11-07-2009 - Away - TVL - Marlow Park vs Finch

Scratch 4th XI claim honourable draw

Finch IV’s at least fielded 11 men this week, even though 2 were the big-hearted juniors Josh Lincoln and Max Stevenson.

On a two-paced wicket at Marlow, Cap’n Bob was invited to field and their two inelegant, if effective openers soon feasted on the full-toss diet from an out-of-sorts Nick Davey. Daniel Foster kept it tight from the river end, however the first 50 came up in some 7 overs.

With spilt catches  and erratic fielding hardly supporting the toiling Finch attack, it was left to the effective inswing and seam movement of newcomer Andy Stevenson combined with the steady but accurate darts of Mike Simmonite to try to restrict the Marlow Park batters. The MP captain claimed a rare 50, having been provided several lives, and left-handed Hawkins somehow managed his season’s first 50.

The daunting target of 261 was never made easy for the Finch team, however defensive bowling and an unnecessary surplus of personal abuse and sledging made things doubly difficult. (Special mention here to MP opener Harris, who set a disgraceful example to his younger team-mates).  A second-wicket partnership of 126 between Cap’n Bob and yours truly seemed likely to frustrate the MP team, who scarcely deserved even the 6 wickets they eventually attained. The sight of an indomitable Neil Hobbs (interestingly, nobody sledged him, clearly size does matter sometimes) and the diminutive but cool-headed Josh Lincoln repelling the MP opening bowler in the final over will live long in the memory - an honourable, if ill-tempered draw.

Statistics

Marlow Park won the toss and elected to bat
Result	Draw
Score
Finchampstead CC Scored 176 for 6 in 52
Marlow Park Scored 261 for 5 in 48

Player Performance - Batsmen

Player	How out	Runs	Catch	Stump
Bob Osler	Caught	68	0	0
Scott Osler	Caught	5	0	0
Nick Davey	Bowled	4	0	0
Josh Lincoln	Not Out	0	0	0
Kevin Ramskir	Bowled	49	0	0
Michael Simmonite	Caught	8	0	0
Neil Hobbs	Not Out	8	0	0
Malcom Blogg	Caught	8	0	0

Player Performance - Bowlers

Player	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Bob Osler	5	0	25	0
Nick Davey	4	0	37	0
Michael Simmonite	8	2	37	2
Daniel Foster	15	3	59	2
Andrew Stevenson	12	3	48	1