Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club 2XI v Tewin on Sat 10 Jul 2021 at 12 noon
St Albans Cricket Club Won by 1 run

Match report With the threat of heavy rain looming all morning the covers remained on the pitch at Clarence Park until just before the start of the 2XI match against Tewin. The morning drizzle finally abated shortly before the scheduled 12pm start, resulting in a slightly shortened match of 47 overs a side. St Albans skipper James Rosson electing to take first bat on a “sticky” surface, in a much-anticipated battle following the tight 2 run win secured earlier in the year at Tewin.

St Albans should have felt confident with a 2XI that included no less than 10 previous 1XI cricketers, however the early going was difficult. A combination of some tidy bowling from Tewin’s young opening pair and a pitch that didn’t lend itself to shot making. Adam ‘Hammer’ Hounslow and James Caswell however built a solid base, before Caswell was caught for 26, a 69 run opening partnership in the first 20 overs given the conditions was a decent foundation. Unfortunately Hammer soon followed LBW for 33 to off spinner Portas who was finding some significant turn from the tacky surface. This brought in skipper James Rosson who alongside Howeson built the key partnership of the innings. Rosson very much the aggressor, once again made batting look easy where others had found it hard putting the bad ball away very effectively, with 3 balls landing somewhere near the groundsman’s hut on the short boundary. Howeson very much playing second fiddle, looking to score singles, and run hard to get the man in form back on strike. When Rosson was out for 62 from just 50 balls, the innings still looked well placed, at 173-3 with 10 overs to play. Unfortunately for those lining the Clarence park terraces what followed was a disappointing collapse, Howeson departing all too soon after for 29, as part of a final 8 wickets falling for just 30 runs.

Despite the disappointing finish to our innings we knew that a score of 200 in league cricket is very often a winning total, and with a large ground and a wicket that was difficult to score quickly the 2XI were confident of victory.
The St Albans new ball pairing of Jacob Winfield, and Charlie Smith, bowled with good control. Particularly nice to see Charlie settling in to beat the outside edge of their opening left hander 7,897 times in his 9 over spell. Jacob found being able to bring the ball into the left hander was also useful and picked up his wicket, whilst Charlie cleaned up the more attacking right hander.

Dan Rosson came into the attack and also bowled well, some would say perfect conditions for the Indoor pro, humidity assisting his swing, and a sticky pitch aiding his cutters. Dan picking up another important early wicket, courtesy of his brother clinging on to a sharp catch offered by the Twein skipper at extra cover (atoning for a drop from the same batter the over before). This left Tewin in some trouble at 64-3, not long before the halfway drinks break with 1 new bat and a number 3 who looked to be really struggling to get to terms with the surface and quality of bowling.

After the drinks break the Tewin batters continued to build steadily and put together what was a sensible partnership, getting to know the pitch and starting to keep up with the rate which had risen to just in excess of 5 an over. However another Rosson brother collaboration saw the back of Portas for 55, and when Caley ran out the other set batsman Pickworth for 39 Tewin found themselves 171-5. The run rate however was now just over 5, an over and with 6 overs left to score 26 and 5 wickets remaining Tewin were definitely in the box seat. The returning Winfield bowled 3 tidy overs, whilst Dan Rosson did similar at the other end, to keep the pressure on the lower order Tewin batters. The pressure yielding too further run outs, executed expertly by Richard O’Toole and James Rosson.

2 overs left, and 10 runs required with Tewin at 194-8, chasing 203. Frontline bowlers Charlie Smith, and Dan Rosson both bowled already out, and the experienced Richard O’Toole down with back injury. Jacob Winfield bowling the penultimate over. An early boundary and wide appeared to have dashed St Albans hopes, but then a great bit of glove work from Caswell behind the stumps, producing a lightning fast stumping, and brought the crowds of 1s, 3s, and 4s now circling the boundary to their feet (and the Tewin number 11 to the middle).

Final over, skipper Jimmy Rosson having already twisted with the front line bowlers, the reinvigorated bowling of Adam Hounslow was turned to with the scorecard reading 200-9, with a single over remaining. 4 runs or one wicket…. The Tewin number 8 may have regretted turning down an easy single off the first ball of the over as 2 further dots were bowled by the inspired Hounslow. 3 balls to go, 2 singles are scored, leaving 2 required by Tewin for the win off the last ball of the game, a single would mean a tied game, a wicket a victory for St Albans.

Hammer delivering another stump to stump delivery that the batsman again struggled to get away, squirting the ball out to short extra cover. An on fire Hounslow swooped to enact the fourth run out in the last 10 overs of Tewin’s innings, under arming the ball to keeper Caswell, who made no mistake in removing the bails and securing victory and second place in the table for St Albans 2XI.

A fantastic game of cricket, MOM for St Albans Jimmy Rosson for his 66 off 50, some top bowling performances, and four run outs also highlighted some great intensity in the field. The win moves us up to 2nd place in the table. Another important game next week, away at Bentley Heath who sit 20 points below us in 4th.

St Albans Cricket Club 2XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 22w 7b 3lb 
for 10 wickets
33
203		        
Adam Hounslow lbw Portas 33 53 4 62.26 1
James Caswell ct Josh b Wilde 26 66 3 39.39 1
Matt Howeson b Pickworth 29 58 50.0
James Rosson ct b Portas 62 50 7 3 124.00 2 1
Ashish Dean ct Portas 6 9 66.67
Adam Murphy b Josh 0 3 0
Jacob Winfield b Josh 6 13 46.15
Phil Caley ct b Pickworth 0 1 0 1 1
Richard O'Toole b Pickworth 10 14 71.43 1
Daniel Rosson ct b Josh 1 7 14.29
Charles Smith Not Out  0 4 0

Tewin Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Pickworth9.1041313.674.47
Josh10.022337.672.30
Jamie Bruce9.004100.004.56
Shankster2.00200.001.00
Wilde7.0136136.005.14
Portas9.0155318.336.11

Tewin Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
30w 2b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
34
202 (47.0 overs)		     
?? b Smith 21 46 45.65
Sam Hayward b Winfield 9 34 26.47
Alex Portas ct Rosson b Rosson 55 87 4 63.22
Luke Wilde ct Rosson b Rosson 13 21 2 61.90
Pickworth run out (caley) 39 57 1 68.42
Fielding run out (James Rosson) 0 1
Peterton run out (Richard O'Toodle) 1 4 25.00
Sheppard Not Out  12 15 80.0
Josh ct Caley b Rosson 11 9 2 122.22
Shankster st Caswell b Winfield 3 6 50.0
Bruce run out (hounslow) 1 2 50.0

St Albans Cricket Club 2XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Charles Smith9.0225125.002.78
Jacob Winfield10.0039139.003.90
Daniel Rosson10.0042314.004.20
Richard O'Toole5.011400.002.80
Adam Murphy4.002700.006.75
Matt Howeson4.002700.006.75
Adam Hounslow5.002400.004.80

  • Umpire :
    Barry
  • Scorer :