1st XI Match Report 2004 | Cobham Avorians Cricket Club

First XI Match Reports 2004

28th August 2004 Guidford (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

After so much rain during the week it took a lot of work by Groundsman John Lane to get this game on.

Following a recent poor run, relegation was no longer in the Avorians own hands. Only a win would be sufficient and this still relied on Banstead not gaining maximum points.

It was of course a very wet wicket and the toss was going to be all important. After a delayed start the Avorians lost the toss for the 5th week in a row and were stuck in to bat.

It was very hard going and when to A's slipped to 68 for 6 any chance of a win seemed to have gone.

Porter and Hilton moved the score on to 111 and a competitive score looked possible. Hilton was removed and the remaining wickets fell quickly. The score of 128 was going to be no easy task for Guildford on a wicket that had barely improved since the start.

Both Guildford openers went for ducks and suddenly 128 looked a long way away. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals until Young and Saker steadied the ship. They had moved Guildford to within sight of the finish line when Young was brilliantly run out by Jamie Lawrence.

A couple more wickets fell and 12 runs were still required with the last pair at the wicket.

It was a tense time but they held their nerve to steer Guildford to victory. Andy Umpleby took another 5 wickets to end an excellent season with bat and ball.

An exciting match to finish the season but the result was academic. Banstead won so the Avorians joined Guildford in relegation.

21st August 2004 Wimbledon (Away) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

With recent mixed weather the pitch at Wimbledon was always going to favour the side batting second. The Avorians for the fourth week running lost the toss and were asked to bat first.

In spite of the new ball moving around a solid start was made and after 15 overs the score was 30 without loss. Slower bowlers were brought into the attack and wickets began to tumble. It proved difficult to build partnerships and by lunch the Avorians had slipped to 95 for 8. O'Brien offered the most resistance but fell just before lunch.

20 more runs were added after lunch but 115 was well below par.

Early wickets were badly needed but they did not materialise. J wileman decided attack was the best option and scored a quick fire 75. Two wickets fell but the target was reached in just 18 overs leaving the Avorians in deep trouble.

Only a win next week and Banstead failing to take maximum points can save the A's.

14th August 2004 Weybridge (Away) - David "DJ" Umpleby - Acting Captain A's First XI

A’s lost the toss and were put into bat on a pitch that always threatened to offer more to the bowling side. However, despite the loss of an early wicket, we managed to put together a good platform – with Matt Sully and Ian McCarter scoring freely. The loss of McCarter brought OB to the crease who is experiencing a rich vain of form at the moment. After his 70 last week OB put together another important knock before being dismissed for 64. OB’s dismissal made way for an all to familiar middle order collapse and despite strong resistance from Jon Winslade and Jamie Lawrence the A’s were only able to reach a score of 198 – a target that looked very gettable on a hardening wicket.

Weybridge got off to a strong start scoring easily at 5 an over. Nevertheless, the As remained patient and were rewarded with their persistence with a couple of quick wickets from A Umpleby, leaving the opposition precariously placed at 80-3. The wicket continued to offer hope for the bowlers and at tea Weybridge were four down and the match was for the taking. It was crucial that we got a breakthrough after the interval but unfortunately never came. We failed to create any chances, despite bowling a good line and length, and Church and Porter began to impress themselves on the game. Both scored tidy half centuries which eased Weybridge to victory in the end. The A’s are now face a must win battle against Wimbledon next week

7th August 2004 Esher (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

No report available

31st July 2004 Spencer (Away) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

With the Sun out and a flat looking track Spencer elected to bat first. With a depleted side through injury and other distractions it was always going to be difficult to keep Spencer to a reasonable score. The bowlers toiled hard but Rizla took the game away from the Avorians with a quick fire 123. Several chances were missed which proved costly. Mohammed chipped in with 51 and Spencer closed on 336 for 6 in 62 overs.

In reply, with a change of personnel opening the batting the usual explosive start did materialize. A couple of wickets fell but runs were flowing and the A's first instinct to attack was difficult to control. Poor shot selection caused the demise of most of the middle order. The last couple of wickets tried to hold out for the draw but persistence from Spencer paid off. The Avorians were bowled out for 177 with the only sizable contribution coming from Graham Crawford who made an excellent 71.

A local derby with Esher next week will now be crucial in the battle for Premier league survival.

24th July 2004 Banstead (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

Poor availability has been a real issue for the Avorians this season. The last two weeks has seen the team at full strength and the results speak for themselves.

After a poor performance and loss against Banstead three weeks ago a change in tactics was required. The Avorians elected to bat on a wicket that looked to a good one.

