Godalming match report - HWRCC 1st ix turn the corner?

Godlaming Vs Hampton Wick Royals

Hampton Wick won by 71 runs.

Hampton Wick - 195 all out (50.1 overs) Mackie 50* Agge 4/21

Godalming - 124 all out Iley 50 Raza 5/28

As the rest of the country endured conditions akin to the interior of an Otter's pocket, it looked as though many of the nations great weekend events would be severely threatened. Only one seemed safe by virtue of the fact that the 'World Quilt Making Championships' at Sandown Park was no doubt an indoor event.

What a pleasant suprise it was then to arrive at Godalming's hill top fortress to see the clouds circling without looking like they would threaten proceedings.

For anyone who might be unaware, we lost last week against Byfleet, and whilst we have not been playing our best cricket, the general concensus has been that those little moments of fortune required to win a game of cricket have just not quite gone our way. As Richie Benaud said about captaincy, 'it's 1% skill and 99% luck'. It was not a lucky victory as such, but it would be wrong not to recognise the fact that those game breaker moments finally started to go our way. You make your own luck as well in sport, and our determination to play the kind of cricket we know we are capable of started to twinkle.

As they say in cricketing vernacular, 'it was a good toss to lose'. Matty duly lost it and given the way we have chased in recent times there was atmostphere of optimism about it as Godalming asked the Wick to have a bat, on what looked a good track - Hard and fast to keep quickies and spinners interested alike, whilst offering plenty of runs for the stroke makers.

Matty opened up with Hibby as the Wick looked to get off to a flier. With the ball moving around though the run rate was stunted and Hibby was then caught smartly at mid-wicket. This brought Kamran to the wicket who added his assured presence to proceedings, and along with Matty they looked to set the platform for a healthy score. Whilst Kam accumulated, Matty was beligerant on the bad ball.

At 70-1 the boys in the lower order had felt comfortable enough for a game of boundary bowls. Hibby came back from recent defeats at the hand of Barrel, to win on one of the more tricky courses on the league circuit!

Suddenly wickets came like buses as Matty fell to a good catch from Hicks diving forward and AJ fell soon after as he popped one down mid-off's gregory. 76-3 and the rallying call of 'Mingers' was being trumpeted from the Godalming huddle.

When Kam fell LBW to Steel without a another run being added the Wick were nose-diving at 76-4. With both Mingers spinners on and the field tight, nurdling and a re-group were required. Who better for the task in hand than the phlegmatic Mark Mackie, and the experienced Ben Stephens.

Whilst Ben spread the field with what is best descrided as a 'wallop' down the ground off his second ball, Mackie was content to rotate the strike. When Ben fell for a cavalier 24, Barrel came in, but the rhythm Ben and Mackie had started continued in earnest.

All batsman have experienced a rough trot, and sometimes all you need to get you going again is a slice of luck. Barrel has been on a trot as muddy as the Hillsborough football ground recently, so when Godalming let him off twice, whilst on 0 and 3, another corner in our fortunes was turned. Mackie and Barrel decided it was time to add some gas and were particularly brutal on spinner Steel, launching him for three sixes over the leg side boundary.

Mackies parterships with Stephens and Barrel Bishop added 80 to the total, and by the time Barrel fell for 21 off 19 balls, the wick were in search of 200, a declaration and 50 for Mackie. Coley,Joey, Garf and Whinney just about saw Mackie through to a superbly paced 50, and although not making the 200 mark, all believed 194 was enough to bowl at given our bowlers and the pace of the track.

As we were fielding second I didn't eat much tea but will give it a 6/10, simply for the scones with Jam which gave it a traditional feel.

And so to the Godalming reply. Joey opened up and despite struggling with injury looked as though he would hurry most batsman for pace down the hill with the wind behind him. At the other end Shaun found immediate success having Milner the Godalming skipper caught at second slip by Barrel, with a peach of a ball, that forced the batsman to play, before finding extra bounce and away movement to kiss the outside edge and snuggle sweetly in Barrels welcoming bosom.

A strange period of cricket followed as the Wick bowlers struggled with their lines but weren't duly punished for it. Iley picked up boundaries using Joey's pace to force it through the point and gully regions, whilst Hicks looked to get to grips with the pace of the pitch. Both openers lost their radar however, giving Garf value for his patch fee behind the stumps.

Barrel replaced Shaun and mixed it up. Godalming saw their chance to attack, and looked to hit him through the V. Having not quite found his length Hicks decided Barrel had to go. He chose the wrong ball though as Barrel finally found the perfect spot and the ball swung through the inviting gate to clean bowl the Godlaming number 3.

The danger man Agge entered the fray and was not so kind. His first two deliveries whistled to the boundary. Then came one of those moments that you look back on at the end of a successful season and ear mark as the turning point in your fortunes. Agge thrashed it to mid-on where Shaun Whinney plucked it off the top of the grass blades to put Agge back in the hutch. 55/3 and the Wick were on top.

Iley and number 5 Brown then began to take the game to the Wick. With impressive timing and placement they started to force the field back, both taking full advantage of the over pitched ball.

I would like to say a little thank you at this point to whom ever phoned Kamran at 3:30 that morning. It reminded me of what happened at Frimley last year when someone mugged Webbo the night before a game. Kam was angry.... very angry...

With Godalming flying Kamran tore the guts out of the Godalming innings, with a lion hearted bowling performance. Getting rid of Iley who tickled one behind having got to his 50 got the ball rolling.

Cue the next decisive moment in the game. Drinks and a spot of rain, just to liven up the track. With both sides still eyeing a victory there was never any contemplation of coming off.

Coley and Ben Stephens conspired to remove keeper Clarke as the ball spat up off a shortish length and was superbly held by Ben diving forwards, like a prisoner diving for the soap to avoid bending over.

Brown realised that if they were going to get the total it was up to him and he looked to shepherd the tail and play his shots. He could only stand and stare though as Kam removed numbers 7 & 8 without adding to the total, then look on as Kam charged down the pitch roaring his delight.

Matty saw his opportunity for the kill and brought back Joey whose radar was back to normal. Number 9 feathered him behind without a fight, and Brown succumbed to a fantastic catch from Coley off Kam. Kam then finished the job and Godalming had been shot out for 124 despite looking favourites for the win shortly before the drinks break.

Catches win matches, and the Wick dropped nothing all day, and despite some fluent stroke play from the Godlaming top order stuck to their task, and when an opening appeared were ruthless. This is the kind of cricket we know we can play. Hopefully this will kick start our season.

MOM - shared between Kam and Mackie, and the guy who phoned Kam at 3:30. Turning point - Shaun's catch to remove Agge (the number 4). Champagne mament - Coley's catch!