Scorecard

Eight Ash Green Cricket Club Two Counties 2nd XI (Saturday) v West Mersea II on Sat 10 May 2025 at 1pm
Eight Ash Green Cricket Club Won by 6 wickets

Match report It felt like the middle of summer as the 2s began their season at home to West Mersea, not a cloud in the sky but the air was full of anticipation.

West Mersea won the toss and elected to bat on flat looking deck. Purser (0-21) and Agrawal (2-25) opened the bowling and tied the visitors down with some tight bowling, Agrawal picking up 2 well deserved wickets, one being an outstanding catch under a high ball from Patel.

Towards the 12 over mark some agressive batting from Mersea encouraged Murray to turn to his slow bowling options. The Mersea charge continued dispite the change of bowling until Wair (2-45) got the breakthrough. Dispite this by drinks Mersea were in a promising position at 94-3.

However, as the slow bowling continued the momentum of the game spun in our favour. Wair supported by Coppin (3-34) and Murray (0-9) applied pressure and gained control for the next 10 overs, leaving Mersea 128-3 after 30.

At the 30 over mark the pressure told and the Mersea batting line up snapped. As Mersea were forced into taking on agressive risky shots, Coppin continued bowling well and picked up 3 quick well desreved wickets including a fast reaction grab from Collins for his second catch of the day. After Wair finished his spell Patel (1-8) continued the good bowling and picked up a neat caught and bowled as EAG took momentum into the break.

All this meant Mersea finished their batting innings on 160-8, an intimidating but not impossible target.

Shout out to C.Simpson who in his first ever cricket match fielded very diligently after being called up last minute.

With 160 on the board; a historical weakness in opening weekend batting; and two of the regular 2s batsman over in Mildenhall playing for the 1s, there was tension on this chase as Purser (64*) and Polley walked out to the middle.

Our innings started slowly as Mersea opening bowlers had good control of their lines and length, and as he tried to accelerated this did for Polley (6) in the 5th over.

Patel (27) joined Purser for a fast 51 run partnership before being caught to an early entry for catch of the season from the Mersea long on. 

Collins (8) joined Purser for a second meaningful partnership that took us past drinks and past 100. At the point where Collins departed to a sharp catch behind EAG were in control.

S.Simpson (2) joined Purser on his EAG 2s debut as they moved the score onto 113 before being trapped LBW.

Finally, Wair (13*) joined Purser for the final partnership also worth 50. As Purser put his foot on the accelrator with some big shots he took himself past a well deserved 50 and saw us home.

In the 32nd over we reached 161 only 4 down and a good win agaisnt a strong Mersea side was achieved.

An unfamiliar but pleasing opening result meant the post game drinks tatsed extra sweet as many sampled the new bar offerings. Next up Coggeshall 3s who will look to provide another strong challenge for the green.

PoTM: The bowling was a strong performance and Wair or Coppin had a shout but at the end of the day there wasnt too much competition for player of the match.

If there was tension at the start of our batting innings someone should have told Purser because he batted the whole innings in a controlled sensible mannor with the knowledge that if he was there at the end we would likely win. He took responsibility and deliver just that.

So player of the match is Purser for his 64*.

West Mersea II Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
6nb 8w 13b 2lb 
for 8 wickets
29
160 (40.0 overs)		     
Chris Day ct  N Patel b N Patel 62
Louis Elson ct  J Wair b D Agrawal 8
Matthew Taylor-Smith ct  N Patel b D Agrawal 0
Rajaram Nagarajan b  J Wair 36 2
William Law ct  S Collins b J Wair 9
Devon Corless b  L Coppin 2
Jonathan Snelling ct  S Collins b L Coppin 12
Shannon Turner b  L Coppin 0
Evan Chamberlain Not Out  2
Brandon Turner Not Out  0
Tony Butler  

Eight Ash Green Cricket Club Two Counties 2nd XI (Saturday) Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jonathan Purser6.012100.003.50
Dev Agrawal7.0025212.503.57
Jens Wair11.0145222.504.09
Luke Coppin10.0034311.333.40
Matt Murray3.00900.003.00
Nitya Patel3.00818.002.67

Eight Ash Green Cricket Club Two Counties 2nd XI (Saturday) Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
3nb 27w 11b 2lb 
for 4 wickets
43
161		        
Richard Polley ct  C Day b B Turner 6
Jonathan Purser Not Out  64
Nitya Patel ct  M Taylor-Smith b W Law 27 2
Sam Collins ct  T Butler b W Law 7 2
Stuart Simpson lbw  E Chamberlain 2
Jens Wair Not Out  13 1
Conrad Simpson  
Tim Chambers  
Matt Murray  
Luke Coppin  
Dev Agrawal  

West Mersea II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Louis Elson8.032300.002.88
Brandon Turner4.0019119.004.75
Devon Corless4.002700.006.75
William Law8.5046223.005.21
Rajaram Nagarajan1.001500.0015.00
Evan Chamberlain6.0123123.003.83