Match Reports 2001
Match Reports
April 21st 2001 - Pirelli Vs Elford 1sts
Elford 1st XI began the 2001 season on a defeat albeit by a single wicket in their opening Burton Division 1 game. It came to no surprise that Elford were asked to bat after losing the toss to the home side. Eric Dodd was the first victim of the season as he missed a ball heading directly for his leg stump! However youngster Stu McNish (6) and Gaz Allen built a solid foundation taking Elford to 70 for 1. The bright start was short-lived though as a middle order collapse took place, reducing Elford to 83 –5. Gaz Allen took the game to Pirelli as he tried to place the ball in every part of the ground, before being caught out 2 short of his half century. Tim Whitehouse did well late on despite giving Pirelli an extra over, he finished on 22 to give Elford a creditable 145 to defend.
Elfords bowling attack started very well as Ben Hughes and Ant Wright kept Pirelli down to 38- 2 off 18 overs. However the introduction of spinner Tom Riley didn't quite produce the desired results as they smashed 56 off a 9 over spell. In Fairness though 23 of those runs came off his last over as Pirelli looked for a way back into the game. With the game delicately posed at 113 –3 with 13 overs remaining, the seem attack of Gaz Allen (3 for 35) and Danny Haines (3 for 12) swung the game back in favour of Elford. The pair took 5 wickets between them in 10 overs for only 20 runs. With 2 wickets left Pirelli needed only 2 runs off the last over. Ben Hughes (2 for 12) duly took a wicket with the first ball followed by 4 dot balls to add the tension. With the final ball of the game the number 11 Pirelli batsman managed to hit the ball for the first time and score the 2 runs required for victory. However if Elford produce the spirit maintained in the end of this match they will surely win more than they will lose.
May 5th 2001 - Elford 1st VS Tutbury 2nds
Elford 1st XI notched up their first Division 1 victory of the season despite only fielding 10 players. With over 23 players from the club unavailable for selection, Elford just about managed to field 2 sides with the Firsts having 10 players and the seconds with only 9. However a determined and never say die attitude led Elford to a 18 run victory over Tutbury 2nds.
After losing the toss Elford found themselves batting first on a good early season track. Despite this Elford found themselves in early difficulties as Eric Dodd swung and missed at a ball heading for his leg stump. At the other end youngster Stu McNish took 33 balls before he finally got off the mark only to be caught out an over later. The in form batting from Gaz Allen was Elfords biggest weapon as he took charge as the rest of the Elford batsman rarely troubled the scorers. Allen finally finished on 60 after being bowled leaving Elford on 106 – 8. Ant Wright and Danny Haines learning from the last match, decided to bat out the overs, pushing the score on 124- 8 at the close of the Innings.
In reply the bowling from Ant Wright and Ben Hughes pegged back the visitors to 0 for 1 after 5 overs. However the thorn in Elford side was still to come as Tutbury's number 3 N Brodie smashed his way to 50 before being caught out in spectacular fashion by wicket keeper Stu McNish. From 71 for 2 Tutbury crumbled to 106 all out, as Gaz Allen produced a devastating spell of 6 for 20 off 12 overs. Hughes also did well finishing with 2 for 28 off 10.
May 5th 2001 - Kings Bromley 1st Vs Elford 2nds
The seconds managed to produce an impressive result away at Kings Bromley despite only fielding 9 players. Batting first the veteran partnership of John Ross (18) and Tim Whitehouse built Elford a solid foundation. Despite a quick middle order collapse Elford were led by Tim Whitehouse who even managed to hit a six by ending up sitting on the pitch! Whitehouse finished on 53 after being supported by youngster Dave Rogers (17) and the not so young Dave Riley (13). Elford finally finished on 132 ao after 40 overs.
In reply both Tony Allen ( 1 for 36 off 12) and Darren Fowler ( 2 for 28 off 10) bowled well keeping the Kings Bromley top order at bay. Tim Whitehouse and even Dave Riley bowled due to the player shortage. To their credit the makeshift bowling attack did very well as only 3 Bromley batsman managed to get into double figures. However the star of the show Bob Aubury who produced a spell of 4 for 28 off 8 overs, after wicket- keeping for the first half of the innings. In the end though it wasn't quite enough as Kings Bromley edged their way to 134 for 8 to claim 8 points leaving Elford with 4 points.
May 12th 2001 - Belvedere Park 2nds Vs Elford 1sts
Elford slipped to a 46 run defeat at the hands of Belvedere Park in the Burton & District League Division 1. On a beautiful hot summer afternoon, Elford soon found themselves feeling the heat as Belvedere unsurprisingly decided to bat. An attacking spell of bowling from Ben Hughes and Ant Wright kept the home sides top order at bay. However the Belvedere Batsman, Barraclough and Davis took the game by control as they reached 150 –2. But a change of ends for Danny Haines also meant a change in fortune as he took 3 wickets, allowing Elford to crawl their way back into the game. Some excellent fielding from Rob Vickers also produced a run out while Ben Hughes finished off a good spell ending on 3 for 34 off 10. Belvedere finished on a respectable 211 for 7 off 45 overs.
