Team Photo
The 2012 Sunday Development League team kit was very generously sponsored by Lewis Golden & Co, Chartered Accountants and registered auditors, 40 Queen Anne Street, London W1G 9EL. Tel 020 7580 7313.
www.lewisgolden.com
www.lewisgolden.com
League won at home against Dartfordians
Another promotion and champions status was on the cards at the OD Cuaco CC. The Under 16 team had secured their title the month before, with the second XI victorious in their persuit of glory the day before our big day.
With a win needed to secure promotion, skipper Nick Worsley won his 3rd toss in a row and elected to bat first. The skies were blue and the weather forecast was good. Dan and Ben Webster opened up the batting. Both were looking solid until Ben got hit on the pad in the sixth over and was given out LBW for 10. Tom Churcher then walked out to the middle. His partnership with Dan lasted another 10 overs before Tom perished and was caught. The partnership had made it clear that the pitch was had to bat on and the bowling was difficult to get away. Dan and Chris Webster both fell during the next 5 overs (both for 12 runs) which brought the skipper and Billy Rouse to the middle. Stand out innings from Worsley (37), and Billy (32*), ably helped by Liam and Foxy, allowed us to score a respectable 139-6 off our 40 overs. After tea, a brief but intense warm up saw the boys sharpen up on their fielding and get their #gamefaces on.
A league debut saw Luke Hunter take the gloves behind the stumps. Despite the low expectations from his younger brother Simon, also on his debut, and the chirpy postman on the sidelines, Luke was in good spirit. Liam Bullock and James Alvey took the new ball. Liam struck in the 3rd over when a leading edge was caught at cover by Ben Webster. When they both ended their 5 over spells the opposition were 26-1. Then on came Simon Hunter and C.Webster. Simon's economical bowling built pressure and forced the batsmen to play risky shots off Chris at the other end who got two wickets, both caught, one by Liam at mid off and the other by Worsley's stomach at mid wicket. Simon bowled out his 8 overs, picking up a wicket in his fourth over and ending with figures of 8-2-13-1.
After Simon's spell, James Alvey returned from the Golf course end forcing a field change. Worsley moved the injured Foxy out of his resident position at slip down to fine leg. To the captains disgust, James' first ball was flicked off the batsman's legs down to The Fox. A cry of "oh no" from Nick came as he realised the ball was travelling 20 yards to the Fox's left. With a determined face, he ran round and picked up the ball and the batsman set off to complete a second run. Then out came the bullet. Foxy, who has obviously been hitting the gym, pelted the ball in on the bounce. The bails were "sent to Wales" but luckily the over 60's can return them when they take on Howard's mighty Kent team at OD's on Wednesday. The "really impressive" throw had run out their dangerous batsmen, much to the delight of the onlooking 1st team skipper and Brian the barman, who took Fox a pint down to fine leg in time for the next ball. The game looked tight with the opposition needing 44 runs with 5 wickets left off the last 10 overs.
Worsley came on from the pavilion end and, after James Alvey's tight last few overs, picked up a couple of wickets at one end while Luke took two catches (and conceded his only bye of the whole innings) off Liam's bowling to leave the opposition needing 21 off three overs. Nick almost bottled it in his second last over, bowling a nine ball over but luckily, the balls that weren't wides were mainly dots leaving 17 off the last two overs. Chris came back on to bowl his last over in a pressure situation. He charged in at Tom Ball (brother of Adam) and bowled a great over that only went for 1 run.
This left one over from the Pavilion end to be bowled by the skipper. After some advice about field placings, Simon went out to cow corner. With 16 runs to win, Tom Ball hit Nick's bowling straight to cow. Simon was under the ball and seemed very calm under it as all onlookers fell silent. The ball stuck in Hunter's hands and the crowd erupted. The Development team had done it! The third team of the year to reach legendary status by winning the league and gaining promotion.
On behalf of the team, can I thank Tim and Nick for skippering us to a 100% record, Wendy Webster and Gail Caddy for scoring and washing the kit, Bob and Parkerman for umpiring and Grace for the amazing teas.
See you next year in Div. 2.
