Sterland Hits 159*, Full House of Wins and Hayto is BACK!

Saturday 29th May 2021

Thankfully Saturday 29th May was full of glorious sunshine, warm weather and a full house of wins for Chelmsford CC. The unpleasant wet weather which we were unwantedly greeted with throughout May departed for the last weekend of the month and all teams were able to fulfil their fixtures and bring home the victories to Chelmer Park.

Lots to unpack from Saturday’s fixtures, including an unbelievable knock of 159* off 144 from Jack Sterland, a nail-biting 1 run victory for the 4th team and the return of Club legend and all-round hero, Robert Hayto.

Please find all the match reports from our teams below:

1st XI vs Billericay (Away) – League.

Chelmsford 277/2 from 45 overs.

Billericay 186/8 from 45 overs.

Chelmsford win by 91 runs.

This weekend saw Chelmsford visit Billericay in much improved weather conditions. Keen to continue their strong start to the season, Chelmsford were put into bat having lost the toss, on what looked like a decent batting surface. Openers Jack Sterland and Dan Hagan were made to work hard early on but before long, both of them were into their stride and set about building a platform for a big first innings score. The pair began to increase the scoring rate with Sterland in particular looking to capitalise on the strong start.

The pair’s stand was eventually ended on 224 with the dismissal on Hagan for 80 off the bowling of Adam Marchant. Sterland was then joined by Ben Clifford and the pair played with freedom in the closing overs. Chelmsford eventually reached 277/2 from their 45 overs with Sterland finishing with 159* from 144 balls.

In reply, Billericay never really got going and 3 early wickets in an impressive opening spell from Aaron Beard meant the home side were always going to be up against it. Change bowlers Oliver Devenish (1-35) and Ben Waring (1-16) also bowled economically and this, coupled with a surprising lack of intent from Billericay’s middle order meant the required run rate was soon well into double figures.

Some lower hitting from Billericay captain Andy Smith (50*) was very much a case of too little too late and the home side finished on 186-8 from their allotted overs.

This win sees Chelmsford stay top of the league table as they welcome Belhus to Chelmer Park next week.

Man of the Match: Sterland 159* (144)

2nd XI vs Shenfield (Home) – League.

Shenfield 127 all out from 40 overs.

Chelmsford 131/5 all out from 27 overs.

Chelmsford win by 5 wickets.

At last, proper cricket weather; no recent rain - so pitch is dry. Even some sunshine!

The toss is won, and the visitors are invited to bat first.

Shenfield's openers begin slowly against Mark Drain and Rishabh Upadhyay. The pitch appears to be firm, but somewhat two-paced with low bounce.

In the ninth over Drainy gets one through past the bat to bowl one of the openers. 20-1.

Drainy and Rishi are relieved after six overs and five overs respectively, to be replaced by James Liddiard and Neil Fergus.

Fergs strikes first, having the number 3 given lbw in his first over. Lids follows immediately follows up in his second over by having the other opener caught behind by Rob Catchpole. 33-3 in the fourteenth over.

Fergs strikes again in the nineteenth over having the number 5 caught by Rob Hayto at slip, At the halfway point Shenfield are struggling on 51-4.

The Shenfield pair of Austin (37) and Newton (26) dig in and resist. The legspin pairing of Tom Halsey and Stuart Everard come on and bowl steadily but without success,

Come the thirty-third over, Shenfield have reached 108-4, with aspirations, perhaps of 150+.

Lids is brought back, replacing Tom, and has immediate success, bowling Austin with his first ball.

Next over from Stuey, Lee Cranmer fielding at cover, strikes, running out the new batsman with a smart pickup and direct hit.

In the next over Lids (8-4-19-3), bowls the other set batsman. 3 wickets have fallen for 1 run and Chelmsford are ascendant.

The opposition tail is cut down cheaply, as Cran snares another runout victim, and the returning Drainy (8-2-18-2) bowls the new batsman, and then Rishi (6-0-19-1) has the last man lbw off the last ball of the 40 overs. 127 all out.

