Latest county junior match reports
11 June 2014
Gloucestershire Under 14 v Dorset Under 14 (at Cheltenham CC) June 8
Royal London ECB Under 14 Cup
Dorset U14 145 all out (35.5 overs)
Gloucestershire U14 71-1 (21 overs)
Match abandoned - Gloucestershire won on run rate
Having lost to Wales on run rate in their last outing, Gloucestershire Under 14 bounced back to beat Dorset by the same method in a rain-affected match Cheltenham CC.
Chasing 146 for victory the home side looked to be well on course at 71-1 with 24 overs remaining when the weather ended any hopes of completing the match.
But a positive 40 from 44 balls by opener Will Helmke (Frocester) ensured his side were ahead of Dorset’s run rate when play was abandoned, giving them the win.
He was well supported by fellow Frocester batsman Chad Trainor who made 28 before being stumped as he looked to accelerate the scoring with dark clouds looming.
Earlier Dorset won the toss and elected to bat on a good wicket.
But they found themselves in trouble early on as left arm seamer George Stone (Hanham) picked up two wickets – both caught behind by Cole Pierre (Bristol West Indies and Phoenix) to reduce the visitors to 5-2.
Bowling with pace and control Stone continued to look dangerous but it wasn’t until he was replaced by Ed Wilson (Long Ashton) that further Dorset wickets tumbled.
Having recovered to 41-2 the allrounder - who finished with 3-25 - ripped through the visitors’ middle order, clean bowling three players in a devastating six over burst to leave them on 61-5.
Dorset decided to try and counter-attack their way out of their predicament with some aggressive strokeplay. And they were rewarded with a certain amount of good fortune as their aerial shots narrowly avoided the fielders on several occasions.
Opener Max Trueman (33) and Ben Jones (26) put on a quick fire 39 and for the first time in the innings the momentum appeared to be swinging in Dorset’s favour.
Gloucestershire looked short of answers to quell the fight back but this changed with an inspired piece of fielding from Ethan Organ. Diving full length to stop a drive, he then threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end to run Trueman out by several feet.
This lifted the home side and put them back on the front foot. Left arm spinner Alex Allen (1-7) (Thornbury) picked up the key wicket of Trueman to put Glos back on top. With the score on 106-7 the home side hoped to wrap up the innings quickly but they met with some stubborn resistance before Stone returned to blast through the tail and pick up the last two wickets to finish with 4-19. He also contributed a run out as Dorset finished on 145 all out.
In reply Helmke and Trainor survived a few early scares to consolidate the inning and put their side in a winning position by the time the game-ending rain arrived.
Glos U14 coach Luke Sellers said: “After the disappointment of losing to Wales the boys showed good character to bounce back with a victory. The weather may have brought the game to a premature end but we looked well set and I am sure the batsman would have seen us home if ithad gone the distance.
“The boys still need to make sure they keep up their intensity in the field throughout an entire innings but the signs are encouraging going into next week’s match against Hampshire.”
Wales Under 13 Girls v Gloucestershire Under 13 Girls (at Usk CC), June 8
ECB Under 13 Girls County Championship Group 4
Gloucestershire U13 Girls 136-8 (35 overs)
Wales 97-6 (25 overs)
Match tied after Wales’ target reduced to 98 in 25 overs due to rain
Gloucestershire Under 13 girls produced a great fight back to earn a tie against Wales on a changeable day of weather in Usk.
With Wales attempting to take the one run they needed to win from the final ball of the match Glos captain Danielle Gibson picked the ball up and threw down the stumps to secure a share of the spoils.
The run out completed an impressive turnaround for the visitors who had been staring down the barrel of defeat seven overs earlier when Wales needed just 18 for victory.
Their target had been reduced to 98 in 25 overs following heavy rain during the tea interval.
Earlier Gloucestershire achieved a total of 136 from their 35 overs after a partnership of 62 from Molly Thomas (36) and Abby Whybrow (31) (Cheltenham College) recovered the innings from a position of 54-4.
With the bad weather enforcing an extended tea interval, the game restarted with Wales knowing they needed to be on 54 after 15 overs to be in a winning position should more rain arrive.
With this in mind they made a brisk start, reaching 33 from 8.3 overs before another lengthy rain break which looked like ending the game.
Play finally managed to restart at 6.30pm with Wales given a revised target of 98 to win from 25 overs.
Ella Budd (Bristol Phoenix) and Mollie Thomas picked up a wicket each but the match looked to be going the home side’s way before a superb diving catch from Gibson reduced Wales to 40-3.
This lifted her team for a time but aided by a few fielding mistakes, the home side recovered to 70-3 with seven overs left.
But Glos didn’t give up with tight bowling at both ends. Naima Milhofer (Downend) took 3-15 to put her side back in the game and she was well supported by Gibson and Helen Cutler who conceded just one run from her two overs.
This excellent bowling under pressure ensured that Wales still needed five to win from the last over. Milhofer’s coll head bought it right down to the wire with one run needed from the last delivery.
And as Wales sought the final run Gibson produced a moment of magic to earn a tie for her side.