With a win needed to secure promotion, skipper Nick Worsley won his 3rd toss in a row and elected to bat first. The skies were blue and the weather forecast was good. Dan and Ben Webster opened up the batting. Both were looking solid until Ben got hit on the pad in the sixth over and was given out LBW for 10. Tom Churcher then walked out to the middle. His partnership with Dan lasted another 10 overs before Tom perished and was caught. The partnership had made it clear that the pitch was had to bat on and the bowling was difficult to get away. Dan and Chris Webster both fell during the next 5 overs (both for 12 runs) which brought the skipper and Billy Rouse to the middle. Stand out innings from Worsley (37), and Billy (32*), ably helped by Liam and Foxy, allowed us to score a respectable 139-6 off our 40 overs. After tea, a brief but intense warm up saw the boys sharpen up on their fielding and get their #gamefaces on.
A league debut saw Luke Hunter take the gloves behind the stumps. Despite the low expectations from his younger brother Simon, also on his debut, and the chirpy postman on the sidelines, Luke was in good spirit. Liam Bullock and James Alvey took the new ball. Liam struck in the 3rd over when a leading edge was caught at cover by Ben Webster. When they both ended their 5 over spells the opposition were 26-1. Then on came Simon Hunter and C.Webster. Simon's economical bowling built pressure and forced the batsmen to play risky shots off Chris at the other end who got two wickets, both caught, one by Liam at mid off and the other by Worsley's stomach at mid wicket. Simon bowled out his 8 overs, picking up a wicket in his fourth over and ending with figures of 8-2-13-1.
After Simon's spell, James Alvey returned from the Golf course end forcing a field change. Worsley moved the injured Foxy out of his resident position at slip down to fine leg. To the captains disgust, James' first ball was flicked off the batsman's legs down to The Fox. A cry of "oh no" from Nick came as he realised the ball was travelling 20 yards to the Fox's left. With a determined face, he ran round and picked up the ball and the batsman set off to complete a second run. Then out came the bullet. Foxy, who has obviously been hitting the gym, pelted the ball in on the bounce. The bails were "sent to Wales" but luckily the over 60's can return them when they take on Howard's mighty Kent team at OD's on Wednesday. The "really impressive" throw had run out their dangerous batsmen, much to the delight of the onlooking 1st team skipper and Brian the barman, who took Fox a pint down to fine leg in time for the next ball. The game looked tight with the opposition needing 44 runs with 5 wickets left off the last 10 overs.
Worsley came on from the pavilion end and, after James Alvey's tight last few overs, picked up a couple of wickets at one end while Luke took two catches (and conceded his only bye of the whole innings) off Liam's bowling to leave the opposition needing 21 off three overs. Nick almost bottled it in his second last over, bowling a nine ball over but luckily, the balls that weren't wides were mainly dots leaving 17 off the last two overs. Chris came back on to bowl his last over in a pressure situation. He charged in at Tom Ball (brother of Adam) and bowled a great over that only went for 1 run.
This left one over from the Pavilion end to be bowled by the skipper. After some advice about field placings, Simon went out to cow corner. With 16 runs to win, Tom Ball hit Nick's bowling straight to cow. Simon was under the ball and seemed very calm under it as all onlookers fell silent. The ball stuck in Hunter's hands and the crowd erupted. The Development team had done it! The third team of the year to reach legendary status by winning the league and gaining promotion.
On behalf of the team, can I thank Tim and Nick for skippering us to a 100% record, Wendy Webster and Gail Caddy for scoring and washing the kit, Bob and Parkerman for umpiring and Grace for the amazing teas.
See you next year in Div. 2.
Old Elthamians away
With the sun shining, the Development XI made their way to Old Elthamian’s with high hopes of another league victory. With threats before the game of refusing to play if we were forced to bowl first yet again, the skip was relieved to discover a lack of an opposition umpire. Hence, on what looked like a decent track, he put us into bat.
With a Webster filled top 4 raring to go, we were looking for a solid start, however Dan and Ben Webster were both removed cheaply to good slip catches. Unfortunately Chris followed shortly after, bringing together Nick Worsley and Toby Webster, who steadied the ship. Some quality shots were played, and the pair pushed on the scoring, putting pressure on the OE’s bowlers. Toby was eventually dismissed for an important 21 after a Worsley-induced run-out. Nick batted on however and reached his 50 with a muted celebration that disappointed onlookers. A few cameos late on in the innings resulted in a total of 165, which, on what was a turning pitch, the team felt was a defendable score.
