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2009 REVIEWED for a review of previous years' - click here For results, scorecards, league tables, articles and match reports, please scroll down. As first team captain Steve Musgrave says in his report “ What a great year we had - on and off the field!” How right he is. Who would have guessed we would finish in fifth place in the Premier Division with the Second Eleven maintaining third place in Division Three? Nine wins ensured we were free from the relegation dog-fight endured in our first season in the top flight in 2008, and confirmed how important it was that we did “hang in there” last season! Although Mark Ralph’s 632 runs at 39.50, Nick Shelton’s 605 at 33.61 and Muzzy’s 57 wickets were obviously key to the achievement - as was Mark Carter’s excellent return of 33 dismissals behind the stumps, it was a real team effort, and everyone who played contributed to the overall success. As a point of interest, Muzzy finished the season as the Premier Division’s highest wicket taker and Mark was joint top of the keepers list. Our new contingent, Max Abbott, who has now returned to Sydney, Mark Gibbs and Ali Fox all fitted in well and added their personalities to the Club. Ben Howgego also made an appearance or two. At one point during the season the Seconds looked like possibly securing the number two spot in Division Three, and with it promotion, alongside the eventual champions Oundle. It wasn’t to be however, and three defeats in the last three games - the first of which was against promotion rivals Irchester, meant that the season fell away somewhat towards the end. Marcus Shelton had an excellent season with the bat, taking his run total for the season to 652 including two scores in the nineties, and his opening partner, fifteen year old Lewis Bates - in his first year with Wollaston, had a very promising debut year making 352 runs at an average of 22. Lewis also made the step up to “The Ones” when required and finished with an average of 17 in the Premier. More success for the First Team came in the Board Twenty20 Plate Competition. Although it didn’t have the “glamour” of the County Ground a couple of years ago it was still satisfying to pick up the Plate on a cold finals day at Irthlingborough after beating Isham in the semi and the hosts in the final. A good following of our loyal supporters also added to the occasion. The juniors also had a good season with the Under Elevens leading the way by winning their section. A report can be found on page 21. As in most seasons, one or two club records were broken and they might be included on page 22. Off the pitch, the refurbishment of the clubroom improved the facility for both players and spectators alike, and it was good to see the bar being used on many more occasions, and both Andy Luck and Dick Underwood should be congratulated on the success of the venture. John Hodges received more help on the square this year and it was good to see Paul Carter getting involved between long stints on his allotment. The ground has never looked better and thanks are due to all the Club members who give their time to make playing at Wollaston such a joy. And so to 2010. If Mark Ralph’s schedule goes to plan, his Australian trip will keep him away from the club until early July, and Max Abbott’s plans for next summer are still to be confirmed. These two players will be sorely missed so it would be great for the club if both could return and still make the same sort of impression as 2009. Now that we have applied to the NCL to enter a Third Eleven into division 13 next year, 2010 promises to be quite hectic to say the least. The use of a ground has been secured at Emberton and all we need now is enough players and personnel to carry it through. It looks probable that there will be 18 fixtures on a “win or lose” basis with the draw not being an option. The games will be 40 overs per side with most of the matches commencing at 1pm. No doubt there will be problems on the way - not least getting enough players on the pitch, but unless we give it a try we will never know. At the specially arranged EGM in October the proposition was carried unanimously and all the opinions were favourable. We are hoping that by doing this we will have another tier in place for our rising junior players, rather than them having to seek cricket elsewhere. It also it has the effect of opening up the club to a wider range of members and can only be beneficial . Let’s hope we are still as positive this time next year. RECORDS and STATISTICS 2009 Cricket continually throws up records and statistics - and this year was no different. Here are some that are apparent, but no doubt there are some that have been missed or overlooked, but hopefully - if previous years’ are anything to go by, Andy Luck will let me know! Simon Driver’s 158 runs off just 123 balls for the Second team at Kempston was the highest score of the season but more importantly eclipsed the previous record of 125* set by Liam Bates against Horton ll in 2003. Simon’s onslaught included 5 sixes and an unbelievable 23 fours and spanned 2 hours 18 minutes. His 4th wicket stand of 138 with Andy Luck (48 not out) was the backbone of Wollaston’s total of 292 for 4 which again was a new record - beating the previous best of 285 for 5 against Wellingborough ll’s in 2003 Chris Perry features prominently in this years First Eleven statistics. His total of 15 catches is two more than Malc Fowler and Nigel Monaghan’s 1982 record, and his 245 runs and 47 wickets takes him into the All-Rounders’ list for the first time - settling in at 8th place. Not content with that, along with Max Abbott he set a new record of 32 for the 9th wicket in the game away at Rushton. Chris also passed the 300 First Eleven wickets milestone and has possibly achieved it in the least number of seasons. Another entry on the All-Rounders page is Steve Musgrave with his 57 wickets and 335 runs. The First Team skipper now features four times on this particular list and last’s season’s personal success with bat and ball goes in right up there at number one - pushing his 2000 submission down to number two and 2008 effort to number four. His success in 2007 makes up his quartet of entries. Not content with that, Steve’s 7 for 24 against Burton Latimer fits in at number 20 on the First Eleven Best Bowling Performances in a season that saw him return five x 5 wicket hauls and finish top of the Premier Division wicket takers. A really remarkable achievement that Wollaston Cricket Club should be proud of! Not content with having the Premier’s leading wicket- taker, Mark Carter’s 33 dismissals in 2009 put him in joint first place at the top of the Premier Division list for wicket keepers. It’s another feather in the cap for the club and further proof that “class wicket keeping “ is hereditary! Domestically he is second only to Rex Boddington’s 35 in 1986 and goes above Nick Shelton and Matthew Jones. Mark’s victims consisted of 26 caught and 7 stumped - with only 84 in the byes column. John Pike’s haul of 9 First Team catches in 2009 takes him to a total of 102 and third on the list - leap-frogging second cousin Paul Jones - who unfortunately may be stuck on 99. (Give him one more game in the slips - that’s all he would need!) Nick Shelton’s 605 runs for the season increases his First Eleven aggregate to a massive 11,359 runs at an average of 35.05. His 109* against Rushden takes him to nine centuries and his three fifties in 2009 gives him an unbelievable total of 78. Marcus Shelton’s 652 runs for the season -which included two scores in the nervous nineties, took him within 17 runs of Brett Hanson’s 2002 record of 669. Marcus pushes Rex Boddington’s 641 down to number three on the list. Brett’s 403 runs in 2009 takes him over the 5,000 run mark and is possibly only two excellent seasons (or three average ones!) from passing Boddo’s total of 6,027 second team runs (since 1985). Obviously Rex has one or two before that date in addition to 6,103 for the First Eleven. Lower down the run-scoring table, Darren Laughton went over 2,000 Second Eleven runs and is currently on 2,151. And finally, as we all know, in 2009 we finished in fifth place in the NCL Premier division. Our highest ever position in the Northamptonshire cricket pyramid. FINAL AVERAGES 2009 FIRST ELEVEN BATTING
FIRST ELEVEN BOWLING
SECOND ELEVEN BATTING
SECOND ELEVEN BOWLING
