Match report – 3xi vs Addiscombe - by Natedawg

"Lloydy's astute criticsim is commemorated by Addiscombe bat in leftover cheese sandwich" - Ed

HWRCC 229 all out (48.2 overs) – Goulbourn 59
Addiscombe 155 all out – Linter 5 for 29
HWRCC win by 74 runs

Scorecard

It is a fairly rare occurrence in league cricket that you have two consecutive away games against two different teams but at the same venue. However, returning to a ground where you had won the previous week and knew how the pitch would play is nevertheless reassuring when travelling to an away game. This week, back at the Queens Park ground in Caterham, the 3s were looking to record their second league victory of the season. The pitch still had a green top and was hard underneath. After winning the toss we decided to have a bat with a target of 200+ in mind showing how high our confidence is at the moment.

Goulborn and Ratnage opened up providing the perfect platform. Without taking too many risks they both batted sensibly pushing the score along at 4 an over until Sam (24) was bowled in the 17th over. Singh and Goldy took the total to 100 off 24 before the skipper kindly presented his outside edge to the opposing captain who gladly accepted it. Wick new boy Danny Byrne then joined Goldy in another 30 run partnership. Goldy continued to occupy the crease comfortably and brought up a beautifully crafted 50 before being caught trying to cut a ball that was too close and got a bit of extra bounce from the pitch.

In previous years the 3s have lacked consistency in the middle order. In one particular game last year against Old Emanuel we were in a similar position of 130 for 3 off 30 overs. In that game we were bowled out for 150 but this time we were able to push on to 229 thanks to Byrne (36), Clements (18) and Lloyd (24) who were unforgiving to any balls that pitched short from Addiscombe’s spinners. It was good to see everyone in the top 6 contributing for the second week in a row and hopefully this type of performance will be the norm and banish any memories of our opening day loss to Esher.

A long tea break followed due to late delivery of the food. The overall spread turned out to be okay with chicken nuggets, pizza and onion bhajis but with an unnecessary amount of cheese sandwiches, [sounds vile - Ed]the late service and the fact that everyone was already starting to look forward to some DBW specials next week I will have to give it a 6/10. [seems too generous - Ed]

Back out for the second half of the game Tommy D and Aqeel were given the new ball. Tommy didn’t play in the last game and after choosing to bowl downhill was presented with a wicket that had good pace and bounce. He took advantage of these conditions, removing the Addiscombe openers cheaply. At the other end Aqeel bowled an excellent 9 over uphill spell removing the leg stump of their number 3 with a great inswinging delivery. After the early wickets Hughes (31) and Narrine (55) put together Addiscombe’s only threatening partnership, involving a few good blows and a number of agricultural hacks that prompted the usually shy and retiring Lloydy to exclaim “what the f**k was that” louder than he had anticipated. Eventually Hughes was run out by some good work from Charlton and Linter and shortly afterwards Narrine’s off stump was removed by Linter to put the Wick firmly in control. Winter with an “L” went on to get another 4 wickets and Bendall 1 wicket as the 3s polished off the rest of the team for about 25 runs.

In summary it was another good team performance. With two consecutive scores above 200 and a strong bowling attack capable of taking 10 wickets we have gained some momentum that we can hopefully build on and keep looking up the table. MOM: This is a tough choice between Goldy and Linter but MoM goes to Goldy for a solid batting performance that set the tone for the game.

1s Match Report from our drowned rat specialist, Gareth

Olinda Vandals Vs Hampton Wick.

Game abandoned as OV dissolve in the rain. 4 points to The Wick.

A lady in the autumn of her life went to visit her local GP and family friend, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. She knew she was ill but what came next was a surprise. When she asked, 'So what chance have I got', she received one of the greatest understatements ever. 'It doesn't look too good I'm afraid', replied Dr. H. Shipman.

