WEEKEND OF 30th August, 2008
Offham 239 for 7 Old Wilsonians' 240 for 7
With impressive victories over RACS and Macknade in their previous two games, Offham continued their determined efforts to stay in Division Five as they entertained Old Wilsonians, the only side in this league with neither the hope of promotion nor the fear of relegation.
The hosts started positively as skipper Graham Razey (10) and Tom Gittings (36) put on 50 for the first wicket at the rate of 4 an over but, when they were dismissed within seven runs of each other, some repair work was needed. This was undertaken, and achieved, by Ben Gittings (58) and Nathan Faulkes (23) who put on 49 before Gittings and Andy Stuart (65 n.o) pushed the score on to 154 for 4. Losing their fifth wicket cheaply Lawrence Bell (26) then helped Stuart put on 81 for the sixth wicket before the innings ended on 238 for 7, Pasan Weeraratne, 3 for 35, being the most successful of the OW bowlers.
Offham then made the perfect start to defending their total by taking an early wicket but the visitors demonstrated their batting in depth as Rakesh Joshi (43), Raul Malik (20), Pasan Weeraratne (52), Calum Steel (33), Jay Yewale (42), Ramakrishna Prabhu (15) and Suminda Balage Don (19 n.o) all played their part in achieving a three wicket victory.
Graham Razey, 4 for 69, did his best to inspire his side to victory but the skipper knows that the only way to guarantee survival is for his side to beat second placed Old Elthamians next week. Anything less, and Offham will have to rely on results elsewhere.
Mike Pike - 31/08/2008
Upchurch 69 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 70 for 4
Ten man Upchurch seemed to be making light of their under strength team as they reached 57 before losing their first wicket. However, some devastating bowling from Paul Kendrick, 5 for 16, and Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 4 for 5, ripped the heart out of their batting as they capitulated to a dismal 69 for 9, the final total making the contributions of P. Danton (40) and P. Collins (17) appear immense.
Old Wilsonians did not find victory as straightforward as they might have imagined as C, Berwick, 3 for 20, did his best to retrieve the situation for the visitors.
But significant, if not major, contributions from Rajesh Subramanian (19) and Barrie Frampton (15) saw them home in the 19 over in a game which had lasted just 40 overs and two balls!
Catford Wanderers 205 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 99
A good all-round team performance enabled Catford Wanderers to coast to a comfortable 106 run victory against Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 as they outplayed the latter in every department of the game.
Batting first the Wanderers scored 205 for 9 from their 40 overs with major contributions coming from Saig (42), Ganesh (63) and Sham (40 n.o) However, the OWs can take some comfort from the bowling performances of Rod Warboys, 4 for 25 and David Pilgrim, 3 for 40.
In reply the Old Wilsonians' innings was a sorry affair with only Subah (28) and Glen Wheeler (15) making any impression as the batting capitulated to an on fire Soulat, who finished with 5 for 5.
WEEKEND OF 23rd August, 2008
Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 250 for 8 Bapchild 196
Some explosive batting from opener Rakesh Joshi (119) enabled Old Wilsonians to reach 250 for 8 after 49 overs, thereby inducing them to declare an over early as they continued their recent good form.
Joshi was helped in a first wicket stand of 83 by Michael Mitchell(17), with Jay Yewale (24) and Pasan Weeraratne (44) also joining him in stands which helped push the score along. However, a manic over then saw them lose three wickets for three runs, Matt Lewis, 3 for 46, being the beneficiary of this suicidal cricket.
At the drinks interval Bapchild had reached 112 for 2 in their reply, one better than the OWs at this stage, albeit having lost one more.wicket. At this juncture Ben Fulton (62) looked more than capable of guiding his side to victory in a high scoring game but his dismissal seemed to indicate that Bapchild's main aim was maximum batting points and avoiding defeat.
They might well have done both but for another remarkable over in which it was Suminda Balage Don's turn to take three wickets as he reduced the visitors to 190 for 8 with three overs remaining. A ninth wicket soon followed and when the resistance of skipper John Heatley (37) was finally broken, the OW's had scraped home with four balls to spare, thereby justifying their declaration.
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 187 Chestfield 189 for 7
In form Rajesh Subramanian (68) was at the centre of the Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 batting performance, whilst Neil Treacher (23), Chris Scott (21) and Jasper Gundry-White (20) all gave valuable support, but a total of 187 can only be described as modest and Chestfield secured a three wicket victory.
That the OWs failed to post a convincing total was due mainly to some tight bowling from J. Whittington, 3 for 23 and S. Lewis, 3 for 42, who served their side well and gave their batsmen a manageable total.
And so it proved as S. Whittam (72), B. Jenkins (27) and B. Moody-Smith (41) made light work of the job in hand. The visiting skipper, Jasper Gundry-White, who had bowled steadily to finish with 5 for 38, was heard to despairingly cry:
“Catches, catches, catches………….they win matches”, which may be another indication of how the OWs had let themselves down!
Nurstead 180 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 173 for 7
Having bowled Nurstead out for 180, Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 failed to reach the required target but they only had themselves to blame as they sustained three run outs with only opening bowler, James Marrable, 2 for 32, causing them any trouble as far as the opposing attack was concerned.
Add to this the fact that the OWs had conceded 15 wides whilst bowling and you will see how close the margin between success and failure can be.
Batting first Nursted relied on Phil. Chapman (49), Jon Beadle (44) and Sam. Walker (25) to score the majority of their runs as opening bowler, Tyrell Dubbery, 4 for 19, caused them some initial problems with David Pilgrim, 3 for 45 and Grahame Nelson, 2 for 35, adding to his excellent work.
For their part the OWs, too, had to rely on three players for their runs as Simon Davies (70), Glen Wheeler (30) and Paul Maxwell (28) did their best to achieve victory but, in the end, Nurstead got home by just seven runs.
Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 144 Belvedere 2 X1 117
Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 won the battle of the top two sides in Division 2b in a game in which the batting of both sides mirrored each other – at one time the OWs were 30 for 5 only for Belvedere to slump to 27 for 6 - to record their second victory of the season against the league leaders. This was their final game of the season but, as a consequnce of Mottingham's victory against Blackheath, they can now get out the champagne and celebrate promotion.
Batting first Old Wilsonians got off to a steady enough start but some fine bowling from Belevedere's Darren Rawlings, who finished with 3 for 22, saw them lose five wickets for 8 runs.
A sixth wicket stand of 66 between Andy Steel (26) and Alex Forbes (22) then saw them to within the three figure mark and some determined batting by Steve Benwell (27 n.o) enabled them to reach 144 which, although modest, was a lot better than at one time looked possible.
For their part Belvedere's reply was far from inspiring as the OW openers, Rod Warboys, 4 for 15, and Tom Sullivan, 2 for 23, had them in all sorts of trouble. At 60 for 9 a resolute stand of 57 between Patrick Franks 35 (n.o) and Jamie Farley (33) restored some pride, but the visitors were not to be denied and triumphed by 27 runs.
“I'm extremely proud of the team. With very limited resources, everyone chipped in”, said the beaming OW skipper, Andy Steel.
Mike Pike
WEEKEND OF 30th August, 2008
Offham 239 for 7 Old Wilsonians' 240 for 7
With impressive victories over RACS and Macknade in their previous two games, Offham continued their determined efforts to stay in Division Five as they entertained Old Wilsonians, the only side in this league with neither the hope of promotion nor the fear of relegation.
The hosts started positively as skipper Graham Razey (10) and Tom Gittings (36) put on 50 for the first wicket at the rate of 4 an over but, when they were dismissed within seven runs of each other, some repair work was needed. This was undertaken, and achieved, by Ben Gittings (58) and Nathan Faulkes (23) who put on 49 before Gittings and Andy Stuart (65 n.o) pushed the score on to 154 for 4. Losing their fifth wicket cheaply Lawrence Bell (26) then helped Stuart put on 81 for the sixth wicket before the innings ended on 238 for 7, Pasan Weeraratne, 3 for 35, being the most successful of the OW bowlers.
Offham then made the perfect start to defending their total by taking an early wicket but the visitors demonstrated their batting in depth as Rakesh Joshi (43), Raul Malik (20), Pasan Weeraratne (52), Calum Steel (33), Jay Yewale (42), Ramakrishna Prabhu (15) and Suminda Balage Don (19 n.o) all played their part in achieving a three wicket victory.
Graham Razey, 4 for 69, did his best to inspire his side to victory but the skipper knows that the only way to guarantee survival is for his side to beat second placed Old Elthamians next week. Anything less, and Offham will have to rely on results elsewhere.
Mike Pike - 31/08/2008
Upchurch 69 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 70 for 4
Ten man Upchurch seemed to be making light of their under strength team as they reached 57 before losing their first wicket. However, some devastating bowling from Paul Kendrick, 5 for 16, and Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 4 for 5, ripped the heart out of their batting as they capitulated to a dismal 69 for 9, the final total making the contributions of P. Danton (40) and P. Collins (17) appear immense.
