Match Report - Bures Vs Castle Hedingham 04/05/03

    Sad Bures thrashed by accomplished Hedingham Eleven!

Payback time on Saturday. A strong Hedingham eleven comprehensively overwhelmed a mixed-ability Bures eleven, in a one-sided encounter.

Following overnight rain, Mr. Slow in the Captain's chair won the toss and put Hedingham into bat on a damp, soft but flat Bures wicket. He knew he was in trouble when McKenna's second delivery flew back over the bowler's head for a straight six, one of a number to follow. The opening Bures attack of Big Mac and Joe Dutton struggled to contain the Hedingham openers and the scorers were kept busy. Despite a wicket, the Hedingham march continued and no Bures bowler could halt the tide. Hedingham declared 10 minutes before tea on 235 for 2, an unassailable target for Bures. The bowling figures do not make pleasant reading...

The Bures reply was hardly distinguished. "Sammy" Saer and Tom Cropper battled away but fell to imprudent shots. The batting order was disrupted somewhat by the departure of many of the Bures squad to assess the aftermath of a car crash in Colchester Road (who said the pedestrian bridge was a good idea?) and the youngsters were quickly at the crease. We were to view perhaps the partnership of the day from Lee Norton and James Bocking who battled away with defensive obduracy, the like of which many of us have encountered at Hedingham over the years! Lee unfortunately ran himself out, but his progress with both bat and ball this year is obvious for all to see. James (aged just 13) progressed unperturbed and unworried by the ring of 5 close catchers and even opened his shoulders to lift the ball over the fielders once or twice, much to the chagrin of the opposition and the applause of the gallery. A performance of great character and very sportingly acknowledged by the Hedingham players, ended with a typically Bockingesque heave across the line. It would appear that he has inherited some of his father's bad habits with the bat, but needless to say Dad was as proud as punch! With the brothers Chinoo (is that how you spell it?) at the crease, there was sadly little hope of our scoring the 180-odd runs needed for victory and Bures capitulated to 58 all out.

A very disappointing result, but one not without its bright points. With the better Bures cricketers committed to league games this Bank Holiday weekend, it was always going to difficult to raise a side. Has the time come perhaps, when the club can no longer consistently raise sides for both league and friendly fixtures on the same weekend? Members' observations will be welcome..............

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