Match Report - Halstead Vs Bures 28/09/02
The final match of the season and conditions could hardly have been better. Perfect batting strip, autumn sunshine and a surprisingly sociable fixture against mighty Halstead.
A little bizarrely we thought, Bures won the toss and elected to bowl! Halstead's Two Counties batting lineup was quickly into its stride against everyone except Waterworth who once again bowled quite beautifully. It's just a shame we can't get him off the golf course more often! Suffice to say that the tempo of the Halstead innings increased with the passage of overs. Perhaps an indication of this can be obtained from the following bowling figures.....
| Name | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Waterworth | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| Tozer | 5 | 29 | 1 |
| Bocking | 8 | 58 | 1 |
| Chambers C. | 8 | 87 | 0 |
| Whitthread | 6 | 59 | 0 |
Despite an extraordinary catch for James Lee, virtually everything else was dropped and Halstead closed at 249 for 2 off 35 overs.
After a most exceptional tea by even Bures standards (all home made, sandwiches, rolls, mini-pizza, cakes) the Bures reply was anything but feeble. But sadly, the regular fall of wickets rather precluded any hope of victory. Despite a considerable level of traditional beligerence from the Bures willow merchants, we were always behind the rate. But the tail wagged with a vengeance! Chambers C. 35, Lee 17, Bocking 13, Waterworth 10 and Mitch a spectacular Golden! A quite exceptional 38 from Joe Dutton gave us hope, but it was not to be. I do hope that Joe will not be too embarrassed if I mention a little about him. Having a grandfather with the name Loveless will endear him to many Bures stalwarts and he started playing for the Bures colts some years ago and has made the transition to senior cricket at the somewhat tender age of 15. He is polite, keen and well mannered. He seems to be able to hit the ball extremely hard, in a way which defies his slender frame. He does not play entirely straight, but then many of us are like him. He seems to have an extraordinary ability to hit the ball and if it is going for six, then who cares if it is over cow corner? He will not need me to tell him (again!) that he needs to improve his fielding..........but he is a great asset to the club and we have all thoroughly enjoyed his contributions this year.
And so the season ended. A season of mixed fortunes perhaps and one not without its problems, but we have played cricket and upheld the traditions of the game and of the club. It's been great!
Next year? Can't wait for it.................
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