There was more early movement than was expected and the ball went past the bat on several occasions, however the Avorians opening partnership soon took control.

Both Paul Prichard and David Umpleby looked well set and by lunch the score was 170 for 0.

With this sort of platform a big score looked likely. Prichard fell just after lunch for 94 but Umpleby went on to make 114.

Ian McCarter made a quick fire 47 as the score passed 300. With the league positions as they were the Avorians decided to set Banstead a very tough target and went on to reach 357 for 5 in 65 overs.

With David Ward at the top of the batting order anything was possible and the away side made a positive start.

A couple of wicket fell before tea which put the A’s in control and when Ward fell in the first over after tea a home win looked the most likely outcome.

Banstead battled hard but were eventually all out for 148 in 48 overs. Cliff Hill had his best return of the season with 4 for 35 while Andy Umpleby and Aaron O’Brien took 3 apiece. Stand in wicket keeper Mark Porter took 5 catches in this important relegation battle.

The Avorians moved up to 5th requiring another win or two to secure their Premier League status.

17th July 2004 Reigate Priory (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

On a wet wicket it was an easy decision for the Avorians to bat first when they won the toss. An under strength Reigate side were going to be up against it in spite of a recent poor run by the home side.

An early wicket fell brining Ecclestone to the crease. He made tough condition look easy with some powerful hitting. When he fell for 42 the stuffing seemed to be knocked out of Reigate who were bowled out for 142 in 43 overs. Andy Umpleby yet again did most of the damage with 6 for 57 with Stevie Munday making an important contribution with 2 wickets in his first over.

Defending a small total the Reigate bowlers made it very difficult to score and when the first wicket fell with only 1 on the board they sensed an opportunity.

Prichard and O'Brien then consolidated and the runs started to flow. With the score on 62 O'Brien was out and Ian McCarter entered the fray. He started in confident mood and he and Prichard made quick work of the runs required knocking them off in 29 overs.

Prichard finished 70 not out while McCarter was also unbeaten on 48.

A very important win taking the A's out of the relegation zone into 6th.

10th July 2004 Normandy (Away) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

3rd July 2004 - Banstead (Away) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

In a similar match to last week a reasonable performance in the field was followed by a disappointing effort with the bat.

The clouds were again massing overhead and rain seemed likely before the start. It appeared a good toss to win and having done so the Avorians asked Banstead to bat first.

As in previous weeks wickets fell early but Banstead stuck to their task and made steady progress. Scoring was not easy on a slow pitch but it was also hard work for the bowlers.

The overs for Banstead had been reduced to 62 overs and nearing the end they lost their final wicket for 205. Andy Umpleby took yet another 5 wickets and Aaron O'Brien 4.

Having bowled their overs quickly the Avorians had 59 overs to reach the target and with the weather set fair confidence was high.

Soon this confidence looked misplaced as 3 wickets fell early. A partnership between O'Brien and Umpleby was starting to develop and the mood in the camp changed. Unfortunately however O'Brien slipped while playing a short of the back foot dislodging the bails. An unlucky way to loose your wicket and made a successful chase look less likely.

Umpleby was still batting well but was running out of partners. With only one wicket left he went on the attack and was caught on the boundary for 72. The A's were all out for 175 in only 38 overs. An important win for Banstead and another missed opportunity for the Avorians.

26th June 2004 - Malden Wanderers (Away) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

At the start of the day a completed match looked unlikely. With rain falling and a bleak forecast the prospects were not good. Both teams were keen to play and as soon as things brightened up the captains tossed and the match started an hour late.

Cliff Hill made two early break throws and the Avorians saw the chance of a chasing a low total. Usually attacking James Bond came in to bat and started watchfully. Wickets were falling at the other end but he guided the tail to a respectable 207. Bond was out in the last of the allotted 58 overs for 73. Andy Umpleby collected another five wicket in a long spell of aggressive bowling.

With the skies still overcast the Avorians made a steady start before the rain came again and an early tea was taken. After tea in an attempt to get up with the required rate wickets fell to some rash shots. The attack probably went on for too long and soon the Avorians were soon in real trouble.

The innings was wrapped up for just 110 and the A's were left to reflect on a missed opportunity.

19th June 2004 - Spencer (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

After the highs of a record breaking match last week back to the reality of club cricket.

Due to various events and a last minute drop out the Avorians were forced to play with 10 men. This proved to be very costly.

Spencer were asked to bat and made steady progress. With 174 for 3 at lunch and Alex Tudor well set a large score looked likely. A wicket fell straight after lunch and when Tudor was out for 97 the innings slowed. With 419 for 5 in their minds and early declaration was not forthcoming and Spencer batted the full 66 overs ending on 297 for 9

There were four wickets apiece for O'Brien and Umpleby. This missing fielder was a real factor and probably cost 30 or so runs.

