Captain Wheeler equals landmark
6:14pm Wednesday 6th August 2008
ANDREW Wheeler produced the best performance of his career to equal the highest score recorded by a Barnards Green batsman.
The 28-year-old hit a phenomenal 95-ball 217 and then took 4-38 off 12 overs with the ball as the fourths secured a winning draw against Martley in Crusader Worcestershire League Division Four South.
Wheeler bludgeoned 20 fours and 19 sixes en route to his record-equalling total before being caught on the boundary trying to surpass Robin Longmore’s milestone.
He said: “I knew I was around 215 to 220 and one of the players who was fielding said the record was 217 and that I was on 217.
“It was going through my mind to try and push the single and break the record but I had a rush of blood to my head and I tried to hit the next ball out of the ground for six and got caught at deep long-on.
“I was seeing it like a beach ball so I would have tried to hit it out of the ground anyway but I lost my head.”
Wheeler, recipient of our latest cricketer of the week award, for which he wins a £30 Fearnley Factory Shop voucher, added: “It beats the 157 I scored seven years ago.
“I have scored a few tons since but 217 is certainly the highest by 60 runs so I was quite delighted to reach the 200-mark.”
The all-rounder has been skipper for 18 months but has let vice-captain Dick Brown call the shots of late, a move that has seen Wheeler crash 517 in four innings as an opener.
Brown declared at 339-5 and sent his slow seamer into the attack when Martley were cruising at 120-0 after 20 overs of their reply.
He took a wicket in each of his first two overs, which were also maidens, before claiming the third Martley wicket to fall.
“Some people were saying could this be 200 and all 10 wickets as well, which would have been amazing,” said Wheeler, also groundsman at the fourths’ Newland base.
“I would have been happy with the bowling performance on its own let alone the batting.”