The Caddy twins opened up after tea and bowled some tight opening overs to restrict the scoring. Iestyn was replaced by debutant James Alvey who removed one of the openers with the aid of a solid slip catch by Nick Worsley. Two more Alvey wickets quickly followed, including an LBW decision that riled the oppo and provoked comments from the boundary for the rest of the afternoon. Chris Webster struck next with the first ball of his spell and kept up this knack in the next over, sending the off stump cartwheeling on the first ball, removing half the pitch in the process. The same result was seen slightly less dramatically the next ball, putting us firmly on top of proceedings. James returned to take the 7th wicket with another LBW. Andrew Ainger then took the important wicket of the oppo’s dangerous opening bat, who had scored a good 62, leaving the result in no doubt. A run-out and another Webster wicket sealed the victory with plenty of overs and runs to spare.
Overall a great performance from everyone involved, leaving us only one win away from promotion. Thanks to Bob for umpiring; bring on next week!
With a Webster filled top 4 raring to go, we were looking for a solid start, however Dan and Ben Webster were both removed cheaply to good slip catches. Unfortunately Chris followed shortly after, bringing together Nick Worsley and Toby Webster, who steadied the ship. Some quality shots were played, and the pair pushed on the scoring, putting pressure on the OE’s bowlers. Toby was eventually dismissed for an important 21 after a Worsley-induced run-out. Nick batted on however and reached his 50 with a muted celebration that disappointed onlookers. A few cameos late on in the innings resulted in a total of 165, which, on what was a turning pitch, the team felt was a defendable score.
The Caddy twins opened up after tea and bowled some tight opening overs to restrict the scoring. Iestyn was replaced by debutant James Alvey who removed one of the openers with the aid of a solid slip catch by Nick Worsley. Two more Alvey wickets quickly followed, including an LBW decision that riled the oppo and provoked comments from the boundary for the rest of the afternoon. Chris Webster struck next with the first ball of his spell and kept up this knack in the next over, sending the off stump cartwheeling on the first ball, removing half the pitch in the process. The same result was seen slightly less dramatically the next ball, putting us firmly on top of proceedings. James returned to take the 7th wicket with another LBW. Andrew Ainger then took the important wicket of the oppo’s dangerous opening bat, who had scored a good 62, leaving the result in no doubt. A run-out and another Webster wicket sealed the victory with plenty of overs and runs to spare.
Overall a great performance from everyone involved, leaving us only one win away from promotion. Thanks to Bob for umpiring; bring on next week!
Horton Kirby away
Taylor Emblen being presented with his match shirt
The day's weather at Horton Kirby started miserably but the skipper won the toss by default and play started roughly on time. (Thanks to Nick Worsley for arranging the playing shirts on coat hangers prior to the game.)
We lost Jonny "Return of the" Mac early on and Taylor Emblen followed a bit later, then Jake Caddy (30), fresh from a win with the Under 16's, and Tom Churcher (16) put some runs on the board in some fairly rank conditions. Jake batted nicely and perhaps could have gone onto get far more, once those two departed wickets fell at regular intervals until Nick Worsley (50) and Liam Bullock (18 n.o.) shared a 58 run partnership and got the team on the way to a competitive total. Nick played well, waited for the bad ball and then hit three sixes over the short boundary.When on 48, Nick hit a ball into the deep and ran 2, raucous applause followed for Nick's 50 only for the bowlers-end umpire to call "one short!". The next ball, with Nick still on strike, was a knee high full toss which Nick duly hit straight up in the air and was caught at short fine leg! Upon his way back to the pavilion we noticed that his score had been miscounted and in fact he had scored 50........confusing, I know.
Horton Kirby's innings began with their captain smashing the ball to all parts and looking to get the game over with in quick time, but Liam Bullock bowled the other opener and then finally got their captain out caught behind for 35. The skipper, Billy Rouse and Rohan Patel all bowled solid spells and kept the team well in the game before Iestyn Caddy and Billy returned. Taylor Emblen got a quality run out and then a classy catch off Billy's bowling and wickets began to steadily tumble. Iestyn (3-16) and Billy (3-25) finished off the oppo as they were all out 14 runs short.
Well played to everyone, all the bowlers bowled far better than Horton Kirby did and we took almost all of our chances and put in some great efforts in the field, particulary Eashan Patel behind the stumps who held onto a succession of really difficult deliveries. The 100% skipper marches on..........
