Shepherds Bush COCKSPUR CUP v UXBRIDGE CRICKET CLUB SUN 1st XI on Sun 04 May 2008 at 1.00
UXBRIDGE CRICKET CLUB Won by 7 wickets
Full scorecard on play-cricket.com
A comprehensive seven wicket victory over Shepherds Bush in the Cockspur Cup saw Uxbridge’s competitive campaign for 2008 get off to a flying start.
A fine all-round bowling and fielding display that left the home side with a total of just 87 to defend, coupled with a bludgeoning 45 from opener Tony Stephens, saw Uxbridge finish the tie off before tea.
A pre-season that saw all but one fixture fall foul to the April showers was far from ideal preparation for Uxbridge. The first round tie pitted the Park Road side against a team whose form the previous season contrasted significantly to that of Uxbridge’s, as Shepherds Bush narrowly missed out on promotion from the Middlesex County Cricket League Division 2 when Uxbridge suffered the ignominy of a second successive relegation down to the third tier.
Winning the toss, newly-elected captain Andy Stephens decided that Uxbridge would bowl on a wicket that had not completely recovered from the mid-week downpours. With such little pre-season practice Uxbridge openers Gareth Stoneman and Steven Wright hit their lines and lengths relatively quickly, with just the odd loose delivery being tucked away during the opening exchanges.
With danger always evident for the batsmen on a slow, swinging wicket the Bush batsmen tried to force the proceedings, playing expansive drives that led to a flurry of wickets once the first had fallen in the fifth over, Austin Ambrose taking a simple catch at cover when Tim Howard (4) played a loose drive off Stoneman.
Two further wickets fell to the same bowler in the seventh as first the captain Edward Reynolds (2) top edged a strike across the line to Waheed Safi at square leg, soon followed by former Uxbridge man Alge Corbin who fell for a duck as an attempted drive out the ground failed and fell gratefully into the hands of Paolo Vasco at mid-on.
Wickets in successive overs for Wright then followed as he clean bowled Sam Dishon for 0 and D Terblanche was caught behind for just 8, leaving the hosts reeling at 32 for five from the opening 10 overs.
But Uxbridge could not break the pairing of opener Michael Padbury (36) and Ernest Marc (17) who stood firm in a stand of 39, but more importantly survived for 10.3 overs to add a degree of respectability to the total. Ryan Connor worked hard and had Padbury caught to give Ambrose a second catch in the match, following up with wickets in successive deliveries in the 24th over as he looked to finish the innings with a hat-trick, but it was not to be and it was left to a pin-point throw by Wright to run out Neil Dyment and close the innings.
A solid start was all that was required to the Uxbridge reply to ease their own nerves and suck the fight out of the opposition. Tony Stephens and Preetinder Singh (17) offered just that, moulding a partnership of 27 from nine overs to remove any jitters. Ambrose was solid for his 19 once Singh had departed and acted as a foil for Tony Stephens, who mixed eloquent drives with vicious clubs over the in-field to send Uxbridge to victory in just 22 overs.
Shepherds Bush COCKSPUR CUP Batting
87 for 10
UXBRIDGE CRICKET CLUB SUN 1st XI Bowling
UXBRIDGE CRICKET CLUB SUN 1st XI Batting
88 for 3
Shepherds Bush COCKSPUR CUP Bowling
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Umpire :
Panel
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Scorer :
Jon Bitmead