Matt 'Bomber' Wilcox left new boys Fordham
shell-shocked at The Avenue on Saturday, when he inspired the 1st Xl to an
impressive seven wicket Tucker League victory.
The Aussie overseas player hit an unbeaten
72 - his best of the campaign so far - as he and the ever-reliable Steve
Hinson (52) chased down the 151 target for the loss of only three wickets
with six overs in
hand.
Newly promoted Fordham, who shocked Ramsey on
the first day, lost eight wickets in their total of 150, with skipper Chris
Ringham and off-spinner Richard Green picking up three wickets apiece.
They both bowled the maximum 16 overs and at one point had the visitors
54-4.
Ringham finished with 3-54 and Green, an excellent 3-28. Callum Young and
Rob Tombs picked up the two remaining wickets to fall.
Two wickets in only the second over of their innings hardly settled the
nerves in the March dressing room, but a third wicket stand of 45 runs put
them well on the way to a 20 point win.
Rob Woolley, having scored back-to-back hundreds, was trapped lbw for 22,
before Wilcox and Hinson were required to see the job through. Wilcox hit
nine boundaries during a 143 minute stay at the crease, while Hinson struck
boundaries, including a 'six'.
March 1st Xl v Finedon
Sunday, May 2, 2010
It's going to be a steep learning curve for the Sunday 1st Xl - the
majority of who were playing second and third team cricket last season.
March were well beaten at Finedon, who hit a big 268 off
their 45 overs - guest player Rishi Brahmbhatt the pick of the bowlers with
3-47, in the Rutland League Division 2 match.
The Doddington Saturday skipper picked up a wicket in his second over
with his off-spinners, but like all the six bowlers employed suffered at the
hands of some hard hitting.
Finedon lost an early wicket to the ever improving Callum Young but then
a second wicket partnership of 138 set them up for their impressive total.
In reply the visitors could only manage 126 all
out, against a side who play Northants Premier League on Saturdays. Top scorer
was opener Jake Wenman with 36.
He shared in a second wicket stand of 41 with vice-skipper Rob Tombs, who
went on to make 27. Andy Wright enhanced his reputation with a fine 21.
March 1st Xl v Camden
Saturday, May 15, 2010
No surprises at The Avenue on Saturday when
a powerful Camden side took 30 Tucker League points, despite a valiant
28-minute 10th wicket stand that almost earned the 1st Xl a losing draw.
No 11 batsman Callum Young finally had his
stumps demolished with nine deliveries remaining on an afternoon when the
Cambridge side hit 257-7 declared in 44 overs. That allowed them to bowl an
extra four overs at March - a decision that paid off big style in the
evening sun.
At 68 without loss, the first team were in a comfortable position after
tea.
Rob Woolley was then adjudged to be leg-before, having hit seven boundaries
in his fluent 35.
His opening partner, Matt Wilcox, was forced to have a runner, having
aggravated his groin injury in the field. However, he still managed to
complete his fourth successive half-century before falling for 52.
No.3 Steve Hinson hit 16, but following the departure of the top three
batters, wickets tumbled with ease. At 147-9 the writing was on the wall,
but skipper Chris Ringham made an unbeaten 16 with a 43 minute stay at the
crease and at one stage a draw was a possibility...until the final wicket
saw the total stop at 162.
On a beautiful batting track, Camden had started the day with an opening
stand of 82 runs in even time. They were pegged back to 127-3, with
off-spinner Richard Green taking all three wickets.
Green also snared the fourth as he finished with 4-92. The three
remaining wickets to fall were all taken by the improving Young, who
impressed with his 3-50 from 10 overs.
March 1st Xl v Yaxley
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The 1st Xl chalked up their first
Rutland League Division 2 win of the season when they beat bottom club Yaxley by 27 runs.
Matt Wilcox
and vice-skipper Rob Tombs both scored half-centuries and figured in a second
wicket stand of 111. Wilcox hit 58 and the good news is he did it without
the need for a runner.
Tombs hit eight boundaries, including a six, in his 57, which enabled the
visitors to post a total of 200-6. Rishi Brahmbhatt made 21 before he was
run out and Andy Bryan chipped in with 18 runs.