Old Wilsonians did not find victory as straightforward as they might have imagined as C, Berwick, 3 for 20, did his best to retrieve the situation for the visitors.
But significant, if not major, contributions from Rajesh Subramanian (19) and Barrie Frampton (15) saw them home in the 19 over in a game which had lasted just 40 overs and two balls!
Catford Wanderers 205 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 99
A good all-round team performance enabled Catford Wanderers to coast to a comfortable 106 run victory against Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 as they outplayed the latter in every department of the game.
Batting first the Wanderers scored 205 for 9 from their 40 overs with major contributions coming from Saig (42), Ganesh (63) and Sham (40 n.o) However, the OWs can take some comfort from the bowling performances of Rod Warboys, 4 for 25 and David Pilgrim, 3 for 40.
In reply the Old Wilsonians' innings was a sorry affair with only Subah (28) and Glen Wheeler (15) making any impression as the batting capitulated to an on fire Soulat, who finished with 5 for 5.
WEEKEND OF 23rd August, 2008
Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 250 for 8 Bapchild 196
Some explosive batting from opener Rakesh Joshi (119) enabled Old Wilsonians to reach 250 for 8 after 49 overs, thereby inducing them to declare an over early as they continued their recent good form.
Joshi was helped in a first wicket stand of 83 by Michael Mitchell(17), with Jay Yewale (24) and Pasan Weeraratne (44) also joining him in stands which helped push the score along. However, a manic over then saw them lose three wickets for three runs, Matt Lewis, 3 for 46, being the beneficiary of this suicidal cricket.
At the drinks interval Bapchild had reached 112 for 2 in their reply, one better than the OWs at this stage, albeit having lost one more.wicket. At this juncture Ben Fulton (62) looked more than capable of guiding his side to victory in a high scoring game but his dismissal seemed to indicate that Bapchild's main aim was maximum batting points and avoiding defeat.
They might well have done both but for another remarkable over in which it was Suminda Balage Don's turn to take three wickets as he reduced the visitors to 190 for 8 with three overs remaining. A ninth wicket soon followed and when the resistance of skipper John Heatley (37) was finally broken, the OW's had scraped home with four balls to spare, thereby justifying their declaration.
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 187 Chestfield 189 for 7
In form Rajesh Subramanian (68) was at the centre of the Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 batting performance, whilst Neil Treacher (23), Chris Scott (21) and Jasper Gundry-White (20) all gave valuable support, but a total of 187 can only be described as modest and Chestfield secured a three wicket victory.
That the OWs failed to post a convincing total was due mainly to some tight bowling from J. Whittington, 3 for 23 and S. Lewis, 3 for 42, who served their side well and gave their batsmen a manageable total.
And so it proved as S. Whittam (72), B. Jenkins (27) and B. Moody-Smith (41) made light work of the job in hand. The visiting skipper, Jasper Gundry-White, who had bowled steadily to finish with 5 for 38, was heard to despairingly cry:
“Catches, catches, catches………….they win matches”, which may be another indication of how the OWs had let themselves down!
Nurstead 180 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 173 for 7
Having bowled Nurstead out for 180, Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 failed to reach the required target but they only had themselves to blame as they sustained three run outs with only opening bowler, James Marrable, 2 for 32, causing them any trouble as far as the opposing attack was concerned.
Add to this the fact that the OWs had conceded 15 wides whilst bowling and you will see how close the margin between success and failure can be.
Batting first Nursted relied on Phil. Chapman (49), Jon Beadle (44) and Sam. Walker (25) to score the majority of their runs as opening bowler, Tyrell Dubbery, 4 for 19, caused them some initial problems with David Pilgrim, 3 for 45 and Grahame Nelson, 2 for 35, adding to his excellent work.
For their part the OWs, too, had to rely on three players for their runs as Simon Davies (70), Glen Wheeler (30) and Paul Maxwell (28) did their best to achieve victory but, in the end, Nurstead got home by just seven runs.
Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 144 Belvedere 2 X1 117
Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 won the battle of the top two sides in Division 2b in a game in which the batting of both sides mirrored each other – at one time the OWs were 30 for 5 only for Belvedere to slump to 27 for 6 - to record their second victory of the season against the league leaders. This was their final game of the season but, as a consequnce of Mottingham's victory against Blackheath, they can now get out the champagne and celebrate promotion.
Batting first Old Wilsonians got off to a steady enough start but some fine bowling from Belevedere's Darren Rawlings, who finished with 3 for 22, saw them lose five wickets for 8 runs.
A sixth wicket stand of 66 between Andy Steel (26) and Alex Forbes (22) then saw them to within the three figure mark and some determined batting by Steve Benwell (27 n.o) enabled them to reach 144 which, although modest, was a lot better than at one time looked possible.
For their part Belvedere's reply was far from inspiring as the OW openers, Rod Warboys, 4 for 15, and Tom Sullivan, 2 for 23, had them in all sorts of trouble. At 60 for 9 a resolute stand of 57 between Patrick Franks 35 (n.o) and Jamie Farley (33) restored some pride, but the visitors were not to be denied and triumphed by 27 runs.
“I'm extremely proud of the team. With very limited resources, everyone chipped in”, said the beaming OW skipper, Andy Steel.
Mike Pike
Upchurch 69 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 70 for 4
Ten man Upchurch seemed to be making light of their under strength team as they reached 57 before losing their first wicket. However, some devastating bowling from Paul Kendrick, 5 for 16, and Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 4 for 5, ripped the heart out of their batting as they capitulated to a dismal 69 for 9, the final total making the contributions of P. Danton (40) and P. Collins (17) appear immense.
Old Wilsonians did not find victory as straightforward as they might have imagined as C, Berwick, 3 for 20, did his best to retrieve the situation for the visitors.
But significant, if not major, contributions from Rajesh Subramanian (19) and Barrie Frampton (15) saw them home in the 19 over in a game which had lasted just 40 overs and two balls!
Catford Wanderers 205 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 99
A good all-round team performance enabled Catford Wanderers to coast to a comfortable 106 run victory against Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 as they outplayed the latter in every department of the game.
Batting first the Wanderers scored 205 for 9 from their 40 overs with major contributions coming from Saig (42), Ganesh (63) and Sham (40 n.o) However, the OWs can take some comfort from the bowling performances of Rod Warboys, 4 for 25 and David Pilgrim, 3 for 40.
In reply the Old Wilsonians' innings was a sorry affair with only Subah (28) and Glen Wheeler (15) making any impression as the batting capitulated to an on fire Soulat, who finished with 5 for 5.
WEEKEND OF 23rd August, 2008
Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 250 for 8 Bapchild 196
Some explosive batting from opener Rakesh Joshi (119) enabled Old Wilsonians to reach 250 for 8 after 49 overs, thereby inducing them to declare an over early as they continued their recent good form.
Joshi was helped in a first wicket stand of 83 by Michael Mitchell(17), with Jay Yewale (24) and Pasan Weeraratne (44) also joining him in stands which helped push the score along. However, a manic over then saw them lose three wickets for three runs, Matt Lewis, 3 for 46, being the beneficiary of this suicidal cricket.
At the drinks interval Bapchild had reached 112 for 2 in their reply, one better than the OWs at this stage, albeit having lost one more.wicket. At this juncture Ben Fulton (62) looked more than capable of guiding his side to victory in a high scoring game but his dismissal seemed to indicate that Bapchild's main aim was maximum batting points and avoiding defeat.
They might well have done both but for another remarkable over in which it was Suminda Balage Don's turn to take three wickets as he reduced the visitors to 190 for 8 with three overs remaining. A ninth wicket soon followed and when the resistance of skipper John Heatley (37) was finally broken, the OW's had scraped home with four balls to spare, thereby justifying their declaration.
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 187 Chestfield 189 for 7
In form Rajesh Subramanian (68) was at the centre of the Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 batting performance, whilst Neil Treacher (23), Chris Scott (21) and Jasper Gundry-White (20) all gave valuable support, but a total of 187 can only be described as modest and Chestfield secured a three wicket victory.
That the OWs failed to post a convincing total was due mainly to some tight bowling from J. Whittington, 3 for 23 and S. Lewis, 3 for 42, who served their side well and gave their batsmen a manageable total.
And so it proved as S. Whittam (72), B. Jenkins (27) and B. Moody-Smith (41) made light work of the job in hand. The visiting skipper, Jasper Gundry-White, who had bowled steadily to finish with 5 for 38, was heard to despairingly cry:
“Catches, catches, catches………….they win matches”, which may be another indication of how the OWs had let themselves down!
Nurstead 180 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 173 for 7
Having bowled Nurstead out for 180, Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 failed to reach the required target but they only had themselves to blame as they sustained three run outs with only opening bowler, James Marrable, 2 for 32, causing them any trouble as far as the opposing attack was concerned.
