U11 teams fight hard against quality sides

Last weekend wasn’t so much a bad day at the office for the two Under 11 teams, but rather a catastrophic disaster where the corporate internet went down, half the sales team quit and the junior receptionist ran off to South America with the keys to the coffee machine and the contents of the company bank accounts.

The nightmare started even before a ball was bowled in the ESCL game on Friday evening, a pre-match "training ground” accident seeing Thomas Harris fracturing his elbow.  Put into bat against a very strong Trinity Mid-Whitgiftian team (who were fielding some of their Division 1 table-topping side), the team then got off to a terrible start, with two run-outs in the very first over.

While runs were hard to come by, the boys dug in, and had only conceded three further wickets going into the final two overs.  But Trinity’s final pair of bowlers were very impressive and picked up four wickets.  Merstham ended on a net score of 202.

Given the circumstances, it would have been understandable if the team had let their heads drop.  But to their immense credit they came out with renewed purpose, determined to salvage their pride.  Tom Parkman took over the keeping duties and, however reluctantly, did a fantastic job.  

Byron Wood had an incredible three over period - overcoming initial “targeting" issues with his bowling to pick up two wickets in two overs, and then nonchalantly throwing down the stumps with a direct hit. The boys kept up their enthusiasm and intensity: Lucas Atterbury bowled a double wicket maiden, and Seb Parsons took a caught and bowled. 

While Trinity finished on a net score of 292, winning by 90 runs, Merstham had given their all, fielded like demons, and taken a very impressive six wickets.

The NEC team on the Sunday got off to a perfect start against Old Whitgiftians - they won the toss. But unfortunately from then on it all went rather downhill.  Our famed bowling attack had something of a collective shocker, with far too many wides or balls down the leg side. Furthermore, while the fielding was generally good, they missed a couple of catches and run-out chances at crucial moments.   

Old Whits ended on 170-3 from their 24 overs - although even that scoreline was flattering to Merstham, as the boys got a run-out from the very last ball.  The two wickets that did fall were due to excellent play: Will John-Cox induced a top edge that was taken by Roman Cameron at square leg and Sam Gill picked up the other wicket with a ball that seamed back to leave the batsman plumb lbw.

Lucas Atterbury, opening the batting in his first game of the season, showed fantastic composure in his knock of 27, dispatching anything on his legs with relish. Lucas put on 42 with Roman for the second wicket, and after nine overs Merstham were well placed.  But at that point Old Whits turned to their stronger bowlers, Merstham lost two wickets in the next over, and from then on struggled to balance the mounting required run-rate with a low-bouncing pitch that made expansive shot-making difficult. 

Other than Lucas, the only batsman who made it into double figures was Jacob Law, who mixed solid defence with some typically brutal attacking shots in his 39 not out, which included two sixes. Merstham finished on 128-9, 42 runs short.

While there were a lot of positives from the game, and the boys gave it their all, it was a chastening lesson that at the top level teams will punish the slightest drop in standard.  But we’ve now fixed the internet, recruited a new sales team and tracked down the receptionist, and so we start again in the office on Sunday...

(Mr Law enjoys a bit of creative writing and all junior team reports are welcome, with or without fun analogies! Stock picture in absence of an "on the day" image - Ed)