Match Report
After beating their A side last week, PCC arrived at Croygas Sports Club full of confidence knowing they were now matched against Croydon B on yet another scorching summer’s day in the UK. On inspection the pitch appeared to be good for batting on face value, and they day started well for the Plough with skipper Freddie Mills winning the toss and electing to bat.
Openers Steve Britto and Chris Ovens walked out to the middle licking their lips knowing that they would get full value for their shots as the outfield beneath their feet was rock hard and as dry as a bone. Unfortunately for Britto the first over did not go according to plan as he left a straight one which took the top of off before he could trouble the scorers. Hynsey then joined Ovens in the middle and didn’t last much longer snicking out for 1, which brought Barras to the crease at the score of 5/2. There were definitely a few jitters floating round the camp after two Ploughmen were back in the shed. Britto was comfort eating ruing his misjudgement and Hynsey was quietly stewing, not so much at his performance with the bat, but more so at Durex who decided knocking in his bat in between deliveries was a good idea (it wasn’t).
Soon enough Duray was banished to the opposite side of the ground and slowly those nervous jitters were ground away as Ovens and Barras but together a sublime 160 run 3rd wicket partnership. The rebuild at the beginning was text book with both the Aussie and Kiwi showing patience and maturity in the middle, keeping out the good ones and then putting away the bad ones. After seeing off the openers and first change bowlers, the boys earned the right to play some shots and treated everyone at the ground to some scintillating stroke play to all corners of the ground which saw both reach 50 in good time. Barras was the slightly more aggressive of the two and was eying up a run a ball hundred, but unluckily got one that skidded through and crashed into his poles – out for 90, simply outstanding batting. WHAT A KNOCK!!
Enter Kurt McCarthy. Last game for the Plough, great platform, what more could you ask for? A double bounce delivery second ball maybe? This was his undoing where he embarrassingly spooned one to cover. Skipper Freddie entered the arena and proceeded to belt 50 off not many, while Ovens hauled out trying to up the tempo for a superbly measured innings of 62 – WELL BATTED OVENS!! Stu came in and played a typical Stu innings belting 30 odd at over a run a ball where he added 73 for the 6th wicket with the skipper. After a few cameos down the bottom PCC managed to reach 272 off their 45 overs. Superb effort all set up by Ovens and Barras, fantastic stuff, job half done.
The Plough’s opening bowlers set the tone for the second innings – Bush and Grayzer bowled beautifully in tandem, with Bolsh keeping it tight at one end Grayzer doing the damage at the other. After the opening spell for both were completed Grayzer and picked up 3 scalps and left Croydon looking for answers at 3 for 51 after 12. Unfortunately for Croydon there was no reprieve for their middle order, Stu & Spence came on at 1st and 2nd change and proceeded to provide more issues for the Croydon batsmen (not bad change bowlers if you ask me). Stu bowled with good pace and pinpoint accuracy snaring 3-17 off his 6 overs, while Spence bowled with good rhythm and changed up us pace nicely which kept the batsmen guessing – which resulted in him picking up a wicket for himself too. After 20 overs the damage was done and the game was won with Croydon reeling at 7 for 87.
Duray then entered into the attack with high hopes to wrap up the tail quickly but unfortunately took a leaf out of Spence’s book and managed to bowl himself out of the attack by sending down two beamers within one over. Who better to step up than the ever reliable Bolsh to care of the scraps, who finished with figures of 2-28 off his 9 overs. All in all the Plough completed yet another emphatic League victory for 2018 beating Croydon B by 124 runs, another superb team performance once again.
P.S – I would like to chance to thank Si and you all PCC for welcoming me in to your club for a brief but enjoyable half season. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing alongside you all and really think you have a good pool of players and a great club culture to build on. I wish I had found PCC earlier into my Visa as I would have loved to have played a full season, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. Highlight for me was being part of the League match where we bowled Ewell out for 49 – hands down the best bowling / fielding performance I have ever been a part of. Anyway until next time gents – PLOUGH ON
Love Kurt xx
