Match Report - 1xi vs Kempton - by Mat E Dee

1xi 152-9 (52) beat
Kempton 1xi 65ao (c.30 overs)

Great toss to lose this one. Overnight rain had left the pitch dank and warm to touch. The weather was overcast and cloudy, with it expected to clear up through the day. I was of course delighted then to be strapping the pads at 1320.

Ali and Davies started watchfully against disciplined bowling from Kempers. A difficult pitch (albeit slow) meant patience was the key. After seeing off the shine, both fell caught behind leaving the Wick teetering at 16-2. Day joined Raza and found things equally difficult but ate up some time allowing the deck to improve and runs to be accumulated later. When O’M joined Raza Kempers were on top, but a classy partnership progressed the Wick score slowly. O’M in particular looking serene with some wonderful driving and manipulation of the crease. His wicket was a total surprise, but Raza’s innings continued. You make your luck.

Mackie came and went, having ran about 10 but only scoring 2. Neither Tughral nor Tong were able to add much to the score. Cronin, battling hard on a difficult track propelled the Wick to a defendable 152 off 52 overs. (Kempers would get 43 to get them). This was probably below par, but not by much. Sure conditions were improving, but the pitch was like a teenage boy's face and would dry in this state making the bounce unpredictable. The extra pace could also work in our favour given our attack.

Teas – some potato salad and I think some scone action. 8.5 Id say.

Ali and Tong opened up, in conditions that would lead to wickets....the question being how many. Both lacked something at the start, but found their range soon enough. The ball was swinging an Tong took out an off stump to start proceedings. Ali, being tight without repeating the heroics of last week, kept plugging and beating the edge with some regularity. Tong – fresh from his 3rd place in the Miss Ghana 2011 competition, was replaced by Vishva who also began to make the ball talk. The rate started well for Kempers, but the Wick reigned them in with some discipline and some athletic fielding from Day and others.

Day replaced Ali and with the aggression of a firework up his arse chuntered in like Hoggard used to. He seared one in first up, lbw and things went from good to excellent sooen thereafter. Vishva nailed the #3 with a ripper and then immediately took out another. Day at the other end was bowling like a man possessed. Caught point (great catch from Mackie), bowled, caught sq leg, ct 1st slip and ct 2nd completed a quite ridiculous return of 5.2-5-7. That’s 7 wickets. And 5 runs. Some real pace and venom in many of those balls and no less quality in the supporting fielding cast.

Great stuff.

MOM – Adam, Raza and Cronin did well with the bat, but Daisy’s spell would win any game. Wallop.

Caption Competition...

SAT TEAMS - 25TH JUNE

SAT 25TH JUNE

1ST XI V Kempton (H)

1 Ali 2 Davies © 3 Day 4 Raza 5 O'Mahoney (+) 6 Mackie 7 Cronin 8 Tughral, Zo 9 Tong 10 Abeyrante, Vishva 11 Tughral, Zam

U: B. Sissen S: A. Whitcher

M: 12:00 S: 13:30

2ND XI V Dorking (A)

1 Cole 2 Rashid 3 Fudge © 4 Weerakoon, Naveendra 5 Crowther 6 Clements Tom 7 Copeland H (+) 8 Tanveer, Fahad 9 Breakwell 10 Unsworth 11 Lown

U: S. Riley S: N/A

M: 11:00 S: 13:00

3RD XI V Walton on Thames (H)

1 Risman 2 Ratnage 3 Singh © 4 Byrne, Dan 5 Hirsch 6 Rudolph, Matt (+) 7 Oliver, Robbie 8 Charlton E 9 McMullan 10 Linter 11 Ilyas, Aqeel

U: N/A S: N/A

M: 12:00 S: 13:00

WICK

WED & SUN TEAM NEWS

Wed XI vs. Hampton Hill C.C. (Away)

1) High (c)
2) Rashid
3) Cronin
4) Davies
5) Byrne
6) O'Mahoney
7) Clements +
8) Oliver
9) Abeyrante
10) Weerakoon
11) Vijayakumar

Meet @ Hampton Hill - 17:30
Start - 17:45

SUN XI vs. Sutton C.C. (Home)

1) Tong (c)
2) Jackson
3) Madoc-Jones J +
4) Miles
5) Dann
6) Madoc-Jones D
7) Vijayakumar
8) Nehru
9) Smith J
10) Bal
11) Smith G

Meet - 13:30
Start - 14:00

Saturday teams to follow.

