County Under 13 Results
Wiltshire v Isle of Wight - Sunday 13th July @ Newport CC
On Sunday 13th July we travelled across to the beautiful Isle of Wight to play our last ECB U13 County Cup match of the group stage.This was an important match for us as a win would see us finish at worse joint top of the table and then it would be down to run rates and calculators!
Our squad was badly depleted with one unavailable and four required to play for their clubs in the two National Club competitions, but we were more than comfortable with the U12 players that were playing up for the U13's, newcomer Joe Clare and now permanent U13 squad member Tom Alsop. As you will read later, both players played a major part in the match.
With new County Captain Harry Hawkins winning his first toss, he quickly said we would have first use of a well worn, well used track and we would try to put a score on the board which we felt confident our bowling attack, which included no fewer than five spinners could defend. Things could not have started any worst with inform batter Adam Mitchell being bowled first ball of the match by a very good delivery. In walked Tom Alsop at number three to try and rebuild the innings. The score had moved on to 16 when we lost our second wicket, that of Akash Shama, given out LBW.
Tom was then joined by captain Harry Hawkins and with a mixture of watchful defence and selective attacking shots they moved the score onto 68 when Tom was out for a very well made 44 from just 53 balls including 8 boundaries. Harry carried on with useful support from Lawrence Hannaford and looked well set to bat through the innings when after reaching an excellent 50 was out for 53, the score was now 112 for 4, Unfortunately with a somewhat weakened batting order and with players who hadn't batted at this level very often we subsided to 147 all out, although this was in no small part due to some excellent I.O.W bowling with the pick being, B.Tyler 7-2-19-3, T.Corbin 7-1-21-3 and G. Cooper 6.3-0-19-3.
Coach Paul Stoddard said to the team during the interval he would have been happy with a score between 140 and 160 and believed we had a good enough bowling line-up to defend this score, but it would need everyone on top of their game to pull off a victory. With this message still fresh in their minds, we took to the field and after two overs the I.O.W were 21 for 0!!! 'Oh the best laid plans and all that'. The I.O.W openers were determined to latch onto anything either short or off line. They chanced their arms a few times and the ball just keep going into gaps or over our heads. We did however pick up our first wicket with the score on 21, this started to slow things down a bit and when we picked up our second wicket with the score on 31 it saw the end of both I.O.W openers.
Spin was then introduced in just the 8th over, this saw the run rate really start to drop with Adam Lavis once again bowling a great line and length with plenty of turn. Adam bowled unchanged until the end of the innings with figures of 6.5-1-24-3. U12 player Joe Clare, playing his first U13 match bowled superbly in tandem with Adam and finished with figures of 4-1-11-3. Tom Alsop replaced Joe and between him and Adam they finished the I.O.W innings. Adam Lavis took the last three wickets in one over to leave the I.O.W 89 all out in just 19.5 overs, thus leaving Wiltshire winners by 58 runs. Great jubilation ensued with the fall of the last wicket as the boys knew what a terrific performance and win this was. We now sit on top of group 6 and as I said earlier at worse level on points with Oxfordshire. As I write this we do not know if we have got through to the quarter finals or not, but whatever happens this has been a great U13 County Cup campaign.
My thanks again go to Coach Paul Stoddard who once more stepped in for the unavailable Tim Cowley, his efforts are much appreciated, lastly thanks to everyone at Newport CC for being great hosts.
Wiltshire won by 58 runs
Wiltshire v Hampshire - Sunday 29th June - Friendly @ South Wilts CC
Scorecard - On Sunday 29th June we played our first friendly of the season against Hampshire at South Wilts CC. The boys were in confident mood after our first two wins of the season and were looking forward in particular to playing Hampshire. On a pretty good looking track, Wiltshire Captain for the day, Jack Mynott had no hesitation upon winning the toss to have a bat first.
This turned out to be a very good decision with our new opening partnership of Sam Wild and Adam Mitchell putting on 93 for the first wicket from 19 overs. Hampshire were somewhat shell shocked as these two played shots all round the wicket and were quite relived when Mitchell was finally out for a fine 62, which included 10 boundaries. Wild fell shortly after for a well made 22, playing second fiddle to Mitchell, but a valuable contribution none the less.
