A crowded weekend of fixtures..

Catt will miss the tour http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6620091.stm

Nick Clark has criticised the timing of the Wick's quadruple header this weekend.

A depleted Wick squad is missing up to 20 players because of unavailability due to birthdays, and injury.

"Whoever put these fixtures in place needs shooting," Clark, who will miss the Sunday game with an ongoing Mother’s birthday meal problem, told Royal Cricket.

"It's unfair on the Wick building towards the League but we have to deal with it and learn from it."

Clark, who did not lead the Wick in their successful Fullers campaign in 2006, was not set to captain the Sunday game before his mother’s birthday intervened.

He admits an under-strength side will face a difficult task against LSE, who they don’t also face in their Fullers League during the Summer.

"In 2005 Matthew Davies took a full-strength side to Frimley and Old Tiffs in the summer before the Wick Barbeque," Clark noted.

"The team built well together and knew they could beat those sides, but it is different when you aren't at full-strength."

3xi vs British Airways - a Clough and Crane production

BA 1st/2nd XI vs. HWRCC 3rd XI – Saturday 28th April

D Ewen, A Risman, D Clough, A Crane ©, P Sayce, I Taylorson, D Nicholas, T Robinson, Z Tughral Jr, Alex Walters +, K Laight

There was an initial scare when we arrived at the well maintained, if not noisy BA facilities when we saw “BA 2nd XI vs. Young Lions XI”. Having a team with an average age low enough for the Arsenal team to point and laugh, we thought this wasn’t an error in team name merely a reflection of our burning desire to get our first game of the season under way. Cranesy, having captained last about 4 years ago, unsurprisingly lost the toss and we were put into the field.

Ian opened the bowling and immediately found the spot, not giving the batsmen much room to manoeuvre, bowling with good speed. Derek from the other end was swinging it more than Ray Quin jacked up on Haribo. Alex behind the stumps, myself and Cranesy in the slips knew a wicket would come early doors if the opening bowling pair carried on like that and sure enough a swipe from a wider delivery gave Derek his first ever wicket in Hampton Wick colours when Dick Ewen collected a nice catch at gully. At this point they were scoring no more than 3.5 an over and we had them at a comfortable 25-1 after 8 overs.

Their number three was one of their 1st XI batsmen, no doubt about it. Anything short, anything not on the off stump, anything small, red, and kind of round got smacked for four. Kirky was on the wrong end of some fantastic shots. Tom Robinson, this season to be known as Juicy (Clough & Crane, 2007), was bowling good stuff on the spot, only to be given the same treatment. We found out soon enough that their number four was equally talented but inspirational captain Cransey picked up his vital wicket (albeit after his century) after a spell of tight bowling slowed their run rate. An attempted clip of the legs ended up in Ian’s safe hands.

After 30 odd overs the run rate we were looking to chase was in the region of 7 an over. And if it were not for some truly outstanding fielding from Paul, it would have been considerably worse. They had amassed a massive total of 244 after 38 overs and mercifully decided to declare.

The tea was distinctively average, and certainly not on a par with the facilities they’ve been provided with by the generous folk at BA. Paul asked Skip what the tactics were going to be after the batting order was read out, to which the all knowing Cransey announced “to score more runs than they did”. With genius like this it’s easy to see why after only on one season he’s made such at impact on the people at the Wick.

Dick and Rizzo opened the batting and had a solid start. They never really looked like troubling them, although they did manage to restrict us to only a few runs after 7 or so overs. Rizzo in an attempt to push the score along was unfortunate to be caught at deep mid off, which put me onto the field. Dick Ewen was dismissed not long after, leaving Cransey and myself in the crease. 26 runs later I was walking back with my head in my hands after swinging and missing a full toss which hit middle.

Cranesy was soon after cleared up by their leggie getting an inside edge onto the stumps, departing for a brisk 19. This left the two new boys Paul Sayce and Ian Taylorson at the crease. Paul followed his good work in the field with some wonderfully played shots including one (at least) sumptuous cover drive. With Ian backing him up well the score was moving on at a decent rate.