Elford started brightly with the older due of Brian Found and Eric Dodd leading the run chase until Found was caught on 16. Gaz Allen scored an uncharacteristically low 2 while Dodd then proceeded to be bowled for 26. Ben Hughes scored a quick 21 while Rob Vickers batted very well to lead Elford middle order. Vickers and Paulson put on 60 between them until Vickers edged a ball behind on 34 while Paulson was ct and bowled on 26. It was left to Danny Haines and Ant Wright to bring back some pride as well as points as the pair chipped away to claim 3 points for Elford. However it was to little to late as Elford were left some 46 runs too short.
May 13th 2001 - Elford Vs Hammerwich 1sts
The Sunday side got their Lichfield Division 2 campaign underway with a home fixture against last season relegation victims Hammerwich. Despite Elford surprise at being asked to bat on a hot humid afternoon, Hammerwich's decision to field was soon justified as Elford crashed to 10 for 4 off only 7 overs. Rob Wright and Rob Vickers brought back some home pride as the pair put on a middle order revival. However Wright (21) and Vickers (10) soon were dismissed as Elford headed for an embarrassingly low total. Danny Haines and Dave Riley again tried to steady the ship but that came to an end with Elford tittering on 85 for 9. Youngsters Tom Riley and Darren Fowler brought back some pride as they batted sensibly before Riley was trapped LBW on with Elford all out on 102.
In reply Ant Wright, Ben Hughes and Danny Haines all bowled with reasonable pace to peg back the Hammerwich top order. The plan was going well as Wright 3 for 5 off 7 and Haines 2 for 26 off 7 had reduced Hammerwich to 55 –5. With the game in the balance the teams were forced off the pitch by a jet black sky followed by a terrific thunderstorm, putting pay to any chance of a result leaving both teams with just 3 points.
May 19th 2001 - Elford 1sts Vs Alrewas 2nds
A lesson in batting was needed as Elford 1st XI crashed to a heavy defeat against local rivals Alrewas in a Burton League Division 1 clash. Elford were unlucky to lose another toss and find themselves on a very slow and damp track, but the lack of composure shown by some batsman was exceptionally poor. Elford slumped from 33-1 to 68 –9 in just over 16 overs, with only Gaz Allen scoring any sizeable individual total as he hit 23. Gaz Hughes played some nice shots towards the end but by then Elford had to far to little runs on the scoreboard. When he was bowled on 12 Elford were left all out with just a poultry 85 to defend. Once again all the bowlers gave everything they had in trying to dislodge the Alrewas batsman, but only Gaz Allen made the breakthrough as he took the only Alrewas wicket.
May 19th 2001 - Abbots Bromley 1sts Vs Elford 2nds
The second team notched up their first win of the season with a close and exciting game with newly promoted Abbots Bromley. Batting first, Elford got off to a bad start as they crashed to 28 for 4 off only 15 overs. However the experienced partnership of John Ross (32) and Bob Aubrey (50) allowed Elford to steer themselves away from trouble. This set up the return of Rob Drabble who scored a quick fire 19 including two six's. Even more impressive was Dave Riley's last shot of the game which was six to leave Elford on 135 – 8. This was even more important when Elford eventually won the game by just 7 runs! Tim Whitehouse and Rob Drabble were the stars with the ball as they both took 3 wickets a piece, supported by Tony Allen and some excellent fielding to produce 2 run outs. In the end Abbots Bromley were left on 128 – 9 just 8 runs off victory.
May 20th - Milford Hall 1sts Vs Elford Sunday XI
The Sunday side also did well for themselves as they travelled to league newcomers Milford Hall in the Lichfield League Division 2. Elford travelled with only 9 players though, two of which were newcomers to the side, leaving Elford a little short of players against the strong title favourites Milford Hall. However Milford were able to supply two of their own junior players to field for Elford, allowing the game to be played in the right spirit with 11 versus 11. Ant Wright and Gaz Allen both bowled well to peg back the Milford openers. However it was the return of James Boden which brought the wickets as he took 5 for 27, in his first spell of bowling in nearly 18 months. In fact Elford fielded well all round as well as the newcomer keeper, Geoff Topham, who marked his debut with a catch behind the stumps. Milford were left a little short of runs in the end as they were bowled out for 176.
Elford started brightly as well, with fellow newcomer Simon Carlin scoring 15 while Gaz Allen continued his fine form, batting sensibly to hold the middle order together. Ben Hughes rounded his weekend off with 2 golden ducks while Elford bean the slump as they slipped to 53 for 4. From there a run off ducks and low scores was only separated by fine batting from Gaz Allen who scored his second half century of the season before being stumped on 60. Ant Wright also batted well hitting 25 at the end. However Elford couldn't match Milford's early run rate as they finished on 156 all out, some 22 runs too short. Elford though will be pleased to take away 4 points in a close game played in a friendly atmosphere.
May 26th 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs Uttoxeter 2nds
The Second XI had the pick of the Squad as the Firsts didn't have a fixture, however Skipper Dave Riley decided to add only minor alterations to last weeks successful side.
