WEEKEND 27TH AUGUST
Old Wilsoinians 152 for 7 Catford Wanderers 127 for 9
Old Wilsonians paid the price for not holding some straightforward catches and had to settle for a winning draw in this encounter with Catford Wanderers.
In a game reduced to 72 overs, the consequence of heavy rain, the home side batted first and made slow progress on a damp wicket but a fine knock by Pasan Weeraratne (51 n.o) saw them finish on 152 for 7 to give their bowlers a useful total to defend in view of the shortened game.
The visitors’ reply never really got going and wickets began to fall at regular intervals, their last to the penultimate ball of the game, but they just managed to survive as ‘man of the match’ Weeraratne finished with 4 for 43.
Old Wilsonians’ 2nd Xl 120 for 6, Downham & Bellingham 121 for 5
Harbouring an outside chance of promotion going into this game, the first thing Old Wilsonians’ 2nd Xl had to contend with was the weather, as heavy rain reduced the fixture to 30 overs per side.
Batting first the visitors were virtually solely reliant on Suresh Sharma (67) and Michael Mitchell (21) as they finished their innings on a disappointing 120 for 6, with Nick Goddard claiming 3 for 17.
And Downham & Bellingham can justly claim to have timed their reply to perfection as they secured victory with the very last ball of the game, thanks mainly to Steve Bagnall (37), Sam Mendham (19) and primarily Russell Kirby (41 n.o), with Henry McGeever, 3 for 41 and Siva Sivaranjan, 2 for 37 putting in tidy spells for the visitors.
Old Wilsonians’ 3rd Xl 117, Dulwich 118 for 3
Some fine bowling by Joe Hale, 3 for 23, Jamie Hall, 2 for 32, David Haws, 2 for 28 and Tim Brown, 2 for 31 saw Old Wilsonians’ 3rd Xl dismissed for just 117, with only Laki Kasturiratne (27 n.o), Richard Morley (22) and Mick Pilgrim (19) making any sort of impression for the visitors.
Dulwich’s reply was business-like in the extreme, with opener Julian Dean (58) leading from the front, whilst Malcolm Persaud (21 n.,o) saw his side home to a comfortable 7 wicket victory.
Blackheath v Old Wilsonians’ 4th Xl
No play was possible in this game
Old Wilsonians’ 5th Xl 104, Dulwich 107 for 4
Old Wilsonians’ 5th Xl were in all sorts of trouble in the initial stages of their innings as Dulwich reduced them to 46 for 6, and although Paul Jenkins (30) produced a rallying innings the visitors dismissed them for just 104, with Matthew Craig, 2 for 22, Rob Webster 3 for 24 and Ed Sealy 2 for 2 amongst the wickets for the travellers..
Chasing a low total Dulwich cruised to a routine win, with William Spencer (39 n.o) leading their run chase.
Shooters Hill 16 for 3 v Old Wilsonians’ Sunday X1
Only 7 overs play was possible in this game, during which time Shooters Hill had reached 16 for 3.
WEEKEND 20TH AUGUST
Old Wilsonians 218 for 7 Bromley Common 220 for 4
In a tight game Bromley Common secured the win which, barring some freak results, will see them playing Division Two cricket next season - they are now 26 points ahead of third placed Addington, whom they meet on the last day of the season.
Chasing 218 for victory they secured their 11th win of the season with 2 overs to spare by 6 wickets. A first wicket stand of 75 in 15 overs between Lee Walker (43) and Rob Williams (92) got them off to an emphatic start with Jack Stephens (21), Jack Mannall (21 n.o) and Matt Iles (26 n.o) completing the job, leaving Old Wilsonians rueing the fact they had not made at least 250 to give their bowlers a chance.
In Pasan Weeraratne (72), Jay Yewale (38), Rakesh Joshi (26) and Michael Mitchell (39 n.o) the visitors had batsmen who scored well but not quite well enough, with J. Merrell, 3 for 51, being the best of the home bowlers.
"Old Wilsonians fought well throughout the game but fell 30 runs short", tersely explained Jay Yewale, their skipper.
Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 228 for 6. Gravesend 108
Facing a total of 228 for 6 against Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl, Gravesend's reply was a lack-lustre affair with Geevan Binning top scoring with just 16 as the visitors had no answer to the bowling skills of Henry McGeever, 3 for 14, Siva Sivaranjan, 2 for 21 and Dave Ellicott-White, 4 for 25.
By contrast the OWs had been full of runs as Neil Treachers (47), Rajesh Subramanian (58), Chris Kennedy (60) and Suresh Sharma (21 n.o) saw them safely past 200.
Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 47 for 0 v Catford Wanderers
An end of season encounter between 2 teams at the lower end of the league table; Old Wilsonians, searching for points to avoid relegation and already relegated Catford Wanderers, playing for pride.
After being asked to bat in overcast conditions, the OW's opening batsmen Clive Peckover and Josh Holland laid the foundations for a decent total, reaching 47 for 0 off 15 overs before persistent drizzle turned to heavy rain, forcing players and officials to seek shelter and an early tea.
Under blue skies and bright sunshine, a pitch inspection confirmed severe water ingress on the wicket (despite being fully covered) and unsafe playing areas. With no guarantee the pitch would dry sufficiently within the next 2 hours to continue the match, both captains agreed to abandon the match and share the points.
Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 206 for 5 Bickley Park 131 for 8
Some positive batting by Andy Steel (48), Aaron Steel (32), Graeme Nelson (54) and Seth Clifford (43 n.o) enabled Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl to declare after 40 overs, a gamble when you consider that Bickley Park needed to score at less than 4 an over to achieve victory.
And they started well, with Jeremy Frost (27), Barry Hainsworth (24) and Lottie Bryan (29) all beginning purposefully but failing to go on to get big scores as Aaron Steel, 2 for 36 and 'Man of the match' Graeme Nelson, 3 for 17, bowled their side to victory.
Ezat 137 Old Wilsonians' Sunday League side 139 for 8
On a difficult wicket Old Wilsonians' Sunday league side dismissed Ezat for 137 despite the fact that the home side got off to a good start with an opening partnership of 62 between Asith (55) and Vicran (20), but some inspired bowling by Michael Mitchell, 5 for 29 and Matt Davis, 4 for 34 completely changed the game.
In reply the OWs started disastrously and were reeling at 24 for 4, but they gradually turned the game round with some resolute batting from Tom Morley (48) and Pasan Weeraratne (47) saw them home with two wickets to spare.
Old Wilsonians' Sunday X1 143 Surrey Gymkhana 147 for 9
In a tight finish Surrey Gymkhana beat Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl by one wicket because, in Nikul (50) and J.Ramesh (23) they had two batsmen prepared to strike the ball meaningfully whereas the home side scratched and stuttered away to compile 143 in 46 overs. Kenny Maxwell (22), Callum Steel (22) and Dave Ellicott-White (25) all managed to make to the heady heights of the 20's, but there never seemed to be in any urgency and the fact that they were bowled out, Sanjay 5 for 39 and Josh 4 for 33, doing most of the damage, saved them the embarrassment of having to make a declaration.
WEEKEND 13TH AUGUST
Addington Village 186 for 6 Old Wilsonians 187 for 5
Addington's promotion ambitions took a severe dent as they crashed to a five wicket defeat at Old Wilsonians and, realistically, they have to contemplate life in Division Three for another season.
Their total of 186 for 6 always looked modest and, despite stuttering at the end, the home side were comfortable winners.
Jay Yewale (83) and Rakesh Joshi (30) got the OW's reply off to a positive start and by the time Raul Malik (25) was dismissed, they needed just 43 runs for victory.
For Addington Michael Case (40), Neil Scott (34), Mark Lewis-Ranwell (34 n.o) and Mark Rimmer (22) all scored well but none had the ability to make the big score required to give their bowlers a chance of a defendable total.
"Another tight bowling performance from our medium pacers as all of the bowlers chipped in well, which meant that Addington were put under pressure throughout their innings, followed by a good and positive batting performance, which saw runs flowing all the time, were the keys to our victory", enthused OW skipper Jay Yewale. "The team are now looking to build on this momentum in their next game."
Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 256 for 4, Addington Village 195 for 9
Some aggressive batting by Siva Sivaranjan (123), Chris Kennedy (53 n.o) and Suresh Sharma (50 n.o) enabled Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl to declare after 47 overs with their score on 256 for 7 against Addington Village, with the latter's Phil Blakeburn taking all of the four wickets to fall at a cost of 44 runs.
In reply Alex Roffe (42) and Robert Chambers (38) did their best to secure the runs required but, in the end, it was a case of survival as Dave Ellicott-White, 4 for 38, Tyrell Duberry. 2 for 25 and the ubiquitous Kennedy, 2 for19, reduced them to 195 for 9 but failed to take that vital last wicket.
Blackheath Select 81 Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 82 for 3
Some fine bowling by Rod Warboys, 3 for 18, Joe Gold, 2 for 24, Paul Jenkins 2 for 19 and Adrian Beckett, 2 for 15 saw Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl dismiss Blackheath Select for just 81, with only Syed (18), K.Sharma (22) and B.Lath (14) seemingly capable of offering any resistance whatsoever.
In reply the visitors needed a mere 22 overs to score the runs required, with Seth Clifford (34 n.o) showing the way with the bat.
Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 212 for 6, Ex-Blues 196 for 9
A tense encounter between 2 teams battling to avoid relegation, resulted in a close 16 run victory for Old Wilsonians.
Batting first the OW's maintained a healthy run rate until a mid innings wobble, despite a fourth wicket partnership of 51 between Mick Pilgrim (41) and Tim Phillips (12). Tight bowling from Ex-Blues' captain, Ben Holden (12-2-33-2) resulted in 3 quick wickets, leaving the OW's on a precarious 128 for 6 in the 33rd over. However, an unbroken 84 run partnership for the seventh wicket between Josh Holland (52 not out) and Laki Kasturiratne (40 not out) ensured the OW's reached a competitive 212 for 6 from their allotted 46 overs.
Ex Blues began the chase cautiously and ill-disciplined bowling, and a solid opening partnership of 85 between the fluent driving of Jon Yirrell (58) and the steady Mark Rider (18), kept the chase alive. However, the introduction of Josh Holland (12-0-40-3) ended the partnership and slowed the run rate. With Ex. Blues now behind the scoring rate, off-spinner Arjun Sharma (on his 16th birthday) dismissed two big-hitting batsmen with excellent flighted deliveries, and some accurate bowling from then on ensured Ex. Blues ended 16 runs short on 196 for 9, despite some lusty hitting from Ashley Harriss (25).
WEEKEND 6TH AUGUST
Old Colfeians 168 for 9, Old Wilsonians 169 for 6
A controlled knock of 82 not out from Pasan Weeraratne saw Old Wilsonians complete a four wicket victory against Old Colfeians, without which the game could easily have gone the way of the home side
On a wicket giving a lot of help to the seam bowlers, the OW's did well to restrict Colfeians to 168 for 9, with Suminda Balage Don, 3 for 42, Doug Forbes, 2 for 35 and Chinthaka Fernando, 2 for 35 sharing the wickets between them, whilst some smart fielding resulted in two run outs.
Stuart Lee (37) and Peter Tarrant (37) were the Old Colfeians' primary run makers with A.Batchelder and P.Gaston chipping in with 23 and 20 respectively, but their total of 168 for 9 looked modest.
However, after tea the wicket continued to help the bowlers and batting continued to look difficult until Weeraratne showed exactly what was needed to steer his side home.
"A very good clinical bowling and fielding performance by the team with all of our bowlers keeping it tight throughout the game", enthused Jay Yewale, the Old Wilsonian skipper. "And it was really pleasing to see Pasan back to his destructive best with the bat."
Rainham 112 Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 115 for 1
An unbeaten 2nd wicket stand of 83 between Neil Treacher (31 n.o) and Rajesh Subramanian (55 n.o) saw Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl achieve a comfortable 9 wicket victory over visitors Rainham.
But it was their bowlers who were the real heroes, Dave Ellicott-White, 4 for 28 and Siva Silvaranjan, 4 for 27 in particular, as they bowled the visitors out in the 46th over for just 112, with only Paul Newton (22), Stuart Chipperfield (20) and skipper Glen Cook (20 n.o) making any real effort to trouble the scorers.
Dartfordians 120 Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 96
In a low scoring game Dartfordians were delighted to find that their 120 was enough to see them to an unlikely 24 run victory. Having been dismissed so cheaply they knew they would have to bowl exceptionally well and, in Melvin Warwick, 4 for 17, Kevin Cullen, 3 for 24 and James Vousden, 2 for 7 they found their match winners, with only Chetan Kamat (11), Hugo Lovelock (11) and opening bat Nick Bier, who finished undefeated on 33, showing any form of resistance.
Dartfordians, too, had batted without conviction although Shahnawaz Khan (24), Terry Phillips (23) and Andrew Mason (28) did show a certain amount of resolution as Glen Wheeler, 5 for 22 and Graeme Nelson, 5 for 43, made a mess of the majority of their batting.
Streatham & Marlborough 88 Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 89 for 2
Some splendid bowling by Rod Warboys, 4 for 7. Andy Hazzard, 3 for 24 and Kamran Faqir, 2 for 31 enabled Old Wilsonians to dismiss Streatham & Marlborough in just 21 overs and they had little difficulty in securing the runs needed for victory, only losing two wickets in the process.
Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 124 Crusaders 125 for 5
Rain delayed the start of this fixture by 45 minutes and a 35 over a side game agreed, and Old Wilsonians were soon in trouble as the damp wicket made batting difficult as they slumped to 27 for 4. However Billy Woolard (34) and Clinton Hibbert (25) led a determined fight-back and then Aaron Steel (18) improved things further, but 124 was never going to be a competitive score as P.Singh finished with impressive figures of 6 for 14 from seven overs.
However, Crusaders made hard work of reaching the runs required, despite a flamboyant opening partnership of 50 between W Reham (40) and J.Singh (19), and eventually got home with just five balls to spare, thanks mainly to the sensible batting of M.Rahman (38 n,o)
WEEKEND 30TH JULY
Old Wilsonians 215 Old Elthamians 191 for 9
There is a cluster of teams in the middle of the third division of the Kent league and this was an encounter between two of them and, by achieving a winning draw, Old Wilsonians probably finished the happier of the two sides.
Batting first they started badly, losing three wickets for 38 runs before a dogged stand of 53 between Kenny Maxwell (23) and Suminda Balage Don (78) gave them a degree of stability. However, with only 18 overs left when they were parted and just 91 runs on the board they were a long way short of a competitive total and were indebted to Amman Sehmi (13), Ramakrishna Prabhu (10), Michael Mitchell (18) and Akshaye Kumar-Sharma (10 n.o) as they helped Balage Don push the score past 200 before the last three wickets fell for 1 run.
The Elthamians' reply started like the proverbial train as Dylan De Beer (55) and James Pearse (32) raced to 70 in the 12th over. However, once they were separated wickets began to fall at regular intervals and it needed some determined batting by Ankit Patel (26), William Foster (23) and James Doyle (10 n.o) to secure a draw, with Doug Forbes, 3 for 37 and Pasan Weeraratne, 2 for 50 bowling the OW's to the brink of victory.
"Old Wilsonians showed good fighting spirit twice today during the game, first of all when batting and then in the field when Elthamians' openers started very well, but good spells from Doug Forbes and Pasan Weeraratne and some smart catching and fielding all but won us the game", explained Jay Yewale, their skipper.
Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 217 Old Dunstonians Cuaco 201 for 9
In a tense finish, ODCUACO just managed to cling on for a draw as they chased Old Wilsonians' total of 217, a score primarily put together by Rajesh Subramanian (62), Siva Sivaranjan (45), Suresh Sharma (23) and Billy Woolard (25), with Jayakody Priyadarsanda, 3 for 44 and Chris Webster, 3 for 33, doing most of the damage with the ball.