We then lost another fairly quick wicket, before a good partnership of 53 for the 4th wicket between Captain Jack Mynott and U12 County player Tom Alsop, there running between the wickets was quite superb. Alsop fell to an unlucky LBW decision for 16, but Mynott carried on to a very good 49 before being run out with the score on 173. We managed to score 9 more runs to finish our 40 overs on a very respectable 182 for 7. Pick of the Hampshire bowlers was B. Mengham 2-0-5-3 and B. Myers 8-0-37-2.
Wiltshire won by 35 runs
Wiltshire U13 v Gloucestershire U13 - Tues 24th June @ Poulton CC
Scorecard - On Tues 24th June we travelled to the picturesque ground of Poulton CC, nr Cirencester to play Gloucestershire in the 2nd of our U13 County Cup matches. With our confidence high, after our first win against Wales under our belt, we were looking to build on this with our 2nd win.
On first inspection of the wicket, it didn't take long for everyone to come to the same conclusion, win the toss and bat, so we duly lost the toss and were asked to field!!!
The boys went about their bowling and fielding duties with confidence and enthusiasm. Kit Patrick, in his first match for the County bowled a tidy opening spell of 4-1-12-0, but runs were coming a little easier at the other end which allowed Gloucestershire to proceed to 38-0 after 10 overs. With the introduction of Lawrence Hannaford we took our first wicket, the second wicket coming just 6 runs later again to Hannaford, who finished with figures of 7-0-36-2.
As with the last match the introduction of spin slowed the run rate right down, backed up by some excellent fielding and good field placing's. As a consequence Gloucestershire could only inch their way to 127-5 from their 40 overs. Cowley 5-0-9-2, Lavis 8-1-17-1 and Mitchell 5-1-12-0 being the pick of the bowlers.
We started our innings in confident mood after chasing down 160 against Wales in the last match, but we lost an early wicket in the 3rd over when the score was 12, but as in the last match, Jack Mynott continued in his current rich vain of form to reach 34, when he was unfortunately given out LBW with the score on 73. We then lost another quick wicket with the score on 76, but that brought Chippenham player Sam Wild to the crease, batting for the first time for Wiltshire and with Captain Tom Cowley they quickly knocked off the winning runs with no further hiccups, Cowley finishing unbeaten on 35 and Wild a very well made 27 not out, we therefore ran out winners by 7 wickets to notch up our 2nd ECB U13 County Cup match from 2 matches.
Wiltshire Win by 7 Wickets
Thanks to Poulton CC for their excellent hosting of this match.
Wiltshire v Wales U13 ECB County Cup - Mon 16th June @ Devizes CC
On a good looking deck with a little moisture still in it, Wales won the toss and elected to bat. After a steady opening spell from Jordan Butler and Jack Mynott we made our first breakthrough with the score on 9, but this was to be our last wicket for 10 overs and the score on 60. Captain Tom Cowley then brought himself and fellow spinner Adam Lavis and 'wow' what an inspired double bowling change. We preceeded to take the next 4 welsh wickets for just 8 runs to leave Wales on 68 for 6, this included the wicket of C. Reed for a well played 38.
Both spinners finished wirh excellent figures, Lavis 8-2-26-2 and Cowley 8-3-16-3. Just when it looked like we had Wales on the ropes, they sent in two West of England batters who both played very well and added 78 for the 7th wicket, with L. Coates making 47 and m. Freeman 32. Both these two were run out in the chase for quick runs and Wales closed on 160-8 from 40 overs, a score we would have been more than happy to have taken at the start.
With shots all round the wicket and great running they proceeded to take the game away from Wales with a partnership of 117 for the 2nd wicket, Mynott in particular drove the ball in quite spectacular fashion. Mynott was eventually out for 68 with 9 fours when the score was 127. Cowley was joined by Adam Mitchell and the final 34 runs were knocked off in quick time with Wiltshire running out winners by 8 wickets with 8 overs to spare, Cowley unbeaten on 63 and Mitchell 17 not out. Pick of the Wales bowlers was J. Murphy 8-0-19-1.
Wiltshire won by 8 wickets