FIRST ELEVEN REPORT 2009 I can only start by saying what a great year we had on and off the field. We spoke about becoming a premier league club and with results going our way and the ground as good as any in the league things are going in the right direction. The refurbishment of the clubhouse also looks a million dollars which shows in the money we took over the bar throughout the year. Well done to Nick, Skip, Dick and anyone else I have missed out for such a great job. The 2008 season seemed to go forever fighting a relegation battle but this year flew by which happens when you are doing well. We had a good pre season which we carried into our first few games which gave us the start we wanted and needed. Even with the minor hiccup of losing 15 points (which eventually didn’t make a difference) we cemented ourselves in the top 10 looking to finish in the top 6 which we were good enough to achieve. Finishing 5th for a small village is a great achievement and we should all be very proud and hopefully we have made the village proud of us. I really want to thank all the loyal supporters that watch us every week no matter what. I hope we provided you with some good entertainment this year and I know I speak for all the boys that we appreciate you being there and your feedback especially Midi confirming Jimmy Hart’s suspicions. A huge thanks has to go to John Hodges and his feisty apprentice Paul Carter for supplying us with a fantastic place to play cricket. The square seems to improve every year down there and if we get a pitch like we did for the last game with pace and bounce I think it can only help our bowlers next year. Clubs like ours don’t run without people like Andrew Silsby, Neal Perry, Nick Shelton, Paul and Matt Jones and Dick and Les Underwood. Thank you so much for all your help throughout the year and we all hope to see you down there next season. I could say something about all the players this year as everyone had input at different stages which leads to a great team effort. It’s all about attitude at our level and right from pre season they were spot on and ready to put in the hard yards to get the results we all wanted. Special mentions have to go to Ralphy and the evergreen Nick Shelton. We all thought Ralphy had the ability but we never got to see it until this year and he deserves all the plaudits he receives. Nick is the king of Wollaston and I’m not sure what else you can say about him. Great year, fighter, winner, legend. Our bowling was of a high standard this year with Pez and myself finishing in the top 10 in the league. Max was a huge asset when he finally got here and Pikey and Gibbo seemed to take important wickets every week. As a whole we worked in partnerships and got some great results. I also have to mention Mark Carter who finished with the most dismissals for a wicketkeeper in the league which is a huge achievement. Great attitude, our best trainer and most importantly a competitor who showed his grit when he got us home against Stony. Well done and well deserved mate. This season has been one of my most enjoyable in all the time I have played cricket and easily the most enjoyable in England. If the club will have me I would love to be captain again next year when we have to do it all again when teams might not be taking us as lightly but I have no doubt we are up for it and can improve. Steve Musgrave - First Eleven Captain WOLLASTON WIN THE TWENTY 20 PLATE Sunday August 20th 2009 With Great Houghton losing in the first semi-final on a cold and windy Irthlingborough Sunday, Wollaston and Isham competed for the right to contest the hosts in the final of the Board Twenty 20 Plate. Wollaston won the toss and elected to bowl. Isham had a promising start and a big total looked on the cards. However, when skipper Steve Musgrave looked to his slower bowlers it had the desired effect. The run rate slowed down and wickets started to fall. The result was that Isham could only manage 139 for 6 in their twenty overs with Chris Perry emerging with excellent figures of 3 for 17. In reply Wollaston made steady progress and with opener Jimmy Hart making 39 and skipper Steve Musgrave 50 not out victory was reached at 140 for 3 in 17.1 overs. As the temperature dropped another ten degrees the final got under way with Wollaston again winning the toss and electing to bowl. With Chris Perry again finding success with the ball - 4 overs, 5 for 12, Irthlingborough found quick runs hard to come by and eventually they were all out for 117 in the twentieth over. Accurate bowling was supported by excellent ground fielding and superb catching, which was key to Wollaston's ultimate success. Although Wollaston had a slight middle order wobble, Sam Kumar (45) led the reply and victory was achieved in the 17th over with John Pike and Matt Jones at the wicket and four wickets in hand The Plate and individual medals were presented by former Chairman Mr Harry Johnson and present Chairman Mr John Hodges.
SECOND ELEVEN REPORT 2009 A third place finish, eleven wins and some record breaking performances should all add up to a successful and satisfactory season and in many ways that is what it was. However, as I write this I can’t escape an overwhelming sense of disappointment. There are so many positives to take from the season and I like to think that during my four years as captain I have always remained positive whatever the situation, but losing at Irchester in the manner we did at such a crucial stage of the season was a blow that we all struggled to recover from. I am totally convinced that had we won that day we would have gone on to win our last two games and gained promotion. I wanted the Irchester game to be treated like any other, just another game in a successful season. I wanted all the players to feel as relaxed and confident as they were in most other games of the season. In hindsight this was a mistake. Looking back I can see now that we needed to be pumped up, we needed to treat the game like a cup final, we needed to get in to the opposition and put much more pressure on them by making them realise just how much winning that day meant to us. Instead by treating the game like any other we only succeeded in putting pressure on ourselves and we allowed Irchester, who were pumped up for it, to get on top of us and dominate the game. As captain I take total responsibility for our approach that day, however I am also well aware that pumping a team up before a game, rousing team talks and confidence boosting chats with players is not my style. I have always taken a relaxed, positive and encouraging approach to my captaincy and to be honest it’s just not in my make up to be any other way. This is one of the main reasons why I have decided to stand down as captain for next year. Finishing 3rd in division 3 twice in succession is a terrific achievement for the second team of a village club, but I believe we were good enough to be promoted this year and feel it is now time for someone else to take the reins and lead us into division 2. As I said there are so many positives to take from the season and I would like to thank all the players for their hard work and commitment. We have a great team spirit, despite the odd strop now and then, and win, lose or draw I am sure everybody enjoys playing for our terrific club. A big thank you goes to Andy Luck for his help and support as vice-captain, to John and all those involved with the ground, officially the best ground in division 3. Thank you to Malc for his fair and consistent umpiring and of course to Andrea and Paul for doing our scorebook and just about anything and everything else. I have thoroughly enjoyed my four seasons as captain and wish whoever takes it on next year every success. I hope whoever it is will get the same support and commitment that I have had. They certainly will from me. Roll on April. Brett Hanson - Second Eleven Captain
PRESIDENT’S ELEVEN v CHAIRMAN’S ELEVEN A View from The Hutch The ramblings of the treasurer Wollaston Presidents Day started on a perfect sunny morning—a 40-over event with lunch between inning. Result: Chairman’s Eleven won by 2 wickets Scores: President’s Eleven 204-9, Chairman’s Eleven 206-7 The day went like this………………………………….. Marcus Shelton welcomed everyone dressed in an immaculate blue Armani/De-Mob suit. Roy Driver excused his jeans because he had been plum picking in a secret location nearby! Colin Barber opening the batting, hammering shots to all parts and when dismissed for 8 said “the track and bowling were good, but I had no problem until I tried to hit a f…… six”. Dave Ekins umpired steadily, handing out detentions to miscreants. Paul Clarkson and Paul Bates also umpired in the 3-in-a-bed. Rex was “Ockyed” first ball, then demonstrated the art of refined fielding, always resisting the urge to run. Adrian didn’t bother with a hat-trick as he got one the day before. Bear wore his Florida suntan and when Nick pleaded for more wides to boost the score was rebutted by “I never ……” Max batted a la Hussey, i.e. left a straight one from Razzle who then celebrated like Ussain Bolt. Brian Summers cheerily claimed credit for preventing Ocky’s hat-trick. Muzzy was playing football as we arrived, changed codes but no-one noticed any difference (except that he ponced about in a towel-wrap for some reason or other). Jonah rolled back the years by taking a “Mike Brearley” over the head, running away from the batsman, one-handed catch, then ran himself out later as per … Marcus batted without his suit or any aplomb and still managed to show dissent on his LBW – never out, is he? Brett’s bowling reminded us older players of “young Nigel” – yes, three bounces before the batsman. His fielding was marked 8/10 for artistic prowess as he completed a double-flip without pike whilst allowing the ball across the boundary. Andy Luck achieved notoriety by running on to the field to intercept the shot before the fielder could. 30 points! A moving moment occurred when the President organised a Group hug/team talk before the innings, then returned to the sidelines chortling “I couldn’t possibly tell you what was said, but they are a bunch of w…..s!” Mark Ralph kept wicket by peering through the stumps, as at full height the bails block his view. Nick’s bowling was reminiscent of Pete Underwood bowling “out of the sun”, so high was the loop. John Hodges (with Dalek poles) and Paul Carter proved that you must be a miserable sod to be a groundsman, as they stomped around the boundary moaning about dust and pot-holes and cricket in general, whilst roundly abusing anyone in trousers. The drinks break resembled the bar of the Crispin, as no water was evident amongst the lagers. Gibbo phoned from the motorway to say that he was stuck and couldn’t make it. Everyone cheered! Zulu, the only player with a worthwhile job in the club (bread provider) was brilliant in scoring 20- and for having a lovely family and mainly for tolerating so many useless wasters. If you didn’t get a mention it was because scorer, Andrea, didn’t think you were any good – although she did point out that David (her son) did eat a good lunch. Sincere thanks do go to Nick Shelton for organisation, Kate Shelton and all other lovely caterers, the umpires, Andrea the scorer, Dick and Sian on the bar (actually behind or alongside the bar). Result - who cares - why cannot every day be thus? J.H.
