HWRCC team:
Mackie | Cole | Davies* | Razi | Bishop | Hibber | Forbes | Crane | Jones+ | Ewen | Ford
Wandgas won the toss and elected to field.
HWRCC - 197/7 off 50
Davies 46 | Hibberd 34 | Razzi 32 | Forbes 28*
Kriel 4/52
Wandgas - 165/7 off 45
Wraight 41 | Hobart 33
Ewen 3/37 | Razzi 2/27
Winning Draw in favour of Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club
With TMS in it's 50th year of live cricket commentary forgive me ths week if I beg steal and borrow the words of one of one it's tide mark orators. The man of the imperishable voice. Answers on an email please. (gruffjones@hotmail.com)
Cricket is not a matter of endings. It flows; as a season ends in one country, a fresh one begins in another. Cricketers rarely think in terms of endings; that is why they find them so bitter. It is a matter of people and places; nowhere more so than in the steady trundle round the English leagues, so warm with associations. That circuit, a sequence of calendars, similar but not the same, is the circulation of the blood of cricket. To some it seems monotonous; but it is not; no season is the same as the one before; always there is some degree of change, essentially of progress, as the game falls into step with the community that supports it.
Having skipped out of Fullers League Two relatively quickly we face many new teams and new challenges this year, but a game against Wandgas so early in the season was like a security blanket, lightly perfumed with familiarity. We knew what to expect as did they, whilst also knowing they would provide new challenges, but having beaten them last year it was a game we approached with relish.
Indeed the familiarity did not end there, as once again at their ground we lost the toss and were invited to bat. Mackie and Cole opened up, for the Wick and it was quickly realised that it was going to be a slow track that would be hard to score on as Cole was trapped LBW trying to force a ball off the back foot.
Davies joined Mackie and looked circumspect as he looked to build the innings slowly. Meanwhile Mackie was starting to add some sumptuous drives square of the wicket to his resolute defence. One cover drive was the stroke of a man knocking a thistle top off with a walking stick.
Eventually Mackie (18) was duped into chasing a ball that was just a bit wider and he edged behind. The bowler Singh, had a curious run up with slightly bent knees, like Groucho Marx chasing a pretty waitress.
Things became turgid for a long period as Razi and Davies sought the foundations from which to attack. Both played with a great price on their wicket. Even when choosing the aerial route there was an air of certainty that the shot was definately on. The score ticked on slowly to around the 120 mark, until in the 35th over when skipper Davies decided with wickets in hand it was time to push on. The plan didn't work though as he mistimed the ball straight to mid-off and departed for 46.
Bishop departed in similar fashion for 5 as even his brute force wasn't enough to force the ball and the pitch to do anything beyond their lethargic embrace. Hibby brought up from the 2's to add some joie d'vivre to the batting line up, after Webbo cried off at the 11th hour, then gave the innings the impetus it required as Kam tired, having compiled 32 of the hardest to come by runs he will probably make all year.
When Kam fell caught in the deep, Mike Forbes (28*) joined Hibby(34) and suddenly 200 looked a real proposition as Davies weighed up whether to use the full allotment of overs. Both took advantage of the work done by the top order and the score suddenly galloped to 197 off 50, despite losing Hibby and Crane (0) late on. Matty decided that was enough, not wanting to starve his bowlers of time to force a victory and exuded a confidence that suggested he believed that whilst not a massive score, 197 was going to be a tough total.
Whilst the umpires and scorers did the a bit of mental arithmetic with a calculator to work out the possible win/lose/draw scoring permeatations, the two sides tucked into tea. I can't mark it this week as I didn't have any. Please add your marks in the comments section below.
In reply Wandgas started with due caution. Ford and Ewen began the Wicks search for 10 wickets. Ford did not have the best of days as the ball under fluctuating skies showed him the kind of distain a young boy shows for his teenage babysitter.
