CHILCOMPTON SPORTS 282-5 UNIVERSITY STAFF 215-9
Chilcompton hosted rivals University Staff hoping to continue their recent good run. Skipper, Futcher, again lost the toss, but was happy enough to bat first on the ‘Chili Road’.
Futcher and Nathan Crocker (28) scored freely enough as the score passed 50 before Crocker succumbed to Kulranta. This welcomed Vice-Captain, Adam Deverill, to the crease, and the scoring rate began to increase. The pair put on 173 in 27 overs before Deverill’s majestic knock of 106 came to an end when he was pinned in front.
The loudest cheer of the day came when James Purchase got off the mark for a season and he eventually departed for 16. A quick fire cameo of 17* from Jared Greenhalgh helped propel Chilcompton forward. The skipper eventually departed on the penultimate ball of the innings, holding out again, this time for 99, as Chilly closed on 281-4.
After a bite to eat, the Uni Staff seemed to be unaware that losing draws ended fifteen years ago. Lauren Bowen Jones (1-28) made the early breakthrough as Kulranta snicked off to the grateful gloves of Hudson, before James Purchase (2-15) removed Manjuanth via the same method. The pick of the bowling was from Scott Yorke, who took 3 for 11 as Chili cantered to victory.
Chili will be pleased to have finished ninety overs with Uni staff after last season’s debacle, and this week travel to Congresbury hoping to remain top of the League.
CHILCOMPTON SPORTS SUNDAY XI 148-3 EASTON COWBOYS 147 all-out
On a drizzly afternoon, Chilcompton arrived at the Rose Green Centre to play Easton Cowboys.
After winning the toss and electing to field, Chilcompton set about dismissing the openers in the first ten overs. With no real partnerships forming, Harrison Veale took four wickets for thirteen runs in his eight overs, and Alex Nash took one wicket in his seven overs for nineteen runs. With Miles Hadrill-Warne taking yet another three wickets in his eight overs, Easton Cowboys struggled to 147 all-out, with Josh Rodd (on loan from NCC) snaffling three victims behind the sticks.
After a superb tea, Chilcompton set about chasing the score down in quick fashion, with Nash showing his form, returning with the bat to hit 94 not-out. A very quick-fire 16 from Rory Meek and a scratchy 7 from vice-skipper, Matt Rivers, led to Chilcompton getting over the line with just over seventeen overs to spare to make it three wins out of three for Chilcompton on the bank holiday weekend.
Chilcompton Sunday First XI host Portishead at home on Sunday, 2nd June as they look to make it two wins in a row.
CHILCOMPTON SPORTS 2nds 148 A.O. COALPIT HEATH 3rds 131-9
As Chilcompton Seconds travelled to Coalpit Heath Thirds, the early signs weren’t good. Literally, in fact, as about half the team were barely able to navigate their way to the ground.
The same fate had clearly befallen the groundsman, leaving openers, Mark Colbourne and Adam Marshall, to machete their way through the lush outfield to the middle. They were soon making their way back however, each falling for just ten runs apiece.
That brought DoC Dave Travis and Lord Rob Bath to the crease, who made a much finer fist of battling against a decent pair of opening bowlers and a track riddled with demons. Following Travis fulfilling his season quota of two sixes and Bath putting the ball to all corners of the unforgiving outfield, the pair were clean-bowled for 29 and 26, respectively.
Lambert and Harding’s running between the wickets looked more like Laurel and Hardy and they departed quickly for 5 and 0. While Miles Hadrill and Sean White clearly shared the same idea that flaying at a straight one was the right way to get off the mark, both had their stumps spoiled and headed back to the hutch for ducks.
So it was left to the returning Captain, Monty Burgess (33 not-out) to save the innings, looking somewhat better than his #8 batting position suggested. Joined by the stylish Harvey Hadrill (22) at 96-8, the two showed control and class to ruin a few sets of bowling figures and springboard Chilies back into the game. A final bludgeoning boundary from Clive Christer (4) left the visitors 148 all-out – still looking a little below par despite the poor outfield, disciplined bowling and 5-30 figures of Captain ‘Jack Sparrow’ Carrington.
Opening bowlers, White and Burgess, gave Chillies the start they craved, finding range and rhythm to quickly reduce Coalpit to three down. White’s eight laser-accurate overs were bowled in succession, leaving him with well-earned figures of 2-26. Two of Coalpit’s Williams clan then threatened to take the match away from Chilies, picking off anything loose – very little of which was coming from Christer, conceding a mere 22 from his eight overs.
The committed, athletic fielding of Jordan Harding, George Lambert, Hadrill Junior and Lord Bath also played their part in restricting the scoreboard from racing out of control. With the batsmen now in their thirties, Hadrill Senior was eager to make up for his disappointing duck. He accounted for both – one clean bowled, the other thanks to a spectacular lurching snaffle from Christer – during one of his best spells of bowling for the club, eventually finishing with an excellent 3-16 from his eight.
With that, the runs dried up and the wickets began to tumble. Thanks to Burgess’s best Tin Man impersonation, he bowed out early (1-13 from five) leaving Hadrill the younger (0-28 from four) and Travis to complete the overs, the latter accounting for not one, not two but, yes, threewickets! The pick being the last – cleverly luring the mouthy young batsman out of the crease by bowling a distant wide, leaving Marshall with only half-an-hour or so to complete the stumping. Finishing with figures of 3-21 from seven, the innings petered out, leaving Chilies one wicket short of full bowling points at 131-9.
Winning by seventeen runs, Chilcompton Sports’ Second XI lift to third in the League and welcome bottom-placed Carsons & Mangotsfield Seconds this Saturday, 1st June.