Archived Match Report
Second XI vs. Alveley - 28 May - Frome's first win, but it was touch and go.
Captain badger for Frome lost the toss and the visitors decided to bat first. Alveley's openers came out playing their shots, but Hughes and Child, opening for Frome were up to the challenge. Child applying pressure at one end (9 overs, 1-18) and Hughes (4-54) taking wickets at the other, saw Alveley in trouble after their top order collapsed. With Hughes taking 2 wickets in 2 balls, then very nearly the hat-trick, Alveley were all over the place. With C. Cottrell (3-32)and C. Barnett (2-38) replacing frome's opening bowlers, they continued the destruction of Aveley restricting them to 78 for 9. Great fielding from the team up to this point had made this possible, including usual solid work from J. Godsall and a superb catch from M. Godsall at short mid-on. The last wicket however was a different story with Frome just losing concentration slightly dropping chances, mis fields, a bit of luck and some clean hitting over mid on saw the score reach 146 before Child got the last wicket. This period of play was not without incident either, as one of the shots to long on, was just falling short enough for Captain Badger to get both hands on it in a great diving effort. But then landed like the carcus of a dead horse falling onto a concrete slab, and rolled over the boundry for 6. He rose onto all fours making noises that can only be likened to the dying wish of an asthmatic donkey (he was winded).
Frome set about chasing the runs but suffered an early set back when C. Barnett fell in the first over. The returning P. Elkington (The Elk-inator) hit his first ball for 4, then was out caught behind from a good ball. With M. Godsall falling for 9, then Hughes for 19 and B. Child for 0, Frome were in trouble. Then captain and vice captain met in the middle to try to rescue this game with S. Andrews (vc) hitting a brilliant 55 and Richards (c) in support with 14, Frome moved closer. But after both were out and C. Cottrell went for 0, it was up to the Cottrell brothers Simon (16 no) and Luke (2 no) to steer the ship home under alot of pressure.
On a day where every run counted Frome put in a great team effort. Well done.