Batting First Elford made steady progress with John Ross and Tim Whitehouse, however it wasn't long before the usual collapse insured. Whithouse, Mcnish and Rogers were all quick to depart before matters were made worse with the comical run out of the inform Bob Aubury. Gaz Hughes continued his recent good spell of batting as he a hit a quick fire 15. Skipper Dave Riley held the lower order together before he was bowled on the top score of 23. Rob Drabble fell to a similar fate as he uncharacteristically batted with some dubious text book shots! However Elford were left well short on 122 on what would have seemed a far higher scoring pitch.
The Elford attack once again did the trick with the ball as Rob Drabble, Tony Allen and Darren Fowler all picked up wickets. Once again though Elford just couldn't quite pull the result off, despite some unlucky decisions. Uttoxeter finally scored the winnings runs off the final over. It seems Elford need to learn how to occupy the crease if they are going to turn close defeats into comfortable victories.
May 27th 2001 - West Midlands Police Vets Vs Elford
The Sunday XI lost to the experienced WMP vets in a friendly fixture away at the Tally Ho Sports Centre, Birmingham. With players short at the start of the game, Elford decided to bat first despite the humid and muggy conditions. This seemed justified for the first 10 overs as skipper Danny Haines and Rob Wright started steadily and looked well adjusted to the tight seem attack. However a quick fall of wickets left Elford on 20-2 off 10 overs. James Boden and Tony Allen put on a quick 20 runs before they too found themselves out in just a couple of overs time. The middle order put little resistance up with only newcomer Ian Smith getting into double figures. Elford were quickly skittled for just 70 runs despite the early good signs.
The police never really looked in trouble in chasing the small total although Elford fielded and bowled very well (despite a few, they know who they are!). Boden claimed another wicket for the season as he cunningly picked the openings batsman weakness with a very short half volley, which the batsman produced to miss and was dually stumped. Ian Smith bowled well to pick up his first Elford wicket while Danny Haines picked up a few wickets with the help of some good catches off the Wright Brothers. In the end though Elford hadn't score enough runs and were beaten in this good humoured fixture by 6 wickets.
June 2nd 2001 - Elford 1sts Vs Draycott & Hanbury 2nds (Burton League Division 1)
Elford 1st XI were left to contemplate their 4th defeat of the season as they lost to fellow strugglers Draycott & Hanbury by 11 runs. Elford simply didn't take enough wickets and were let down by some sloppy fielding at times as Draycott batted sensibly amassing 179 – 3. The early signs had been promising as Tom Riley bowled well to pick up 2 for 40 off 12 while Ben Hughes took 1 for 29. But with wickets in hand Draycott used their advantage to score 47 in the final 5 overs.
Elford started badly to compound their problems as the first four were quickly departed for just 29. However Stu McNish, Johnny Pickering and Dave Rogers batted well to bring the game to a closer finish. It was the turn of Ant Wright then to blast a quick fire 40 to almost swing the game back in Elford favour, however with the final wicket falling in the last over Elford were left just 11 runs short. Elford will be pleased though to pick up 4 points and also score 42 runs in the final 5 overs, just short of what Draycott had earlier managed.
June 2nd 2001 - Walton 2nds Vs Elford 2nds (Burton League Division 3)
An early evening downpour put pay to any chance of a victory for the seconds with their match away at Derbyshire outfit Walton. After amassing Elford biggest total of the season with 239 – 6 Elford looked on track for some big points as Walton had only reached 93 – 2 off 27 overs. However once the rain came it put an end to any chance of a result.
Elford had been led by an excellent 68 from opener John Ross which only included 4 fours and an unbeaten 62 from fellow veteran Bob Aubrey (10 fours) . Earlier youngster James Tooze hit a solid 40 while extras were the next highest score with 33. In reply Elford had struck a couple of early wickets with the help of Tony Allen and Ian Smith leaving the game swinging in Elfords favour before the rain came.
June 3rd - Elford Sun XI Vs Alrewas Sun XI (Lichfield League Division 2)
An unbeaten 64 by Gaz Allen guided Elford to their second Lichfield League Division 2 victory of the season. Playing host to local rivals Alrewas, Elford took advantage of the toss and put the visitors into bat on a lively track. And It wasnt long before young seem bowler Ant Wright made the breakthrough as he two wickets in consecutive overs. Alrewas then took the game to Elford as they exploited some lose bowling by notching up 55 – 2 off just 13 overs. However the introduction of Danny Haines (3 –14) and the inform spinner, Tom Riley (4-12), helped destroy the Alrewas innings as the away side were skittled for just 103 off 35 overs.
Despite the modest total, Alrewas looked sharp with their bowling attack and caused some early scares as Elford at one point were reduced to 42 – 4. However Gaz Allen kept his head to hit an unbeaten 64 (10 fours & 1 six) while being supported by youngster Dave Rogers who hit 18 no. Elford no find themselves in the top 3 of Division 2 despite their player shortages
June 9th 2001 - Whittington Vs Elford 1sts (Burton League Division 1)
Another inept batting display condemned Elford to their forth consecutive league Division 1 defeat. Playing away to Whittington the match was unusually staged at Friary Grange CC as Whittington couldn't use their home pitch due to other commitments.
Elford once again proved they are match with any one in the division with the ball as they skittled top of the League Whittington out for just a mere 103. All the bowlers put in good performances backed up by some tidy fielding, but Drabble 3-12, Allen 2-24 and Haines 2- 13 finished with the best figures.
