Wednesday 27 April 2011

Match report for Camberley Sunday 1st XI v Riverside, 24/4/2011.

Burns burns Riverside.

Daniel Burns produced a superb all-round display as Camberley outclassed Riverside on Sunday.
The overseas pro returned figures of 8-5-7-3, then followed up his bowling with a quickfire 43 not out off 21 balls as Camberley comfortably chased down the visitors' total of 108 all out.
In a match that had a very relaxed feel from start to finish, the visitors won the toss and batted first. This enabled under-14 Dan Wakeling to get straight into the action on his senior debut, and the left-arm seamer didn't disappoint, returning figures of 5-2-19-1.
Fellow opener Chris Pike also took one-for-19 off five, before leg-spinner Jordan Gibbs combined with slow left-armer Burns to tie down the Riverside middle-order. Gibbs bowled some typically magical deliveries on his way to 8-0-28-0, but it was Burns who starred, bowling consistently good areas to restrict the visitors' shaky batting.
Dom Peter and Steve Hulks also took advantage of the situation, Hulks taking a wicket with his first ball on his way to 4-2-6-2, while Peter spun his way to 3.1-0-14-3, including the final wicket caught behind by Ollie Pollard - his third dismissal of the innings.
In reply, George Crowdy partnered Mark Dawes at the top of the innings, and both looked in good touch until Crowdy was bowled by N Sarwar for 24, with the score on 61. Needing just a further 48 runs for victory, Australian Burns didn't waste time in setting about the Riverside attack, hitting four fours and a six as he dominated the partnership with Dawes.
With the winning line in sight, Dawes tried to end the game in style, but was well caught by T Majid on the deep mid-wicket boundary for 29, allowing captain Sam Holmes to enter the fray for the last few balls.
Fittingly, it was Burns who struck the winning runs, capping a flawless display which also featured a sharp catch at slip for Hulks' second wicket.
It was a game that was only ever going to produce one outcome, but the convincing nature of Camberley's win bodes well for the rest of the season.

Monday 25 April 2011

Match report for Camberley 2nd XI at Normandy, 23/4/2011.

Camberley struggle to pre-season defeat.

INCONSISTENCY in every aspect of the game was the catalyst for Camberley's 63-run loss to Normandy on Saturday.
Chris Pike took three wickets but bowled too many loose deliveries, while Phil West took two as the hosts totalled 253-5 off their 45 overs, including a century for Peter Wellings.
In reply, West got Camberley off to a flyer, but the innings quickly became bogged down, with no-one other than the Camberley captain making a meaningful contribution until James Reeves played a sparkling innings towards the end.
With the sun beating down and the track looking flat, it was Normandy who won an important toss and batted first in favourable conditions. Both Pike and fellow opener Sean Clamp struggled to find consistently good areas, generally offering up at least one four ball per over.
With the score rolling along at a healthy rate, Pike did manage to snare two quick wickets, both of which clipped off stump, but Normandy continued to attack. Left-handed opening batsman Simon Carter breezed past 50 and looked set for a big score before West had him caught behind for 56.
Andrew McPherson added 44 before being Pike's third victim, but it was Wellings who held the innings together, and he completed his hundred in the final over.
Mac Syed's bowling was possibly the most impressive, as he showed good control of areas on a pitch conducive to turn. He bowled better than his figures of 5-0-32-0 suggested, as they were scewed by the batsmen looking to score off every ball in the last few overs. One particular instance saw Mark Prosser get off the mark with an enormous six straight down the ground just after West trapped Rick Mansell LBW.
In reply, last week's stand-out performer George Crowdy was joined at the top of the order by West, and the two went about the run chase in rather differing styles. The technical crowdy was happy to remain watchful while the powerful West hammered the ball to all parts. Ironically, West's best shot was one that he didn't try to hit too hard; a glorious cover drive that raced away for four.
Sadly, Crowdy couldn't repeat his innings of last week, as he misjudged one of his trademark pull shots and dragged on to his stumps with the score on 48. Dom Peter, making his first appearance of the season, came in at three, but found it difficult to get into a scoring rhythm, facing 40 balls before being well caught and bowled by youngster Chris Jones for nine.
The second wicket fell with the score on 81, and the fact that Peter and Crowdy had contributed just 13 between them clearly showed how much Camberley were relying on West to remain in the contest. So when he holed out four runs later for 58, the visitors' innings was in danger of grinding to a halt.
Syed had only just got going when he was trapped LBW by a suspicious-looking quicker delivery by off-spinner Jones for four, then both Ollie Pollard and Scott Reeves were dismissed in the same over as Camberley disintegrated to 99-6.
Steve Hulks continued his impressive start to the season with the bat as he and Sam Holmes made a brief recovery, Hulks hitting five fours before being caught at mid on for 22. Then when Holmes was superbly caught at slip off Sam Wade's bowling, the end seemed nigh.
Still 121 runs short of the victory target when Pike joined James Reeves at the end of the 31st over, most would have predicted an end within ten minutes, but there followed an extraordinary partnership which reached 57 with six overs to go. Sixty-four runs were still needed for the win, but the nature of Reeves' innings meant there was an outside chance.
Amazingly, Pike contributed just one run, as Reeves bludgeoned the ball repeatedly towards long-on and deep mid-wicket on his way to 55 not out off 44 deliveries, including four fours and three sixes.
Sadly, there followed a calamitous run out which spelt the end for Pike, who had defended admirably up to that point, and when Clamp was caught at slip two balls later, the game was over.
With just one more friendly left until the start of the league season, the game highlighted key areas which Camberley need to improve on if they're to build a serious title challange.
The bowling was worryingly inconsistent, with next to no pressure built up at any point. This was backed up by a lacklustre display in the field, with fielders repeatedly diving over or under the ball resulting in many boundaries.
With the bat, the reliance on just one or two players was made clear for all to see. Against Cove last week, the high total of 289-9 and ease of victory glossed over the fact that, aside from Crowdy and Hulks, James Reeves' 24 was the only score above 14.
Against Normandy, with the exception of West, the entire top order spectacularly failed as a unit, and, had it not been for Reeves' late barrage, the defeat would have been considerably heavier.
Obviously as players play more games they'll find their form, but a side cannot rely on just one or two big scores per week and expect to mount a successful campaign.
Leatherhead next week offers the final chance for Camberley to iron-out their performance before the league starts on the 7th of May.

