Match Report - Earls Colne & Bures vs. Clacton 13/06/04

PDQ Cars League Match - Division 3

Clacton 200 for 6 (45 overs)

Earls Colne & Bures 147 all out (43 overs)

(W. Amos 43, D. M. Coyle 52)

Clacton won by 53 runs.

Earls Colne and Bures unbeaten run came to an end at Clacton as they were beaten by an experienced Clacton eleven. Fielding four players under 14 and 7 players under 18, E C & B did not have the necessary depth of batting or bowling to do the job.

E C & B skipper Will Amos, knowing that his side was at least two bowlers short, was at his most imaginative in inviting Clacton to bat on a hard and reasonably flat wicket. Poor Kieron Webb had a nightmare at one end, spraying the ball around in various directions while Mr. Slow teased and flighted at the other end, with more than a little help from the sea breeze blowing across the Vista Road outfield. The extras mounted nicely as the Clacton openers struggled to hit the ball off the square for one reason or another and with the introduction of David Coyle's accurate off-spin, wickets began to fall with the score at 63 for 3 off 21 overs. However, with both Mr. Slow and David Coyle running out of overs the skipper had few options in the bowling department. Kev Coyle came out from behind the stumps to bowl a most extraordinary first over which the grateful Clacton batsmen hit for 18 runs! The skipper himself fared even worse, with full tosses and the occasional beamer to the fore, conceding 45 runs in just 5 overs. Ouch! Only at tea did he confess that he had not bowled for 2 years! Fortunately, Kev found his rhythm and began to bowl well and the eventual target of 201 for victory was probably 20 or 30 below par.

After tea, it became clear that one of perhaps 3 E C & B batters was going to have to play a major innings. Sadly, this did not happen. Lewis Chambers perished quickly to a good opening attack. David Coyle and Will Amos battled hard and posted good scores but neither went on to play the major innings required. Finally it was left to the Clacton change bowlers to polish off the inexperienced E C & B tail despite gutsy resistance from Webby and Phil Frances.

E C & B disappeared off into the evening sunset to lick their wounds and...........of course.........watch the footie! However, Mr. Slow and Lewis the Launch having seen the youngsters safely home, were later to be found in the public bar of the Bures Swan, plotting revenge and pestilence on the world over glasses of Abbot Ale. Takes more than a defeat to put those two old duffers down, y'know! 

E C & B bowling figures....

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