Elford made a steady start despite Tim Whitehouse's early exit, Gaz Allen and Eric Dodd scored 55 between them for the second wicket stand. Then the suicide started as Elford crashed from 71 for 2 to 98 all out. Elford simply didn't cope with the short bowling from Howarth who took 5 wickets for Whittington. Extras were the top scorer for Elford with 30. Elford still took 4 points away with them but really should have taken far more. Elford play host to fellow strugglers Burton seconds next week.
June 9th 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs St Leonard's (Friendly)
With no league commitments the Seconds played host to Birmingham outfit St Leonard's in a Friendly fixture. Like the first this game also produced plenty of wickets for very little runs. Batting first Elford plugged away against some accurate bowling at times and only managed to score 96 off 37 overs. Captain Dave Riley joint top score with Darren Fowler with 16 followed by Tony Allen on 14. Despite the small total Elford ran out victors as they dismissed the visitors for just 92, 4 runs short of Elfords total. Tony Allen 4- 28 and Steve Gould (despite not bowling one delivery on the deck in the first 3 overs), 3-17 were the leading wicket takers. The Seconds now travel to top of table Swadlincote next week.
June 10th 2001 - Elford Sun XI Vs Hopwas Sun XI (Lichfield League Division 2)
Elford lost to last years relegation victims Hopwas in this local derby in the Lichfield League Division 2. Elford fielding yet another side with out many of last years regulars did well against an experienced and useful Hopwas outfit. After electing to field Elford made an early breakthrough with a rare run out from Danny Haines, while Gaz Allen struck with the ball to reduce Hopwas to 30 – 2. However Collet and Fearn for Hopwas easily scored off some lose bowling at times and accelerated the run rate. However once the pair had departed Elford got back into the game as Haines took 2 for 34 and Fowler 2 for 47 (with the help of some very good catch's). Geoff Topham also caught his second catch of the season as he did another very good job behind the stump's. Hopwas though guided their way to 203 for 8 scoring 5 an over almost all the way through the game.
Lacking batsman the Visitors total always looked just out of reach despite some very good batting compared to the day before. The in form Gaz Allen was the top scorer once again as he blasted his way to 64 before finally being caught. Steve Found played well in his first knock in over a year to score 16, while Ian Smith scored 9 in three ball before being bowled. However Elford missed just a few more batsman to guide their way to the 200 mark as they were bowled out 45 runs short on 158. Elford though will be happy just to keep picking up points no matter how many at the moment.
June 17th 2001 - Wall Sun XI Vs Elford Sun XI (Lichfield League Division 2)
Elford slipped to their third Sunday defeat of the season to second placed Wall on a cold and dull Sunday Afternoon. Missing 6 to 7 players once again, Elford relyed on a mixture of Under 15s, a couple of Under 21s and a few senior players to just about fulfil another fixture. However the team once again proved it has no problem in fielding and bowling as they bowled an experienced Wall outfit out for just 178. This was made even more impressive as Wall had been 100- 2 of just 19 overs. Gaz Allen 3 for 30 polished off the tail while younger brother Tony Allen also bowled very well. Malcolm Prince making his debut for the Sunday XI bowled well as he picked up 1 for 23 off 9. The rest of the wickets were spread amongst all the bowlers.
Elford gone off to a bad start as they found themselves 14 for 3 off just 9 overs. To compound this problem the pitch was now even worse and producing some very erratic bounce making it hard to score quickly. Malcolm Prince (41) and Steve Found (13) were the leading batsman on the day as they slowly plodded away to help notch up some points. A quickfire 17 from Darren Fowler hepled bring up a second point and was only 8 runs off a third point. Elford though ran out of overs with the score on 120 – 9, some 58 runs too short.
June 23rd 2001 - All Stars 1sts Vs Elford 1sts (Burton League Division 1)
The first XI found themselves propping up the league table as they fell to their sixth defeat of the season at the hands of high flying All Stars. Elford who now just average 3.85 points a game crashed to the bottom of the league as all the other teams below them won.
Elford were lost the game closely though as the winning margin was only 2 wickets, allowing the team to pick up 4 point bonus points. Elford once again were some 25 runs too short which left All Stars with the advantage as they eased to victory despite throwing away some late wickets. Earlier Gaz Allen had hit a season best of 92 ( 14 fours & 1 six) before running himself out leaving Elford on 150 – 4. Elford then did what they do best and collapsed to 187 all out in the space of just 10 overs. All Stars with an extra 3 overs never really had many problems despite throwing some of their own wickets away. Ben Hughes was the pick of the bowlers with 4 – 40 off 9.
June 23rd 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs Ashby Town (Burton League Division 3)
The second XI lost by just 1 run in a very close game in the Burton League Division 3. Playing host to Leicestershire outfit Ashby Town the seconds chased Ashby's total of 203 to lose on the final ball of the innings. Brian Found (66) and Malcolm Prince (36) had set the game up interestingly with the scores on 93 –1. Youngster James Tooze 35 not out and Dave Rogers (27) then pushed the scores on to set up a frantic last over. Needing 7 off the final over to win Elford lost 3 wickets in 3 balls to virtually put the game past them, however Tooze then struck a four leaving just 3 runs to win off the final ball. Unfortunately for Elford, only a single was score leaving them 1 short of the visitors total. Earlier Malcolm Prince had been the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 37 off 10 while Tony Allen finished on 1 for 27 off 8.
