Match Report - 1xi vs Stoke D'Ab (a) by Matty D

Scorer outwardly pleased, secretly delighted.

You know things are going your way when Alison Whitcher has called you twice since Saturday, merely to inform you of the HWRCC league position. I havn't seen her this keen since that one time at band camp. She is however right to be enthusiastic. A brave win on Saturday against the team in 2nd moved us back into a promotion spot - a position fully supported (not another reference to Alison) by a record that reads played 7, won 6.

Stoke D'Ab. Nice ground. Bit small. Local rules. Stodgy deck.

Wick won the toss and Stoke batted. The returning Ford carried on where he left off 2weeks ago, pinning the opener in front. He then tempted the other opener, who looked like he had an eye from Lord of the Rings, to snick one to Boney standing up. 2 down, not much on the board.

Joey from the other end, running up from the sightscreen, tempted the #3 to nick one. O'M...DOWN it went. Next ball the same player decided to challenge skipper Davies to some cricket Russian Roulette. Davies duly won said battle. Don't challenge a Wick skipper to a quick single. You cant win.

Joey then went on the rampage, bowling with hostility on a sticky wicket. Few players could handle it with a procession of talented but inexperienced bats made to look foolish nicking behind with regularity and the odd one being plopped up to short cover. The catching was excellent and Im even going to say the captaincy was equally ruthless (at this point).

Stoke were reeling at 40-8. Reeling like a toilet roll in a Dulux advert. Enter the elder statesmen. When 40-8 becomes 102 all out you know there has to have been some experience in there. The momentum had shifted somewhat to Stoke, who were visibly buoyed by the efforts of numbers 9, 10 and 11. 102 all out howvwer is an eminently chasing score on any surface, incuding this one.

Ewen finished with 5-24 from 12. Excellent. Simply too fast and accurate on Saturday.

Teas - I must confess I only had 2 sandwiches. I was too nervous too eat. However, I do recall some chocky cake. Whilst the spread was much of a muchness, the little touch of the cake make the difference. Oh, and the attractive tea lady means Stoke score a healthy 7 - despite the culinary elements of of said event not meriting this. As I mentioned to Hoops and Lee as wew were walking round the boundary (for good luck apparantly) she had lovely skin. Similar to Mufassa in that regard.

OK. 103 to win. Easy?

At 20-0 it was. However this soon became 25-2, as Davies superbly picked out the close in fielder, and the returning Lee (again, not a reference to Alison) drilled one straight back to the bowler. Classic Wick.

Hooper rode his luck to make 20. O'M looked the biz till missing a full toss for 15. Kam then looked his old self before skipping down the track and missing one by the proverbial mile. The returning Mackie looked the biz, before getting a lifter from the telented left arm spinner. Murray then was cleaned up. Stoke were Cockahoop (Alison?....). 70-7.

Mackie: I wonder what Whinney listens to on his MP3?
Davies: M People. Hero
Makie: heehee. 'You got to search for the hero inside yourself'....

O'Donnell joined Whinney for the crucial last rites. With Whinney content to nudge his way to 20 points, O'Donnell picked up where he left off against Merrow with some sumptuous straight hits, galloping down the track as he hit them. You talk about momentum... there is nothing better than a tail ender winning the game for his side (tail ender - Im being harsh there). This is a team game after all.

103-7. Wick 20 points.

Stoke D'Ab? A talented team. Like OP last week appear to be lacking a gas opening bowler needed for better batting decks. We didnt see much of the batsmen. A good young team who are going all guns following promotion last year. They can go places.

The game was played in a superb spirit. Well done to everyone - both teams.

Well folks, the Wick bandwagon rolls on. 6 out of 7. Batsman win you games, but bowlers win you leagues - and with Ewen, Ford, Tughral and Raza, not to mention Whinney, O'Donnell, Murray, Cole and Tong, we have a phenomenal bowling attack which will get us 10 wickets every game. When the batting clicks we will win all the time. Oh wait, we seem to be doing that anyway.

Alison was outwardly pleased, but secretly delighted. You can tell. It wasnt the sight of Mr Lee. It wasn't the Pear Cider in the bar after the game. It was the fact she was 20 points closer to another trophy to add to her ever expanding cabinet (that is a refernce to Alison).

MOM - Ewen. 5 wickets. Ruthless.

WICKWASH.