JUNIOR CRICKET Under Thirteen With many of the previous season’s Under 13’s now over the age limit, 2009 was going to be a time for consolidating in many ways, with several of the boys finding themselves younger than the majority of their league opponents. However, because the more senior boys in the squad were leading the way and helping the younger lads progress, the season proved better than anticipated and the team improved from game to game towards the end of the season. A major positive was witnessing the lads playing sensible cricket as a team unit, which leads us to believe that the increased number of qualified Wollaston coaches is now paying dividends. Not only are techniques improving but also the lads are starting to think more about individual situations as the game develops - which proved a real help to captain Liam Yeo. The list of individual performances worth noting, starts with Andrew Rush who won Under 13’s Player of the Year for some terrific performances behind the stumps, proving his wicket keeping has developed tremendously. Added to that, he made several important innings’ from the middle / late order when needed. Two batsmen shone this year. One was Nathan Richards an “under twelve”, but having the responsibility of opening the batting. He showed great maturity in many opening stands worth 30 or more and had some personal success along the way. His team-mate Charlie Elderton also showed some good signs with the bat making scores in the thirties and certainly did not look out of place when representing the our Under 15’s when they were short during the busy holiday period. The bowling highlights belonged to both Joe Harris and Tom Houghton. This pair’s bowling improved dramatically over the winter and paid off with some great bowling figures consistently throughout the season. Next season the majority of the boys will be bona fide Under 13’s and if their cricket continues to develop I hope for more wins and a nice high league position. The lads remaining in the Under 13 squad in 2010 would like to wish the boys going into Under 15 cricket the best of luck. Chris Perry - Junior Coach
Under Eleven On Sunday July 26th 2009, Wollaston Under 11's were confirmed as winners of the U11 league! Whilst we share the title with Wellingborough as we both finished on the same number of points, the lads are very, very pleased with themselves and so they should be. Having started the morning with the expectation of Irthlingborough winning we were all proved wrong - oh dear! In the words of the A Team, "I love it when a plan comes together" or as most people say after reading my reports "Whatya talken bowt, fool". This year has been a real team effort and I cannot stress that enough. Cricket needs everyone to do their bit and they have all certainly done that this season. Well, that's the league season over and the boys have been terrific all season - in training, off the pitch/on the pitch, home or away - they have been a real credit and have behaved exceptionally well. Well done lads - enjoy your cricket, keep smiling and remember YOU WON THE LEAGUE! Nick Broome - Under 11 Manager
Final Tables Premier Division
Division Three
First Eleven Results
Second Eleven Results
FIRST, SECOND & SUNDAY ELEVEN MATCH REPORTS 2009 SEPTEMBER 19th FIRST ELEVEN WIN NUMBER NINE ENSURES FIFTH PLACE - BRIXWORTH WELL BEATEN Brixworth 200 for 8 in 55 overs Wollaston 201 for 2 in 44.5 overs Won - 28 points SCORECARD With John Pike bowling an impressive spell of 3 for 31 off 15 overs and Steve Musgrave supporting with 3 for 50 off 17, Wollaston restricted Brixworth to a fairly modest 200 for 8 off their maximum 55 overs. Chris Perry's left arm spin realised 2 for 32 off 12 and Wollaston were always in the driving seat. After tea the domination continued with opener Nick Shelton making 53 and at the same time passing 600 runs for the season. Mark Ralph's impressive season was also crowned when his 61 not out ensured he went past the same landmark. Sam Kumar made an unbeaten with 60 not out and Wollaston won the game with 8 wickets and 10 overs to spare. SCORECARD SECONDS LOSE AT HORTON BUT HANG ON TO THIRD SPOT Wollaston ll 147 all out in 49.1 overs - Horton ll 150 for 7 in 35.4 overs -Lost - 4 points scorecard A lack lustre batting display saw a mediocre total of 147 all out on the board at tea time. Skipper Brett Hanson had the most success making 34 with Harmit Bahra's 19 being the next highest score. In reply Horton were struggling at 55 for 6, but a stand of 75 between Tom Leonard and David Brown took the game away from Wollaston and inflicted the third defeat in as many games. Ali Fox took 3 for 19 off 9 and Adrian Ward 2 for 30 off 6 overs. SEPTEMBER 12th FIFTY ONE FOR THE LAST WICKET BEATS STONY IN A THRILLER Stony Stratford 193 all out in 51 overs Wollaston 197 for 9 in 57.5 overs - Won - 28 points SCORECARD A fantastic last wicket stand between skipper Steve Musgrave (32 not out) and number eleven Max Abbott (27 not out) saw Wollaston edge to victory after staring defeat in the face. The modest target of 194 looked along way off when the tall Australian fast bowler languidly strolled to the wicket to join his fellow countryman. But both batsmen kept their composure to enable Wollaston to continue to look for high altitude positioning next week. Earlier, only number four Mark Ralph - with an impressive 51 off 72 balls and Nick Shelton (24 off 60) successfully tamed the hosts' attack, and it needed a watchful 17 from Lewis Bates to help turn things around before the last wicket wonder stand. It capped a fine display from Steve Musgrave who earlier in the afternoon had bowled his full 17 overs, picking up 5 for 49. He was well supported by Chris Perry (2 for 59 and John Pike (3 for 38).SCORECARD TABLE SECOND ELEVEN LOSE AGAIN - THIS TIME BY SEVEN WICKETS Wollaston ll 153-9 Towcestrians 154-3 - Lost - 3 points SCORECARD TABLE A poor batting and bowling display saw the Seconds lose the second game on the trot. SEPTEMBER 5th FIRST ELEVEN HOLD ON TO BEAT RUSHTON AND CHALK UP WIN NUMBER SEVEN Rushton 175 all out in 49.5 overs Wollaston 176 for 9 in 57.3 overs - Won - 28 points SCORECARD A resolute performance from Wollaston's tail eventually saw win number seven chalked up on the victory board and reap 28 well earned points. Despite the visitors being six wickets down before three figures were on the board they rallied slightly to reach a modest 175 all out in 50 overs. Chris Perry was the star with the ball. He removed both Rushton openers (Marcus Steed for 12 and Arif Javed for 5) before going on to rip out the middle order and finishing with impressive figures of 6 for 50 off 17 overs. Max Abbott weighed in with 2 for 62 off thirteen, and one wicket each for John Pike and Steve Musgrave helped the cause. In reply Wollaston had a steady start with Nick Shelton (28) and Liam Bates (17) leading the way. Number three Jimmy Hart added an impressive 47 and Mark Ralph and Chris Perry 17 each, and with a total of sixty overs to reach victory the game hung in the balance. With one wicket left and number nine Mark Carter and number eleven Max Abbott at the crease 17 runs were needed and the tension was palpable. However, the two cool batsmen kept control and the with Carter making a text-book 13 not out and Abbott a classy 7 not out victory was reached in the 58th over. SCORECARD TABLE SECOND ELEVEN THRASHED AT IRCHESTER - PROMOTION HOPES TAKE A KNOCK Irchester 210 for 6 in 50 overs Wollaston ll 79 all out - Lost - 3 points SCORECARD A match to forget! A 131 run defeat and a serious set-back to Wollaston's promotion hopes with two games remaining. Irchester started off at a brisk rate before settling down on a changing wicket to post an impressive 210 for 6 off 50 overs. Wollaston were all out for 79............................! SCORECARD TABLE AUGUST 29th NORTHAMPTON SAINTS BEAT FIRST ELEVEN BY SIX WICKETS Wollaston 204 for 8 in 55 overs Saints 207 for 4 in 51.4 overs - Lost - 6 points SCORECARD Despite getting off to a decent start Wollaston failed to post a challenging score against the high flying Saints. Openers Nick Shelton (17) and Liam Bates (40) put on 39 for the first