Chelmsford, in reply, find runs easier to come by as Drainy and Catchy proceed at better than 6 an over, until Drainy is adjudged lbw for 15. 45-1 off 7.

Rob Hayto makes his first appearance off the season, having been injured hitherto, and combines with Catchy to move the score to 87 before being caught at straightish midwicket. 41 needed from 24 overs.

A minor wobble ensues as Catchy (lbw for 54 from 58, 10x4) is dismissed, followed by Rishi, bowled by one that runs along the ground, and Cran, also bowled, all by Rickenbach (3-27). Gary Chidley, also in his first match of the season, and first innings since 2019 has, until now, been a scoreless spectator at the other end, but eventually remembers to turn his bat to 'ON' and in partnership with Harry Page (5*) takes Chelmsford to victory by 5 wickets with 14 overs in hand, with GazzaChids finishing on 8* from 31 balls.

Momentum still building.

Chelmsford are joint league leaders with Wanstead, having both won 3 from 3, with one abandoned game each.

Next week, Chelmsford are away to Woodford Wells.

3rd XI vs Frenford (Away) – League.

Frenford 215/9 from 40 overs.

Chelmsford 216/7 from 38.2 overs.

Chelmsford win by 3 wickets.

Chelmsford record their second win on the spin to edge past Frenford in a closely fought encounter.

The hosts’ won the toss electing to bat on a wicket that suited setting a good first innings total to chase.

Pranav Sreedharan (0-11) and Anis Rehman (1-35) were remarkably economical not conceding a run of the bat until the 8th over of the innings. Credit also has to go to the dedication of the fielding effort throughout the side to not give the opposition any easy singles. It was Rehman who made the breakthrough after taking a sharp catch back at him to dismiss Bhardwaj for a duck.

Captain Atif Malik played a sensible knock in staying around after the quick wickets of Khawaja and Rehan who were dismissed by Rory Skepelhorn and Shona Keaney respectively. Qasim Nawaz (67*) really provided the impetus to the innings after the drinks break taking his team past 200 with support from the tail. The bowling partnership of Abdul Baig (4-43) and Phil Arnold (2-53) however delayed progress as wickets fell at regular intervals.

At the halfway stage although Chelmsford felt as if they could of restricted the total further, 215 felt around par on this large outfield and hard deck.

Chelmsford’s reply started in the worst possible fashion as Suhail Shahid was dismissed without score. Ed Cole and Hugo Skepelhorn batted nicely in a 35-run partnership to steady the ship before Skepelhorn was bowled for 21.

Shortly after Mo Baig (4) also lost his wicket leaving the visitors’ 48-3. Ed Cole and Andy Rycroft steadied the ship once again before Cole was dismissed for 33. Cole again playing a hard-fought innings when it mattered most to his side. Between Andy Rycroft and Phil Arnold, they have amassed just short of 5,000 league runs in the last decade so of course the experience would show as at least one of them would get the big score in a tough situation.

Rycroft batted nicely despite a back injury but was dismissed on the sweep for 21. Debutant Pranav Sreedharan (27*) joined Arnold at the crease and supported him beautifully in turning the tide in Chelmsford’s favour. Arnold was dismissed for a beautifully played 60 before Sreedharan guided Chelmsford to victory with a lofted drive for four over the bowler’s head with ten balls to spare.

Chelmsford face Wanstead and Snaresbrook at home in their next fixture in the 3rd XI Division One.

4th XI vs Old Southendians (Home) – League.

Chelmsford 159/6 from 40 overs.

Old Southendians 157/8 from 40 overs.

Chelmsford win by 1 run.

The 4th XI finally got their campaign of to a start following on from 3 rain cancelations. Chelmsford won the toss and elected to bat. Openers Jordan Campion and Paul Keaney took a fairly steady start to the innings, punishing the bad ball but being watchful of the slow wicket.

A very good inswinger from J Taylor (2/28) dismissed Keaney for 23 in the 11th over. Runs continued to be hard to come by and in the 18th Over Jordan Campion was dismissed for 25 with a smart one-handed catch.

