2nd XI lose courageously

The 2nd XI travelled to Maidwell for one of their only away fixtures of the season. Despite fielding well, a quick outfield and a plethora of extras saw Maidwell post a challenging total of 161 after 30 overs. Bilton’s run chase got stuck and the target slipped away, wickets falling as the team tried valiantly to make a match of things.

 The Bromsgrove opening pair, who had opted to bat first, got the home side off to a very good start, reaching 50 within ten overs. A dropped catch and an missed run-out chafed, but a good catch by Rory Molloy broke the partnership, and then a bad call saw a second wicket fall as Fergus Carmichael reacted well int the field, flipping the ball to bowler Jenks. This slowed Maidwell’s run-rate down to below 5 an over for a while. Thomas Winterton looked threatening again, beating the batsmen again to record a second spell with 2 stumpings (stand-in wicket-keeper Edmund Krarup lifting the bails). Unfortunately, Maidwell’s middle order did well, and the hosts pushed their total up to a respectable 161 for 6.

Determined not to repeat the mistakes of a few days earlier, Bilton tried to break their run chase into segments of 5 overs, creating mini-targets rather than trying to score the runs as quickly as they could. Things started well, with 12 coming from the first over, but in the second, the top scorer from Wednesday was bowled after facing three wides. Skipper Kaamil Walilay batted responsibly, getting into the high 20s.

The hero of the innings was Sam Bannet, vice captain and wicket keeper. Sam had been cramping while fielding but, despite giving up the gloves, stayed on to field at square leg and made several good stops. When Sam came in to bat, the run rate was beginning to climb rapidly, and when Kaamil was out, Sam had to try to score runs while losing partners. What a brave effort he made! Judging risky shots better than he ever has before (Sam has a habit of getting caught), Sam also encouraged a series of partners to play positively and aggressively. Still cramping, wet with perspiration but never willing to give up, Sam scored 32 before the overwhelming run-rate forced him into playing a wild shot. Several others made brave attempts, but often this led to them forfeiting their wickets. In the end, Bilton were all out for 123.

In a reversal of the previous fixture, BG seemed more positive when batting and needed to bowl more accurately and be a bit more positive in the field. The lesson was learned, however, and Bilton should approach next Wednesday with confidence.


Tags: Cricket, Prep, Sport