Scorecard

Compton Chamberlain v Mere Cricket Club Mere CC 1st XI on Sun 18 Aug 2013 at 2.00
Mere Cricket Club Won by 138 runs

Match report Rutherford Routs Compton’s Attack

A new fixture for this season. Village cricket at its most traditional. Timed cricket. A very picturesque little ground at Compton Chamberlayne, and you know the tea is going to be good when the lady making it is the first person to greet you at the ground; preparation well underway.

Weir lost the toss and Compton Chamberlayne elected to bowl. A decision Weir would have taken himself looking at the bowler friendly green top of a wicket, the wet outfield and rainy conditions.

After a twenty minute rain delay, Weir and Cassidy opened up and it took just one ball to see the pitch was going to play a role in the outcome of the match. With plenty of runs under his belt this season you would think it wouldn’t have been a problem for Weir, but he was caught behind after a lovely away swinger by Goss who drew him out and took his outside edge, caught behind for 8.

Cassidy was still there though. He’s got a 50 under his belt this season and has improved his run scoring ability with a number of new shots but he was bowled by Roberts for just 12, throwing his bat to the floor and duly fined for bringing the game into disrepute.

Skippy came in at three. No need to panic. Leading league run scorer and the man in form. He was seeing the ball like a beach ball until he was caught by Roberts on 11.

Oh well Champagne Charlie was at 4. He’s the most destructive batsman Mere has. He can take a game away from the opposition in a matter of minutes. He got a bit squiffy the night before and it took him a bit of time to find his pads in his kit bag amongst all the ladies underwear he’s accumulated this summer. At the crease he was looking like a caged and frustrated KP. He batted with an awkward patience. Watching the unpredictable bounce very closely but with a strike rate of 37 he lost his patience and was stumped going for the crowd pleaser for just 11.

Senior Pro Bryan Yeo came in at five to steady the ship. He’s seen it all before. There was nothing to worry about until he too was caught by Roberts for 2.

In came Williams at 6 and you know what you get with Williams; either an exciting innings with quick runs or he’s back in the pavilion to finish his still lit roll up. Unfortunately it was the latter, bowled by Roberts for just 1.

Becky Yeo came to the crease. She has started to fulfil her potential with the bat this season showing a very strong scoring area square and just backward of square on the off side. With the ball not coming on she was going to have to adapt her game but she too went for the crowd pleaser and was stumped for 4.

Sean Harkin was next. He has one of the best eyes in the club and instructions from the captain were that Mere had over an hour to bat before tea so hang around and hit runs at the same time. Easy.

Harvey, no longer selected on his fielding and his banter alone, is now scoring crucial runs and taking important wickets but he wasn’t able to hang around, Cassidy giving him the finger LBW for 4.

Mere were staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat. 66-8 with an hour to go before tea. Scorer Nick Ryan had trouble sleeping the night before. He was over excited. He couldn’t wait to press the ‘Declared’ button on the ipad for the first time ever. He sat there, in front of the pavilion, glum faced, wishing he was still in Corfu. That ‘Declared’ was going to have to wait for another season.

In came Rutherford at ten. Rumour has it, pre-Weir, Pitts had him opening the batting. He was barely shaving in those days. These days he’s a high flying financier travelling the world, striking multi million pound deals and in his spare time pimping himself out to the Chapatti Chickboys XI in Mumbai. There was no chance of Rutherford scoring any. 59 balls later Rutherford had hit a quick fire 108 not out. He needed 8 off the last over before tea for his hundred. He cruised it and then gave it some more. He peppered the leg side boundary and the A30 with just the one off side boundary, a lovely cover drive for the purist. Rutherford had succeeded where no other could, he got himself him on a difficult track and then tee’d it high and let it fly. Rutherford does have an ability to turn a game not just with the ball but with the bat as well. Mere will certainly miss him if his career continues take him outside of the Shire. At the other end Harkin was no slouch with 42 off 41 balls. He had carried out his skipper’s instructions to a tee. He just couldn’t get on strike to get that elusive half century.

