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Senior Cricket  

Match Reports 2009
(see foot of page for previous seasons)

Fixtures 2010

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12th September 5th XI v Rugeley (away)
Rugeley won the toss and surprisingly opted to bat. It turned out to be a good decision as some indifferent bowling and at times poor fielding from Penn helped them reach a total of 197 off their 45 overs. David Potts (3 for 33) and Ravi Singh (2 for 28) were the main wicket takers.
Penn's batting response was very poor on a helpful artificial track. At one stage they were 31 for 6 and all seemed lost. Thankfully, Harry Lal with an unbeaten 59 and Barrie Greatrex who again frustrated the opposition bowlers, managed to bat through in another tense finish. Penn finished on 142 for 9 off the 45 overs. The losing draw was enough to avoid relegation and a good result after such a poor start.

Sunday 6th September 2009 - Twenty/Twenty Competition
 
Himley Knockout Final v Brewood

This was the first time that Penn's 1st team was competing in the final of a cup competition for 4 years and the team was desperate for success. We were allocated the away changing room and given our one day kit for the day (an all black number) and proceeded to undertake a warm-up usually only performed for the rigours of Saturday cricket.
Alas the toss was lost, but we were asked to bat, a decision that was favourable to us as we were more confident setting a total rather than chasing one in the final. Sandeep Dhillon and Richard Bradford opened the innings and got us off to a good start. A few drives later against a new orange ball and Bradford fell to a good delivery off Dave Wedge after compiling 13 from 17 balls. This brought 'in form' Nick Hudson to the wicket and he justified being given the responsibility of the number three berth. His shots were at times truly outstanding and he combined aggressive shot selection with intense running. Sandeep was also in a good groove and a partnership of 82 was forged.
Sandeep eventually fell to the bowling of Marsh for 38 off 32 balls. Hudson continued his rampage until he fell to a good deep catch of Chris Pearce for 66 off 49 balls. All the other batsmen contributed and a final flourish of 14 off 8 balls from Arjinder Bhogal meant that an imposing 165 for 7 off our 20 overs was set.

We started our fielding off in miserly fashion, with Danny Smith being the most economical and bowling his 4 overs for only 18 runs. The Brewood batsman seemed to get themselves bogged sown and neither attacked or put pressure on our fielders which left themselves a lot to do in the final 10 overs. They did try to give themselves every chance however which some determined play from Chris Pearce (45 off 49 balls) and A Heslop (50 off 40 balls). However Bradford brought about the demise of both these players (finishing with figures of 2 for 35) and the game appeared over.
There was to be one more twist however. In the penultimate over Brewood required 39 a feet we thought far to great for them. Whether it was through luck or judgement W Marsh of Brewood took a liking to Richard Brooker and took 22 off the over. The final over then became a very tense affair and it fell on the shoulders of, young gun, Richard Kimberlin. He bowled a near perfect over removing the dangerous Marsh in the process and the trophy was ours. On the bowling front a word of praise must go to Rich Kimberlin whose figures of 3 for 30 were very influential.

