Back
Sat 05 Aug 2017 · Premier One
1st XIFrocester CC - 1st XI
192/2
184/9
Game 14: 1st XI vs Frocester 1st XI
Michael Cox12 Aug 2017 - 08:54
Share via
Bracey & The Bear; from our Keith
Bristol 1st XI v Frocester 1st XI, WEPL Premier 1, 5 August 2017
Frocester 184-9 (47 overs), F Dixon 112, W Rudge 4-35, V Lakhani 2-32
Bristol 192-2 (36.3 overs), J Bracey 103no, R Sillence 74no
In a match in which one batsmen scored nearly two thirds of Frocester’s runs, and two shared more than 90 per cent of Bristol’s, it was the unbroken third wicket partnership of 138 between James Bracey and Roger Sillence that proved decisive and enabled Bristol to comfortably overhaul the DLS-revised target of 188.
The pair came together in the fourteenth over with the score on 54 for 2. Sillence was off the mark immediately with an edge through fine third man for four, followed by another boundary clonked through mid-on. Two overs later he hit three successive fours – another edge to the very fine third man boundary, a lofted on-drive that only just eluded the fielder, and a confident pick-up off the legs – to race to 22 off 13 balls. Thereafter his innings settled into a more serene rhythm and became a potent blend of elegance, watchfulness and brute force. His graceful cover-drive off Perera was the aesthetic highlight of the match. Making his first appearance for the 1st XI since early June, Sillence finished unbeaten on 74 off 68 balls, with a six and ten fours, and provided the element of solidity that the Bristol middle-order has been lacking.
At the other end, Bracey hit both the first and the last balls of the innings for four. The latter completed the victory and brought up his third WEPL century of a prolific season, hopefully rendering the pain inflicted by a toe-crusher from Perera in the opening over a distant memory. Bracey finished with 103 not out off 123 balls, with 13 fours. The pick of these was arguably the cover-drive off Perera in the sixth over: no fielder moved, as to do so would have been futile; neither did the batsmen contemplate running, as there was no need. Three of Bracey’s boundaries came in the last over of Ross Martin’s opening spell: two characteristically punched through the covers and one dismissed over mid-wicket.
With Fin Trenouth on England under-19 duty, Bracey had opened with a new partner in Toby Osman, but he lasted only until the third over before being bowled by Perera. Louie Shaw stayed with Bracey long enough for the pair to add 36 runs, but scored only half a dozen of these himself. After taking fifteen balls to get off the mark he played a few confident scoring shots before experiencing a lingering death in the form of umpire Saunders’ LBW decision.
Then began the profitable partnership between Bracey and Sillence, which rattled along at more than six runs per over without either player ever appearing to take any undue risks. They profited from some lax fielding, picked up singles almost at will, and dealt with the poor balls, of which there were several, severely. As they homed in on the target, they went through one period of 14 balls without a dot ball.
Earlier, after winning the toss and inserting Frocester in damp conditions, Bristol’s bowlers had a dream start, reducing the visitors to 8 for 3. O’Doherty gave a gentle catch to Vir Lakhani at short mid-wicket; Ross Martin was well caught by Redwood over his shoulder running back towards mid-wicket off Rudge; and Gegg edged a lifter from the same bowler to the ‘keeper. Dixon and Qureshi weathered the remainder of the early storm, putting on 76 but taking 25 overs to do so in the face of some miserly bowling from Bristol’s openers. Hardwick’s figures were 1 for 8 after his opening 7 over spell, and Rudge’s 2 for 25 after his. There was a short break for rain in the 23rd over and a slightly longer one in the 33rd. The latter resulted in a reduction of 3 overs per side and the subsequent DLS adjustment. By this time, Qureshi had been caught and bowled by Lakhani, and shortly after the resumption, Trainor picked out Dan Jones on the mid-wicket boundary, who took the catch at the second attempt to give Lakhani his second wicket. Dixon accelerated towards a fine century, without which his team’s total would have been embarrassingly meagre, eventually holing out to Redwood at deep mid-on in the final over for 112 of 135 balls, with four sixes and 13 fours. His team-mates managed just two boundaries between them.
