U15’s Finally Lose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There was heartbreak at Stokes Field on Sunday morning as the u15’s finally lost ending there one match winning streak, after the win last Sunday against Chessington, Ditton were feeling positive of overcoming a strong Ashtead side.
Ashtead won the toss and elected to bat, which delighted LDCC skipper Tom Rogers, who would have chosen to field first on a very green track. Ditton, who were without the unavailable Ryan Cording, took to the field to the applause of the spectators. Adam Barlow opened the bowling from the top end and started well despite conceding 10 off the first over. Boxall opened from the allotment end. He bowled exceptionally well and despite not getting a wicket, He felt hard done by as well as he had three dropped catches of his bowling to the dismay of both Captain and Bowler! Barlow bowled well but he only took the 1 wicket. With 8 overs gone, Rogers turned to all rounder Troy Judkins who on the whole bowled well and got the wicket of the second Ashtead opener. This wicket meant that Ashtead had their two star batsmen at the crease but they never really got going. They both fell cheaply, eventually leaving Ashtead 120-8 with 3 overs left. All rounder Charlie Clark, who had bowled exceptionally well at the end last Sunday was turned too but he didn’t get going. Ashtead eventually ended there 24 overs on 143-8. Long Ditton were certainly in the game however, they would have to bat well and be positive. Coach Chris Neely said ‘We let them off the hook a bit at the end, if we had taken our catches we could well have restricted them to 80-100.’
The run chase began with openers Ratnakumar and Boxall getting the innings underway. Things started well with Long ditton up with the rate at 11-0 off 2 overs. However, things took a turn for the worse when Ratnakumar was caught at midwicket for 6 leaving Long Ditton 11-1. This brought Skipper and Keeper Rogers to the crease who was in serious need of some runs. Boxall dominated the scoring in the early stage of the partnership with Rogers struggling to get to grips with the pace of the wicket. However, after 19 balls Rogers finally got off the mark with an agricultural shot to Midwicket for 4. After this He found scoring runs alot easier as he worked out a way to play the 2 spinners. Rogers and Boxall upped the run Rate finding scoring runs easy and at drinks LDCC were in control at 70-1. Boxall and Rogers’s partnership flourished, until in the 14th over, The partnership was broken as Boxall was caught at gully for 27. This brought Ollie Neely to the wicket but he was bowled third ball without scoring. The unknown quantity of Kevin Langford was next in but he was soon out for 0 leaving long ditton 80-4 with 8 overs left. Troy Judkins joined his captain, Rogers, at the crease; Ditton really needed a partnership now but they weren’t going to get it as 3 overs later, Rogers was out caught at mid wicket for 31. It had been a gutsy innings and was well appreciated by his teammates. This brought the hard-hitting Charlie Clark to the innings and this showed as he hit 18 off 6 balls before he was run out. The game was gone. Long Ditton lost two more wickets as both Adam Barlow and Troy Judkins both fell late on.
The disappointment was evident as the players trudged off. However, they could be proud of their efforts against one of the better teams in the league. Coach Chris Neely said ‘Well done in the end guys I think if we had saved 20-30 runs we would’ve have beaten them and at one point they were a broken team when we were 70-1. A good effort overall’
The u15’s next game is away at Spencer next Sunday and there next home game is on the 25th July against Richmond.
Man of the Match: Kevin Langford for his bowling display.
Tom Rogers
U15 captain.