SAT 21ST AUGUST - TEAM NEWS

HWRCC 1ST XI V Chobham (Away)

1) Davies
2) Ali
3) Rashid
4) Raza ©
5) Cronin
6) Madoc-Jones C
7) Crowther
8) Holland +
9) Tong
10) McMullan
11) Unsworth

Umpire: K. Nicholls
Scorer: A. Whicher

Meet: 11:30
Start: 13:30

HWRCC 2ND XI V Godalming (Home)

1) Cole
2) Goulborn
3) Fudge ©
4) Mackie +
5) Jackson
6) Singh
7) Soppitt
8) Marfleet
9) Donnelly
10) Webster
11) Lown

Umpire: S. Riley
Scorer: N/A

Meet: 12:00
Start: 13:00

HWRCC 3RD XI V Esher (Away)

1) Risman
2) Lloyd
3) Hirsch
4) Copeland H +
5) Edmonds
6) Bendall
7) Cameron ©
8) Selves
9) Robinson
10) Linter
11) Charlton

Umpire: N/A
Scorer: N/A

Meet: 11:30
Start: 13:00

WICK

TEAM NEWS - SAT 14TH AUGUST

HWRCC 1ST XI V Ripley C.C. (Home)

1) Davies
2) Ali
3) Rashid
4) Raza ©
5) Cronin
6) Tughral Zo
7) High
8) Murray +
9) Tong
10) McMullan
11) Tughral Zam

Umpire: K. Nicholls
Scorer: A. Whicher

Meet: 12:00
Start: 13:30

HWRCC 2ND XI V Maori Oxshott C.C. (Away)

1) Goulborn
2) Singh
3) Fudge ©
4) Mackie
5) Jackson
6) Soppitt
7) Sexton +
8) Marfleet
9) Donnelly
10) Webster
11) Lown

Umpire: S. Riley
Scorer: N/A

Meet: 11:30
Start: 13:00

HWRCC 3RD XI V Purley (Away)

1) Risman
2) Lloyd
3) Crowther
4) Hirsch
5) Copeland H +
6) Edmonds
7) Cameron ©
8) Selves
9) Robinson
10) Linter
11) Charlton

Umpire: N/A
Scorer: N/A

Meet: 11:30
Start: 13:00

WICK

And Something Slightly Less Rare...

The Old Charlie High duck fella... QUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

Club Day Record Smashed...

Club Day is legendary. Each year something extraordinary happens to trump previous extravagances. In the accompanying video Wickman captures the moment where the first ever all run eight (yes eight - count them) was scored by Hulkomniacs skipper Matt Chinin. Unbelievable Geoff!

HWRCC 1xi v Byfleet (a). Match abandoned.

Two things are certain in life – Death and Taxes. However three things are certain in Wick – rain, selection issues and rain. Make that four things – it will also rain at some point during the season.

My memory has served me well these past few years. I’ve always managed to remember the month of the Mrs’ birthday (May), even if the exact date changes. Its not often I forget my phone, although when it does happen I get all giddy inside as when I get home I get to see who sent me texts during the day. I can also remember most times Saturdays were wiped out due to rain. Despite global warming, its definitely been a while since an abandoned game. Sanderstead earlier this year came close, although in the end we could have somehow won that one. Byfleet unfortunately was a different story as halfway through the game the world seemingly ended when a body of water roughly equivalent to the Caspian Sea fell in 20 short minutes. Lifejackets were called, but in the end the flood defences stood firm and we were saved.

I shouldn’t make light of flooding given current world news, but I will nevertheless.

KavarornHEYRaza won the toss and proudly announced we would bowl. Joy unconfined as you can imagine. At one point Linter needed a paper bag to regulate his oxygen intake he was so excited.

Tong and Ali opened up with varying degrees of success. Full tosses aren’t the ideal delivery on a green top, unless of course your name is Batty McRunhungry. McRunhungry took advantage of a few of these. In fact, he scored 39 runs in all, although there were some good shots in there too. It was a decent enough track, although if it misbehaved it mid so with such alarm even Linter was heard to call for the ol’ Piano sledge (see if he can play that). Ali was his usual mix of outrageous/unplayable and frustratingly wayward. At this point the small ground/quick outfield combo was proving an exciting prospect and wickets and runs both flowed. Tong was the better of the openers, more consistent and threatening. An lbw, and bowled (played on to a leaper) and a first catch for Murray on debut (Pineapple Dance Studios haircut et al) behind the Barrys. Linter also held an excellent steepler when McRunhungry skied one straight up. Well held – balls of steel (or white chocolate depending how you view these things).

