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Chigwell and Hainault v Southgate
35 over Ronnie Shapiro Cup Sunday 21 July 2002

Southgate: 172 for 9 (35 overs)
Chigwell and Hainault: 174 for 3 (20.4 overs)

Chigwell and Hainault won by 7 wickets

When the Ronnie Shapiro Cup was first competed for it was as a challenge match between these two sides. With the league system being absorbed in the Maccabi League it has resumed the previous format.

Thus the old rivals played for the 2002 honours at Chigwell's home ground in Valentines Park, Ilford under cloudy skies. Chigwell skipper Myers won the toss and put Southgate in to bat. It was ultimately an entertaining spectacle with almost 350 runs being scored, with Chigwell running out fairly easy victors in the end. But that doesn't fairly reflect the story.

Southgate's innings began well with a partnership of 54 between Barron (29) and Gordon (18) before Barron, the more aggressive of the pair, was unfortunate to be bowled by Richard Allen from a ball which hit the stumps on the half volley. It was at the fall of the next wicket that Southgate's highest scorer, David Brummer, came to the wicket. In the overs that followed Brummer, who finally scored 43, was the scourge of Chigwell's bowlers and while he was there Southgate looked in command. When his wicket fell it was only Raymond Bean who reached double figures with 19 n.o. Southgate saw out their overs totalling a creditable 172 for 9, and although the boundaries were relatively short, it still looked a challenging total.

In cricket, figures rarely lie and it was Simon Warren, who took 2 for 11, that was the pick of the bowlers. However Chigwell used 6 bowlers in total, and all were among the wickets although Southgate were rarely totally subdued during their innings. Jeff Freedman (2 for 23) and Kevin Sinclair (2 for 28) were the other double wicket takers and Danny Myers (1 for 20), Richard Allen (1 for 31) and Howard Berlin (1 for 35) met with one success each.

Chigwell and Hainault's innings started briskly enough although Gold (9) was out in the fourth over with the score on 28. This, as it turned out, was the defining moment of the match, not due to the loss of Gold but because it brought Simon Warren to the wicket. Initially Warren, and Jeff Freedman piled on the agony but then Freedman, who scored 31 including six fours, fell lbw to Blaiberg (2 for 45), was out with the score having moved on to 67 in the tenth over. Chigwell's captain Myers came to the wicket. At this point, aided by some bowling changes, Warren exploded with full force. In their partnership Myers only scored 18 out of 84 runs added. Better than Kevin Sinclair who remained 0 n.o. (in a partnership of 23) as Warren obliterated Southgate's remaining bowling to see Chigwell home at 174 for 3 in only 20.4 overs (over 8 an over). Simon Warren's innings ended painfully close to his personal century, with 96 n.o., and his innings included 11 fours and 6 sixes.

Chigwell's name will be on the trophy but Simon Warren's name was on this match - he was the real difference between the sides.