Bristol picked up late wickets to earn themselves four bowling points and with the additional points for reaching the target with only two wickets down it was a productive day for the home side. Frocester meanwhile remain in the relegation zone.
Frocester 184-9 (47 overs), F Dixon 112, W Rudge 4-35, V Lakhani 2-32
Bristol 192-2 (36.3 overs), J Bracey 103no, R Sillence 74no
In a match in which one batsmen scored nearly two thirds of Frocester’s runs, and two shared more than 90 per cent of Bristol’s, it was the unbroken third wicket partnership of 138 between James Bracey and Roger Sillence that proved decisive and enabled Bristol to comfortably overhaul the DLS-revised target of 188.
The pair came together in the fourteenth over with the score on 54 for 2. Sillence was off the mark immediately with an edge through fine third man for four, followed by another boundary clonked through mid-on. Two overs later he hit three successive fours – another edge to the very fine third man boundary, a lofted on-drive that only just eluded the fielder, and a confident pick-up off the legs – to race to 22 off 13 balls. Thereafter his innings settled into a more serene rhythm and became a potent blend of elegance, watchfulness and brute force. His graceful cover-drive off Perera was the aesthetic highlight of the match. Making his first appearance for the 1st XI since early June, Sillence finished unbeaten on 74 off 68 balls, with a six and ten fours, and provided the element of solidity that the Bristol middle-order has been lacking.
At the other end, Bracey hit both the first and the last balls of the innings for four. The latter completed the victory and brought up his third WEPL century of a prolific season, hopefully rendering the pain inflicted by a toe-crusher from Perera in the opening over a distant memory. Bracey finished with 103 not out off 123 balls, with 13 fours. The pick of these was arguably the cover-drive off Perera in the sixth over: no fielder moved, as to do so would have been futile; neither did the batsmen contemplate running, as there was no need. Three of Bracey’s boundaries came in the last over of Ross Martin’s opening spell: two characteristically punched through the covers and one dismissed over mid-wicket.
With Fin Trenouth on England under-19 duty, Bracey had opened with a new partner in Toby Osman, but he lasted only until the third over before being bowled by Perera. Louie Shaw stayed with Bracey long enough for the pair to add 36 runs, but scored only half a dozen of these himself. After taking fifteen balls to get off the mark he played a few confident scoring shots before experiencing a lingering death in the form of umpire Saunders’ LBW decision.
Then began the profitable partnership between Bracey and Sillence, which rattled along at more than six runs per over without either player ever appearing to take any undue risks. They profited from some lax fielding, picked up singles almost at will, and dealt with the poor balls, of which there were several, severely. As they homed in on the target, they went through one period of 14 balls without a dot ball.
Earlier, after winning the toss and inserting Frocester in damp conditions, Bristol’s bowlers had a dream start, reducing the visitors to 8 for 3. O’Doherty gave a gentle catch to Vir Lakhani at short mid-wicket; Ross Martin was well caught by Redwood over his shoulder running back towards mid-wicket off Rudge; and Gegg edged a lifter from the same bowler to the ‘keeper. Dixon and Qureshi weathered the remainder of the early storm, putting on 76 but taking 25 overs to do so in the face of some miserly bowling from Bristol’s openers. Hardwick’s figures were 1 for 8 after his opening 7 over spell, and Rudge’s 2 for 25 after his. There was a short break for rain in the 23rd over and a slightly longer one in the 33rd. The latter resulted in a reduction of 3 overs per side and the subsequent DLS adjustment. By this time, Qureshi had been caught and bowled by Lakhani, and shortly after the resumption, Trainor picked out Dan Jones on the mid-wicket boundary, who took the catch at the second attempt to give Lakhani his second wicket. Dixon accelerated towards a fine century, without which his team’s total would have been embarrassingly meagre, eventually holing out to Redwood at deep mid-on in the final over for 112 of 135 balls, with four sixes and 13 fours. His team-mates managed just two boundaries between them.
Bristol picked up late wickets to earn themselves four bowling points and with the additional points for reaching the target with only two wickets down it was a productive day for the home side. Frocester meanwhile remain in the relegation zone.
Further reading
Team Sponsors