Sunday 17th September 2000 vs Walthamstow Horiztls C.C.
 
Season closes with a draw
 
Washington C.C. 149 for 8
Walthamstow Horiztls C.C. 118 for 4
 
Washington took an honourable draw from their last home fixture of the season. Asked to bat first, they declared at tea on 149-8; by the close, the Walthamstow had reached 118, leaving considerably more daylight between the teams than remained in the dark evening sky.
On a pitch still damp from Friday’s torrential rain, Walthamstow’s bowlers kept things tight in the early overs, and were rewarded with the prize wicket of Pete Demetri (9), who unluckily deflected an attempted hook shot into his stumps off his boot. Matthew Cragoe made 14 before falling to a catch at the wicket, and it needed a solid stand of 49 between Grant MacDonald(38), back to his belligerent best after a long absence, and the evergreen David Gluckman (12) to put Washington back on the tracks.

Yet only when Paul Swords and Gary Evans came together in the closing stages did Wash cut loose. The pair added a quickfire 50, both reaching 21 not out with some adventurous running, before skipper Dave Walker declared.

Of the Walthamstow bowlers, Keith Smart (2-45) was the most enduring, bowling 19 overs, and Steve Moore (3-35) the most successful.

The Walthamstow innings seemed to mirror Washington’s, with the bowlers on top for much of the afternoon. Jimmy Wood (2-19) bowled a superb opening spell of genuine pace, and he was well supported by Aussie swinger Gary Evans (1-30), and former Partick Thistle goalkeeper, Alex McNellan (1-34)

Any thoughts of a Washington victory, however, were kept at bay by gutsy opener Chris Petriades (54 not out), who batted on despite taking a ball in the face; he and Barry Morris (18) added 61 for the third wicket and, whilst they were together, it seemed the Horizontals might even win. The demise of Morris, however, and the reintroduction of Wood in the fading light, curbed the East Londoners’ ambition, and the game was played out as a draw.

After the game, Walker considered that the week’s wet weather held the key to the result: ‘Ultimately, the pitch was too slow either side to force result’, he mused, adding reflectively: ‘Nature, not cricket, was the winner today’.

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Batting
Player Runs How out
Pete Demetri 9 Bowled
Matthew Cragoe 14 Caught
David Walker 2 Caught
Alan Moffat 14 Caught
Grant McDonald 38 Caught
David Gluckman 12 Caught
John Roche 4 Caught
Paul Swords 21* 
Alex McNellan 0 Caught
Gary Evans 21* 
Did Not Bat
James Wood
Partnerships
Wkt Runs Batsmen
1 15 Pete Demetri  &  Matthew Cragoe
2 9 Matthew Cragoe  &  David Walker
3 4 David Walker  &  Alan Moffat
4 14 Alan Moffat  &  Grant McDonald
5 49 Grant McDonald  &  David Gluckman
6 6 Grant McDonald  &  John Roche
7 8 John Roche  &  Paul Swords
8 1 Paul Swords  &  Alex McNellan
9 43 * Paul Swords  &  Gary Evans



Fielding
Player Cts Wkt Cts Stmps
Pete Demetri 1 - -
Paul Swords 1 - -
David Walker 1 - -
Bowling
Player Overs Mdns Runs Wkts
James Wood 11.0 2 19 2
David Walker 4.0 0 21 0
Pete Demetri 1.0 1 0 0
Gary Evans 15.0 4 30 1
Alex McNellan 6.0 0 34 1
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