Match Report: Aug 28, 2011: Pangbourne vs Englefield Match Report: Aug 28, 2011: Pangbourne vs Englefield

posted by Dan Booth, Thursday September 01, 2011

Pangbourne122 for 8
Jim Wheeler40*
David Lowe15
Steve Duncan15
Hindell2-6
Deacon1-2
Englefield87 for 9
P.Hicks34
H. Deacon19
M. Helm11
Tim Smith3-4
Steve Duncan2-6

Pangbourne won by 35 runs - View full scorecard

Another Pangbourne win!

Pangbourne welcomed Englefield up to their temporary home on the Bowden playing fields. The pitch had a good covering of grass on it and the ever present threat of rain Pangbourne batted first.

Pangbourne struggled initially, with Neil being bowled early on attempting a drive. Tim soon followed him back to the pavilion after mistiming a drive and chipping a catch to cover. The pitch was playing pretty slowly and with a lush outfield it meant that scoring was going to be slow. At this point Pangbourne were really struggling to put runs on the board, no batsman was really settled and Englefield were taking wickets regularly. Thankfully Jim came to the rescue in a much needed partnership with Steve, as they started to go the aerial route as well as nudging the singles. Steve managed to hit a flat six over square leg and Jim hit two mighty sixes. This pushed the scoring rate up significantly and where Pangbourne had threatened not to get 100 runs, they pushed the total through this and on towards 122 off 35 overs.

Such a score could possibly be considered a touch on the low side, but the Englefiled batting line up didn't seem too deep and so Pangbourne knew that if they took a few early wickets the game should be won. Dan did strike early bowling one of the openers through the gate, but that led to a period of frustration as Englefield put together a good partnership which was threatening to take the game away from Pangbourne. Tim finally made the breakthrough and this opened the gates for Pangbourne to run through the rest of the line up, with Tim taking three wickets, Jack and Steve taking a couple each. This was despite of Steve's first ball which pitched a metre in front of him on the wicket next to the one we were playing on! The game was wrapped up when Tim took an outrageous full length diving catch at long on to seal Englefield's fate, bowled out for 87.

Another game, another good win, in what has been one of the best Pangbourne seasons ever. The last game of the regular season beckons, the challenge of Bucklebury and the hope that what has been a tough game in the past can also be turned into another Pangbourne triumph.