Following
a heavy all day drinking session the day before, many
of Waltham's players turned up a little bleary eyed
for the visit of Goring. Skipper for the day Mike Thompson
managed to lose the toss and Goring inserted the Saints.
Wilkinson and Javed opened the innings and got
off to a good start, both batsmen taking advantage of
some short bowling and timing the ball to the boundary.
The breakthrough finally came with the score on
24 as Javed chipped Mitchell to Deaks at mid on. This
brought the star of the day Bridgeman to the crease
and he was confidently into his stride defending in
exemplary measure and then punishing the bad delivery.
Wilkinson at the other end was also just getting into
his stride as he mixed resolute defence with expansive
drives and cuts.
Goring felt they needed to
change things as they brought Butterfield on and he
immediately get some purchase from the Waltham pitch.
Eventually he managed to get one to turn through Wilkinson's
defence and Waltham were two down. Things were about
to get worse as they suffered a collapse as debutant
Adil Qayoon went for a duck, Stag Connor for 3 and Thompson
for 1. Owen played a few shots but he went also for
6 and Waltham were in the mire at 118 for 6.
With two of the three stag party out cheaply in came
Nebbett and together with the fantastic Bridgeman managed
to wrestle the initiative back for Waltham as they put
on 86 for the 7th wicket Bridgeman first going past
50 then hurtling past 100 for his debut ton.
Nebbett continued to work hard for his partner defending
obdurately and allowing Bridgeman to farm the strike
as he made 14 not out. Bridgeman's vigil came to an
end on 105 which left Taz Ghulam to effect a first ball
duck and Smith to get 1 not out as Waltham made an excellent
205.
Following a sumptuous tea prepared by
the Javed family Waltham started their persuit of the
9 wickets which would bring them the game. Waltham however
were never really at the races in the bowling department
as they falied to exert the necessary pressure to earn
wickets.
Skipper Thompson got the breakthough
on 33 as he bowled Deeks for 14 but Goring then rallied
and Waltham toiled with edges going into gaps and bad
balls hit for four as Ankerson and Hoosen accelerated.
Both however were out in quick time and at 117 for 3
Waltham had a stiff of forcing the issue but again they
let the Goring batsmen off the hook as skipper Balabrishan
began his squashbuckling innings which had a bit of
everything.
There were sumptuous drives then
chancy edges, he was bowled off a no ball and was attacked
by flying ants but he was still there at the end as
he knocked off the winning runs in good time.
Congratulations to Goring |