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Motchall heroics in vain as B.A.T. leap to table top
Mike Vimpany - 1 July 2001
Glen Motchall, Calmore's lanky Australian left-arm pace bowler, took a career-best 8-87, yet finished on the losing side as BAT Sports turned a likely defeat into an improbable 35-run victory over their arch Southern Electric ECB Premier League rivals at Southern Gardens.
BAT emerged from a gruelling morning session at 64-6, but revealed an abundance of character to turn a pulsating match, full of attacking cricket, around in quite dramatic style.
Lower-order pair Adam Hayes and Dave Adams, relishing a rare opportunity to shine, were largely responsible as BAT advanced to 171 all out before Dan Goldstraw used his high trajectory to great effect and blew over Calmore's top order.
Calmore's reply in many ways mirrored the BAT innings, with five wickets falling for 46 runs before teenage duo Paul Cass and Mark Archer launched a determined but ultimately unsuccessful bid to turn the tide again.
The youngsters added 61 in a heartening sixth-wicket recovery, but when Cass toe-ended an intended pull into the deep, Calmore's prospects disappeared back into the pavilion with him.
They were eventually bowled out for 136 - 35 runs adrift of BAT, whose 21-point victory has nudged Havant off the top of the Premier One table.
Motchall, who plays for the Carlton Grade club in Melbourne, described the dry Southern Gardens pitch as a "bit more like bowling back home."
"I was able to get a lot more bounce than I've previously been accustomed to here. I certainly got a fair bit of movement, especially when the ball was hard and new," he said.
The 6'5" Victorian had five wickets in the bag by lunchtime, but Hayes, whose unbeaten 42 would have been worthy of any 'man-of-the-match' tag, and Adams (35) gave the Australian notice of their fighting intentions.
The pair added a precious 55 before Motchall ripped out Adams's leg stump at 123-8.
Realising how important another quick 20 or so runs could be, Goldstraw didn't hang about - pulling Motchall for two huge sixes, and dumping the argumentative James Hibberd on to the adjoining railway track..
Goldstraw's cameo and Hayes's carefully constructed innings lifted BAT to 171 all out - a testing total for Calmore to chase.
Calmore made it to 21 before Richard Taylor (of local rock band fame) had Paul Draper taken down the leg side by Banks.
Then Goldstraw, effectively using his height at the same end as Motchall earlier, had Tom Pegler caught by a diving Richard Kenway at second slip.
And when the ex-Lymington in-swing paceman rearranged Jez Goode's stumps and trapped Hibberd smack in front for a first ball duck, Calmore were neck deep in trouble.
Then Rob Budd located the bucket hands of Mark Page, to become Taylor's second victim.
Calmore sagged to 46-5 ...and were seemingly out for the count.
But Cass and Archer, the two 17-year olds, showed maturity beyond their tender years to haul Calmore back into the contest.
The pair showed an effective form of defence and produced a selection of fluent shots in a gutsy partnership of 59, which ended when Cass miscued a long-hop from left-arm spinner Dave Carson into Page's waiting hands at deep square-leg.
But Archer, using the occasion to give Hampshire YCs selectors a timely nudge, took Calmore's reply on to 124-7 before he lifted Richard Dibden into the deep ... only to be quite brilliantly caught by Carson, in front of an enthusiastic clubhouse gathering.
Archer's dismissal effective marked the end of Calmore's challenge, Goldstraw ending the resistance at 136 to give BAT a hard-earned victory.
Calmore skipper Tom Pegler, who alongside Dave Banks maintained his attacking options throughout, wasn't overjoyed with the end result.
"We won the game wit the ball - then lost it with our batting," he groaned.
© Mike Vimpany
| Teams | England. |
| Players/Umpires | James Hibberd, Paul Draper, Richard Kenway, Jeremy Goode, Richard Rockley Dibden. |
| Tournaments | Southern Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |