Mortimer West End Vs. BCL Select XI

Date: 12th July, 2009.

Venue: Mortimer West End Cricket Club.

Toss: Mortimer West End won the toss and elected to field.

Result: BCL Select XI won by 21 runs.

Pitch: Slightly two-paced in the first twenty overs due to the overnight rain but played perfectly true after that initial anomaly.
Weather: A real mixture – sun, rain, heat, wind. Picturesque rainbows appeared to present a colourful backdrop to a fine fixture.

Highlights: Will Macdonald (66 from 84) and James Wheeler (62 from 52) batted marvellously for the Select XI. Jamie Stead (35) and Tom Mackenzie (87) were supreme for MWE. Nick Howell (3-27) and Sam Boughton (2-35) did the damage for the Select. Titch Vickers imperious keeping display was ‘Foster-esque’. Select manager Rich Ashton’s 1 handed take at long-on from an Andy Johnson 6 is also worthy of mention, despite being a complete fluke!

Catering: Incredible. 1st things 1st – wherever the sausage rolls came from, I implore all Premier Division sides to go to this shop. They were AMAZING. Tremendous array of sandwiches, pizza, fruit etc. as well. The BBQ afterwards was phenomenal as well – magnificent beef burgers as well as excellent hot dogs ensured nobody left with any hunger.


Report: The inaugural ‘Champions Challenge’ saw reigning FNG-BCL Premier Division Champions Mortimer West End narrowly lose out by 21 runs to the BCL Select XI last Sunday.

Having won the toss, MWE skipper Kenny Allsobrook elected to bowl first on a wicket slightly affected by overnight rain, and this decision proved beneficial as the classy Graham Sanders found himself playing on having played a pull shot too early. Alas, Will Macdonald joined Thamindu Wedatalike and the duo amassed a steady 50 parternship before dinks were taken at 74-1 after 21 overs.

With the depth of the Select XI’s batting well-known, Wedatalike attempted to advance the scoring rate in rapid order, but, following a brace of boundaries, he fell for a gritty 27 from 60 balls. This allowed Macdonald and Woodcote captain, and former Surrey 2’s man, James Wheeler, to share in a partnership of the highest order. Thus 85 runs were added in rapid order before Macdonald was trapped L.B.W. for an excellent 66.

At this intersection the Select XI may have been disappointed to have subsided somewhat. With the class at their disposal, it was slightly surprising that Shaz Khan (11), Nick Howell (3), Sam Boughton (0) and Ravi Godbole (0) all fell in rapid order. However, the Select were still able to reach 212-8 from their 40 overs.

In reply, the Select XI made abrace of early breakthrough’s as Nick Howell dismissed both Bob Hodson, playing on, and Jono Bray, who edged an excellent delivery through to a jubilant Titch Vickers. It is worth noting at this juncture the class of Vickers keeping – no byes were conceded and all in all it was a display of the very highest order.

Despite languishing at 31-2, the batting talents of Jamie Stead and Tom Mackenzie ensured that Mortimer West End remained very much in the game. Indeed, when this ‘Champions Challenge’ emerged, it came from the fact that no MWE players were included in this correspondents ‘Team of the Season’ – it is fair to say that this duo would now walk into any BCL Select side in the future. Stead in particular was in the most beautiful of touch until he was unfortunate to inside edge a Boughton delivery onto his stumps.

Yet as is their wont, and the reason they stand as BCL champions, Mortimer West End stuck to their task with admirable effort, and Andy Johnson smashed a quickfire 28 before falling to Boughton. When Nick Bielby was run out, and Nick Kingston also fell, the game was very much in the balance.

And so it seemed that Mackenzie would drag his side home in the most marvellous of efforts. Yet somewhat ironically, it was the batting duo of Macdonald and Wheeler who accounted for the West End number 4 – as W-Mac slowed up the pace of his off spin, Mackenzie spliced a delivery to Wheeler at short mid wicket to leave MWE 178-7 with just 4 overs remaining.

Therefore it was left to Jeyerajah, Sahar and Howell to deliver the final rights – each of these fine bowlers snared a late wicket as the hosts were dismissed for 191.

All in all, this was a wonderful game of cricket and a credit to both Mortimer West End and the Berkshire Cricket League. The fact that MWE were able to put out a side that were very nearly capapble of causing a shock, as well as running the day so well – bar / BBQ etc – is a credit to the club. The fact that the BCL were able to finalise an XI that could represent them and secure a victory, despite a couple of last minute withdrawals, is also a testament to the strength in depth of this league.

One looks forward to the 2010 version of the ‘Champions Challenge’.