Hampshire Chronicle Cricket Roundup

Friday 13 July 2001

Compton the winners in Village Challenge

THE 13th annual ‘Village Cricket Challenge’ between Compton and Shawford took place at the Compton Down Memorial Playing Fields on July 1st.

Tradition dictates that each side has 30 overs, no bowler can bowl more than five overs and the batsmen have to retire after reaching 25.

The match started with one minute’s silence as a mark of respect for Compton’s Paul Upton, who had tragically died of a heart attack a week earlier.

Shawford were put in to bat and Davies and De Haes opened. Peter Davies was promptly dropped by the keeper, fending off a nasty rising ball from Jamie Brooks, and Compton were made to pay for their mistake when he retired, having made 25 of a 36 run partnership.

After the first ten overs, Shawford had reached a respectable total of 45.

This brought together the Compton bowling partnership of Chris Roberts and Steve Brooks. Roberts took wickets in his 2nd, 4th and 5th overs for the loss of only 12 runs and Brooks took two wickets in his third over at a cost of 15 runs, thus leaving Shawford on 73 for six after 20 overs.

Compton, having regained the initiative, had not banked on the tenacity of the Shawford captain Finn O’Sullivan, who, coming in at number 8, hit 25 runs off 12 balls and was ably assisted by Tim Daniels (18) and Neil Dunn, whose 20 not out all came in boundaries. Shawford finished their 30 overs with a very creditable 147 for 9.

Compton openers Mark Jenkins and Michael Charrington were out in successive overs from some tidy bowling to messrs Fowles and Daniels Jr, when the score was 13.

But Jamie Brooks and Andrew Manning steadied the ship with some sensible batting, both retiring on 25 and 26 respectively.

Chris Roberts was next at the crease and continued in the same vein, well assisted by Brooks senior; they helped push the score to 128 before retiring themselves. Adrian Walmsley scored the winning runs with three overs to go in a 20 run partnership with Dave Chapman.

Both sides would like to pay tribute to Bill Brown from Compton & Chandler’s Ford CC, who helped organise and umpire the match.

The event was rounded off by a splendid barbecue.

text reproduced by permission of the editor
photo Adrian Walmsley