2nd XI Vs Upminster

Report By Steve Bell

Walker’s Warriors were away at Upminster.  The team all arrived early and went through some strenuous warm up drills.  The only one missing was skipper Walker, who walked nonchalantly into the ground just after Boon junior had lost the toss.  

I had performed a detailed pitch analysis before the toss, and the pitch was a little patchy, hard ground in patches, and adjacent clumps of green grass.

Upminster opted to bat first and Giles and Degg opened the bowling.  Degg took two wickets in his opening spell, caught by keeper Emmanuel and Horswill in the slips. Degg leaked a few runs, including two fours by one his pupils which I am sure will be repeated!  Having gone for 41 runs in 6 overs, he took a breather.

Meanwhile, Antony Giles was teaching a lesson on parsimonious bowling, featuring late swing.  His opening 5 over burst went without a single scoring stroke though there was one that swung down the leg side for 5 wides.  He also took a wicket, another catch by Emmanuel.

Richard Horswill and Matt Bell took over.  Horswill’s height created issues, as the inconsistent bounce from the pitch was seen.  He opened with a wicket maiden, Hazel caught behind by Emmanuel, followed by a maiden.  He took a wicket in his 4th over, and his 6th over was a maiden, finishing with 6-3-14-2. Bell, a pupil of Giles, was taking Giles lessons to heart. Maiden, maiden, wicket maiden (bowling Ison the skipper) and maiden.  The last 2 overs of his spell were by comparison expensive, leaking 5 runs.  There was a hard chance not taken by Degg, though in truth it was smote hard at him, and maybe counts as a good stop.

For Upminster we were seeing a period of consolidation.  Ward showed how to block or leave, taking 5 singles from his first 52 balls, whilst Heazel was starting to bed down. Injuries were taking their toll.  Giles was now limping with a stressed ankle, and the great man Walker was suffering with a calf strain.

Giles and Degg were brought back into the attack.  Deggie failed to add to his wickets, finishing with 9-1-50-2.  Giles showed great heart to continue bowling fast, despite his limp.  Managing a 7 over spell bowling Heazel for 33. Giles finished with 12-6-31-2, very economical figures from this economics teacher. Walker turned to Neil Jones, an occasional spinner.    His first over was good, just 3 from it, but with 24 runs off the next two he was removed from the attack 3-0-27-0.  Ward had come out of his shell and was smashing the ball to all corners.

Walker introduced himself to the attack and Ward smashed him for consecutive next ball sixes, but Walker got his man next ball, a spooned drive clutched in the great mitts of the great skipper.  Ward had somehow smashed his way to 40, with three 6s and four 4s.

Bell was reintroduced and picked up a second wicket caught by Giles, finishing with impressive figures of 8-5-10-2. Walker took the last wicket caught by Boon junior, but was shaking his head about how Upminster had made it to 165 having been 66 for 6.

Keeper Kieran Emmanuel opened the batting with Ben Sach.  Ben departed for 3.  Boonie departed for 13, and Bell tamely hit a full toss straight to a fielder for 3.  66 for 3, but with Kieran looking secure. Richard Horswill made a good early impression taking it to the bowlers and quickly into his stride, before settling in for the long haul.

Kieran was looking better and better as the innings went on.  He started to accelerate well, moving to his 50 from 96 balls.  Once at 50 he really accelerated hitting balls around the wicket, like many left handers he is good off his legs, and started to close in on a maiden century. Would he get out, or would Horswill take enough of the strike so that the target was achieved before Kieran made 100?

Kieran moved onto 99, it would have been a hundred but he had run one short.  How ironic it would be if he was out for 99 at this point!  With his sister watching over FaceTime Kieran brought up his hundred, his second fifty coming from just 35 deliveries.

Kieran finished on 101 not out, and Richard on 30 not out as Brentwood chased it down for the loss of three wickets, and seven and a half overs in hand.

A great batting performance, and three catches.  A good day for Kieran, and a jug to celebrate.

Walker’s Warriors now have four wins on the bounce, matched by Chelmsford who are played in two weeks time, just Wanstead to see off in the meantime.