Enter the Rash. His extra height and loopier action immediately caused issues with Byfleets troops. Immo is my nemesis in the nets, cheeky little snicks off the shoulder of the bat etc. He dobblies were nibbling like a rabid hamster and his effort was rewarded with a stone lbw to the dangerous #5 Buzaglo (Google: Woking, FA Cup, Buzaglo).

Raza joined in the fun (or ordeal) and pounded away (ahem) for a good 10 overs seeking edges. He found some, as well as a bit of timber. Davies took a very good catch (not excellent, but very good), diving forward a deep point/gully to remove the increasingly dangerous #7, before proceedings were rounded off with Byfleet all out for 155 off 43 overs. Tong returned to claim a cheeky michelle at the end, although in honesty we should have cleaned them up for no more than 120. The pitch was a Fordy Mate special.

Teas – decent. Fresh. Simple, but effective. Attractive tea girl (FIFY). Test match banter. Byfleet a good bunch of lads. 6/10.

Ali and Davies were padded up. Davies early, Ali late. ATS. We got to the middle in rain. Had you started you could have continued in this, but it was a bit keen to play in what was not cricket conditions.

Davies: ‘If we’d started, Id be OK to continue in these conditions, but you can’t start in this’
Umpire (Home): Hmmmm......hands stretched out. Lets go off.
Home team: WHAT? WHAT FOR? FOPR F*CKS SAKE. ITS BARELY RAINING!

5 seconds later the walk off becomes a run off as Armageddon strikes.

Home team: That’s why you’re umpire. Good call. Beer?

Game abandoned 30 minutes later when it became obvious that the 8 inches puddles won’t drain by 1830. And if they did, the game would be Micky mouse anyway.

Wick have had 2 games abandoned this year – No-one else has had any (apart from GC and Byfleet whom we were playing against). I cant remember the last time that happened.

Fantasy cricket week 13

TEAM NEWS - SAT 31ST JULY

HWRCC 1ST XI V Lingfield C.C. (Home)

1) Ali

2) Davies

3) Rashid

4) Raza ©

5) Cronin

6) Crowther

7) High

8) Holland +

9) Tong

10) Tughral Zam

11) Linter

Umpire: K. Nicholls Scorer: A. Whicher

Meet: 12:00 Start: 13:30

HWRCC 2ND XI v Old Hamptonians C.C. (Away)

1) Cole

2) Singh

3) Fudge ©

4) Mackie

5) Jackson

6) Soppitt

7) Sexton +

8) Goodwin

9) Unsworth

10) Webster

11) Lown

Umpire: S. Riley Scorer: N/A

Meet: 11:45 Start: 13:00

HWRCC 3RD XI V Merstham C.C. (Away)

1) Hirsch

2) Edmonds

3) Kemp

4) Tughral Zo

5) Copeland H +

6) Cameron ©

7) Selves

8) Robinson

9) Bendall

10) Smith

11)

Umpire: N/A Scorer: N/A

Meet: 11:15 Start: 13:00

WICK

2ND XI MATCH REPORT - FARNCOMBE (AWAY)

Result: Hampton Wick Royal CC - 2nd XI win 100 overs by 112 runs

Date: Sat 24th Jul 2010 @ 13:00

Ground: Farncombe CC - Broadwater Park

Type: League : Division 5 - 2nd XI

Toss: Farncombe CC - 2nd XI won the toss and decided to bowl

Highlights: Mackie 92 Marfleet 70 Webster 4/39

"Mackies Runs leave Farncome with a sick feeling inside"

The Wick second Xi travelled to Farncombe with one of the strongest sides this correspondent has seen. With a strong batting line up and a bowling quartet boasting many a first team wicket amongst them, confidence was high. Having witnessed the home side smashing over 300 runs last season, it was assumed that the wicket would be a road. However, the Farncombe bowlers obviously knew their wicket well and bowling just short of a length, made the early going hard.

