Guildford City v HWRCC 1xi

HWRCC 18-2, 3.2 overs. Game abandoned - pitch deemed unsafe.

Hmmm....
OK - where to start. Urm.........ah.......ooo......um....well, I may as well give you a ball by ball account. I can't remember each ball exactly, but I almost can.

The track

I've played on some bad wickets in my time. Ive been racking my brains over the years for stories but none come to mind. Probably because invariably bad wickets make for an interesting game. Also, rain often plays a factor in this, with a certain degree of acceptance by players when a greasy wet top becomes a lethal tennis ball bounce track. 130ao is chaased 132-8 off 45 overs - that type of thing. Not a sign of it here though. It may have drizzled a little Friday, but it's essentailly been a dry few weeks. The track was mossy, patchy, uneven and crumbly. It looked like my face when I was at Esher College.

Charlie's pitch inspection comprised making one of those faces that suggested it was going to be 'lively'. He always does that though. That didn't put me off. Kam however did ask me what he thought we should do. I said bowl first because they've never played on it before so they can set the standard. Kam normally tells me what he thinks and then listens to others. Here I think he was as unsure as the rest of us. Surely it wouldn't be as bad as it looked - and it would probably get worse through breaking up. GC 1XI had never used this ground before today. GC won the toss and Wick would bat.

The oppo

GC have some good players. One opener in particular is know to be a top class seamer. He looks like Ravi Shastri with a defined pencil tache and he has a steely look in his eye that suggests he knows what hes doing. He also never says a word, and prefers to do his talking with a ball - a top performer.

The match

Over 1.
MattyD on strike.
Ball 1 - just short of a length. Leaps. Golved down to first slip.
Ball 2 - a bit fuller. Jumps a bit. Played off the splice towards cover.
Ball 3 - Genuine half tracker. In the slot. Spanked over square leg for a grand maximum.
Ball 4 - Full and on the legs. LB down the fine leg. Single
Immy on strike
Ball 5 - good ball on off stump. Regulation nick. Caught 2nd slip. Nomaan
Ball 6 - Good legth. Leaps. Shoulder of the bat, onto glove. Drops short of slip.

Interesting start
'Nommy - you're gonna get one eventually on this track so lets get after them.'. This contradicted advice from Kamaroon who felt it was a grinders track. Either way, it was going to be a lottery.

Over 2.
MattyD on strike
Largely an over of full balls - either half volleys or full tosses. One half tracker was again dispatched onto the on side by Davies, whilst one of the full tosses was driven through extra cover for four by Nommy.

'Looks like this end is a litle easier, although he didn't really use the track at all - most didnt bounce'

Over 3.
Nommy on strike.
Ball 1 - Length outside off stump. Left, but ball leaps and almost catches the underside of the gloves.
Ball 2 - Length. Leaps. Gloved down. Single.
Ball 3 - Full. Single to cover.
MattyD on strike
Ball 4 - Length ball on leg stump. Jumps a bit, single taken to midwicket.
Nommy on strike
Ball 5 - Short of a good length. Leaps . Nicked. Caught behind.
Raza on strike
Ball 6 - Just short of a length. Jags back and hits Kam in the goolies. red cherry to prove.

Over 4.
MattyD on strike.
Ball 1 - Short of a length. Leaps. MattyD pulls out of a slap to the on-side as the ball whistles past his face.
Ball 2 - Length ball. MattyD plays forward. Ball takes off. Cloncks him on the lid (misses the grill - straight for the helmut).

Kam approached Umpire and decision taken not to continue.

As I say, I can't remember every ball exactly, but of the 10 or so balls pitched in or a round a good area, over half of them misbehaved, and dangerously so. This was not a 1XI standard pitch and player safety was at risk.

Poor old Cronin. He drove around Guildford for an hour and a half trying to find the ground. Relaised it was in Burpham. Arrived a few overs in, quickly had to get his pads on, and then an over later the game was abandoned.

Poor Ali. She had managed to get away with not having to go to Guildford City's ohter ground (a pet hate), but has only managed to see 3.2 overs of cricket. I think she enjoyed the 2XI banter on the Wick balcony instead though.

Poor Nicholls. Facing the prospect of calling a game off on grounds of safety.

Poor oppo umpire. Despite personal issues, he'd had to try and make a pitch playable for his side, only to find his efforts had gone unrewarded. He did say we had a disappointing attitude - not wanting to play cricket. He was clearly annoyed - we'll let that slide. Everyone at the Wick knows if you give up your Saturday to play cricket, the last thing you want to do is not play cricket!

Poor MattyD. Seeing it like a beachball, yet game abandoned.

Iv'e got no idea what will happen now. It is clear that the pitch was not 1XI standard and with the bowlers on show was a danger to everyone. I think common sense prevailed - you never know until it's too late with these things.