Full Fixture Information

Result Descriptiom

Win

Man of the Match

James Atkinson

Champagne Moment

Will Atkinson's catch

Teddy Bear Moment

Will Atkinson's golden duck

Full Match Report

East Meon V XII men XI ? 28th April 2024

East Meon ? 241/7
XII Men ? 138 all out

East Meon win by 103 runs


Another week of phone checking, cajoling the groundsman, running up to the pitch to put the cover on, running back to the pitch to take the cover off, checking the rain apps, pitch inspections at 8am and finally using a large dose of optimism, blind hope and positive thinking, meant that at 2.10pm having been put into bat Oli Atkinson was ready to face the first ball and we were underway.

It was never really in doubt.

And the good thing about the cover is that it works, the pitch was dry, perhaps a bit soft, but it?s still April and hasn?t stopped raining since November, so what does anyone expect?

Anyway, Oli and Hollis opened up against some good accurate bowling and got to 44 before Hollis was castled by a good ?un. This only bought James Atkinson to the crease at which point with normal aggression and excellent batting, Oli and he put on just over 100 before Oli was out for a not quite chanceless 73 ? having been caught on the boundary before the fielder stepped back on to the rope and badly dropped at mid-off. But with about 160 odd on the board the batting order was re-jigged and Chris Moor was invited to head out instead of the skipper and have some time in the middle. And time he had.

Perhaps a bit more scratchy than it might have been, but in a not particularly mooro-fashion he dug in and was unlucky to fall just 87 short of his first 100 for the village. With some more thinking outside the box captaincy, Nick CC was sent in at five and James and he batted on before James was out for an excellent 88 ? replete with proper cricket shots and hard running.

With not much time to tea, there was just time for the skipper to be bowled first ball, Tim L to kick the ball onto his stumps and Andrew and Josh to see us to tea with 241 on the board.

Tea was great. As usual. And it was nice to have friends and family up the pitch to help us eat it.

So, 241 on the board and time to see if we could get them out before the rain and dark came.

Sticko opened up and after his first ball was nudged behind point for a single his second ball was swiped to square leg for Oli to take a nice catch around his ankles and poor Mr Worsley to shake his fists at the cricketing gods and head back to the pavilion first ball.

Their number three then came in and immediately got stuck in. Josh Edney opening up the hill went for two huge sixes in his first over, and the XII men barrelled along at 9 an over before eventually Josh bowled a slow straight ball their number three tried to hit to West Meon and missed. Not sure if there was a flicker of anything in Josh?s eyes, but it was a hard-won wicket. Meanwhile Sticko picked up his second, bowling their other opener for 16 and then came a run out with two batsman at one end and Jimmy and Mooro combining neatly.

A pause for a monumental rain shower and then we were back out again.

The skipper, keen to get off his ?Bob? came in hard from the Alpaca end but with not much luck (0-23 from four) and Dave Rees replaced Josh Edney and immediately took a wicket in his first over before his third went for 24 and he was invited to take a break and switch ends, whereupon he promptly took another wicket (an astonishingly good catch by the skipper at silly mid-off from a ball destined to break a car window or two had Will not intervened) and ended with 2-38 off five overs.

Jimmy replaced him, bowled well and ended up with the final two wickets (2-2) and EMCC had won with about 7 overs to spare, leaving their number 6 48 not out.

Fines and Jugs continued in the Izaak where James was MOTM, Will?s catch the champagne moment and Will?s (first??) Bob (No wickets, No runs) the teddy bear moment.