Thanks to Rutherford and Harkin, Weir was able to make Mere’s very first declaration 225-8 and Nick Ryan had the face of man who’d just got lucky on the weekend lottery numbers. Yes, that ‘Declared’ button could be pressed for the first time.

Champagne Charlie opened the bowling with Lewis Wood. Champagne Charlie lacked fizz and wasn’t able to make the most of the variable bounce. Weir discarded him like a corked wine and moved straight on to a more promising vintage Becky Yeo. Champagne Charlie felt slightly hard done by with figures of 5-1-8-1. The decision was vindicated when Becky came in with figures of 5-1-11-3.

Compton Chamberlayne also struggled to deal with the wicket and none of them were able to settle. Williams came on for a couple of cheeky overs (2-0-12-0) before Weir tried his hand at his mixed bag of off and leg breaks. You know the wicket is playing up when Weir’s pitched up off breaks were hitting the batsmens’ helmets and unless he pitched his leg breaks at least a foot outside leg stump they were being wide balled by the umpire such was the turn. It was one of those ‘you had to be there moments’ but the figures for someone who generally never turns the ball does tell some of the story (5-3-4-2).

Harkin had bowled a steady spell (3-0-7-2) and Senior Pro Bryan Yeo had become increasingly frustrated by the lack of bowling opportunities available to him on this bowler friendly wicket. As wickets fell, time was running out and Weir gave Yeo the opportunity he had waited for for what seemed like an eternity. You would think he would want to savour the moment and take his time to get into a good rhythm before finishing with a crescendo of exhilarating brilliance. Not Bryan, one thrust of a delivery and it was all over before it began. A fine pee roller and Compton Chamberlayne were all out for 87.

Much to discuss and celebrate at the Walnut Tree that evening. Well done Dave. Great match winning knock.

Mere Cricket Club Mere CC 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
6nb 6w 9b 1lb 
for 8 wickets
22
225		        
Duncan Weir ct M Williams b O Goss 8 12 14 2 57.14
Mark Cassidy b J Roberts 12 42 25 2 48.00 1
Ben Skipworth ct J Roberts b R Bain 11 16 24 2 45.83 1
Charlie White st M Williams b M Roberts 11 35 29 1 37.93 1
Bryan Yeo ct J Roberts b M Roberts 2 9 8 25.00
Mark Williams b J Roberts 1 2 3 33.33
Rebecca Yeo st M Williams b R Bradley 4 21 18 1 22.22
Sean Harkin Not Out  42 66 41 6 2 102.44
Jason Harvey lbw b R Bradley 4 2 4 1 100 3
Dave Rutherford Not Out  108 54 59 16 5 183.05
Lewis Wood   1

Compton Chamberlain Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
R Bain6.0128128.004.67
O Goss7.0240140.005.71
M Roberts5.011125.502.20
J Roberts4.02422.001.00
R Bradley2.001025.005.00
C Bain5.015400.0010.80
T Baker5.002700.005.40
L Harwood3.004100.0013.67

Compton Chamberlain Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
3nb 8w 7b  
for 9 wickets
18
87 (26.1 overs)		     
T Baker b R Yeo 16 40 40 3 40.0
J Roberts ct J Harvey b C White 0 3 4 0
R Bradley ct B Skipworth b D Weir 33 54 48 6 68.75
L Harwood ct L Wood b R Yeo 10 12 14 2 71.43
M Roberts ct J Harvey b S Harkin 4 20 14 28.57
O Goss ct C White b R Yeo 0 2 3 0
M Williams ct J Harvey b S Harkin 3 13 16 18.75
C Bain b B Yeo 0 12 8 0
R Bain ct M Cassidy b D Weir 3 7 11 27.27
C Eacott Not Out  0 1 1 0
   

Mere Cricket Club Mere CC 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Charlie White5.01818.001.60
Lewis Wood6.003800.006.33
Rebecca Yeo5.011133.672.20
Mark Williams2.001200.006.00
Duncan Weir5.03422.000.80
Sean Harkin3.00723.502.33
Bryan Yeo0.10010.000.00