Bransgore v Brockenhurst 1s

Brockenhurst 160 all out Bransgore 142 for 9

After a week of unseasonably dank weather, non-playing skipper Shah won the toss for the first time this season on a glorious summer’s day and elected to bat. The wicket was covered, yet we were soon to establish that the long grass markedly slowed each ball’s passage to the boundary.
Williams opened with Cole, and early accurate bowling by Mitchell ( 3 overs, 0 for 4 runs) restricted the scoring. Cole’s late cut trickled through the long grass and over the boundary just eluding the best endeavours of a chasing fielder, before next ball he was adjudged LBW for 6. Griffin entered the fray and patiently built his innings with aplomb until his was bowled by Jones for 10. 35 for 2 became 35 for 3 when Williams misjudged a straight delivery to succumb LBW for 10. Wickison joined Sutton, who fleetingly prospered on debut, before falling for 4, leaving the Badgers tottering on 43 for 4 off 12 overs.

Rogers, facing his first ball in 42 days, promptly despatched a half volley past mid off for 4, and then sought to provide the innings with backbone and stability, rotating the strike with the solid Wickison. Rolling back the years with scampered singles, and turning 1s into 2s, Wickison attempted a pull to leg only to be caught off Page (8 overs 2 for 30) for 14 leaving the Badgers on 70 for 5 after 20 overs. Colverson strode purposefully to the crease and proceeded to bat with authority, defending resolutely and rotating the strike with Rogers to apply pressure to the opposition. Colverson’s call for a cheeky single was met, after the keeper missed a run out opportunity, by Rogers’ full approval. Advancing down the wicket to Angel, Rogers was then meekly stumped for 34 with the score on 101 for 6 after 27 overs.

With the inopportune demise of Davies, and the Badgers slumping to 108 for 7 off 29 overs, Hugh Greenwood cannily engineered strike rotation with Colverson, who accelerated the scoring by a series of pulsating drives cuts and pulls, imperiously hitting eight 4s and one majestic 6, despatching a full toss mercilessly over mid wicket. Bransgore attempted to stymie the run rate by keeping Greenwood on strike, but just as the field sought to crowd the bat, Greenwood pierced the inner ring with the perfect boundary riposte. In the pivotal partnership of the innings, 47 runs were amassed in 6 overs. Colverson was the last man out, LBW for a superb 53 with Brockenhurst 160 all out in the 38th over.

At tea, Bransgore will have fancied their chances to score at a mere 4 runs per over, but on field skipper Hugh Greenwood rallied the team to chase down every ball, and exhorted the bowlers to bowl line and length and ensure that the batsmen had to scrap for each run.

Davies ( 6 overs 1 for 22) opened and in his second over dismissed Hooper without scoring, snared by Wickison in an excellent tumbling catch low down at square leg. Colverson continued his deeply impressive performance by bowling his 8 overs for 18 runs, albeit without success, but also supported by excellent ground fielding. After 12 overs, and upon the introduction of Rogers, Bransgore were 33 for 1, and after an errant ball, lashed for 6, Cole took an excellent catch to dismiss opener Haycock for 29. Greenwood brought Colverson into slip from fine leg, and immediately expertly took a sharp catch off Rogers to dismiss the threatening Jones and reduce Bransgore to 56 for 3 off 19 overs. Sque joined the fray, and quickly bowled Michell for 3. 66 for 4 off 22 overs.

An increasingly salient feature was the exceptional fielding, often miraculously turning occasional loose balls into dot balls, with Cole and Griffin in particular excelling, and spurring the bowlers to increase the pressure. Rogers finished his spell with 2 for 26 and bowled 3 of Brockenhurst’s 9 maidens. Sque’s excellent figures of 8 overs 1 for 22 underscored the accuracy of his line and length, again supported by tenacious ground fielding. One minor fielding blemish, off Sque, was the skied chance at deep mid on which eluded man of the match Colverson culminating in him spread-eagled on the ground with the ball trickling over the boundary for 4.

With the score on 83 for 4 after 28 overs, Harry Greenwood commenced to bowl with his customary guile and soon trapped the threatening Lloyd LBW for 32 with Bransgore on 107 for 5 off 33 overs. Sutton was then summoned into the attack at a critical juncture with 54 required off 7 overs, and bowled a gritty spell of 4 overs 2 for 25, with Williams again picking up a tickle behind the stumps. Had Colverson stepped forward two paces to a skier albeit out of the sun, Sutton would have capped off a stellar bowling performance at the death with a third wicket. Greenwood finished his spell of 6 overs 3 for 22, which included a stunning caught and bowled to snag a rasping drive. Bransgore’s innings concluded on 142 for 9, providing Brockenhurst with a slender but merited 18 run victory.

Skipper Greenwood, aside from supporting the pivotal partnership with Colverson, also expertly marshalled his team in the field to inspire an excellent and largely flawless fielding and bowling display to ensure Brockenhurst remain unbeaten after 5 matches.

Our season’s to date star performing owner of “Bar du Port”, having earlier been lured towards the Tors of Dartmoor, was apparently bowling a maiden from, or in Bath, over, and interest is mounting as to when he may re-emerge from his self-imposed exile to help maintain the Badger’s charge to the top.

Scribe: Alan Rogers aloft mid Atlantic en route to Paramaribo.