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Match report for Camberley 2nd XI v Cove, 16/4/2011.

The crowds go wild for George.

GEORGE CROWDY started the season in magnificent style as his maiden century inspired Camberley to a 147-run victory against Cove on Saturday.
Crowdy, who hit 104 off 110 balls, looked imperious throughout, pouncing on anything short or angling in on his pads with devastating effect. An innings full of superb strokeplay and timing only ended in the 40th over as he looked to up the run-rate with five overs to go.
Steve Hulks also made an attractive 69, putting on 130 for the fourth wicket with Crowdy. Hulks showed an increased level of maturity in his innings as both batsmen took advantage of some poor fielding, with easy singles and twos available almost every delivery.
In reply, Lloyd Morris struck with the fourth ball of the innings, and that set the tone as wickets fell at regular intervals as Cove limped to a heavy defeat. There were four wickets for Chris Pike, three for Phil West, and one for Morris and Jordan Gibbs, as well as a run out.
The day had started with a rather rusty warm-up, however that was long forgotten as Crowdy and James Reeves set about the Cove attack. They began in watchful manner, taking singles here and there, until Reeves crunched one opener back over his head into the trees, shortly before creaming the other opener twice through the covers for four. The partnership had reached 48 when Reeves was bowled by a good delivery from Spellman for 24.
James Harrison came in at three and looked in good touch before being adjudged lbw for 12, then Mac Syed played a short but sweet knock of the same score before smashing a drive straight to cover. Syed's departure brought Hulks to the crease at 98-3, and, given that his warm up was dire, one could have been forgiven for thinking his stay at the crease would have been short-lived. But he proved all his critics, most notably himself, wrong, as he combined brute force with a lot of skill and patience. He complimented a long six and plenty of fours with some good timing and placement, taking singles off the majority of balls he faced, before being bowled in the 36th over.
But while Hulks fell short of three figures, Crowdy was not to be denied. He cruised past his previous best score of 77, and while his dad nervously watched on from the boundary, the 17-year-old showed no signs of nerves, dispatching two fours through the leg side to move from 90 to 98.
With the magic mark within touching distance, Crowdy punched one into the leg side and took the single. But, not for the first time, there was a misfield to which Tom Green was alert, and he turned for the second run, allowing Crowdy to come back for a very well-deserved hundred.
The achievement was met by cheers from everyone associated with Camberley, and Crowdy followed up the milestone with possibly his best shot of the innings, piling into a cover drive that left captain West saying, "God, he hit that harder than me."
Looking to score off every delivery led to Crowdy being bowled shortly after, but it didn't detract from a wonderfully constructed innings that proved to be the cornerstone of Camberley's eventual total of 289-9.
With half the job done, West emphasised the need to complete the job in the necessary way, and Morris clearly took heed of his captain's teamtalk by having Loubes caught behind with his fourth delivery. Pike also took an early wicket, when Gudge mistimed a drive to Hulks at point, but struggled to find his rhythm and was replaced in the eighth over by West. The off-spinner changed his pace well and bowled a typically economical spell of 9-3-16-3, taking wickets at regular intervals.
Morris' dangerous opening spell was ended when Gibbs was brought into the attack, and the leg-spinner showed what an enigmatic bowler he is, following a waist-high full toss with a ripper that spun from leg stump to well outside off. Gibbs' deserved wicket came about due to a superb catch from Syed at cover, who leapt and took the catch one-handed above his head.
Those wickets plus a run out from Pike meant Cove were 75-7, and a quick finish looked likely. A quickfire 49 from number nine Steve Lynch put a slight halt on proceedings as he bludgeoned the ball to all parts until he was dismissed by Pike, thanks to a very good catch from Reeves behind the stumps.
Pike then completed the job with the final two wickets, both of which cleaned up off-stump, to finish with figures of 4.2-0-28-4. It completed a very satisfactory day for Camberley, who will hope to build on the performance against Normandy on Saturday 23rd.
With many people due to be inline for selection, competition for places will be intense, but one man will be assured of his spot at the top of the order. The day belonged to Crowdy, and if he can replicate this performance throughout the season, Camberley will be tough to beat.