I forget how these two departed and on what scores exactly however I know Paul must have been around 30(?).

Along came another new boy Derek who looked to work the ball around and take advantage of any bad balls that came his way. Partnered with young Tom for a while who looked comfortable against both spin and seam.

Derek departed with around two overs to go looking to move the score along to a more respectable total. Bringing forth young Zohaak, clearly frustrated with his lowly appearance in the order he looked to prove a point but this point however lasted 2 balls as he slashed wildly and skied one to point.

Alex who had a good game behind the stumps came out with little more than an over to go hit a couple of strong shots, before doing something truly indescribable on the penultimate ball. Kirk came in played and missed and that was that. At least we were spared being all out.

Overall it was a good team effort against a stronger opposition, who were strengthened by their 1XI being called off. Particular mentions must go to Paul for manful efforts in the field stopping several powerfully struck shots in the covers, young Tom for bowling an excellent line and length though his overs, and finally Alex for a fine performance with the gloves.

From this... to this... and with no fuss

On Saturday while Wickman was attempting to draw some small comfort from a cameo innings, without fuss and ceremony, something important was being done.

Throughout the 1950s and 60s a stalwart playing member of the club and later President and largely responsible, Wickman is told, for restoring the fortunes of the club following the Great Fire, MJW Lofting was about as "Wick" as you can get. In fact, in gentler times as they were, he was probably the most "Wick" of his generation if that is possible. (Wickman seems to remember debating relative Wickness with Clarky on Saturday night, but the hour was advanced and Clarky seemed to have been overcome by the sun).

Anyway. Jake has fixed the memorial benches that were on the balconies after they had been somewhat neglected over the winter. If anything, they are better looked after now than they were a year ago. Some minor restoration work apart they should continue to remind us of MJW for years to come.

If that fails, AJ has just been presented with a long forgotten trophy donated in MJW's memory too to mark his batting form in 2006 - a tradition which we mean to carry on in 2007.

Thankyou Jake for the hard work on our behalf. It didn't go unnoticed on Saturday afternoon as first the Crossbats and then others used them to watch the sun go down.

Duck Tax - From Saturday - beware

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, Wickman hears that Clarky has come up with a fundraising wheeze to make you feel better about getting a blob. Not content with watching you trudge back disconsolately having been triggered by some incompetent numpty who doesn't know the rules etc etc the club will in future be imposing a duck tax of £5 per duck (£2.50 concs - Colts exempt) plus the consumption of a beverage via Nelson. This tax applies to all games including club day. If you don't like the tax you can always vote Clarky out at the next AGM. Democracy eh? At least elections come around once a year at the Wick. Alledgedly Clarky was saved from a duck on Saturday as it has reached Wickman's ear that Clarky was "plum" on Saturday but the standing umpire, Jimmy C, (employed by Clarky's company and actually in Clarky's team at work) felt unable to give it for some strange reason. Clarky tells Wickman that there would have been big trouble had it been given as it hit him on the full but his foot was outside the line. Allways the same... The Duck Tax money will be ringfenced for a closed season purchase which members will get to vote on for the benefit of the club. Quack!

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.

Sunday xi vs Shepperton - by AJ

Having been 'stitched up' into filling the breach created by Goldy's finals, I was faced with having to motivate both myself, 6/7 other wick members, all of whom had consumed more than their fair share of Corona's/Magners the night before, and 4 bright eyed colts into a 45 over affair with Shepperton.

I could hardly complain though, having royally stitched the 2s up with their game with Old Emmanuel, and to a lesser extent, the 3s game away at BA.

