Cannon Fires a Century but the Battle is Lost
As the 2009 season finally came to an end for Aldborough this weekend, the team travelled to Hemsby for a final day friendly encounter. Read on for the full report…
After a delayed start due to a prolonged football game, Aldborough batted first with Fisher and Swinbourne getting the nod from captain Cook to open up on a dusty and hard track. The pair moved the score on to 12 before Swinbourne was bowled by Hudson for 2.
Allan then came in an after negotiating some early uneven bounce, soon got in to his stride and quickly passed 50. Fisher at the other end provided stubborn support. After manouevering the ball to all parts of the ground, Allan was eventually caught on 80 (including 14 fours and 1 six) off the bowling of Pugh, resulting in Cannon joining Fisher at the crease.
Fisher fell soon after to a full toss for 21 which brought Cramp to the wicket with Aldborough at 136-3 in the 26th over. The pair began to move the scoring rate along before Cramp perished to a mistimed drive off youngster Addellee for 11 and was caught at mid-off.
Cannon was scoring freely and passed 50 in quick time. The new batsman Howett provided good support and hit a series of good pull shots through square leg before too perishing to a full toss for a season best Aldborough score of 18. Knight had a brief visit to the wicket before stepping back and hitting his own wicket.
New batsman Cook proved a good foil to Cannon who hit a succession of boundaries through mid wicket and long-on on his way to a well deserved 106 not out (including 16 fours and 4 sixes). This was his first century for Aldborough and took the team total up to a seemingly very defendable 279-6. Cook finsihed on 9 not out.
After tea, Aldborough came out to field but soon found themselves in the midst of a dramatic run-chase. The Hemsby openers scroed 59 off the first 4 overs as the Aldborough bowlers were put to the sword. Problems were compunded with the loss of Seaman to a suspected broken finger, meaning Aldborough were a strike bowler and a further fielder down.
Cook turned to spin to take the pace off the bowl and the decision was soon rewarded with Cramp trapping Hudson LBW for 72 in his third over. In tandem with Knight at the other end, he then bowled Shepherd two overs later for a duck and the score was 123-2 after the 13th over. Aldborough were beginning to crepp back in to the game as Cramp finished with figures of 8-2-35-2.
After a 4-over spell from Knight, Cook turned to his medium pace attack of himself, Thorogood and Swinbourne to keep Hemsby at bay during the middle overs. Cook was the pick of the bunch, finishing with figures of 4-1-19-2 and picking up the key wicket of Ryan for 91, following a good catch from Swinbourne at deep long-on. Thorogood (2.4-0-29-0) and Swinbourne (3-0-25-0) tried hard but will have better days with the ball.
At 221-5 in the 29th over, Cook turned back to Knight and Allan to take the wicket of Whatmough, who had played well through the middle overs to take himself beyond fifty. Unfortunately neither could prize the wicket. Allan finsihed with figures of 8-0-69-0 and Knight with figures he will want to forget in a hurry of 7-0-85-1, his sole consolation being the wicket of Billington for 1.
As the game reached the 33rd over, Hemsby were 274-5 and Howett was introduced to bowl his developing leg-spin. Whatmough secured the runs he needed off the first ball for a match-winning century and the game was all over two balls later as a single and then a wide secured the win for Hemsby.
Aldborough were left wondering how they had managed to let such a large total be chased down with such ease, but despite the loss, a good day was had by all and the team returned back to Aldborough with a strange whiff of deep heat emanating from Ben Howett’s shorts.
ALDBOROUGH MAN OF THE MATCH: SEAN CANNON (106*)