wicket and Chris Perry - promoted up the order to number five, made his maiden Wollaston fifty in great style. His 63 came of 83 balls and contained 4 x sixes - including one that tested the brickwork of a house overlooking the ground. Chris's innings took his run total for the season to 228 which, when put alongside his 37 wickets so far this season, will put him on the All Rounders List at the end of the season. Mark Ralph - who with Nick Shelton took his runs for the season over 500, made 12 and Liam's brother Lewis, making his first team debut and coming in at number seven, made a confident 34 to help push the total over 200. However, with Alec Swann (47) and Zak Harvey (101) compiling 120 for the first wicket, Wollaston's attack was never in the driving seat and despite Mark Nelson and Joe Collins going for 2 and 4 respectively, the wobble was soon overcome, and the Saints reached victory in the 52nd over with six wickets to spare. Steve Musgrave took two wickets and Chris Perry and Max Abbott one each. SCORECARD ST CRISPIN and RYELANDS BRUSHED ASIDE BY SECOND ELEVEN St Crispin's 110 all out 39.3 overs Wollaston ll 113 for 1 in 26.4 overs- Win - 26 points SCORECARD Wollaston's bowling was too good for St. Crispin's and they finally struggled to 110 all out off 39.3 overs. Andy Luck took 4 for 37 off eleven overs, Simon Driver 2 for 24 off nine and Ali Fox 2 for 20 off six. And for the visitors number three Mark Oliver made 23 and number six Mark White 45. In reply Wollaston's batsmen were dominant with opener Marcus Shelton (57) continuing in his reach vein of form before being run out. Fellow opener Matthew Jones made and impressive 40 not out and along with Simon Driver (4 not out) saw the home side safely to victory . 10686808 AUGUST 22ND FIRST ELEVEN WIN VERY COMFORTABLY AGAINST DESBOROUGH SCORECARD Desborough 150 for 8 in 55 overs Wollaston 153 for 3 in 37.1 overs - Win - 26 points Desborough's fragile batting was exposed by a spell of high class bowling from Wollaston's spinners. Although they still had 2 wickets in hand at the end of 55 overs they failed to make any impression on the home attack Chris Perry finished with figures of 4 for 49 off 17 accurate overs and skipper Steve Musgrave 2 for 19 off nine. Max Abbott and John Pike each took one wicket each. In reply Wollaston had no such worries. Nick Shelton with a cultured 70* and Mark Ralph 43* made sure Wollaston won at a canter with seven wickets and 17 overs in hand. SCORECARD SECOND ELEVEN DRAW AT STONY STRATFORD SCORECARD Wollaston ll 257 for 7 in 50 overs Stony Stratford 186 for 6 in 50 overs - 14 points Openers Marcus Shelton (69) and Lewis Bates' put on 114 for the first wicket to put Wollaston in a commanding position before skipper Brett Hanson (39) made sure the the total went over 250 However, Stony were in no mood to roll over and they also had a good opening stand of 93 before Wollaston at last made a breakthrough in the 28th over. But wickets didn't fall quick enough and although the hosts didn't threaten to win, they held firm and never looked like losing. SCORECARD AUGUST 15th RUSHDEN WIN CLOSE ENCOUNTER SCORECARD Wollaston 208 all out in 55 overs Rushden 209 for 8 in 51.9 overs - Lost - 8 points Despite posting 75 for the first wicket (Liam bates 39, Nick Shelton 24,) Wollaston could only muster a moderate 208 in their 55 overs. William Liptrot with 5 for 52 off 10 overs did most of the damage. Chris Perry picked up three wickets in Rushden's reply, with Steve Musgrave and Max Abbott bagging two each but Rushden reached victory with 2 wickets and three and a half overs to spare. SCORECARD SECOND ELEVEN WIN AT BOWDEN SCORECARD Bowden 153 all out in 50 overs Wollaston ll 154 for 7 in 48.2 overs - Win - 27 points Although Bowden had a solid start with both openers getting out in the thirties, the innings fell away and was wrapped by Adrian Ward's hatrick. He finished with 5 for 36 off 10 overs and Andy Luck 3 for 33 off 12. Darren King took the other two wickets to fall. Marcus Shelton (55) and Darren Laughton (30) scored the bulk of Wollaston's runs and the win came in the 49th over. SCORECARD AUGUST 8th FIRST ELEVEN SUCCUMB TO FINEDON RECOVERY SCORECARD Finedon Dolben 187 all out in 54.5 overs Wollaston 120 all out in 47.1 overs - Lost - 5 points After having a reasonable start to the value of 36 for the first wicket, Finedon then struggled through their middle order, with batsmen 3, 4 and 5 only contributing 14 runs between them. Max Abbott was the man who did most of the damage with the ball, and along with skipper Steve Musgrave certainly put the frighteners on the title favourites. However, Andy Roberts (58) had seen it all before, and along with the tail gradually coaxed the score up to a half decent 187 all out in 54.5 overs. Abbott recorded excellent figures of 4 for 48 off 17 overs and Steve Musgrave 3 for 53 off 13.5. Wollaston's reply was disappointing and Matthew Jones's 20 off 66 balls proved to be the visitors highest score , and with the wickets being shared around the innings closed on 120 all out in 47.1 overs. SCORECARD
SECOND ELEVEN GET THE BETTER OF KEMPSTON TO RECORD VICTORY NUMBER NINE SCORECARD Kempston 216 all out in 48 overs Wollaston ll 219 for 3 in 49.3 overs - Won - 29 points With number two Mark Harding (80) and number three John Collins (67) taking Kempston's tally up to 187 for 1, Wollaston thought they would be chasing a total around 300. However, when John Pike caught and bowled the latter and Adrian Ward bowled the former, the rot seemed to set in and wickets tumbled at an alarming rate. Inexplicably, the visitors plummeted from 187 for 1 to 216 all out! Pike finished with 4 for 42 off 14 and Ward 3 for 51 off 15. In reply Wollaston had no such scares. Opener Lewis Bates top scored with 66, Harmit Bahra made a graceful 54* and Andy Luck 39*. The winnings runs came in the 50th over with just 3 wickets down. SCORECARD AUGUST 1st RAIN PREVENTS FIRST ELEVEN OF POSSIBLE VICTORY SCORECARD Northants Academy 212 all out in 554.5 overs Wollaston 194 for 7 in 53 overs Chris Perry excelled with the ball to keep the Academy total down to gettable proportions. His 4 for 56 kept the batsmen in check and was well supported by Max Abbott (3 for 56 off 15 overs) and Mark Gibbs (2 for 25 off 8). For the visitors, Jack Choppin (42), Conner Cunningham (43) and Oliver Stone (25*) scored the bulk of the runs and they finished 212 all out in 54.5 overs Rain then intervened and resulted in two lost overs before Nick Shelton (27) and Liam Bates (46) accumulated 60 for the first wicket. The great start could not be capitalised on however and although number five Mark Ralph contributed 38, the run chase fell just short - not helped by the missing overs. Wollaston 194 for 7 in 53 overs. SECOND ELEVEN'S GAME RUINED BY THE WEATHER SCORECARD Old Northamptonians 193 for 8 in 50 overs Wollaston ll 85 for 5 in 25 overs Draw 6 points Harmit Bahra's 5 for 56 off 10 overs was Wollaston's outstanding contribution with the ball and John Pike weighed in with a creditable 3 for 60 off 15. Heavy and persistent rain resulted in Wollaston's innings being reduced to just 25 overs and although Marcus Shelton batted through for 46 not out the win was never likely, and the innings closed on 85 for 5 off 25 overs ______________________________________________________________________________________________ JULY 25th FIRST ELEVEN BACK TO WINNING WAYS AT BURTON LATIMER Burton Latimer 133 all out in 34 overs - Wollaston 134 for 5 in 54 overs Win - 26 points SCORECARD Steve Musgrave again bowled Wollaston to victory - this time at the expense of Burton Latimer. His 7 for 24 off 17 overs ripped the heart out of the home side after a decent start saw them post 42 for the first wicket. But once openers Damian Fuller (41) and Daniel Bendon (23) had both been caught of the bowling of Musgrave and Mark Gibbs respectively, it was just a matter of the Wollaston skipper working his way through the Burton batting order. With Greg Hofbauer's 9 proving the next best score there was little resistance and after 48 overs the innings was closed with an under-par 133 on the board. Although Wollaston's reply