Broadway v Elmley Castle – Premier Division, Saturday 28th July

Report by Nigel Evans -

Broadway 1st v Elmley Castle 1st – Premier Division, Saturday 28th July

Broadway (9) 221 for 7 lost to Elmley Castle (18) 223 for 9 by 1 wicket.

After last week’s bizarre victory over Bearley, the sunshine and Broadway returned to their Cotswold home and welcomed struggling Elmley.

Having won the toss and batted under glorious sunshine the Evans brothers started brightly, but Elmley’s opening bowlers stuck to their task and when Bailey (2 for 30) clean bowled G Evans (18), and trapped Humpston for a third ball duck in his fifth over, Broadway were reeling at 33 for 2.

This brought N Evans to join his younger brother and they built steadily mixing patience with fluent shots and enterprising running. The partnership was prematurely ended when the total had reached 87, with M Evans (27) controversially given out attempting a cheeky second run. When Powell and N Evans caught at the wicket (32) immediately followed, 3 wickets had fallen without a run being added.

M Phillips fresh from a maiden century the previous Sunday joined with Hawkins (21) to wrest the initiative for the home side. Phillips particularly was typically brutal on anything short and smashed 69 from 62 balls. A Beale (not out 21) joined Phillips as 134 further runs were rattled up for only two further wickets falling.

The 222 required seemed some way away when the reply faltered badly from the off as Powell sent back Cross (4) and Cawson (3) inside 8 overs. When Smallman (3 for 36) accounted for the dangerous Corbett (23), Brown (3) and S Cooper (4) in consecutive overs, the latter to an incredible one handed return catch, the outcome appeared inevitable as they crumpled to 55 for 5.

Young Hemming joined forces with the more experienced N Cooper and they thought differently. They started patiently and mixed some good fortune with increasingly assured strokes. They were also aided by an injury to Smallman which meant his spell was ended prematurely and resulted in him being unable to complete his allocation. With the outfield offering full value for shots throughout the run rate was always within scope. When their partnership exceeded a century in a shade over 20 overs N Cooper (50) fell to a tired looking shot and the game took another twist as J Bailey quickly followed without troubling the scorers both to Cutler (2 for 47).

Young Hemming then belied his youth by growing into his role as the senior player. He played with the abandon of youth and provided another shift in momentum in the topsy-turvy encounter by blasting 35 off his next 10 balls, including 5 maximums. As the game now appeared over it offered another turn in the penultimate over as Humpston (2 for 16) struck with consecutive balls removing Hemming for an ultimately match winning 85 and Clarke. With still eight required and the last two at the crease the nerves were frayed on both sides.

With three balls left and still three still required the game concluded slightly anticlimactically, although joyously for the visitors, as captain W Bailey (not out 19) flicked a leg side full toss to the fence.

Scorecard to follow............................................

Broadway seconds enjoyed a more fruitful afternoon prevailing in their encounter with Great Alne by 66 runs, writes Steve Wheeler.

Broadway won the toss and made the rare decision to bat first. After 4 relatively early wickets. The innings was shored up by a vital 50 partnership between Hands (60) & F.Carenza (26), the pair rotated the strike well and demoralised the hosts. The momentum was then carried on in a quickfire partnership between Hands & Pedley, who made a Broadway CC career best score of 41. Despite a late flurry of wickets, Broadway reached the 200 mark in the final over.

Great Alne made a relatively quick start in reply, but the vital dismissal of Pryor - LBW to the impressive McDonagh - knocked the stuffing out of the hosts. They were never up with the run rate after this wicket, and impressive 10 over economical spells by McDonagh (2-22), Willett (2-20) & Pedley (1-17) stifled the run rate. All-rounder Warren Marston capatalised on this taking 3-27 from 8 overs, as the hosts closed on 135-9 off their 45 overs. Broadway collected 19 points and remain with an outside chance of promotion.

Scorecard: http://broadway.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11371405