Sunday 10 July 2016

Nocton Cricket Club - match report

Nocton CC v Horncastle, July 03rd – League Match

After a narrow victory over Reepham last week, Nocton sailed pretty close to the wind again on Sunday against Horncastle – another team doing well in the league this year. But the main thing is … we won!! For once we won the toss and did what most teams do when they see our soft, unhelpful wickets – we chose to field. Runs were hard to get but Horncastle made steady progress hitting around 10 runs for every wicket that fell. Mikey Atkinson chose to bowl at medium pace while all others used spin as the wicket was turning, albeit slowly. Horncastle’s Gareth Jones hit Dylan for 2 big sixes into the field before he tried it once to be often and was caught by Will Drury alarmingly close to my feet as I was trying to photograph it! Josh Elliot hit a brisk 30 not out making the visitors’ total a respectable 117 all out. All the bowlers chipped in with Dylan taking 3 of the first 4 wickets to fall before swapping places as wicketkeeper with David Franklin.

Nocton’s innings was held together by Dylan who enjoyed a welcome return to form hitting 41 out of an opening stand of 55 with Chris – who only made 5 of them! Mikey and Will Drury batted well again this week each making double figures but wickets continued to fall and when the last pair of Isaac Appleyard and Lee Willford came to the crease Nocton still needed 5 to win. So, which of these tail enders played the hero and hit the winning runs? Neither of them! They both scored 0* and yet we won. Horncastle bowled no fewer than 14 wides and a flurry of wides and other extras meant that the 5 runs for victory were given away by wild bowling! Were we bothered? Not at all – we’d won again. Two narrow victories score 40 points in the league just as surely as 2 big, easy wins – it just leaves your nerves in shreds!

Report and photos by Jonathan Sides

Plate 1 - Dylan looks pained as he looks
 to the boundary. This one went for 6 …

Plate 2 - … but the next was caught on the boundary
by Will Drury, who looks very pleased!

Plate 3 - … the joy and relief of taking a catch…

Plate 4 - … and the misery and gloom of dropping one!

Plate 5 - One of several buzzards enjoying
a “bird’s eye view” of the game

Plate 6 - Club President David Glew poses before the Raffle Draw;
we all thought David had the most “winning” smile

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