WINDSOR 5/220 (15 Points)
Malloch 56
Millman 62
drew with
CHISWICK & LATYMER 9/217 (7 Points)
Malloch 4/53
With Windsor propping up the Division 2A table, they played host to Chiswick & Latymer on Saturday after a week filled with typical English drizzle. The Windsor side had brought in Tom Hartridge on the back of some consistent performances in the 2nd XI and gave youngster Ben Harris his debut as skipper Wes Nichols won his 4th toss in a row and decided to have a bat.
The wicket certainly has a few good seeds in it early on, but Nichols thought with his side being tentative at the crease in recent weeks, a few more weeks setting the target would put them in better stead, with the way the point’s allocation works in the competition, it is a more steady bet.
Openers Chorley and Birch started things off, with Chorley looking in a hurry to get things going hitting a few shots on the up to get the total rattling along quickly. Birch was first to be removed as he smashed a half volley into the bowlers stomach who fell over to accept the caught and bowled!
Chana came and went quickly, caught behind, as Malloch who has been promoted up the order, came to the crease with Windsor at 2/60. That soon became 3/70 when Chorley not only missed out on 50 but a massive 100 that was in the taking, holing out to deep mid off for 49. Fingers crossed he will take the chance next time! After all the chat in the dressing rooms before the game outlining the importance of not throwing you dig away and putting pressure on the middle order, taking responsibility for the game yourself and building partnerships, it was disappointing to see Windsor in this position.
However new batsmen Millman, who with Malloch obviously was listening to the skippers speech before the game, began to take advantage of a flattening wicket, steadily building the total to 100. As drinks came and went both batted beautifully as both brought up very much deserved 50’s through good running between the wickets and putting away the bad ball. Bevan was the first to fall for 56, once again throwing away what could have been a lot more, playing a rash shot to be bowled when accumulating singles was all that was needed.
Millman also fell soon after for 62, meaning it was up to new batsmen Nichols and Weston to get the side to 200+. Once again the message Nichols gave the players prior to the game should have been ringing in those batsmen’s ears! Not to take away from their magnificent partnership of 113, but one of these batsmen’s should have taking the responsibility of batting through to the end. It is not enough to get a 50, once you get there you MUST go on. This is an area Windsor have deplorably let themselves down in the past and need to address going forward if they are to be a force in the competition. You job is not done once you get to 50…
In saying that Weston and Nichols shown the guys how it should be done, taking little risk in putting on 40 runs in 5 overs forcing the total to 5/220, hitting the poor ball and hard running between the wickets.
Windsor’s total looked well beyond Chiswicks reach after 10 overs. Nichols claimed danger man Van Dan Burg caught 1st slip to the reliable Malloch, then Malloch stepped up to claim Davis and Gremitt, caught behind and bowled respectively. Nichols then got back in the act removing Scott with one that bounced a bit too much to spoon a catch to Weston at Mid-on.
With Windsor tails up, Hartridge was then introduced and his improving seam produced the piece of cricket of the day as Baumgartner completed a fabulous leg side stumping dumbfounding San Jose and his team-mates to bring Wrigglesworth to the crease joining Bhatia at 5/40. From here, they took advantage of the flattening wicket and launched a fine recovery.
Bhatia in particular manufacturing some ugly but extremely effect counter attacking at he raced to 70 and gave the away side some hope. Just when it looked like Chiswick where on top debutant Harris had the enigmatic Bhatia caught by a diving Chorley at backward square with the score at 6/140.
The lower order of Chiswick done a fine job as Bhatia’s brother came in and bottom handed anything up in his half to the boundary. The chase was on and with Windsor losing its grasp on the game Nichols brought back Malloch with 12 overs remaining and 50 runs required. It was just the tonic they needed as Malloch removed Wrigglesworth, and Bhatia to pull the game back in Windsor favour.
Some forcing and lucky shots pushed Chiswicks equation to 20 runs off 4 overs. It looked as though Windsor where going to be blindsided by a remarkable Chiswick comeback when skipper Nichols was hit for 10 off one over. With Malloch bowling tight and Nichols backing him up, it came down to the skipper to bowl the final over.
Chiswick needing 7 runs, Windsor needing 2 wickets. Nichols got one of them with his 3rd ball after Chiswick had previously taken 4 runs off his 1st 3 balls. With the number 11 needing 3 runs and Nichols need 1 wicket it was game on. The penultimate ball whizzed past the Singh’s outside edge and missed off stump by a whisker. It was a case of a missed opportunity as Singh eyes closed danced down the crease but Nichols could not deliver. He failed again next ball as Single haplessly played and missed again to a wider delivery that was obviously off target to give Windsor a winning draw and 15 vital points.
Windsor could should be pleased with the 15 points , but one cant help but be a little disappointed at having the opposition 5/40 in the 15 over, a 25 point win slipped away. On a belter of a pitch though, Chiswick done well and in hindsight Windsor done exceptionally well to have the side on the back foot. Malloch bowled well claimed 4/52, combined with 56 in the first innings completed a fine game. Nichols claimed 3/67.
Windsor travel to Basingstoke next week to take on competition leaders. Windsor has had their measure in the past and here is hoping that can continue, as a good win against them would leave Windsor well placed in the league.