We lost Jonny "Return of the" Mac early on and Taylor Emblen followed a bit later, then Jake Caddy (30), fresh from a win with the Under 16's, and Tom Churcher (16) put some runs on the board in some fairly rank conditions. Jake batted nicely and perhaps could have gone onto get far more, once those two departed wickets fell at regular intervals until Nick Worsley (50) and Liam Bullock (18 n.o.) shared a 58 run partnership and got the team on the way to a competitive total. Nick played well, waited for the bad ball and then hit three sixes over the short boundary.When on 48, Nick hit a ball into the deep and ran 2, raucous applause followed for Nick's 50 only for the bowlers-end umpire to call "one short!". The next ball, with Nick still on strike, was a knee high full toss which Nick duly hit straight up in the air and was caught at short fine leg! Upon his way back to the pavilion we noticed that his score had been miscounted and in fact he had scored 50........confusing, I know.
Horton Kirby's innings began with their captain smashing the ball to all parts and looking to get the game over with in quick time, but Liam Bullock bowled the other opener and then finally got their captain out caught behind for 35. The skipper, Billy Rouse and Rohan Patel all bowled solid spells and kept the team well in the game before Iestyn Caddy and Billy returned. Taylor Emblen got a quality run out and then a classy catch off Billy's bowling and wickets began to steadily tumble. Iestyn (3-16) and Billy (3-25) finished off the oppo as they were all out 14 runs short.
Well played to everyone, all the bowlers bowled far better than Horton Kirby did and we took almost all of our chances and put in some great efforts in the field, particulary Eashan Patel behind the stumps who held onto a succession of really difficult deliveries. The 100% skipper marches on..........
1st dev league game High Halstow at home
John woke on Sunday morning feeling better than normal. His head was clear, his ears weren’t ringing and his stomach was settled. He had avoided the ritual of Saturday night drinking because today was important; today was the first Sunday league cricket match of the season! There was talk of competition for places in the Sunday league squad, as the quality of cricket at OD Cuaco’s had sky rocketed with the development of new training facilities and a well run training session on a Wednesday evening by the one and only Andrew Mew. John’s keenness to play had got him the first game but he knew only enthusiasm could carry him so far. He now needed to prove himself to secure his position in the team as “Specialist Fielder”, a position that every team cannot do without.
The sun was out and everyone was in good spirit, and eager to try out the new coloured kit. The OD’s squad looked smart and professional, intimidating the opposition as they exited the changing rooms with a confident swagger and a look of determination.
Worsley and Foxy opened the batting. The wicket was slow and the bounce was difficult to read as shown by the second ball of the third over that stayed low and got Worsley LBW for nought. Tom Churcher stuck around a bit and put a few runs on the board with Liam Caddy, both confidently knocking the ball to the boundary. The bowling attack was good, one spinner in particular who ended up taking 5 wickets for 25 runs.
It wasn’t long before OD’s were 83 for 5, not as many runs as they would have hoped but they weren’t worried as they watched John stride out on to the pitch looking devilishly handsome in the new kit. He joined Eashan Patel in the middle and they discussed tactics. “Run everything”, was John’s advice, and they did. Eashan had the opposition measured and knew that their sloppy fielding would allow them to take a quick single off almost every ball. A cheeky second run on a throw from the boundary almost saw John’s innings over but his blistering pace and an impressive full length dive saw him safely home. Eashan ended up scoring 44, a well needed knock in the middle order. OD’s finished the innings 182 for 8.
The opposition openers started strongly, scoring multiple boundaries in the first four overs. They were good batsmen and OD’s knew they had to get them out early if they wanted to win the game. Liam Bulloch’s second ball of his third over saw the off-stump fly out of the ground, verrrrrry impressive! Chris Webster replaced Tim Smedley at the pavilion end and bowled well but was being punished by the number two batsmen. The batsmen’s arrogance was soon his downfall as he stayed on his back foot and slashed across the line but the ball stayed low and caught him on the pad. He questioned the umpire’s decision but was told to “jog on” by the OD’s fielders to which he replied, “Come on then, I’ll see you after the game”. John took a few steps forward and the batsmen, knowing he was out gunned, turned and walked off the pitch.
There were a few good batsmen in the rest of the line-up but the quality of the OD’s bowling attack and solid fielding from the whole team made it virtually impossible for them to score any runs. It wasn’t long before some batsmen were swinging wildly, missing the ball or getting caught in the field. John in particular was showing his commitment to the team by lunging full length to his left and right to stop anything that came near him. A good example of his fielding was his spectacular catch at silly mid-off. The ball was popped a few inches into the air but that was all John needed to slide full length across the ground and get his fingers under the ball. Sensational!
Liam Caddy bowled very well, taking 3 wickets for 8 runs off 6 overs. And Nick Worsley managed to get more wickets than runs by taking 1 wicket for 0 off 2 overs.
