Jubilant Wick 2s secure promotion at the first attempt

HWRCC 2xi vs Shepperton 2xi
Shepperton won the toss
HWRCC 232-4 43 overs Wright 72, Goulborn 66*
Shepperton 80 0dd all out Lots of 3 and 2 fors

Sayce, Cole, Ghouldie, Fudge, Wright, Clark, Soppitt, Donnelly, Hodges, Powell, Webbo

Wickman was privileged yesterday to play in a momentous game of cricket. Knowing at the beginning of what turned out to be a beautiful summer’s day that only a win was good enough for us to gain promotion to the Surrey Championship focused the mind, straightened backs and puffed out chests.

For many in the team it has been a long week. Sitting at work and at home wishing the days away until the cricket could start was torture. Fear of failure was not particularly a problem but Wickman certainly felt that opportunities to wrap up promotion had come and gone in May and June at Kingstonians and Ripley. Only one more wicket at plucky Lingfield. And some shoddy fielding at Woodmansterne cost us a guaranteed 20 points. These were the margins that could possibly condemn us to another season trying to bully our way out of Fullers.

To wake up and realise that Saturday would be bright, sunny and hot was a huge relief. To arrive at Shepperton and find a fantastic club in beautifully quiet surroundings was a joy. To look around and see the expectation on the faces of the players was enough to lend strength. And then to see the opposition arriving in dribs and drabs, some long after the start time and to realise that three players were under 14, gave comfort that if we played the same brand of cricket we did against CMO we’d be up by dusk.

To come up to the top division of Fullers and get out of it at the first attempt was a goal that almost looked beyond us in May and June when we had slipped down the table after a run of winning draws against teams that didn’t want to play cricket. That’s what makes this format of cricket so hellishly frustrating. Teams come out to avoid losing games, not to try to win them. It is no surprise that the two most negative sides finished in 7th and 8th places in the table respectively, more than 50 points off promotion. Here’s a tip boys. Don’t be afraid to lose those games. You will get just as many points and you might even enjoy yourselves. Heck you might even gain some respect from other clubs. But its why we had to get out of the division. No one wants to play like this and everyone knows that to win games you mostly need to win the toss and bowl first to give yourselves a better chance.

So it was imperative to get to Shepperton on Saturday and play a game of cricket. With excellent availability on a weekend when all three teams needed a win, we had a strong side out. It was felt that it was a strong enough unit to win despite the toss although it would be nice to win one. We’ve only won three this year which has meant that on most occasions we have had to try to winkle out negative teams who insist on bowling first, moaning when they are set four an over in reply and promptly shutting up shop early.

Shepperton’s ton scoring captain of the previous week was engaged elsewhere and the stand in skipper made no bones that his primary objective was to give us as many problems as he could. He promptly won the toss and inserted and he and his young son started the game tidily and with some success removing out of form Saycey for four, caught well in the cordon. Gold and Coley progressed scratchily but with some efficiency taking the score past 50 before Goldy’s poor call for a single to Shepperton’s best fielder left Coley a bat’s length short of safety. As with the Chobham game some unhappiness was heard in the changing room.

Skipper Fudge looked to be in reasonable nick, but still struggling from his wrist injury he chased a wide one to point and shortly after drinks the Wick was momentarily staring down the barrel at 62-3 from 20ish. Ouch.

Wrighty announced himself at the crease with two beautifully timed fours and suddenly the Wick was off at a canter. Goldy progressed to a serene 50 while at the other end Wright had obviously taken this reporters words to heart as he set about smashing Shepperton all over their very nice park. In one over from a leggy who had the previous over looked respectable he hit 4,4,4,6,4 and nicked a single off the final ball to sneak down the other end and tee off there too. His fifty was so rapid was only five minutes behind Gold who had had a 15 over start on him. The carnage continued until Wrighty – who looked a nailed on certainty for a ton – was cut down in the 70s.

All that remained was for Clark to come in and ensure that a declaration total was achieved in rapid time which he did with a clubbed off drive and smashed pull for four before carting the oppo skipper onto a slag heap (the only blight on a fabulous ground) for a maximum. The Wick closed on a very robust 232-4 from 43 which your correspondent, although happy to see Clarky bat, felt was going to be far too many.

Tea was excellent. Difficult to find much wrong with it. Some fantastic melons were on display and if the plates had been as large as them then this would have been a memorable spread. Great to end the season on a culinary high with possibly the best opposition tea tucked under our belts. 8.

So on to the business end of the game. With one guy in the outfield who looked as much like a cricketer as Wickman does a fashion model and three kids who probably wouldn’t tip the scales at half a Clarky, one suspected that this would be a game of patience and cat and mouse. Time, you suspected, would tell.

Fudgey opened up with the old ball employing the spin of Cole and of Delboy. A controversial tactic designed to discombobulate the batting side the early strain showed on the Wick performance. The pitch had largely started to crumble like a Cadbury’s flake there was the sort of variable bounce one might expect to see on the fifth afternoon of a test so it was the right decision. But for some reason nothing would quite stick early on and Shepperton’s openers raced to 30 without much alarm. A chance was put down at short midwicket. The ball didn’t quite carry to Saycey on the fence at square. Finally though the result we were looking for turned up and the better of the two openers was sent back by Cole. There was still time for another half chance to go begging as the legendary Student Ray inside edged past Clark’s gloves. But after that incident the Wick suddenly found its mojo and the game turned inextricably Wickwards.

First Del floated and turned one past a hesitant forward defensive from the other opener to caress the leg stump. Then a useful looking number four came in a was suckered into hoisting a shorter ball to square leg where Saycey made no mistake of a difficult chance which might have carried for six. Powelly was changed in for Cole and with the old ball removed five with a snorter he could only smash to Clark off the outside edge. He trudged off having forced Julian to give him out which hardly seemed necessary so obvious was interaction between ball and bat. He left with advice about walking ringing in his ears for next season.

Number six was sent packing by Del, now bowling with the new ball and combing skid with loop, bowling what looked like the last of the really competent bats. Webbo had replaced Powell and began to bowl a decisive spell of fast medium bowling. As last week he barely wasted a delivery and Student Ray who had been quick to smash anything off line to the boundary (if not quick to take a single) was suddenly becalmed and looking unlikely to score many more runs. He would not as he shuffled across and was adjudged in front. His protests were audible but unfortunately his technique was such that he walked across everything and it was only a matter of time if he missed one. His was the only knock of real substance for Shepperton.

At this point the very grumpy skipper (almost Mellettian) then partnered a succession of youngsters against new ball bowling of some class from Julian and Webbo. Julian removed him with an absolute peach that swung from leg to off and bowled him comprehensively. A young leftie played on to Webbo and Julian rearranged the furniture of another. And we were there, on the brink. We were not to be denied for long as a youngster played all round a Webbo Yorker and the game was, deliriously, over.

Manly hugs not reflecting the pinkness in the badge were exchanged by all. The dressing room became lively with the singing of “Promotione”. It was emotional. Beers were drunk. The moment was savoured. And then a trip to Tesco to pick up victory booze and to Threshers for cold bubbles. And then back to the Wick for the best feeling in the world. Sharing success, champagne, curry, beers and songs with the members of the best cricket club in the world.

Absolutely brilliant. Absolutely and totally Wick.

MOM – Golby’s knock was the glue in the innings, Webbo bowled beautifully, the skipper skippered with style and authority but Wrighty’s knock was simply a class apart and transformed the game.