WICK

India and DRS... Just Asking...

The BCCI has vetoed the use of DRS in the forthcoming Test series and Wickman thinks he knows why. Two words. Graeme Peter Swann.

If you were sending a side over to play in English conditions and were already worried about fronting up to pace, swing and seam of the calibre of Anderson, Tremlett and Broad what would you do tactically to negate the threat of England?

There's little you can do about the quickies. But you might have a look at England's most potent weapon of recent years and decide that if you could knock out one of HIS major weapons you would. The LBW. It's widely accepted that Swanny is getting more wickets than folk such as John Emburey and even The Turbanator because umpires have been convinced to give more LBWs on the front foot to off spinners in particular.

Wickman hasn't got access to exact stats but Swann gets more LBs than anyone did in the past bowling offies. And that's because umpires started giving them following the introduction of Hawkeye - the technology telling them that more balls were hitting the stumps than was accepted before.

So it stands to reason then that if you take out DRS, Swann will get fewer decisions in his favour. Now here's where you would have to get really deep into the numbers. Does Swann get given a significant proportion of his LBs on DRS reviews? Wickman feels as if he does get another 25%. Just a feeling mind. So have India pulled a fast one?

It depends. I wonder how many Swann victims have got away with ones sliding past leg stump or being hit outside the line playing a shot due to DRS? It could be similar. And given that we think that umpires are more likely to give them on the front foot now - with, it stands to reason, more reason to doubt... taking out DRS might actually backfire on the Indians. Imagine MSD - apparently the most vocal opponent backed up by (surprise, surprise) other senior bats including Tendulkar (you wouldn't hear bowlers asking for it to be withdrawn) - being trapped just outside off stump (marginal but DRS wouldn't give it) and someone unimpeachable like Aleem Dar sending him on his way.

Poetic justice. So will Indian chickens come home to roost?

Just asking...

Thames Ditton vs 1xi - Match Report by our man with the snorkel, Matty D

"Matty D believes toss will be important at Thames Ditton"

Thames Ditton 1xi vs HWRCC
HWRCC 92 Vishy 20*
Thames Ditton 80 Nomaan 7-40

Scorecard

Forget what you think you know about cricket, cos you aint seen nuffink yet. Saturday was an incredible game in a season that is fast becoming one for squeaky bums...

We played Thames Ditton in the cup earlier in the season and won well although not totally convincingly. The weather was however always going to be a leveller and the greenest of green tops welcomed us at the Village Green. They did however have covers, which actually meant the difference between a match and no match. At 1310, in dry but sunny conditions both teams were warming up, before the heavens opened and fleeing to the clubhouse I was reminded of Sanderstead from 2010. Nail biting stuff.

An hour later after the heavens had tired, we ventured out to find an outfield moist but drying, and a track dry but green and even softer than before. This would be a crucial toss, or so you would think.

The odds of losing the toss 6 times in a row is 1 in 64. This therefore makes me as clever as Paul the Octopus, who correctly predicted the path of Germany successfully through the recent World Cup, only to say they would lose in the final, which they did. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10567712. If we had as many arms as he does we may be able to catch a bit better and make our lives a lot easier.

