Promotion bandwagon rolls to a standstill (From Gazette Series)

Promotion bandwagon rolls to a standstill

Charfield v Frocester IV

"CATCHES win matches" goes the old cricketing adage and had Charfield held on to their chances they may well have effectively tied up promotion with a third of the season to go. However they construed to drop six or seven very presentable opportunities, four or five of them to J Evans alone, and he punished them clearly by scoring 116 not out.

Fielding first Charfield started well through Colborn and Walwin. Walwin was as miserly as ever, whilst Colborn's pace troubled the Frocester batsmen. After 12 overs the pair had kept Frocester to only 36 runs on a good track. Change bowler A Turner made the first breakthrough dismissing Dix with the score on 40. At the other end N Bennett bowled his first three overs for no runs and also claimed the wicket of Eggleton, to leave Frocester 45-2.

Turner and Bennett then applied the squeeze, keeping the Frocester batsmen from cutting loose, by the 23rd over Frocester had only nudged to 75. But crucially for Frocester, Evans and Niblett remained at the crease and they cruelly exposed the fifth change bowler, Wilding, taking 19 from his one over. The pair took Frocester to 104 before B Morgan broke the partnership.

At this stage Charfield were still very much in the game but the final 15 overs saw them very literally throw it away.

Frocester's batsmen looked to up the rate and started to hit shots in the air, but Charfield's inability to hold on to their chances, reprieved the batsmen time and time again, with Evans benefiting in particular. From the final 15 overs Frocester scored 124 runs to finish on 243-7, Evans top scored with 116, the next highest score being 26 the next highest only 16.

To win Charfield needed to be aggressive from the outset. Unfortunately the loss of Greaves left them at 6-1 in the 6th over, Davies and K Morgan established a foothold before Davies (17) was caught with the score on 45 in the 14th over. This brought Colborn to the crease, intent on scoring quickly he proved a thorn in the side of Frocester but unfortunately the remaining batsmen were not able to keep him company. K Morgan was dismissed for 27 and B Morgan run out for 15. Carter was very unlucky to be adjudged lbw for 10 and then Colborn himself was caught for 57, leaving Charfield at 146-6.

Needing 98 from the remaining 12 overs meant Charfield were actually 11 runs ahead of Frocester at the equivalent time in their innings but crucially with two wickets less. Frocester were also less inclined to be as generous as Charfield had been and they wrapped up the game taking the first four wickets for 17 runs, Charfield being all out for 163.

Charfield must bounce back next week against Gloucester Civil Service to bet back on the promotion trail.