MATCH REPORT
Church Eaton 3rd XI vs Whitmore 2nd XI
Date: Sunday 20th April 2025
Venue: Church Eaton Cricket Ground
Competition: Stone & District Cricket League – Section B South
Result: Church Eaton won by 3 wickets (25 pts)

The 2025 league season got off to a flyer for Church Eaton’s 3rd XI as they battled to a nervy but well-earned 3-wicket victory over Whitmore 2nd XI in front of a modest but enthusiastic home crowd. With the sun finally breaking through after a drizzly Easter Saturday, conditions were perfect for early-season cricket — around 16–18°C with a brisk cross-breeze that kept both bowlers and the tea urn cool.

Church Eaton won the toss and sent Whitmore in to bat, and the early exchanges went the way of the home side thanks to a superb opening burst from veteran Adrian Melbourn. He rolled back the years with a masterful display of flight and guile, tearing through the Whitmore top order to finish with an outstanding 5 for 25 from his 7 overs.

Harvey Sidwell also chipped in with a useful 2 wickets, but the pick of the supporting acts was youngster Lachlan Smith, whose 1 for 11 from 6.4 overs was as miserly as it was effective. Chris Marshall grabbed a wicket and was also at the centre of what can only be described as one of the more surreal moments of the season – more on that shortly...

Whitmore eventually folded for 134 in the 38th over, with Daniyal Imran (51) playing a solid knock and keeping Church Eaton's fielders honest. His innings was peppered with crisp drives and patience amidst the carnage around him.

Chasing 135 to win, Church Eaton looked in cruise control at 103 for 2, thanks in large part to a composed and mature 34 (41 balls) from opener Harvey Sidwell, and a whirlwind 41 from just 16 balls (3 sixes, 4 fours) from Lachlan Smith. But Maddie Davies (4-26) had other ideas, tearing through the middle order in a brilliant spell that turned a comfortable stroll into a tension-laden thriller.

With the game suddenly in the balance at 111 for 7, it was the father-son duo of Adrian and Fred Melbourn who kept their nerve and steered the team home with calm heads and textbook straight bats. Their unbroken stand of 24 ensured Church Eaton took the full 25 points — and avoided the dreaded "Sunday collapse" headline.

Now, about that moment...

During the first innings, a firmly struck drive ricocheted off bowler Chris Marshall’s body and deflected directly into umpire Richard Pearce’s face, sending him sprawling. Rumours quickly spread that Pearce was unconscious for a brief period — although some say he was just looking for the half of his tooth later found embedded in the outfield. Remarkably, after not one but two concussion tests, the ever-resilient Mr. Pearce returned to officiate the second innings — a real ironman of the umpiring world. Whether he’s sent the dental invoice to the league is unknown…

Off the field, credit must go to the ground staff, who pulled out all the stops on Easter Sunday to make the match playable — a herculean effort after a week of mixed weather. And it was great to see so many supporters braving the chilly breeze with flasks, dogs, and deckchairs in tow.

A thrilling start to the Sunday XI's campaign — drama, debutants, dental mishaps, and a home win. Roll on next week!