Chasing 297 is tough at the best of times but with 10 men looking impossible. The Avorians made a positive start an the threat of Thompson was almost seen off.

Ian McCarter made is first half century for the A's and although wickets were falling all results seemed possible at Tea.

Eventually a win for the Avorians was ruled out but the winning draw total had been passed. With the light fading was brought into the attack and managed to capture the 9th and final wicket with on 3 balls to spare.

An excellent match but the Avorians should have hung on for the 4 points and with a full complement who knows.

12th June 2004 -Guildford (Away) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

Looking at the Guildford pitch it was somewhat of a surprise when the home team won the toss and decided to bowl. 419 runs later it seemed to be an error in judgement.

The innings started at a characteristically frantic pace. The score was moving on at 10 an over for the first 9 overs with Paul Prichard and David Umpleby taking advantage of the excellent pitch and very fast outfield.

Umpleby fell for 35 but Prichard went on to make 100 in just 77 balls. Pritchard eventually fell for 125 with half an hour still left before lunch.

Andy Umpleby and Graham Crawford, once of Guildford steered the A’s through to lunch 3 down with 239 on the board.

Normal service was resumed after lunch and the score rattle along.

Deciding when to declare on such a good pitch was difficult and with 2 players having the chance to get hundreds a few more overs was the decision.

Unfortunately Crawford did not go on to get his ton and was caught on the boundary for a excellent 82. Umpleby however went on to reach 102 not out with some explosive hitting. With last called by the Avorians captain 400 was insight with score on 392. The last over went for 27 and a new league record of 419 for 5 in 61 overs was posted.

A daunting total for Guildford to chase but at first the unlikely looked possible. An excellent start was made but when Townsend when for 25 with 77 on the board the chance had gone. Salmons batted well for 63 but did not go on to make the type of big score that was required.

When the third wicket went down Guildford seemed to decide to shut up shop. With stubborn resistance from Tim Walter and Mapatuna a win for The A’s looked unlikely. A flurry of wickets fell at the end but it was too little too late. Guildford ended on 255 for 8 in 66 overs. O’Brien bagged 5 wickets and Umpleby 3 plus 3 catches.

The A’s were left wondering if they batted too long but a place in the record books was a good conciliation.

Review the latest Surrey Championsip Premier League Tables

5th June 2004 - Wimbledon (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI - Pictures

After being in a strong position only to lose to Weybridge last week it was important to bounce back against 2002 champions Wimbledon.

Cliff Hill won the toss for the third time in a row and asked Wimbledon to bat.

A tight opening spell from Umpleby and Hill made run scoring difficult and wickets soon started to tumble. Wimbledon slumped to 50 for 6 and a short game looked likely. The Avorians comedy fielding then resurfaced and 4 catches were dropped. At lunch the score had moved on to 79 for 6.

Captain Richard Pearson was batting well and runs were added after lunch. A reasonable total looked possible on a wicket with something in it for the bowlers.

Pratt who had been supporting Pearson fell for 21 with the score on 105 and things were soon rapped up. Pearson was caught for 39 and Wimbledon were all out for 124.

A long spell from Umpleby was rewarded with 3 wickets and O'Brien bowled excellently taking 5 for 45.

Chasing a low total is never easy and there was an early scare when McCarter fell with the score on 23. Prichard and O'Brien steered The Avorians to with in sight of the finish and the match was won with a massive six for Umpleby.

Prichard was in great form and scored 66 and The Avorians reached their target with the loss of just 4 wickets.

Another tough test away to Guildford next week but confidence is high with the A's sitting in fourth.

29th May 2004 - Weybridge (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI - Pictures

After a morale boosting win last week, Weybridge was always going to be a different challenge.

The Avorians after winning the toss had the first chance to bowl on a pitch that looked like it would give assistance. This proved to be the case and early break throws were made. Weybridge looked in some trouble when Matt Church was out for 18 with the score at 41 for 3. Woodcock and Porter steadied things and the score was 130 for 3 at lunch. These two pushed on and things looked ominous with the score on 170 for 3. Stevie Munday was brought into the attack and in his first over he had Porter caught for 68.

This was the start of a strong comeback by the A's who dismissed Weybridge for 224. Woodcock ran out of partners and was stranded on a dogged 82. Andy Umpleby again bowled well taking 5 for 71.

By the time the Avorians came to bat the wicket has become easier and 224 looked a gettable target.

