Other Useful Links

Haverhill first eleven played at Boxted last Saturday. Haverhill won the toss and on a very dry, quick outfield decided to bat first.

 

The top order was in trouble soon after the start of play with the early loss of both Simon Youngs (4) and Neil Winter (10). In form Adam Dellar (12) arrived at the crease and although  he played a couple of confident strokes before he lofted a drive to a wildish mid-off and was also out early.

 

Haverhill were in trouble at 3 for 19  but more poor batting came and went as Dan Poole (0) played a rash shot and was caught shortly after the Dellar dismissal.

 

At 4 for 30 Haverhill’s innings was in allsorts. The Wilkins brothers who have often pulled Haverhill out of trouble and into winning positions where batting lower down the order this week. 

 

D Godwin (34) provided the steadying influence with a patient knock while the batsmen of the day Sam Powell  (112) - a new comer to Haverhill, broke loose shortly after reaching fifty and provided some staggering text book drives and unorthodox power hitting to bring the side into the reach of a defendable score. A partnership between Powell and Godwin of 120 runs. When Dave Godwin departed Dan Wilkins (12) arrived and made an immediate short lived impact. His straight bat (opposite to horizontal) shots looked delightful, however the cross bat came into a play to early and he skied the ball  back to the bowler. M Wilkins took the lead from D Godwin and provided the backbone required to drive Haverhill forward with a mature 26 not out.

 

The tail didn’t succumb and with 3,2,2 respectively from Rob Sullivan, J Woodley and  a not  out from N Hoque the innings was closed.

 

Haverhill 9 for 242.

 

M Wilkins (11 overs- 2 for 37 removed both of the openers), one of which was caught superbly on the boundary by Nurul Hoque.

 

Good catches to N Winter, A Dellar, S Youngs and a fine deep catch to S Powell kept Haverhill in the game with the opposition batsman individually getting off to good starts however not being able to build good steady long partnerships.

 

A Dellar (8 overs 0 for 45) wasted an opportunity with the ball where an abundance of turn and bounce was not put to best effect.

 

Bowling spell of the day belonged to Joe Woodley (6 overs 4 for 17) who after a few months of tormented bowling spells found his rhythm, turned up the speed and hit the keepers gloves hard cleaning out the middle order. Joe was supported well by S Youngs  (2.3 overs 2 for 19)

S Powell also chipped in with a first ball wicket and finished with 1 wicket for 29 off 6 overs.

 

Boxted all out 199.

 

 

Personal comments:

 

Boxteds ground brought back some fond memories for me. The outfield was scorched dry from the recent hot spell we have had and with a warm breeze I thought I was playing back in Australia. Not a green blade to be seen and the sun scorching the receding hair line. A really strange feeling considering the drive there and back was through lush green English countryside. The conditions however provided no advantage to us because of the single most-strange rule I have ever played under.

 

We only use one new cricket ball for the entire game.

 

The new ball is central to the game of cricket. Each game the association rules that we are allocated one ball per game. The team bowling first gets the new ball and the team bowling second gets the use of the same ball, with one difference its been bowled 270 times down the wicket and no longer provides any assistance to the bowling side. The advantage of the new ball is with the team that bowls first.

 

What this means in terms of the development of new bowlers is that they often don’t get to bowl if their side bowls second. Captains typically choose to bowl either spinners or bowlers of the mature/experienced age group when they get given the old ball.  For young bowlers they aren’t given the opportunity to bowl as often as they should.

 

I thought the analogy of the “level playing field” came from cricket, I must have been mistaken.

 

A proposed solution to this would be to give Captains the option, before the toss, to agree to use a second ball. If they can’t agree, status quo prevails and we stay with one ball. They could pilot this idea for a year. If it works implement it, if not, no harm done.

 

At Boxted we batted first and when given the old ball to bowl with; after it had been bowled down a rock hard track over 270 times and had been despatched by Mr Sam Powell for 112 runs, I almost took pity on the raggedy, once red, know pink fury little specimen I was suppose to bowl with. I think I  would have done better bowling with one of those pink trolls with the long pink hair. You  know them, you thought of putting one on the dashboard of your new car  back in the 90s. A few loose roos in the top paddock. Apologies.