Add to this the fact that the OWs had conceded 15 wides whilst bowling and you will see how close the margin between success and failure can be.
Batting first Nursted relied on Phil. Chapman (49), Jon Beadle (44) and Sam. Walker (25) to score the majority of their runs as opening bowler, Tyrell Dubbery, 4 for 19, caused them some initial problems with David Pilgrim, 3 for 45 and Grahame Nelson, 2 for 35, adding to his excellent work.
For their part the OWs, too, had to rely on three players for their runs as Simon Davies (70), Glen Wheeler (30) and Paul Maxwell (28) did their best to achieve victory but, in the end, Nurstead got home by just seven runs.
Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 144 Belvedere 2 X1 117
Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 won the battle of the top two sides in Division 2b in a game in which the batting of both sides mirrored each other – at one time the OWs were 30 for 5 only for Belvedere to slump to 27 for 6 - to record their second victory of the season against the league leaders. This was their final game of the season but, as a consequnce of Mottingham's victory against Blackheath, they can now get out the champagne and celebrate promotion.
Batting first Old Wilsonians got off to a steady enough start but some fine bowling from Belevedere's Darren Rawlings, who finished with 3 for 22, saw them lose five wickets for 8 runs.
A sixth wicket stand of 66 between Andy Steel (26) and Alex Forbes (22) then saw them to within the three figure mark and some determined batting by Steve Benwell (27 n.o) enabled them to reach 144 which, although modest, was a lot better than at one time looked possible.
For their part Belvedere's reply was far from inspiring as the OW openers, Rod Warboys, 4 for 15, and Tom Sullivan, 2 for 23, had them in all sorts of trouble. At 60 for 9 a resolute stand of 57 between Patrick Franks 35 (n.o) and Jamie Farley (33) restored some pride, but the visitors were not to be denied and triumphed by 27 runs.
“I'm extremely proud of the team. With very limited resources, everyone chipped in”, said the beaming OW skipper, Andy Steel.
Mike Pike
WEEKEND OF 16th August, 2008
Macknade 134 Old Wilsonians 137 for 7
Having bowled Macknade out for 134, and given themselves five extra overs in the process to get the runs, Old Wilsonians found themselves on the verge of defeat as opening bowlers Phil Rowcroft, 4 for 44, and Jamie Rigden, 2 for 38, ripped into their batting to give the visitors an excellent chance of victory.
That they did not do so was due to an unbeaten eighth wicket partnership of 82 between Pasam Weeraratne (83 n.o) and Michael Mitchell (15 n.o) who steered the game back OW's way and to ultimate victory. Weeraratne rode his luck, having been dropped early on and subsequently later on, but, without him, Macknade would almost have certainly returned home with the points.
Earlier Rowcroft (43) had also been the stalwart of the Macknade innings, with only Steve Davenport (21), Lee Ridgen (14), Colin Ireland (15) and Chris Streatfield (11) joining him in the dizzy heights of double figures.
Suminda Balage Don, 2 for 33 and Ollie Lovelock. 3 for 36, had done most of the initial damage to the Macknade innings, and it was that man Mitchell, 3 for 19, who claimed the vital wicket of Rowcroft before mopping up the tail.
Old Wilsonians' 2 x1 224 for 8, Old Colfeians 183 for 8
Needing victory to substantiate their promotion challenge, Old Colfeians had to settle for the wrong end of a draw as Old Wilsonians total of 224 for 8 proved too much for them in their run chase.
The OWs were indebted to Rob McEween (67), Rajesh Subramanian (38), Tom Morley (34), Neil Treacher (25) and Callun Steel (22) for most of their runs and, when Colfeians crawled to 31 for 2 from 15 overs, the scent of victory enveloped their nostrils. However, some positive contributions from Chris Tarrant (44) and Tim Gale (43) gave Colfes a chance of victory before some fine bowling by Laki Kasturiratne, 2 for 19, Jack Peniston, 2 for 27 and Jasper Gundry-White, 2 for 49. halted their progress and turned the game in favour of the visitors, and victory may have been theirs had some vital catches not been dropped.
As skipper Gundry-White put it: “If we had not dropped a couple of catches, things might have turned out differently.”
Old Dunstonians Cuaco 101 Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 102 for 9
In the tightest of finishes, Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 kept their heads to record a single wicket victory against Old Dunstonians Cuaco, which kept their promotions hopes alive in their inaugural season.
An excellent spell of bowling by off-spinner Aaron Steel, 6 for 24, had seen ODCuaco slump after their top four, Laurence Sanders (31), William S anders (13),Philip Kitchingsman (17) and Kevin Morris (10) had laid a solid foundation. However Steel's trickery, and some useful pace bowling from Tom Sullivan, 3 for 18, proved their undoing as they only just managed to struggle over the 100 mark.
However, they found their own bowling heroes in Martin Couch, 3 for 13, Paul Rispoli, 3 for 19 and Cameron Sanders, 2 for 30 as they attempted to defend their small total. But Nick Morley (34) stood firm whilst others capitulated whilst Henry McGeever (16 n.o) was on hand to guide the OWs to victory as things began to get tense.
WEEKEND OF 2nd August, 2008
Addington 194 for 7 Old Wilsonians 137 for 8
Needing to beat ‘top of the table’ Addington to keep their promotion hopes alive, Old Wilsonians failed to provide a consistent batting performance and, in the end, were happy to settle for a draw. Addington, however, ended the game frustrated as they realised that the rear-guard action by the visitors had denied them eight additional points.
Batting first Addington did so in a persistent drizzle which made runs difficult to come by as Mark Rimmer (22) and Neil Miller (34) battled hard to put on 57 for the first wicket. As the conditions improved batting became easier and Lance Roudenko (43) , Neil Scott (21) and Ben Buet (18) pushed the score along before Andy Crowley (17 n.o) and Ross McDermot (17 n,o) took their side within shouting distance of 200.
The Old Wilsonian innings started poorly as they were reduced to 53 for 4, but Pasan Weeraratne (49) gave then a sniff of victory but, upon his dismissal, the best they could hope for was a draw, which they duly achieved thanks to the tenacity of Michael Mitchell (18 n.o)
Neil Scott, 2 for 27, Ross McDermot 2 for 34, Ben Buet 2 for 20 and Sam Cork, 2 for 20, all did their best to snatch victory, but the OWs were not to be denied.
Old Wilsonians’ 2nd X1 191 for 7 Addington 157
A first wicket stand of 87 between Chethan Kamat (63) and Neil Treacher (25) laid a solid foundation to the Old Wilsonian 2nd X1’s innings and in form Rajesh Subramanian (44) increased the pressure on Addington as the OWs went on to finish on 191 for 7. S. Gunner, 4 for 55, did his best to restrict their progress, and the visitors needed to score at just under four an over to achieve victory.
But their cause was not helped when Tom Morley took a superb catch to dismiss their opening bat from the first ball of their reply. However, Simon Tyler (52) tried to restore the balance as Jack Peniston, 4 for 48, and Laki Kasturiratne, 3 for 38 put the OWs into a strong position. Some late resistance from J. Whitcross (36) held them up for a while but they were not to be denied and claimed a three wicket victory.
The OW skipper, Jasper Gundry-White, was understandably delighted and beamed: “Successive victories have raised the morale of the side considerably, and it has also been helped by the emergence of young talent from the lower sides and being able to call on players with 1st X1 experience.”
Blackheath Select X1 126 Old Wilsonians’ 3rd X1 127 for 6
After a slight dip in form of late, Old Wilsonians’ 3rd X1 returned to winning ways with a four wicket win at Blackheath Select X1. Having bowled their hosts out for 126, they gave the latter some hope by losing three wickets for 14 but opener Alex Minnett (39) proved the anchor they needed whilst Joe Winspeare (19) and Chris Scott (19 n,o) finished off the game in style.
The Blackheath innings never gained any sort of momentum with only Andy Wilmore (21, of the early batsmen, showing any sort of form and it was left to brother Simeon, batting at number nine, to show his team mates that there were no demons in the wicket to remain 23 not out at the end.
In the meantime, however, David Pilgrim had weaved his magic leg-spin by taking 4 for 18, with openers Chris Scott and Graham Nelson making the initial inroads, taking 2 for 30 and 2 for 31 respectively.
A relived OW skipper, Paul Jenkins, was moved to say :”After a dreadful start we recovered well to reach a winning total.”
Betsham 160 for 7 Old Wilsonians’ 4th X1 164 for 7
Promotion remains the aim for Old Wilsonians’ 4th X1, and a three wicket victory at Betsham served to substantiate this fact. Facing a total of 160 for 7 they lost wickets early on but skipper Andy Steel (26) and stalwart Alex Forbes (26 n.o) saw them home with over four overs to spare. Betsham’s opening bowler, Luke Hermitage, 3 for 45, did his best to thwart their chase, but he had to settle for second best.
