Canvey Island Cricket Club Results
Weekend 12-13th July 03

Saturday  
Canvey Island I         148-7
Foulness                   149-2        
Canvey lost by 8 wickets 

Canvey tumbled to a disastrous defeat at the hands of Foulness, seriously jeopardising their chances of finishing in one of the two promotion positions at the end of the season. Electing to bat on a tricky pitch the batsmen were the ones to really let the side down, subsiding to a dismal 30 for 5. Missing run-machine Paul Ward, a mixture of good balls and injudicious shots forced a slowing of the run rate, and a push merely for survival. This instinct was no better illustrated than by the innings of John Gunn who cautiously edged to 32 from 43 overs before being run out. Dave Shroder contributed a watchful 40 to the cause to top-score, but it was only some last minute fireworks from Matthew Snowdon (35 not out), playing his first game for 18 months, that enabled Canvey to set anything like a semi-respectable score. As so often happens though the demons in the pitch vanished when the Canvey bowlers came to bowl on it, Foulness strolling untroubled to an 8 wicket win.

Rankins II                331-5
Canvey Island II      204 all out      
Canvey lost by 127 runs

 Conventional wisdom dictates that on winning the toss on the hottest day of the year you choose to bat. Canvey skipper threw conventional wisdom and all rational logic out of the window in this match by electing to field, and thereby handing the game to a rampant Rankins side on a plate. Canvey toiled away for 3 hours in the field, chasing the ball to all parts and watching Budrey smash an unbeaten 183 for the visitors. Higgins himself took 2 for 55, but this in no way redeemed him for the earlier moment of madness. Rankins total of 331 was one of the biggest seen on the Island since the heady days of the first team in Division 8. Replying to such a mammoth target Canvey had no hope in hell, but the innings wasn’t wasted on Sam Collins, who took the opportunity to register his maiden fifty for the club on his way to a pleasant 71.

Sunday 
President’s XI        206-4
Canvey Island        205-9   
Match drawn

 The annual President’s XI fixture ended in a controversial draw, a late scoreboard error denying the current Islanders the chance of victory over the President’s men. The run chase was paced perfectly by skipper John Gunn until the error threw all his calculations into chaos. Two were required from the final ball, but only one run was taken, Gunn being run-out. The outcome was hard on Dave Shroder (63) and Paul Synnott (24) who had earlier provided the highlight by both smashing paceman Russell Abbott into the car park. Shroder was to make it an Abbott double when veteran Fred Abbott came on to bowl, also despatching him into the road. Cameos from Peter Cook (31) and Dave Knox (25) also proved in vain as Canvey came up short. Earlier the President’s total had been built around unbeaten retired fifties from Tony Brock and Dave Clarke. Russell Abbott was again to provide the batting highlight though, striking Gary Snowdon into the car park from the first delivery he received. Snowdon was to get the last laugh, however, finishing with the best figures for Canvey with 3 for 38.