The day was infinitely more enjoyable than the one occasion I captained last year, when Goldy gave me 4 players on the saturday night and cried off to play backgammon with his penpal. The outfield was pretty shoddy to say the least, but understandable given the lack of rain. The pitch was basically dead at the Millennium Wood end but played alright from the other. I won the toss and elected to bat (why would you choose to field first in 25 degree heat on a hangover?) much to the delight of the boys.

Mattyd and Zohaak opened up, and did pretty well, putting on 30 from the first ten, seeing off the new ball and picking off the odd boundary. Zohaak was playing with slightly more maturity than last year and was commendable in both defence and attack. He was followed by Garf, who proved (if briefly) that he can bat properly and get off his beloved 0, playing several effortless cut shots for four. He was unlucky to play on just after drinks and he was soon joined back in the hutch by yours truly, slashing at a wide one and getting a bottom edge to their eldery keeper.

All the while Mattyd was morphing from a man who had forgotten how to spell BDM into the player we all saw demolish attacks last year. His full array of pulls, hooks and drives were there for all to see, and he completely dominated our innings, making an accomplished 94. Indeed, this would have probably been a hundred if their players were a touch more honest with the boundary lines (alas, the groundsman has yet to paint them...ahem ahem).

Cranesey middled a bump ball into the hands of first slip and was unfairly given an over zealous send off by the oppo. Harry Copeland looked solid throughout his brief knock and his technique is definitely in good working order. Another of the colts, Alex Routledge surprised us all by middling 3 cracking boundaries in his knock of 16 (second highest scorer...oh dear) and was eventually undone by a pretty good slower ball. Fordy middled one done long off's throat and proceeded to unleash the full repertoire of his vernacular, a lot of eff's with the odd see you next tuesday thrown in for good measure. It's good to have you back mate.

We felt pretty confident at tea. 177 on a tough track was always going to be competitive. Tea was pretty special actually - how on earth DBW discovered to make a fruit salad is beyond me, but it was utterly faultless. A good deal of cold pasta was also served up, with all the usual trimmings of egg mayo, ham and cheese rolls. For once DBW had done something differently...

Our fielding and bowling effort was very decent compared to the general standard of the last few years. Appleyard and Fordy opened up, neither offering much to their rotund openers. Their Aussie had a decent eye (for a pork pie and a shandy too) and hit a couple of very well timed drives through the covers. Despite the atrocious state of the outfield, it was impressive watching everyone getting behind the ball and wearing the odd one in various parts of the anatomy (why I didn't wear a box to field in is beyond me. I must have a short memory of W&B last year).

Fordy was the first to make a breakthrough before Alex Routledge picked up 3 wickets on his senior debut. It should have been 4 but Craney dropped an absolute dolly at first slip off a well executed slower ball. If it had been a slice of Dairylea he would have caught it. Routledge bowled his full 9 overs on the bounce and didn't serve up much filth at all. Definitely one to watch this year. The Sith Lord (Steve Vaid) bowled a very consistent 9 overs, including a remarkable caught and bowled off an awful full toss.

Fordy's analysis was genius "that's the first time I've heard the bowler say 'oh sh*t' and the batsman to then say 'oh sh*t' to the same ball". Good cricket all round?? Merwin Man also bowled well on debut and was unlucky not to get any wickets.

At 120-6 (or something like that) with ten overs to go, it was game on. Craney came into the attack and bowled arguably his best spell at the Wick so far. Bowling full and straight, no one managed to get him away and he made the captain's job a whole lot easier during their run chase. Fordy came back for his last 2 overs, going for 4 runs and crucially, he picked up the wicket of another of Shepperton's 'large' hitters of the ball. Game on. 19 needed off the last 2 overs, Appleyard came back into the attack and bowled a very decent last over, only going for 6 runs at a match defining stage of the game.

11 needed off the last over, advantage Wick. That was until Craney's first was deposited from a good length into the door of one of the garages. Their supporters (a good 15 of them) were going berserk. Trying to repeat the ball the next shot, Craney's cleaned the lad up, stumps all over the place. Job done. Their last man didn't get anywhere near the next 2 balls, and bizarrely took an aimless walk down the track only to be stumped by Harry Copeland.

