Frenford 3rd XI vs Chelmsford 3rd XI Home
45 Over Match
Frenford lost by 5 wickets
Frenford 89 - All Out - Mohammad Sarfraz 30 (29) - Steve Bond 4 - 23 (9)
Chelmsford 90 - 5 - Syon Tickoo 38 () - Ahmad Hassan 2 - 5 (2)

After being put to bat by the home team, the Frenford 3rd xi put forward their openers, Ramnick Bhardwaj and Umair Chaudhary to face the opening bowlers. The wicket was sticky, it was a difficult pitch for batting, and, of course, cold. The outfield was very slow, and clouds gathered overhead. The Chelmsford team opened their bowling with Steve Bond whose first ball was brilliantly punished by Frenford’s opener, Ramnick sending the ball straight to the rope for 4 runs on the leg side boundary. The overs were well passed on between the two openers, not looking to take many risks acknowledging they had many overs to bat, until Umair Chaudhary, after facing 19 balls, lost his wicket to a catch on the bowling of Steve Bond. With one wicket down the pressure built on Frenford who lost 3 more wickets to Steve Bond. Mohammad Sarfraz made 30 runs including six 4s, until he too lost his wicket. The wickets kept falling and Frenford were bowled out at a miniscule score of 89 after only 36 overs.

To have a chance at winning, Frenford would need to take quick wickets to hold back the score of Chelmsford to keep them at a run rate of about 2 or so an over. Starting the bowling were the Frenford pace bowlers who managed to use the pitch to the best of its ability and not allow for many runs to be made but unfortunately no wicket came for them that day. Frenford bowlers kept bowling at good line and length, but Chelmsford batting held strong keeping the scoring rate high enough to ensure victory until the first wicket of Paul Keaney fell to Ramnick’s bowling with a great catch by Captain Amir Ashraf in the slips. Frenford began to see some signs of hope until Syon Tickoo walked onto the pitch. The Chelmsford left-hander had one intention when he came to bat, and that was to hit. Frenford’s fielders helped his cause by dropping him three times, this gave them opportunity to build up a partnership, until Ed Cole after scoring 24 runs got out on the bowling of Razi, and in the next over Alex Bailey, bowled by Ahmad Hassan soon after Syon after scoring 38 runs was run out by Saad. Frenford fought hard but unfortunately, the score of 89 was too little for Frenford’s bowlers to defend and, soon after Syon Tickoo’s wicket fell, Chelmsford won the game.

Saad Razi