To say that Olinda Vandals CC weren’t interested in result cricket on Saturday would be a similar understatement. Their running for the bar at the merest hint of precipitation was supplemented by an argumentative streak which said much about team spirit. Let us move on. Half a game of cricket was played and readers of this blog will be keen to know how Wick players got on.

Having learnt that tails does fail it was no surprise to find ourselves batting. In his last game for the Wick before he departs for Bangladesh Dan Lee battled out the new ball with Partner Sam MacCarther. Both were willing to wear balls and graft on a pitch that probably hadn't seen any light for a fortnight. Both showed their class when the balls were in the right areas though and saw off the new ball to give the platform for the middle order to push on. Bishop, Davies, Razzi, Hibberd, Marfleet and Cole then capitalised on their hard work to get us up to 197 of 47. Competitive on a sporting pitch with plenty of overs with which to bowl out the oppo.

Sadly OV showed no interest, on balance preferring to wait out the 4 points on offer for an abandonment where a few batting points and 2 for a winning draw to go with their bowling efforts might have been more useful at the end of the season.

When they eventually dragged themselves out to play they actually looked set for the winning draw. With the overs reduced to 35 they got themselves to 55 for 3 off 12 overs before calling it a day far too early. They had biffed, clouted and edged themselves far ahead of the run rate but showed no interest in staying out there. Eventually Matty was forced to concede the abandonment, and trudge miserably back to the Wick.

Finally from everyone at the club, good luck to Dan Lee in Bangladesh. He's only been with us a short time but we are hopeful that if/when he returns to Blighty he will come and show us a few more of those outrageous dance moves again.

Here's a picture of some rain. More than fell during the 1s game...

Hampton Wick 1st XI Vs Kempton

Davies*, MacArthur, Lee, Razzi, Bishop, Jackson, Cole, Forbes, Ewen, Jones, Webster.

Hampton Wick won the toss and elected to field.

Kempton 134 all out. Ewen 7-30 Razzi 3-21 Dows 48

HWRCC 136/4 Razzi 42 Bishop 30* Porter 2-33

HWRCC won by 6 wickets

Kempton were quite aggrieved as Bishop knocked off the last couple of runs to sink them to a 6 wicket loss. Kempton felt it had all come down to the toss of a coin, and that the Wick's sticky wicket favoured the side batting second. Granted the wicket was as lively as King Herod in an Early Learning Center, but the way they approached their innings defied belief.

Joe Ewen bowled well for his 7-30, but he will bowl better this season without such handsome rewards. From the very first ball when opener Watts flayed a ball which threatened little, to Dan Lee at point, you wondered whether Kempton had walked out to bat with their eyes closed, and not felt the puddles splash up their legs. When the Kempton skipper followed soon after in almost identical fashion, again to Lee at point Joeys began to taste blood and rather liked it.

Dows and Ricks then began to rebuild the Kempton innings and mixed aggression with a willingness to wear the snorter. They were brutal on anything shy of length and HWRCC bowled too short on a day crying out for a full length.

A thought must be spared for every bowler who bowled from the the Millenium Wood End, as the wind was strong enough to produce Acme style facial distortion, and made a measured run up a bag of liquorice allsorts. With the wind at his back though Joey finished his opening salvo following a rain break with the wicket of Ricks for 39.

Kamran replaced Joey and Barrell did likewise for Webster. Kamran got his reward for patient and disciplined bowling, removing the Kempton 5 and 6 before finally coaxing Dows (48) to give further catching practice to Dan at point. His fourth catch at point and to be honest I was beginning to wonder if I shouldn't give him the gloves and move to point myself just to see some action.

With Dows gone Davies showed no hesitation in bringing Joey back into the attack to finish proceedings. Joey duly obliged and did what all good fast bowlers should and mopped up the tail with a minimum of fuss. Matty D's insistence that every over would be his last obviously had the required affect and it was akin to watching a hunter taking out ducks with stinger missiles as they come in to land on a park pond. Kempton 134 all out and it was HWRCC who went into tea the happier XI.