faltered slightly when opener Jimmy Hart departed for just five, Sam Kumar (24) and Liam Bates (25) took the game away from Burton before Musgrave (17), Matthew Jones (22), Chris Perry (15*) and Simon Driver (16*) ensured Wollaston picked up another victory and 26 handy points. SECOND ELEVEN CHALK UP WIN NUMBER EIGHT AS RUSHDEN ARE SENT PACKING SCORECARD Rushden ll 110 all out in 44 overs Wollaston ll 112 for 4 in 27 overs. Rushden's number four Barry Eales made 40, Grant Timms 20 and number six Richard Eady 17, but the rest of the visiting batting line up failed to impress against the bowling of Adrian Ward ( 4 for 12 off 7 overs), Simon Parsons (4 for 25 off 12) and Ali Fox (2 for 18 off 10), and 110 all out in 44 overs was a fair reflection of their efforts. In reply Wollaston never looked in any bother and openers Marcus Shelton (38) and Lewis Bates (11) made sure of a solid base, ensuring a Wollaston win with 6 wickets in hand. MATCH RESULT AND SCORECARD THE REST OF DIVISION THREE RESULTS THE REST OF THE LEAGUE RESULTS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ JULY 18th OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS COMPLETE A DOUBLE OVER FIRST ELEVEN SCORECARD Wollaston 180 for 9 in 55 overs Old Northamptonians 181 for 5 in 51 overs - Lost - 6 points Wollaston once again succumbed to Old Northamptonians after posting a very moderate total off the maximum overs. Several batsmen got in but all failed to get the big score required to test the opposition. Jimmy Hart topped the list with 40, Steve Musgrave and Max Abbott made 30 each and John Pike 28. Richard Kaufman took 4 for 62 off 17 overs. The visitors never looked under pressure despite two wickets each from Chris Perry and Max Abbott and completed the victory in 51 overs with five wickets down. SECOND ELEVEN CRUISE TO VICTORY AT RAUNDS SCORECARD Raunds 111 all out in 41 overs Wollaston ll 112 for no wicket - Win - 25 points A rampant Simon Driver ran through a brittle Raunds batting line up to finish with impressive figures of 5 for 27. With Raunds losing a wicket in each of the first three overs Wollaston were always on top and duly completed the 10 wicket victory with ease as Brett Hanson (75 not out) and Lewis Bates strolled home. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ JULY 11th FIRST ELEVEN WIN OFF THE LAST BALL AGAINST PETERBOROUGH SCORECARD Wollaston 225 for 9 in 49 overs Peterborough 106 all out in 49 overs - Won - 30 points Perhaps arguably Wollaston' greatest win to date saw them beat the mighty Peterborough off the last ball of the match. In a rain affected game reduced to 49 overs per side saw Wollaston post 225 to obtain maximum batting points. Jimmy Hart topped scored with 76, Matthew Jones 42 and number three Sam Kumar 38. This was despite the efforts of Bashrat Hussain (3 for 54 off 12) and Ajaz Akhtar (2 for 43 off 15). Although Peterborough had a good start with openers Alan Burton and David Clark making 16 and 28 respectively things changed dramatically when Chris Perry bowled the former and Max Abbott had the latter well caught by Liam Bates. Max Abbott continued to worked his way through their batting order and Mark Gibbs weighed in by inducing number ten Chris Milner to give a catch to Matthew Jones to leave the visitor on a perilous nine wickets down. It eventually came down to Wollaston needing one wicket to win with one ball left. Number eleven Jamie Smith had already survived 15 balls and Daniel Oldham 42 balls but Mark Gibbs bowled the last delivery of the game and much to the delight of everyone except the Peterborough contingent, the ball was edged by Smith and flew to third slip where Mark Ralph gratefully pouched the catch to start the celebrations. Max Abbott finished with the excellent figures of 5 for 48 off 15 overs
SECOND ELEVEN FRUSTRATE OUNDLE TO SECURE THE DRAW SCORECARD Oundle 282 for 3 in 43 overs Wollaston ll 126 for 8 in 57 overs Draw - 4 points THE REST OF DIVISION THREE RESULTS THE REST OF THE LEAGUE RESULTS Martin Van De Merwe had a disappointing moment when he was caught by by Marcus Shelton off the bowling of Adrian Ward for 97 but Cameron Wake did make three figures and finished 148 not out off 133 balls. The opening pair amassed 184 for the first wicket and the second wicket fell at 213. This set Oundle up for a massive total of 282 for 3 and the declaration came after 43 overs. Not much of a carrot there boys ! With captain Brett Hanson's 46 and Darren Laughton's 23 being the only Wollaston scores in double figures the win was eventually out of the question so it came down to a 'backs to the wall rearguard action", and much to the visitors credit this is what they did. Number nine Andrew Silsby made a solid eleven off 50 balls and number ten Adrian Ward an unfussy 2 from 49 balls to take Wollaston to safety and secure a very creditable draw, much to the surprising and visible annoyance of the Oundle side who were not good enough to bowl them out. Should we have thrown our wickets away and hand them the win? I don't think so. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ JULY 4th FIRST ELEVEN SHRUG OFF "DIZZYNESS" TO BEAT BRIXWORTH SCORECARD Brixworth 195 for 9 in 55 overs Wollaston 196 for 5 in 45 overs Won 27 - points Man of the Match Ben Howgego Much to the disappointment of the Nostalgia Club, the much heralded " Dev and Dizzy Show" failed to materialise in its entirety. Unfortunately for some, Mr Malcolm was otherwise engaged and Mr Gillespie was somewhat limited by injury. Put into bat, Brixworth only managed a modest 195 for 9 in their allotted 55 overs mainly due to another fine spell of bowling from skipper Steve Musgrave. His 5 for 49 ripped the heart out of the Brixworth innings and he was well supported by Max Abbott (3 for 51) and Ben Howgego who took his first Wollaston wicket. In reply Ben continued his aggression by scoring a quick fire 44 all in boundaries, and along with Nick Shelton (34) put Wollaston on track for another victory. Mark Ralph added 41 before Matt Jones (26 not out) and Chris Perry ( 24 not out - including two consecutive fours off Mr G) took Wollaston to victory with 5 wickets and 10 overs in hand SECOND ELEVEN WIN AT A CANTER AGAINST HORTON ll SCORECARD Horton ll 173 for 9 in 50 overs Wollaston ll 175 for 4 in 45 overs Won - 27 points Man of the Match Marcus Shelton Horton's young side were put into bat and never really managed to gain the upper hand over Wollaston. At 87 for 7 even a three figure score looked unlikely, but they dug deep and eventually realised a respectable total of 173 for 9 in 50 overs. Adrian Ward did the damage with the ball for Wollaston claiming 4 for 41 off 13 overs (including three clean bowled) backed up by Harmit Bahra who could boast the remarkable figures of 2 for 17 off 15 overs. D. Adams with 19 and S. Patel with 24 provided support for number seven David Brown who top scored with 50. In reply Horton could only watch as a dominant Marcus Shelton made an impressive 92 off just 70 balls to put Wollaston firmly in the ascendancy. He found willing partners in the Bates brothers (Liam 41 and Lewis 16) and despite Patel claiming 2 for 43 off 13 overs the home side won with ease at 174 for 4 in the 45th over. ____________________________________________________ JUNE 27th FIRST ELEVEN COLLAPSE AS NORTHAMPTON SAINTS WIN WITH EASE SCORECARD Wollaston 120 all out in 43 overs Saints 121 for 6 in 40 overs Lost 3 points Although opener Ben Howgego made 57 on debut for Wollaston, this was somewhat negated by the appearance of 5 ducks in the scorebook. Without number nine John Pike's contribution of 24 and number ten Max Abbott's 17, it would have been even worse! Chamila Gamage took 4 for 34 off 14 overs. Mark Wolstenholme (47) and Alec Swann (24) scored the bulk of the runs for Saints and despite a little "wobble" in the middle order they reached their total with comparative ease. SECOND ELEVEN LOSE BY SEVEN WICKETS AT ST. CRISPIN'S SCORECARD Wollaston 95 all out St. Crispin's 99 for 3 in 20 overs Lost 1 point The toss was crucial on this damp wicket and unfortuately for Wollaston - they lost it. With the ball not coming on to the bat stroke-making was difficult early on - although opener Liam Bates ( 24) showed it was possible. With the pitch drying out Wollaston's 95 was never going to be enough and St Crispin's won by 7 wickets in just 20 overs. