Earls Colne versus Kelvedon, at home. Saturday 21st July 2007

The flooding and rain that devastated the west country and the Thames valley only managed to drop a shower or two on the Earls Colne pitch, and the game was able to go ahead on a dry sunny day, but with a low, slow damp wicket to contend with.

Kelvedon won the toss and elected to bowl, and it soon began to seem as if they made the wrong decision as opening pair Stuart Prestney and Steve Willsher put on 50 runs in no time at all.  But Stuart fell in the thirties, leaving Willy to accumulate more runs - but he was the only one that managed it, as a procession of batsmen went  in, and just just as quickly, came back to the pavilion.  Willy also perished, caught behind for 30 runs. With the exception of the openers only Johnny Lee managed to struggle into double figures, along with Ballsy, batting down the order to protect his new knee, who was left stranded on 13 not out, and we were all out for a very sorry looking 114 runs, in 41.3 overs.  Oh dear. Kelvedon were cock-a-hoop and laughing into their sleeves

But we are never down, and after a refreshing and delicious tea (thanks Jane Smith!) we took the field hoping for the impossible.

Buoyed by the fact that we had managed to defend a low total away at Bury only two weeks earlier, we knew that, if things went our way, we could win.  Joe Smith got us straight into the game taking the first wicket, and TK came to the party bowling a pearler of an away swinger to account for their number 3, for a duck.  11 for 2.  Game on?  Well the Kelvedon players were finding the surface just as difficult to score on as we had, and the Warner brothers, who can be a real danger, were also despatched back to the pavilion, one by TK one by Rob, and they were joined in the pavilion by the other opener, and the score on a perilous 46-5.  Game certainly on! But with 48 overs to get the runs we certainly would have to take the wickets and their number five bat settled in and started to look just a little bit too comfortable, having been dropped in the deep by Oakers (hands up!). 75 for 5.  Peter Shury replaced TK, and Oakers came on at the bottom end to try and make amends.  Peter bowled out of his skin with his perfectly judged leg stump yorkers accounting for their 6th, 7th and 8th wicket, all clean bowled.  But we still needed two wickets.  The run rate looked like it might come into it, as Kelvedon had made very slow progress towards their target and 25 runs were needed from 6 overs, when Oakers accounted for the 9th wicket (caught and bowled), and the 10th, caught behind, in successive balls, and it was suddenly all over.  90 all out, An incredible game, and it shows you what can be done when we really work as a team - we were like a pack of jackals looking for the kill!

Earls Colne 114 allout.  Prestney 30+, Willser 30.  Kelvedon 90 all out,  Shury 3 for not many.  Earls Colne wine by 24 runs.  Earls Colne 20 points, Kelvedon 5 points

This means we remain in top position in division 6, see www.twocounties.com, and we need to keep on winning to guarantee promotion.  Five games to go, let's not slip up.  This Saturday we are away at Copford.