For their part the hosts were indebted to Nick Gobel (44), Joseph Rispoli (33) Alex Lake (21) and Russell Newell (27 n.o) for the majority of their runs with. Dave Ellicott-White, 4 for 59 and Fayyaz Ahmed, 3 for 11 starring for the visitors.
Sidcup 177 for 6, Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 136
Despite compiling a modest 177 for 6 from their 46 overs, this total proved to be enough for Sidcup as they bowled out Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl for 136 to secure a 41 run victory.
Substantial innings from Robert Milligan (60) and Miles Clifford (36) were augmented by useful knocks from Alex McAuley (18), Martin Greenhead (12 n.o) and George Bradley (12 n.o) with Josh Lawrence, 2 for 16, David Smith, 2 for 39 and Andy Hazzard, 2 for 42 being the most successful of the Wilsonian bowlers.
In reply the OW's could not find any consistency in their batting with only Seth Clifford (35), Chris Tyler (24) and James Croft (16) really troubling the scorers as Sidcup's Peter Newman returned match winning figures of 6 for 21.
Walthomstow 273 for 5 Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 177 for 4
Some positive batting by Walthomstow saw them amass 273 for 5 in 40 overs with Mike Harris (93) D.Ironside (76 n.o) and J.Glenn (34) showing the OW bowlers no mercy as, apart from Billy Woolard, 2 for 23, the bowling figures looked a sorry sight.
With plenty of time to get the runs the host also started positively and when the 4th well fell at 142, they still had 13 overs left to get the runs required. A tall order, perhaps, but those overs should have gleaned more than the 35 runs as Hugo Lovelock finished on 75 not out.
WEEKEND 23RD JULY
Old Wilsonians 202 Linden Park 203 for 5
League leaders Linden Park enhanced their championship credentials against Old Wilsonians with a victory which, in the end, was comprehensive. Needing 203 for victory they lost 4 wickets for 81 but then a fine partnership of 93 between Haydn James (82) and Kevin Anson (37 n.o) saw them in control and enabled them to secure their eighth victory of the season.
The OW innings had got off to a pulsating start as Rakesh Joshi (42) and Jay Yewale (38) put on 79 in just 12 overs, whilst Pasan Weeraratne (27), Suminda Balage Don (23) and Aman Sehmi (23) all made useful additions to the score.
But then came an ungainly collapse, including three unnecessary run outs, which not only saw them dismissed for 202 but also giving Linden Park an extra over to get the runs required.
After 20 overs the hosts were 52 for 3, but after the opening bowlers, Suminda Balage Don, 1 for 39 and Simon Wilson, 2 for 27 had finished their opening spells, runs started to come easily and Linden Park romped home.
"We started well defending a modest total but after 20 overs failed to bowl consistently", bemoaned OW skipper Jay Yeawle. "We need to improve in both disciplines - i.e. batting and bowling - if the rest of the season is to have any meaning."
Linden Park 2nd Xl 161 Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 164 for 5
Linden Park 2nd Xl made a modest 161 all out against their Old Wilsonian counter-parts but it could have been a lot worse before Paul Morkel (37) inspired a late rally after they found themselves on a perilous 101 for 7, their difficult position being a consequence of some inspired bowling from Silva Sivaranjan, 3 for 47 and Dave Ellicott-White, 3 for 34.
In reply the OW innings had a pleasingly consistent look to it, with everyone making valuable contributions and stand-out performances from Silva Sivaranjan (31) and Chris Kennedy (31).
Bromley Common 205 Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 145
Bromley Common secured a 60 runs victory against Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl as David Luxford (49), Steve Geere (52) Neil Pursey (23) and James Rumble (39) pushed their total beyond 200.
Tom Sullivan, 2 for 50 and Laki Kasturiratne, 2 for 45 did their best to restrict the flow, but the visitors were not to be denied.
In reply opening bat Nick Morley hit a confident 48 for the OW's and skipper Kasturiratne 27, but no-one else managed to inflict any significant damage as Ross Walker, 3 for 30, Nial Carroll, 2 for 37 and James Fargie, 2 for 41 bowled their side to victory,
Eynesford 196 for 3, Old Wilsonians' 6th Xl 169 for 4
For the first time in their distinguished 125 year history, Old Wilsonians' fielded a 6th Xl as the virginal side visited Eynesford for their first ever encounter.
Fielding first they had endured an afternoon of leather chasing as the home side piled on the runs and reached 196 for 3 in this 40 overs a side game, with C. Simmons (97), A. Hummerson (30) and a whirlwind 29 not out from D.Syres being the main contributors.
In reply the highlight of the OW's innings was a 3rd wicket stand of 151 between 12 year Tom Cornish (54) and his father Harry, age not revealed, as they fell 28 runs short of victory.
Special praise, too, for another 12 year old, Sean Beckett, who took 2 for 21 from 7 overs in the Eynesford innings.
Dartfordians 182 for 8 Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 162
Not content with top scoring for his side with 55, Dartfordians' Mike Lanning then went on to take 6 for 30 as he blew away Old Wilsonians' middle and late order in a fine spell of bowling to see his side to a 20 run victory.
He and S,Zuberi (51) put on 74 for the fifth wicket but, without their input the side would have struggled to reach three figures. Opening bowler Glen Wheeler, 3 for 33, had taken care of the top order whilst Josh Lawrence had both the run makers stumped, eventually returning impressive figures of 5 for 31.
Old Wilsonians, too, struggled to score runs with only Billy Woolard (68) threatening to mount a serious charge for the runs required for victory.
WEEKEND 16TH JULY
Young academy Xl 104 Coaches Xl 105 for 7
WEEKEND 9TH JULY
Old Wilsonians 182 for 8, High Halstow 185 for 7
A sixth wicket stand of
117 between Suminda Balage Don (64 n.o) and Jay Yewale (69) rescued Old
Wilsonians after they had slumped to 42 for 5. To make matters worse for the
visitors, they had used half of their overs by this time so an eventual total
of 182 for 8 was an excellent recovery, with Matthew Tungate, 3 for 41, proving
to be the most potent of the home bowlers.
High Halstow then demonstrated
to perfection how well they know their own ground and teased the visiting
bowlers by losing wickets at regular intervals but, in Richard Lapthorn (32),
Andy Colegate (46) and Dave Coyle (20) they had players who knew exactly what
they were doing whilst Rupert Staple hit a mighty six over mid-wicket with
three balls to go to claim game set and match.
Jay Yewale, the disappointed
OW skipper, observed: "We did not put
enough runs on the board and, although we fought well in the field, we paid
dearly for our poor start."
High Halstow 2nd Xl 123 Old Wilsonians' 124 for 3
This was a comfortable
victory for Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl who barely had to break sweat as
they triumphed by seven wickets.
Siva Sivaranjan (45) and
Callum Steel (49 n.o) were the stars with the bat , but it was the bowlers they
had to thank as Dave Ellicott-White, 4 for 7, Henry McGeever 2 for 25, Billy
Woolard, 2 for 31 and Jasper Gundry-White, 2 for 31, dismissed the visitors for
an insignificant total.
Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 81 Catford Cyphers 82 for 7
Seventeen wickets fell
for just 163 in this encounter and Catford Cyphers must be grateful to Abdullah
Abdullah (22 n.o) who saw them home with the wickets starting to run out.
Earlier in the innings Richard McCaughin (23) and Samuel Packard (20) had begun
well but failed to hang around for too long as Tom Sullivan, 4 for 25, tried to
bowl OWs back into contention.
Their own innings had been an
uninspiring affair with only Andrew Steel (17), Mick Pilgrim (10) and David
Pilgrim (11) making double figures, with Conteh Nixon, 3 for 10 and Lawrence
Wray, also 3 for 10, being the pick of the Catford bowlers.
Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 73 Shooters Hill 2nd Xl 76 for 4
Shooters Hill 2nd Xl had
little difficulty in claiming victory over Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl as their visitors were bowled out
for just 73 with only Aaron Steel (31) holding them up as Jan Thomas, 3 for 18
and John Garrett, 3 for 6 seemed to be in an unplayable mode.
