Moore’s five wickets in vain as batting collapse costs Thatcham
THATCHAM Town slumped to a second consecutive home defeat after being bowled out for 99 in reply to Purley-on-Thames’s 146, despite Odhinn Moore bagging his first five-fer of the season, writes Joss Heddle-Bacon.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Purley’s innings got off to the worst possible start after Moore cleaned up captain James Denton for a diamond duck.
The Thatcham opening bowler continued to rattle through the order, dismissing five out of Purley’s top six, to leave the away side teetering at 31-5 and on course for a paltry total.
But after the top order crumpled, number seven George Clarke managed to drag Purley towards a respectable total with a game-changing 52, a sterling effort given his side’s situation when he arrived at the crease.
His half-century included seven boundaries and was by far the highest score of the game, with only two other batters scoring above 20 on either side.
Clarke was well supported by handy contributions from the tail, three of whom chipped in with double-figure scores.
Purley eventually reached 146 all out, a total which had seemed a long way off after Moore’s early rampage.
Other standouts in a tidy Thatcham bowling performance included Oscar Moore and Stephen Bartholomew, who took two scalps apiece, as well as Mike Green, who conceded a mere 15 runs off his nine overs.
In their chase of Purley’s relatively low total, the home side got off to a respectable start, reaching 46-1 before the hosts’ two highest scorers George Wheeler and Bobby Brown were dismissed for the addition of just one run.
Following that hiccup, Thatcham’s middle order rallied to leave their side within 50 runs of the target and sniffing victory with five wickets still in the shed.
Thatcham’s hopes of a third win of the season were quickly scuppered, however, as their lower order imploded, with a calamitous collapse of 5-6, leaving them 99 all out and handing Purley a 47-run victory which puts them second in Division 4A.
Caleb Maycock was the pick of the visitor’s bowlers, and after driving the rout of Thatcham’s lower order he picked up a five wicket haul.
Elsewhere, Thatcham 2nd’s total of 196 proved too stiff for Royal Ascot, who mustered 182-8 in response.
After being put in to bat, Thatcham opener Rhys Williams crashed a half century at a hefty strike rate of 172 and his efforts were backed up by number six Edward Wyllie who top scored with a brisk 54.
The visitors’ batting effort was followed up with strong bowling performances from Rhys Williams and Pradeep Yathijara, whose three wicket hauls pegged back the Ascot batting effort and ensured Thatcham’s second win of the season.
In a last over thriller, Thatcham 3rd came out on the losing side after Cove CC snuck home with just two balls to spare to win by two wickets as they successfully countered Thatcham’s first innings score of 139-9.