The Betsham innings had centred round a third wicket partnership of 61 between skipper Peter Reardon (50) and Guy Skidmore (36) but, apart from them, only Ian Stickles (26 n.o) proved any threat with the bat as Paul Kendrick, 4 for 31, and Josh Holland, 2 for 27, proved the most effective of the OW bowlers.
Old Wilsonians’ 5th X1 189 for 9 Down Under Dragons 150
A thoroughly entertaining game of cricket ended in a 39 run victory for Old Wilsonians’ 5th X1 as they took on Down Under Dragons at Greenwich Park. Some excellent batting from Adrian Beckett (31), Michael Wisby (28) Tyrell Dubbery (36) and Kenny Maxwell (23) – the latter two sharing a seventh wicket partnership of 71 – enabled the OWs to reach 189 for 9, although ‘Sam’, 3 for 26, and ‘Keith’ 3 for 31, did their best to restrict them.
When it came to their turn to bat, Down Under Dragons also showed they were not short of talent, with ‘Bryce’ (36) and ‘Sam’ (23) leading the way, However, James Chatten, playing in his first senior game, bowled splendidly to finish with 2 for 22 and, together with Tom Davis, 3 for 26, and Kenny Maxwell, 2 for 20, did enough to secure victory.
Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1 135 for 8 New Beckenham Warriors 27 for 2
Heavy rain brought this game to a premature end in an afternoon when precipitation had already delayed the start and a further deluge had interrupted play.
When the game eventually got under way the OWs made a disastrous start and found themselves reeling at 30 for 6, mainly due to opening bowler Andy Faulkner, who dismissed three of the top five and finished with impressive figures of 3 for 29.
However, skipper Paul Maxwell (52 n.o) and David Pilgrim (6) managed to push the total on to 55 before the seventh wicket fell but it was not until son Kenny Maxwell (34) made his appearance that the runs started to flow and the father and son partnership more than doubled the score before Kenny was caught and bowled.
New Beckenham Warriors reply was equally traumatic, losing their first wicket after four balls to another caught and bowled and, when it became 7 for 2, the home side’s score was looking almost respectable. Both the visitors suffered no further alarms until the rain arrived and the game was abandoned as a draw.
WEEKEND OF 26th July, 2008
RACS 121 Old Wilsonians 1st XI 125 for 5
A fifth wicket partnership of 47 between Simon Durling (36) and Dave Clark (34) held up Old Wilsonians as they looked to build on their recent good form but, in the end, they could only delay proceedings for a limited period as the home side dismissed their visitors for 121 in 38.4 overs. Ollie Lovelock, 3 for 13, and Doug Forbes, 3 for 27, headed the bowling credits, but it was a good all-round team performance, with some fine fielding and excellent catching.
On a day when the bowling was decidedly on top, RACS opener Simon Dickie returned outstanding figures of 2 for 13 in 13 overs as the OWs , with 61 overs at their disposal, knew they only had to score at two an over.
In many ways their innings mirrored that of their opponents as they, too, had to rely on a fifth wicket partnership, this time of 55, between Suminda Balage Don (39) and Jay Yewale (33 n.o). Balage Don's dismissal, with the score on 99, meant that there were still 23 required but a no nonsense innings of 21 not out from Rakesh Joshi saw them home.
Jay Yewale, the relieved OW skipper, gasped: “We bowled and fielded well and did all that was required with the bat. “
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 265 for 3 Ashford 158
There seemed to be runs galore on offer and Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 helped themselves to 265 of them for the loss of just three wickets to add to the misery of bottom club Ashford.
A second wicket partnership of 116 between Neil Treacher (67) and Rajesh Subramanian (112) led the way but, and upon Treacher's dismissal, Rob McEwen (34 n.o) was on hand to add a further 60 with the in form Subramanian.
In A. Boatfield (32) and R. Brown (50) Ashford had two players willing to fight hard for the cause of their side, but it was not enough as Nick Batt, 3 for 26 and Dave Ellicott-White, 3 for 28, were determined to finish on the winning side – and so it proved.
Mike Pike - 26/07/2008
GHS Dartford 131 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 128
A failure to remain cool at a vital time cost Old Wilsoians' 3 X1 dear as they lost six wickets for 9 runs and enabled GHS Dartford to snatch an unlikely 3 run victory.
Chasing 131, everything seemed to be under control as the OWs needed 12 runs from 12 overs, but a complete lack of discipline saw them self-destruct.
Chris Tyler (25), Nick Bier (22). Michael Wisby (24) and Chris Scott (11) had put them in the driving seat but the Erith bowlers, Narwan, 3 for 3, Samdha 2 for 14, Singh 2 for 19 and Cheena 2 for 13, could hardly believe their luck as the middle and lower order failed to cope with the situation.
GHD Dartford's innings had opened brightly with Rapinda Cheena (29) and Dejawoda putting on 40 for the first wicket, but some steady bowling from Tom Sullivan, 2 for 26, Chris Scott 2 for 27, Aaron Steel 3 for 31 and David Pilgrim 2 for 18 seemed to have won the game for OWs, although a late rally from Sirikanarat (18) and Dhalwil (19) held them up.
However, that batting collapse ruined all their good work and caused skipper Nick Bier to lament “ We need to think coolly under pressure.”
Old Dunstonians Cuaco 162 for 8 Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 114
A second wicket partnership of 61 between P. Kitchinaman (46) and R Hunter (52) was the mainstay of Old Dunstonians Cuaco's innings against Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 as they reached 162 for 8 , although Chris Spedding, 5 for 30, did produce a lively spell for the home side.
In reply the OWs had little answer to the guile and skill of M. Couch, 5 for 33 and P. Rispoli, 4 for 37 as they bowled their side to victory, with only Paul Kendrick (46) and skipper Andy Steel (22 n.o) giving them any cause for concern, but the appearance of a streaker in the 28 over probably did not improve the concentration of the batting side!!
WEEKEND OF 19th July, 2008
Chislehurst & West Kent 250 Old Wilsonians 1st XI 252 for 3
On the most placid of wickets, Chislehurst & West Kent and Old Wilsonians shared over 500 runs between them, with the latter achieving a seven wicket victory which, in the end, was comfortable.
Facing a total of 250 they lost an early wicket but Jay Yewale (90) and Suminda Balage Don (27) put on 73 before Yewale and Pasan Weeraratne (94 n.o) produced a match winning partnership of 118 for the third. Yewale's dismissal, with the total on 196, gave Chislehurst a glimmer of hope but a Weeraratne onslaught, in which he hit 26 in one over, virtually sealed the victory and everything that followed was merely a formality.
Earlier the home side had seen openers Stuart Tohill (122) and Andy Sheftal (37) get them off to a fine start with a stand of 86 and Tohill and Mel Van Oorscot (30) then put on 82 for the second but, after that, wickets began to tumble in an attempt for quick runs as Suminda Balage Don, 3 for 41, Ollie Lovelock, 3 for 74 and Pasan Weeraratne, 2 for 38, helped themselves to some well needed wickets.
But, in the end, it was the Old Wilsonian batsmen who were the stars of the day as they steered their side to the double over their near neighbours.
Old Wilsonians' 2nd X1 124 Catford & Cyphers 129 for 4
This was a very straight forward victory for Catford & Cyphers that induced Old Wilsonioans' skipper Jasper Gundry-White to bemoan “The less said about our performance the better.”
Batting first the OWs never threatened to post a useful total as visiting opening bowler, Leon Samuels, 5 for 27, looked virtually unplayable against some poor batting with only Neil Treacher (28) and Rajesh Subramanian (20) looking likely to cause him any problems.
By contrast Samuels had in D. Anthony, 3 for 25, and young wicket-keeper J. Hendrickson, four catches, perfect foils and allies as they combined to dismiss the home side for 124.
Despite the efforts of Nick Batt, 2 for 29, and Akshaye Kumar- Sharma, 2 for 27, Catford & Cyphers got home in a canter, with Joey Rowlands (51 n,o) capping a fine exhibition of batting by hitting a six to win the game and complete his half century.
Blackheath 6 X1 132 Old Wilsonians' 4th X1 133 for 9
In the tightest of finishes Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 managed to scrape home by one wicket to frustrate the home side. At 89 for 8, the game seemed to be swinging towards Blackheath, but a ninth wicket stand of 36 between skipper Andy Steel (28) and Thomas Davis (18 n.o) dragged the visitors back into the game, but there was still some nail biting moments before they got the eight runs required to secure a one wicket victory.
For Blackheath Shaykul Hogue, 3 for 22 and Steve Ewens, 3 for 36, were the stars with the ball, whilst Subha Bhattacharya (33) had proved the pillar of the OW's reply.
In their innings Blackheath had relied on Keegan Subramony (33) and Manas Saha (35) for the bulk of their runs and must have been alarmed as they slumped from 110 for 4 to 132 all out as off-spinner Aaron Steel, 5 for 23, weaved his magic spell.