And the hosts had little
difficulty in acquiring the runs needed as Amit Koluranker (15) and David
Phillips (19 n.o) made useful contributions together with that man Thomas (23
n.o). For their part the OW's had their own 'man of the match' as Aaron Steel
followed up his fine knock by taking 2 for 19.
Old Elthamians 3rd Xl 256 for 6 Old Wilsonians 5th Xl 170 for 7
In a high scoring game
that gleaned 426 runs, Old Elthamians' 3rd
Xl triumphed by 86 runs in this
encounter with Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl.
And they did so because, in
Graham Alger (86), Philip Raisey (38), Mark Coles (40) and Bill Long (34 n.o)
they had batsmen who could make major contributions.
Not that the OWs were totally
shy in this regard as, in Ollie Frost (45), Josh Lawrence (27), Dave Smith (20
n.o) and Ian Pilgrim (20 n.o) they had players willing to show their skills
with the bat, but none of these managed to play the big innings necessary to
claim the spoils.
Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 224 for 4, Ex Libris 93 for 6
Old Wilsonians' Sunday
Xl compiled an impressive 224 for 4 against Ex Libris, mainly due to a third
wicket stand of 122 between Kenny Maxwell (70) and Clinton Hibbert (77 n.o) and
a late flurry by Andrew Steel (29 n.o), whilst Martin Michel, 2 for 31, and Bo
Bayliss, 2 for 52 were the only wicket takers for the visitors.
In reply Ex Libris never
really addressed the task of scoring the runs required and seemed content to
play for a draw. The OWs bowled 40 overs at the visitors but, try as they did,
failed to dislodge their determined opponents, with Kamran Faqir, 2 for 14 and
Dave Ellicott-White, 3 for 9, recording the most impressive of the bowling
figures.
Tuesday 5th July - Old Wilsonian Xl 145 The School 123
An Old Wilsonian Xl were given a stiff examination by the School but eventually triumphed by 22 runs. After a slow start, and the loss of two early wickets, Michael Mitchell (42) and Tom Davis (20) put on 39 for the third wicket, but it was a ninth wicket partnership of 29 between a hard hitting Chris Scott (21) and David Pilgrim (17 n.o) which was mainly responsible for taking them to 145 in this 40 overs a side game, with M.Raza, 3 for 23 and A.Patel, 3 for 26, both bowling tidily for the School.
The youngsters started well enough in reply, with S.Wright (32) looking in fine form and, with the score on 75 for 2 after 17 overs, they looked to be in complete control. Wright was then and Michael Mitchell then bowled a remarkable over in which the score changed from 78 for 4 to 78 for 7 and, despite a defiant 29 from B.Ives, they were all out for 123.
WEEKEND 2ND JULY
Sidcup 98 Old Wilsonians 99 for 5
Last season's promoted
sides from Division Four came head to head in this Third Division encounter and
it was Old Wilsonians who came out on top to record a five wicket victory.
Winning the toss and electing
to bat Sidcup were soon on trouble as their early batting failed, leaving them reeling on 14 for 4, and
although Kim O'Mara (24) led a spirited recovery, they never looked like posting a competitive
total.
Upon O'Mara's dismissal Tim Cook (28) then took
the initiative with James Dawes (13) offering plucky support, but in Suminda Balage Don, 4 for 22, Doug
Forbes, 3 for 26 and Akshaye Kumar-Sharma, 2 for 25 the OW's had bowlers who would not be denied and the
visitors were unable to reach three figures.
In reply the home side started
with a rush which belied the enormous amount of time they had to score the
runs, and Sidcup stuck to their task and, at 54 for 4, began to think that they
might be in with a chance. However, a steady fifth wicket stand of 43 between
Kenny Maxwell (20 n.o) and Michael Mitchell (22) saw them virtually home, with Sidcup's James Dawes finishing with 3
for 33.
"The bowling unit carried on
from last week, augmented by a really good performance in the field, whilst the
two youngsters, Kenny Maxwell and Michael Mitchell, shared a very good
partnership to see us home and the side take great heart from two good wins in
the last two games as they approach the second half of the season", claimed Jay Yewale, their satisfied captain.
Sidcup 2nd Xl 263 Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 177
Some steady batting by
Sidcup 2nd Xl enabled them to reach an impressive 263 against their
Old Wilsonian counterparts with John Olufawo (87) and Alex McCawley (56)
leading the assault on the visitors' bowlers, for whom Chris Kennedy, 4 for 38
and Billy Woolard 3 for 83 were their most successful operators.
The OW reply started well
enough and they had reached 71 before they lost their third wicket but, after that, apart from opening bat Neil
Treacher, who carried his bat to be 50 not out at the end, everyone else seemed
to be mesmerised by the bowling skills of Luke McCawley, 3 for 31, Nathen
Lampen, 3 for 34 and Seetharam Krishnamurty, 2 for 11 as they succumbed to an
86 run defeat.
Bexley 248 for 8 Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 218
Bexley and Old Wilsonians'
5th Xl shared in a game that was a great advert for the game of
cricket as 466 runs were scored in a magnificent, pulsating encounter and,
although Bexley were the victors, the undoubted star of the show was the OW
youngster Joseph Gold, who hit a magnificent 106 before being run out.
However, only Ollie Frost (28)
and David Smith (24) gave him any tangible support as Bexley's Mike Dixon. 4
for 46, bowled his side to a 39 run victory.
Earlier Lewis McEhill (63) had
led the assault on the OW bowling with Jack Clay (36) and David Dixon (25)
offering valuable support, whilst in David Smith 3 for 42, Ollie Frost 3 for 23
and centurion Gold, 2 for 28, the OW's found three bowlers prepared to work hard to try and stop the run flow.
Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 232 for 9, Pembury 155
Some fine batting from
Andy Steel (72), Callum Steel (55) and Alex Forbes (33) enabled Old Wilsonians'
4th Xl to make a highly creditable 232 for 9 in this encounter
against Pembury, with G. Moore, 4 for 62 and T.Forward, 2 for 34, being the
most successful of the home bowlers.
And it proved to be a winning
total for the visitors as Josh Holland,
3 for 31 and Rod Warboys, 3 for 38 bowled them to a comfortable 77 run
victory, with only A Dawes (40) standing
in their way.
Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 234 for 4 Kent Football Cricket Club 104 for 5
Old Wilsonians' Sunday
Xl got by far the better of this encounter with the intriguingly named Kent
Football Cricket Club as they piled on the runs to declare on 234 for 4, by
which time Kenny Maxwell had scored a controlled 119 not out and, with Dave Ellicott-White, (51 not out) had added 109 in an unbroken
fifth wicket partnership.
In reply the visitors innings
never got going and although opener Mike Maynard made a painful 23 it was only
skipper Sam MacNeil (32 not out) who showed any quality with the bat as the OW
bowlers, Roman Mehra, 2 for 10 and Billy Woolard, 2 for 22 in particular took
the opportunity to improve their bowling figures as the game petered out into a
draw.
WEEKEND 25TH JUNE
Catford Wanderers 91
Old Wilsonians 92 for 2
Downham & Bellingham
179 Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 92
Dulwich 134 Old
Wilsonians' 3rd Xl
137 for 8
Blackheath 205 for
8, Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 110
Merton 100 Old Wilsonians' Sunday
Xl 101 for 4
WEEKEND 18TH JUNE
Only 25 minutes play was possible in this game as torrential rain brought it to a premature conclusion and, despite the taking of an early tea and enormous efforts to make a resumption viable, the conditions proved to be the only winner.
Having won the toss Bromley Common had little hesitation in inserting the opposition on a wicket made lively by some steady rain over the preceding 48 hours, and although they claimed an early wicket, Old Wilsonians played some positive shots and honours were more or less even when both sides had to bow to the inevitable.
Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 102, Gravesend 107 for 6
Facing a total of 102, Gravesend made heavy weather of their task but got home by four wickets as Martyn Tunbridge (10 n.o) and Waqaz Arif (26 n.o) kept their heads after Ashley Church (39) had done all of the initial hard work.
But it was their opening bowlers, Rahul Rafiq, 6 for 25 and George Culpeck, 2 for 25, whom they had to thank for this victory as they ripped through the visitor's batting with only Tom Davis(46) and a spirited 17 from Siva Sivaranjan standing in their way as the other nine OW batsmen contributed just 27 between them.
Blackheath 9th Xl 54 for 3 v Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl
Blackheath and Old Wilsonians did well to get in over an hour's play in this fixture as, surrounded by threatening clouds and the rumble of thunder, they realised it was just a matter of time before play would become impossible.
And so it proved as, with Blackheath on 54 for 3, torrential rain flooded the ground and that proved to be the end of the game.
All other scheduled Old Wilsonians games fell victim to the weather
Old Wilsonians' 1st Xl 65 Addington Village 66 for 5
In a game in which 15 wickets tumbled for just 131 runs, this was not a day to be a batsman, with only Pasan Weeraratne for Old Wilsonians and Neil Scott for Addington Village causing the bowlers any problems, but even they could only manage 25 and 25 not out respectively.
Batting first Old Wilsonians were soon in trouble and, at 35 for 5, a respectable total looked a long way off, and so it proved, the eventual total of 65 being an unfair one to expect their bowlers to defend. For Addington Neil Scott had done the majority of the damage, finishing with impressive figures of 8-7-4-2.
With 74 overs to score the 66 runs needed for victory, the run rate was never going to be an issue for the hosts whilst, from the visitor's perspective, early wickets were essential. And this is exactly what they got, as opening bowler Suminda Balage Don reduced them to 19 for 3, thereby bowling his side back into the game.
However, and although two further wickets fell, Addington got home safely, 'man of the match' Scott staying there until the end whilst Balage Don finished with figures of 10-4-24-3.
Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 168 for 8 Addington Village 2nd Xl 96 for 9
An eighth wicket stand of 71 between Billy Woolard (44) and Tyrell Duberry (28 n.o) enabled Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl to just about achieve respectability as they reached 168 for 8 from their 50 overs in this home fixture against Addington Village.
Addington's opening bowler, Peter Blakeburn, had earlier caused all sorts of problems, with only Neil Treacher (33) coming to terms with his new ball blast.
However, Addington proved to be equally vulnerable to the new ball as Billy Woolard, 3 for 31 and Siva Sivaranjan, 3 for 21, reduced them to 25 for 6 before Martin Friend (36 n.o) showed an element of defiance.
But it was the rain that ultimately came to Addington's assistance as, with their score on 96 for 9 and with 16 overs remaining, it brought a premature end to proceedings.
Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 185 for 5, Ex-Blues 93 for 3
Ex-Blues were half-way towards the 186 they needed to defeat near neighbours Old Wilsonians when the rain intervened and an enthralling game had to be abandoned.
A second wicket stand of 87 between Mick Pilgrim (62 n.o) and Alex Hammond (59) had put the OW's in a good position to post a large total but Mark Rider, 4 for 28, then halted their progress somewhat with only Josh Holland (21) adding significantly to the score.
In reply the visitors lost two early wickets, but Jonathan Yirrell (33 n.o)) and Jonathan Archibald (30) then put on 62 for the third wicket to restore the balance, but when Archibald was dismissed the game took another turn. However, shortly afterwards play became impossible as the conditions played an unpleasant hand.
Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 135 for 8, Bexley Park 136 for 4
Chasing a total of 135 for 8, Bexley Park had little difficulty in over-hauling Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl as opening bat M. Hellmuth (53 n.o) saw them safely home helped, in the main, by D. Hellmuth (35).
OW's opening bowler, Jack Peniston, 3 for 37, strove manfully enough to make an impression, but defending a total of 135 is not an easy task. Only Andy Steel (43) and Josh Lawrence (23 n.o) managed to show any form with the bat as D.Crawley, P.Hewegama and D.Mellmuth all helped themselves to 2 wickets apiece.
Blackheath Select 124 Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 128 for 4
This proved to be a comfortable victory for Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl as visitors Blackheath Select succumbed to a 6 wickets defeat.
Despite a battling 59 from Blackheath's opener Tarin Sharma, the rest of the side found runs difficult to come by as Adrian Beckett 4 for 30, Steve Beckett, 2 for 25, Andy Hazzard, 2 for 27 and George Brindley, 2 for 37, bowled them out for a low total.
In reply Subha Bhattacharya (24) got the OW's off to a good start but it was Fayyaz Ahmed (60) who played the major innings that enabled his side to get home with plenty of time to spare.
Both scheduled Sunday games fell victim to the weather and were abandoned.
Old Wilsonians' 1st Xl 207 for 8 Old Colfeians 201
In a tense game Old Wlsonians just scraped home by 6 runs against Old Colfeians, with the game fluctuating throughout the afternoon.
The OW's got off to a flying start but the loss of three quick wickets reduced them to 59 for 3 before Rakesh Joshi (85) and Kenny Maxwell (29) put them in a strong position at 146 for 4 with 14 overs left. But the batting then fell apart as Yavar Khan, 3 for 21, bowled the visitors back into the game.
In reply Colfeians had, in Yavar Khan (32), Mark Quilter (27) and Josh Kelleher (31) three batsmen who all got in but failed to make the major score needed to put them into a winning position and, at 165 for 9 and with 8 overs remaining, it appeared that a draw was the best they could hope for.
However, Peter Tarrant (38 n.o) and Russell Humm (11) batted with such purpose that they needed 7 from the last over to achieve victory, but when the latter was bowled by the second ball, a six run defeat proved to be their fate.
"From the captain's perspective another hard fought win and I am pleased we held our nerve and stuck to our task. Really pleasing to see Rakesh Joshi continue his form of last week and Pasan Weeraratne, Doug Forbes and Simon Wilson working hard to ensure a 20 points victory", enthused OW skipper Jay Yewale.
Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 333 for 4, Rainham 189 for 9
Rainham just managed to survive as they finished on 189 for 9 chasing Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl's massive 333 for 4 at Berengrove Park. Chris Kennedy (119 n.o), Rajesh Subramanian (65), Rob McEwen (49) and Suresh Sharma (57 n.o) all scored heavily as the visitors piled on the runs.
But, and despite the efforts of Billy Woolard, 4 for 47, and that man Kennedy, who finished with figures of 5-3-6-2, they were not able to take that vital last wicket as Robert Halton (72) and James Reeves (40) in particular, led a defiant rearguard action.
Old Dartfordians 257 for 7, Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 160
Old Dartfordians hit a mammoth 257 for 7 against Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl, with Terry Phillips (100) and Tom Freeman (62) sharing in a third wicket stand of 95. Andrew Mason (39) also batted with purpose, with none of the OW bowlers being able to make an impression.
The home side's reply started splendidly, as Graeme Nelson (25) and Andy Steel (86) put on 103 for the first wicket, but, with the score on 149 for 2, the wickets started to tumble at an alarming rate, and Andrew Mason 5 for 32 and Neil Dickerson, 3 for 16, bowled them out for 160 to secure a 97 run victory
Streatham & Marlborough 35, Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 36 for 1
Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl had little difficulty in dismissing a lack lustre Streatham & Marlborough side with opening bowler Andy Hazzard finishing with remarkable figures of 8-6-5-6, with Paul Jenkins, 2 for 15 and Adrian Beckett, 2 for 4, completing the demolition job. Only opening bat Dampier (12) made any sort of impression for the home side, who were dismissed in just 15.3 overs!
In reply the visitors took only 8.1 overs to achieve victory, with Fayyaz Ahmed, (19 n.o) getting more than half of the runs needed.
Old Wisonians' Sunday Xl 94 for 5 v Oakhill
Less than 25 overs play was possible in this game between Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl and Oaskhill as persistent rain put an end to proceedings. At the time of the abandonment OW's were 94 for 5, with Oakhill's Neil Engerean having taken 4 for 31 in a fine opening spell with only Andrew Forbes (39) coming to terms with his pace and accuracy.