Good celebration took place and we must now take this result into our must win final Birmingham league game this Saturday. A great win, lets try and defend our trophy next year.
5th September 5th XI v Whitmore Reans (home)
Whitmore Reans are an excellent side who are challenging for the divisional title. Penn were still not safe from relegation at the start of play and so knew it would be a tough game. After being asked to bat, Whitmore Reans began to steadily build a large total. Waqar hit an excellent 50 in a total of 218 for 9 declared. The standout Penn bowlers were Danny Bargota (2 for 22) and Dave Williams (2 for 11) with Girresh Thakral and Ravi Singh providing good support.
Penn began really well with Kam Grewal and Tom Kimberlin building a great foundation. Whitmore Reans too helped the Penn cause with some wayward bowling and a heavy dose of wide deliveries. After 19 overs, Penn were 99 for 2. After that, wickets began to steadily tumble. Kam Grewal (38) and Ravi Singh (23) were the main contributors as Penn crept towards the total. A late flurry of wickets saw Penn at an awkward 195 for 9 as Barrie Greatrex strode to the wicket to join Dave Williams. Very tense moments ensued as Dave and Barrie chipped away at the target sometimes going at just one an over. The two stood firm. A couple of consecutive late cuts from Barrie reached the third man boundary and some belligerent hitting from Dave saw Penn home as dusk began to settle, and the winning run was met with huge cheers from their celebrating team mates. A wonderful victory against the odds.
29th August 3rd XI v Pelsall (home)
A sunny day and a dampish pitch contributed to one of the most exciting games of the season. Skipper David Potts lost the toss and Penn were invited to bat. The ball often leapt up from a good length and occasionally kept low as Penn lost both openers in the first two overs. Wickets fell at regular intervals but the innings was held together by 14 year old Josh Heath with a magnificent innings of 49. Josh's dismissal was via a feathered edge to the keeper that the umpire did not see and the fact that Josh walked on 49 demonstrates that he is not only a fine prospect as a batsman, but a high class young man to boot. His team mates only gave him sporadic support with Dev Penn (17 n.o.) and Bav Patel (14) the next highest contributors in a total of 128.
The Pelsall response was bullish and swift. Within six overs they had amassed 42 runs and the victory looked straightforward. However, 15 year old Danny Bargota seized the newish ball and began to bowl old fashioned line and length at a fairly decent pace. He dispatched three batsmen back to the pavilion for only 17 runs and Pelsall became nervous. At the other end, veteran David Potts somehow managed to bowl up the hill and bag four more wickets for 32. Pelsall skipper Alan Lett strode to the crease with 60 runs still needed for victory. He launched a devastating attack on David Potts and Glyn Martin with a succession of sixes until Martin finally bowled him. After a series of tense overs Pelsall scraped up to 125 for 9, just four short of victory, but only one error from defeat. The penultimate delivery of the match saw spinner Glyn Martin beat the batsman only to see his slower ball leap millimetres over middle stump off the springy pitch. His next ball was thumped high to cow corner where Chris Asbury made a brave attempt to catch it but could only help it to the boundary. A super effort from Chris and from the whole Penn team, even in defeat.

15th August 1st XI v Sutton Coldfield (home)
This game saw the return of an old Penn favourite in the form of Richard Norgrove. It was a pleasure to have him back at the club I'm sure he calls home.
This however did not negate the fact that it was a 'must win' match for us.
The first part went well when we won the toss and decided to have a bowl.
Depesh Patel bowled with pace, accuracy and guile which gave him his best ever figures in Penn colours. He was a constant threat and finished the innings after bowling 14.4 Overs and claiming 7 for 36. The other bowlers all performed well without luck and Sutton finished on 200 all out.
In order to chase such a large target it was imperative not to lose early wickets. Unfortunately this is what happened when Vic Lal was un-luckily given out caught and Bradford was snared by their wicket keeper, who has 'made the position his own'!!
 However out strode Richard Hewit and put the Sutton bowling to all parts. He scored a very quick 56 which put us in control. He was well supported by Sandeep Dhillon (45) and Ben Maddox (41) and it was left to Nick Hudson (16*) and Jimmy Grosvenor (7*) to see us home.
Another much needed victory - Penn 20pts

15th August 5th XI vs Bloxwich (home)
Bloxwich won the toss and invited Penn to bat first. A dogged innings of 71 from Tom Kimberlin saw Penn amass 214 runs with Harry Lal contributing a quick 24.
The Bloxwich innings never really got going and wickets tumbled at fairly regular intervals until the the 30th over. A determined stand by the seventh wicket partnership saw Bloxwich avoid defeat. There were two wickets apiece for David Potts, Bavesh Patel and David Williams as Bloxwich finished on 121 for 8. A winning draw and 13 points for Penn.

4th July 1st XI vs Tamworth
 Once again Bradders lost the toss and we were put into bat, whilst we lost a few early wickets again Rich Hewitt got of to a good start smashing 38 in quick time. We then got going again with inform Ben Maddox getting another half century. Nick Hudson chipped in with 20 odd along with afew others also making way to 20. At 174 for 5 we looked in good shape to hit out in the last five overs, but alas the famous penn collapse saw us bowled out for 177 in 54 overs....
Having Dip back in the bowling attack aswell as Rich Brooker we were quietly confident with some of their main batters missing. Dips opening spell was good and they struggled to play...But all through their innings the body language wasnt good and it was very quite...Having dropped to simple catches and miss fields all over the place it wasn't a good sign..The team have some massive improving to do if we harbour any hopes of getting a good finish in the league. As i was only watching you could see that their was no intensity in the field and other comments from the crowd that they showed no fight was extremely disappointing..Lets hope it all changes next week against Water Orton at home who are in the same form as us, I think it is one of our biggest games of the season so far

