1st XI Abberley 49 for 6, Beaudesert 45 all out - Won by 4 wkts
Having waited until after half term for a victory last year, the 1st XI burst into life in the field against Beaudesert and secured a victory in match 2 of the 2008 season. Having lost the toss Abberley had to bowl first on a damp pitch. It was very slow and made batting difficult with the ball turning sharply. Jack and Matt bagged a quick wicket each before Alex came on to twirl away with some more lovely leggies. His diving caught and bowled set the tone for an exemplory fielding display with Max also taking a tumbling catch at slip. Max then came on to bowl three successive wicket maidens and the opposition had been skittled for a mere 45.
However Beaudesert opened with an ace spinner of their own backed up by a sharp wicketkeeper. Abberley teetered to 5-3 with an awful run out in the first over. The ship was once more settled by big Jack who played the shot of the day straight down the ground for 4. However runs were hard to come by and a noisy Beaudesert were applying the pressure round the bat. The board kept ticking over with the odd chip and extra before Arthur and Ed saw us over the line with 4 wickets in hand.
This was a first victory over Beaudesert at cricket since the fixture began a few years ago. If Abberley can continue to take their catches, a promising season beckons.
A warming sun and a gentle breeze welcomed us to Beaudesert. Our hosts batted first and within the opening over they were one wicket down thanks to Nick B. Our captain Wyndham H P. also took a couple of vital wickets. The score crept up gradually and batsmen came and went on a regular basis. Barnaby W. was on top form and ended with a 5 wicket haul. Hugo S. supported him very well with some accurate off-spin and Henry O. rattled the stumps with his medium pace bowling. Oliver P. , in his first match for the 2nd.XI bowled a tidy spell. So we were left with 38 to win. With such a low score to reach it was important not to be complacent. We started cautiously and unfortunately lost two early wickets. Tension grew, runs dried up and the pressure increased. Fegus B. was the only batsman to play himself in and he started to accumulate runs with a number of superb shots. He and Nick B. steadied the ship and despite a ridiculous run-out we won the game quite easily. Having said that, Beaudesert must be commended for their accurate bowling and keen fielding. They showed a very positive spirit. A good result for Abberley but more importantly a number of excellent performances: Barnaby W. with his 5 wickets and Fergus B. with 24 not out were the stars of the show but all the bowlers were good and the ground fielding was secure.
Abberley chose to bat first on a damp track. Our top order struggled against an accurate pace attack and wickets fell at regular intervals. Two top catches from the Beaudesert fielders restrained our middle order and we eventually got bowled out for 80. Our opponents took advantage of short bowling in the initial overs and got away to a start. Our spin attack pegged them back and wickets fell. Two good stumpings and two fine catches were not enough to stop the opposition passing our total for 7 down Godfrey and Parry were the pick of the bowlers sharing two wickets each.