Jack Campion failed to score, going back to a full ball and getting bowled. Barry Clayden and Luke Wilson started to rebuild the innings taking the score from 58/3 to 99/4 when Clayden was bowled by Taylor for a well-earned 35.

Wilson soon followed being bowled by Tomlin (2/39) for 17. Nigel Guy was the next batsmen to fall for 5 leaving Chelmsford 125/6 with only 6 overs remaining. Mo Ahmed 23* and Tanay Mukerjee 21* were able to score freely and pushed Chelmsford to 159/6 from their 40 Overs.

Dan Cornell (1/21) and Dan Purchase (1/19) opened the Chelmsford bowling response, both being economical but not able to take any wickets. Jordan Campion (2/19) made a breakthrough with his first delivery, bowling Burgess for 10. Runs Old Southendians’ batsmen looked set and make it to drinks without losing anymore wickets.

The saying of drinks brings wickets ended up coming true when Tanay Mukherjee (1/22) dismissed Taylor for 23 in the first over after drinks. Sanderson (44) and Paige (37) looked set to see Old Southendians home before Charlie Hagger ran out Paige.

Purchase was then able to bowl Sanderson, bringing two new batsmen to the crease with around 25 runs required. Cornell bowled Cornwell for 1 and Campion bowled Andrews also for 1. Old Southendians required 11 from the last 2 overs.

The 39th overlooked to be going great for Chelmsford with Cornell bowling 5 dot balls before being hit for 4 of a no ball then being hit for a 2. 4 required from the last over. Jordan Campion stepped up to bowl, a dot ball first ball followed by a single and another dot.

Old Southendians requiring only 3 runs took a silly run when the ball was hit straight back to Campion for a simple run out. 3 required from 2 balls, the penultimate ball again went for no run meaning Old Southendians required 3 for the win / 2 for the draw.

The last ball was hit straight in the air to Cornell who dropped the catch but redeemed himself with a great throw at the stumps resulting in the run out and Chelmsford winning by just a single run. 157/8.

5th XI vs Orsett (Home) – League.

Chelmsford 172/9 from 40 overs.

Orsett 121 all out.

Chelmsford win by 51 runs.

A strong all round team performance helped the 5th team get their first league win of the season.

After losing two early wickets, Dave Hutchinson (28) and Oakley Bromfield (28) steadied things well, defending fine and seeing off Orsett’s opening bowlers. Ben Lawrence (34) joined Bromfield at the crease when Hutchinson was bowled. Lawrence also played nicely but the innings never quite got momentum with wickets falling just as the acceleration seemed to be on.

There were useful contributions from Micky Burns, Matt Spinks, Alex Bailey and Freddie Ryan but the score came up just short of a third batting point. The check on the scoring was partly due to some very good bowling, particularly from George Flain (3-20) and Markham (1-21) and the impressive feat of completing an innings without a wide or no ball.

Tom Hutchinson (2-13) struck in the first over to set the chase back and finished an economical spell with a second wicket as the run rate was kept under control.

Solanki (32) had looked very composed but was defeated by Lawrence. The fourth wicket pair looked very dangerous, but the game swung decisively to Chelmsford as four wickets fell for one run. Lawrence claimed two more to finish with three for 39 and Anish Nikam (2-21) claimed the others.

The tailenders played fairly well but never really threatened the target. Ryan and Neil Siriwadena were both able to celebrate a maiden league wicket as the game was closed out.

Man of the Match: Ben Lawrence (34)

So, a clean sweep of wins for all Chelmsford teams from Saturday’s games, which hopefully won’t be the last time we can say that this season. Additionally, as we head into June, the weather seems to now be turning to some bright warm sunshine, so fingers crossed we can put past us the match postponements and delays from previous weeks and enjoy a brilliant summer of cricket.

Finally, now that lockdown and COVID restrictions are gradually being lifted, I look forward to seeing the whole Chelmsford CC family down at Chelmer Park for some enjoyable and fun nights at the clubhouse!