FRANK FURTHERS OL CAUSE
16/05/05: Geoff Samuels smashed his highest score for the OLCC in an entertaining draw with the Celeriacs at Leighton Park.
Samuels' barnstorming innings of 75, which easily eclipsed his previous best 54 not out, spearheaded an OL recovery that almost precipitated a victory that had seemed highly unlikely when the home side slipped to 83 for five in reply to Celeriacs' 240-7 declared.
But the loss of Samuels and Ed Carter (46) as the match reached its climax effectively ended the run chase and the OLs had to settle for a total of 219 for eight.
Having earlier won the toss and elected to field, the OLCC made an early breakthrough when Samuels had Allaway caught and bowled for six, building hopes that the opposition could be skittled as was the case on their previous visit.
However this was not only a much more galvanised Celeriacs side but also a far better pitch, and Acland-Hood and Thompson soon took the visitors past the 63 they totalled in 2004. The pair were in sight of the 100 mark when Thompson (22) became only David Bibby's second ever victim as a wicket-keeper, off the bowling of captain Richard Newell Price.
Acland-Hood continued largely untroubled however and at 81 was closing on three figures himself. But he had reckoned without the wiles of Graham Carter and was soon making a long trudge back to the pavilion having had his leg stump pegged back by the OLCC President.
At 128 for three, the Celeriac innings remained in the balance but Miller was joined by another OL turncoat (Gillmor) for a stand of 105 that swung the match in the visitors' favour and ended only when the latter was bowled by Ed Carter for 61.
Dayalan Doraisamy then nipped out Trotter (5) and Miller (44) in successive balls to reach 50 wickets for the club, and after Ed Carter doubled his haul the Celeriacs called a halt to the proceedings on 240 for seven.
The OLCC reply began inauspiciously as Doraisamy, possibly still overcome by his bowling success, gloved a lifter and departed for one, but the bowling and the track were largely to Andrew Moss and Jon Shingles' liking and a flurry of delightful boundaries followed.
The pair had added 63 when Moss, who had compiled a serene 41, was trapped in front by Smith, a wicket that sparked a collapse from a healthy 65 for one to a distinctly wobbly 83 for five. Smith added Jason Thomas (1) to his earlier wicket and Miller picked up Shingles (28) and Bibby (9) to leave the OLs facing the prospect of a third straight defeat.
But under the stewardship of Ed Carter and Samuels, that probability faded to become a possibility and with their superbly-paced partnership reaching the 100 mark, hopes of an OL victory had escalated dramatically from the traditional two to rather many more.
With 192 on the board and the stand worth 109, Carter evenutally fell for 46 but Samuels simply repsonded by upping the pace, clubbing 13 off one Miller over, and at 210 for six the chase was still on, with 31 needed for victory off 23 balls.
Smith dealt that bid a double blow though, having Samuels caught going for another big hit then bowling Richard Newell Price first ball with a corker that gave him a well-deserved five-wicket haul, and it was left to Chris Straw (2*) and Paul Chalmers (5*) to tough out the remaining overs and claim a share of the spoils.
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