In true Avorians style the innings started like it was a 30 over chase not 63. Paul Prichard was playing shots to all parts and a swift victory looked likely. Unfortunately, one big shot too many as he was caught on the boundary for 61 of just 48 balls.

Some excellent catching and some careless batting saw The Avorians turn a very strong position in to a dire one very quickly. Disappointingly the innings closed with the Avorians amassing just 136 runs. There seemed little point in post mortems as the Avorians are unlikely to change their style.

22nd May 2004 - Normandy (Home) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

After an encouraging draw last time out, the Avorians went one better with a convincing win against Normandy.

Following mid week rain the pitch was always going to give assistance to the bowlers early on. After winning the toss Cliff Hill had no hesitation in asking Normandy to bat.

This proved to be a good decision. Early wickets fell and continued to fall leaving Normandy 7 down at lunch.

Top order batsman Elahi had broken down, arriving in time to bat after lunch. It was quite a surprise to the Avorians when the no. 10 batsmen started smashing the ball to all parts. He was eventually out for 50 helping Normandy to a total of 130.

Most of the damage was done by Andy Umpleby who finished with 4 wickets but two run outs helped the Avorians restrict Normandy.

Chasing a small total normally proves to be a nerve jangling experience and when a wicket fell in the 3rd over it looked likely that it was going to be the case.

Fortunately Paul Prichard then took control and took to game away from Normandy. Prichard scored 75 in quick time and Avorians reached their target in just 21 overs for the loss of 3 wickets.

With very tough match against Weybridge at home next week a win was much needed and confidence is high going into this local derby

15th May 2004 - Reigate Priory (Away) - Cliff "Benny" Hill - Captain A's First XI

After no play in the first two matches of the season it was great to get things underway.
It would be a real test playing Reigate Priory who finished second last year.

As usual Captain Cliff Hill lost the toss and was asked to bat. Surprisingly leg spinner Bahatule opened the bowling and preceded to bowl until the end of the innings, 33 over in total. He captured 8 wickets for 94 runs.

Very negative field settings meant a solid but slow start until the first wicket fell with score on 23. This meant Aaron O'Brien joined Paul Prichard at the wicket for his first competitive innings for the Avorians.

These two pushed the score to 52 before Prichard fell for 34. Two more quick wickets fell leaving Avorians on 102 for 4 at Lunch. Andy Umpleby made a valuable 37 and with others chipping in the inning finally ended in the 66th over, the total set was 238. The undoubted star of the show was O'Brien who ended on 110 not out.

A challenging total but with a strong batting line up Reigate would have fancied their chances. They must have been even more confident after dreadful opening bowling from Hill and Umpleby. A combination of nerves and lack of match practice was evident.

O'Brien added some control with the ball but poor fielding meant the score moved on quickly and Reigate always looked in charge. Andy Umpleby was brought back into the attack and struck with his first ball. As often happens 1 wicket changed to whole match. Avorians were lifted and the result no longer looked a certainty. Reigate were edging closer and closer to victory but wickets continued to fall.

Every thing hung on the last over. Reigate needed 10 runs for victory, the Avorians needed 2 wickets. 3 runs were scored off the first two balls then Underwood going for glory was caught on the boundary for a spirited 39.

With 3 balls remaining 3 results were still possible. The final batsman held his nerve and the match was drawn.

Umpleby and O'Brien both ended with four wickets and O'Brien took a catch at slip that is unlikely to be bettered this season.

The Avorians were disappointed not to pick up 13 points but showed a lot of character to come back from what looked like a hopeless situation.

The final scores were Reigate Priory 235-9 in 59.0 overs (t).
Avorians 238-10 in 66.0 overs (b) A O'Brien 110*
Reigate Winning Draw 4pts | Avorians 1 pt.

2003 Review

The club’s 75th season began with the high hopes of all involved for a strong and well balanced looking 1st XI. Australian international Mark Higgs came to the club fresh from a winter averaging 50 for South Australia and all rounder Andy Umpleby joined to spearhead the bowling attack and bolster an already formidable batting line up. There was optimism that a top 4 of Paul Prichard, Matt Daykin, Higgs and Umpleby backed up by a middle order which extended as far as number 10 (or perhaps an engine room which began at number 5?!) might be capable of avoiding the inexplicable Quixotic batting collapses that have blighted recent Avorians league campaigns.

