It's a rarity for a local derby game to be so
heavily influenced by tail-end batsman, but that was the case in a drawn Tucker
League encounter on Saturday, when high-riding Wisbech Town visited The Avenue.
With 1st Xl skipper Chris Ringham taking four
wickets, the visitors recovered from 105-8 to 213 all out thanks to No.8 Ivan
Burgess scoring 62 and No.10 Brad Apted unbeaten on 54.
And it was a similar case when March batted,
with four of their first five batsmen failing to score. Rob Tombs (26) and James
Harradine (47) halted the rot, before a useful unbeaten eighth wicket stand
between Stuart Mills (26no) and Ringham (18no) earned March a spirited losing
draw and prevented Wisbech from taking maximum points.
Having won the toss, James Williams decided to bat first but couldn't
image his Wisbech side being 24-4 after the first six overs. Ringham went
for two 'sixes' in his first over, but followed it up with the first of his
wickets and then a double wicket maiden that included the scalp of prolific
run-scorer Gary Freear.
The March captain finished with 4-65, with Mills taking 2-46 and Tombs,
who eventually had Burgess caught in his
2-13. Aussie Matt Wilcox managed to get in a tidy 10 over stint.
Tombs then provided some batting tenacity when he helped put the brakes
on Wisbech's runaway start to the March innings. He batted for 80 minutes
and spent a great deal of that time with Harradine, who fell just three runs
short of his Tucker League maiden half-century.
And with Mills clocking up 98 minutes at the crease and Ringham 35,
honours finished even at 144-7. Wisbech remain second in the league and March
mid-table.
March 1st Xl v Oakham
Sunday,
June 27, 2010
Hats off to the 1st Xl players who snubbed
England's World Cup disaster on Sunday, to clinch a 20 run victory away to
Oakham that puts them top of Rutland League Division 2.
March batted first and made 248-6, thanks to
Matt Wilcox hitting his four century of the season and his second ton within
eight days.
The young Aussie shared in an opening stand of 82 with David Hodson, who
also can't stop scoring runs this season. Wilcox hit 16 boundaries,
including one 'six', during his 101, with Hodson finding the boundary seven times
in his 43.
Vice-skipper Rob Tombs contributed 26 and Rishi Brahmbhatt (27no) and
Andy Wright (28no) weighed in with quick-fire runs at the end, on a ground
where the first team were heavily beaten in the corresponding game last
season.
Wright also made an early breakthrough picking up 2-21, as Oakham
stuttered on 37-3. However, a 100-run partnership made it a real game before
off-spinners Richard Green and Brahmbhatt put their mark upon proceedings.
They took six wickets between them - Green
taking 4-49 and Brahmbhatt 2-16, as the home side was dismissed for 228 with
three overs remaining.
March 1st Xl v Foxton
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Matt Wilcox burst through the 1,000-run
barrier in very good time but was unable to prevent the 1st Xl crashing to a
heavy seven wicket defeat away to Foxton on Saturday.
The 19-year-old Aussie, whose main string
is quick bowling, has taken to the opener's spot with relish - passing the
four figure mark thanks to four centuries, six half-centuries and just the
one 'duck'. He made 22 in the latest Tucker League game against a side,
whose form has see-sawed this summer.
March made a disastrous start, losing their first two wickets for just
five runs.
Wilcox and Rob Tombs got together for the third wicket and managed to put
on 86.
Tombs, whose Sunday form has been sensational, showed he can also cut it
on Saturdays with 11 boundaries in an excellent innings of 60.
Stuart Mills also has the potential to develop into a useful batsman and
he enhanced his reputation with an unbeaten 44 that included six 'fours' and
one 'six'.
But the March total of 201-9 was never
going to be enough and Foxton cruised home in 31 overs, with Shardul
Brahmbhatt taking 2-51 with his off-spin.
March 1st Xl v Sawston
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Chris Ringham blew away the 1st Xl's so-called 'boring' tag as he took a
five wicket haul in the 30 point Tucker League victory away to Sawston on
Saturday.
