Sterland 105 & J. Clifford 6fer as Chelmsford Skittle Billericay Ten Minutes Before Close of Play!
- Oakley Bromfield
- Aug 5, 2021
- 5 min read
Saturday 31st July saw Chelmsford host Billericay in the 13th round of 1st XI Division One fixtures, with the hosts looking to win to stay top and the visitors needing a positive result to help push them away from a relegation battle.
Team News:
One change from Chelmsford’s team that beat Harold Wood last week- Andy Styan is unavailable so James Liddiard replaces him. Andy Smith captains the Billericay side with Kieran Emmanuel taking the gloves.
Chelmsford won the toss and captain Jack Sterland elected to bat first. After being in fine form, knocking a total of 1238 runs in all competitions so far this season, Sterland had his eye on scoring a plethora of runs against Billericay. In the week previous the Chelmsford captain scored 196 from 169 in a victory against Harold Wood.
Sterland opened with Dan Hagen after winning the toss and the pair were looking solid, reaching 25/0 after the first 8 overs. But on the last ball of the 9th over, Hagen edged one behind to keeper Kieran Emmanuel from the bowling of Robert Rayner which meant the opener had to depart for 11 off 22. This brought Ben Clifford to the crease and Chelmsford were 28/1 after 9 overs.
B. Clifford settled in quickly with Sterland and the pair batted with ease, which saw them take their team’s score to 50/1 in the 18th over. After intelligent batting the two reached their 50-run partnership in the 30th over, with nearly identical figures towards those 50 runs - Sterland 23 (61) and B. Clifford 22 (61). They weren’t finished there as six overs later the two batsmen brought the host’s score to 100/1 and both were eyeing up half centuries, of which Sterland reached in the 38th over. After 134 minutes, the Chelmsford captain reached his half century off 120 balls which included seven 4s.
Sterland and B. Clifford made batting look easy when the pair reached their 100-run partnership in the 41st over and three overs later, to the delight of his teammates, B. Clifford reached his half century from 98 balls - which included nine 4s.
The incredible partnership of 120 runs in 35 overs built by the two was put to an end when B. Clifford was bowled by Ross Poulton in the 45th over. The number three departed for a very good 54 off 101. This brought J. Clifford to the crease with Sterland at the opposite end eyeing up yet another century. Chelmsford were 148/2 after 45 overs.
In the 53rd over Jack Sterland reached his century, his 5th of the season and making it back-to-back weeks after scoring 196 last week at Harold Wood. Two overs later, his astounding knock was ended after he was adjudged LBW from the bowling of Poulton. The Chelmsford captain departed on 105 from 177 with his side on 199/3 after 55 overs.
Unfortunately for the hosts, their number four J. Clifford was out two overs after Sterland’s departure for a decent 21 from 29. He was bowled by Poulton in the 57th over, which put Chelmsford at 211/4. Poulton was plotting for a fifer.
With Rob Catchpole and Jack Cook now at the crease, the hosts were looking to score quickly before a declaration as there was uneasy weather forecasted for Saturday afternoon. However, the runs would not come from said batsmen as eight balls after J. Clifford’s departure saw Catchpole end his time at the crease after being given out LBW from Andy Smith’s bowling, with a score of 7 off 16. Unfortunately for Chelmsford, another wicket soon followed as J. Cook was stumped by Emmanuel from Poulton’s bowling which meant he departed for just 1 off 5. Chelmsford collapsed to 217/6 after 59 overs.
Brad Green and Oliver Devenish were the two in for Chelmsford, but exactly like J. Cook, Green was stumped by Emmanuel from Poulton’s delivery which sent Green departing for only 2 off 8. This brought Poulton his five-wicket haul.
Devenish was joined by Liam Keaney but the two wouldn’t combine for a lengthy partnership as Devenish was bowled by Poulton in the 63rd over for 10 runs off 15 balls. Captain Sterland called his batsmen in halfway through the 64th over, declaring on 239/8 with Keaney finishing on 10 not out.
With Chelmsford placing Billericay a score of 240 to win, it was down to the visitor’s openers, Nathan Khelawon and William Dale to start them off well. However, this wasn’t the case as the pair struggled to get off the mark and subsequently the first wicket fell on the last ball of the 5th over without a single run scored. Ben Waring bowled Khelawon out for a duck after facing 18 balls and Billericay were 0/1 after 5 overs (a wicket-maiden for Waring). Billericay’s other opening batsman didn’t score greatly at the crease either as he was judged LBW from the bowling of Chelmsford’s other spinner James Clifford in the 10th over. Dale departed for just 2 runs from 29 balls and Billericay were worryingly at 7/2 after 10 overs.
Matthew Ball and David Houghton were the two batsmen in charge of reviving Billericay’s score but four overs after Dale’s wicket fell, Houghton’s did too. J. Clifford trapped Houghton LBW for 11 off 14 in a wicket-maiden 14th over which had the away side at 22/3.
Billericay captain Smith joined Ball at the crease and settled the early flow of wickets as he put on a 22-run partnership with Ball before the next wicket. The partnership ended after lasting 11 overs together when Smith was caught by B. Clifford from the bowling of J. Clifford. Smith left the field with 16 off 30. Billericay were 44/4 after 26 overs.
Emmanuel joined Ball but didn’t add any worthy runs as he edged one to Sterland at first slip from the bowling of J. Clifford and the Billericay wicketkeeper departed with 1 run to his name. With the away side at 48/5 after J. Clifford’s wicket-maiden in the 30th over, Lee Knight was next to join Ball and the pair went on to survive 12 overs together without losing a wicket between them. To the relief of Chelmsford, Waring claimed Knight’s wicket in the 43rd over after the batsman was caught excellently by J. Cook under the helmet at short leg. Knight departed for 0 runs off 42 balls and Billericay were 65/6.
Obviously attempting to salvage a draw, Billericay’s number three Matthew Ball was very nicely seeing off the bowling attack that Chelmsford threw at him. Least frustrated and more determined, the hosts were able to claim the 7th wicket of Billericay in the 46th over when Waring caught Poulton from J. Clifford’s delivery. A five-wicket haul for J. Clifford and the away side were 72/7 with roughly twenty minutes left of play.
The wicket of Poulton opened the gates for two more in quick succession as the hosts were able to get the most vital wicket, which was Ball’s, in the delivery straight after Poulton’s departure. Sterland brilliantly caught the Billericay number 3 after a fast edge clipped off the bat and into the high reach of Sterland’s hands from Devenish’s bowling. Ball left the field with a fair noise of applause after the batsman scored 34 from 124 in aim of surviving until the end to salvage a draw.
Five balls later, Devenish brilliantly zipped one through the gate which rattled the stumps to send Rayner back to the changing rooms. A devilish ball from Devenish charged up his teammates and an electric atmosphere emitted from the Chelmsford boys.
A crucial double-wicket maiden from Devenish saw Billericay deflate to 72/9 with Chelmsford itching to claim the last wicket for victory with just 10 minutes of play left. The away side were determined to stay strong and keep the last wicket stand alive to salvage a draw.
However, Billericay’s efforts to block out for a draw were squashed when J. Cook caught Matthew Elliott out at short leg in J. Clifford’s last ball of the 48th over; meaning J. Clifford finished with six wickets to his name. This wicket-maiden saw Chelmsford claim victory and extend their lead at the top of the table to 23 points!
Chelmsford visit Belhus away next Saturday.
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