Having lost the toss and been put in, Coley and Goldy looked comfortable before both perishing trying the push the ball into the leg side, Coley bowled and Goldy caught and bowled excellently. Fudgey tried to steady the ship before also losing his wicket bowled playing a leg sided shot whilst AJ soon followed having looked ridiculously comfortable, bowled trying to play a cover drive off a yorker on middle stump!

At 40-4 it wasn’t looking great for the Wick. A stroke of luck followed for the wick when Farncombe best bowled pulled his hammy and had to be removed from the attack – still three top order scalps in six overs is a pretty good return.

Mackie and Del Boy settled for a while, playing cautiously whilst putting away the bad ball which appeared each over. Del Boy played well for his 18 before controversially being caught behind – Del maintains he didn’t hit it but there was a sound – it’s not easy. Richie and Mackie carried on the solid if unspectacular batting taking the score into three figures and with the bowlers tiring, the batsmen were now top. Richie was bowled trying to pull a ball that didn’t quite get up but all that succeeded in doing was bring Jack Marfleet to the crease.

An amazing feat of big hitting and good running saw Marfleet hit 70 runs in next to no time, and Marfleet and Mackie managed to put on 120 runs for the 7th wicket. Epic stuff and it fully demoralised the Farncombe players. Marfleet finally fell stumped and was soon followed by Goodwin, trying to work the ball to get Mackie on strike as he closed in on his maiden league hundred (well, since we joined the surrey leagues anyway!) Alas, it wasn’t to be, Mackie caught by the keeper from a skier on 92. Webbo smashed a couple of fours to take the Wick over 250 before JB was run out, despite the textbook dive.

It really was a super effort from the Wick to recover from 40-4 to post over 250 and it was plain to see at tea that Farncombe were not too confident on reaching the total.

Teas are hard to rate as this reporter had ‘an upset stomach’ so was unable to eat more that a quarter of a sandwich. However it looked very nice and had a good selection so I’ll plumb for a 7.5.

Opening up for the Wick were Webbo and Tid who both bowled with pace and accuracy. The first wicket to fall was a fantastic, one handed, caught and bowled by Webbo – so impressive that the batsmen had turned around assuming it was a four! Tid then got in on the act with a textbook fast bowlers wicket – bouncer followed by yorker, bowled, thank you very much. It seemed you couldn’t keep Tid out the game as an over later he managed to adjust his hat before firing in a 30yard direct hit as the batsmen tried a tight second run. 30 odd for 3, Farncombe were in the same boat as the Wick.

Unfortunately for Farncombe, the Wick never let their foot off the pedal. Tid snared another one, again a bouncer followed by one pitched up, LBW, perfect. Webbo got two more, JB came into the attack and took a couple both bowled and Marfleet got his first wicket of the season with Webbo showing much safer hands than last time he was on the Farncombe outfield. Number 10 and 11 showed the rest of Farncombe how to get runs – Bray was even batting on one leg! They managed to put on 60 odd to before Webbo finally ended it, bowling Wylde for 52.

A fantastic Wick performance, from a dogged batting display through to an excellent fielding display via some fiery bowling, not one chance was shelled and there wasn’t even one misfiled – and no extras either!

The win keeps the 2s right in the hunt for promotion and if we can continue to perform like this, there is every chance that we will achieve it.

BELIEVE

MOM - MARK "MELMAN" MACKIE (ABOVE)

GETTING WICK WITH... JACK MARFLEET

Getting WICK with... JACK MARFLEET

1 Nickname(s): Horse, Maestro, Maaaarrrrfleet, Windscreen, Wacko, Dr Yes and Le Bladder.

2 Highest Score for the Wick: 70 v Farncome = 2nd XI League = 24/07/2010.

3 Best Bowling fo the Wick: 4/32 v Old Tiffinians = 20/20 League = 30/06/2010.

4 Favourite Away Ground: None - the Wick is the only place to play cricket. I can't also remember any nice away grounds.

5 Favourite Food: Pasta - with a bit of sauce though, would be a bit dry otherwise.

6 Favourite Singer/Band: Muse - live they are even better.

7 Favourite Movie: Old School.

8 Favourite Book: Freakonomics - Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner.

9 Favourite Pub/Club: Any bar in the sun on the beach!

10 Favourite Crisps: Any flavour of Kettle Chips with Tzatziki dip.

11 Favourite DBW Sandwich: Egg Mayonnaise.

12 Favourite Quote: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" = Wayne Gretzky.

13 Childhood Sports Hero: Gavin Peacock.

14 Best Wick Moment: 2000 tour to Sussex - absolutely comedy of a week!

15 Worst Wick Moment: Where to start... a. Having retrieved a ball from the other side of the old 6 foot fences as the Wick, on my way back falling head first to the floor. b. Putting beers in my bath on tour, but not adding any water to keep them cool. c. Any catch dropped off Dick Ewen - which was a few. d. Hitting "the" windscreen on the 2000 tour.