But it is the bowling department that sums up the potential of the side
and the importance to the club's success in the next few years. Callum Young
took 3-49 off his 12 overs, Andy Wright claimed 3-27 off seven and Josh
Jackman bowled a tidy 10.3 spell with figures of 1-31.
Brahmbhatt picked up two late wickets with his off-spin, as Yaxley were
dismissed for 173.
March 1st Xl v Nassington
Saturday, May 22, 2010
'Bomber' Wilcox has finally found his range -
scoring his first century for the club, after five consecutive half-centuries, in the drawn match at Nassington
on Saturday.
The Aussie 18-year-old made a superb 126 off
149 balls, as the 1st Xl came within 21 runs of victory in the tough Tucker
League fixture.
Last week Nassington saw off Godmanchester
thanks to Sri Lankan batsman Dhanushka De Seram hitting 145 not out off just 77
balls. This time round De Seram made 71 off 30 balls, before finally falling to
skipper Chris Ringham, who together with Richard Green shared seven of the 10
wickets to fall in the 238 total.
Ringham took two of the first three wickets to fall, but with the total
on 69, the Sri Lankan blitzed the March bowling with the skipper finishing
with 3-100, off 15 overs.
Off-spinner Green fared better and his four wickets were taken for 41
runs, as calmness was restored to the latter half of the innings.
Matt Wilcox and Steve Hinson figured in a second wicket partnership of
83, but once Hinson departed for 28, the leg-spin of Muhammad Haroon
bamboozled the middle order with a 5-47 spell.
The leggy bowled the final over in which March required 26 runs. Green
went for 21 off the second ball, to
let in specialist No11 Callum Young, who blocked out the final four deliveries
in the 218-9 total, which brought the 1st Xl a valuable 12 points.
March 1st Xl v Uppingham
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Matt Wilcox scored his second ton of the weekend but was shaded for 'Man of
the Match' by a superb all-round display from stand-in skipper Rob Tombs, as the
1st Xl upset Rutland League Division 2 pacesetters Uppingham.
In fact, it was the first time Tombs has taken over the reigns and what
an impressive debut it was as March ran out winners by 58 runs at The
Avenue.
Tombs hit a crucial 84 with the bat and followed it up with three wickets
with his gentle left-arm seamers, to give the Sunday 1st Xl much needed
back-to-back victories.
Coming in at No.3, Tombs paired up with the in-form Wilcox to put on 155
for the second wicket. He hit 10 fours and four sixes during his innings,
while the Aussie carried his bat for 112. His boundary count was also in
double figures, as March posted a 219-3 total.
As expected Uppingham got off to a good start before Josh Jackman and
Andy Wright took the wickets of the openers. Then at 117-2, Richard Green
aptured the first of a five wicket haul that completely pulled the rug from
beneath the visitors.
Green finished with 5-51 with his off-spin, with Tombs rapping things up
in a devastating 4.2 over spell, taking 3-6. Uppingham were dismissed for
161.
March 1st Xl v Nassington
Sunday,
May 30, 2010
James Harradine celebrated a
match-winning 61 not out, as the 1st Xl rattled off their third successive win
in Rutland League Division 2, away to Nassington.
And no-one in the club deserves the plaudits
more than the ex-Doddington skipper, who has had a tough time since stepping up
a standard this season. He has battled away at his game in the nets and fully
deserves his latest success.
Harradine steered the side home to a two wicket
win with just under two overs remaining, as the visitors chased the Nassington
total of 177-8. He hit nine boundaries in total and shared in a 45-run fourth
wicket stand with Rob Tombs.
The vice-skipper continued his fine run of form in Sunday cricket and
fell just one short of his half-century.
Earlier Matt Wilcox's amazing batting spree came to an end when he was
bowled for three - on a ground where the previous Saturday he had made 126.
During their innings, Nassington made a good start and were 87 without
loss before Andy Wright took the wickets of both openers in his
3-29 spell.
Off-spinner Richard Green also picked up three wickets, as he returned
figures of 3-43, with all-rounder Tombs taking 2-7, as the 1st Xl
race towards the top of the table.
