This week saw the Wolves take on the Leopards in the U11 competition and the Falcons take on the Eagles in the U14 game. New element, a new indoor ball. Oops.

The new match ball was shiny and boy did it swing. Too much. And it looked shiny and hard. It was actually as soft as the ball we had used the week before, but just shiny and new. As a result both innings were dominated by extras, the ball swung prodigiously and players were averse to using their hands, so around 2/3rds of all scoring was extras.

In the U11s game, after an early loss, James Brown (16) and Ed Cleasby (31rtd) took the score for the Wolves from 3-1 to 118! A century partnership. With a lot of extras but still some great batting. Aaron Karup took two wickets and Harry Roberts bowling really, really tidily (3-0-1-13). Stand out bowling figures but the score reached 160!!

In reply for Leopards the scoreboard was frenetic, and it needed to be. The first over going for 15, the second for 17 as Josh Wall and Harry Roberts took the score past 50 including one scoring shot of 7 by Josh. Then it all went askew with James brown and Will Downton both taking two wickets and the Leopards being bowled out rather tamely in the end for 83.

In the U14 game, batting first the Eagles were also confronted with the new match ball. Again there was more use of feet than hands due to the perceived ball hardness, this with the amount of swing led to another glut of extras. And also a lot of bowled wickets lost as people stepped out of the away or around the swinging ball. In reaching 87 Sonny Stammers top scored with 16 for the Eagles, only Wilbur Williams helped out with 12no. Extras top scored. Ben Harris taking four wickets bowled for six runs ending with figures of 3-0-4-6.

In their run chase the Falcons were 2 wickets for 6 runs then Ben Harris steadied the ship with 21 runs. With the extras doing most of the scoring Emilia Scott & Oliver Lau helped see the Wolves home for the loss of 5 wickets. Wilbur Williams taking 2 scalps for the Falcons.

Needless to say we have purchased a couple of new ball types for the next round of matches.

After three rounds the top player scores are:

U10-11 top five batters: Eddie Cleasby 39 runs, Will Mansergh 37 runs, James Brown 36 runs, Josh Wiles 25 runs, Ethan Saunders & Olly Downton 22 runs
U10-11 top five bowlers: Jared Suffield 4 wickets, Will Mansergh/James Brown/Aaron Karup 3 wickets, Williams Vidal & Downton 2 wickets.

U12-14 top five batters: Sonny Stammers 33 runs, Jamie Compton 32 runs, Max Macrae 30 runs, Freddy Garrod 24 runs, Dan Barker 22 runs,
U12-14 top three bowlers: Ben Harris 4 wickets, Jake Simmons & Forest Williams 3 wickets, Freddie Garrod/Wilbur Williams/Will Stammers each with 2 wickets