Church fall just short of a seasons Hat-Trick Against the Noisy Neighbours in pulsating winning draw

This match marked the third encounter between local rivals Church Eaton and Eccleshall this season. Earlier in the league campaign, Church Eaton had emerged as comfortable winners at Eccy but had a much tougher later encounter before knocking Eccleshall out of the cup quarter-final in a tense home fixture.

It was a bright and intensely hot afternoon at the playing fields, with the sun beating down relentlessly under a cloudless sky. A near absence of wind meant there was little relief for the fielders, whose energy was gradually sapped by the heat. The pitch presented itself as a typical batter’s paradise — true and consistent underfoot — although occasional spells of swing bowling and sharp turn from spinners kept batsmen cautious at times.

After winning the toss, Church Eaton’s captain Elliot Robinson opted to bat first, confident in his team’s batting depth and intent on setting a challenging total to defend over the allotted 40 overs. With conditions favouring the batsmen but the heat threatening to drain stamina, the stage was set for a competitive and testing contest.

Church Eaton Innings

The innings began positively for Church Eaton, as their opening pair of Matty ‘Comms’ Russell and Jordan Talbot settled in with assured confidence at the crease from the start. Russell was particularly aggressive from the outset that immediately put the fielding side on the back foot. Albeit with some wild swings at times, when he did connect he was rewarded as can be seen in his four boundaries, contributing to a solid score of 23 runs off 25 balls, bellying his attacking mindset.

In contrast, Dr Talbot, in his customary weird crablike stance, took a more cautious approach in the early stages, focusing on watchful defence and careful shot selection, being especially fond of deft flicks though backward square . However, once set, he began to capitalise on anything overpitched, dispatching those deliveries with authority. Together, the two batsmen built a commanding opening partnership of 67 runs, laying a solid foundation for the innings.

The breakthrough came in the second ball of the ninth when Matty, looking well set, attempted a biff that lacked enough oomph was duly caught at mid-wicket by William Adams off the left arm spin of Jonathan ‘Cobra’ Bramall. This dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, as two wickets fell in quick succession during the same passage of play. Harvey Sidwell, intent on pushing the innings forward with an immediate four, was quickly trapped lbw top of leg stump by Bramall for a modest 4 runs. Shortly after, Jordan – who had been the steady hand at the crease, compiling 28 runs from 39 balls and striking four boundaries – attempted a silly swipe that gently floated up and was caught at extra cover leaving Church Eaton precariously placed at 73 for 3.

The pressure only intensified when Arran ‘Ronnie’ Peasley, who has had phenomenal season so far, was uncharacteristically dismissed after scoring just 1 run from 8 balls. Hewett claimed his second wicket by inducing a sharp catch from Sean Cockerton. Following this, Elliot ‘Skippy’ Robinson’s brief but promising cameo of 13 runs from 18 balls, which included two crisp boundaries, was ended in familiar fashion. He was caught by Adams off Hewett’s bowling, marking Hewett’s third dismissal of the innings. Hewett continued to wreak further havoc by bowling Laurence Sidwell for 8 runs off 25 deliveries, compounding Church Eaton’s troubles and leaving them reeling at 98 for 6.

At this stage, the innings appeared on the brink of collapse, and Eccleshall became understandably chipper at the prospect of the first season win. However, a crucial partnership emerged between Oliver ‘Radio’ Russell and Archie Wilkes. The pair demonstrated resilience and discipline in a gritty seventh-wicket stand worth 51 runs. Russell’s contribution was marked more by his tenacity and time spent at the crease rather than brisk scoring, as he faced 47 balls for his 14 runs, patiently supporting Archibald. This approach allowed the youngster to take a more expansive role, continuing his growing maturity with the bat this season hitting three boundaries as he accumulated 32 runs off 60 balls. Their partnership steadied the ship and added much-needed stability to the innings.
The next breakthrough came in the 36th over when Russell was bowled by Noah ‘John’ Furnell-King, ending his steadfast innings. Wilkes soon followed, attempting to accelerate but holed out to Steve Hewett off Alfie Johnson, bringing an end to the partnership and further denting the hosts’ hopes.

In the closing stages of the innings, a useful late partnership developed between James Peasley and Rab Cooper, who was marking his milestone 100th appearance for Church Eaton. James scored 8 runs off 12 balls, while Rab contributed a brisk 8 runs from just 7 deliveries, including a well-struck boundary. James brought a smile to everyone’s faces with a cheeky attempted ramp shot, showcasing his growing confidence after a stellar season so far as wicketkeeper, bowler, and batsman. Meanwhile, Rab was unusually quick between the wickets, both batsmen eager to squeeze every possible run as the fielders and bowlers wilted under the blazing sun.

Though the partnership wasn’t essential, it proved valuable, and by taking full advantage of tiring opponents, helped add crucial runs in the final moments to give the church bowlers more to work with. The stand, and innings, was brought to an end with the last ball of the 40th, when James was stumped by Steve Hewett off Furnell-King’s bowling for the ninth wicket. Rab remained unbeaten for his fourth not out this year.