WEEKEND OF 12th July, 2008
Blackheath 3rd X1 194 for 7 Old Wilsonians 96
A splendid knock of 99 from Reimell Ragnauth and some penetrating bowling from Daniel Carter, 5 for 30, enabled Blackheath 3rd X1 to record a comfortable victory over Old Wilsonians.
The OW bowlers claimed two early wickets but when Ragnauth was joined by Joe Ryan (28) they pushed the score along to 95 before Ryan departed. Thereafter Ragnauth dominated proceedings as he scored 71 of Blackheath’s remaining 99 runs in a masterful display.
In reply the Old Wilsonian innings never got going, with Blackheath’s opening bowlers Barry Lee, 2 for 28, and Carter making it very difficult to score and taking wickets along the way to reduce the home side to 45 for 6. Andy McCutcheon (20) then produced an innings of defiance whilst Doug Forbes (19) and Laki Kasturiratne (9 n.o) battled hard, but it was not enough and Blackheath were deserved winners.
Blackheath 4th X1 193 for 6 Old Wilsonians’ 2nd X1 190 for 9
A tight finish saw Old Wilsonians’ 2nd X1 needing four runs for victory and Blackheath one wicket, but both sides had to settle for a draw, although Blackheath came out on top in the points tally to the tune of 13 to 5.
Blackheath got off to a splendid start as J. Smith (78) and D. Farnell (51) put on 105 for the first wicket. However, after that only D. Linguard (22) made any impression, with Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 3 for 47, making the most of his opportunities.
Rajesh Subramanian (50) led the OW reply, and was given able and valid support by Neil Treacher (26), Michael Mitchell (25) and Chetan Kamat (21) as they set about over-hauling Blackheath’s total, but they failed by just four runs, with skipper Jasper Gundry-White explaining “We snatched a losing draw from the jaws of victory!”
Southfleet 162 Old Wilsonians’ 3rd X1 136
Both sides scored 112 runs from the bat in this intriguing encounter, but it was the extras that made the difference, with Southfleet managing only 24 to the Old Wilsonians’ 50
Batting first Southfleet were indebted to Minket Patel (35), Josh Vickery (29) and James Bonner (16) for the majority of the runs they scored themselves, although the actual top score was wides (32) courtesy of some wayward OW bowling, with Gautham Narayan, 3 for 7 and Aaron Steel, 3 for 16, at least making some positive contribution.
Old Wilsonians made a disastrous start to their reply as they slumped to a dismal 28 for 5, but then rallied thanks to Glen Wheeler (40), Mick Pilgrim (22) and Josh Holland (17). But the Southfleet bowlers were not to be denied, with Ivan Newing, 4 for 36, Daniel Tomkins, 2 for 11 and Jack Fox, 2 for 18 bowling them to a 26 run victory.
Mottingham 131 Old Wilsonians’ 4th X1 80
A low scoring game saw Mottingham record a convincing 51 run win over Old Wilsonians’ 4th X1 which, in the context of the game, was quite substantial.
Batting first Mottingham were indebted to opener J. Field (47) for leading the way but only D. Thomas (23) and Joe Beere (17 n.o) seemed interested in following his example.
Old Wilsonians did well to dismiss their foes for such a small total, with Nick Morley, 3 for 9, Tyrell Duberry 3 for 15 and Liam Stapleton, 3 for 39, sharing the bowling honours.
However, the OW reply was a sorry affair as they slumped to 49 for 9. But thanks to that man Morley (24) they did manage to recover some pride and he was helped by Tom Sullivan (7 n.o) as they put on 31 for the last wicket, but it was the Mottingham bowlers D. O’Sullivan, 5 for 24 and Joe Beere, 2 for 5, who were celebrating come close of play.
Bardhill 95 Old Wilsonians/ Sunday X1 96 for 2
Old Wilsonians finally recorded a victory last weekend as their Sunday side eased to an eight wicket victory against Bardhill. Set just 95 to win they made batting look easy as Tom Morley( 30) and Callum Steel (33 n.o) were the main contributors to an innings that took less than 19 overs to compile.
By contrast Bardhill’s batting had been a turgid affair, with only Paul Newman (28) and Seth Clifford (23) looking like they were not paddling through treacle. Aaron Steel, 5 for 36, was the main beneficiary of this lack-lustre performance, although Jasper Gundry-White, 3 for 29, also enjoyed the afternoon’s proceedings.
WEEKEND OF 5th July, 2008
Old Wilsonians 280 for 4 Farningham 245
Sitting at the top of the table following their win against Addington last week, Farningham were looking for more of the same as they entertained struggling Old Wilsonians. However, things did not go according to plan as they suffered a 35 run reverse in an entertaining game that gleaned 525 runs.
Old Wilsonians got off to a steady start through openers Nick Bier (21) and Barry Frampton (29) but it was an explosive third wicket partnership of 148 between Suminda Balage Don (111 n.o) and Pasan Weeraratne (67) that really sparked their inning, whilst Rakesh Joshi (28) then hit the first five balls he received for 4, thereby enabling the OWs to declare after 46 overs.
Farningham then showed the honesty of their intent as openers Simon Parkinson (28) and Chris Newman (26) raced to 46 in seven overs. D. Blake (31), L. Burns (32) and C. Fensom (24) then made useful contributions but the OWs continued to take wickets at regular intervals. However, a sparkling 47 from S. Khan left them anxious until, with just nine balls remaining, he holed out and a valiant effort came to an end.
Balage Don and Weeraratne proved they were just as deadly with the ball as with the bat to finish with 3 for 54 and 5 for 85 respectively and even managed to take three important catches between them. Jay Yewale, the OW skipper, was moved to remark: “Our batting is finally coming good, team spirit is high and we bowled well, but the fielding needs improvement.”
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 206 Holmesdale 210 for 7
A third wicket partnership of 56 between Michael Mitchell (20) and Rajesh Subramanian (53) threatened to destroy the Holmesdale bowling but then an unfortunate run out came to their rescue and, after that, only Dave Ellicott-White (23) made any significant contribution. Even so, the side managed to push the score past 200, although they made the fatal mistake of giving Holmesdale an additional over.
In reply Holmesdale put together some useful partnerships but, at 145 for 4 after 40 overs, the game seemed to be heading for a draw. However, O. Jones (72 n.o) was clearly convinced that victory was there for the taking and, thanks to some loose bowling, steered his side to a three wicket triumph.
Old Wilsonian skipper Jasper Gundry-White, who finished with 4 for 48, lamented, “On the day, we were beaten by a better side. “
Swanscombe & Greenhithe 229 for 3 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 121
This was a comprehensive victory for Swanscombe & Greenhithe as they out-played Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 in every department of the game,
Batting first they stormed to 229 for 4 , opener Benson (77 n.o) leading the way, with useful contributions coming from Wilcomb (36), Playdell (33), Towell (28) and Fernando (20 n.o).
In reply the OWs were never at the races as the visitors held all of their catches and spread the bowling honours around to record a comfortable 108 run victory.
Wilmington 124 for 8 Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 125 for 8
The season is going from strength to strength for Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 but they were made to sweat in this game by Wilmington before scraping home by just two wickets. And, in a low scoring game, it was the bowlers who took most of the honours.
Batting first, the highlight of Wilmington's innings was a second wicket stand of 71 between Wright (41) and Blatchford (36) which saw them lose their second wicket at 85, but some tight bowling from Tom Sullivan, 3 for 13, Jonathan Rodda, 3 for 21 and Rod Warboys, 2 for 23, eventually restricted them to 120 for 8 from their 46 overs.
The OW innings was very much a stop/start affair and, as Wilmington began to take wickets at regular intervals, they realised they might be able to claim the spoils. However, some mature batting from Paul Maxwell (27) and Chris Spedding (20) ultimately proved their un-doing as they succumbed by just two wickets.
In reply Bickley Park made steady early progress with opener Vala (41) leading the way, although the ultimate match winner was Jacobs (33 n.o) as he set about the OW bowling in a no nonsense fashion.
Mike Pike - 06/07/2008
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WEEKEND OF 28th JUNE, 2008
Offham 195 for 8 Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 198 for 4
In a game against two of the struggling sides in Division 5, Old Wilsonians secured an important six wicket victory which will give them renewed hope for the rest of the season. As for Offham, they must convince themselves that they are far too good to be struggling in the way they are but that this, in itself, is not enough and only hard work will turn their season around. .
Batting first Offham had in Ben Gittings (41), Jason Wait (22) Adam Kent (30), Anthony Rajaratnum (22) and Mervyn Brooker (28) players who all made a start but could not go on to play a major innings. The OWs relied on openers Suminda Balagedon, 5 for 56 and Ollie Lovelock, 2 for 27 for their wickets and, on a good track, Offham's 195 for 8 was going to be difficult to defend.