June 24th 2001 - Elford Sun XI Vs St Matthews (Lichfield League Division 2)
The Sunday side enjoyed a hot summer's afternoon with a comfortable 85 run victory over Burntwood outfit St Matthews. Batting first Elford were led by James Paulson who hit 44 which included 9 fours and 1 six in a quick fire innings. However with scores on 99 – 7 the game was hanging in the balance until the steadfast partnership of Danny Haines and Dave Riley pushed the score onto 149, before was Riley was caught behind for a partnership worth 50 runs and what would later become a comfortable margin of victory. Elford in the end were all out for 163.
In reply St Matthews were completely out done by some very quick and accurate bowling from Ant Wright and Gaz Allen. Wright took career best figures of 6 for 39 while Allen was less expensive with 3 for 20 off 9. By the time they had finished their spells, St Matthews were left on 78 for 9, leaving Rob Vickers to pick up his first wicket of the season and St Matthews last. Elford claimed 11 points leaving them at least 4th in the league.
June 30th 2001 - Elford 1sts Vs Wilnecote 1sts (Burton League Division 1)
The First XI notched up their second victory of the season as they hammered local rivals Wilnecote by 8 wickets. Elford matched their tremendous efforts in the field with a some excellent and controlled batting to run out easy victors. Elford had bowled Wilnecote out for just 129 as Ant Wright 3 for 22 off 9 and Rob Drabble 2 for 29 off 11 took the majority of the wickets. But what made the difference was the excellent fielding as Drabble, Wright and Hughes all took difficult low catches at key moments in the game to back the tight bowling up. Hughes, Allen and Haines also bowled well to contain the batsman. However the difference for Elford was the sensible batting which hasn't materialised so many times this season. Openers Simon Carlin (49) and Eric Dodd (38) had almost seen the home side through before both of them fell to Grice in quick succession. It was left to Gaz Allen and Brian Found to pick off the final runs to lead Elford to 11 desperately needed points and take the club back off the bottom of the league.
June 30th 2001 - Hartshorne 2nds Vs Elford 2nds (Burton League Division 3)
The Seconds slipped to another defeat, this time at the hand of an improved Hartshorne side. Batting first Hartshorne had only score 185 – 5, which was comparatively low on their small ground. Tony Allen bowled well to pick up 2 for 15 supported by Tom Riley 1 for 44 off 10. However despite the modest total Elford never really found their feet and were left some 85 runs too short as they were all out for just 100. Opener Tim Whitehouse top scored on 30, while James Tooze hit 17 and Gaz Hughes 14. The rest of the batsman just couldn't get going as the oppositions experienced attack pegged them down. The Seconds now travel to second placed Winshill for next weeks Division 3 match.
July 1st 2001 - Elford Sun XI Vs Walton (Lichfield League Division 2)
The Sunday XI proved to the rest of the league that they are a match to anyone with the ball as they demolished Walton for just 55 runs in 20 overs. A week earlier they had skittled St Matthews for just 78, but this time the win was made even more poignant because Elford had only score 88 in their innings. With nothing to lose Elford placed all their fielders close round the bat and let last weeks heroes Ant Wright and Gaz Allen to let rip with the ball. They duly applied and Elford took wickets in almost every other over as Walton couldn't believe what was happening. The bowlers were also backed up by some excellent fielding and good catches. Wright took 4 – 18 off 9, Gaz Allen 4 – 27 off 9 while Haines finished the tail off for 2 – 0 off 1.3 overs. Earlier Elford had batted irresponsibly on a difficult and low bouncing pitch , although Rob Vickers 20 and Ant Wright batted well. Elford now found themselves dangerously close to the promotion slots in Division 2 of the Lichfield League.
July 7th 2001 - Elford 1sts Vs Pirelli (Burton League Division 1)
Elford can probably thank the weather as they were forced to abandon their league fixture with mid tabled Pirelli. Pirelli had notched up 264- 5 in their innings with Rob Drabble being the pick of the bowlers with 3 – 52 off 12. Unlike the week before Elford simply didn't bowl or field well enough, with no fewer than 4 catches going down at important stages of the innings.
In reply Elford got off to a good start with openers Gaz Allen (32) and Simon Carlin (20) both playing well in increasingly bad light. They were forced off in the end by a huge downpour and several loud claps of thunder. With the game delicately poised at 50 for 1 off 14 overs the teams decided to go back out and try and achieve a result. However it soon became apparent that the pitch was unplayable as the batsman found themselves sinking in the mud at the popping crease. From 50 for Elford slipped to 100 for 4 of 24 overs before another downpour eventually brought the teams off and the game to a premature end, with no points for either side.
