Chelmsford Sport
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Ali's century for Chelmsford was a blinder!
A superb Kamran Ali century that led Chelmsford's first team to victory over top-of-the-table Woodford Wells was the clear highlight of the weekend.
Rob Hayto also played a leading role with four wickets and an unbeaten 46 in an excellent Chelmsford display. Five successive wins has jumped the first team from a perilous eighth to a nosebleed-inducing second.
Otherwise, results were mixed.
The second team's fixture against Woodford Wells ended in a sterile draw. Half-centuries from Tom Iliffe (62) and Darren Thompson (54) were at the vanguard of Chelmsford's useful total of 222 for seven and though the chase started well, some crazy running caused three quick wickets and the chase to be abandoned.
Koppelman led the resistance, adding 34 to his four wickets for a fine all round game. Stuart Everard (3-63) and Nigel Bond (2-30) were the successful bowlers for Chelmsford.
A terrific ninth-wicket partnership turned the tables on Chelmsford's third team, who lost a game that appeared to be won. Paul Keaney made his third successive half-century and went on to get 94 while Richard Smith (54) played very well to record his first half century for Chelmsford. A flurry of wickets in the closing overs restricted the score to 214 for six with Wilce (4-67) getting some well-deserved reward.
A devastating opening burst from Imran Akhtar, seeing wickets fall with the first and third balls of the innings. This put the skids on the visitors and two wickets each from Chai Pandya and Tom Halsey worsened their plight. Woodford Wells were 105 for eight, which would have been worse but for some poor fielding. Things went wrong for Chelmsford, though, and Waller (45 not out) and Patel (66 not out) played very well to record a fairly comfortable two-wicket win.
The fourth team had a routine win at Leigh-on-Sea. A good all-round bowling performance had Leigh bowled out for 109. Andy Thurston (3-12), Rupert Redman (2-28) and Jason Bolton (2-19) were the main wicket-takers. Chris Drain's unbeaten 51 ensured a nine-wicket win.
Alex Shepherd was the star man for the fifths against Wickford. He hit a fine 51 in Chelmsford's 161. He then took three for 20 to help bundle out Wickford for 91. There were braces from Joel Swift, Joe Matthams and Abraham Kurian as well.
The sixth team suffered at the hands of Curren (75) and Jezzard (42) with North Weald scoring 186 for five. After a bad start, Chelmsford played out for a draw with a stodgy contribution of 47 not out from Huw Davies.
Sunday was a fairly poor day, with two defeats suffered. The first team were beaten by Harold Wood. Gary Chidley made a battling half-century but Chelmsford could only muster 149 for nine. Harold Wood were in trouble at 60 for six but Chelmsford ended up being consumed by the fire in their bellies.
A young second team were beaten at Broxbourne. The home side made a good start but some decent bowling and fielding kept the score under control. Broxbourne were indebted to Thompson (66) and extras (39) in their score of 195 for nine from 40 overs. Jason Bolton (4-24) was the pick of the bowlers. Jack Sterland (38) and Darren Thompson (37) gave Chelmsford an excellent start but the innings totally foundered against Smith (5-12). Sam Hollingsworth (44) played extremely well and Chelmsford ended on a respectable 173 for eight.
Shepherd Neame Essex League Division 1
Woodford Wells 223-9 Chelmsford 225-3
(Chelmsford won by 7 wickets)
Chelmsford crushed league leaders Woodford Wells with an emphatic away win on Saturday. This was a fifth straight win for Chelmsford who have got better and better in recent weeks.
This Saturday, a sublime 121 not out off just 111 balls by Kamran Ali led the way.
Chasing 223 to win, Chelmsford's reply started badly with Matt Thurston falling to a good delivery 2nd ball to the impressive O'Reilly. O'Reilly continued to cause problems but the Prowting brothers, Nick and Chris steadied the ship with some fine shots and good running.
O'Reilly took his second wicket, however, when Nick (27) snicked one behind. This brought Ali to the crease and he immediately looked to take the attack to the Wells bowlers, particularly the spinners. A good partnership between Ali and C Prowting was brought to an end with Prowting (31) adjudged lbw to the newly-introduced Smith.
Smith's fortunes changed when he dropped Ali on 35, a miss that was to prove very costly. Ali never looked back and completely dominated proceedings. It was exhibition stuff as he displayed his full range of shots, driving the spinners majestically both along the ground and over the top.
The re-introduction of the opening bowlers had little effect as Ali continued to drive sweetly and was severe on anything short. He was given fantastic support by Rob Hayto, who played a very sensible supporting role. Hayto, too, was severe on anything short and was particularly dismissive with the pull-shot.
Ali reached a superb hundred with another sumptuous drive and went on to reach 121 not out in an unbroken stand of 128 with Hayto.
Earlier in the day, the match had started badly for Chelmsford, with Adrian Mccoubrey pulling a hamstring in his second over and Wells raced up to 50 at 7 an over. The screws were tightened, however, by Jack Moss (1-28) who again bowled a very good spell at an important time and Neil Fergus.
Fergus was unlucky to take just 2 wickets from 13 good overs, but had the important wicket of Chowdhury first ball to the delight of his team-mates. Chelmsford stuck to their task really well in sweltering conditions in the field. Even good innings from Leiper (85) and Rogers (52) didn't dampen spirits as Hayto (who had a fine all-round game), with four for 42 and Mark Drain one for 56 bowled very well in the last ten overs to restrict the Wells side. Ali had earlier preceded his batting heroics with a tight spell to take one for 42.
Chelmsford will look to make it six wins on the bounce next week with a trip to Hutton and maintain momentum in a tight battle for second place.
Shepherd Neame Essex League Premier Division
Chelmsford II 222-7 Woodford Wells 177-8
(Match drawn)
Shepherd Neame Essex League Premier Division
Chelmsford III 214-6 Woodford Wells 216-8
(Woodford Wells won by 2 wickets)
Shepherd Neame Essex League 3rd XI Division 3
Leigh-on-Sea 109 all out Chelmsford IV 110-1
(Chelmsford won by 9 wickets)
Friendly (played at Memorial Park)
Chelmsford V 161 all out Wickford 91 all out
(Chelmsford won by 70 runs)
Friendly (played at North Weald)
North Weald 186-5 Chelmsford VI 148-8
(Match drawn)
Spa-Tec Essex Sunday League
Chelmsford Sunday I 149-9 Harold Wood 150-6
(Harold Wood won by 4 wickets)
Friendly (played at Broxbourne)
Broxbourne 195-9 Chelmsford Sunday II 173-8
(Broxbourne won by 22 runs)
9:11pm Tuesday 29th July 2008
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