Nick Bier (31) and Ramakrishna Prabhu (58) got the home side off to a splendid start by putting on 92 for the first wicket, but two further quick wickets gave the visitors hope and lifted spirits. But Pasan Weeraratne (59 n.o) and Jay Yewale (27) then set about redressing the balance and, when Yewale was dismissed, they were back on track and got home with overs to spare.
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 had to battle hard to avoid defeat at Upchurch but ultimately did so to leave the home side frustrated and having to settle for a winning draw.
Upchurch were indebted to Tim Goodwin (48), Dave Lloyd (40) and Alan Collis (41) for their impressive total as only Akshaye Kumar-Sharma , 3 for 39 and Henry McGeever 2 for 50 did their best to stem the flow.
Old Wilsonians started well enough with opener Michael Mitchell (52) showing the way, but only Rob McEwen (36) followed his example although Rajesh Subramanian (19) and Paul Kendrick (17) did make some impression, whilst Alex Hales, 3 for 5 in seven overs, did her best to bowl her side to victory.
WEEKEND OF 21ST JUNE, 2008
Old Wilsonians’ 1st X1 138 for 9 Bapchild 139 for 5
An unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 50 between John Heatley (31 n.o)) and Rick Dale (25n.o) continued Bapchild’s remarkable sequence of batting second wins and thwarted Old Wilsonians as they failed to capitalise on last week’s victory at Macknade.
The visitors started solidly enough with openers Prabhu (21) and Barrie Frampton (31) putting on 46 for the first wicket, but the rest of the batting failed to build on this solid foundation as Ben Fulton. 4 for 37 and Alan Hampton, 1 for 38, bowled tightly and runs were at a premium.
Ollie Lovelock dismissed both of the Bapchild openers with just 18 on the board but Ben Fulton (17) and Alan Hampton (34) seemed to be steering their side to victory but, when they were both dismissed and another wicket followed shortly afterwards, the OWs were back in with a shout. But Heatley and Dale had the last word and secured a five wicket victory to leave visiting skipper, Jay Yewale, reflecting “ We paid the price for not putting enough runs on the board.”
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Old Wilsonians’ 2nd X1 153 for 8 Chestfield 157 for 5
The good form that has enveloped Old Wilsonians’ 2nd X1 in recent weeks deserted them for this encounter against Chestfield and, as skipper Jasper Gundry-White put it, “As a team we did not turn up today.”
Batting first they trundled to an uninspiring 153 for 8 with only Michael Mitchell (44 n.o) showing any sense of urgency, visiting bowler S.Lewis helping himself to figures of 3 for 41.
Chestfield’s reply was efficient and business-like as S Moody-Smith (37) and S, Whittington (48) scored freely whilst skipper W. George (23n.o) was delighted to be at the crease as the winning runs were scored.
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Snodland Community 178 Old Wilsonians’ 3rd X1 179 for 4
A mid table clash saw Snodland Community visit Old Wilsonians’ 3rd X1 and it was the home side who came out on top with a six wicket victory.
Batting first Snodland got off to an impressive start as openers Flynn (66) and Hearn (37) piled on the runs. However, and upon their departures, the OWs got a grip on things as Henry McGeever, 2 for 37, Paul Jenkins 3 for 22 and Aaron Steel, 3 for 13 took command and bowled them out for 178.
By contrast Old Wilsonians lost three early wickets and were indebted to Tom Morley (80 n.o) for turning the game in their favour, ably assisted by Henry McGeever (32) and Chris Scott (27 n.o) and, in the end, they coasted to a comfortable victory.
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Betsham 134 Old Wilsonians’ 4th X1 134
This was a game balanced on a knife edge and, perhaps fittingly, ended in a Tie.
The Betsham innings centred aound Stuart Whitfield, who hit a majestic 63 with only two other players making double figures. The OW bowlers shared the wickets amongst themselves, with Jonathan Rodda, 2 for 31, David Plgrim 2 for 28 and Jack Peniston, 2 for 18, being the most penetrating.
The OWs also relied on one man as far as batting was concerned as skipper Alex Forbes hit 52, whilst ‘Man of the match’ Whitfield proved he is a man of many talents by taking 5 for 23. But this was not enough to secure victory and he had to settle for a Tie.
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Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1 222 for 4 Crofton 187 for 9
This was a game dominated by Michael Mitchell as the youngster came within two runs of his first century for the Old Wilsonians and his dismissal brought a declaration on a healthy 222 for 4, With skipper Rajesh Subramanian (56) he put on 100 for the third wicket as the Crofton bowlers tried manfully to curb the efforts of these two men in form.
In reply Crofton lost an early wicket and, despite contributions from Armstrong (33), Butt (34), Cleming (38) and Dave Ellicott-White (33), rarely threatened to reach their goal.
The OW bowlers were conscious of the fact they had a large total to defend, and thanks to Henry McGeever, 4 for 34, and Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 3 for 75, came within a wicket of victory.
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WEEKEND OF 14th June, 2008
Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 165 Macknade 128
This was a day to be a bowler, as Macknade's Phil Rowcroft, 3 for 38, Jamie Rigden, 3 for 17 and Darryl Cook, 3 for 55 bowled Old Wilsonians out for 165 only for Suminda Balage Don, 4 for 29, Doug Forbes 3 for 47 and Pasan Weeraratne, 2 for 28 to bowl the visitors to a 37 run victory and, by so doing, lift them off the bottom of the Division Five table.
Macknade made a disastrous start to their reply, finding themselves 0 for 3 after 10 balls. Lee Rigden (37) and Andy Machin (23) then shared a fourth wicket partnership of 65 to frustrate the OWs and James Juniper (40 n.o) battled hard to save his side, but he did not receive the support he needed, and deserved, and the home side were bowled out for 128.
The Old Wilsonian innings had been one of bits and pieces, with Jay Yewale (26) and Rakesh Joshi (25) sharing a fifth wicket stand of 49 only for two wickets to follow quickly before Callum Steel (22) and Dave Ellicott-White (18) put on 38 for the eighth wicket , but the innings ended disappointingly on 165 and gave Macknade two extra overs.
However, this proved enough to enable Old Wilsonians to record their first 20 points haul of the season.
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 214 for 4. Old Colfeians 156
Another impressive batting performance from Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 enabled them to secure a convincing victory over league leaders Old Colfeians and, by doing so, enhance their own championship credentials.
Batting first the OWs were indebted to Chetan Kamat (57) and Rajesh Subramanian (55) for a hard hitting second wicket partnership of 102 before Rob McEwen (47) and Michael Mitchell (22) continued this good work by putting on 52 for the fourth wicket.
Colfeians, thanks to Chris Tarrant (55) and Dave Hodgson (32) attempted to join the partnership game as they put on 70 for the third wicket but in Ollie Lovelock, 3 for 26, and Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 3 for 33. they encountered bowlers who were determined to deny them as they bowled the OWs to a victory that leaves them looking forward to next week's game against Chestfield with confidence.
Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 207 for 9 Wrotham St George 105
Some emphatic batting from Joe Winspeare (62), Chris Scott (59) and Henry McGeever (28) saw Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 post an impressive 207 for 9 against hosts Wrotham St George, with only S. Buss, 4 for 27, threatening to halt their progress.
And it was the OWs who took the bowling honours as they dismissed Wrotham for 105 with almost ten overs remaining to continue their impressive start to the season.
Henry McGeever, 3 for 22, Nick Batt, 2 for 17 and Aaron Steel, 2 for 7 shared most of the spoils with only Rick Brice (23) and D. Buss (17) causing them any problems.
Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 171 Wilmington 42
Having beaten league leaders Belevdere last week, Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 were in no mood to take their foot off the pedal as Wilmington found themselves on the end of a heavy defeat.
Batting first the OWs suffered an early reverse, but a second wicket stand of 64 between Rod Warboys (43) and Paul Maxwell (16) laid an excellent foundation. Jonathan Rodda (32) and Liam Stapleton (33) then built on this and Wilmington must have been relieved to be facing a total of 171, which undoubtedly would have been much more but for the endeavours of Andy Hyde, who finished with 3 for 29.
But it is their batting which the visitors must be concerned about as they were skittled for just 42, with only Sam Greenhaigh (15) showing any sort of resistance. Tom Sullivan, 2 for 14 and Jonathan Rodda, 3 for 13, did the early damage but pride of place must go to Nick Morley for his 3 for 8 – a hat-trick to finish the game.
Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1 180 Dulwich Wanderers 107 for 8
A last wicket stand of 52 between Tom Morley (27) and Hugh McGeever (18 n.o) rescued Old Wilsonians as C. Hollands, 4 for 16, threatened to bowl them out for a meager total. Glen Wheeler (26), Akshaye Kumar-Sharma (23) and Ruwe Fernando (21) had all got a start but Hollands, together with E. McCauley 2 for 30, and E. Bisley, 3 for 39, put an abrupt end to their progress.