Meanwhile, with the wind and sun on his back Ewen bowled like a shire-horse on the crest of a wave. Removing Vincent and number 3 McClean in quick succession he bowled superbly. One over to Wraight was quite simply too good. Moving the ball away with delicate variations in pace, the Wangas opener who went on to make a fine 41 was wrapped up in string and flung out for the cats to play with.
Razi and Bishop replaced the openers and with the keeper up to the stumps continued to keep things tight. When Wraight was eventually trapped LBW by Razi, Gnanaskandan and Hobart started to rebuild the innings. As these two began to work the ball around all results were possible. Gnanaskandan played especially well, timing the ball as well as anyone had all day. When he got a absolute shooter though, Razi roared his delight like a lion announcing his kill on the Serengety.
With Hobart (33) starting to find some fluency and the big hitting Palmer at the crease Davies gave his bowlers protection. With Mackie sweeping the larger of the two boundaries and Bishop on the other, the 178 required for the winning draw and the 198 required for the victory looked achievable but not without great risk. Eventually Mackie relieved himself in front of the Pavillion after a poking from the exuberant Chelsea fans at the ground.
Meanwhile the Wick skipper turned to the off-spin of Cole, and brought back Ewen. This all but sealed the game as Cole trapped Hobart straight in front and Ewen had Palmer well caught by Bishop. Ford also picked up the late wicket of Wandgas skipper Singh caught at point by the nearly (TFC) man Crane, but the vultures were standing in line for a draw.
Despite being slow and occasionally low, it was not a results pitch in 95 overs. Batsman from both sides played with patience. The game was very similar to last years and although the win eluded their grasp the Wick deserved the positive result and shouldn't be too dissapointed by the result. Controlled batting, good tight bowling, especially from Ewen, and excellent fielding shows the side are growing into the season.
Maybe most encouraging of all this weekend was the strength in the Wick squad. Despite 20+ players unavailable, there was still enough in the tank for the 1's to claim the Lion's share of the points, the 2's to smash and grab 20 points, and the 3's coast to victory.
WICK
Photos to follow shortly
Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club * 1863 - 2013 * 150 Glorious Seasons
Monday, 21 May 2007
Wandgas Vs HWRCC 1st XI
HWRCC team:
Mackie | Cole | Davies* | Razi | Bishop | Hibber | Forbes | Crane | Jones+ | Ewen | Ford
Wandgas won the toss and elected to field.
HWRCC - 197/7 off 50
Davies 46 | Hibberd 34 | Razzi 32 | Forbes 28*
Kriel 4/52
Wandgas - 165/7 off 45
Wraight 41 | Hobart 33
Ewen 3/37 | Razzi 2/27
Winning Draw in favour of Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club
With TMS in it's 50th year of live cricket commentary forgive me ths week if I beg steal and borrow the words of one of one it's tide mark orators. The man of the imperishable voice. Answers on an email please. (gruffjones@hotmail.com)
Cricket is not a matter of endings. It flows; as a season ends in one country, a fresh one begins in another. Cricketers rarely think in terms of endings; that is why they find them so bitter. It is a matter of people and places; nowhere more so than in the steady trundle round the English leagues, so warm with associations. That circuit, a sequence of calendars, similar but not the same, is the circulation of the blood of cricket. To some it seems monotonous; but it is not; no season is the same as the one before; always there is some degree of change, essentially of progress, as the game falls into step with the community that supports it.
Having skipped out of Fullers League Two relatively quickly we face many new teams and new challenges this year, but a game against Wandgas so early in the season was like a security blanket, lightly perfumed with familiarity. We knew what to expect as did they, whilst also knowing they would provide new challenges, but having beaten them last year it was a game we approached with relish.
Indeed the familiarity did not end there, as once again at their ground we lost the toss and were invited to bat. Mackie and Cole opened up, for the Wick and it was quickly realised that it was going to be a slow track that would be hard to score on as Cole was trapped LBW trying to force a ball off the back foot.
Davies joined Mackie and looked circumspect as he looked to build the innings slowly. Meanwhile Mackie was starting to add some sumptuous drives square of the wicket to his resolute defence. One cover drive was the stroke of a man knocking a thistle top off with a walking stick.
