Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI v Broxbourne 3XI on Sat 03 Aug 2024 at 13:00
St Albans Cricket Club Lost by 5 wickets

Match report
A match up that has driven many close games over recent years, Broxbourne were the guests at Sandpit Lane for the 4s this weekend. A much-changed St Albans team from recent weeks welcomed to it returning captain Saunders and debutant Witty, 14. The discussion before the match was that batting would suit the team, and setting a total was important. Saunders lost the toss, but the 4s were invited to bat anyway.

What was to follow was credit to the youth set up at Broxbourne. Both opening bowlers were young, one 16, and both bowled with searing pace and accuracy. It is clear that these two young men won’t be playing in this division for long. Wickets tumbled from the start, with Arif thrust up the order to set a platform, edging behind on just his third ball. Nisar wasn’t far behind him, his stumps splattered by a searing delivery from the stand out bowler. Khan and Melling looked to steady the ship, but unfortunately Melling would be dismissed for 0, bowled again following a searing bouncer that fizzed past his face. Khan counter punched with a couple of boundaries but was another of the St Albans team to see their stumps shattered by the openers.

And so it was 20-4 after just a few overs, and Davey and Hingston were sent out to see off the rest of the openers and then look to build a score. They would survive to the end of the openers’ spells, both leaving the ball (Or missing it?) well and taking a few runs here and there. With openers negotiated the pair tried to counter attack against the first change bowler, Davey taking the first over off of one for 10, and Hingston the other for 9. Both looked to be seeing the ball well now, and the score had marched on past 50 without loss of another wicket. It would however be Davey who was dismissed next, pushing at a ball from the spinner and nicking behind on 19. Witty joined Hingston on debut and acquitted himself nicely, rotating the strike and hitting a boundary or two. At the other end Hingston continued his attack, reaching 30 before being unfortunately dismissed. Witty wasn’t far behind him, and the remainder of the tail fell for just three runs. St Albans finishing on 86, with Hingston, Davey and Witty the only three to make double figures.

It wasn’t enough runs, but the 4s set out with determination to make a game of it, and it looked like it was game on when opener George claimed the first wicket in his first over, bowling the opener. At the other end Suryavanshi bowled quickly and accurately and was unfortunate not to claim a wicket throughout his spell. George would continue to bowl well up the hill, but was victim of a quick counter attack by the number three batsman which pulled the game even further towards Broxbourne.

Saunders chose to roll the dice with bowlers, and brought on Witty and Davey. The former bowled brilliantly on debut, repeatedly beating the edge and causing trouble with well disguised slower balls. He was really unfortunate to end the game wicketless, but I’m sure his first 4s wicket won’t be far away. Davey at the other end bowled fairly well, and bowled the set number 3 in his first over and had the remaining opener caught in the next.

Unfortunately, it was one of those days for Davey and Witty, with a few chances just not going to hand around the field. Winfield was introduced late on in the attack, and immediately found reward for his accurate lines with two wickets in his overs, both bowled. However, it was all a bit too little too late for St Albans who despite getting their opponents 5 down never looked like winning it. Oh well, that’s cricket, onto the next game where the 4s will look to bounce back.

(Match Report by Sam Davey)

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 4w 1b 1lb 
for 10 wickets
7
86		        
Nauman Nisar b L Fishburn 6 15 1 40.0
Nadeem Arif ct N Fountain b A Patel 0 4 0
Najib Khan b A Patel 8 14 1 57.14
Peter Melling b L Fishburn 0 3 4 0
Sam Davey ct N Fountain b P Fuller 19 29 3 65.52
Ben Hingston ct N Fountain b G Picker 30 42 6 71.43
Ethan Witty ct P Fuller b L Fishburn 13 33 39.39
Sudhanshu Suryavanshi b C Catherall 0 1 0
Jithin Kalarickal George ct N Fountain b G Picker 2 9 22.22
Tim Winfield Not Out  1 3 33.33
Andy Saunders b L Fishburn 0 1 0

Broxbourne 3XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Luke Fishburn8.02942.251.13
Arav Patel5.011125.502.20
Gordon Picker8.0130215.003.75
Paul Fuller1.0010110.0010.00
Jenson Preston3.002100.007.00
Conor Catherall3.01313.001.00

Broxbourne 3XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 6b 3lb 
for 5 wickets
10
87 (22.0 overs)		     
Tristian Preston ct Unsure b S Suryavanshi 4
Josh Robson b J George 13
Harry Smith b T Winfield 30
Blake Milne ct Unsure b S Davey 8
Ned Fountain b T Winfield 2
Luke Fishburn Not Out  20
Arav Patel Not Out  0
Paul Fuller  
Gordon Picker  
Conor Catherall  
Jenson Preston  

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jithin Kalarickal George4.0024124.006.00
Sudhanshu Suryavanshi4.01919.002.25
Ethan Witty5.001600.003.20
Sam Davey4.00919.002.25
Tim Winfield4.001326.503.25
Andy Saunders1.00700.007.00