Sunday 3rd July 2011: Buckhorn Weston CC v Compton House CC (away) Three Counties League

‘Wayman smashes maiden league ton to see Buckhorn to victory’

The day was set to be a scorcher at Compton House CC and Buckhorn were hoping to carry on their pursuit of the title as they had at Plush – with a resounding win.  Adam lost the toss and Buckhorn were set the task of bowling out Compton.  The pitch looked worn and very dry, and played that way.  George Ovenden and Daffy took the new ball, in very hot conditions, and started well. Compton is a very small, yet picturesque, ground and the boundaries reflect this as they are no more than 40-50 yards, with the shortest being about 30 yards.  Bearing this in mind both openers bowled very tight opening spells, whilst also trying to attack and get the batsmen to play.  Daffy toiled from one end, getting the ball to move about off the wicket, whilst George combated the heat and his Summer Ball hangover to complete his first 4 overs.  Daffy struck first, but ‘took a blow’ soon after and Adam B and Simon B were introduced.  Adam B bowled well from the top end, bowling an attacking line, whilst Simon B tried to find a line and length from the other.  Simon got the next breakthrough and Adam made another soon after.  Meanwhile, Sowerby (an occasional Buckhorn ‘ringer’) was plundering runs from the other end and went past 50.  The real breakthroughs for Buckhorn came with the introduction of the Chinnocks (Max and Harvey).  Max (Buckhorn U13 captain) bowled very well in his first senior league match, picking up Sowerby’s wicket after drinks and then clean bowling Compton’s No 5 bat.  Harvey was having less fun at the other end, but still bowled well, as Compton’s No 7 blazed a quick 60 to take Compton into a much healthier position – and emphasise how small the boundaries were.  Harvey finished with 2/34, whilst Max got 2/27, showing that Buckhorn’s youth system is producing some talent.  Daffy and George Ovenden (another product of Buckhorn’s ever-improving youth system) completed the innings, wrapping up the innings in good fashion, each getting some wickets and giving Buckhorn some momentum.  Daffy concluded with figures of 2/38 and George’s work was fruitless but respectable, as he returned 0/36 from 7.  Buckhorn was set 222 by Compton, a higher score than was anticipated; but more than gettable given the size of the ground.

Simon B and George Wayman opened the innings and it was a return to standard practice, as Simon stood at one end watching George smash the bowling to all parts of the ground.  In all he hit 16 fours and 11 sixes in a match-winning innings of 140.  George’s demise came rather abruptly in the 13^th over as he was given LBW to the same bowler he’d hit for four 6s in a row a few overs before.  George left the fray with the score at 175/1 in the 13^th over, leaving the rest of the team 47 runs to get in 27 overs! Adam B was in at 3 and he and Simon B shared a short partnership before Adam suffered the same fate as George, when sharply given LBW for 3.  George Jones was next man to the crease and he got off the mark with a well timed 3, before seeing Simon B give his wicket away [again] for 59.  George Jones was out soon after Simon B, which left Courtland Taylor and Simon Dodd the task of seeing Buckhorn home.  They did so with consummate ease, giving Buckhorn a 6 wicket victory, thanks in no small part to the brutal performance of George Wayman.

Buckhorn get 29 points from that game, seeing them move into 1^st place for the first time this season and gives them a good chance of taking the title home for the 3^rd year running; however there’s still 4 games left.