OECC Barnet U15A v Potters Bar U15

The batsmen from both sides struggled to score runs in this closely-fought tussle. Captain George won the toss and elected to bowl. Opening bowlers Ewan and Ben vindicated that decision with some superb bowling in the first four overs, with Ewan taking the first wicket in the first over and Ben producing a triple-wicket maiden in the fourth. They had Potters Bar stranded on 12-4 after four. Unfortunately the next two overs saw OEs conceding this early initiative. A total of 21 runs came in those two overs, including nine wides and 2 byes.

Time for a change of bowlers at both ends. New bowlers Sami and Qasim re-established the early discipline, giving away just fifteen runs in the next four overs, with Sami taking another wicket. But the pattern was repeated, and the eleventh over went for eight runs, including two wides and five no balls. Another change of bowlers at both ends did the trick once again and over the next six overs George and Eddie bowled tidily, giving away just twenty runs. They both had a hand in removing danger man Teddy, with George taking an excellent catch off Eddie's bowling.

Charlie, from our U13 squad, bowled a couple of overs at the end and produced the most economical figures of the innings, conceding just four runs and taking a wicket with the last ball of the innings. Potters Bar finished on 81, of which 48 were scored by Teddy and 21 were gifted to them in extras.

The main challenge for OEs in their innings was to avoid falling victim to complacency. Things didn't start well and it seemed that they would fail this challenge. The Potters Bar bowlers were accurate and their fielding was tight. Wickets fell steadily and by the end of the thirteenth over OEs had crawled their way to just 35 runs with the loss of five wickets. Our other U13, Luke, made a commendable eight, mostly in twos with some powerful strokes against the fierce bowling.

The partnership between George and Sami, which came together in the tenth over, eventually came to life in the fourteenth, and by the seventeenth they had powered the total to 78, just four short of the target. The seventeenth was excruciating, producing just one wide. The nineteenth looked like it was going the same way with two dots and a wide, before George managed a clean hit for two runs to reach the target. Sami finished on 30* and George on 19*.

All the boys recognised that they were too generous with extras during the Potters Bar innings and too circumspect while batting. There is a lot for them to mull over in terms of their personal performances and areas for improvement. There were nevertheless some fine individual performance, and of course the winning points are most welcome.