Boys' U14A v Shrewsbury

Date: Saturday 15th May

Venue: Hall Close (Burton Road end)  2.00 p.m.

Team: 

M.J.I. Goodacre (c & w/k), R.E. Astin, C.T. Bell, R.L. Binns, W.M.F. Buckley, A. Cartlidge, S.P. Cotter, J.B.S. Frost, A.T. Hibell, S.A. Reynolds, J. Taft.

Result:

Repton   147 – 3   [30 overs]   (Hibell 28, Cotter 25*, Goodacre 22)

Shrewsbury  129   [30 overs]   (Bell 4 – 26, Hibell 3 – 9)

Won by 18 runs

Match Report:

This was a gutsy performance against a traditionally strong rival school.  Goodacre started well but was bowled by a good ball that just brushed the off-stump.  Hibell and Cartlidge put on 22 runs before Cartlidge hoicked one up in the air off the first ball of a new bowler's spell.  Then Hibell and Frost had a 49 run partnership, whereupon Frost was 'strangled' down the leg-side with the ball brushing a glove.  Cotter made some useful runs but at the end of the innings it was felt that the target was 20 runs light of what it should have been.  Too much working of the ball to the leg-side rather than straight hitting down the ground - Taft showed how it should be done with a big straight six in the last over.

The match was turned Repton's way with an excellent opening spell by Hibell whose analysis after his first four overs was 3 wickets for 6 runs.  He caught and bowled the opener and then bowled batsmen 2 and 3.  Frost bowled tidily at the other end so runs were not easily scored. When Buckley encouraged the opposition captain to give a caught and bowled chance, Shrewsbury were on the rack with 26 – 4 after 11 overs.  However their middle order showed more determination and rallied the total to 89 – 5 in the 22nd over, but Bell struck with one of his wickets, which were all bowled.  The old adage of 'You miss, I hit' worked again.  Crawford, the Shrewsbury wicketkeeper batted well and kept them in the hunt but when he was bowled (by Bell) they ended up short of the Repton target.

The fielding was a mixture of good and bad;  for the sake of the team all players must make the effort to do their best and put their bodies on the line if needs be.  So saying that, this was a much more determined and purposeful performance than those in earlier matches.  The team was very well lead by Goodacre who showed good tactical awareness out in the field.  Next week, away at Uppingham.