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Friendly Defeat

CCC were beaten comfortably by Ovingham at a wind-blown and at times drizzly Cochrane Park yesterday.

The home side won the toss and chose to bat, but tight dibbly-dobly bowling on a slow slow slow wicket saw attacking shots difficult to engineer. Only Greg with 33 not out from nearly 30 overs, Alan with a pretty fluent 26, and Skinks with 17, got anywhere near double figures in a line up that produced 6 ducks. CCC were all out for 90 after 33.3 overs.

The target was never enough to trouble the visitors, though Gerry got a wicket first ball, and Guy, Cliff, David and Matty all bowled tidily enough. Guy's spell was particularly good in the conditions. Ovingham won with about 8 overs left with 4 wickets down.

Team: Peter, Guy, Simon E, David, Greg, Alan, Gurj, Stuart, Matty, Gerry, Cliff

Cap 'N Duck

The cap was tied between Greg and Alan for their excellent batting in difficult conditions

The duck despite a few nominations (including Mudassar!) went pretty much unanimously to Gurj, on his debut, for taking longer to take a guard than his one ball innings lasted!

Ratcatchers Cap 'N Duck

Cap: plenty of suggestions. Abra and Mudassar both in the running, but weren't present so couldn't be awarded the cap. It went to Simon Woodman for his responsible innings carrying his bat.

Duck: no real duck material. Mudassar honourably mentioned for tradition's sake. It went to Greg for a couple of wicket keeping blemishes and a daft dismissal

RETURN TO WINNING WAYS

There was a return to the imperious form of the early season at Heaton last night as CCC ran out comfortable winners against Ratcatchers.

The tone was set in the first over when a superb pick up and throw by Mudassar ran out Sewell. Guy dismissed the number 3 and number 1 in the next over to sharp catches by Simons E and W respectively, before Abra Ahmed got in on the act. The former ORPs weekend player bolwed 4 overs taking 3 for 7, all of them clean bowled. Could he be the quick bowler CCC has looked for for several seasons now? At 25-6 the visitors looked down and out, but they rallied thanks to Eddie Scott's 24. Tim and Matty picked up a wicket apiece, and then the other debutant Danny Clark took the final two wickets in 5 balls to dismiss the 'Catchers for 71.

Though Greg and Danny both chipped catches early on in the reply the result was never seriously in doubt as Simon W (23 not out) and Mudassar (20 not out) saw CCC home.

CCC 10 Ratcatchers 1

Team: Simon W, Greg, Danny, Simon E, Mudassar, Peter, Abra, Guy, Matty, Tim, Cliff

Halfway Point Review

Following a blistering start to the season, with three straight wins, CCC have let things slip in recent weeks. A narrow defeat against a decent Kingstonian side was followed with a fortuitous run-rate win in a rain-affected match against Monkseaton. There then followed two abject performances at the coast against Whitley Bay and Monkseaton.

Tonight sees the return game against Ratcatchers. CCC won the first game, at Corbridge, with Cliff taking 5 and Nick and Chris in prime batting form. With several of the more experienced players absent tonight CCC know they are in for a tough game against an aggressive batting team, but a return to winning ways - or at the very least a decent performance - is imperative. The pack has closed down our lead at the top of the table, and in Blue Flames' case has leapfroged us.

On Sunday CCC face Ovingham in a friendly, and this will provide an opportunity for several players to get valuable time in the middle. All will have a part to play during the remaining games, and it is essential they know what a bat and ball feel like.

There is also the strong possibility that two new faces will be aded to the squad before next week's game against Mitford Boars.

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CCC Hounded to Defeat

CCC put in a disappointing performance at Whitley Bay on Wednesday, losing by 37 runs.

CCC have never managed to win at the Dog Shit Stadium, and this was no exception. With a 20 yard boundary which the home side exploited to the full, the visitors were chasing the game from the first ball, a no ball that went for four. Bay were 100-0 off 7 overs, before CCC pulled it back with an outstanding second spell from Guy, and Matty tying them down at the other end. Some good catches and a Greg stumping saw Bay add only 30 runs in 5 overs, before the last two overs disappeared for a further 39 runs.

The target of 170 was always going to be a tough ask, though not impossible. Nick and Chris set off like a train, however Chris became becalmed and then got out, and wickets tumbled as several batsmen took suicidal decisions looking to force the scoring. In the end despite some lusty blows from Mudassar and a finely crafted 60 from Nick CCC ended up well short.

Whitley Bay 9 CCC 3

Team: Nick, Chris, Simon E, Greg, Mudassar, Peter, Guy, Andy, Alan, Matty, Cliff