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Epsom on Song on Eurovision night |
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Date: |
16th May 2009 |
Opponent: |
Statics |
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Attendance: |
18 |
Result: |
Win by 8 wickets |
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Scores: |
Statics: 104 all out (37 overs) McIntyre 4-10, Ali 37
EMCC 108 for 2 (17.5 overs) M Yelland 49, M Johnson 32* |
EMCC
made sure that their biggest crowd of the season didn’t have to put up with
the cold weather for too long, by easing past Statics with over twenty overs
to spare.
After winning the toss and deciding to field, EMCC found themselves watching
the scoreboard nervously as the opposition got off to a strong start, the
big hitting of Ali helping them to forty runs off the first nine overs. But
after Paul Pennock removed both openers in successive overs (the danger man
Ali being snaffled in the deep for Sulai’s fourth catch of the season) the
Statics scoring rate was quickly reduced.
The
excellent Doug McIntyre made use of the overcast conditions to work through
the opposition middle order, and despite some resistance from their tail
(particularly loanee Steve Darke who finished unbeaten on nineteen), two
Sulai wickets for just four runs wrapped things up for the home side.
EMCC
clearly wanted to be home in time for the Eurovision Song Contest, and
(after a smart slip catch had seen Andy Grant dismissed) Matt Yelland seemed
in the biggest hurry. In his best attacking display in an EMCC shirt, he
punished anything short on the leg side, and ran brilliantly between the
wickets with his captain, nurdling the ball into gaps cleverly.
Yelland was dismissed just one run shy of a deserved first EMCC fifty
(gallingly, it was a smart Steve Darke catch on the leg side boundary that
ended his knock). Despite the efforts of fellow loanee Paul Briggs with the
ball, Mark Johnson upped his tempo to see EMCC home with plenty of time to
spare.
It
is the first time since 2005 that EMCC have won their opening trio of games.
A strong Kingston Methodists side will be looking to bring this run to an
end next week.
Uninteresting fact of the day:
This
was only Epsom’s second win in seven seasons on the day of the Eurovision
Song Contest. On both occasions, Eurovision has been won by a Scandinavian
country (Finland 2006, Norway 2009).