Under 15s vs Great Kingshill, 25th May 2005

League setback for Under 15s

Ian Walter

No respite for the under 15s as they resumed their league campaign at Great Kingshill only 24 hours after cup defeat at Marlow Park. The side saw six changes from the Marlow team as availabilities were affected not (as anticipated) by a clash with Liverpool’s European Cup Final, but a clash with a Chesham High School match in Buckingham which took six of the team.

No less than seven of our players were therefore at least a year younger than they should have been and many thanks, particularly to Will Leathers-Smith and Matthew Ball for answering very late call-ups. The others ‘gaining experience’ were Craig, Ollie Runswick, Felix Chamberlain, Christopher Morris and Phil Howe.

Kingshill won the toss and cannily inserted Ley Hill on what looked a good track but timing was proving difficult. After opener Craig Peterson was out for 16 Hill struggled to hit the ball off the square to such an extent that after 15 overs we had made a meagre 48, nowhere near enough. The bowling was very straight, which did not help.

A late fifth wicket stand of 53 though between Stephen Walter (43) and Matthew Ball (12) almost doubled the score to 93; something to bowl at but way short of ‘par’ for this age group.

For the second night running some inconsistent bowling meant that Hill chased the ball all over the park as Kingshill’s openers piled on 70 before Phil Howe took two quick wickets to stem the flow slightly. However with soccer to watch (Milan were by now 1-0 up) the home team did not stand on ceremony any longer than necessary and Hill’s total was passed in the sixteenth over with only three wickets down.

Milan’s second went in as the teams walked off and before the bag was packed it was 3-0. Not worth watching the football now lads!

So on the back of the last 24 hours it’s back to the drawing board for consistent line and length bowling (basically the difference between the two sides) and some more sensible batting.

Ten days rest now before Dinton travel to Ley Hill on Sunday 5 June when we hope to get back in to winning ways.

Thanks as ever to the travelling parents for helping to get the team there and, arguably more important, bringing them back just about in time for Liverpool’s remarkable second half comeback. For once the soccer was more interesting than the cricket!

And what of the Chesham High team? Apparently all out for 38 (chasing 170 odd), with only 8 runs coming off the bat and the rest in byes! At least one of our boys, Richard Falconer, managed to top score with 3!!