Match Report – Byfleet 2nd XI vs. HWRCC 2nd XI - Classic Wick run chase makes it four wins on the trot for mighty 2’s!

Sayce, Mackie+, Fudge*, High, Wright, Soppitt, O’Donnell, Kennedy, Webster, Iqbal, Unsworth.

HWRCC won the toss and elected to bowl (ATS).

Byfleet 182 (52 overs) R. Oliver 54, E X Tras 46, O’Donnell 2-37 HWRCC 185-4 (42 overs) Sayce 52, Fudge 48

With the standings at the top of the table still tighter than an otter’s pocket, this game was the second of three must win games for the Wick against struggling oppo. This week saw an away match against second bottom Byfleet who had only managed one win this season. Easy pickings one might think for a Wick 2nd XI that can’t put a foot wrong with the bat this season and have a potentially destructive bowling line up; but thankfully a real game of cricket was made out of this mismatch.

The ten strong 2’s convoy arrived in a lovely little dead end street in Byfleet on a surprisingly sunny afternoon. Of course this wasn’t where the game was to be held, rather where captain Fudge’s chav nav had directed us. A swift U-turn was made and eventually we arrived at a picturesque ground with an absolute rug of an outfield and a strip that looked like a road. This must have been a lovely ground before the invention of the electricity pylon and the motorway, with the M25 a mere stone’s throw away and a huge great mass of cables running directly over the square.

The 2’s arrived for their pre-game warm up without any sign of the home team which brought much delight as we began limbering up and getting hands warm. However, you may have thought to yourselves whilst reading ’ten strong’…what the... why and who?! The missing member was Mr. Sayce who had opted to travel direct and as the oppo stumbled into the ground, sweepstakes were taken as to where Saycey was most likely to appear from; suggestions of zip wires and parachutes were chuckled at, however no-one had quite predicted he would stroll out of some old dear’s back garden…priceless (see above diagram – Can you spot him?!).

Eventually the toss was taken and captain Fudge called correctly again, enabling the wick to take to the field. Confidence was high and there was a real buzz about the fielding as Unsworth opened up with O’Donnell, on a slightly spongy and slow pitch. Unsworth bowled outrageously economically, with his first 5 overs being maidens, whilst O’Donnell looked quick and troubled the openers from the outset. O’Donnell was the first to get the breakthrough with a great piece of fast bowling, a short pitched front foot no ball that tucked up the bat, followed by a peach of an out-swinger that took off stump out of the ground. The other opener looked fairly competent, leaving everything outside off alone and blocking everything on the stumps; however he failed to up the scoring rate as the fielding remained tight.

Webster and Iqbal replaced Unsworth and O’Donnell to mix things up and probe for the second wicket with the Byfleet score looking more like a Brazil v Bognor Regis football score after 20 odd overs. This really was attritional cricket and the run rate never looked like getting above 2 an over at this stage. Webbo bowled well, beating the bat frequently and eventually picked up the wicket of the number 3 nicknamed ‘Goldy’ huu, who middled one to Sayce at point. Iqbal couldn’t quite control his lines though and was replaced after a brief cameo by Wrighty.

The Byfleet number 4 somehow managed to stay in, despite no obvious signs of cricketing ability and more bowling changes were made in the form of Kennedy and Soppitt. Both bowled some probing deliveries and eventually the number 4 came unstuck swinging wildly at a flighted delivery from Del boy and to the amazement of all watching, actually connected with it, spooning it to Webster who took a good catch at backward point. The Byfleet number 5 looked like he could actually bat abit, and hit some aggressive shots off both Del and Duncan, including one big six and some dubious looking reverse slog sweeps.

At the other end, the solid Oliver managed to bore his way to 50 through nurdling and nudging. The score started to creep up, and eventually O’Donnell was bought back on to calm things down which he did so, taking the wicket of Oliver caught and bowled and ending with figures of 2 for 37 off 11. Numbers 5 and 6 stayed put until the 52nd over before Mackie took an easy run out off the final ball. Byfleet ended on 182 for 5 off 52. A score that was, yet again, aided by the second highest innings of the infamous E. X. Tras who managed 46. This really is starting to become an issue in the 2’s, gifting the oppo 6 extra overs and 46 runs is making things unnecessarily hard for the batsmen and made the Byfleet score seem fairly respectable against a very good fielding performance. Mackie kept fantastically well behind the stumps, only conceding 6 byes off the numerous tricky deliveries that flew through! All in all though, the 2’s were confident coming off the field and thoughts turned towards the run chase ahead.