July 7th 2001 - Winshill 2nds Vs Elford 2nds (Burton League Division 3)
It was a simular tale of bad weather foe the seconds who were washed out at Burton outfit Winshill. Elford who had batted first scored 168 for 8, with the in form Bob Aubury hitting 64 ( 8 fours, 2 sixs) while supported by youngster Dave Rogers (36). Opener Tim Whitehouse 27 also kept his batting average while Skipper Dave Riley fell to his 3rd consecutive duck. In reply Winshill were 37 for 1 off 10 over before the rain came down, ending any chance of a result with both teams heading straight for the bar.
July 8th 2001 - Elford Sun XI Vs Milford Hall Ists (Lichfield League Division 2)
The Sunday XI's recent good form came crashing to en end as they were comprehensively beaten by a strong Milford Hall side. Batting First on a damp and green pitch Milford rarely looked in trouble against what in recent weeks has been a solid Elford bowling attack. This wasn't helped by some poor midfields and drop catches, although they were some good catches notably from James Paulson. However The Seville Brothers for Milford took full advantage of this and scored almost 140 runs in the final 15 overs to lead the visitors to 249 – 4 off 45 overs.
In reply only Gaz Allen put any resistance up scoring an unbeaten 52 batting at number 4, while James Boden also looked in good form despite not playing in recent weeks. Elford were all out for just 124, being let down once again by some poor batting displays. Elford now travel to mid tabled Alrewas for next weeks league clash.
July 14th 2001 - Woodville 1sts Vs Elford 1sts
Elford crashed to a 6 wkt defeat at the hands of mid-table Woodville as they were unable to defend a season best score of 221. The experienced partnership of Hall and Adams led the home side to a comfortable victory, while Elford were left to contemplate the numerous dropped catches. Elford struggled early on to 45-3, however it was the day of the youngsters as 15 year old Stu McNish hit his highest club score of 62, while 17 year old Rob Vickers hit a career best 82 to lead Elford to 180 - 5. Rob Drabble the blasted 21 from 12 balls in his usual fashion, while Gaz Hughes proceeded to injure our own players as he hit E Dodd on the knee, who was filling in as Umpire. With Elford then down to 10 players as E Dodd could no longer move, the visitors were still confident of protecting their own score.
Danny Haines found himself opening the bowling for a change and ended up bowling some decent line and length after some early varied balls. In the end Haines finished with the best figurers of 1 - 37 0ff 12, while Hughes also bowled well for 1 for 45. Both Drabble and Allen bowled under their usual standards.
July 14th 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs Woodville 2nds
The seconds enjoyed the reverse in fortunes as they beat Woodville 2nds by 5 wickets, to pick up 10 points. Woodville had only managed 157 as Ian Smith ripped through the innings taking 4 - 45 off 12. It was then left to the older statesman of the club to do the job with the bat. Malcolm Prince hit 47 while Tim Whitehouse scored an unbeaten 47. Dave Riley opened and broke his sequence of ducks as he hit 23.
July 21st 2001 - Tutbury 2nds XI Vs Elford 1st XI
Elford suffered another league blow, as once again they were unable to protect a total of over 200 to lose to Tutbury 2nds by 5 wickets. Elford seemed to have put themselves in a good position as they knocked up 215 – 6 on a damp looking wicket. Opener Simon Carlin looked very steady as he accumulated a quick 48 before being bowled. Gaz Allen was the star of the innings, as yet again he steered the Elford run chase, with the help of Bob Drabble to well over 200. Allen was eventually bowled on 72 (9 fours, 2 sixes) while Drabble blasted 29 off 15 balls.
Elford started brightly as Haines picked up a wicket early on with the help of some excellent catching by Rob Vickers. However the early signs were misleading as Tutbury took the game by the scruff of the neck and were well above their required run rate. With only 10 men in the field again, Tutbury were able to pick the holes consistently to keep the pressure on the bowlers. Drabble picked up 1 for 45 off 12 while Hughes took 2 for 54 off 9. Slow bowled Steve Gould took 2 wickets with the help of some great work behind the stumps by Stu McNish and a good close catch by Simon Carlin. In the end though Elford were left well feel dejected as they lost by 10 points to 2 unable to protect a 200plus score for the second week running
July 21st 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs Kings Bromley 1sts
The Seconds had only 9 men for their match against Kings Bromley in a relegation dogfight. Despite posting 169 – 7 Elford couldn't plug the holes in the field allowing Kings Bromley to walk away with a 6 wicket victory. Brian Found was the top score as he was left 3 short of his half century before being bowled. Youngster Dave Rogers hit a useful 32, while shipper Dave Riley built upon his recent good form to score 25. Darren Fowler also did well hitting a season highest 21 not out.
Tony Allen picked up 2 for 36 off 6 and Roger Randall 1 for 29 to help bring a few points Elfords way. Master spin bowler Eric Dodd picked up the forth wicket with some cunning flight, to gain Elford a second desperately needed point.
July 22nd 2001 - Elford Sun XI Vs Wall Sun XI
The Sunday side lost their second home defeat of the season as they crashed to second placed Wall by 103 runs. A poor fielding display did little to help as Wall eased themselves to 237 for 8. Although Rob Vickers did well to catch 2 he also put down 4 other catches! Likewise many other fielders had interesting ratios of catches per drops! Danny Haines 2 for 34 off 9 and Tom Riley 3 for 35 off 7 were the pick of the bowling attack.
