Mixed weekend for Charfield (From Gazette Series)

Mixed weekend for Charfield

Charfield v Dymock

Charfield's good start to the season continued on Saturday with a hard-fought win over Dymock.

Charfield lost the toss and were put in to bat on a decent looking wicket.

Openers M Greaves and J Davies carefully saw off the opening overs scoring at a steady two an over. After studiously surviving the first 12 overs for 28 the pair then upped the rate giving the Dymock bowlers something to think about.

The following 11 overs went for 68 runs with Greaves in particular taking a liking to the bowling. With Dymock heads dropping there were plenty of extras to be had and at 96 from 23 overs a sizable total looked on the cards.

However, Dymock struck back with the dismissal of Greaves for 46, shortly followed by Davies (23) to leave Charfield at 106 for 2.

Charfield's strong middle order contributed steadily without ever really igniting and with wickets falling the innings looked as though it may fizzle out. However, a mature 22 not out from 17 year old J Sellick gave the innings a final push and Charfield finished at a respectable 195 for 7 from their 45 overs.

Charfield's opening bowlers Colborn and Walwin started well and prevented Dymock from getting a flying start.

Colborn in particular consistently beat the outside edge but it was to be Walwin who struck first, taking the wicket of Notley with Dymock on 27. But this brought the dangerous Williams to the crease, fresh from scoring 137 the previous week he set about re-invigorating the Dymock inning.

Change bowlers Bennett and Hesh (making a surprise and welcome return to the side after a long absence) did well to keep him from cutting loose. Bennett picked up the wicket of remaining opener Guerney but it was Hesh's dismissal of Williams for 29 that was key to leave Dymock at 64 for 3.

Dymock didn't capitulate though and kept up more or less with the required run-rate despite some fine bowling. B Morgan's introduction to the attack yielded three invaluable middle order wickets but with Dymock scoring boundaries the game was still in the balance.

Dymock finished 168 all out, the victory giving Charfield 19 points from the side's strongest team performance of the season.

Cam Sunday XI v Charfield Sunday XI

CAM brought Charfield's winning run to an end with a nailbiting one wicket victory on Sunday.

Set 168 to win, the home side were indebted to Scott Kalus, who led the way with 80, but they still needed a vital final wicket partnership to get home. Put into bat, Charfield started scoring runs quickly from the off until Matt Tipper had Dean May caught by James Colborn for 16.

That was the signal for the visitors' middle order to collapse, with the next five players all failing to reach double figures.

Tipper took two of the wickets, Keith Rose took another and Paul Cook also claimed a victim - as well as engineering a run out.

However, Charfield were not done for yet and they fought back despite losing top scoring opener Davies for 39.

Charlie Walwin (25), Barnett (15) and last man Eskins (18*) all contributed well to amass a final total of 167 all out, although they crucially failed to bat out their 40 overs.

Cam captain Andy Ward took two important wickets and the final catch of the innings.

Despite losing Mike Cook early on, Cam made a solid if unspectacular start in reply as Matt Tipper and Keith Watson scored 17 apiece.

But following Watson's departure the home side lost three more wickets in quick succession.

Cam were in trouble at 88-6 but Nathan Allen then joined the free-scoring Kalus to form a partnership that changed the game.

While Allen kept Charfield out at one end, Kalus smashed a string of boundaries and one maximum on his way past 50.

But the game looked to have swung back the way of the visitors when Walwin snared Allen lbw for 11 to end the 60 partnership.

Then when Kalus finally holed out for 80 and Colborn followed him without scoring it left Cam ten runs short of victory with just one wicket remaining. However, captain Ward hit a boundary and a two and in the next over last man Paul Cook - batting with a hand injury - bravely kept Charfield out.

Cam then got the winning runs off the first ball of the 38th over when the visiting wicket keeping allowed the ball to beat him for four byes.

Pick of the Cam bowling: Rose 4-0-1-15, Tipper 7-1-3-29, P Cook 4-1-1-12, Deakin 6-0-1-27, Ward 6-1-2-18, Allen 2-0-1-10.