Corsham 3s lose out to All Cannings by 3 wickets

A youthful Corsham 3s lost to All Cannings at a sun kissed Leafy Lane, despite a four catch haul for A-Bomb and a super 70 score from Hugo Hudson-Wall

Wiltshire County Cricket League Division 3 – Corsham 3s vs All Cannings, 4th July 2015

Corsham 3s lost to All Cannings by 3 wickets on Independence Day, at a gloriously sunny Leafy Lane, in front of the biggest crowd this season - 12 folks and a dog.

All Cannings won the toss and elected to field first, having had a good look at our 3s XI which included more youth than experience this week, with five lads from the academy U15s (Freeman, Overton, Todhunter, Hansford-Holt and Theobold), 4 young guns and two senior gentlemen Simon Wall and James Rowe, edging the average age over the 23 mark…..at a guess.

Corsham openers Tom Hyde and George Freeman got off to a slow start, with extras making the most marks in JG’s book, until Hyde edged through the keeper for 4, to take the score to 11 off the first six overs……yawn. The innings came to life in seventh with George getting off the mark to long leg, and Hyde finding the ropes through square. Extra’s (who was playing well) added 8 more in the eighth with double bubble to long stop, before Hyde foured through deep backward point in the ninth to take the score to 31 without loss.

George was playing plenty of air shots, and inspecting his bat for holes as Hyde scored majestically through long leg in the twelfth. Cannings first appeal came next over, with umpire Angell unmoved, looking like an extra from Casualty in his doctor’s jacket, before Hyde went two balls later caught off the glove then forearm with the score on 42. Kieran Gibson, making his 2015 debut came in at 3 and was off the mark first ball, followed with a two through cover.

George arrived in the 15th, with 2s to fine leg and mid-off, and his first boundary through deep backward point, then playing the same again next over to take the score to 59 off 16. George and Kieran were going along well moving the score to 89 off 20, before confusion reigned in the 22nd, with Kieran half way up and with no way back, run out just before drinks break (94-2).

Simon ‘the hammer’ Wall strolled to the middle as Cannings tightened the screw with back to back maidens. George went big over extra cover to bring up the 100, and The Hammer spanked one high over long off, before he skied one to mid-off and was caught, to bring Hugo Hudson Wall (Jnr) to the crease (110-3). Hugo and George added nine between them before George holed out to extra cover (119-4).

James ‘El Capitan’ Rowe came in at six, and was off the mark with 3 to deep square leg (127 off 30). Hugo and Rowey then picked up the rate with HHW smashing four over the top, then sweeping to third man taking ten off the over. HHW went over the top again in the 32nd for four more adding 2s and running well as the Corsh middle order looked well set.

The 150 up came in the 34th over, before Hugo was dropped over the boundary at deep extra cover. Rowey went over the top same over adding quick runs, as HHW foured through third man and long leg to take the score to 173 off 36. Hugo was on a mission….with four through extra cover and then a big 6 over deep point to bring up the half century off 47 balls in 42 mins (good work!). Fourteen runs came in the 40th over with Hugo and Rowey finding the ropes at deep point, extra cover and third man to get us over 200. Hugo went next over, caught at mid-wicket (211-5), ending a fine 92 run partnership.

Luc Theobold came in at 7, making his senior debut on the back of a big score for the 15s earlier in the week. Rowey was caught at extra cover next over (212-6), to bring another debutant Ralph Todhunter to the middle. Luc drove four through extra cover to take the score to 217 off 42, as the rate slowed with singles for Luc in overs 43 and 44, then a four through cover in the last over as we chased the elusive batting point, closing the innings with Ralph run out from a direct hit, and the Corsham innings closing on 224 for 7.

Corsham batting: Hyde 21 (4 x 4s), Freeman 42 (7 x 4s), Gibson 23 (2 x 4s), Hudson-Wall 70 (11 x 4s, 1 x 6), Rowe 17 (2 x 4s).
Mrs Rowe made tea, a top notch spread (according to Olly).

Cannings are known to bat well down the order, so a good start was needed…….and it couldn’t get any better than it did. Hugo opened from the 5-a-side end, fired up on fruit cake, bowling to Tilley who cracked one off to point (fnarr fnarr) where it was snatched out of the air by specialist fielder Matt Angell (0-1), 2 dots followed, then Mansell played to point as Matt adjusted to snatch another out of the air…..(0-2), two down, Hugo and Angell on a roll.

Luc Theobold took the ball from the trees end, and started with a tight over, before Cannings got into their stride, with nine off the third, eight off the fourth, then 12 and 16 off the next two to bring up 50 off 6 overs.

Kieran took first change from Hugo and removed opener Wellard, formerly of EastEnders fame, 59-3. Cannings number four Parker was finding the ropes all too often and was put down in the ninth at deep mid-wicket. Luc followed with a maiden 11th, as Parker made his 50 up in the twelfth. Cannings were scoring at 12 an over, as Rowe took over from Theobold, and was dropped in his first over. George Freeman took second change from Kieran as Parker found the ropes off his first 3 balls before he was caught by Kieran at long on for 70 (132-4). Rowey and George slowed the rate to 6 an over before A Bomb (Matt Angell) took his third catch of the day off Rowey at extra cover (150-5), five down…….interesting.

The next wicket came in the 21st over, courtesy of another fielding masterclass from Matt Angell making up ground to hold one at square (157-6), six down……could be close? As it turned out, Cannings do bat well down the order………with plenty of overs in the bank there was no pressure on the lower order who could score at 2 an over, whilst we continued to spurn chances, with Rowey dropped in the 24th.

Cannings reached 200 in the 27th and Olly Overton took the ball for the 28th to capture the wicket of Rogers, with Luc Theobold showing how to get forward and hold a good catch at cover (201-7), and that was pretty much that……..Cannings picked off the total in the 32nd over to win by 3 wickets. If we’d held our catches it could have been quite different.

Corsham bowling stats;
Hudson-Wall 4-0-27-2, Theobold 10-1-65-0, Gibson 4.4-0-50-1, Rowe 6-0-26-1, Freeman 5-0-30-2, Overton 2-0-5-1