Dulwich Wanderers made a bright start and raced to 65 before the loss of their second wicket but after that Andy Lessiter (67) seemed to be the only player intent on victory and, upon his dismissal, the OWs got the scent of victory themselves as Henry McGeever, 5 for 26, and Aaron Steel, 3 for 26, bowled them into a potentially winning position. But Wanderers hung on as the game limped to a tepid draw.
Mike Pike - 15/06/2008
WEEKEND OF 7th June, 2008
Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 107 Old Elthamians & Granby 108 for 7
In a low scoring game Old Elthamians & Granby just scraped home by 3 wickets to maintain their good start to the season.
For the second successive week Old Wilsonians failed to impress with the bat as Richard Pickerell, 4 for 28 and Blaine Carey, 4 for 32, exposed the frailty of the home side's bating.
When it came to their turn to bat, the visitors did not fair much better and were indebted to opener Andrew Hammond (38) and Amman Samsudeen (27 n.o), without whom they may not have achieved their target as Suminda Balagedon, 3 for 30 , Doug Forbes, 2 for 25 and Pasan Weeraratne, 2 for 15, did their best to protect a derisory total.
Downhan & Bellingham 178 for 7 Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 179 for 6
Contributions from Jeff Barnes (54), Colin Powell (38) and D. Crouch (29) were the mainstay of Downham & Bellingham's innings, with OW's Simon Wilson, 3 for 53, proving his effectiveness as a strike bowler.
A splendid 65 from Raj Subramanian saw the OWs well on the way to victory and when Rob McEwen (22) added his own special contribution, Downham and Bellingham were staring defeat in the face. However, some fine bowling from Alan Lucas, 3 for 46, gave them hope as the visitors slumped to 143 for 6. However, youngsters Joe Winspeare (19 n,o) and Josh Holland (17 n.o) kept their heads to secure a four wicket victory and inspire skipper Jasper Gundry-White to enthuse:
“A great team performance, and it is good to see the youngsters coming through.”
Mike Pike - 08/06/2008
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Belvedere 90 Old Wilsonians' 91 for 4
This clash between the top two teams in Division 2b saw Old Wilsonians triumph by six wickets to leave them just four points behind leaders Belvedere.
Batting first, Belvedere made a good start, putting on 47 for the first wicket, but the introduction of Rod Warboys, who finished with 7 for 18, into the OW's attack saw wickets start to tumble and the visitors were dismissed for just 90.
In reply opener Glen Wheeler (42) lead the way, with Henry McGeever (17) and Ruwe Fernando (14) also making useful contributions, whilst Andy Laney, 3 for 38, who had also been their top scorer with 19, shone for Belvedere.
Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1 220 for 4 Oakhill 104
Some purposeful batting from Old Wilsomians’ Sunday X1 saw them race to 220 for 4 in 39 overs as Andy Steel 88), Callum Steel (21), Clinton Hibbert (48) and Aaron Steel (22 n.o) showed no mercy to the visiting bowlers, although Colin Little did well to return figures of 3 for 36.
And Oakhill also struggled with the bat as OW youngsters Kenny Maxwell dismissed both openers before conceding a run whilst fellow debutant Andrew Steel also bowled impressively as the two finished with figures of 2 for 12 and 2 for 30 respectively.
Steve Cheeseman (40) and Julian King (24) battled hard to get Oakhill back into the game but Jasper Gundry-White, 2 for 3, and Dave Ellicott-White, 4 for 28, gave them no respite as OWs romped to a 116 run victory.
Mike Pike - 08/06/2008
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WEEKEND OF 31st MAY, 2008
Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 45 Addington Village 46 for 3
An explosive first over from Suminda Balage Don had Addington Village reeling at 0 for 2 and, although they will have been disappointed at such a start, there was no need for signs of distress as they still had 64 overs, and another eight wickets, to get the 46 runs needed for victory and, although they did lose a third wicket, Lance Roudenko (18 n.o) and Neil Scott (16 n.o) saw them safely home.
Balage Don could not repeat his earlier heroics and finished with 2 for 17, whilst it was the Addington Village bowlers who took all of the plaudits as Joe Piggott, 3 for 9, Ross McDermott 3 for 24 and Neil Scott, 2 for 9 took full advantage of a slow and wet wicket to dismiss Old Wilsonians for , not even a revived, 45.
Only Suminda Balage Don (19) managed to get into double figures as he struggled manfully for 71 minutes to keep the batting together as the Addington bowlers never lost their grip on the initiative they grasped early on, the bowlers being backed up by some keen fielding and competent catching.
Mike Pike - 31/05/2008
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 134 Addington Village 135 for 6
Addington Village completed a fine double over Old Wilsonians as their 2 X1 triumphed by a four wicket margin in this home fixture.
The OWs were bowled out in 48 overs for a meager 134, K. Stone 3 for 17, being their most successful bowler, the other seven wickets being shared amongst six others, with only Raj Subramanian (42) causing them any problems.
When it came to their turn to bat, Addington lost two early wickets, but, thanks to the efforts of Phil Roxbrugh (41) and R Steels (33), the game turned in their favour to complete a comfortable four wicket victory, Nick Batt, 3 for 41, leading the way as far as the OW bowlers were concerned.
Old Elthamians & Granby 124 for 5 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 126 for 7
Some tight bowling from Grahame Nelson, 3 for 13, Tom Morley 2 for 23 and Paul Jenkins restricted Old Elthamians & Granby to 124 for 5 , but Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 had to work hard for their victory and eventually got home by three wickets with just ten balls to spare.
More than half of the Elthamians & Granby runs came from N. Williams (36) and G Howie (46), as they strove manfully to get the better of that tight bowling.
When it came to their reply, OW skipper Mick Pilgrim (42) led by example and was given useful support by Rob Harris (19), Tom Morley (13) and Stuart Forbes (14) whilst, upon his dismissal, was thankful for the experienced head of Andy Steel (12 n,o) who steered his side home.
For Elthamians & Granby, Paul Daniels, 2 for 26 and P. Lee, 2 for 21, bowled tidily enough, but a total of 124 was just not enough to defend.
Mike Pike - 31/05/2008
Fielding a 5th X1 for the first time, Old Wilsonians inserted the opposition and got the better of the early exchanges as Down under Dragons struggled to 55 for 5. However, a wag of the proverbial tale saw them recover to a creditable 156 all out, with Anthony (24), Bryce (31), Jim (21) and Sam (23) coming to their aid.
The OW opening bowlers, Tom Sullivan and Rod Warboys, finished with figures of 4 for 19 and 2 for 17 respectively, with leg spinner Nick Morley claiming 2 for 42.
A second wicket partnership of 39 between Amman Sehmi (17) and Rod Warboys (13) was the highlight of the 5th X1’s reply, although it was Rob McEwen (23) who top scored with Ban Tanner hitting a creditable 17.
The Down and Dragons bowling was a model of egalitarianism, as Anthony, Jim, Sam, Kho and Binh claimed two wickets apiece.
Mike Pike - 1/06/08
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Merton 217 for 4 Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1 152
The Merton batsmen piled on the runs in this friendly fixture against Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1, with M. Beckford (30), M. Knight (56), C. Argyle (52) and C. Dalton (50) all taking full advantage of the home side’s inability to take the many catches offered.
In reply the OW innings started slowly but a promising partnership of 64 between Jonathan Rodda (30) and Rob McEwen (37) threatened better things, but a dramatic fall of wickets in the 90s, when the score rapidly dipped from 93 for 2 to 97 for 7, put a virtual end to hopes of victory.
The tail wagged briefly but the Merton bowlers always held the initiative with N.Ammin, 4 for 38, A. Darman 3 for 39 and D. Gould, 3 for 21, sharing the wickets between them.
Mike Pike - 1/6/08
WEEKEND OF 25th MAY, 2008
Old Wilsonians' 1 X1 225 for 6 RACS 183 for 8
RACS won the early rounds of this encounter as, thanks to the efforts of opening bowlers Simon Dickey and Chris Webb, they had Old Wilsonians reeling at 48 for 4, but a fifth wicket partnership of 165 between Suminda Balage Don (109 n..o) and Calllum Steel (69) enabled the visitors to finish on 225 for 6 to give their bowlers a useful total to defend.
The home side then started brightly and raced to 50 before losing their first wicket, but some steady bowling from Doug Forbes, who took 4 for 16 in 15 overs, not only put the blocks on their scoring rate but saw wickets begin to tumble. Henry Purdick (32), Dave Clark (34) and Chris Webb (22) all got in but were unable to build on their initial good work, and it was left to Paul Lane (22 n,o) to steer them to a draw, thereby denying Old Wilsonians a maximum 20 points.
Old Wilsonians' 2XI 254 for 8, Ashford Town 4 XI, 135
For the second successive week Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 batted with such élan that they were able to declare, this time on an impressive 254 for 8. Neil Treacher (72) continued his recent splendid form and shared in a second wicket partnership of 70 with Raj Subramanian (51), whilst Michael Mitchell (55) continued the good work with only S. Berry, 3 for 28, making any impression as far as the Ashford bowlers were concerned.
