A strong and positive Buckhorn side took to the field against the renowned and confident Stalbridge u13’s.

Unbeaten side vs. unbeaten side.

Buckhorn bowled well and stuck at it in the field. Sam Godfrey, John Cooper and Alistair Johnson all kept to line and length against some aggressive batting. Everyone got their body behind the ball in the field and showed great bravery and focus. The Stalbridge total of 139 for 3 could have been a lot more.

Buckhorns innings started very well and upto the 5th over was on track with Alistair Johnson (19), John Cooper (14) and Grady Crittal (12) all showing real application and playing some great shots. But after that the innings slowed down under the pressure of tight bowling and wickets fell as runs were chased. WIth Buckhorn closing after 16 overs on 70 for 7. A total that did not reflect the match that Buckhorn played.

Well done the u13’s!

Huge totals aren’t always needed for the most exciting games.   With less than 100 runs scored in total, but 1 run/1 wicket needed for either side to win as the light faded, it was a riveting match.

BWCC won the toss and confidently decided to field.  This proved a good decision with Blandford A bowled out for 41.  The opening bowlers were excellent, with Cooper taking 1 for 3 from 4 overs, including 2 maidens, and Godfrey 3 for 10 from 4 overs – with all 3 wickets coming in one over.  Munday and Paterson bowled the other 8 overs tightly and were both unlucky not to get wickets.

But the BWCC batting was another matter. The shape of things to come was set with the first ball of the innings when Godfrey holed out to Mid Off – a Platinum Duck I believe!  Things never not going, with Extras easily being the top scorer. Johnson (8), Dodd (4) and Munday (1) were the only batsmen to score.  On the positive side, the latter batsmen stuck at it and quickly realised that not getting out was the primary objective.

A very tight win.

Back to the nets!

The Sunday 1st XI made it 3 wins in 3 for the club on Sunday with a comfortable, yet messy, win over local Dorset League side Stalbridge. The 1st XI took advantage of the form of the club’s youth set-up, taking several players from the U15 side to form their match-winning team.

Buckhorn bowled first and the standout performances with the ball came from Harry Woolway, who bowled 8 overs with good control and nice shape; and Adam Beetham, who bowled an accurate line and length that tested the batters on a challenging wicket. The bowling performance was, however, plagued with early season errors, with the team bowling 65 extras!!!! Meaning Stalbridge made only 97 off the bat to produce a total of 162 a/o.

The batting effort was more polished and professional. Club coach Charlie Esson and stalwart Simon B opened the batting for Buckhorn and made a solid and assured start, however after a few 6s Simon B (29) fell with 91 runs required. Debutant Alex Corbett was next in, but only managed a few runs, before falling foul of the sticky Buckhorn wicket. This brought together the match-winning partnership of skipper Adam B and Charlie. Charlie batted with ease on a difficult wicket, producing some aesthetically pleasing strokeplay. Adam B, however, played in a more ‘Gayle-esque’ fashion, getting himself in by patting away his first few deliveries; then unleashing a torrent of willow on the Stalbridge bowlers. Charlie went past 50 comfortably and on 71 finally fell victim to the Stalbridge attack. However, by this stage Adam B (47*) was well in control and saw the side home with a few towering sixes back over the bowler’s head. Cortland Taylor (1*) eventually put Buckhorn over the line, hitting the winning runs in the 33rd over.

It was a much needed warm up for Buckhorn, despite the sub-zero temperatures; and showed the rustiness of Buckhorn’s bowlers (*Charlie Leach*). But the performances from the U15s were exceptional and a credit to the youth set-up at the club. Therefore, special mention must go to: Tom Dunn, Jemma Beetham, Zach Wheeler and Harry Woolway, the U15s who set a high standard for the others to follow.

Result: Stalbridge: 162 a/o – BWCC 163/5
BWCC win by 5 wickets

Team: Adam B*, Simon B, Jemma B, Theo B, Alex C, Simon D, Tom D, Charlie E, Charlie L, Cortland T, Harry W, Zach W

The BWCC u13 team had a convincing win against Milton Abbas on Tuesday 23rd April. All the better as it was a double-header League and Cup match.

Batting first, BWCC made 88 for 3 from 15 overs, with John Cooper and Alistair Johnson contributing over 60 runs between them.  In reply Milton Abbas made only 39 for 4 from their 15 overs.

A good strong team effort and a great way to start the season.