Old Wilsonians' 1st Xl 272 for 7 Old Elthamians 249
Having compiled an impressive 272 for 7, Old Wilsonians were in danger of letting the game slip as Old Elthamians raced to 139 for 1 at the drinks interval as a first wicket stand of 107 between James Pearse (65) and Charlie Robins (60) put them in a match winning position.
However, when Robins was dismissed with the score on 153, the visitors took a grip on the game and eventually won by 23 runs. Eddie Thorogood (25), Jack Fowle (23) and James Green (23) made a determined effort to see their side home but in Pasan Weeraratne the OW's discovered someone with the knack of taking wickets at vital times and he finished with 6 for 48.
The OW's innings had centred around opening bat Rakesh Joshi (150), who mercilessly attacked all of the Elthamian bowlers, whilst Rahul Malik (28), Suminda Balage Don (31) and Ramakrishna Prabhu (23) all made useful contributions.
The delighted OW skipper, Jay Yewale, enthused: "A really hard fought win for the side with Rakesh Joshi demonstrating how valuable he is to the top order by hitting 150. In the field there were some outstanding catches from Michael Mitchell and a magnificent bowling performance from Pasan Weeraratne to bring us our first 20 points of the season"
Old Wilsonians. 2nd Xl 100 Old Dunstonians Cuaco 106 for 7
Old Dunstonians Cuaco took just 28.3 overs to dismiss Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl as opening bowler Dave Minette ripped through the host's top order to eventually finish with an impressive 5 for 19 haul. He was helped in his mission of destruction by Sam Carp, 3 for 18, with only Chris Kennedy (26) standing in the way of the terrible two-some.
But if they thought that victory was going to be a mere formality they were in for a shock, as they crashed to 35 for 6, OW's Akshaye Kumar-Sharma taking the view that he could emulate Minette to finish with 4 for 31.
It took a captain's innings from Russell Newell (38 n.o), ably assisted by John McLaughlin (19) and that man Minette (14 n.o) to see them nervously home.
Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 153 for 9, Burgess Park (Colts) 154 for 5
Burgess Park (Colts) secured a five wicket victory over Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl, but not without a few alarms. Having slumped to 77 for 4 they were indebted to Saiful Islam (40) and Jawed Amir (48 n.o) for their victory as the OW opening bowler, Kamran Faqir, dismissed their first three batsmen and eventually finished with figures of 3 for 34.
Mick Pilgrim (53) was again the star for Old Wilsonians with the bat with Laki Kasturiratne (18), Tim Phillips (14) and Aaron Steel (12) also chipping in, but a total of 153 was never going to be enough as the visitors shared the wickets between them.
Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 93, Belvedere 2nd Xl 94 for 1
This was a comfortable victory for Belvedere 2nd Xl as they crushed Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl by nine wickets.
Chasing 93, Belvedere lost an early wicket but, after that, it was relatively plain sailing as Andy Laney (24 n.o) and Nick Lawler (49 n.o) saw them home with overs and wickets to spare.
Earlier only Andrew Steel (12), Richard Morley (16) and Dave Anthonisz (13) had made it into the dizzy heights of double figures for Old Wilsonians, as Sam George, 4 for 24, had put Belvedere in charge, ably assisted by Ryan Evaristem Dan de Mel and Iquan Khan, who all claimed two wickets apiece,
Sidcup 173 for 8, Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 139
In the end Sidcup's 173 for 8 was enough to defeat Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl by 33 runs, but without the efforts of John Compson (58), George Bradley (27) and a healthy portion of extras (30) they would have fallen well short of a competitive total as OW bowler Andrew Hazzard finished with healthy figures of 10-6-9-3.
But, and not to be outdone, Sidcup found their own bowling hero in Peter Newman, who finished with match winning figures of 12-3-18-6, with only Charles Hallet (43) and Matt Davis (29) capable of coming to terms with his skills.
Old Wilsonians. Sunday league side 292 for 8, ODCUACO 162
Old Wilsonians' Sunday league side secured their first win of the season with this 130 run defeat of ODCUACO as Pasan Weeraratne (120) hit consecutive centuries with Rajesh Subramanium (45) and Matt Davis (34) being his prime helpers to leave the visitors with a massive target to chase.
In reply said visitors failed to find someone who could contribute a match winning innings with Haydn Wisnewsk (31), G.Willimason (25), D.Webster (21) and J. McClaughan (20) getting in but failing to build on their initial success as the OW bowlers shared the wickets between them.
Old Wilsonians Sunday side 203 for 3 Ovingdean 207 for 8
A generous declaration by Old Wilsonians' Sunday X1 enabled Ovingdean to come back and bite them to secure a narrow two wicket victory.
The OW innings started slowly but Kenny Maxwell (58) and Clinton Hibbert (62 n.o) eventually increased the momentum and a late flurry from Billy Woolard (33) and Dave Ellicott-White (27 n.o) pushed the total beyond 200.
In reply Ovingdean's opener Luke Selway (70) was in fine form but his dismissal saw the wickets start to fall before K.Amin (21), D.Hart (16 n.o) and A.Hart (28 n.o) snatched victory with nine balls to spare.
Linden Park 1st Xl 237 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 1st Xl 179 for 8
Having worked themselves into a winning position, Old Wilsonians' 1st Xl then inexplicably played some reckless shots and, in the end, were happy to settle for a draw in this home encounter with Linden Park.
Earlier the visitors had taken advantage of an easy paced wicket, with Michael Thornley (31), Hayden James (43), Tom Williams (34) and John Harvey (72 n.o) all scoring well.
To their credit the OW bowlers stuck to their task diligently to take nine wickets for the third consecutive game, Suminda Balage Don finishing with 4 for 75 and Simon Wilson 2 for 19.
Rahul Malik (46) and Pasan Weeraratne (73) then continued to make batting look easy and, at 115 for 2 after 26 overs, victory was there for the taking, but when Malik was bowled everyone seemed in a rush to join him in the pavilion and five further wickets fell for just 30 runs before Michael Mitchell (11 n.o) and Doug Forbes (21 n.o) came to their side's rescue, whilst Jayden Hoare, 4 for 35, and John Harvey, 3 for 39, were the main beneficiaries of some inept batting.
Linden Park 2nd Xl 181 Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 182 for 4
A good all-round team performance saw Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl return from Linden Park with a comfortable six wicket victory.
In Gary Withers (53), Paul (Morkel) 44 and James Saunders (38) the home side had players with eyes for runs, but these three were equally matched by the OW's Billy Woolard, 4 for 30, Tyrell Duberry, 3 for 44 and Siva Sivaranjan, 2 for 37, who bowed their side into a potentially match winning position.
And so it proved, as a steady 64 from Rajesh Subramanian, 27 from opener Tyrell Duberry and a quick fire 30 from Chris Kennedy enabled Suresh Sharma, 16 not out, to add the finishing touches
Bromley Common 287 for 6, Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 130
Bromley Common piled on the runs with their top four, P. Hennessey (46), A. Hennessey (49), N.Pursey (91) and J.Rumble (52) all finding the Old Wilsonian bowling to their liking.
In reply Old Wilsonians were indebted to opener Mick Pilgrim (65 n.o) who batted stoically to score exactly half of his side's runs whilst all around him just seemed to fall apart as D.Troydler, 3 for 30, D.Bloomfield 3 for 33 and B.Pursey, 2 for 31 showed that, what their batsmen could do with the willow, they could accomplish with the leather
Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 128 Dartford 4th Xl 129 for 2
Dartford 4th Xl had little trouble in overcoming their Old Wilsonian counter-parts and cruised to a comfortable 8 wicket victory. Having dismissed their hosts for 128, Jaymes Hollyhock, 4 for 42, Farhat Islam, 2 for 19 and Satish Yervuna, 2 for 21 being the main tormenters, Malcolm Stroudley (42) and Neel Freeman (55 n.o) enjoyed what amounted to some useful batting practice as they romped home in 25 overs.
