4 for Forbes and White as Cooper steers 1st XI home

Effingham 1st XI .v. Mitcham 1^st XI

Sat.24^th June 2017 – Fuller’s Brewery Surrey County League – 1st Division

The first return fixture of Effingham’s campaign brought Mitcham Cricket Club to the Surrey countryside, hoping to even things up after losing to Effingham in mid-May by the closest possible margin of one wicket.

Effingham decided to field first and found it hard to pick up early wickets, the visitors moving slowly to 25 in the first ten overs, before they lost the first of their openers. The home side’s bowling attack seemed to be in control and Charlie Forbes picked up three wickets in his first nine overs, while his opening partner Caleb Whitefoord took 2-23 in his single spell of 10 overs. Only one significant partnership developed with 37 being added for the 7^th wicket, lifting Mitcham to 118 after 33 overs. Only another 17 runs were added to the score, the visitors ending their innings with a total of 135 all out. Charlie Forbes had claimed another scalp to finish with 4-42 off 9.1 overs, but a late burst from Josh White with 4-17 in his ten overs enabled Effingham to look optimistically at their target.

Following the tea interval, the home side suffered some early set-backs and at the end of the sixth over, were 7-3, with openers Jake White and Cameron Walters, plus Mark Collin, all back in the pavilion! Fortunately, Ed Cooper, at No.3, had survived the onslaught and having been joined by Charlie Forbes, they lifted the score to a more respectable 23-4, but their partnership ended when Charlie Forbes was bowled. Ed Cooper and Chris Fewson put on a useful 21, before Chris Fewson departed with 5 wickets down for 44 in the 22^nd over. Effingham lost two more important batsmen in the next two overs and at 52-7, the target of 136 looked a long way off, but with Ed Cooper still at the crease with an unbeaten 28, there was still plenty of optimism within the spirit of the home side. Ed and Matt Dixon then put together a vital stand of 38 and when Matt Dixon was bowled for 15, only another 46 were needed with 2 wickets in hand. Runs began to look a little easier to get and Ed Cooper moved smoothly past his 50 and he was very well supported by Josh White, who kept the score moving with eight consecutive scoring shots, including three fours. The winning post was in sight and another boundary for Josh White secured the 20 points; he finished with 22 not out and Ed Cooper was undefeated with a patient and very well-earned 69 not out. They were both cheered off the field amid celebrations for a very well fought Effingham win by 2 wickets.

Ray Pritchard