Essendon CC.

Report vs Essendon CC

Match Report
Date 05/07/26 
Oppo Essendon CC (a)
Type Timed
Report by Ump

The O’s returned to Essendon CC after a nail biting finish at Matching Green CC the week prior, where the O’s let victory slip from their grasp.

Essendon is a great place to play cricket, tucked away, allotments over the wall and sprawling greenery beyond the boundary. Orient would field first in 
this timed game with Al and Clappers opening the bowling. Both were reasonably economical with their overs, but struggled to make a breakthrough until Al 
got the first wicket thanks to a good catch from JBM. In came number 3 batsman ME Whitehead who put on an impressive partnership with opener Cannon who 
eventually retired 102*. JBM had a hand in the next three wickets, thanks to a catch from bruv to remove ME Whitehead on 75, a run out, before bowling 
Sanderson. 
O’s debutant Glen Wilkie (on a technicality as his first appearance was rained off during the 1st innings of the same fixture last year), came onto bowl 
the final over of the innings, remarkably taking a wicket with his first ball. He then went for 18 runs with his remaining 5 balls. 

Essendon batting out till tea for 256-6. Would they regret not declaring earlier?!

The short answer is yes but let’s talk you through it. Buck and ABM opened the batting, with ABM playing somewhat aggressively, hitting a few boundaries 
off the balls that were in his wheelhouse. Buck looked steadily unsteady for want of a better phrase, so much so in fact, opening bowler Whitehead asked 
umpire John Hayes ‘Does he always bat like that’? John replied with a smirk ‘Yes’. We had a good laugh about it after.
Buck eventually went for 5 runs, chewing up a few overs much to the bowler's frustration who so nearly caught and bowled him. Whitehead Junior would then 
rip through the O’s middle order bowling Meaden for 10, Hiscock for 19 and Johnson for 0 who is convinced the ball merely brushed the varnish of the 
bails as he thought he was caught behind only to find the stumps on the floor as he looked back to find out his fate. ABM fell for a respectable 34 who 
continued his fine form as opener this season. Glen Wilkie and JBM were at the crease for a very short while, as Glen Wilkie ran himself out or should I 
say JBM sent him back and ran him out who was eventually bowled for 7. 
Next was The Wall and Clappers, with just a few overs to go. Clappers caught for one leaving Essendon with two wickets to get and just John Hayes and 
Whittam left to bat, victory for Essendon was looking increasingly likely. Out came John to bat under strict instruction from JBM to play no shots wide 
of the stumps and block anything straight. The left arm bowler was bowling some very tempting balls across the stumps but John, strong of will, resisted 
the temptation to swing at a loose one. The Wall did what he does best and blocked the rest of his overs out, even hitting a 4 and running for 2 on the 
final ball. The O’s saw out the draw, a nail biting finish with JBM head in hands throughout John Hayes’ innings.

The O’s enjoyed a good post match drink-up with some looking forward to the battle of the Azteca in the early hours of Monday morning. Panini stickers 
were swapped, birds were twitched, on some silly app by Johnson and John’s Auntie Kim, and several cans of lager were consumed. A great game and a great 
advert for Sunday timed cricket.

Up the O’s

 

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© Dave Revell