Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Over 50/60/70 Cricket
Two Counties Over 60s v Essex Police Veterans
Thursday 13th May 2021 at Ipswich CC – 40 overs per side.
Two Counties Over 60s 176-8 (Andrew Gallant 39, Alan Sims 33 Nick Meakin 30)
Essex Police Veterans 180-2 (Jim Couchman 91 not out Peter Orpe 35 not out Trevor Money 2-15)
Essex Police Veterans win by 2 wickets.
Jim Couchman played a major part in the downfall of the 60s with both bat and ball. The inclement weather and the presence of an additional fielder failed to prevent Jim from leading the Veterans to a 9 wicket win in this 12-a-side match. Trevor Money was rewarded for a splendid opening spell with 2-15 from his 8 overs. The two wickets had fallen in the space of 15 balls and 3 runs but that was as good as it got for the 60s. Growing in confidence, Jim and Peter steadily upped the run rate with Jim’s half century coming from just 54 deliveries. With the 60s well beaten, the only remaining doubt was whether Couchman would reach a deserved century. Alas not, although the next 29 deliveries he faced took him into the nervous 90s, the match winning target of 177 was reached with 8.1 overs to spare.
Prior to the innings break and the rain, the Veterans had won the toss and Skipper John Stonehouse asked the 60s to bat. Mike Thew and Alan Cooke struggled to make the scorers work too hard while opener Andrew Gallant looked to be in good nick. From 48-2 in 10.4 overs. Captain Nick Meakin (30 off 17 balls) and Gallant (39 off 47 balls) almost doubled the score over the course of the next 5 overs but then both were dismissed, caught out in successive overs. Alan Sims (33) and Richard Polley (22) put together a 59 run partnership but it was slow progress. Man of the match Couchman’s 1-27 off 8 overs and Martin Southwell’s 2-25 off 7 overs doing much to arrest the flow of runs. Come the end of the 60s’ 40 overs, the scoreboard read a somewhat disappointing 176-8.
Many thanks to Ipswich Cricket Club for hosting this game.