Foxy’s run out for the final wicket was the icing on the cake. The batsmen foolishly tried to run a second but Foxy was fast enough and accurate enough to hit the stumps from the boundary. Quality cricket all round and a great day had by all!!
The blueberry cake at tea was delicious!!! (Thanks to Grace Lake for preparing the tea at such short notice, very much appreciated).
100% skipper's note:
Well played to everyone and I would like to reiterate what Johnny Mac said above and thank Grace Lake on behalf of the team for such a great tea on extremely short notice. We'd also like to say a massive thank you to Gail Caddy for providing, amending and washing our fantastic new coloured kit and for keeping score on the day and David Edwards and his colleagues at Lewis Golden for providing generous sponsorship for the kit, keep your eyes peeled for a team photo on the website!! Thanks also go to Bob Lake for umpiring and expertly dealing with that clown on the oppo and Johnny Mac for his match report.
The sun was out and everyone was in good spirit, and eager to try out the new coloured kit. The OD’s squad looked smart and professional, intimidating the opposition as they exited the changing rooms with a confident swagger and a look of determination.
Worsley and Foxy opened the batting. The wicket was slow and the bounce was difficult to read as shown by the second ball of the third over that stayed low and got Worsley LBW for nought. Tom Churcher stuck around a bit and put a few runs on the board with Liam Caddy, both confidently knocking the ball to the boundary. The bowling attack was good, one spinner in particular who ended up taking 5 wickets for 25 runs.
It wasn’t long before OD’s were 83 for 5, not as many runs as they would have hoped but they weren’t worried as they watched John stride out on to the pitch looking devilishly handsome in the new kit. He joined Eashan Patel in the middle and they discussed tactics. “Run everything”, was John’s advice, and they did. Eashan had the opposition measured and knew that their sloppy fielding would allow them to take a quick single off almost every ball. A cheeky second run on a throw from the boundary almost saw John’s innings over but his blistering pace and an impressive full length dive saw him safely home. Eashan ended up scoring 44, a well needed knock in the middle order. OD’s finished the innings 182 for 8.
The opposition openers started strongly, scoring multiple boundaries in the first four overs. They were good batsmen and OD’s knew they had to get them out early if they wanted to win the game. Liam Bulloch’s second ball of his third over saw the off-stump fly out of the ground, verrrrrry impressive! Chris Webster replaced Tim Smedley at the pavilion end and bowled well but was being punished by the number two batsmen. The batsmen’s arrogance was soon his downfall as he stayed on his back foot and slashed across the line but the ball stayed low and caught him on the pad. He questioned the umpire’s decision but was told to “jog on” by the OD’s fielders to which he replied, “Come on then, I’ll see you after the game”. John took a few steps forward and the batsmen, knowing he was out gunned, turned and walked off the pitch.
There were a few good batsmen in the rest of the line-up but the quality of the OD’s bowling attack and solid fielding from the whole team made it virtually impossible for them to score any runs. It wasn’t long before some batsmen were swinging wildly, missing the ball or getting caught in the field. John in particular was showing his commitment to the team by lunging full length to his left and right to stop anything that came near him. A good example of his fielding was his spectacular catch at silly mid-off. The ball was popped a few inches into the air but that was all John needed to slide full length across the ground and get his fingers under the ball. Sensational!
Liam Caddy bowled very well, taking 3 wickets for 8 runs off 6 overs. And Nick Worsley managed to get more wickets than runs by taking 1 wicket for 0 off 2 overs.
Foxy’s run out for the final wicket was the icing on the cake. The batsmen foolishly tried to run a second but Foxy was fast enough and accurate enough to hit the stumps from the boundary. Quality cricket all round and a great day had by all!!
The blueberry cake at tea was delicious!!! (Thanks to Grace Lake for preparing the tea at such short notice, very much appreciated).
100% skipper's note:
Well played to everyone and I would like to reiterate what Johnny Mac said above and thank Grace Lake on behalf of the team for such a great tea on extremely short notice. We'd also like to say a massive thank you to Gail Caddy for providing, amending and washing our fantastic new coloured kit and for keeping score on the day and David Edwards and his colleagues at Lewis Golden for providing generous sponsorship for the kit, keep your eyes peeled for a team photo on the website!! Thanks also go to Bob Lake for umpiring and expertly dealing with that clown on the oppo and Johnny Mac for his match report.