Match Report - Earls Colne & Bures vs. Cavaliers 20/08/06

Earls Colne & Bures lost to Cavaliers by 7 wickets

(Reduced overs, rain affected match)

E C & Bures - 141 for 6 (James Lee 75 not out) (30 overs)

Cavaliers 142 for 3 (28.1 overs)

Having not played at Bures for what seemed like an eternity, the E C & B troops assembled with high hopes and with just half an eye on a promotion place. Spirits were dampened however by two short but heavy downpours, scuppering the scheduled 1.00pm start. As Bures worthies took shelter in The Eight Bells (for what turned out to be a protracted period), the captains wrestled with the weather Gods and more seriously, the PDQ rule book. Conditions were such that many a game would have been abandoned, but in the spirit of grass roots cricket a 30 over match with a 2.30pm start was agreed, and E C & B were inserted on a green and downright sodden pitch. Let's play!

Enjoying perhaps less-than-ideal conditions, the E C & B total of 141 for 5 was probably just below par and owed much to an inspired knock from James Lee, heavily hungover and sipping occasionally from his can of Carlsberg. Suitable support was provided by a Bells-fortified Steve Thornton but accurate bowling and catches that were held, kept the total to a manageable one for the Cavaliers.

Tea was taken just after four, with the players witnessing an historic event - the retirement of Ros Brogan from her tea lady's duties! In true Bures tradition (we'd forgotten, of course . . .) Ros was thanked solemnly if unceremoniously for her super teas stretching back as many years as any of us could remember. She leaves us with many memories of her culinary expertise and needless to say the chocolate cake was as good as ever (although we learned that on this occasion, it was not hers!). Thank you Ros, thank you!

The Cavaliers reply was hesitant, with the early batters struggling with the pace of the wicket in the face of an accurate Joe Smith/James Durkin attack. At 31 for 2 off 10 overs E C & B were on top, but a flurry of boundaries off the change bowlers reversed the pecking order in favour of the opponent, and ultimately a well-paced victory was theirs, one ball into the penultimate over.

This defeat all but ends any hope we may have had of gaining promotion, but relegation is unlikely to be an issue either. Cavaliers would appear to be in a similar mid-table position. League tables are here.

Next week, High Easter at Earls Colne.

 Team - Colin Bocking, Derrick Messent, Steve Thornton, John Gibson, Chris Chambers, Lewis "Five Pints" Chambers, James Durkin, Himesh Patel, Ollie Bocking, Joe Smith

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