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ JUNE 20th FIRST ELEVEN GET CLOSE BUT HAVE TO HANG ON AT RUSHTON SCORECARD Rushton 211 all out in 52 overs Wollaston 199 for 9 in 58 overs With Rushton posting 115 for the first wicket all indications were that Wollaston would be chasing a massive total. However, when Chris Perry eventually caught and bowled Marcus Steed for 61 and John Pike clean bowled Mandeep Singh for 57 it changed the course of the innings and from then on only number three Kieran Pierce (39) made any significant impact with the bat. Steve Musgrave (5 for 52 off 14 overs) came out on top with the ball, heavily supported by Chris Perry (3 for 57 off 17) and John Pike who contributed 2 for 35 off 12 overs. In reply Wollaston also had a handy start - putting on 75 for the first wicket. But Pierce once again had an impact when he removed both Nick Shelton (43) and Liam Bates (28) followed swiftly by Mark Ralph for just 4. When Matthew Jones went without scoring the scoreboard was showing 84 for 4 and the visitors struggling to consolidate the innings. But skipper Steve Musgrave (43) and Simon Driver (13) held the Rushton attack at bay and it was left to number nine Chris Perry (27 not out) and number eleven Mark Gibbs (0 not out) to safely negotiate the final overs. Man of the Match: Steve Musgrave SECOND ELEVEN GET THE BETTER OF IRCHESTER BUT CAN'T FINISH THEM OFF SCORECARD Wollaston ll 226 for 6 in 50 overs Irchester 152 for 7 in 50 overs At 24 for 3 Wollaston looked in trouble against some hostile Irchester bowling. But number four Harmit Bahra (72) and number five Andy Luck (44) gradually rebuilt the innings and gave an excellent platform for skipper Brett Hanson (53 not out) and Simon Parsons (22) to flay the now-ragged bowling to all parts. Craig McDonald came off best with the ball taking 3 for 66 off 15 overs. Although the visitors had a steady start they never looked in a position to reach the winning target. Mark Harrison top scored with 59 and Simon Parsons, Harmit Bahra and Adrian Ward all took 2 wickets each. Man of the Match: Harmit Bahra _______________________________________________________________________________________________ JUNE 13th FIRST ELEVEN v STONY STRATFORD - Home - Won - 28 points FIRST ELEVEN MAKE IT TWO WINS ON THE TROT AS THEY EDGE OUT STONY STRATFORD Stony Stratford 236 for 7 in 55 overs Wollaston 247 for 9 in 54.2 overs Won 28 points SCORECARD Despite a half century each for Mark Ralph and Jimmy Hart, the outcome of this vital clash had supporters on the edge of their seats until Wollaston edged over the winning line. A heroic effort from Wollaston's last pair, Chris Perry 36* and Max Abbott - who came together with 12 runs still needed - took the hosts to their second victory of the season with 4 balls to spare in a nail biting finish - despite Steve Bellew taking 6 for 56 off 17 overs. Earlier, Dion Ebrahim scored the bulk of the runs for the visitors making an impressive 120 - which included 14 fours and 3 sixes. SECOND ELEVEN v TOWCESTER - Away - Won - 27 points SECOND ELEVEN COME OUT ON TOP IN THRILLING FINISH AT TOWCESTER Wollaston ll 171 all out in 47 overs Towcester 170 all out in 50 overs - Won - 27 points SCORECARD Wollaston's 171 all out (Simon Driver 30, Brett Hanson 26 and Darren Laughton 24) looked ominously inadequate as Towcester rallied from 30 for 4 to an improved 110 for 4. Ali Fox had got the attack off to a dream start by taking two wickets with the first two balls of Towcester's reply to put the hosts on the back foot. However, with Harmit Bahra steadily taking wickets to extend his run of form with the ball, Wollaston kept in the game - to the extent that with the last man at the crease, Towcester needed two runs to win. The result could have gone either way, but up stepped Harmit. Harmit bowled- and Towcester thought they had won the game with two scampered leg byes. But the umpire adjudged "no shot" and the runs didn't count. So still two to win! And once again Harmit came up trumps and claimed the final wicket with the last ball of the game with Towcester losing by one run. Harmit finished with 4 for 24 off 13 overs. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
JUNE 6th FIRST ELEVEN v DESBOROUGH - away - win 30 points scorecard FIRST ELEVEN GET BIG WIN AT DESBOROUGH AND PICK UP 30 VERY HANDY POINTS Wollaston 227 all out in 51.3 overs Desborough 104 all out in 38.4 overs Desborough won the toss and decided to bowl - a decision that ultimately had a positive effect as far as Wollaston were concerned. Nick Shelton (19) and Liam Bates (21) again built a decent foundation for the middle order before both were removed by David Starkey. Jimmy Hart added 34 and Mark Ralph a cultured 64 which gave the inning added impetus before Terry Butt and Peter Burnham got amongst the middle order to put the brakes on the visitors scoring ability. But a revitalised Matthew Jones added 34 to take the score to the realms of respectability despite the last four Wollaston wickets falling for under 20 runs. Wollaston 227 all out in 51.3 overs The lads from Ar Tarn didn't have a bad start. Although David Murphy was caught by Max Abbott for only 3, fellow opener Hamza Mubeen (30) and number three Gurjeet Sapal (20) looked like they might turn things around. However, visiting skipper Steve Musgrave had other ideas. He cannily brought himself on to bowl and changed the course of the game. He ripped through the home batting order to record remarkable figures of 5 for 11 off just 10 overs. Max Abbott picked up one wicket and Chris Perry and Mark Gibbs, two each. Desborough 104 all out in 38.4 overs Man of the Match: Steve Musgrave scorecard
SECOND ELEVEN v STONY STRATFORD ll - home - win - 27 points scorecard SECOND ELEVEN PICK UP WIN NUMBER FOUR AS STONY ARE SENT PACKING Stony Stratford 192 for 8 in 50 overs Wollaston 193 for 5 in 37.5 overs 27 points Although Wollaston were disappointed not to keep Stony down to just 2 batting points they cruised to this victory without any real scares. Harmit Bahra had another good day with the ball - picking up 4 for 64 off his full allocation of 15 overs. He was backed up by Ali Fox and Simon Parsons with two wickets each. Stony Stratford 192 for 8 in 50 overs. Wollaston always looked in control and the home middle order took the game away from the visitors with the bulk of the runs coming from Andy Luck (41) Harmit Bahra (35) and David Clarkson (31) Wollaston won with 12 overs to spare. Wollaston 193 for 5 in 37.5 overs 27 points Man of the Match: Andy Luck scorecard _________________________________________________________________________________________________ MAY 31st SUNDAY ELEVEN v BIDDENHAM - home - win MAX HAMMERS A CENTURY - VICTORY FOR THE SUNDAY ELEVEN AGAINST BIDDENHAM Batting for the first time at the home of cricket, our man from Sydney, Max Abbott hammered a century in only 18 overs before taking up umpiring duties and adjudging Haydn James (who had been waiting all afternoon to get a knock - on his only day off this summer!) LBW and send him back to feed the pigs. Max's savage innings included 7 sixes and spread the fielders far and wide. He was well supported by fellow opener Mark Cronin with 37, Andy Luck with 41 and skipper Chris Perry with 46. Wollaston closed at 265 for 5 in 40 overs. In reply Biddenham gamely stuck to their task and, although losing early wickets, never gave up and pushed the score along when possible. Mr Hall topped scored with 40 backed up by A Cruse with 26. Eventually the visited succumbed to the Wollaston attack and were finally all out for 192. David Ward - who had most success with the ball- took 4 for 19 off 8 overs and was well supported by Matt Jones (2 for 29), Jamie Perry (2 for 20), and one wicket each for Luck and Cronin. Wollaston won by 73 runs ______________________________________________________________________________________ MAY 30th FIRST ELEVEN v RUSHDEN - away - draw - 15 points scorecard A FEAST OF RUNS & WOLLASTON SO CLOSE TO FIRST WIN - BUT RUSHDEN HANG ON NICK SHELTON BATS THROUGH FOR 109 NOT OUT Wollaston 301 for 5 in 55 overs - Rushden 249 for 9 in 55 overs A fantastic innings of 109 not out from opener Nick Shelton set Wollaston up for a massive total at Rushden. His mammoth effort in the sweltering heat came off 156 balls and was backed up by number three Jimmy Hart (63) who shared a 122 second wicket stand with Nick, and skipper Steve Musgrave who weighed in with 29. Mark Ralph also hit a quick fire 26 off 25 balls to take the total over the 300 hundred mark and only 6 runs short of Wollaston's record score. In reply Rushden were positive and any result looked possible but eventually Max Abbott induced Graeme White to give a catch to Steve Musgrave and Mark Carter snaffled a chance behind off Mark Gibbs. However Mohammad Hussain took over and made a splendid 101 off just 114 balls and along with the middle order coaxed the total over the two hundred mark until Max struck again along with Mark Gibbs (2 for 39), Chris Perry (2 for 49) and Steve Musgrave (1 for 64 ) to leave Rushden on 248 for nine and claiming the draw. Max finished with excellent figures in only his second game for Wollaston of 4 for 66 of 14 overs. scorecard SECOND ELEVEN v BOWDEN - home - win - 26 points scorecard SECONDS PULL THROUGH TO VICTORY DESPITE A DETERMINED EFFORT FROM BOWDEN Bowden 158 for 9 in 50 overs Wollaston 159 for 7 in 50 overs This was a hard fought and and absorbing game in which the bowlers excelled and the batsmen had to be patient. Wollaston won the toss and decided to bowl on a good pitch which was complemented by a fast outfield. Seamer Simon Driver struck almost immediately and both openers were back in the pavilion with only 20 on the board. This didn't immediately improve for Bowden and they found themselves in a perilous position at 34 for 4. However, their number five, Knowles, played very sensibly and together with S. Freer (21) gradually brought the boys from Leicestershire back into the game until the former was clean bowled by Ali Fox. Simon Driver finished with 4 for 32 off 12 overs, Simon Parsons 2 for 19 off 15 and a wicket each for Adrian Ward and Fox. Bowden closed on 158 for 9 in their 50 overs. Wollaston's reply started brightly with Lewis Bates (40) and Marcus Shelton (36) putting on 54 for the first wicket. When these two departed the middle order had a minor wobble until number six Darren Laughton (19) and number eight David Clarkson (31*) batted sensibly to guide Wollaston home at 159 for 7 despite some high class bowling from Steve Bellamy (2 for 31) and Sam Freer (3 for 39 off 10 overs) _______________________________________________________________________________ MAY 23rd FIRST ELEVEN v FINEDON - home - draw - 8 points Scorecard Finedon 195 for 9 in 55 overs - Wollaston 157 for 5 in 55 overs At two stages of this game Wollaston looked set to spring the surprise of the day. Skipper Steve Musgrave won the toss and decided to bowl with Wollaston supporters eagerly awaiting the opening salvo from Max Abbott who only arrived from Sydney just 3 days previously. They were not disappointed. But first to strike was John Pike when he induced Gregg Evans to offer a catch behind to Mark Carter who gleefully accepted the opportunity to leave the visitors 11 for 1. With the same total on the board Max took his first Wollaston wicket, trapping Gary Herbert plumb in front. Pike struck twice more leaving the favourites on a precarious 24 for 4 and staring down the barrel. However, number three Clint Tomlinson (78) held firm and along with Chris Todd (34) and Andy Roberts (40) rebuilt the innings - despite another wicket from Max, two for Steve Musgrave and one from Chris Perry. Finedon closed on 199 for 9 in 55 overs An opening stand of 63 put Wollaston in a promising position with openers Nick Shelton and Liam Bates making 33 each, but the loss of three more quick wickets left Wollaston on 79 for 5 and and Finedon in the driving seat. However, Matt Jones (27 off 57 balls) and Mark Carter (53 off 63 Balls) were resolute and saw Wollaston safely to the draw and eight hard earned points. Wollaston 157 for 5 off 55 overs. ___________________________________________________________________________ SECOND ELEVEN v KEMPSTON - away - draw - 15 points Scorecard Wollaston 292 for 3 in 44 overs Kempston 140 for 9 in 56 overs Simon Driver dominated this game with a magnificent innings of 158 off just 119 balls. Wollaston were inserted on a placid pitch and were positive from the start. Simon, batting at number three, was in imperious form and his fifty came up off just 45 deliveries. His century followed off 89, and his 150 off 115 balls. 132 runs came in boundaries - consisting of 23 fours and 5 sixes. He was supported by Andy Luck (48*) and together they put on 138 for third wicket. Wollaston declared six overs early. In reply Kempston never looked like getting anywhere near their massive target and it was just a matter of Wollaston prising out the home batting line up in the 56 overs available. Unfortunately it was not to be and despite a good bowling display - including Andy Luck's 3 for 27 and Ali Fox's 3 for 14 - Nigel Thorn (44) guided the home side to safety with 9 wicket down. Scorecard _________________________________________________________________________________________________ MAY 16th FIRST ELEVEN v NCCC ACADEMY - away - draw - 15 points Scorecard Wollaston 249 for 5 in 55 overs NCCC Academy 249 in 55 overs In this amazing game Wollaston deservedly came away with the majority of the points - but it was close! Put into bat we didn't have the best of the early exchanges, and at 37 for 3 maximum batting points looked a long way off. But number 3 Mark Ralph was not daunted. He batted magnificently and together with number six Matt Jones (43), put on 111 runs for the fifth wicket. Ralph finished on 117 not out to claim the Man of the Match accolade. Skipper Steve Musgrave made 30 at number five and John Pike added an accomplished 12 not out from the number seven spot. In reply the Academy didn't look confident until David Ripley with 50 and Jack Chopping (34) made inroads in the required total. But Wollaston held their nerve and with the wickets spread around, came out on top with the scores level. John Pike, Mark Gibbs and Chris Perry grabbed 2 wickets each, Ali Fox 1 and two were run out. SECOND ELEVEN v OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS lll - home - win - 25 points scorecard O.Ns lll 146 for 9 in 50 overs Wollaston ll 147 in 46.5 overs This was a game which was dominated by both attacks and runs didn't come easily. Wollaston won the toss, decided to bowl and backed up skipper Andy Luck's decision with a tight display with the ball. Simon Driver got an early breakthrough and finished with 2 for 38 off eleven overs. This opening thrust put the hosts in the driving seat and Adrian Ward carried on the good work taking 3 for 12 off 10 overs, backed up by Jamie Perry ( 2 for 32), Simon Parsons (1 for 50) and Harmit Bahra (1 for 7 off 4) Despite a typical nineteen from opener Marcus Shelton, and a second wicket stand of 49 between Lewis Bates (29) and Simon Driver (26) Wollaston also found run scoring hard to come by and at 84 for 4 off 27 overs the game could have gone either way. However, Man of the Match, Darren Laughton (37 not out) batted with excellent composure and maturity to guide the villagers home with 3 wickets and 3 overs to spare. Paul Wolstenholme and Phil Evens both bowled well for the visitors with the former taking 3 for 15 off eight overs. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ MAY 10th SUNDAY ELEVEN v GREAT HOUGHTON - home - win Wollaston 272 for 8 in 40 overs Great Houghton 143 all out in 31 overs Paul and Matthew Jones made it a family occasion on Sunday when they scored 51 and 101 respectively. The family partnership yielded 160 and made history as it was the first time this phenomenon (a hundred and a fifty for father and son in the same game) has happened at Wollaston (as far as we are aware!). Mark Ralph also made a half century before sacrificing his wicket in a mid-pitch mix-up with Haydn James.