You are all familiar with DBW's tea so I won't offer a mark. Although I think he should be docked half a point every time he produces a clone of the week before and a half added every time he makes our eyes bulge with surprise.

As alluded to earlier Kempton felt the Wick had the easier of the batting conditions, but the way the top three approached the chase showed more than an ounce of thought and skill. Sam MacArthur and Dan Lee prodded and left, determined not to throw away their wicket as the ball continued to skip, and dart around. Even when Dan timed a ball beautifully off his legs through mid-wicket and into the car park neither got carried away.

Eventually Sam (14) was undone by a ball that reared off a length but Matty came in a continued with fervent application. Dan (16) followed soon after to bring in Kam, who played what he described as one of his most determined innings, despite his best efforts to run Matty out, who eventually fell for 14. The hard work had been done though as the ball was now soft, the wicket slightly drier, and the openers seen off.

Barrell joined Kam and their partnership of 58 was a lesson in application and patience from these normally free scoring batsman. Kam certainly rode his luck on more than one occasion, but the their gamble to go over the top against the older ball, allowed them to then pick the singles as the field spread. With plenty of overs to spare, all his team mates were dissapointed to see Kam fall short of his 50, but AJ came in and finished the job with Barrell with a minimum of fuss.

A couple TFC's, but this was because of a very good performance of Joey and the top order doing their job. Still a slightly rusty performance in the field but the team spirit was as evident as ever and everyone will have to opportunity to stick their hands up and make telling performances as the season moves on.

Also from everyone in the squad a huge congratulations to the 2's for not only getting their game on but winning it so well. You can't ask for any more than a Wick Wash.

1st XI Match Report Vs Shepherds Bush - Craft and Graft

28th April 2007 Shepherds Bush Vs HWRCC

Shepherds Bush won by about 100 runs

HWRCC won the toss and elected to field.

HWRCC: D Lee, A Jackson, R Cole, M Davies*, K Razi, M Forbes, T Crowther, G Jones+, S Whinney, D Ford, J Ewen.

It has become somewhat traditional that I start my match reports with an apology and I shall begin this year in similar form. If this match report is a bit up and down, and lacking imagination I am sorry, but after the first full weekend of the season I am exhausted. You can do all the fitness work and training you like over the winter, but it still doesn't prepare you for a full on weekend down The Wick.

The 1st XI reconvened on Saturday at Shepherds Bush with a bump rather than a bang. Our enigmatic fixtures secretary has come in for some stick for the choice of opposition this weekend but The Bush provided the 1's with exactly the kind of stern examination the boys needed.

Matty won the toss and invited the home side to bat. Joey and Kamran opened the bowling for the Wick and voices of encouragement that had been subdued for a long frustrating winter resounded round the ground. The track was generally slow and low, which meant there was a great emphasis of getting on the front foot, and the Shepherd's Bush opener certainly did. If we come across another player of his class all season it will be a huge surprise. His opening partner however never really got going as Joey got him to tickle one down the leg side for the keeper to claim a scrambled effort. Early blood to the Wick but a false dawn.

With conditions offering little for the bowlers, graft and craft became the watch words for the next 19 overs. The Bush batsman worked the ball around with great skill. The way they picked the gaps was a genuine lesson in batting for those of us who have struggled in recent times and think that the only way to get back to form is to blast the ball out the ground.

For the Wick it was a case of graft and waiting for half chances. At 110 for 1 at the 22 over drinks interval it would have been very easy for heads to go down and conceed 300+. Not a bit of it though. Team spirit galvanised a group of promising youngsters into a title winning side last year, and the early signs are that there will be a never-say-die attitude once again. The fielding effort led by new man Dan Lee in the covers and Pinball who stepped in at the last minute, was both committed and threatening.

Eventually the hard work paid off as the wise old head of Coley encouraged The Bush 2 and 3 to go large and they were bowled and caught respectively. Chances were few and far between all day but everything was taken.