The season started in promising fashion with comfortable wins over newly promoted Honor Oak and Old Emanuel but the expected title challenge stalled early on as commanding positions in the contests at Bank and Farnham were undermined by rain. A four point haul against a stubborn young Sunbury side after Prichard had smashed 133 in leading the As past 300 followed by a lack lustre performance at home against Farncombe, combined to see the club trailing in the wake of early pace setters, Spencer. A hard fought victory over Walton after the home team looked to be cruising to victory set up a pivotal week 9 encounter with the leaders. A spiky contest saw the As in trouble against a fired up David Thompson at 130-7 before recovering to post a competitive total of 190. A high-class display of swing bowling, brought five wickets for Daykin and saw the As home to a comfortable victory and within touching distance of top spot. A surprise second successive defeat for Spencer and a resounding As win at Emanuel saw the club take over as leaders in week 10, a position they would not relinquish.

In a frenetic run in six out of the last 7 results were victories, the sole blemish being another reverse at the hands of a determined Farncombe. Higgs led two furious pursuits of challenging totals beginning at home to Bank where their challenging 248 was knocked off against a decent attack in just 34 overs thanks to his splendid 187 not out. With 330 off Bank in 2003 the men from Roehampton will doubtless be delighted not to be seeing the nuggety Australian next year!

The second run chase had looked an unlikely result after a request by a local newspaper for a photo of Avorians toasting promotion with champagne (despite promotion not having been secured!) was rightly refused with some of the old stagers muttering about “bad karma”. Such thoughts appeared to be vindicated as relegated Whits proceeded to dispatch the As bowling to all parts and, as they set out to chase 270, Prichard was out in the to a wonderful slip catch. Fortunately Higgs and Daykin had other ideas, and thirty one overs later and without further loss both had bludgeoned centuries and the champagne could start flowing in earnest. The season finale against Spencer, just 4 points adrift in second place did not materialise into the close match many had predicted, as an efficient bowling performance on a good pitch reduced the home side to 154 all out and quality fifties by Crawford and Daykin supported by a solid 40 not out from Jon Whyte saw Avorians home to a seven wicket victory and a league winning cushion of 17 points.

The side was incredibly consistent, failing to bowl out the opponents on just three occasions and gaining 5 of its 12 victories whilst batting first. Indeed, the batting was a revelation with the team averaging a remarkable 6 runs an over, largely due to the pyrotechnics at the top of the order by Higgs (1116 at 80, 4 centuries) Prichard (466 runs at 48, two centuries), and Matt Daykin (612 at 47, one century). Further down, Andy Umpleby hit a century in his 392 at 35, Whyte batted resolutely without scoring the weight of runs his application deserved and there were important contributions from Robbie Arthur, Graham Crawford, David Umpleby and Jon Winslade, not to mention the swashbuckling Jeremy Hinds who invariably challenged the likes of Higgs for entertainment and distance!

Daykin was the outstanding bowler delivering almost 200 overs, beating the bat with frustrating frequency and bagging 36 victims. Fellow opener Andy Umpleby got stronger as the season wore on, finishing with 24 wickets, scant reward for his pace and aggression. Captain Cliff Hill completed a formidable trio of seam bowlers, and was back to his feisty best in taking 27 at 15, many with his “mystery ball”. Inevitably Higgs was the workhorse, sending down 292 overs and rewarding his captain’s faith with 45 victims and a handy economy rate of 2.5. On the rare occasions when frontline bowlers faltered, Hinds confirmed his reputation as a reliable partnership breaker taking important scalps in his 13 wickets of fast off spin, whilst the miserly Crawford, who only returned to the fold mid season, helped restrict the opposition to gettable totals, even spinning the odd ball!

A penetrative bowling attack was good incentive for keeper Winslade to return to his best form; his 20 catches and a sprinkling of stumpings being just reward for tidy glove work. The ground fielding, lead by the mercurial Whyte was excellent, though strangely for a team that had won the league in convincing fashion, the outfield catching was inconsistent. Although some stunning catches were taken, there were baffling drops, more often than not greeted with whoops of laughter- such was the team spirit and bond in the side!

A championship is just reward for a team that mixed outstanding individual performances with solid teamwork and a desire to play positive cricket at all times, yet understands the principles of club cricket where team mates play the game for fun, pay a match fee and enjoy a beer or two together after the game. The club extends its congratulations to Spencer, deservingly promoted and commiseration to Honor Oak and Old Whits, the latter which has scored plenty of runs against the As bowling in recent years and will surely be back soon. Thanks go to all the umpires, the opposition scorers (who weren’t always accompanied by an As counterpart!) and to groundsman John Lane who cheerfully produced good cricket wickets that rewarded effort from both batters and bowlers and generally welcomed the opposition as if they were home team players.

And so to 2004 when Avorians look forward to playing competitive cricket in the Premier division and to making new friends.

Cliff 'Benny' Hill, Captain, Avorians 1st XI.

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