Butcher's best not enough for the Brown Caps
Published 18 May 2008
Azhar Mahmood finished off the Brown Caps with four wickets at the death as the Spitfires went to a 17 run win at Canterbury. Mark Butcher hit a career best 139 but was unable to lead his team to victory after centuries for Darren Stevens and Martin van Jaarsveld set the Brown Caps 338 to win.
Mark Butcher elected to bowl first on a damp looking pitch, bu this opening seam attack of Jade Dernbach and Matthew Nicholson failed to capitalise as the Spitfires moved past 50 comfortably in the eleventh over. Robert Key was playing with his typical inventive fashion and tried to upset the bowlers’ length by advancing down the wicket and sweeping the quicks. Key was matched blow for blow by Joe Denly who was particularly quick to get hold of some short bowling. Chris Jordan came into the attack and made an immediate impact when his first ball loosener tempted Key to clear the fence and hit it straight to Mark Ramprakash, leaving the Spitfires 67 for one. Denly stroked the ball around nicely until he had reached 46 in the 20th over. Then Jordan got the ball to nip back down the slope and through Denly’s gate to hit off-stump, 99 for two. Jordan bowled a good length on a pitch that was offering a little movement and he put the squeeze on the Spitfires. Jordan then claimed his third wicket by bowling Justin Kemp for six in a spell of three for 22 in seven overs.
Only Jordan managed to pick up wickets and so the Spitfires built a solid foundation for a later onslaught. Martin van Jaarsveld and Darren Stevens played sensibly and ran well to keep the runs ticking along for the home side as they stayed at five runs per over. Butcher tried to shuffle his bowlers around, but nobody managed to find a wicket. van Jaarsveld went to fifty with ease and looked untroubled by the Brown Caps attack. Stevens took his time to build but then went after Murtaza Hussain in his second spell by advancing down the pitch to take 13 of one over. Stevens also went to fifty as the fourth wicket stand took the Spitfires to 215 with 10 overs still in hand. Due to the Spitfires having wickets in hand they began to explode and took advantage of some weary bowling. Stevens and van Jaarsveld hit the ball to all parts and the Brown Caps were helpless at containing them. Both men went to centuries with Stevens reaching the milestone first off just 67 balls as he took a liking to Murtaza. van Jaarsveld went to the mark an over later off a more patient 101 balls. Jordan and Nicholson were the only two bowlers to come through the innings unscathed, as the Spitfires exploded to score 124 off the last 10 overs. Stevens and van Jaarsveld sharing an unbeaten fourth wicket stand of 216 as the Spitfires posted 337 for four.
The Brown Caps run chase began well with the new opening pairing of James Benning and Mark Butcher reaching 50 in the ninth over. Butcher played a number of free flowing shots through the off-side off both front and back foot as the total to 70 off the first 10. Ryan McLaren then made the breakthrough as Benning tried to whip a straight ball through the leg-side and he lost his middle stump. They were 91 for two when McLaren had Mark Ramprakash caught behind for 10, which brought Usman Afzaal to join Butcher at the crease and the pair then took the game on. Both left-handers played fluently and then Usman took over the scoring as he once again became severe on the spin of Tredwell as he raced to fifty of 46 balls. Butcher knocked the ball around for singles as Usman stuck some strong blows of Stevens over mid-wicket. The pair kept the Brown Caps right on course when they had brought up the 200 in the 29th over.
The Brown Caps captain then went to only his second one-day hundred of his career with a single of Yasir Arafat, it had come off 85 balls. Butcher lost his partner Usman when he had tried to go the aerial route one too many times against Simon Cook. The ball went high in the air and Stevens took the catch to remove Usman for 74 off just 60 balls, the Brown Caps were 217 for three. Butcher went to his highest one-day score, passing his previous best of 104, and was leading his team to victory. Ali Brown was the perfect foil by working ones and twos and the pair took the target down to 45 of 45 balls until the important moment. McLaren bowled a perfect yorker to Butcher and was bowled for 139, the Brown Caps were 293 for 4.
Then Azhar Mahmood came back to haunt his old club by bowling a spell at the death to destroy the Brown Caps. With Yasir the two bowled full and swinging deliveries to stem the runs. Brown was yorked by Yasir for 38 and then Azhar removed Batty, Nicholson and Saker with slower balls. The Brown Caps finally capitulated to 320 all out when Jordan holed out to long-off. The last six wickets falling for 27 runs and Azhar finishing with 4 for 40.
Click here to watch the action on Surrey TV.
Add to Del.icio.us Digg it share on Facebook (What is this?)
