Drayton v Quebec 21st June 2009
Drayton 200-4 Quebec 179 Drayton's Sunday team enjoyed a friendly victory over Quebec on Sunday, and as a result of the game being a friendly there was a chance for several players to try new roles in the side. An experimental opening combination of Tom Radford and Ryan Pointer started off for Drayton, and despite a run not being scored off the bat in the first 5 overs, they remained patient. Radford hit a couple of crunching boundaries down the ground before falling victim to Hoad for 9. This brought the experienced Tim Woods to the crease to join Pointer. By now the youngster was into his stride - showing no fear of taking the aerial route. Benefitting from dropped catches is part of the art of batsmanship and Pointer, having been dropped on a number of occasions grew in confidence. A flurry of boundaries brought up an extremely popular 50 - sadly missed by Ryan's dad David, who has loyally transported him round the county over the last few years only to miss his son's greatest achievement, and all because of Father's Day!
Woods (34) and Pointer (54) fell in consecutive balls having added 99 for the second wicket. Nigel Massingham and Graham Crowe then added 61 for the fourth wicket - Massingham, showing his recent good form, struck the ball cleanly in making 41, whilst Crowe rotated the strike effectively in his unbeaten 17. After Massingham's dismissal, there was time for young Tom Cooke to make a spunky unbeaten 9 as Drayton finished on 200-4.
In reply, Quebec lost captain J. Hubbard to the second ball of their innings - Philip Wright taking a fine running catch off the bowling of Rob Raven. Raven quickly removed the dangerous Walsh, and Massingham dismissed Kay. Whalen and Chaplin consolidated the visitors reply - punishing the bad balls, before Chaplin was bowled by medium pacer Jason Trett, and Whalen followed two overs later in the same fashion. Quebec refused to lay down, with Jervis (27), Carmen (26) and Hoad (23) all threatening to win the game. Jervis was safely caught by Massingham off the bowling of Graham Crowe (yes really!), Hoad was bowled by the returning Trett and Carmen was run out by some smart work by man of the match Ryan Pointer. Trett picked up the final wicket to finish with 4-19, Raven took 2-41, whilst Tom Cooke's impressive spell of leg spin deserved the reward of a wicket on its first appearance for the club.