This was a really good game of cricket and it was encouraging to see people taking it a bit more seriously than in recent times. The colts system is obviously in rude health, and it is up to us to keep providing them cricket on a saturday and sunday to allow them to progress.

See you in 2 weeks. aj

2s vs Old Emms - or how AJ stitched us up

HWRCC 2xi vs Old Emmanual 1xi (enough said).

OE 256-4 (40 overs) No 4 100*

HWRCC 140ish – 8 (40 overs) Hibberd 33

HWRCC: A Moore, P Hibberd, D Fudge, N Clark +, C High, B Daly, D Soppitt, J Cameron, T Donnelly, D Lown, M Noor

The most important call on Saturday for the 2s was not that made at the toss by the opposition captain but the one made by Alexander George Edward Jackson when booking the fixture. Your correspondent imagines it thus:

OE Fixtures Sec Telephone: Ring ring, ringety-ring (repeat x 4) AGEJ: Lazy sold answer the phone, answer the phone OEFS: Hello, you are through to John Doe Plastics, how can I help you? AGEJ: You the fixtures sec for OEs then buddy? OEFS: Er, ah ha, yes, at work you know, got to pretend. AGEJ: Yeah me too, my boss doesn’t mind though he plays down at the club. OEFS: Lucky. Talk much cricket in the office does he? AGEJ: Yeah mate, but he’s got a rubbish imaginary square cut. ATS. FACT. Right, let’s do some business. OEFS: What have you got mate? AGEJ: Cheeky pre-season date. Looking at the 28th April. OEFS: Good stuff – I can give you our 1s. 2nd Div, Surrey Champ, job done. AGEJ: *hesitates for a microsecond before imagining his fixtures card full up* Yeah we’ll have some of that our ahem 1s will be up for that, don’t you worry, they got promoted last year and everything. OEFS: Cheers old chum. Do you play 1s then? AGEJ: Erm yes, but I will be visiting my dear old Granny that day so I won’t see you. OEFS: Toodle pip then. AGEJ: All the best phone put down hee hee hee no one will know…

And Mr Jackson was right. We didn’t know. Right up until we’d bowled about 6 overs at them and realised that both of their openers were capable of absolutely timing the leather off the ball and could look largely unconcerned when faced with some banana-like swing and raw pace from Muzzybilly and some impressively gun-barrel straight stuff from Tommy D.

The message came through loud and clear when, having finally taken a couple of wickets (Muzzy uprooting one’s leg stump with a bigggggg in-ducker and Thatsamooray taking a blinder at ankle height in the gully off Tommy D), we got to look at numbers 3 and 4. We spent some time looking at both as they went about their business. No 4 eventually assembled a fine-looking century in fact, giving only a quarter chance early on when he edged a full toss hard and fast to second slip. You might call it a half chance at test level, but to pluck this would have installed the unfortunate recipient in Wick folklore. That was not to be.

A couple of other things became apparent.

Fielding on this outfield is going to require some guts and bravery until it can be mown and it recovers from winter use as grazing for sundry deer and football prac. Right now it’s hard work. Clarky, forced into a number of last gasp leg side Peter-The-Cat- Bonnetti-type interceptions early on was much chagrined by a number of balls that pea-rolled after pitching for a second time and made him look much older and less adept than usual. Others watched the ball zig-zag past them. Still others watched it hop over their hands or fail to take an expected bounce. For a while we were truly pummelled as the ball disappeared time after time. My advice? Long barriers and to note that the 2s are now playing away from home (in the cricketing sense) until May 19th.

This particular strip has lost some oomph over the winter. The ball tends to keep low when delivered from the Kingston end. A number of our bats were to be undone failing to get forward later on and it was difficult to get the ball away all day.

