Energy Exiles Cricket Club

Match Summary: vs. Innings, Sunday, 30 Apr 2006

Ground: Epsom
Captain: Andrew Wingfield
Match type: 40 overs
Toss: Innings elected to bat
Weather: Unknown
Opposition: Innings scored: 200 for 9 (40 overs)
Exiles Score: 172 for 8 (40 overs)
Result: Lost by 28 runs
Man of the match: John Hodgson 57 & 3 for 33

The Exiles were narrowly beaten in the opening game of the 2006 season.

On winning the toss, Innings elected to bat. Rupert Searle, on debut, and Andy Wingfield opened the bowling. After a steady start by the Innings openers, Andy struck first removing the Innings number one for 8, bowled off his pads. This introduced the talented Kavindra who, after an unsteady start against decent bowling, began to open his shoulders on the way to a fast-paced 67, including 4 or 5 sixes. Martin Thomas and Naren Patel, as first change bowlers, bore the largest brunt of the hitting, but both eventually picked up wickets - with Naren, predictably, getting the crucial wicket of Kavindra, cleaned bowled. Gwyn Thomas and John Hodgson then picked up a few wickets as the Innings innings (ahem) lost momentum - the highlight being a sharp catch at silly mid-off by Jasper Searle. However, despite the reintroduction of Rupert, bowling with increased pace in his second spell, some good shots by Innings captain Sri, who made 30 not out in quick time, ensured that Innings batted out their 40 overs, collecting 200 runs on the way - setting a tough target for the Exiles to chase.

In reply, the Exiles got off to a disastrous start with Mark Bradshaw getting out without scoring - cutting uppishly straight to point (where have we seen that before?). This introduced Wil Scott to join Keith Roberts. Initially against the openers the pair played well - ensuring no further wickets were lost, but particularly between overs 10-20, when only 17 runs were scored against mainly medium pace, or spin bowling, the Exiles innings critically lost momentum. At half way, with Wil having finally just been caught, the Exiles were on 44 for 2 - way short of the necessary run rate.

Jasper, also on debut, tried to show the right intentions immediately, but slogged straight to mid-off, but this only served to introduce a clearly inspired John Hodgson, who smashed 57 off 43 balls with 2 sixes and 7 other boundaries. Both sixes comfortably cleared the ropes, hitting the trees two-thirds the way up. With Keith gradually finding some fluency at the other end, the Exiles nearly got back in the match, but with Johns dismissal for an excellent half century, the innings lost direction again and, despite a few decent blows from the lower order, the run rate proved too much and the Exiles innings closed, 28 runs short of the required target.

The Exiles generally played well in this fixture - the bowling and fielding was generally decent - Andy was economical with only 11 runs coming from 6 overs, despite his last ball being dispatched for six, but John Hodgson was a revelation - demonstrating the benefit of a decent pre-season without injury. There were no glaring drops and no Pablo-esque fielding mishaps, just some decent batting from the opposition. Our batting was also decent on the whole - particularly John's spectacular show - we just need to keep an eye on the run rate a little better when chasing.

Man-of-the-match was comfortably won by John Hodgson with 3-33 with the ball and 57 with the bat.

Report By: Andy Wingfield

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