Old Wilsonians 5th Xl 86 Old Colfeians 87 for 6
Facing a total of 86, Old Colfeians made heavy weather of their chase but just got home by four wickets on an afternoon when only Kevin Hunt (24) and Connel Askew (22) for the visitors and Adrian Beckett (21) and Andrew Hazzard (19) for the hosts, managed to master the art of batting.
Hunt also showed his prowess with the ball by returning impressive figures of 2 for 1, but it was Achal Mehta, 4 for 26 who proved the most potent force whilst, and not to be outdone, Joseph Gold finished with 3 for 6 for the OW's.
Catford Cyphers 234 for 3 Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 96 for 7
Catford Cyphers racked up 234 for 3 against Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl with Kyle Perera (49), Bill Perera (51) and Chris Packard (65 n.o) in particular finding the bowling to their liking.
In contrast the OW reply was a somewhat turgid affair and they were soon reduced to 35 for 5 as opening bowler T.Sterling took 4 for 4 in an impressive opening spell of six overs. Clinton Hibbert (23) then used all of his experience to frustrate the visitors and, with Dave Ellicott-White (25) put in 28 for the sixth wicket which enabled the home side to hang on for a draw.
Old Wilsoninas' Sunday League side 240 for 5, Dulwich Kingston 241 for 8
In a high scoring game Dulwich Kingston timed their reply to perfection as they hit the winning runs with 7 balls and two wickets remaining.
Chasing an imposing 240 for 5, the highlight of which being a third wicket stand of 135 between Pasan Weeraratne (142) and Michael Mitchell (47), they were indebted to Kirsh Maru (84), Hitesh Patel (50) and Rishi Payel (50 n.o) for the majority of their runs.
And, on an afternoon when the bat was mainly in control, credit must go to Kingston's Sherad Patel, 3 for 61 and Wilsonians' Tyrell Duberry, 3 for 65 and Ollie Frost, 2 for 36, for their endeavours with the ball.
Wednesday 18th May
HSBC 151 for 8, Old Wilsonians 141 for 8
In a tight game HSBC defeated Old Wilsonians by just 10 runs to progress to the next stage of the Kent League's 20/20 competition.
Batting first the home side were indebted to Tom Hutton (31) and Alan Slater (58), who shared in a second wicket stand of 45, and some late hitting by James Crozier (16) to get them past the 150 mark, whilst Dave Ellicott-White, 3 for 22 and Suminda Balage Don, 2 for 21, did their best to restrict the flow of runs.
In reply the Old Wilsonians' innings started disastrously with a run out from the second ball, and although their reply had a more consistent look than that of their hosts, only Suminda Balage Don (29), Michael Mitchell (23) and Kenny Maxwell (21 n.o) made any real impact, and needing 22 from the last over, they managed just half of them to end their interest in the silverware on offer.
Minster 197 for 9 Old wilsonians' 1st Xl 148 for 6
The learning curve of Third Division cricket continues for Old Wilsonians with their middle order earning them a creditable draw after hosts Minster had destroyed their early batting.
In fact it was a day for the latter order batsmen as Minster themselves had slumped to 67 for 5 and had to rely on positive knocks from Jordan Wheeler (38), Mike Rees (36) and Martin Hammond (29 n.o) as Doug Forbes, 5 for 35, had their premier batsmen in all sorts of trouble.
But it was a day for recoveries with Minster ultimately reaching 197 for 9, whilst a sixth wicket stand of 85 between Raul Malik (49 n.o) and Kenny Maxwell (25) dug the visitors out of a massive hole.
"A gritty performance from the side ensured a draw. At 53 for 5 Raul Malik and Kenny Maxwell got stuck in and, earlier in the day, Doug Forbes had another excellent spell and got his first 'five for' of the season", said Jay Yewale, a grateful Old Wilsonian skipper
Ashford Town 77 Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 80 for 6
This game lasted just 48 overs and one ball and a mere 157 runs as Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl just managed to make the winning line as 16 wickets tumbled on an easy paced wicket.
Ashford lost early wickets and only Martin Duffield (38) showed any resistance as Jasper Gundry-White had the visitors' in a spin to finish with 6 for 19.
The OW's reply was not without its hiccups as opening bowler Darren Cooper took wickets in his first three overs and ultimately finished with 3 for 42. Eventually the cool head of Rob McEwen (26 n,o) and some hard hitting from Chris Kennedy (31) achieved victory but there were a few anxious moments before this was achieved
Roebucks 209 for 8, Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 78
Roebucks got off to an impressive start when they visited Old Wilsonians with both openers, Peter Clinton (22) and Edward Livett (56) scoring well, the latter riding his luck as he moved to his half century.
Robert Briggs (34), Michael Clinton (29) and Robert Clinton (27) then continued to pile on the runs but Josh Holland, 4 for 50 and Aaron Steel, 3 for 36, did well to keep the Roebucks' score within reach.
However it was the batting that really let the OW's down as openers Bhrijesh Patel, 5 for 23 and Rob Bushell, 3 for 33 , bowled their side to a comfortable victory.
Lessa Christ Church 200 Old Wilsonians' 4th Xl 189
A close game saw Lessa Christ Church triumph by just 11 runs mainly because, with victory in sight, Old Wilsonians pressed the self destruct button and three runs, plus some fine bowling by Peter Mills, 4 for 40, saw them capitulate.
The Lessa innings revolved around Jonathan Aseervatham (62), Peter Mills (49) and Jonathan Taylor (29 n.o), but a disturbing collapse, and some fine bowling from Andrew Steel, 4 for 29, saw them restricted to that total of 200.
In reply father and son Andy Steel (44) and Andrew Steel (31) gave the visitors a solid start whilst Graeme Nelson (21) and Alex Forbes (40) also made positive contributions, but then came that collapse and victory was denied.
High Halstow 232 for 9 Old Wilsonians' 135
Old Wilsonians learnt the harsh realities of Third Division cricket when they were comprehensively beaten by High Halstow in their first league game of the season.
Having reduced their visitors to 104 for 7, the OW's failed to turn the screw and some splendid batting by Ben Bowles (54), Jake Barret (19), Rupert Staple (34 n.o) and Sam Kember (22 n.o) saw High Halstow finish with a very competitive 232 for 9 from their 50 overs.
Earlier Dave Sibley (36) and Adam Colegate (29) had batted purposefully but, gradually, Suminda Balage Don, 3 for 63 and Doug Forbes, 4 for 63, bowled Old Wilsonians back into the game only to be denied by that late flurry.
The OW's reply just did not get going, with only Rakesh Joshi (42) and Pasan Weeraratne (31) making significant contributions as Ash Trigg, 4 for 29 and Virendra Vegda 3 for 18 destroyed their middle and late order.
"Old Wilsonians' let the game slip after having High Halstow struggling on 104 tor 7 with some 'ordinary fielding'. The team should realise that this season is going to be a challenging one, and we need to iron out our problems if we are going to be challenging at this level", commented the honest OW skipper, Jay Yewale.
High Halstow 2nd Xl 182 for 9, Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 177
In a close game High Halstow just scraped home by 5 runs in this home encounter with Old Wilsonians.
Batting first the home side got off to a steady start with opener Graham Franks (55) leading the way whilst others chipped in to push the score along, although they were grateful to Janie Taylor, who hit 27 later in the innings. Even so, a total of 182 can only be described as 'modest' as Jasper Gundry-White, 4 for 36 and Siva Sivaranjan, 3 for 38, strode manfully to bowl their side back into the game.
In direct contrast to their hosts, the OW's made a disastrous start and lost four early wickets, before Rajesh Subramanion (42) and Josh Holland (10) then steadied the ship, but it was 'man of the match' Sivarajan (52) who brought his side to the brink of victory as, with Billy Woolard (31) and Henry McGeever (13) the visitors fell just six runs short of their target.
Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 70, Catford and Cyphers 74 for 6
With their score on 34 for 9 it looked like being a miserable afternoon for Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl., but a last wicket stand of 36 between skipper Laki Kasturiratne (24) and David Smith (3 n.o) did at least prevent total humiliation as Nigel Jones, 5 for 15, and Colin White 3 for 20 put them to the sword.
In reply Catford and Cyphers made heavy weather of scoring the runs required but eventually did so with four wickets to spare.
Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 150, Old Elthamians 150 for 2
Table topping Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl were brought down to earth by local rivals Old Elthamians who cruised to a comfortable eight wicket victory, with their first four batsmen, Mark Coles (29), Jeff Brown (47), Ellis Rogers (20 n.o) and Ross Palumbo (42 n.o) all seeming to find the OW bowlers to their liking.
And it had been opening bowler Cosmo Adolphe, 4 for 27, who had been the scourge of the Wilsonian batsmen, with Bill Long, 3 for 31, offering him valuable support as only Adam Hazzard (46), Stuart Forbes (23), Ian Pilgrim (17) and Paul Jenkins (10) made it into double figures
Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 227 for 4, Old Elthamians 113
Tyrell Duberry took three wickets in four balls to reduce Old Elthamians to 44 for 6 as they sort to overhaul Old Wilsonians' impressive 227 for 4 in this Sunday fixture at Hayes Hill, all three of the youngsters victims being clean bowled.
Apart from Sam Lockwood (31) and S. Viswanath (30) the visitors rarely troubled the home bowlers although Will Riley-Goulding (14) did show some late resistance.
Earlier Kenny Maxwell (82) and Michael Mitchell (65 n.o) had shared in a third wicket stand of 112 for the OW's, whilst Andrew Forbes (27) was also amongst the runs as Elthamians used no fewer than nine bowlers in order to try and stem the flow of runs.
Catford Cyphers 203 for 4, Old Wilsonians' 167
An unbeaten fourth wicket stand of 104 between Calvin Gordon (69 not out) and Dave Golbey (42 not out) pushed Catford Cyphers past the 200 mark in this friendly fixture against Old Wilsonians at Hayes. The visitors started well, scoring at over 6 an over, but when Kyle. Pierra (40) and Joe Wheal (36) were dismissed, they stumbled somewhat until Gordon and Golbey came to their rescue with some ferocious hitting.
In reply openers Rakesh Joshi (31) and Jay Yewale (78) gave the hosts a solid start but no other batsman showed any conviction and when Yewale was run out the innings collapsed and they were all out for 167, Blackwood, 4 for 37, Hadie Bent 3 for 17 and Richard Deer 2 for 25, sharing the wickets between them.
"Hopefully the bad news is behind us now. The team has competed well against sides from higher divisions in our pre-season friendly fixtures but have not managed to finish off the games. The team is prepared for next week, when the real business starts", reflected OW skipper Jay Yewale.
Catford Cyphers 219 Old Wilsonians' 2nd Xl 106
Catford Cyphers and Old Wilsonians completed their preparations for the new season with this friendly encounter and it was Cyphers who came out on top with a 113 run victory.
Batting first they compiled a competitive 219, with M.Aponsu 89 (n,o) and S Kumara (52), putting in useful batting performances, whilst Siva Sivaranjan, 3 for 34 and Jasper Gundry-White, 3 for 40, starred with the ball for the visitors.
In reply the OW innings just never got going with only Alex Hammond (28), Suresh Sharma (22) and the ubiquitous Sivaranjan (20) showing any resolve as Aponsu showed he can bowl as well as bat, finishing with 5 for 32
Orpington 3rd Xl 172 Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl 173 for 8
This was a splendid start for Old Wilsonians' 5th Xl as they secured a two wicket victory against Orpington's 3rd Xl. Some excellent bowling from Rod Warboys, 3 for 15, Bhavin Patel, 3 for 48 and skipper Adrian Beckett, 3 for 3 in 4 overs, saw their hosts dismissed for 172, with only S.Trueman (44) showing any significant resistance.
To their credit the Orpington bowlers made the OW's work for their victory but could not find anyone to put in a match winning performance. Andy Steel (62) starred with the bat whilst Patel (48) claimed the 'man of the match' mantle and the visitors were also indebted to the experience of Paul Jenkins (13 n.o) to see them over the finishing line to lead the table in this embryonic stage of the season.
Old Colfeians 264 for 7 Old Wilsonians' 3rd Xl 249 for 7
This was a pulsating game of cricket to greet the new season, with 513 runs scored for the loss of 14 wickets, as batsmen on both sides enjoyed an evenly-paced wicket whilst the bowlers, apart from Perry Reeves, who finished with 4 for 51, toiling virtually in vain.
Father and son Harry and Steven Kelleher got Colfeians off to a fine start with contributions of 41 and 30 respectively, but it was Kieran Martin (90 n.o) who really put the visiting bowlers to the sword with a late flurry to secure an imposing total.
Undeterred Old Wilsonians also found their own opening pair with runs on their mind as Mick Pilgrim (89) and Ahmen Sehmi (34) got them off to a fine start but, in the end, the total proved a bridge too far, and when Reeves weighed in with his four wickets, victory was secured for Colfeians.
Lamorbey Park 148 for 6, Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl 149 for 3
An unbeaten fourth wicket partnership of 66 between Kenny Maxwell (87 n.o) and Ollie Frost (23 n.o) saw Old Wilsonians' Sunday Xl win their first game of the season with just one over to spare. Initially batting had proved very difficult as the Lamorbey Park bowlers seemed to have a stranglehold on the early Wilsonian batsmen, but the two youngsters showed exactly what was needed to snatch a thrilling victory.
The visitor's Park innings had been dominated by Pat Heath (68) although Henry Sooriya weighed in with a useful 24 as the OW bowlers maintained a tight grip on proceedings. Whilst the declaration on 148 fir 6 was somewhat on the generous side, it did make for an exciting climax to the game and, although defeated, Park played a valuable part in a close game.
Beddington 170 for 9, Old Wilsonians 38 for 3
A torrential downpour, with the Old Wilsonians score on 38 for 3 chasing 171 for victory against Beddington, put an end to this friendly fixture as both sides prepared for the rigours of league cricket in the months to come.
Batting first the home side must have been disappointed with their 170 for 9 from their allotted 40 overs, although Matt Arnold (52), Sonny Zamon (51) and Zeeshan Zamon (32) enjoyed some useful batting practice as Old Wilsonians used eight bowlers, with Michael Mitchell, Kenny Maxwell and Suminda Balage Don all claiming two wickets apiece.
There was the hint of rain in the air even before the visitors started their reply and Rakesh Joshi (18) seemed to be batting with the intention of finishing the game in less than 20 minutes to beat the deluge and, shortly after he was caught and bowled, the heavens opened to make no further play possible.
WEEKEND 16TH APRIL
HSBC 1st Xl 164 Old Wilsonians' lst Xl 162 for 9
Second Division HSBC entertained Third Division Old Wilsonians in this pre-season friendly and, but for a few notable exceptions, it was apparent that there was a high degree of rustiness amongst all 22 players - perhaps this is exactly what these sort of games are designed to overcome!
After 22 overs HSBC were 107 for 2, with a total well in excess of 200 on the cards in this 45 overs a side fixture. But when Stuart Bate (46) and Richard Golbourne (43) were both dismissed within 7 runs of each other, the home side collapsed to be all out for 164 in the 40th over.
Doug Forbes, having initially dismissed both Golbourne and Bate, then went on to finish with figures of 4 for 24, whilst Raul Mailik then weighed in with an impressive 2 for 0!
The visitors started well enough, not losing their first wicket until the 11th over with 40 on the board but, thereafter, only Suminda Balage Don (68) caused the HSBC bowlers any problems as Nathan Hill, 3 for 20, Golbourne, 2 for 38 and a couple of run outs saw the visitors fall just 2 runs short of the HSBC total.
Jay Yewale, the philosophical Old Wilsonians' skipper, commented:
"This was a practice game in which everyone got a bat and a bowl and we can now iron out the problems."