Tour to Ipswich 5th – 8th August 2018.
Report by: Andrew Gordon – Beds U11 Lead Coach
Early August saw the U11 Beds county team arrive at the Hospital School Ipswich for their annual tour. It proved to be one of the most successful yet delivering invaluable cricket experience and lifelong memories for all involved.
A very tough schedule of 5 matches staged over 4 days truly challenged the team.
Day 1 game 1 - 45 over match vs. Cumbria
Beds batted first on a tricky sloping wicket. Struggling slightly at 82/5 a few solid partnerships from the all-rounder packed team got them back on track. The team finished up on a very respectable 193/7 with T. Amos racking up his maiden half century.
Cumbria got off to a good start and were cruising at 110/2 before a great spell of spin by W. Haywood helped skittle them out for 141. A Fantastic start to the tour.
Beds 193/7 – T. Amos 56
Cumbria 141 All out – W. Haywood 5-38
Bed won by 52 runs
Day 2 game 2 - 45 over match vs. Northumberland
Day 2 was a tough challenge against a strong Northumberland team on the tour show pitch. Beds piled on the runs on a good batting wicket - R. Mehmi hitting 53, C. Hudson 49 and an exciting strong hitting cameo from A. Holmes of 41. The team racked up an impressive 250/5 – a new high score milestone.
Beds gradually chipped away at the oppositions wickets before a stubborn middle order stand started to threaten the sizable target. A fantastic effort in the field dragged the team back on track. This included another good spell of spin from W. Haywood. Northumberland shut up shop for the draw just managing to hold on with 9 down. (That wicket was the first time the team hadn’t bowled the opposition out all season!)
Beds 250/5 – R. Mehmi 53, C. Hudson 49, A. Holmes 41.
Northumberland 191/9 all out – W. Haywood 3-14
Beds winning draw
Day 3 games 3/4 - T20 day
Day 3 was T20 day. A few changes to the batting order gave opportunities for more of the all-rounders to shine.
Game 3 - T20 vs Cleveland
Opening for the very first time A. Buddineni hit a career best 41 before R. Mehmi chipped in with strong 30. Other valuable late contributions helped lift the score up to a competitive 128/5. Batting, Cleveland were never in the game BEDS miserly bowling restricting them to just 30/3 off the full 20 overs.
Game 4 - T20 vs Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire we next up on a less than perfect Astro strip. Beds racked up a very healthy and seemingly unbeatable 150/5. C. Hudson smashing 63 and O. Jewers chipping in with a quick 33. The Oxfordshire openers clearly had other ideas getting off to a flier against some unusually wayward bowling. At the halfway drinks break Oxford were cruising need only 50 odd off the last 10. Refocused the Beds lads showed true character. Some fantastic fielding resulted in three quick runouts instilling panic in the opposition. T. Amos and S. Mullaney brilliantly closed out the remaining 5 overs remarkably restricting Oxford to 146/3. The team again showed resilience under pressure and beyond their year’s knowledge how to close out games.
Beds 150/5 – C. Hudson 63, O. Jewers 33.
Oxfordshire 146/3
Bed won by 4 runs
Day 4 Game 5 – 35 over match vs. Lincolnshire
The last day paired the team up with another strong side in Lincolnshire. Lincoln’s tight mainly left arm attack had the Beds top order struggling. Once more the depth in batting helped the team recover to a solid 162/7 - a stylish cameo of 38 from O. Jewers the outstanding innings. Lincolnshire set off at a steady rate batting, keeping up with the run rate. The top order were eventually removed by some tight seam bowling and good fielding pressure before spin took care of the middle order - W. Haywood again in the wickets. Once more in a tight finish the Beds team showed their finishing skills taking the remaining few wickets in exciting finish.
Beds 162/7 – O. Jewers 38
Lincolnshire 151 all out – W. Haywood 3-31
Bed won by 11 runs
The team finished the tour unbeaten managing 4 wins and a winning draw - a truly fantastic achievement of which they should be very proud. Many players achieved personal milestones during the tour, perhaps more pleasing though, everyone contributed over the four days. Big thank you to the supporting parents and to Beds Cricket for making it happen.
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