|
freakishly
run out |
|
Date: |
4th July 2009 |
Opponent: |
St Martins |
|
Attendance: |
9 |
Result: |
Win by 3 wickets |
|
Scores: |
SMCC: 182 for 9 (40 overs)
Pennock 3-35, Clarke 69 |
|
|
EMCC: 185 for 7 (37.3 overs)
Johnson 81*, Darke 42 |
EMCC secured
their eighth win of the season in a tight and occasionally fraught
encounter at Gibraltar Rec.
After an
unbeaten fifty the last time these teams met, the impressive Clarke
continued where he left off, with some frankly massive shots in the
first ten overs. Paul Pennock did his best to keep pressure on the
opposition, a good opening spell seeing Giles tickle behind, before
Kiruba and Imran were trapped in front. Despite these inroads
however, St Martins kept the scoreboard ticking quickly, and over
100 runs were compiled in the first fifteen overs.
With EMCC
fielders scattered about the boundary ropes, Mike Darke was bought
into the attack, and took the crucial wicket with his first
delivery. A wonderfully flighted leg-break bamboozled the powerful
opener, who was straight bowled. It was the start of Mike’s best
spell of the season, and his tight eight overs went for just eleven
runs, helping to significantly decrease the opposition scoring rate.
Despite his efforts, St Martins continued to accumulate runs (Edwin
compiling a graceful 43) to reach a daunting 182. An
uncharacteristically slack fielding display saw four or five
presentable chances spilled.
EMCC’s
response got off to the worst possible start, with Steve Darke
freakishly run out at the non-strikers end in the first over. Two
wickets quickly followed to leave the home side in a precarious
position. As on too many occasions this season, it was left to the
skipper Johnson and Rich Darke to claw EMCC back into the game with
an 81 run partnership. Following Rich’s dismissal, EMCC continued to
accumulate, but wickets continued to topple. Chris Ash and Mike
Darke both scored quickly but briefly, and when Paul Pennock came to
the crease, EMCC required 49 further runs from 61 balls to win.
Mark upped
the tempo with some calculatedly risky shots over mid on, while Paul
found the gaps and scrambled desperately between the stumps. Despite
some close shaves, the target was eventually reached with 15 balls
remaining. Once again the skipper remained unbeaten at the innings
close.
Another
victory over strong opposition sets the team up well for the
imminent annual tour.
UNINTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY:
Paul
Pennock’s performance with bat and ball, means that so far this
season EMCC can boast five technical all-rounders. Paul (Bowling
average: 15.82, Batting average: 17.5), Sulai (Bowling: 16.75,
Batting 119), Doug Macintyre (Bowling: 9, Batting: 20.33),
Richard Darke (Bowling: 26.8, batting 29.5) and Ian Briggs
(Bowling: 5.5, Batting: 10.66).