T. Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League Division 5

ECC Staff v Foulness

Played at Lordship Road, Writtle on 18th May 2002

The form guide suggested that we would come up trumps against Foulness, a team that have been sliding through the divisions in recent years. Their two results from previous weeks also indicated that they might be early season relegation candidates.

The wickets in the centre of our strip normally play better and the strip prepared looked a lot better. The small boundaries, even allowing for Buck’s creative positioning foretold a high scoring game.

Andy Nunn, the Foulness skipper, decided to bowl first in the hope of skittling us out cheaply. The captain, himself, was a tidy and accurate bowler, however, like the other teams played this year, lacked any real support.

Our innings was built around three main contributions, Noddy playing some exquisite shots off his legs in another quick knock, the skipper with a more circumspect 50 and Eric The Viking’s demonstration of power hitting. In the case of Mr Pulsford his 50 was one of the quicker you will see this year, coming up in only 30 balls. This allowed us to reach a comfortable score of 198 for 9, narrowly failing to record yet another maximum haul of batting bonus points.

Paul Lewis started off with a six over opening spell that only yielded four runs and with Pierre being just as economical from the other end, we never looked back. Only ‘Creeky’ the Foulness wicketkeeper batted with any real application, his 48 occupying nearly 38 overs that bored Hanson and Jitz to tears. Speaking of our left-arm spinner, it was good to see him back in the wickets, although by his own admission he did not bowl as well as in previous weeks.

Another conclusive win maintains our lead at the top of the table with South Weald breathing down our neck as the only other side with a 100% record. One of these perfect starts will go in Brentwood this Saturday, but I feel confident we can maintain our early season momentum.

ECC Staff v Foulness - 18 May 2002
ECC Staff Innings
Batsmen	How Out		Bowler	Runs			Balls	4's	6's
B. Jones	c	b	Roberts	0			9	0	0
R. Gregg		b	Nunn	13			21	2	0
I. Gandy	c	b	Smith	8			38	0	0
L. Norris	c	b	Smith	32			37	4	2
N. Woollard	c	b	Stoner	51			81	5	2
M. Williams		b	Nunn	15			24	1	1
P. Essex		b	Nunn	1			7	0	0
E. Pulsford	c	b	Nunn	50			30	2	6
P. Lewis		b	Nunn	12			19	1	0
G. Claughton			Not Out	0			1	0	0
P. Read			Not Out	0			2	0	0
	Extras			17
	Total			198	for	9
Foulness Bowling Analysis
	Overs		Maidens	Runs	W'kts
Nunn	12		4	28		5
Roberts	12		2	37		1
Smith	11		1	55		2
King	6		1	28		0
Stoner	4		0	41		1
Foulness Innings
Batsmen	How Out		Bowler	Runs
King		b	P. Lewis	4
Creek		b	E. Pulsford	48
Roberts	c P. Lewis	b	P. Read	1
Nunn	c P. Lewis	b	P. Read	3
Stoner	c I. Gandy	b	P. Read	0
Rayment	c P. Lewis	b	G. Claughton	19
Smith	c E. Pulsford	b	G. Claughton	1
Smith	c R. Gregg	b	G. Claughton	3
Tozer		b	G. Claughton	0
Cook			Not Out	5
Smith	c M. Williams	b	P. Lewis	8
	Extras			18
	Total			111	all out
ECC Staff Bowling Analysis
	Overs		Maidens	Runs	W'kts
P. Lewis	10.4		3	13		2
P. Read	11		1	32		3
E. Pulsford	10		3	23		1
G. Claughton	9		1	29		4

Player of the Match: Eric Pulsford