke’s
clumsy catch at cover was the sixth in a club match by a Darke this
season, none of which have come from Richard. The leading catch-taker
for the past four seasons has some work to do if he wants to retain his
title.