Whilst the Bush skipper steadied the ship the rest of the side came and went without really registering in the memory. Shaun Whinney, making his 1's debut came into the attack and picked up 3 quick wickets, and seemed to wonder what all the fuss was about. Joey made his keeper work hard for another, Fordy got the final wicket to an LBW, and all the while Kam bowled a very tight line and length without reward.

Shepherds Bush finished 239/9, but given their position at drinks the boys had every reason to be proud of the efforts in the field. It was hot, most had little game time under their belts and the way the bowlers stuck to their task, encouraged by committed fielding spoke volumes about how far the club has moved on in recent years.

And so after 45 overs in the sun and the heat, it was off to tea to replenish spent energy. I'm afraid to say though that this was the only department in which our hosts let us down all day. Lacklustre would probably best describe it: 2/10

Dan and AJ opened up brightly. Whilst Dan manoeuvered the bowling in exemplary fashion, and played shots off the back and front foot with equal authority, AJ seemed content to wait for the bad ball. At one point it looked as though batting second might be to our advantage as the batsman had registered the conditions and made every attempt to get forward.

Eventually following a sumptuous drive straight back past the bowler for four, AJ lost concentration and looked for an even bigger shot. When watching the Shepherds Bush's Kiwi bat, what impressed me most was when he took Coley for four through midweek by moving his feet, and then as Matty moved the man from square leg to plug the gap, he waited for Coley to re-ajust his length and then milked him for a single into the then vacant square leg. Clever cricket, and the kind of thing the Wick batsman need to work on.

Coley came to the wicket in place of AJ, and started in determined mood if not a little scratchily. All seemed back on track as the pair played with patience, and the scored board ticked over in a steady fashion. When Dan mistimed one to mid-on, just short of his 50, Kam came in a looked in Bullish mood. He dispatched his 3rd ball over mid-wicket for 4 and hit the bowlers off their lengths. Meanwhile in the background Coley continued to acculmulate and play himself into form, with boundaries increasing in regularity as his timing improved.

Kamran went as the score moved past the 100 mark with a big drive, that if he'd connected with would have dissapeard back to Chiswick. It was not to be though and he skied it only as far deep long off.

That then triggered a collapse as Davies came and went without ever managing to get his feet moving, debutant Mike Forbes, got a good ball that nipped back through the gate and when Pinball left a straight one, the tail was left to play a supporting role to Coley. Garf offered little resistance and started where he left off last year with a duck, which brought in Shaun who is really starting to enjoy his batting. He was quick to crack a ball through point in the encraoching gloom and compiled a very encouraging 16.

With only Fordy and Joey, 7 overs and an impossible task left, Rich Cole looked to push on and went past fifty. When Fordy perished though Coley opened up to much and the Wick closed around the 150 mark ( I forgot to look at the scorebook), well short of the target.

The score suggests a sound beating but a lot of positives can be taken from the game, and we know the areas in which we have to improve. To lose to a good side like Shepherd's Bush will stand us in better stead than dispatching an ordinary side with ease. On our day we would push Shepherds Bush much closer and I would even fancy us to beat them, despite the huge difference in League positions.

Also there were 4 debuts for the 1's who all jumped right into the team spirit and fought shoulder to shoulder with their new team mates, in unfriendly bowling conditions.

Wick man of the match has to go to Coley for his wickets and runs, although special mentions to Dan Lee for his fine 42 and his fielding, and to Shaun for his 3 for and an encouraging knock with the bat. No one let anyone down though and it was an encouraging team performance typified by the team work ethic.

I must also put a mention in for our opponents and hosts. They were a fantastic bunch of guys and whilst I do not want to eloborate on events with a group of locals who were there for football game in the morning, I would like to thank them for their hospitality and the way they dealt a situation which threatened to spoil everyone's day. If you read this guys you are welcome down the Wick any time. On the same note, thank you to Ali our wonderful scorer who conducted herself with the class befitting a member of the Wick.