Nothing Between Amersham & Basingstoke In Stalemate   You are here: Home » News Detail

Amersham.CC

Amersham.CC and Basingstoke & North Hants.CC played out a closely-fought draw with both sides destined for mid-table positions in Division One the Thames Valley Cricket League.

Amersham hosted Basingstoke at Shardeloes for the last time for the foreseeable future with the visitors joining the Hampshire League set up next season.

The game was a hard fought & reasonably high scoring draw as, for the first time in a number of weeks, the Amersham batsmen built substantial partnerships.

This was led by Joe Shuttle, whose 78 included a number of hard hit pull shots when the Basingstoke bowlers dropped short.

He received similarly aggressive support in an opening partnership of 72 from debutant Nick Nguyen (32).

Once Nguyen fell another partnership developed with Chris Fleming (38) as 150 was passed.

Fleming & Shuttle fell in quick succession, but Paul Langley's brutal 55 provided further momentum.

Wickets and runs were traded in roughly equal measure as the innings came to an end on 243-6, with a declaration coming 2 overs before the maximum 52 overs.

After tea Basingstoke began their chase with brisk and obvious intent, Chris Froud (71) picking off anything short effectively. J

ack Rogers (1-30) yorked his opening partner Chaffer for 10 before Charley Crasborn (1-65) pinned visiting captain Coombes LBW for 7.

 This brought the dangerous Dean Nurse (36) to the wicket and he and Froud put together a partnership of 82. Drinks were taken with the score on 126-2, with Basingstoke well on course for victory.

A rousing call to arms from captain Luke Jackson at the break paid immediate and valuable dividends however as the spinners David Atkinson (3-32) and Jackson himself (2-39) ripped through the visitors' middle order.

5 wickets fell for the addition of 11 runs to derail the run chase. First Jackson deceived Froud in the flight to bowl him before Nurse skied Atkinson into the safe hands of Alex Lines.

Two more wickets fell, both LBW, in consecutive overs and Bradley was stumped by Dan Colquhoun off Atkinson.

Craig Williamson (45*) watched this collapse from the nonstriker's end, before bringing some solidity back to the Basingstoke innings in a partnership of 30 with his father, Nigel.

Lines returned to the attack to claim the elder Williamson LBW but no further wickets were claimed and the game ended in a draw.

The points claimed in this game moved Amersham up one place to 4th in the Thames Valley League and they visit 3rd placed Wokingham next week.