The March skipper collected 5-53 figures as the home side - who won at The
Avenue on the opening day - were bowled out for 135, in reply to the March
total of 174-9.
With Shardul Brahmbhatt in the side after returning from India on Tuesday,
the batting order took on a new look – only for the first three wickets to
go down for 29 runs. What the reshuffle did was to give more steel to the
middle order, which it did. Matt Wilcox came in at No.4 and reached 30
before being run out – not before putting on valuable runs with Rob Tombs
(21).
Tommy Howgego gave glimpses of the form he is capable of providing – hitting
four boundaries, including a ‘six’ in his 21. James Harradine followed that
in similar fashion and his 34 not out off 34 balls contained five ‘fours’
and one ‘six’.
Sawston eased themselves to 27 without loss before Ringham and Wilcox shared
four wickets in as many overs. The Aussie finished with 2-33, with Ringham
going on to rip out the Sawston middle order. His figures would have looked
a lot better but for a tail-ender dispatching him to the boundary on six
occasions.
Stuart Mills helped wrap up the proceedings with a short 2-29 spell and a
39-run victory.
March 1st Xl v Market Overton
Sunday, July 4, 2010
An unbeaten 83 from Matt Wilcox saw the 1st Xl
ease home by four wickets against Market Overton at The Avenue, to stay top of
Rutland League Division 2.
The Aussie figured in a successful 67 run second wicket partnership with
Tommy Howgego, who completed a good weekend with six boundaries in an
innings of 35.
Wilcox hit the ropes on 14 occasions, with Shardul Brahmbhatt (20) and
Stuart Mills (13no) also contributing to the 178-6 total.
Earlier, off-spinner Richard Green had taken 4-26, after Wilcox (2-12)
and Chris Ringham (1-10) had removed the first three batsmen. The visitors
finished on 176-8.
March 1st Xl v Fordham
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A six wicket haul from Matt ‘Bomber’
Wilcox ensured a 30 point victory for March against Tucker League Division 1
strugglers Fordham on Saturday.
Matt produced his best figures for
the club and took his first Tucker league five wicket haul as Fordham were
bowled out for 151, 32 runs short of March’s total.
Batting first the top order batsmen
all got started with Tommy Howgego top scoring with 36, supported by Shardul
Brahmbhatt 32, Rob Tombs 30, David Haslegrave 20 and James Harradine 20* but
with no one going on to make a big score March were bowled out for 183 in
the last over of the innings.
In reply the Fordham batsmen
struggled against the pace of Wilcox who picked up 4 wickets in his first 7
overs to put March in a commanding position. Matt finished with figures of
6-16 off 10 overs.
He received good support from Andy
Wright who moved up from the 2ndX1 to take his first two wickets in the
Tucker and bowled well for 2 for 20. Shardul Brahmbhatt also took 2 for 24
with his off spinners as Fordham were bowled out for 151 and March picked up
their 4th 30 point victory of the season.
March Town 1st X1 V Finedon
Sunday July 18, 2010
March suffered a 71 run defeat to a strong Finedon side on Sunday in Rutland
League Division 2, despite a century from Australian Matt ‘Bomber’ Wilcox.
The Australian followed his excellent bowling performance the day before,
top scoring with his 5th century for the club and scoring 104 to
help March to try and chase down Finedon’s huge total of 296 all out.
March, who started the game top of the league, found it tough going against
the Finedon batting line up with spinners Rishi Brahmbhatt 4 for 22 and
Richard Green 3 for 42 being the main wicket takers for March. Andrew Wright
also picked up 2 wickets for March.
In reply, despite the best efforts from opener Wilcox and his 3rd
Century in the Rutland League, the total of 296 was too much. James
Harradine impressed again with a half century offering good support for
Wilcox. Tommy Howgego 33 and Rishi Brahmbhatt 25 not out were the other main
scorers for March as they ended their 45 overs 225 for 5, 71 runs short of
Finedon’s total.