Elford started brightly once again with the unlikely due of Danny Haines and Dave Riley opening the batting. However this plan of attack was working until Haines was bowled with a low bouncing ball with the scores on 30 for 1. Elford then shot themselves in the foot and crashed to 66 – 6 unable to bat a low bouncing pitch. Gaz Allen led the fight with 47 before being caught on the boundary while Dave Riley hit a very good 35. Tony Allen also batted sensibly at the end. Elford needing just 4 runs for a solitary point were left even more frustrated when the nameless number 11 batsman decided to give Wall close field catching practise in the final couple of overs. A generally disappointing weekend all round the for the club.
July 28th Elford 1st XI Vs Belvedere Park 2nds
Elford jumped up 2 places in the league to seventh with a comprehensive 85 run win over the Burton outfit Belvedere Park. Elford had elected to bat on a glorious summers afternoon and took full control over the conditions as Eric Dodd and Ben Hughes made the oppositions bowlers sweat in the sun. With Elford racing at 5 an over right from the start, Elford quickly built up a platform for the in form Gaz Allen to build on. After Dodd was bowled on 46, Allen and Rob Vickers went on to score over 100 for the 3rd wicket partnership. Allen eventually hit 103 off 83 balls(14 fours) while Vickers was run out bizarrely at the non strikers end on 74 (61 balls & 10 fours). The remaining batsman all chipped in with runs to lead Elford to 287 all out.
In reply Belvedere went after the Elford bowlers from the first over and were looking in control until the introduction of the veteran bowling due of Rob Drabble and Bob Aubury. This wily attack brought a deluge of wickets as Drabble picked up 4 for 66 off 12 while Aubury took 3 for 61 off 12. With the help of some good fielding and run outs, Elford took Belvedere's last wicket on 202 leaving Elford with 11 valuable points, allowing themselves some breathing space from the bottom of the league. Elford now travel to lowly Alrewas 2nds.
July 29th 2001 - Hopwas Sun XI Vs Elford Sun XI
The Sunday XI have suffered a some what Jekyl and hide season as the second half of the season hasn't yet brought about a victory. Once again they had worked hard against Hopwas in a local derby only to run out with just 2 points. Elford had batted first and piled up 193 ao with the help of Gaz Allen once again. He scored 68 ( 8 fours 2 sixs) while Tim Whitehouse also did well scoring 33. Rob Vickers (18) looked set before dollying a catch to the covers while Steve Found also looked in good form until he took a wild shot and was bowled on 12.
Elford started well, with Hopwas at one stage being 76 for 5 thanks to some very tight bowling from Roger Randall (1 for 15 off 9) and Rob Vickers (2 for 18 off 9). However Elford were just unable to break up the experienced Hopwas due of J Fearn and A Thompson as they put on 123 runs to lead Hopwas to a 5 wicket victory. A disappointing result as Elford in general played very well at times only to pick up 2 points. They was some cheer though as debut fielder Matt Topham (aged just 12) became the star of the show as he caught opener I smith at mid wicket, possibly one to watch in the future?
August 4th 2001 - Alrewas 2nds XI Vs Elford 1st XI
Elfords chances of climbing any higher in division1 were left floating away as a deluge of water landed on the wicket and square. With Alrewas on 23 - off 6 overs the game was still in its very early stages when a thunderstorm came across putting any chance of play between this local derby out of question.
August 4th 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs Abbots Bromley 1sts
The Seconds despite playing must have wished they hadn't as they crashed to a 100 run defeat against fellow strugglers Abbots Bromley. In a 25 over smash Abbots Bromley made the most of some lose and sloppy bowling to pile on 195- 3 with only the pace of James Tooze (2 – 35 off 7) causing any problems to the Abbots Bromley batsman. In reply openers John Ross (26) and Brian Found (22) made a solid start but was not built upon as only Tooze (26) put up any major resistance after they had departed. With the innings faltering, Elford went after every run they could, but instead fell to no less than 4 run outs. Elford were left on 95 – 9 off 25 overs, just 1 run short of a point. Elford now have a real fight on the remaining quarter of the season to stay in Division 3.
August 5th 2001 - St Matthews Vs Elford Sun XI
The Sunday XI finally rid themselves of a disastrous second half to the season as they picked up their first win in 5 games, with a comfortable 54 run win over lowly St Matthews. Batting first on a very wet but bouncy pitch, Elford struggled to keep the tight St Matthews attack at bay. Steve Found and Danny Haines had almost seen off the opening bowlers before both fell in quick succession with the scores on 38 – off 16. However with wickets in hand the in form due of Gaz Allen and Rob Vickers, were able to punish the lose bowling after the openers were off. The pair batted very well together to 143 – 5, 2 short of a 100 partnership. Allen scored 57 while Vickers went on to score an unbeaten 69. Eric Dodd also scored a good 18 to help Elford reach 202 – 7 off 45.
