Our Under 15s finally got their season underway in yet another damp May evening. We travelled to Therfield for our already rearranged cup match, arriving in drizzle and dark clouds it was decided that the game would be reduced to 16 overs. As it happened the game ended up finishing with a nice sunset capping off a strange month of weather.
Anyway enough about the weather, the team showed some great potential to dispatch Royston in the first round of The Cambridgeshire Youth Cricket Association Under 15 Cup. Captain Sam Osborne won the toss and elected to bat first. He and wicket-keeper for the evening, Max Sanderson, set a good early pace before Osborne fell for 12. Sanderson kept a high scoring rate on a slow and damp pitch. He was ably supported by James Mitchell, the pair combined some impressive pinch hitting with good strike rotation before both retired Sanderson on 51 and Mitchell on 11. The deluge of runs continued though and Vincent (7) and Walters (20) were both hard to set fields to as they bludgeoned some more runs.
Whilst we were heavy favourites after posting 125 for 1 in 16 overs we still needed to concentrate and show control with a wet ball. What impressed onlooking parents no doubt was the boys level of concentration in the field. Harry Brent got the ball rolling with a fine diving catch off the bowling of Will Archer. Brent couldn’t follow up his catch as he shelved what appeared to be an easier chance off his own bowling. The team stuck to their guns though and continued to take wickets at regular intervals including a great direct hit at the bowlers end by Sanderson to cap a fine display from him. A special mention also to Oli Tapsell who with various U14s bowled with really good control, Tapsell got the ball to swing in the overcast conditions and Oli Cambridge proved hard to get away at the other end by varying his flight. Royston ended on 51 for 5, some 74 runs shy of Reed’s total.
Well done boys a good start. It will be Saffron Walden in the Quarter-Finals.
Match report submitted by Richard Barlow.