Dominic Lown was to profit from the bounce to get rid of their very handy looking number 3. A right hander who looked to have the class of an overseas player, had looked very accomplished and played some beautiful straight drives before chasing a wide one that kept low, and feathering it into Clark’s gloves. At the other end the No 4, left-handed Jaapie, continued to put the ball in all the right places.

Derek Del-Boy Soppitt was perhaps the only bowler to come close to containing him and used flight and guile to keep him subdued and delay his century until the 40th over. In the meantime Del tempted the No 5 to hoist him to a nonchalant Hibberd at long on (one of those classic Hibberd will he bother to catch it ah yes he’s got it specials). Clark told the No 4 as the ball hung for ever in the sky “that’s out that is” and it was.

Jimmy C and Tommy D bowled the death overs, Jimmy bowling No 6 with a shooter that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the hands of John Wayne and between times Fudge and Hibberd turned their arms over, but in the face of withering batting from No 4.

And so to tea. Fruit salad in evidence. Egg sandwiches as per. A good sense of vinegar in the tuna numbers. Encouraging start to the season etc etc as this is a friendly, no points will be awarded.

Our reply began at 4 an over and it looked as if OEs had not brought with them their usual opening attack. And frankly, given that they are a number of divisions above us, we were playing some of their 1s it’s probably a good job too. Hibberd continued to display good early season form, racing to 33 with one or two finely timed shots while Mooray looked less comfortable in his first trot of the season.

The ball, unchanged from the first innings, began to lose whatever shine it had and the phrase “that one kept low” was much in evidence. Hibberd and Moore both perished bowled by their No 3 in quick succession, who, it transpired, bowled leg spin in the style of Anil Kumble (ie much skid and just a hint of turn). This introduced Fudge and Clark to the wicket with 7 an over needed from 30.

Now I am not saying that 7 an over was an impossibility against this attack but it seemed an unlikely mountain to climb. Not Everest, or K2 even, more, perhaps, a Killimanjaro. Something that, with things in your favour, and some preparation, you could walk to the top of without too much bother. However, the pitch was not in our favour. I thought the opposition were calling it a cabbage patch at one point, but deduced that they were referring to a rather round faced young man who resembled the dolls of the same name. At least I think I have got that right. Accurate seam-up from the Kingston end did, eventually, for Fudge attempting to guide one too many to the midwicket fence, Tommy D feeling unable to deny the bowler given that the skipper hadn’t got forward. Clark was finding it difficult to locate the middle of the bat and was scraping 1s and 2s together in place of a decent innings.

Charles High esq visited the wicket briefly and took up where he left off last year, hitting the ball as hard as he could, quickly racing to double figures, often with assistance from the fielding side. Perhaps together High and Clark could have made more of a game of it as Clark found his feet in the middle but another failure to get forward at the Mill Wood end did for High (LBW to Mooray) and Clark, having located the boundary from some “we’d like to keep you interested so we’re going to toss some up” bowling perished at mid on for 25. Not before, mind you, setting himself to play a back foot pull shot (anticipating something about knee high) and having to play a hockey-style slap to keep a pea-roller out.

Some circumspect batting from Ben Daly and Jimmy C (work in the front room of his Clapham flat has ensured a more correct style than that evidenced over the winter) ensured we did not capitulate tamely and Del and Tommy D, in contrasting styles, brought the total to some respectability. Jimmy and Muzzy lasted out the final few overs of “right you have a go” bowling and handshakes were exchanged.

Some lessons were learned. Until the outfield clears up, bravery may just determine who wins games. Captains will choose which bowlers to use at which end to take account of the bounce. And we must all play much straighter and on the front foot for the moment. Despite a sound thumping in this encounter, spirit remained constant and it’s interesting to note that despite some dodgy ground fielding, what chances came our way were accepted.

