Burgess Hill u11s 144-0 beat Burgess u12s 137-8
The u11s had a free weekend, so we organised an ‘out-is-out’ friendly with the u12s, to give some experience of that format to the u11s in preparation for the forthcoming festival season.
Fielding 9v9, both teams were missing some key team members, but it provided a great opportunity for others to shine.
Aidan Baker was u12s captain and won the toss and put the u11s into bat.
Toby Spooner and Conor Ward opened up, and were in fine form. Facing the testing bowling of Owen Larder and Kyle Jones, they were secure and aggressive in equal measures and as well as finding boundaries, were placing the ball into gaps to rotate the strike regularly. The more aggressive Toby tested the fielders a couple of times, but was rewarded for chancing his arm, as he became the first to retire with 26 to his name. The next over, Conor also retired on 25, and Billy Fuller and Ollie Baker took on the mantle. Scuppering any chance of letting the rest of the u11s bat, Billy and Ollie were fantastic – striking at a shot a ball to run the fielders ragged and find a cluster of boundaries also. Billy reached 27 in the last over of the 20, and Ollie ended 13 not out, and with the help of rather too many wides from the u12s, the innings closed at 20 at 144-0.
The challenge to protect that score became apparent very quickly. Owen and Lewis McIntyre opened up for the u12s, and although Jack MacDonald trapped Lewis leg-before with a brilliant swinging ball for 2, Ryan Goss came in an joined Owen in clattering a series of boundaries. The bowling was really good, but the batters were even better. Owen raced to his 25run declaration, and Ryan was hitting some lovely cover drives. Ryan succumbed, clean bowled by Henry Wright, for 21; and then Kyle Jones’ brief innings went 4-1-4-W as he was run out by a calling error, but also great fielding by Ollie and wicket-keeping by Toby. That same combination worked again a few balls later to remove Billy Reid when he was left stranded by his partner. By this time, the u11s bowlers were bowling with great control. Aside of the odd Aidan Baker aggression, Conor and Billy bowled tight and unlucky spells, and Ollie continued his excellent all round performance with the wicket of Nathan Ward for 2, thanks also to a good catch from Benji – who also got in the wickets, having bamboozled Aidan with his spin, and eventually getting his man thanks to a catch from that man Ollie again. Aaron Goldsmith hung around well, but Daryl Edwinson had a charmed life before eventually prodding Ewan Edwards to Billy at point for a duck. Owen resumed his innings with 2-3 overs to go, and continue where he left off – smacking a further cluster of boundaries and putting bags of pressure on the u11 field, however, required to retire again at 50 with 4 balls to go, Lewis came back into finish the innings and the total score ended at 137-8.
A really entertaining game and definitely a useful workout for the u11s, who performed exceptionally against older opposition. Thankful to Andy Cobham for putting a team out to play us, and David Reid for running the u12s on the day.