Valiant efforts from Roebuck and Matt Denchfield not enough as Casuals go down with a fightThe Primary Club Casuals, fielding a team with 6 debutants, was ultimately no match for a well drilled Epsom side who ended up easing to victory. But the game did not pass without a scare as the Casuals came back seemingly from the dead to get themselves right back into the game at just after the half-way stage. "We have had another great day courtesy of the Epsom Methodists," commented Allan Guild, stand-in Casuals Skipper. "If we had managed to get a few more on the board we might have made a game of it." The day got off to a bad start as Guild called wrongly and Jim Yelland (also standing in as captain for the Epsom Methodists) put an inexperienced Casuals batting line-up to the test against the new ball and a green looking pitch. Pennock struck immediately removing Chris Denchfield in the first over of the day - it proved to be his only wicket of the day which was scant reward for an accurate and at times hostile spell. Roebuck and Harries settled quickly and for a brief while it looked like the Casuals innings might stabilise. Roebuck then fatally mis-jusdged a Yelland inswinger and was bowled via pad and an inside edge. The old adage of one buys two was quickly proved true as Self soon followed and the Casuals were suddenly 10 for 3. Matt Denchfield and Harries took to rebuilding the innings and despite a couple of scares added 45 in quick time. Yelland replaced himself with Morris and the wiley off spinner paid his skipper back handsomely removing both the danger men, Denchfield for 33, an innings that included some fine strokes and Harries for 21. Beck and Coughlan followed quickly and suddenly the Casuals were staring back into the abyss at 59 for 7 - all of this in less than an hour of play and only 15 overs. Captain Guild (who had promoted himself from his regular slot at number 11 to a vertigo inducing 7) was now at the crease with debutant wicket keeper Haggart. They agreed to bat overs and survived the continuing onslaught from Pennock and Morris to reach the half-way point of the innings and drinks at 65 for 7. After drinks, confidence grew and the run-rate for the partnership shot up to something approaching 2 an over, but eventually Haggart was out and the valuable partnerhip was ended, leaving the Casuals at a perilous 80 for 8. The 8th wicket brought Baker to the wicket, and he played an innings that belied his place in the batting order, and as the Casuals score creeped over 100, the Epsom side began to wonder whether this might turn out to be a real contest. Tensions were further increased when wicket keeper Hill and captain Yelland standing at Square Leg were certain they had snared Baker with a stumping only for the umpire to disagree. Eventually, Baker was dismissed for 20 caught in two minds whether to play another attacking stroke. Bird came to the wicket at number 11 and picked up where Baker had left off to add a quick-fire 10 before a fine catch by Harry at silly mid on ended the Casuals innings at 122 all out - an almost miraculous recovery from 59 for 7 and anchored by an innings from the skipper of 15 not out off at least 70 balls (an innings that made watching paint dry an attractive proposition for spectators). The Epsom reply started in dramatic fashion with the first delivery from Roebuck getting a little bit of extra lift, catching the edge and flying through to Haggart whose first take behind the stumps resulted in a wicket. Two more wickets quickly followed, both for Roebuck and Epsom were looking far from comfortable at 25 for 3. One of the wickets was a controversial stumping - either a smart bit of work from a debutant wicket-keeper catching a batsman following through after a play and miss or a piece of sportsmanship not normally associated with the casuals depending on your point of view. It soon mattered not a lot as Epsom were motoring along at almost 7 an over. Harry, in particular seizing on anything short with some glorious pull shots and anything over-pitched with sumptious cover drives - the luckless Matt Denchfield a particular victim as the good balls continued to generate half-chances flashing through the slip and gully region in particular. Harry and Matt Yelland were taking the game away from the Casuals and the introduction of Baker, Harries, Guild and Bird into the bowling attack failed to make a difference as Epsom romped home with more than half of their overs to spare - Harry completed a fine 50 shortly before the end. Once again, the Epsom Methodists were great hosts for the Casuals and generously put on a fine tea free of charge and asking the Casuals to each donate to the Primary Club instead. This fine and long-running gesture helped to enable the fixture this year to raise a much needed £170 for the Primary Club. | 
We have had another great day courtesy of the Epsom Methodists