With the xbats playing at home on Saturday, work being done on the benches and elsewhere, with a social in the evening (I can report that the London Pride was at a good temperature – I kept going back to check all night) and non-playing members in evidence it was an encouraging start to the season. Now it only remains to make sure that AGE Jackson esq hasn’t stitched up any more sides. The relative safety of league fixtures aside, look out anyone playing Wednesday, Sunday or 3s…

The Art of Spin

There is always fashions and trends in sport, and cricket is no different. Be it a bowling action as alluded to by Wickman in his Crazy Actions article, or the England teams favourite way of getting out, the reverse sweep.

There is a new technique sweeping through the world of spin bowling though, which is causing mystery and myrth in equal abundance, and appears to be central to a spinners armoury now: The obtrusive tongue.

Both Brad Hogg and Monty Panesar use their tongues ritually before delivering. Whilst Hogg chews, Monty licks. It is still not clear what advantage is gained from the ostentacious display of the mastication organ but it is definately contagious. The spin bowlers union seem to have had their annual meeting and decided that this a fine contribution to their art. Whether it for discreet application of saliva to the ball, or to distract the batsman into thinking they have a date for the post game dinner is difficult to say.

What we can reveal for certain however is the source of this dark art. It is of course the Wick's very own Chairman Keith 'Mao' Nicholls. We asked Keith to comment but he declined. This is obviously a darker art than first feared and as closely guarded as the magic circle.

So if you see Nicholls chew his tongou as he trots into bowl to you this year, be afraid. Be very afraid!

Wickman's week - Thursday

Thursday is a bad cricket day for Wickman. 20 minutes on the internet reading about how bad the Jaapies were, a quick look at the county scores and then... nothing. Nothing until he can get away to nets. Wickman would, in fact, actually be depressed if it wasn't for the fact that the Wick flag arrived by courier last night. Wickman had a "special" photographic session with the flag but realised that the photos were unsuitable for a family blog like ours. He's looking forward to getting all hot and sweaty at nets before tieing it up, running it up his pole and letting it dangle in the wind... which will while away some of the time before Saturday's games.

Wickman's Week - Wednesday - 16 3rd xi fixtures

Wickman is unfit. A couple of days on a bike to work, a net and some fielding practice and he's aching like an octogenarian with rheumatoid arthritis and throbbing like a Pole in Zizzi with a pair of scissors and a pathological dislike for sausage. It's a good day for cricket but a bad day for South Africans. As Wickman writes they are attempting to claw themselves back to a respectable total in semi-final number 2... but it all looks a bit forlorn. It's a good day for the 3rd xi. AJ rings Wickman to tell him that, on balance, he reckons the 3s are more than capable of playing away fixtures as well as home ones so he'll now be booking in games not just at home on the weekends when Crossbats are playing away, but also away fixtures on alternate weekends. So that's 16 games for the 3s this year then... Wickman struggles with mathematics but he reckons that we'll be putting out the best part of 80 sides this year...

The team that Matty and Fudgey could have picked...

There are more than 50 playing members signed up this year. Fudgey emailed Wickman to let him know who wasn't available this weekend... you could pick this team for any fixture this year... but who would carry the drinks and who would umpire? L. Webster, T. Goodwin, I. Greenwood, Z. Tughral SNR, MS, M. Goulborn, G. Unsworth, P. Linter, J. Ratnage, N. Doddy, A. Mahoney, T. Austin Oh yes, and by the way, subs are due...

All a flutter

After the first big games of the season this Saturday, social secretary Hibberd and sidekicks Fudge and Lowns will be hosting the first social of the season down the Wick. Whether you are playing or not, ditch the kids / mother-in-law / annoying mates who don't like talking about cricket and join us for a night of carousing, cricket chat and betting. Late bar. Cricket chat. Horses. Beer. Wine (if you must). Spirits (a must). You know it makes sense... the rules are a bit lively, but basically you'll need a Luciano (tenner) and some beer tokens. The Luciano will include some food. The winning team will make 100 big ones. Pass these details on to anyone who you can't see on the email list...