Tuesday T20 Mini League – Great Totham Vs Maldon
Midweek Correspondent – Timbo Logue
Derby day down at Bull Meadow, I arrive and it’s boiling; calipos all round. Captain of the midweek side Rob Hewer had injured his neck, Stu Pearson in to lead the midweek XI out; the rest of the side a mix of the 3 Saturday teams; filled with positivity and no doubt talent.
Maldon would arrive with a similar sort of side, however with the added benefit of Chris Harris. A lovely evening at Bull Meadow, warm, a decent looking wicket (considering what we’ve had) derby day was live.
Great Totham CC Midweek XI: S.Pearson (c), T.Logue (wk), D.Quartermaine, G.Davis, T.Hawkridge, O.Cheesman, J.Pook, R.Kennedy, H.Gilbert, J.Wheeler, I.Croft
Maldon CC Midweek XI: L.Monk (c), R.Walpole (wk), B.Gibbons, P.Rose, M.Shinn, L.Sanders, M.Bryant, J.Brown, C.Harris, M.Coppen, J.Bowen
Pearson would win the toss and choose to bat; Totham would open up with DQ and GD, both suited to t20 cricket due to their love of swinging at absolutely everything. I was stood at square leg and watched DQ Clear the oak tree and render the ball lost in someones garden for about 5 minutes. Unfortunately DQ would be the first wicket to drop for Totham in the 2nd over; 18/1 off 2.3, DQ scoring 15(14). In would come Tommy Hawkridge; What followed was some cracking batting and also some questionable bowling, GD and Hawkridge totaling a partnership of 60 runs when GD’s wicket would fall having scored 19(22), Totham would be 78/2 off 8 overs.
In would come Le Grande Fromage, The Big Cheese, a point to prove coming in at 4, Nob on the sidelines eager to see what he can do with the bat. Alongside Tom the two of them would get totham to 92/2 when Tommy would have to retire having scored 30 off 22 balls. In would come Pook, a man you would have expected to be in form following his 75 in the 3rd team the following week (he “had to go early” so dropped down 2 teams). Unfortunately he had got used to 3rd team cricket and couldn’t hit it off the square, scoring 5 off 14 balls, Totham 120/3 off 15. Cheese would reply to this wicket by hitting the next ball for a cracking 6, the second of his innings.
His new partner at the crease was Ryan Kennedy, a man who like most of us, couldn’t buy a run in league cricket. It would prove to be the same for midweek t20s scoring 2(10), Totham 140-4 off 17.5 overs. Cheesy approaching the 30 retirment mark and unfortunately getting ran out on 29 having faced 30 balls, a really enjoyable innings to watch, 2 sixes a 4 and some genuinely lovely shots. Harry “Tickle” Gilbert had come in after the 4th wicket, with skipper Stu coming in to replace cheese after the 5th wicket fell. Totham would bat out the last 2 overs and finish on 150/5.
Totham feeling like they had put on a respectable score would go out to bowl; a youthful attack of George Davis and Issey Croft would aim to limit Maldon’s batting attack early and hopefully take a few wickets. And that they did.
Maldons number 1 and 2 batsmen would only score 1 run each, both bowled by George; his bowling looking sharp and skidding off the surface, Maldon’s opening order would forget the number 1 rule; never go back at Totham. Having taken the scalps of both the opening bats, George thought he’d have a crack at the rest of the order; proceeding to bowl batsmen 3,4 and 5 for very little runs. His first 5fer, all bowled: 4 Overs, 5/16. Issey at the other end also managing to take the scalp of Max Bryant and bowling well for his 4 overs.
First change would be DQ, who hadn’t taken a wicket in a while, looking for his breakthrough he would bowl Jody Brown, continuing to bowl well, he was up against Maldon’s midweek captain. Q would bowl one on a good length, Monk looking to clear mid on with a lofted shot. Unfortunately for Monk, standing at mid on was RK 6ft+ of limbs, nose and forehead. Ryan would transform himself into Ben Stokes for that moment, diving high and to his left he would catch the ball in his right hand, high off the ground, the crowd in disbelief.
In would come Matt Copen and Chris Harris who batted as expected very well, Harris having to retire at 30. In next to replace him would be Jack Bowen, a turncoat, former Totham player, gone to Maldon. Cleaned up by The Big Cheese, out for a duck, took no wickets, and went at 8 an over; Thanks for coming.
Harris would come back in and eventually Maldon would require 24 off the last over. Cheesey to bowl; first ball, dot ball, they would require something special and unfortunately, they just couldn’t do it. Maldon finishing on 139/9, Great Totham winning by 11 runs.
Some class performances all round; George bowled class, Cheesey is now a genuine all-rounder, Tommy reminded everyone of how good he can be with the bat, RK took an absolute belter and I didn’t have any byes.
Cracking evening, big game to win, roll on the rest of this mini-league and let’s get to finals day.
Timbo’s POTM: George Davis – 19 Runs, 5/16 off 4.