16 Invite 3 People to Dinner (Dead or Alive): Ricky Gervais, Karl Pilkington and Jennifer Anniston.

WICK

fantasy cricket week 12

Match Report - 1xi vs Weybridge Vandals

Weybridge Vandals 1xi beat HWRCC 1xi by 39 runs.

Not good enough. That's why we're not going to get promoted this year. In previous seasons we have been good enough. Easily in fact. Often screwed out of it in fact. But not this year. Not this time. Saturday was a classic example of this.

We won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to bowl. A placid pitch was met with some good ol' fashioned straight bowling, with Unsworth searchnig for swing and Ewen seeking a bit of ridgy bounce. On swing, so on came Whinney who got one to keep low and bowled the oppo skipper.

There followed the best catch I have ever seen. Imran at a close gully, with Ewen bowling full pelt, snaffled one down low left handed right by his feet. It wasn't an edge, it was middled. A simply insane piece of fielding. Some of his reactions are breathtaking.

The #4 was a bit of an embarassment and didnt last long - caught at gully. #5 middled a cover drive straight to a juggling Raza off Val Kilner. #6 played some decent straight drives, but Raza's introduction caught him unawares and he was bowled for not many.

At the other end the strong Saffa opener continued to bully his way through, dealing primarily in boundaries, including some towering mows off Raza. Kam soon had his man, Ewen stationed under the clock bucketing one.

At 100-5 The Wick were sitting pretty, when a mini partnership emerged - one of Ali's overs going for 19, whilst #7 seemed to hang around longer than perhaps he should have. One lbw decision was ridiculous, but he only perhaps added 15 more after this shout.

Ewen returned at the death to clean up the tail with good old fashioned fast stuff - taking 5 for the 3rd time against Vandals.

154 all out and The Wick were definitely in control. Tea as standard.

Skies had clouded over somewhat during the interval, and Jonathan Powell from the Kingsfield end proved to be a tricky customer - bowling off the wrong foot and hooping it like Tongy does. His contribution proved to be decisive, but only after Davies had managed to snick one off the other opener who was all huff and guff but as the figures show was no world beater.

Ali, like the oppo skipper, got a shooter (although this was a pea roller), and he departed. Cronin and Raza then in turn got jaffas from J Powell, both bowled. Imran, surviving a loud shout first up, was looking set, unleashing some booming drives and cuts, before getting shot down by the only decision made by an umpire in the game - classic that it happened to be an absolute stinker and that it was against our most dangerous batsman of the day.

This was another Wick collapse unfolding and despite a few bldugeons from High, who again fell to a J Powell hoop, it was left to Ewen and Whinney to see if their calm heads could get us over the line. Their partnership was measured and sensible, but ultimately unsuccessful, Ewen being caught at mid wicket, with the rest not lasting much longer.

At 114 all out I've seen far worse batting displays, but the score suggests a battering. In reality credit must go to Powell who bowled straight all day and kept asking questions, with the odd beauty thrown in there. For us, you could say we could have been more proactive and taken some risks. Ali showed the way, keen to hit the shine off the ball, before being undone by the pitch.

As I said at the start, this season we've had done to us what we've been doing to other teams over the past few years - just enough. With a few exceptions, we lost games/points foolishly and that has cost us. Saturday did have a feel of season underachievement before we started. We'd lost all reasonable chance of promotion a month ago and it was confirmed this weekend. Teams like Merrow and Vandals, who we'd beaten comfortably in years gone by, both looked the better team against us this year, which is why they're in the top 4 and we aren't.

So be it. I can think of worse things in life. If it was easy it wouldn't mean as much when you get it right.

MOM - Ewen 5-32, although Imran was unlucky to be triggered when set and alongside the catch of the century he would have taken plaudits in a parallel universe.

