Scorecard

Halstead Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI v Chelmsford CC Sat 1st XI on Sun 11 Apr 2021 at 12:00
Halstead Cricket Club Lost by 5 wickets

Match report Halstead returned to action in their annual pre-season friendly with Shepherd Neame side Chelmsford at Star Stile on Sunday. The 2021 curtain-raiser ended in a 5-wicket victory for the visiting side but provided valuable match practice to both teams.

Skipper Ed Clark won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch that would have looked at home in the height of summer, let alone a cold April Sunday. Chris Rayner (9) and Harry Pritchard (9) resumed their opening partnership, but both fell cheaply early on. Rayner miscued an Andy Styan (1-31) delivery to Jack Cook at cover before Pritchard chased a wide one off Liam Keaney (3-48) and edged behind to keeper Brad Green.

Halstead rebuilt from 27-2, with Matt Cooper (22) and Josh Wells (96) taking the hosts past the 50 mark in the ninth over. Wells - in his first innings since 2019 - looked fluent, whilst Cooper steadily accumulated, though the introduction of Oliver Devenish (1-23) accounted for the latter with the score at 66.

Charles Mallett (1) and Ed Clark (1) fell in quick succession to Chelmsford's slow left-armer Ben Waring (2-21) to leave Halstead at 85-5, though Wells found a willing partner in Joe Morris (53) and the pair added 95 for the sixth wicket. Wells reached his 50 off 51 deliveries, with Morris following him soon after in 44 balls.

The pair tried to accelerate the scoring after reaching their half-centuries, though Morris picked out Dan Hagen at long-on to give Keaney his second wicket, with Liam Jones (19*) joining Wells at the crease. The former skipper raced toward what looked like the first century of the season, but fell just four runs short, caught by Ben Clifford off Keaney. Luke Robinson (4*) and Jones steered Halstead to 226-7 from their 40 overs.

As is customary in this fixture, a snow shower hit during the interval but caused no delay to the game.

Jack Sterland (27) and Dan Hagen (42) put on 64 for the opening stand for Chelmsford, seeing off Halstead's openers Ed Clark and Joe Morris. The introduction of Lewis Brennan (1-15) changed fortunes when he trapped Sterland LBW then had a huge shout for LBW against Nick Prowting turned down the over after. Hagen was the next to go, hitting a short Luke Robinson (2-32) delivery high into the sky, where Joe Morris took a good catch running round at mid-off.

James Clifford (100) joined Prowting and the pair took the game away from Halstead, ticking the score over comfortably, with Clifford reaching his 50 in 43 balls before taking just a further 15 deliveries to convert it to a century, Callum Hansey (1-44) and Liam Jones taking the brunt of the attack.

Clifford retired not out after reaching the landmark, with Hansey getting in on the action shortly after, Prowting hitting straight to Charles Mallet at mid-on. Luke Robinson returned to the attack and claimed a second scalp when Ben Clifford (14) edged behind to Wells, but Chelmsford soon reached their victory target.

Halstead Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
2w 5b 5lb 
for 7 wickets
12
226		        
Chris Rayner ct J Cook b A Styan 9 12 1 75.00
Harry Pritchard ct B Green b L Keaney 9 21 1 42.86
Matt Cooper b O Devenish 22 29 3 75.86
Josh Wells ct B Clifford b L Keaney 96 77 11 3 124.68 1
Charles Mallett ct J Clifford b B Waring 1 19 5.26 1
Ed Clark b B Waring 1 6 16.67
Joe Morris ct D Hagen b L Keaney 53 48 9 110.42 1
Liam Jones Not Out  19 23 2 82.61
Luke Robinson Not Out  4 6 66.67
Lewis Brennan   1
Callum Hansey  

Chelmsford CC Sat 1st XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Liam Keaney8.0048316.006.00
Andy Styan8.0131131.003.87
Ben Clifford3.011300.004.33
Oliver Devenish4.0123123.005.75
Ben Waring8.0321210.502.63
Jack Cook6.005100.008.50
James Clifford3.002900.009.67

Chelmsford CC Sat 1st XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
7w  
for 5 wickets
7
236 (38.3 overs)		     
Jack Sterland lbw L Brennan 27 36 6 75.00
Dan Hagen ct J Morris b L Robinson 42 40 7 2 105.00
Nick Prowting ct C Mallett b C Hansey 25 39 4 64.10
James Clifford Retired Not Out  100 58 6 10 172.41
Ben Clifford ct J Wells b L Robinson 14 24 2 58.33
Jack Cook run out  (L Brennan / C Hansey) 11 23 47.83
Brad Green Not Out  10 11 2 90.91
Andy Styan  
Ben Waring  
Liam Keaney  
Oliver Devenish  

Halstead Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Joe Morris6.003900.006.50
Ed Clark5.012100.004.20
Lewis Brennan5.0015115.003.00
Luke Robinson8.0132216.004.00
Liam Jones3.005400.0018.00
Callum Hansey5.3044144.008.00
Chris Rayner6.003100.005.17