HWRCC 1XI v Guildford City 1XI.
GC: 197-8d (49)
HW: 170-9 (46)
GC winning draw.
First things first…….Second things second, as always.
This was an excellent game of cricket played by two good teams in the right spirit. Guildford City deserve a lot of credit for their declaration as well as their attitude to the game.
Mattyd, having won paper/scissors/stone (stone – fact) inserted GC on a track that looked and played better than last week. Kam’s first ball was a peach and Joey snaffled the opener at gully.
Joey then proceeded to dominate Mr Lane, as well as tying down the GC overseas. Being faced with an inny-outty field, Lane struggled to middle anything and was late on the full straight one many times. His nicks also fell into gaps, and his 30-odd was not exactly fluent. GC’s two batsmen were watchful and Joey was extremely unfortunate to not get a wicket in his opening salvo.
Mattyd then turned to Zammack who bowled an absolute pearler to Lane first ball, and Kam did the rest at slip. To be honest the game then drifted along with GC unsure of what would be a good total on an unusual track. A few balls kept low as normal, the odd one took off, but in the main the track was easy to bat on, and a little faster than last weeks old mattress.
Fordy and Kam’s second spells were successful, with wickets falling, the Wick reducing GC to 150-7. Unfortunately as last week the oppo tail rallied and stuck it out reaching 197 off 49 overs. The Wick track this year is fairly easy to stay in on, and if you’ve got some patience, quite simply its got to be a good ball to get you out.
Cwor its was humid. It was so humid it almost drowned out the sound of the fielders and we deserve credit for sticking it out in such uncomfortable conditions. Mackie’s keeping was excellent given the fact he’s not a regular. Shaun bowled well despite getting a blow on the knee early doors, and Joey was as fiery as normal. However, as has been the case too often this year, the fielding wasn’t up to last years standards, despite the best efforts of all. A few few drops (of varying difficulty) and a few fumbles kinda sums up our season thus far – just short of where we need to be, and should be.
In response, Barrell’s opening birth failed ‘Les Miserables’ as he fell first ball, having his off stick raped by the quick opener. MattyD and Sammy MaC then steadied the ship, surprisingly for MattyD he was pushing the 1s and 2s. Sam was in zero trouble, until he managed to hit one down gullys throat. MattyD, feeling as comfy as a DFS sofa then missed a straight one and was lbw, also letting everyone know how annoyed he was……
Time for some fire fighting at 50-3, AJ and Kam looked good, and the Hibby and Kam looked better, playing attacking cricket and pushing the score along. Kam was imperious and Hibby a lively firecracker, timing the ball from ball 1 as normal. The score moved on to about 130-4, with the game being setup for a grandstand finale. Hibby then fell, being himself, and Mackie joined Kam for some hussle. ‘Hussle Baby Hussle’. After Mackie was run out (too much hussling) Kam began to tire and was caught and bowled from the overseas (bowled 17 overs, and got 65). It was then a case of the Wick hanging on – fire fighting – and Joey did this with aplomb.
Both teams were in this up until the final few overs, when the Wick ran out of batsmen at just the wrong time. Extremely disappointing, but you can accept being on the wrong end when the game was a good one, and also to a decent side (even if they were carried by a few players).
The day was a good one, with the 3s recording an excellent last gasp victory and the ruthless 2s keeping up their superb start to the season.
Last things last.
We’re still unbeaten, which is an excellent record to keep up. However maybe that little but of extra risk is what we need to take us up that extra 5% to start a run of victories. Equally, maybe taking a little less risk is what is needed. I think what we need is some luck to go our way and to start us off on a run, we’ve had scant little so far this year. But you earn luck. End of.
Having said that this was an improved performance, and the team is certainly bubbling nicely, lets just hope our push doesn’t come too late to challenge where it matters. I enjoyed my Saturday so I can’t complain.
(Guildford City's Mark Lane awards the ducks to Fordy for his batting display)
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