The Station Ground was bathed in sunshine for the 2’s first home game of the season, where a much changed and more youthful side were taking on Heathcoat III. Stand in skipper Dave Baldock won the toss and elected to field.
There were a few debuts in the side which lined up: A. Daldorph, J. Meredith, J. Porter, D. Baldock*, O. Hawke, F. Davidson, A. Smerdon+, J. Broom, E. Heard, O. Coe, E. Coe
Broom and O. Coe opened the bowling for Thors, both being tight in their line and length and not giving much away. In his fifth over, Coe was the first bowler to strike with Chilcott driving straight to Porter at short extra cover. One down quickly became two as Heard replaced Broom and bowled a beauty fourth ball to knock over the stumps, prompting umpire Jordan to compliment the delivery by saying “That was a jolly good ball” (jolly wasn’t the word used). Porter replaced O. Coe for a couple of overs and Heard picked up her second wicket, again bowled, to leave Heathcoat 59-3 at the first drinks break.
Meredith came on at the River End and helped slow things up. He picked a deserved wicket when Salter chipped one up to E. Coe at mid off. Heathcoat 109-4 off 30 overs. O.Coe took over from Heard for a couple before Broom came back to finish his allocated overs with consistent bowling that frustrated the Heathcoat batsmen, going for just 22 runs off his 9 overs.
E.Coe, on debut, replaced Meredith and plugged away with the Heathcoat batsmen looking to accelerate. In her third over she took her first senior wicket when Coon tried to sweep only to top edge it straight up, leaving Smerdon to take a catch on his debut. Heard came back on at the other end and took another wicket with her first ball of the spell, again bowled. E.Coe picked up her second of the match in the very next over, this time stumped by Smerdon, before Heard picked up her fourth with a good catch from Davidson at short third man. In the space of four overs, Heathcoat had gone from 148-4 to 159-8 thanks to the juniors. The next pair delt in 1s and 2s as Davidson, Heard and E. Coe closed out the innings with no more wickets to fall.
Heathcoat III 185-8, E. Heard 4-21, E. Coe 2-35
Following an excellent Mary Coe tea, Daldorph and Meredith opened the batting and made a steady start by keeping around the required rate. It wasn’t until the 14th over when Heathcoat made the breakthrough, Daldorph bowled for 26 and Thors 49-1. Porter joined Meredith in the middle and the scoring rate increased slightly with a few more boundaries and plenty of 1s and 2s. Meredith was dismissed in the 23rd over when a ball kept low to bowl him for a well-made 32.
Last weeks top scorer, Baldock, was the next man in but fell in similar fashion to Meredith and the bat had the mark to prove it. Hawke and Davidson fell in consecutive deliveries to the leg spin of Thomas without scoring and Thors were wobbling at 108-5 off 28 overs. Smerdon stayed with Porter for a couple overs which allowed Porter to take 12 off Salter’s 6th over including a six into the field.
After Smerdon was also bowled by Thomas, Broom joined Porter hoping to replicate last weeks quick fire runs. After a couple of defensive shots and a couple of single, Coon bowled into the arch was dispatched by Broom for a towering 6 over long on. Next ball however, Broom shoulder arms to one he thought was going over the stumps only to hear the death rattle. Thors 140-7 with 13 overs to play and some getting flashbacks to last week’s tie.
Heard strode out to the middle and field came up, and quickly went back again when the ball started going past them. Porter brought up his 50 off 55 balls at the end of the 35th over and the pair had taken the score to 160. The 2s skipper, Jack Stirling, was watching the stream at home with his new son and was getting nervous, wanting over by over updates from his troops.
Porter was taking the leading role in the partnership with plenty of running between the wickets and the occasional boundary, and even asked the fastest bowler to bowl faster. Heard supported him excellently with a resolute defence seeing off the Heathcoat bowlers. At the 40 over mark, Thors were 171-7 and edging closer. When the next two overs went for 5 each, they were nearly there but the nerves still present knowing a wicket could change everything. But Porter brought Thors home to a 3 wicket win in the 43rd over with a 2 and then a 4 to take him to a superb 77 not out.
Thorverton II 187-7, Porter 77no, Meredith 32, Daldorph 26
A great game of cricket from both sides and an excellent win for the 2s, taking 19 points from the game sees them up to 3rdin the table. Thank you to Paul Jordan for umpiring, Bob Rice for scoring and Keith Cudby for sorting drinks and keep the fans hydrated.
Next week sees the twos on the road again as they make their way up the A30 to Feniton.
Thorverton Cricket Club 