[Joe Ewen's hands - Ed]

3s "stay alive" after salvaging draw

Farnham - 266 for 7 off 49 overs, drew with Hampton Wick - 138 for 8 off 51 overs

The Wick's very own answer to Planet Jedward - "Chedward" - may need to add another song to their popular and upbeat covers of S Club 7 hits if they are to continue their popularity in Japan, USA, the world. Yes, perhaps the Bee Gees classic "Staying Alive" should be added to "Reach" and "Don't stop movin'" after the 3s kept their promotion chances alive after holding on to a valiant losing draw against Farnham on the weekend.

The game was entirely unremarkable and warrants little detail in all honesty. Three of the 3s players got stuck in traffic and arrived at the game almost an hour late, which gave the side an almost impossible chance of getting a victory. And with Farnham looking to exploit the advantage by batting first rather than try to skittle the 3s out, it was unsurprising that they would try and bat to make as high a score as possible. It was a decision that would later backfire on them big time.

Despite the best efforts of Chedward - who bowled a magnificent opening spell (he would have had several wickets if the players were there to catch the ball) and the tireless performance of Tommy D, Farnham amassed a huge total of 266 off 49 overs. They were a good batting side no doubt, but the score was always going to be too difficult to chase down in all honesty. The Wick would still give it a good go though...

Teas - chocolate cake at the tea interval is an interesting one for mine, particularly given the bowel movements of the 3s squad. Gastric seems to be a common problem for a lot of the boys, and i dare say if the advertisers of ducoease or an equally sufficient laxative company were to sign the side up, their products would fly off the shelves...or should that be splatter? Interesting. Either way, Selvesy filled his boots. Jimmy didn't look at the cake at all - having recalled an incident two years back when DBW produced a cake that, after consumption, forced him to run from the main square on a sunday match, to empty himself onto the porcelain friend behind the home changing room. As Jimmy recalls, he shouted "release the demons!!!" as every bit of his intestines were emptied. It took 20 minutes before he could return to the field. Apparently the Wick won the match.

N-Dubz (Nathan) and Lloydy went the tap early on to try and chase down the total, and to be fair to them, they got off to a lightening start. The 3s were 50 for 0 off just 7 overs and looked to be the goods. Then a mini collapse happened. Lloydy, Zo, Hirshy, Nathan, and Tommy D all got bowled. 94 for 5 it soon became, but with 32 overs to go, it seemed a little too early to shut up shop.

Harry manfully tried to keep the scores ticking over, but it was clear that Jimmy, a level-headed and fairly considered individual who never speaks out of turn, had decided that enough was enough. Farnham were going to have to get past the 3s forward defences to win the match, and the constant barrage of abuse only served to egg the players on, particularly Jimmy. Dick Ewan would have loved it had he been there.

After Harry went out, came back again, then went out again, it was left to Chedward, Tommy Robinson and Jimmy to see out the last 30 overs. It was painstaking stuff, made all the more enjoyable by the fact that the Farnham skipper got angrier and angrier with the 3s dogged defensiveness. Jimmy taunted him on a number of occasions by suggesting that they had batted too long, and that he had made a decisive error. Perhaps the banter got a little out of hand towards the end of the match, as the umpire was called in on a few occasions to keep the chat to a minimum.

After Chedward went out, Tommy Robinson and Jimmy had to see off the last 80 odd balls. Apparently, they counted down the number of balls they each had to face to end the match. 18 for you. 12 for me. 12 for me. 6 for you. Finally it came down to the last over with Jimmy on strike. All it needed was to see off 5 balls and the 3s would be depriving Farnham of crucial points in their promotion chase. Jimmy was resolute, determined, and as feisty as ever. In the back of his mind though, he was concerned that Selves would be in next, having eaten most of that cake. One can't imagine the rivers of effluent that would have flowed onto the pitch had he been tasked to come on for the last few balls.

Thankfully, Jimmy managed to see it through to the end. 130 odd balls faced. 13 runs scored not out. 1 point for the Wick, and more importantly, only 4 for Farnham who blew their chance on getting a big win. With five matches to go in the season, and the match that Keith describes as a "classic 26-pointer" against Purley still to come, it might still go down to the wire. Who knows. The 3s aren't done yet for 2010. Believe.

Wickman Junior