Teas – 7/10… On a material basis I reckon only a 6 or 6.5 but the tea lady was doin' a bit, it was confirmed that both Leggsy and Monkeyboy would LHB, hence the additional marks. Fresh melon, a good selection of sandwiches and cakes, oh and of course a mature, yet refreshingly tastey slice of MILF!!!!

The first highlight of the Wick innings occurred without a ball being bowled nor the batsmen even walking onto the field. With the 1’s absolutely destroying Byfleet back at the Wick, their downhearted team members found themselves back in time to watch the 2nd innings. This included their umpire, whom the opposition captain seemed set on sending out to umpire for our innings.

This really was not on, seeing as the Byfleet 2’s players had umpired their innings, it is only fair that the Wick players umpire their innings as well. Obviously this is not in the slightest to do with us wanting to cheat or be biased but more a matter of principle, something their skipper couldn’t quite grasp. The consistently annoying captain of the Byfleet 2’s insisted that he had even told Monkeyboy that he was going to umpire, to which Fudge replied, “I don’t care if you’ve told the Pope…he’s not umpiring this innings…FACT”. This nonsensical rave by their skip continued until eventually Sayce and Mackie took to the square; Del boy and Duncan donning the white jackets.

The Wick response began immediately; with Sayce playing some glorious strokes all around the ground and picking up singles with ease, mainly because he continued to find the field with shots that deserved more. Mackie kept the pace up at the other end with singles a plenty, but looked to be struggling for form a touch. The Byfleet bowling attack looked surprisingly good, although not threatening with pace or any great youth, it was on the spot and forced some good soft-handed shots from Sayce and Mackie to keep the new ball down. The Wick reached 67 off 21 overs before Mackie was bowled by one that looked to keep a little low. Captain Fudge joined Sayce in the middle and they continued to push the scoreboard along with ease, Sayce making his way to a chanceless 50 that combined solid defence and some incredibly well timed boundaries.

The opposition fielding appeared to be a mixed bag, with some young guns in the team that looked sharp, and some slightly older chaps who didn’t look quite so lively. However one thing that became apparent from the sideline was that their skipper wasn’t the most popular person on the field. He continuously moved the field around, against the wishes of other Byfleet players who even refused to move at one point. I can’t help but think he is one of the reasons why a reasonable cricketing side are struggling to stay up; Latvian maybe, but we have definitely played teams this season who are worse than Byfleet.

Fudge continued his incredible form and looked positive from the first ball, picking up quick run ones and twos and some textbook boundaries. Unfortunately Sayce couldn’t keep up with the quick running and got caught out trying to run a 3rd. Sayce ended on 52, a really classy knock that, had the field positions not been so negative, he would have easily picked up 70 odd off the same innings. High joined Fudge and showed some immediate intent, smashing the bowler back over his head off his first ball for 2 and then again for a boundary off his second ball. Fudge continues to play his shots and was dropped on the boundary for a nice 6 runs and another two times by the ageing field after middling some shots that would have required some sharp catches. Unfortunately the dream team of Fudge and High were only in the middle for 4 overs before Fudge was bowled playing on, by the tall Byfleet opener. Fudge ended on 48, another top knock that deserved to be converted to his third fifty in three weeks. Wrighty joined High for a single over before High was caught trying to apply some long handle to the slow leg spin of the skipper Zia.

By now the Wick had managed 153 off 38 overs and were 4 down. With only 5 overs left to chase the total of 183 required it was going to be a close one with 6 an over needed as Soppitt took to the crease. It can be said that there is no other man that you would want to be batting in this kind of situation than Del boy, with the bowling still tight, the runs were going to have to be achieved with some hard running and good calling. Together, Wrighty and Del boy edged ever closer to the winning score, the running was top notch and both played some fine shots to find the boundary on occasion which was only accessible behind square. The 40th over saw 11 runs from smashed off the Byfleet captain and with 2 overs left Del and Wrighty smote a further 13 off the 42nd over to take the Wick to a fine victory. Del finishing on 18 and Wrighty 16; both great innings under pressure!

This was a great result and, credit where credit is due, Byfleet really made a game of it and are a better side than their league position suggests and the rest of their team, bar the vertically challenged skipper, were a good bunch who were more than graceful in defeat.

This win sees the 2’s maintain their place at the top of the league, and for there continued positive approach to each and every game… nobody could argue that they don’t deserve to be there!!

Legs 11