Scorecard

Chelmer Veterans Cricket Club The Midweek Veterans v Old Markonians on Wed 05 Jul 2023 at 13-00
Chelmer Veterans Cricket Club Won by 21 runs

Match report On the 75th anniversary of the NHS, twenty-two mature gentlemen from Chelmer Veterans and Old Markonians cricket clubs assembled at Stock in an effort to keep themselves fit, healthy, and out of the geriatric wards for as long as possible.

A lost toss condemned Chelmer to bat first on a drying wicket after heavy overnight rain. This did, however, give Simon Cooper a chance to get involved early, having thrown away his crutches after an early-season knee injury. Making a very welcome return to the side, he opened the innings with Mark Stratton. A patient approach was prescribed as only one run was scored in the first three overs, and caution prevailed until the tenth over when Coops, possibly having to nurse his knee, was caught at midwicket for 22, 45 for 1. By the twelfth over Strats was apparently batting on steroids, as twenty runs were haemorrhaged from six balls, including a lovely straight-hit maximum. Sadly, Strats perished in the following over, caught for 42 by the tallest player on the field. Mark Rynn went for 2, bowled off his pads and Paul Lowe gloved behind down the legside for 6 leaving Chelmer on 91 for 4 after 23 overs. Some intensive care from skipper Griff and Melvin John resuscitated the innings with a partnership of 54 in 8 overs, giving the home side a reasonable platform at 145 for 4 in the 31st over. But from here it was as if an infectious disease had swept through the lower-middle order as four wickets fell for one run (Griff making 31 and Melvin 35) leaving Gary Thomas and Ed Oliver six overs in which to try to apply some bandages and plaster. An all-run four helped to raise the batsmens' temperature and heart-rate as 24 were added for the last two wickets, Ed last man out for a useful wicketkeeper's knock of 18, Chelmer 170 all out in 38.3 overs, perhaps a somewhat poorly-looking score.

After the ingestion of tea, it was Chelmer's turn to make a tidy start with only 21 runs conceded in a slow drip from the first ten overs. Alan (hospital) Porter snared the first two opposition wickets along the way, the first aided by a sharp catch from Strats, who took the next two wickets in two balls in his second over, 66 for 4. It was soon the Old Markonians turn to suffer from the wicket-loss virus in the same vein as had the home side, batters departing with the score on 82, 83, 84 and 85. With 8 down, and 86 runs required from 16 overs, the prognosis looked healthy for Chelmer. But Markonians no.7 Baulcomb, fresh from taking five wickets, diagnosed differently, and with no.10 Swain added 64, dishing out the medicine in a flurry of boundaries. At 149 for 8 with 5 overs left, the visitors' innings was out of the emergency ward - until Melvin John produced a lifter that Baulcomb could only glove into the air, keeper Ed Oliver making good ground to cling on to the catch low down, 149 for 9. Enough deliveries remained for the visitors to win, but Phil Bartlett injected an unplayable dipping, swinging ball to hit the top of off stump with X-ray precision, Old Markonians 149 all out in 37.4 overs to end a super game of cricket.

Chelmer Veterans Cricket Club The Midweek Veterans Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 4w 4b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
11
170		        
Mark Stratton ct b Piggsley 42 6 1
Simon Cooper ct b Piggsley 22 2
Mark Rynn b Piggsley 2
Paul Lowe ct b Baulcomb 6
David Griffiths lbw b Smith 31 3
Melvin John ct b Smith 35 4 1
Phillip Bartlett b Baulcomb 1
Gary Thomas b Baulcomb 0
Chris Baker b Baulcomb 0
Ed Oliver b Baulcomb 18 3
Alan Porter Not Out  2

Old Markonians Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Piggsley8.021836.002.25
Richardson8.005600.007.00
Baulcomb7.321653.202.13
Swain4.001300.003.25
Jergic4.002100.005.25
Hanks1.001600.0016.00
Smith6.0024212.004.00

Old Markonians Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
5w 3b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
10
149 (37.4 overs)		     
Hanks ct Stratton b Porter 10
Watson st Oliver b Stratton 46
Hudson ct John b Porter 0
Hall ct & b Stratton 18
Jergic b Stratton 0
Piggsley ct Thomas b Piggsley 2
Baulcomb ct Oliver b John 43
Smith ct Thomas b Griffiths 0
Calvadino b Stratton 0
Swain Not Out  20
Richardson b Bartlett 0

Chelmer Veterans Cricket Club The Midweek Veterans Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Chris Baker8.013400.004.25
Alan Porter7.0223211.503.29
Mark Stratton8.001944.752.37
David Griffiths5.0029214.505.80
Phillip Bartlett6.4031131.004.65
Melvin John3.0010110.003.33