O.C. III 147/8
Thurrock III 151/8
Report by V.V.S Laxman
THE third string of Thurrock CC claimed their third promotion in four seasons with a gritty victory at the Blackshots Cricket Ground last Saturday and if they can win their remaining couple of games they can make it two titles in succession.
The two captains were greeted by a damp pitch that had suffered from, a rare for this summer, deluge of rain in the days leading up to the game and although far from ideal, it was testament to one of the driest cricket grounds in the northern hemisphere that the game went ahead.
The toss was always going to be vital in this game and thankfully for Thurrock skipper Owen, the coin fell the right way and he inserted the visitors while the Thurrock bowling attack began salivating like Homer Simpson in a doughnut shop!
With Sargeant Umfreville on annual leave, Thurrock opened up with Andrew Packer and the maturing youth academy product that is Alfie Feeney. Feeney struck first by bowling "Edd", unfortunately he managed 8 runs otherwise he could have gone in the score book as Edd the Duck,
Thurrock were off and running. Feeney almost had another wicket but Skipper Owen was the guilty party in dropping the catch, maybe the fact he dislocated his finger as the ball hit his hands might have had something to do with it?
While Owen was off the field Iain Oakley took charge and another wicket fell. The other OC’s opener fell to a slip catch by Terry Hills off of the outs wing of Andrew Packer. Owen was now back on the field and decided to bring Michael Parker into the attack, he only managed 2 overs before a strained shoulder muscle meant he also had to leave the field for treatment in what was becoming like a scene from Casualty! Andrew Packer meanwhile carried bowling from the Tower Block End and managed to get himself a second wicket.
Owen managed to cling to a catch, possibly aided by the roll of electrical tape
that was holding his injured fingers in place! After Packer had bowled his
allotted overs, Wayne Simmons replaced him and managed to pick up Ryan LBW. It
was possibly the first time in cricketing history that a batsman had walked for
an LBW? Well the fact he caught the ball between his legs in front and just
below the knee roll meant that he had no other option to be fair. Terry Hills
was bowling at the other end and he managed to have Brown caught superbly by
Elliot McCartney for a duck and The Thurrock bowlers were on top. The bowlers
were backed up by the fielders and this was highlighted when Iain Oakley
managed to run out Milton. A quick single was attempted and Oakley threw the
ball so hard that even though it was not a direct hit, it was powerful enough
to rebound of Simmons hand behind the bowler’s end stumps and dislodge the
bails. With the innings coming to a close, Parker returned from a visit to the
team masseuse smelling like an over 35s football changing room, but with
movement in his shoulder again. He managed a brace of wickets and 3 maiden
overs to keep the OC’s score under 150 as they set the hosts 148 to achieve
promotion.
It is fair to say that the Thurrock reply did not get off to the
best of starts! At one stage the innings was in tatters at 13/4 and Thurrock
needed a hero. Step up captain Tyrone Owen. He along with Michael Parker
dragged the hosts back into the game and by the time they were both out,
Thurrock required just 40 runs for victory. Owen’s innings of 42 turned the
game and put him up there with all the great captains, such as Ponting,
Strauss, Dhoni, Kirk and Scarlett. He was assisted by Parker hitting 26 on a
pitch that never really allowed the batsman to feel like they were ever in and
every ball was like your first. Contributions down the order from Simmons (17)
and Feeney (19) all but secured the game but it was maybe fitting that the
battle weary warriors of former glories, Alan Fullbrook and Terry Hills should
finish the game. Hills held up an end and finished 4 not out, while Fullbrook
played a fine cameo to finish the match with a 4 to end with 16 not out as the
third team gained promotion. Celebrations were muted though as the team are
concentrating on not just promotion, but the league title as well.