Gloucestershire Under 12 v Warwickshire Under 12 (at Clifton College) June 8
Friendly
Gloucestershire U12 131-6 (40 overs)
Match abandoned due to rain
AND
Gloucestershire Under 13 v Oxfordshire Under 13 (at Bedminster CC) June 8
Friendly
Oxfordshire U13 161-7 (40 overs)
Match abandoned due to rain
Heavy rain forced the game between Gloucestershire Under 12 and Warwickshire to be abandoned with half the match left to play.
But despite the dark clouds there was still time for opening batsman Seb Blake (Cheltenham) to shine with a superb 64 not out.
Carrying his bat through the innings he helped his side reach 131-6, a total that would have been far greater but for the ground’s enormous boundaries.
Perhaps inspired by the picturesque location at Clifton College, Gloucestershire’s opening pair responded to the captain winning the toss with the best start of the season so far.
Blake and Joe Millard (Bedminster)put on 34 for the first wicket before Millard was bowled on 19. Warwickshire turned to spin to try to make inroads into Gloucestershire’s batting line-up but without success.
The home side’s determination not to lose wickets saw Blake combine with Ewan Gegg (16) (Frocester) and Alfie Lewis (13) (Stapleton) for partnerships of 35 and 42 respectively, taking the total to 131-6 by the end of the 40th over.
Blake’s contribution of 64 not out contained a mix of careful placement, decisive running and powerful hitting, including an impressive clip off the toes for six.
A brief interruption for rain proved to be not just the invitation to an early tea, but the forerunner of a much heavier downpour as the teams took to the field for Warwickshire’s reply.
This brought a premature end to the game with handshakes all round as pools formed on the outfield and thunder boomed overhead.
Glos U12 Coach Steve Cashmore said: “The approach the whole squad adopted towards today’s match showed once again how hard they are prepared to work to improve and take on challenges.
“It’s a shame we didn’t have the chance to perform in the field as we had with the bat. I am sure the standards these boys are setting themselves would have helped them deliver another fine all-round team performance.”
Gloucestershire Under 12s now travel to Shropshire for their next match on Sunday June 22.
The county’s Under 13 boys - who were playing just down the road from the Under 12s at Bedminster CC - also fell foul of the weather in their game against Oxfordshire.
They too managed just half a game and were all set to try and chase the visitors 161-7 when the rain came.
The home team had got off to a flier when Sujan Canagarajah (Stoke Bishop) struck with the first ball of the day.
Tight bowling at both ends restricted Oxfordshire to 31-2 in the first 14 overs.
But they got away from Gloucestershire during the middle of their innings, more than trebling their score in the next 20 overs.
Harvey Jupp (Poulton) 2-14 helped bring things back his team’s way as Oxon finished on 161-7.
Under 13 manager Eric Woodmason said: “It was a shame about the rain as we would have been confident of chasing that score as it was a good wicket and fast outfield.”
Stroud and South Gloucestershire Under 13 v Bristol Under 13 (at Frenchay CC), June 8
Friendly
Bristol U13 199-8 (30 overs)
Match abandoned due to rain
It was a case of third time unlucky for Stroud and South Gloucestershire (S&SG) Under 13s as after two previous cancellations, the weather again prevented them completing their first match of the season.
Had the weather stayed fine the home side would have been chasing 200 to win after Bristol made 199-8 from their 30 over after being asked to bat first on a green wicket.
Opening batsmen Ben Jarman (Bishopston) and Kruz Belcher (Uphill Castle) started strongly racing to 29 from the first five overs.
But the S&SG bowlers responded as Simran Sond (Thornbury) took a sharp knee high caught and bowled to get rid of Belcher for 18. And in the next over Joe Buckland (1-22) bowled Jarman for 10.
Angus Bennett (Nailsea) joined George Patterson (Brislington) and they briefly consolidated the innings before taking the attack to their opponents. Patterson hit Sond (1-33) for four boundaries as Bristol accumulated 19 runs in one over leaving them on 60-2 from 10.
A change of bowling initially stemmed the flow of runs as Bristol reached 86-2 at the
15 over drinks break. But having refuelled Bennett and Patterson brought the 100 up in fine style with 14 off one over .
Following a brief delay for a thunderstorm S&SG made a breakthrough as Finn McCarthy (Frocester)had Patterson caught at midwicket wicket for 41 (off 47 balls), ending an 82 run partnership.
A caught and bowled for Sam Manning (Hambrook) then ended Tamour Khan’s (6) brief knock in the next over.
Captain Dan Whetton then joined Bennett who hit two sixes in quick succession before being caught off a no-ball on 47. He quickly rediscovered his composure to score a few more singles and reach his half century from 62 balls.
With 25 overs gone rain again stopped play with Bristol on 156-4.
The delay meant that once the game was restarted it was reduced to 36 overs per side.
With Bristol on the attack Josh Haynes (Downend) claimed the prize wicket of Bennett as he holed out to a fine catch by Ashley Babbage at deep midwicket for 52.
Sebastian Vickerman (Bishopston) then made an explosive 19 off 8 balls before falling to Haynes in the 28th over. And he picked up his third wicket when he had his club team mate Mahdi Saleem stumped by another Downed boy Nicky Shine
Whetton was then run out by George Duggan for 14 but that proved to be the last meaningful action of the day as the rain returned to end the match after 30 overs.