Eventually Mackie (18) was duped into chasing a ball that was just a bit wider and he edged behind. The bowler Singh, had a curious run up with slightly bent knees, like Groucho Marx chasing a pretty waitress.
Things became turgid for a long period as Razi and Davies sought the foundations from which to attack. Both played with a great price on their wicket. Even when choosing the aerial route there was an air of certainty that the shot was definately on. The score ticked on slowly to around the 120 mark, until in the 35th over when skipper Davies decided with wickets in hand it was time to push on. The plan didn't work though as he mistimed the ball straight to mid-off and departed for 46.
Bishop departed in similar fashion for 5 as even his brute force wasn't enough to force the ball and the pitch to do anything beyond their lethargic embrace. Hibby brought up from the 2's to add some joie d'vivre to the batting line up, after Webbo cried off at the 11th hour, then gave the innings the impetus it required as Kam tired, having compiled 32 of the hardest to come by runs he will probably make all year.
When Kam fell caught in the deep, Mike Forbes (28*) joined Hibby(34) and suddenly 200 looked a real proposition as Davies weighed up whether to use the full allotment of overs. Both took advantage of the work done by the top order and the score suddenly galloped to 197 off 50, despite losing Hibby and Crane (0) late on. Matty decided that was enough, not wanting to starve his bowlers of time to force a victory and exuded a confidence that suggested he believed that whilst not a massive score, 197 was going to be a tough total.
Whilst the umpires and scorers did the a bit of mental arithmetic with a calculator to work out the possible win/lose/draw scoring permeatations, the two sides tucked into tea. I can't mark it this week as I didn't have any. Please add your marks in the comments section below.
In reply Wandgas started with due caution. Ford and Ewen began the Wicks search for 10 wickets. Ford did not have the best of days as the ball under fluctuating skies showed him the kind of distain a young boy shows for his teenage babysitter.
Meanwhile, with the wind and sun on his back Ewen bowled like a shire-horse on the crest of a wave. Removing Vincent and number 3 McClean in quick succession he bowled superbly. One over to Wraight was quite simply too good. Moving the ball away with delicate variations in pace, the Wangas opener who went on to make a fine 41 was wrapped up in string and flung out for the cats to play with.
Razi and Bishop replaced the openers and with the keeper up to the stumps continued to keep things tight. When Wraight was eventually trapped LBW by Razi, Gnanaskandan and Hobart started to rebuild the innings. As these two began to work the ball around all results were possible. Gnanaskandan played especially well, timing the ball as well as anyone had all day. When he got a absolute shooter though, Razi roared his delight like a lion announcing his kill on the Serengety.
With Hobart (33) starting to find some fluency and the big hitting Palmer at the crease Davies gave his bowlers protection. With Mackie sweeping the larger of the two boundaries and Bishop on the other, the 178 required for the winning draw and the 198 required for the victory looked achievable but not without great risk. Eventually Mackie relieved himself in front of the Pavillion after a poking from the exuberant Chelsea fans at the ground.
Meanwhile the Wick skipper turned to the off-spin of Cole, and brought back Ewen. This all but sealed the game as Cole trapped Hobart straight in front and Ewen had Palmer well caught by Bishop. Ford also picked up the late wicket of Wandgas skipper Singh caught at point by the nearly (TFC) man Crane, but the vultures were standing in line for a draw.
Despite being slow and occasionally low, it was not a results pitch in 95 overs. Batsman from both sides played with patience. The game was very similar to last years and although the win eluded their grasp the Wick deserved the positive result and shouldn't be too dissapointed by the result. Controlled batting, good tight bowling, especially from Ewen, and excellent fielding shows the side are growing into the season.
Maybe most encouraging of all this weekend was the strength in the Wick squad. Despite 20+ players unavailable, there was still enough in the tank for the 1's to claim the Lion's share of the points, the 2's to smash and grab 20 points, and the 3's coast to victory.
WICK
Photos to follow shortly
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