Dramatic Bank Holiday Tie

Maldon travelled to Haverhill on Bank Holiday Monday to play the rained off game from earlier in the season in high spirits after a comprehensive victory against Wivenhoe.

On another hot and sunny day Maldon won the toss and elected to bat. A steady start was met with three relatively early dismissals and when Mackenzie Jones joined Ian Elliott at the crease at 61-3 it was important that they consolidated.

What followed was not only Maldon’s highest partnership of the season of 147 but also the third time this season that these two batsman had shared a century partnership. When Jones was stumped after a masterful 72, Elliott (pictured) continued to consolidate Maldon’s position and in turn register a well deserved and magnificent hundred. Late contributions from down the order including an awesome extra cover 6 from Matt Wild meant that Maldon posted a very competitive score of 265 for 6.

Going into the second innings Maldon felt confident of completing back to back wins but similarly to Saturday they found themselves looking at a scoreboard of 115-1. Again as on Saturday it was Ieuen Thomas who led the fightback and two wickets both the result of magnificent catches from Ross Walpole and Thomas himself brought Maldon back into the game.

Important support from Elliott from the other end started to turn the game in Maldon’s favour and when Martyn Coker joined the attack and removed Palmer for 55 with a delivery any spin bowler in the world would have been proud of the game become very much in Maldon’s favour. Further wickets from Coker confirmed this and at 168-8 only a special innings could deny Maldon. Russell Davis’ fine hitting proved to be this special innings as Haverhill stubbornly refused to lie down. When the ninth wicket, a sharp stumping from Jimmy Ainscough off Coker, fell Maldon were still well in controlbut Haverhill’s young number 11 supported Davis confidently and Haverhill again started to inch closer.

After a chance to win the game was put down with less than twenty needed Haverhill continued to knock off the runs and in the penultimate over they found themselves level.

This time it was Maldon who needed something special and that is what they got, as Mackenzie Jones under a heap of pressure produced the perfect yorker to bowl Haverhill’s number 11 and ensure Maldon did not lose and that the game was tied on 265.

A brilliant game ended by a brilliant delivery with Maldon next travelling to Mistley on Saturday looking to build on some excellent performances.

Report courtesy of Toby Pugh.