SCORECARD

Bures & District

Castle Hedingham

Extras

Extras

for 3

wkts.

for 9

wkts.

A prized piece of silverware for Bures, won in impressive fashion by beating an opponent who thankfully decided to turn up for the fixture rather than cancel at short notice as they had done at the weekend! Hedingham won the toss and Bures were asked to bat on a hard and flat Star Stile wicket. David Warden was quickly into his stride and clearly relishing the quick Halstead wicket, with crisp shots off both back and front foot. Opening partner Matt Whitthread soon perished however, leaving the way clear for Lewis Chambers to come to the crease. There followed a measured assault on the Hedingham bowlers with both batsmen excelling; Warden, all off drives and deft pushes into the vacant areas and Chambers making particularly impressive progress with the fetch. Further indication of Warden's progress with the bat was offered when he pulled the obligatory fetlock, necessitating the introduction of a runner. And run they did! Warden perished for 40 to a rare loose shot, but Chambers (joined by Chris Crace at the crease) continued the assault into the final overs with 53 runs coming off the final 5 overs. Bures closed at 159 for 3, a daunting but not insurmountable target. The Hedingham reply did not start well, or rather if you are a Bures cricketer, it started VERY well! Hedingham found themselves at 15 for 3 off 5 overs and a Bures victory looked very much on the cards. But an aggressive innings from Hedingham opener Wilks changed the balance of power and threatened to spoil the Bures party. Thankfully, his innings came to an abrupt end thanks to a fine catch at mid-wicket from Si Ayers. The tail wagged briefly but was unable to threaten the Bures total, falling 14 runs short at the close. As Bures basked in their hour of glory, Lewis Chambers was most deservedly awarded man-of-the-match for his superb 68 not out. Christopher Chambers as skipper was invited to accept the trophy on behalf of the club and not surprisingly on a warm and humid evening, Bures repaired to the Halstead club bar. Sadly the eagerly anticipated Nethergate Suffolk County bitter was found to be of a quality suitable only for sprinkling on chips. Happily, the pints of Sarson's finest were exchanged without question with fresh beer from a new cask. Fine ale was then much appreciated by a majority of members and players, with one or two of the more senior spectators finding the delicious combination of both malt and hops just a little too much to bear. Mr. Slow provided a tutored tasting but some of Clare's finest was nevertheless consigned to the turf, a sad reflection of what a lifetime of GK consumption does to the soul! After an extended refreshment period, all retreated to the Bures Swan for further celebration. The trophy had been in foreign hands since 1984 and it was good to get it back! The Bures side which had last won the trophy in 1984 contained just two of the cricketers who played in the 2003 game, namely Lewis and Christopher Chambers. Roy Hartley, "Sammy" Saer and Mark Maley who were present in the original 1984 eleven, attended this year as spectators as did many supporters from the village, whose support was much appreciated. Well done, everybody!

Happy...or what? Christopher Chambers shows off the trophy, with not a pint glass in sight!