Church Eaton CC – 169/9 (40 overs)
Extras: 30 (b 18, lb 1, w 7, nb 4)

Eccleshall Innings

The innings began with a slow but steady foundation laid by openers Steve ‘John’ Hewett and Noah ‘John’ Furnell-King, who worked patiently together to frustrate the Church Eaton bowlers on a bright, hot afternoon. Hewett adopted a classic defensive approach, grinding out 18 runs from 72 balls with resolute defence and measured shot selection, occupying the crease for a long period and providing much-needed stability in the early overs. Meanwhile, Furnell-King complemented Hewett’s caution with a blend of controlled aggression and smart strike rotation, compiling 38 runs from 72 balls at a strike rate of 52.78, including five well-timed boundaries. Together, they built a steady, if unspectacular, partnership that wore down the Church Eaton attack and kept the scoreboard ticking.

The first wicket finally fell at 66 when Furnell-King was dismissed, leaving Hewett unbeaten on 11. Hewett’s patient vigil came to an end shortly after, in the 21st over, when he lofted a delivery from Harvey Sidwell to Ollie Russell at deep mid-off, bringing the score to 66 for 1.

The next wicket was Hewett himself, who tried an aggressive swipe at the tricky bowling of Jordan Talbot but was caught by Elliot for a final score of 18 off 72 (74 for 2, 24.3 overs). The middle order struggled to regain momentum as wickets started to fall more frequently, especially once the ‘baby-faced assassin’ James ‘Jimmy Lad’ Peasley entered the attack.

Peasley’s first breakthrough came when Sean Cockerton edged a huge nick that soared high before being safely caught by wicketkeeper Rab ‘Rabbit’ Cooper. Cockerton’s brief innings ended at 3 runs from 11 balls, with the score on 80. Shortly after, William Adams was dismissed for 8 runs from 22 deliveries, clean bowled through the leg stump by Peasley at 95 for 4 (29.5 overs), further denting the innings.

Peasley’s final victim was Isla Barrett, whom he deceived with extra pace, tempting a beautifully edged nick that flew straight towards Loz’s face. From behind the stumps, it appeared certain that a broken nose was imminent. Yet, thanks to some remarkable 20-a-day reflexes and sheer self-preservation, Loz not only took the catch but avoided serious injury—though a trip to A&E was still necessary!

Danger man Jonathan Bramall provided some much-needed stability in the middle order, contributing 15 runs from 24 balls at a strike rate of 62.5. His innings, which included two boundaries, was not welcomed by Church Eaton, who still had some way to go. However, Bramall’s innings was cut short when he was caught by Ollie Russell off Archie Wilkes’ bowling, a long and high delivery ending his stay at a team total of 109 and halting a potentially dangerous partnership.

Towards the end of the innings, tail-enders T. Pruggmayer and Mike Cathcart combined effectively to push the score to 129. Pruggmayer showed resilience, scoring 9 runs from 20 balls, while Cathcart added 8 runs from 15 deliveries, including a well-placed boundary. The pair worked patiently together to frustrate the bowlers and add valuable runs before Pruggmayer was eventually caught by Elliot off Jordan Talbot. Cathcart’s stay was short-lived after that, as he was caught off a tricky delivery by Gerry Plant, caught by Arron.

The innings closed with Martin Barrett and Alfie Johnson both unbeaten on zero, having faced just a few deliveries each, while Archie Hewett did not get the chance to bat. As Church Eaton failed to bowl out all of Eccleshall’s players, the visitors secured a hard-fought draw and earned 14 points from the match.

From a bowling perspective, James Peasley stood out, claiming three important wickets and consistently applying pressure. Jordan Talbot supported well with two key breakthroughs, while contributions came from leg-spinners Harvey Sidwell, the pace of Archie Wilkes, and the experienced Gerry ‘Gramps’ Plant. Their disciplined line and length kept the batting side under pressure throughout.

In summary, Eccleshall’s innings was characterised by patience and several small but important contributions rather than big individual scores. While Furnell-King’s knock was a highlight, the slow scoring rate combined with regular wickets meant the team struggled to build momentum. Despite the grit and determination shown, the innings lacked the acceleration needed to challenge Church Eaton’s fair but unspectacular total.

Eccleshall CC – 129/8 (40 overs)
EXTRAS: 29 (8b, 2lb, 12w, 7nb)

Match Summary
A strong team performance saw Church Eaton claim the moral victory in a well-contested and friendly league game.

The innings was anchored by a confident opening stand from Russell and Talbot, with Wilkes and Oliver Russell providing stability in the middle and late overs after a challenging middle period.
Eccleshall’s bowling, led by Hewett’s four-wicket haul, managed to keep the total in check.

However, Church Eaton’s disciplined bowling, particularly from Talbot and Peasley, ensured that the visitors were always under pressure and chasing the game.