Full Fixture Information

Result Descriptiom

East Meon won by 81 runs

Man of the Match

Tim Lawrence

Champagne Moment

Tim Lawrence?s 5th wicket / Paris? pitch invasion

Teddy Bear Moment

Chris Moor?s erroneous run out

Full Match Report

Away at Westbourne. It?s a small pitch ? seriously small ? even Jeff hit a six there two years ago. It?s also a game where two years ago we made 219, had them 100-5 and then lost handsomely following one of their more agricultural player?s 6-hitting 125 not out. So we knew it?d be a tough afternoon.

It was their first home match of the season and it?s fair to say it felt more like a field than a cricket pitch, there are golfers who?d not want to find their ball in certain parts of the outfield, which was further decorated by small tufts of orchids (Autumn Lady Tresses since you ask) that had to be left growing and mown around in order to avoid any nature-based crimes.

So. To the match.

The captain had headed off to Wembley to cheer on his beloved Southampton and so your correspondent and vice-captain AdL headed out to the middle for the toss. Lost the toss and we were put into bat. I think I?d have chosen to bat anyway ? so it wasn?t the worst one to lose on this occasion. Although it very soon looked like Westbourne had made the right decision.

Oli Atkinson opened up with Nick Sole (the independent candidate for Islington North) and Westbourne opened up with pace at one end and a quick leg spinner at the other. Piner, their leg spinner was soon into his groove ? ripping it a mile and was too good for Nick Sole who overbalanced on one of his many forward lunge defences and was stumped for three.

This bought a debutant to the crease. George Barnes, son-in-law of the chair of the parish council, sporting his Oxford College jumper, regular for the Guards CC seemed to be just the chap to hit a quick 50 and set us on our way. Alas, he was to fall exactly 50 short of a quick 50 and was bowled going back to a ball that may have kept low but to a shot that he may have regretted. 7-2 and time for Chris Hollis. Before Hollis could get going, it was time for Oli to swat the ball to short cover and depart caught for 5. 10-3 which soon became 12-4 as Mark Davis left bowled. All four wickets to their leg-spinner.

AdL joined Hollis and didn?t last much longer caught at gully slashing a wide one for 7. 27-5 and it felt like we might all be home before tea.

But his departure only bought Chris Moor to the crease, fresh from his 18 over net the week before. Chris M is a much better batsman than he gives himself credit for. And sure enough with some expert advice from his partner and captain (now umpiring) he played himself in, realised there really wasn?t anything in the pitch to trouble him, and then set about their bowling. Five sixes and 7 fours later he was finally out for 74. A really excellent and almost chanceless innings. He hit the ball far, blocked their good bowlers and with Hollis at the other end giving fine support with 43 the two of them put on about 120 and took our score to 150 odd before both were out in consecutive overs. This bought in Aussie Tim and Josh Edney to the crease. One huge six from Josh Edney and tea was taken with EMCC 166-8.

A fantastic score given our start and may more runs than we?d hoped to have at this stage. Well played team Chris.

Tea was tea.

However, it hadn?t escaped anyone?s notice that the pitch was doing nothing, the boundaries were still a short sandwedge away and Westbourne had some good batting in their line up. Still we had a total to defend and a team revved up by Mooro?s hurumphing innings.

Sticko and Josh opened up. And although both bowled well Westbourne were 47-0 after10 and had batted well giving up no chances and not looking too troubled.

Time for a change, time for Aussie Tim and Mark Davis. Both of whom were hit for mighty sixes of their first balls. Oh.

But Mark also struck in his first over, their more aggressive bowler well caught by Tim Lawrence at fine leg for 41. 61-1 at the end of the 12th.

Then it was time for Aussie Tim to hit his line and length and coming in off his short tun, bowling his extra medium he picked up two wickets in his second over, both bowled, both jaffas. That the second wicket was Warren for a golden duck to follow his aforementioned 125 not out seemed to lift East Meon even further and 62-3 became 62-5 with another double in Tim?s following over with another bowled and another bat caught at fine leg.

At some point amongst this grade-A tip top bowling we were able to revert to type for a brief moment, and in a sequence of events that are regularly seen on the ?what?s the most village thing to happen this weekend? twitter accounts, their batsman turned the ball straight to Tim L at fine leg and set off for a single. The return was less accurate than the bowling had been and was high and wide to Mooro, who, with his back to the two batsman (both of whom were now at the non-strikers end) attempted to throw the stumps down from all of three yards. Missed. Your correspondent now sprinted around from mid-wicket to find the ball in the rough 10 yards behind the stumps and still, with hours to play with, managed to hurl the ball back high and wide of the keeper for a splendid dot.

However, apart from reminding ourselves of our humble village roots, it wasn?t an expensive miss. Tim and Mark continued to bowl well and tightly, and with their opened now deciding to block everything it looked like we might need a chisel to prize him out. Two more Tim overs passed by before finally the golden arm struck, dismissing their opener LBW for his 5th wicket and huge celebrations on the field ? including Paris? sprint from the boundary to jump into her dad?s arms? a very touching moment.

But there was still a match to win and so Tim was taken off with figures of 5-16 and the score on 78-6 and Wayne came on. In keeping with Mark and Tim his first ball was dispatched for a huge six before he picked up his first wicket having their number 7 LBW for 14.

Nick Sole came on at the other end and despite bowling appalling dross in an 8 ball over, managed to bowl their number 8 and 9 to end up with 2-4 before Wayne came in for his second over, bowled their number 11 and ended up with figures of 2-9.

East Meon had won.

We had been 12-4 and 27-5 and they had been 61-0 yet we?d made 166 and they were all out for 85. Make of that what you will.

But what is undoubtedly true is that Chris Moor and Tim Lawrence produced masterful performances, after the dropped catch disasters of the week before the fielding was impeccable and it was a great match to win. Well done team.