Giving themselves 52 overs to bowl Ashford out, the OWs claimed an early wicket before meeting some stubborn resistance from L. Hardicott (53). The visitors progress was slow – at one point they took just 4 runs from 15 overs – with J.Jolly (29) also proving difficult to dislodge.
However, the hosts persevered and thanks to some fine bowling from Nick Batt, 4 for 22 and Jasper Gundry-White, 2 for 18, they secured victory with just seven balls remaining.
Mike Pike - 25/05/2008
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Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 107 Sydenham Sports 111 for 3
Facing a total of 107, Sydenham Sports made no mistake in their reply and eased home by 7wickets in a game where they were delighted to see the 'allegedly' unwelcome Nelson on the score-board.
Ian Jordan (41), Mark Jordan (31 n.o) and Adam Grice (21 n.o) made light weight of the Old Wilsonian bowling, with only Simon Wilson, 3 for 38, getting his name in the wickets column.
Earlier Grice, 4 for 10 and Mark Jordan, 3 for 20, had caused momentous problems with the ball, with only Ruwe Fernando (38) and Glen Wheeler (22) proving their worth with the bat.
Mike Pike - 25/05/2008
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___________________________________________Blackheath 6 X1 162 for 6, Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 116
A good all-round team performance saw Blackheath 6 X1 triumph to the tune of 46 runs over Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 in this Kent Feeder League fixture.
Batting first, Blackheath made a seemingly modest 162 for 6 from their 46 overs, their main contributors being K. Ward (28), T. Stark (39) and M. Butt (33), with Alex Forbes, 2 for 56 and Aaron Steel, 2 for 44 being the most successful OW bowlers.
However, and modest although the total appeared, it proved enough as the home side soon found themselves 29 for 5, and although Ian Pilgrim (33) and Alex Forbes (26) put on 53 for the sixth wicket, it proved only to be a holding exercise, as the Blackheath bowlers shared the wickets between themselves, with A. Singh, 3 for 16, S, Strutt 3 for 39, P. Crisp 2 for 35 and S. Ewens 2 for 18 bowling them to a straightforward victory.
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WEEKEND OF 18th MAY, 2008
Chislehurst & West Kent 68 for 9 Old Wilsonians’ 1 X1 69 for 2
The light rain that had fallen from early morning simply refused to go away and, although it persisted throughout the afternoon, both sides fought bravely in conditions that just were not cricket.
And it was Old Wilsonians who made the most of the conditions as they bowled Chislehurst and West Kent out for 68, with the latter’s cause not being helped by an injury to Paul Crowdy, who had to retire when he had made 7 and, sadly, was not able to return.
Openers Sheftel (27) and Tohill (13) started well enough and must have been pleased with their initial progress, but once the latter had been bowled with the score on 32, wickets began to tumble at regular intervals as Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 2 for 21, David Ellicott-White, 2 for 9 and, in particular, Doug Forbes, 5 for 20, took full advantage of the conditions.
The home side were concerned that the weather might still be the victor, but skipper Jay Yewale (33 n.o) steered them calmly home, whilst the visitors, to their credit, stuck manfully to their task and made no attempt to try and get the game abandoned due to the poor conditions.
Old Wilsonians’ 2 X1 240 for 4 Catford & Cyphers 192
A game reduced to 42 overs a side, thanks to the inclement weather, did not prevent a high scoring contest between Old Wilsonians’ 2nd X1 and Catford & Cyphers, as the runs flowed even more rapidly than the rain.
The visitors set the trend, with openers Neil Treacher (59) and Chetan Kamat (67) putting on 150 for the first wicket before Paul Kendrick (52) and Michael Mitchell (20) simply added to the home side’s misery to such an extent that the OWs were able to declare after 40 overs with 240 runs on the board.
An early wicket added to their joy but then Bill Hamnett (96) made them think again as he led the charge to rest the points. Unfortunately he lacked a willing accomplice and, although Catford & Cyphers never gave up the chase, when Jasper Gundry-White took three wickets in an over, the writing was on the wall and they fell short by 49 runs in a thoroughly entertaining game of cricket.
Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1 201 for 6 Blackheath 4 X1 158 for 7
A seventh wicket partnership of 73 between M Reading (55 n.o) and M. Ahmed (34) rescued Blackheath 4th X1 as they had slumped to 59 for 6 in their game against Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1 before ‘Operation Rescue’ was launched and an unlikely draw achieved.
Opening bowler Tom Sullivan had ripped the heart out of the early Blackheath batting, and he finished with impressive figures of 3 for 20.
The Old Wilsonian innings had been a pretty steady affair, with Glen Wheeler (56), Nick Bier (50 n.o) and Raj Subramanian (30) all making steady contributions to push the total beyond 200.
NOTE:
The Old Wilsonians’ 3rd X1 game against Bexleyheath fell victim to the weather and no play was possible, whilst the 4th X1’s fixture against Highways was called off as the latter could not raise a side.
WEEKEND OF 11th MAY, 2008
MAXWELL AND WARBOYS KINGS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DOMAIN
Old Wilsonians' 4 XI 181 for 9, Highways 106
A commanding innings of 66 by Paul Maxwell and some typically astute bowling from Rod Warboys, 5 for 33, was the difference between these two sides and enabled Old Wilsonians' 4 X1 to race to a 75 run victory.
Not that Highways were without their heroes, as Shazhad Raja, 4 for 33 with the ball and 44 runs with the bat, made a lasting impression, whilst Hubab Hussain with 3 for 35. also made his bid for a claim to fame.
But in Nick Batt (22), Chris Spedding (17) and Nick Morley (19 n.o), Maxwell had some willing support, whilst Tom Sullivan, 2 for 4, assured Warboys that he did not have to do it all on his own as victory was secured.
Mike Pike - 10/05/2008
COMFORTABLE VICTORY FOR BLACKHEATH 3RD XI
Old Wilsonians' 1 XI 129 Blackheath 3 XI 130 for 1
In the end this was a comfortable victory for Blackheath 3 X1 but, with Old Wilsonians on 82 for 2 in the 24 over, they appeared to be laying the foundation for a useful total. However, a disastrous run out then ensued and, in little more than 16 overs, they had been dismissed for a meagre 129.
The main beneficiary of this collapse was James Martin, who finished with figures of 7.1-1-9-5, hitting the stumps on four occasions. This rally was a woeful display form the visitors, and Blackheath were in no hurry when they began their reply, knowing they had 58 overs to score the runs required.
They got off to an ideal start as Simon Martin (31) and Steve Turner (57 n.o) put on 73 for the first wicket before the former was caught behind. The OWs used eight bowlers in an attempt to make a breakthrough, but Tuner and skipper Hamish Purdey (31 n.o) remained resolute to secure a nine wicket victory.
Mike Pike - 10/05/08
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HINDLE SEES HIS SIDE HOME
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 142 Blackheath 4th X1 143 for 4
Old Wilsonians' 2 X1 made a slow start to their first league encounter of the season from which they never really recovered, and were bowled out for a below par 142 in the last over of the 50 allocated to them.
Dave Ellicott-White (29), Raj Subramanian (20) and Dave Colloff (20) fought bravely enough, but none threatened to dominate the bowling with R. Jack, 5 for 40 doing most of the damage for Blackheath.
The latter's reply was dominated by Ralph Hindle (85 n.o) with more than half of the runs required, although Ellicott-White proved his credentials with both bat and ball by taking 3 for 32.
Mike Pike - 10/05/2000
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OWS FAIL TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE
Luddesdowne 146 Old Wilsonians' 3 X1 95
Solid contributions from D. Knox (41), A. Chapman (20), R. Stiddard (26) and M. Heath (22) enabled Luddesdowne to reach a total of 146 which, in the end, proved enough to give them a 51 run victory against Old Wilsonians' 3 X1. Chris Scott, 4 for 8, helped the OWs keep the total within bounds, but that man Knox, 3 for 4 and his able assistant S. Willy, 3 for 23, proved a little too much for the home batting, with only Joe Winspeare (25 n.o) delaying them to any degree.
COMFORTABLE WIN FOR OLD WILSONIANS'
Old Elthamians' Sunday X1 161 for 7 Old Wilsonians' Sunday X1 165 for 5
Having made a disastrous start by losing two early wickets, Old Elthamians failed to take full advantage of the recovery they made and probably fell at least 40 runs short of a competitive total as Old Wilsonians romped home by five wickets with plenty of time to spare.
Chris Tyler (23), Harley De Vos (28) and Greg Moir (62) all made valuable contributions for Elthamians but it was the OW openers Michael Mitchell (26) and Callum Steel (34) who showed the meaning of positive batting as they put on 46 in less than 12 overs.
After their respective dismissals it was Raj Subramania who took centre stage as he showed no mercy to any of the visiting bowlers to finish a splendid 68 not out when victory was achieved.
Mike Pike - 11/05/2008
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