Bournemouth CC 1st XI V Alton CC 1st XI
Southern Electric Premier League
Saturday 18th May 2013
The Brewers were keen to take on a Bournemouth side very much in transition after the majority of the first eleven headed for pastures new over the winter.
Bournemouth’s returning Skipper Martin Miller had been vocal in the press prior to the game targeting this fixture as the first of the season that he felt his new charges could prevail in.
Unusually for May the wicket had already been used so it was no real surprise that when Alton Skipper Scott Myers called wrongly at the toss Miller chose to bat first.
Australian Academy player Alexander Keath played a sumptuous off drive in the first over off the bowling of Dewayne Bowden but Ben Mortimer trapped him in front of all 3 stumps the next over, a fantastic start by the Brewers Bournemouth 6-1.
Things rapidly got better for the visitors as Bowden first clean bowled Dom Hand for 1 then Alex Allum for 0, Bournemouth were rocking at 9-3.
Martin Miller and Jonny Coombs had some rebuilding to do, Ireson replaced Bowden and the Bournemouth pair seemed content with occupying the crease as runs were very much at a premium. Mortimer had settled into a fine rhythm and was passing the bat of Coombs time and time again.
Miller fell to an incredible one handed reflex catch by Scott Myers off the bowling of Ireson, gone for 4 from 35 balls and the score now 25-4.
Ireson then saw off Tom Wilkinson, the receptive surface enabling the off-spinner to turn one through the gate evading Wilkinson’s attempted forward defensive and clipping the bails. 29-5.
Coombs vigil was finally ended after 21 overs, Ireson again the man to profit as this time Coombs’ solid defensive shot saw the ball bounce into the ground and roll back onto the stumps. 33-6.
Bournemouth finally decided that attack might be the best course of action and Curtis Watton upped the tempo taking 12 from an Ireson over, but the spinner struck yet again in the following over, Watton falling LBW for 14, Bournemouth 50-7.
Sensible batting by Luke Matthews and Gurpreet Singh saw a partnership form and the score had moved on to 85 before the returning Bowden trapped Matthews LBW for 19. Bowden then cleaned the tail up in two deliveries to bring a premature end to the Bournemouth effort – 94 all out from 35 overs.
Bowden though perhaps not at his very best, was devastatingly gun barrel straight at times and his pace and movement was just too much for the inexperience of the Bournemouth side. He finished with excellent figures of 5 for 28 from 8 overs, Ireson 4 for 29 from 10 overs and Mortimer a superbly economical 1-12 from 8 overs.
Small totals are sometimes difficult to chase, the vagaries of batting second on a used pitch against a brand new hard shiny ball can put doubt into a batsman’s mind.
Any nerves were multiplied when Lynton Staniford bounced back from Michael Heffernan’s booming lofted drive to bowl the Alton man. 5-1.
Will Phillips seemed unfortunate to then be given out caught behind for 3 and when Ryan Hale was given out LBW, Keath had two and Alton were in trouble at 12-3.
Myers and Bowden then gave a master class as to how to chase those smaller totals, taking advantage of the fielding restrictions, the pair proceeded to knock the runs off finishing the game in just 12.5 overs. Myers 40 from 43 balls almost sedate in comparison to Bowden’s quick fire 42 from 28 balls. 21 very welcome points and a happy captain.
The Brewers entertain Havant at the JCG this Saturday, 25th May, 1pm start.
