Canvey Island Cricket Club Results
Weekend 7^th – 8^th June 03

Saturday   
Canvey Island I        265-6
Marconi                   201-9   
Canvey won by 64 runs 

The opening partnership of Paul Ward and Neil Casson continued to prosper for Canvey on Saturday at Smallgains. Following on from their 160 partnership two weeks ago, the pair smashed 180 for the first wicket against Marconi. Ward played the role of senior partner, flaying the bowling for a sumptious 103 before chipping back to the bowler. Casson was more sedate, but accumulated 58 quality runs before being dismissed. A sprightly cameo from Terry Snowdon (41) pushed the score over the 250 mark, leaving Marconi to chase a daunting total. Early wickets for John Gunn (1 for 26) and Dave Shroder (2 for 39) undermined the reply. Despite some middle-order resistance Marconi were always behind the rate, Lee Banks (2 for 5) picking up a couple of cheap wickets at the end in the search for additional bonus points.

Canvey Island II            177-9
Chignal Smealey            179-4    
Canvey lost by 6 wickets

 Another good all-round performance from skipper Dave Higgins wasn’t enough to prevent Canvey falling to another defeat in their quest for promotion from Division 10. Higgins contributed a typically rumbustious 53 with the bat, an innings littered with boundaries, and later took 2 wickets to send the shivers through the Chignal side. However, with the notable exception of John Scammell (56) no one else was able to contribute significantly, and with the lack of support for their skipper Canvey came out second best. Perhaps the most significant development came at the close of the game when veteran Terry Castille announced his retirement from the game due to injury, a major loss to the Canvey cause, both in his niggly medium pace and his sprightly fielding at backward point. Considering this is about his eighth retirement No one is writing off a comeback yet.

 Sunday         
Municipal College         247-1
Canvey Island               160-4     
Match drawn

 If you ever needed an advert for playing limited overs cricket this dull, tedious time game was just the ticket. Municipal College won the toss and proceded to bat Canvey out of the game on a featherbed pitch. Smith smashed 140 not out to propel College to an unattainable target, benefiting from some massive slices of good fortune and one, admittedly powerful, shot. The target was always going to prove too much in this form of cricket, perhaps by 30 or 40 runs, and Canvey set about their reply simply with the desire to keep wickets intact and not lose the match. At the forefront of this was Paul Ward, who blocked and stonewalled his way to 57 before being dismissed just before the end. Gary Burton (29) in his last game for the club before his emigration to Australia, Paul Synnott (20) and Ricki Broadmore (23) also enjoyed time at the crease, leading the game to a moribund draw.