CTCC U13s vs Stansted & Elsenham

With glorious sunshine and a slightly hidden away pitch, we lost the toss and were put into bat on a green top!! With an outfield which resembled a green ploughed field!! After a promising start with some short pitched bowling which produced some very high bouncers which went well over the lads heads!! An odd good ball created wickets coggy suddenly found themselves 23-3 after 5 overs. Then Edwin Fairley and George Stevenson steadied the ship until George got out for 18 in the 16th over and we were on 99. Sam Donnelley then added to the partnership moving us up to 126 before he fell.
Edwin was finally out for a very well made 68 off of 60 balls, and James Raine and Ben Tinham gave us a bit of momentum in the last 3 overs with the lads finishing up on 165-8. Which was probably 40 runs light on a small fast pitch, but one heck of a recovery.
After a good team talk we decided to try an over of spin to open the attack, Ben Tinham duly did so and took a wicket!! Edwin Fairley stared again taking 2 in 2 in his second over and things looked very one sided with them 11-3 after 3 overs!! Then their star batsman Tom Snelling went mad scoring 77 off 41 balls!! He was finally out in the 15th over with the score on 105 he too fell to the bowling of Edwin. Thinking we had now got the wicket needed, we were in for a shock as the sixth wicket partnership got them to 147 off of 21 overs. With the game basically done and dusted Sam Donnelley had other ideas with a double wicket maiden followed by 2 maidens then with Ali Marlow picking up a wicket with the last ball of the 27th over the game and a run out in the same over they were 157-9. 3 quick singles at the start of Sam's 28th over and the writing on the wall, Sam managed to beat the batsman with a full toss to leave the wickets in pieces and another incredible win for Coggy!!!
I can't stand looking after these lads as they turn me in to a nervous wreck and a chain smoker!! But the team spirit and the fact that they refuse to give up even when there's no chance makes me incredibly proud. With the outfield sending the ball sideways on occasions the effort and enthusiasm was yet again faultless. There are no major super stars in the team but they win by playing as a team.
Ali Marlow picked up 2-33
Sam Donnelley 4-20
But my man of the match has to go to Edwin Fairley for his 68, 3-26 and a catch.
Well done to each and everyone of you though for never giving up and ALL contributing in the field.
A massive thank you to Peter Stevenson for umpiring and Jack Speakman for scoring , also a big thank you to Jack Raine for coming on as a super sub for Ben Tinham after he took a spectacular catch!!
Tom