20th June 1st XI vs Cannock (Home)
 The day started well with Bradders winning the toss for once. They got off to a great start being 70 without loss after 10 overs. Not due to bad bowling just some aggressive hitting from one of their openers that ended up on 50 after about 8 overs. Then it all changed with fantastic bowling from Bo and Hiren, these to both bowled very good lines and they struggled to score. Hiren ending with 4 wickets and Bo with 2 these pair along with Brooky pulled us back into the game eventually bowling them out for 177 in 53 overs. This mant we had 57 overs to bat which would be very crucial.
Our innings started ok with Amit looking good but unfortunately he was dismissed for 16. Sanders went for 15, then Maddox and captain marvel Bradders put on a very good partnership. Maddox getting bowled on 30, then Nick 'Rudi' Hudson looked set on 20 only for a dodgy decision to go against us. Bradders was still there though and we always had hope. Wickets fell along with some boundaries and when Brooky got a stinker of a decision we were 9 wickets down still needing 12 to win in 4 overs. Should we got for it or block out for losing draw???? Bradders and Hiren at the crease worked it around for 3 overs and we looked good needing 4 of the last over to win. First ball a well ran 2 pulled us closer, next ball bradders pinched a single, scores tied. Three balls left, Hiren on strike, short ball hits Hiren on the thigh, Bradders scrammbled through for a single PENN WIN. Bradders unbeaten on 70 was a true captains innings leading us to a victory and pushing us further up the table. Spirit is high, teams playing well, things are looking up despite there being injuries. COME ON PENN!!


30th May 5th XI v. Bloxwich (Away)
After calling the toss correctly, skipper David Potts asked Bloxwich to bat. Penn got off to a fine start with Jordan Nixon removing an opener in his first over. After that, Penn bowled steadily but unspectacularly and with not much luck. The side's younger bowlers were excellent with 14 year olds Aaron Patel and Danny Bergota taking a wicket each in their spells. 15 year old Ed Potts spun his way to figures of 2 for 15 on his debut bowl for the seniors. Bloxwich eventually declared on 201 after 43 overs. This gave Penn a gettable target and 47 overs in which to do it.
Penn's response started well with Harry Lal and Tom Kimberlin ticking the scoreboard round at 4 an over. However, after Tom's demise no-one really stayed with Harry. Eventually Harry Lal perished for a fine 31 on a grassy unpredictable pitch. With just one wicket left and eleven overs to negotiate, Bloxwich appeared confident that the final barrier partnership of Jordan Nixon and Barrie Greatrex would not keep them from victory for too long. How wrong they were! A superb rearguard action from the pair saw Penn through to the losing draw and they departed the square finishing on 90 for 9 with the applause of their team mates ringing in their ears.

23rd May 5th XI v. Brewood (Home)
Penn Fifths hosted Brewood Thirds at the Royal School with Brewood having won all of their fixtures so far this season. Brewood called the toss correctly and asked Penn to bat first. The Penn innings was good but could have been better with several players making it into the twenties without pushing on for more. Oli Zaki top scored with a fine 33 not out in a total of 187 for 7.
Brewood's opening batsmen were unsurprisingly of high quality and showed why Brewood have been so strong this season. Penn's bowlers toiled well but were unable to make the breakthrough enough times. Barrie Greatrex picked up two of only three wickets to fall as Brewood made the 198 target with five overs to spare.

16th May 1st XI vs Ombersley (away)
It was a late start at Ombersley due to rain but we lost the toss and were put into bat. Sanders and Snakey got off to a great start but momentum was halted by another rain break which would be the same throughout our innings. Once Sanders had fallen for 24 Snakey soon followed and a Penn collapse was on the way. Amun went caught behind, Dipesh caught behind, Brooker thought it was a good idea to run to the bowler...run out, 'Rudi' Hudson caught gully off one that popped a bit, we were in big trouble. This collapse brought Bo and Bradders to the crease and they steadied the ship putting on a partnership of around 40, then Bo fell trying to hit over the top just not getting hold of it. Rich Kimberlin then came to the crease and played with the skipper brilliantly and they put on a partnership of 90 taking us to a respectable total. Bradders then fell for 70 caught on the boundary, the very next ball Kimberlin fell stumped. So Smudger and Zaki were at the crease for the last over trying to get the score up to 200, but wild swings from Smudger left the team on 194 for 9.
An early tea was taken due to rain again. Ombersley had 35 overs to get 124 for the winning draw, we were in with a bid shout of winning the game if we could take early wickets, but after 1.1 overs of their innings rain halted us again and there was to be no more play for the day. Disappointing end as we felt we were in with a big chance of a positive result.
Bank holiday weekend next week with two home fixtures if we win both we would be back in the mix big time!!!