Elford made a good start with the Allen brothers with the pair bowled well in tandem. Tony Finished on 2 – 21 off 9 while older brother Gaz finished on 1 for 22 off 9. Tom Riley picked up 2 wickets despite bowling somewhat in differently at times. He was however helped by a superb one handed catch on the boundary by James Paulson to dismiss the St Matts Captain. Haines and Vickers also picked up wickets while Tom Riley produces some excellent work in the field to produce a very good run out. In the end St Matthews finished on 148 – 8 leaving Elford with 10 points.
August 11th 2001 - Uttoxeter 2nds Vs Elford 2nds
The Seconds performed admirably despite losing on the last ball of the game in a very exciting game at the Races, Uttoxeter. Despite losing though, Elford 2nd XI find themselves 1 place higher in Division3, and more importantly out of the relegation zone as Ashby crashed to a heavy defeat. Elford picked up 4 valuable points although in the end 6 points and tie would have probably been a fairer result. Uttoxeter needed 8 runs off the final over while Elford needed the final Uttoxeter wicket, however luck wasn't with Elford as Uttoxeter scrabbled home with a bye off the last ball to win the game by 1 wicket.
In a low scoring game Elford had posted 118 (James Paulson 33, Bob Aubury 15) as they found it hard work early with the new ball moving around. Elford though never looked out of the game as the slow bowlers turned the screw and tied the Uttoxeter innings to an almost standstill at times. With the game hanging in the balance for either side Elford seemed to have the advantage as a quick flurry of wickets came Elfords way. However a miscalculation by the stand in skipper meant that strike bowlers, Tom Riley 4 – 16 and Tim Whitehouse 2 – 32, had bowled all their over leaving just 1 over remaining for a fresh bowler to come on. However it proved a costly miscalculation as Uttoxeter scored the winning runs off the final 6 balls. Brian Found 2 – 12 off 12 also bowled very well while stand in keeper Gaz Allen looked impressive as he took a stumping on his keeping debut. Elford now play host to bottom placed Walton in a division3 relegation dogfight.
August 18th 2001 - Draycott & Hanbury 2nds Vs Elford 1sts (Burton League Division1)
Elford moved yet closer to a top six spot with a 54 run win over relegation threatened Draycott. Elford were spurred on with a great all round team performance as all the players contributed to 10 more league points. Elford were led by Simon Carlin (57) who guided the top order despite being involved in running 2 players out! Supported by Rob Vickers the pair put on 83 for the 4th wicket and put Elford in a commanding position, with wickets in hand. Vickers went on to score 68 while fellow youngster Stu McNish notched up his half century (off only 30 balls) on the last ball of the innings.
In reply a reluctant Draycott came out on a damp pitch after considerable rain at Tea. The biggest problem though was the time elapsed as Elford had just over 2 hours to get 45 overs in before the official league finishing time for games. With all the bowlers coming off very short run ups and players racing around between overs Elford managed to just get the overs in as they bowled out Draycott in the 44th over. Newcomer Simon Smith was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up 5 for 35 off 10. Draycott were all out for 183 leaving Elford with 10 very well earned team points.
August 18th 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs Walton 2nds (Burton League Division3)
The seconds picked up 11 crucial points as they lifted themselves a little further away from the Division 3 relegation zone. Bottom placed Walton travelled with only 9 players and must have severely wished they had their full quota, as Elford veteran batsman, Brian Found went on to score 129 (including 15 fours), before being bowled in the final over. He was supported by fellow opener John Ross (68), as the pair put on 181 for the first wicket. Elford went on to score 237 for 5 off their 45 overs. In reply Malcolm Prince was the chief bowler as he picked up 4 for 26 off 7. Found, Allen and Fowler also picked up wickets a piece. In the end Elford ran out victors by 92 runs leaving them with some valuable points as they now have a free week.
September 1st 2001 - Burton 2nds Vs Elford 1sts (Burton League Division1)
Elford continued with their assault on a top 5 spot, with a crushing 9 wicket win over Burton 2nds. Despite only having only 10 players, a spirited team performance led Elford to their first 12 point victory in almost 3 years. Elford had started brightly as Haines and Hughes both bowled tightly picking up wickets a piece. Simon Smith continued his fine start with the club taking 1 for 28 off 12. Rob Drabble finished with another 3 wicket haul despite being a little expensive. Simon Carlin got his first bowl for the club as he rounded off the Burton tail taking 2 for 20. Burton eventually finished on 178 – 8 off 45 overs.
However despite the very good performance in the field the best was still to come, as Opener Simon Carlin went on to make his highest score for the club with an unbeaten 80 ( 9 fours, 1 six off 98 balls). He was supported well by Eric Dodd 18 and another fine performance by Gaz Allen who scored 54 not out ( 8 fours and 69 balls). Elford are now joint on points with sixth place Wilnecote.
September 1st 2001 - Elford 2nds Vs Swadlincote (Burton League Division3)
The Seconds suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of run away division 3 leaders Swadlincote. Batting first Elford were bowled out for 130 off 43 overs. Skipper Dave Riley made his highest score of the season with a gritty 46 before being bowled 4 short of buying a jug! Youngster Dave Rogers showed his potential once again with a very useful 35. However Elford didn't post enough runs as Swad easily reached the target with only 2 wickets down. T Allen and T Riley took a wicket a piece. Elford now travel to 11th placed Ashby in a match which could see the losers fall into division 4 next season.