Jordon Allen (10 not out) and Alex Melia (8 not out) put the icing on Wollaston’s cake.
In reply the visitors knew the target of 273 to win in 40 overs would be a tough challenge – especially with a young side – but they persevered and finished with a creditable 143 all out in 31 overs. Jordon and Alex starred again, this time with the ball. The former turned his off-breaks to good effect to finish with 2 for 16 off 5 and Alex purveyed his accurate medium pace seamers and was rewarded with 1 for 24 off 6 overs.
Champagne Moment: Jamie Perry; Unforgettable Fielding Display __________________________________________________________________________________________________ MAY 9th FIRST ELEVEN v BURTON - home - draw - 15 points Wollaston 250 for 5 in 55 overs Burton Latimer 194 for 9 in 55 overs 15 points A fantastic opening partnership of 140 from Liam Bates (74) and Man of the Match Nick Shelton(53) set Wollaston up for a decent score against last year's fellow strugglers Burton Latimer. Number three Mark Ralph stroked an accomplished 63 not out and John Pike a quick fire 21 from his promoted spot at number five. Dan Bendon did his "usual" against Wollaston and finished up with 4 wickets. In reply Burton fell short but managed to keep their 10th wicket intact despite fine efforts from skipper Steve Musgrave who finished with 4 wickets, and Chris Perry and Ali Fox with 2 each. SECOND ELEVEN v RUSHDEN ll - away - draw Wollaston ll 238 for for 7 in 50 overs Rushden ll 200 for 8 in 50 overs Scorecard After losing the toss Wollaston's batting line up got into gear and posted 238 with all the batsmen contributing down the order. Marcus Shelton (34) and Lewis Bates (10) got the visitors off to a good start before Brett Hanson (40), Harmit Bahra (53) and Andy Luck (46) posted the majority of the runs. Bahra and Luck added 104 for the 4th wicket. Man of the Match David Clarkson with 24 not out and Andy Silsby then flayed the bowling to all parts to make things difficult for the chasing team. For the home side Tom West took 5 for 67 off 13 overs. Despite a fine 88 from Tim Lake Rushden finished on 200 for 8 with the visitors striving in vain for the final two wickets. Harmit Bahra added to his success with the bat by taking five richly deserved wickets. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ MAY 2nd FIRST ELEVEN v OLD NORTHAMPTONIANS - away - lost -0 points Wollaston 85 all out O.Ns 86 for 2 in 30 overs Scorecard It was a case of "After the Lord Mayor's Show" for the First Team at O.Ns. Richard Kaufman's off-spin proved too accurate for the batting line up that last week made 245 runs at Peterborough with wickets to spare. Only Mark Ralph with 35 made any sort of impression and salt was further rubbed in the wound when Kaufman was actively involved in putting the majority of the winning runs on the board As skipper Steve Musgrave said after the game, "It was just a bad day at the office". SECOND ELEVEN V RAUNDS - home - won - points - 28 points Raunds 138 in 36.4 overs Wollaston 139 for 6 in 37.2 overs Harmit Bahra turned on the magic to set Wollaston up for the first win of the season. Raunds could not handle his dibbly - dobblers and he surged through the visitors batting line up to take 6 for 33 off 11.4 overs. In reply Wollaston lost Marcus Shelton caught at slip off the first ball of the innings and Simon Driver with only 20 on the board. However, opener Lewis Bates (41) dug in and found a willing partner in number six Darren Laughton to take Wollaston to the brink of victory. Andy Silsby replaced Bates to help Laughton push Wollaston over the winning line in the 38th over. ________________________________________________________________________________________ APRIL 25th FIRST ELEVEN v PETERBOROUGH - away - result: Draw 15 points Wollaston 247 for7 off 55 overs Peterborough 176 for 8 off 55 overs Jimmy Hart 81 Liam Bates 42 Matt Jones 31* Steve Musgrave and Mark Gibbs 3 wickets each Man of the Match: Jimmy Hart Liam Bates and Nick Shelton compiled 45 for the first wicket which proved a firm foundation for the excellent total against last season's third placed high fliers. Liam's 41 was the precursor for a marvellous "opening day" 83 from Jimmy Hart and the razzle- dazzle was added later with a flourish by Matt Jones with a 31 not out batting down the order. Debutants Ali Fox and Mark Gibbs(3 wickets) stamped their authority on the game with the ball before new skipper Steve Musgrave carried on the good work picking up 3 wickets for his efforts. Scorecard _____________________________________________________________ APRIL 25th SECOND ELEVEN v OUNDLE - home - result: Lost Wollaston ll 183 for 9 off 50 Oundle 184 for 2 in 43.1 overs Marcus Shelton 97 Darren Laughton 25 Harmit Bahra and Andy Luck 1 wicket each Man of the Match: Marcus Shelton Marcus Shelton's impressive 98 off 130 balls proved in vain against a strong Oundle side who won at a canter. The total of 182 was possibly 50 short of the mark and Oundle reached their winning target with ease with just over six overs and eight wickets to spare. Scorecard ___________________________________________________________________________ FIRST ELEVEN BEAT WELLINGBOROUGH IN SUNDAY FRIENDLY APRIL 19th Wollaston 242 for 6 in 50 overs - Mark Ralph and Sam Kumar both bag a fifty Wellingborough Town 220 all out - Musgrave, Perry and Driver amongst the wickets ____________________________________________________________________________ SECONDS WIN FRIENDLY AGAINST MEARS ASHBY APRIL 20th Wollaston 227 in 40 overs - Lewis Bates 49 Mears Ashby 90 all out - Jamie Perry 3 for 11 |
Matthew Nicholas
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