10th May 1st XI vs Longton (Staffs cup)
After a disappointing Saturday the whole team were determined to prove they had what it takes against a good Longton team with Staffs minor county players and an ex Worcester player. Penn won the toss and chose to bowl and good early spell from Danny Smith saw an early wicket fall, had catches been held it could have been more. Then Roger Sillence came to the crease and with the help of poor fielding, more dropped catches and a shocking decision by the umpire not to give him out caught behind, he smashed his way to 101. This left Longton’s total at 191 for 7.
Penn had a decent start with Rich Hewitt scoring 45 looking very impressive, and then a famous old Penn collapse brought Rich Bradford and Nick Hudson to the crease at 80 for 5. These pair batted and applied themselves extremely well and put on a partnership of around 110 to win the game 5 wickets down, Rich (Bradley Branning) Bradford finished with 53 not out and Nick (Rudi) Hudson finished with 51 not out.
A great batting display showing that this Penn team has the capabilities to chase big totals and beat teams of quality, we just need to put that into a Saturday starting with Ombersley away Saturday

9th May 1st XI vs Wombourne
Penn lost the toss and were put into bat by the opposition. Failing to apply ourselves again with the bat along with some good bowling from Wombourne we were bowled out for 67. Again another disappointing batting display by all involved. However we felt that if we took a few early wickets then anything could happen. Unfortunately this didn’t happen bowling inconsistent lines n lengths Wombourne knocked the total off for the loss of only one wicket. Drastic changes need to happen or it will be a long hard season for Penn 1st XI.

9th May - Fifth XI v. Beacon (Away)
A cold gusting wind negated the sunshine and Penn found it difficult to adjust to the conditions. Bowling first, they were unable to consistently hit line and length on a batsman friendly pitch. Beacon took advantage well and finished their innings on 230 for 5. David Potts took 3 for 37.
The Penn response never really got going and in the end limped to a poor total of 85 all out. The only bright spot was another promising innings from 14 year old Josh Heath who compiled a defiant 21. A very bad day at the office.
2nd May - Fifth XI v. West Bromwich Dartmouth (Home)
Penn Fifths versus West Bromwich Dartmouth Thirds was always going to be a difficult fixture. WBD had won both of their previous matches and were looking ominously strong. The away side won the toss and elected to bat. After 35 overs they were 320 for no wicket and declared their innings closed. A brief return to the crease ensued for their two openers after the scorers revealed that one of them was on 199. His attempt at the double century was foiled by wily Penn skipper Brian Lester.
The only option for Penn was always going to be bat out for the draw which they did in surprising comfort finishing on 111 for only 3 wickets. Star of the show was 14 year old opener Tom Kimberlin who hit a very elegant 43.

25th April - Fifth XI v. Cannock (Home)
Heavy rain in the morning meant that the artificial Royal School strip was a little slippery, but the match started in bright sunshine.
Skipper David Potts won the toss and invited the opposition to bat. Penn's bowling was pretty tight and the fielding excellent. Tim Smith particularly stood out in the field with great athleticism and enthusiasm. There was a promising debut too for 14 year old leg spinner Amrit Singh. This fine performance restricted Cannock to 129 for 8. Bharat Patel returned excellent figures by taking 2 wickets for 1 run off six overs that included five maidens. David Potts and Girrish Tharkal also bagged a couple of wickets each.
Penn's batting response got off to an excellent start with a fine opening partnership of 48 between Harry Lal and Tom Kimberlin. Another 14 year old debutante Josh Heath came in at No. 3 and produced a very classy display before finally getting stumped on 26. David Potts (46 no) and Tim Smith finally saw Penn through to the 130 target with 13 overs to spare.
 

25th April - First XI v Fordhouses (Home)
Penn hosted Fordhouses in a friendly match as a warm up for the league game the following week. Due to overnight rain the wicket was wet, however playable. The skipper lost the toss and we were put in.
A debut was handed to Amun Samra who opened up with Amit (Snakey) Sharma. Amit got the season away with some tremendous straight drives but was dismissed for 12 from a rising delivery from their opening bowler.
Amun was joined at the crease by Sanders and the partnership became the platform for our innings. Amun contributed a gutsy 25 and Sandeep bludgeoned his way to 94. The other innings of note was from another debutant, Ben Maddox who compiled an elegant 35. We reached 211 from our allocated 45 overs.
Following a decent batting display we wanted to put in a good shift on the bowling front. Depesh and Danny Smith opened up and Dip was very threatening. He removed their two openers and was a constant threat. Bo was a constant threat but it was the day for Richard Kimberlin to shine. He went through a weak Fordhouses middle order and finished with figures of 4 for 17 from 9 overs.
Fordhouses were dismissed for 90 meaning a good start to the season.

 

 

 



 


 

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