Boys' U14A v Trent

Date: Saturday 26th June

Venue: Away, depart 12.20 pm

Team:

M.J.I. Goodacre (c & w/k), R.E. Astin, E.F. Ballantyne-Rowland, C.T. Bell, W.M.F. Buckley, A. Cartlidge, S.P. Cotter, J.B.S. Frost, B.G. Long, S.A. Reynolds, J. Taft.  

Result:

Trent 160 – 6 [30 overs] (Cotter 2-20, Bell 2-33)

Repton 146 [28.5 overs] (Taft 45, Frost 28, Goodacre 23)

Lost by 14 runs 

Match Report:

From the zenith of Thursday to the nadir of Saturday – the highs and lows of cricket encapsulated in three days.  This was not a good performance (and that is being very polite and restrained).  With Hibell (ill) and Binns (injured) out of the team, and Goodacre losing the toss and being asked to field, the writing was on the wall early on.  The bowling was ineffective and the fielding was well below par, allowing the Trent batsmen to score too many runs.  The out-cricket did improve after a few sharp words from Mr Afford at the drinks' interval, but it was still not up to our usual standard.  So saying that their total was "gettable" if we batted well.  An opening partnership of 49 augured well, but unfortunately Goodacre knicked one to the keeper, who held onto a good catch.  The next three wickets fell for 11 runs as if the batsmen were caught like rabbits in the headlights of a car.  Fortunately, Taft and Bell brought the Repton reply around to 121 for 4, with a 61 run partnership.  This left Repton to score 40 runs in 39 balls with six wickets in hand.  Experience tells us that, in this game of cricket, a run a ball (with a boundary) would have been enough.  However, inexperience tells us to hit out and go for boundaries – a bad choice as the chase faltered, and then died a death 14 runs short.  A disappointing result against a side who were no more talented than us – they just played the smarter cricket on the day.  We will have to perform to a better standard in our next match (vs Wolverhampton GS) if we are not to suffer another reversal.