Rather than describing the game, I will show you the Blackberry message narrative between two Wick members (who shall remain nameless) – one who watched the entire game, the other who was a keen observer. Their emotional rollercoaster mirrored those playing and provide the clearest description of the action:

Day off Wick: Keep me updated on the score.
Day off Wick: 4 balls into the 3's game and the heavens have opened and stopped play. Pissing it down.
Day off Wick: Are you playing?
Spectator Wick: Just about to toss up here & heavens open....chucking it down
Day off Wick: Forecast got it spot on. Heavy rain from 1pm to 4pm across Surrey. In the bookies. Best place to be on a day like this.
Day off Wick: Got covers?
Spectator Wick: Yes, I reckon we'll be on in a couple of hours.
Day off Wick: Always the optimist.
Spectator Wick: Covers coming off.
Day off Wick: Who won the toss?
Spectator Wick: Haven't tossed up yet. Won't be using the lucky coin ;)
Spectator Wick: Starting at 14.30.
Day off Wick: Who's bowling?
Spectator Wick: We're batting, Matty D lost the toss...
Day off Wick: ATS
Day off Wick: Playing?
Spectator Wick: 11-1 after 6. Can bat for 44
Day off Wick: Who is out?
Spectator Wick: Nomaan. Bowled by Curtley Ambrose. 19-1 off 9. Difficult track, green.
Spectator Wick: 23-2 Mattyd bowled
Spectator Wick: 23-3 Kam bowled duck.
Day off Wick: Start doing a rain dance!
Spectator Wick: 38-4. Day bowled. Bonay & High in
Day off Wick: All 4 wickets bowled? Raining now.
Spectator Wick: Yes! Spitting, clear behind
Spectator Wick: Sunny now!
Spectator Wick: 51-4. High has hit 2 boundaries.
Spectator Wick: 51-5 High holes out. Caught mid off
Spectator Wick: 53-6 Cronin yorked. Turning into a bit of a Jakki (Jakki Brambles – Shambles)
Day off Wick: Bonay still in?
Spectator Wick: Yes with Zohaak
Spectator Wick: Er......no. Just caught at mid wicket. 53-7
Day off Wick: I'm surprised Matty was so desperate to play. Always think in conditions like today, anything can happen?
Spectator Wick: 63-8 Zam gets under a slower ball, caught mid on
Spectator Wick: 68-9
Spectator Wick: Zohaak caught 1st slip.
Day off Wick: What did we end up with?
Spectator Wick: 92 all out 41.1
Day off Wick: Deary me.
Spectator Wick: Bad toss to lose
Spectator Wick: 2-1. Nomaan wkt with 1st ball
Spectator Wick: 2-2 another bowled!
Day off Wick: Game on.
Spectator Wick: 11-3 Nomaan c&b
Spectator Wick: Suddenly 92 looks a long way off.
Day off Wick: Fact. Should have declared on 80 and given themselves more time to bowl the oppo out.
Day off Wick: All gone quiet?
Spectator Wick: Kam has dropped 2, 2 lbw's not given 52-3 now
Spectator Wick: 59-4. Their top man run out
Day off Wick: Run out! Chasing only 90! Schoolboy.
Spectator Wick: 60-5 played on
Spectator Wick: Kam catches 1 at cow 68-6
Spectator Wick: 68-7 Nomaan bowled
Spectator Wick: 68-8 kam bowled
Spectator Wick: 75-8. Curtley hit a huge 6. Facing Nomaan now...
Day off Wick: Curtley the key.
Spectator Wick: Riley has just given him lbw b Kam, plum in front of middle 80-9.
Spectator Wick: WICK win 80 all out
Day off Wick: WICKWASH
Spectator Wick: More like WICKWASHout.... ;)

...and relax...

A few points that you may have not picked up from the above:

1. Vish and Shri put on 24 for the final wicket. Vital, vital, vital.
2. Their opener was excellent – decent pace and got 5-50 from 21 overs unchanged.
3. The track was lethal, so 92 was below par, but not by much
4. Teas were very good – the softest bread Ive had in a while, although as always lacked the variety of HWRCC
5. Cricket is a game played in the mind....92 was 1 more than they were gonna get.
6. Nomaan got 7 wickets, and had 2 cathces dropped off his bowling (Day had one drop as well)
7. The run out turned the game – MattyDs throw from the boundary, Tuggles Zam demolishing the stumps to get rid of the danger man #4.
8. Cheers to Ali for scoring, Riley for umpiring following the 2 s cancellation, Lloydy, Lown, Sissen and Bonay’s mum for watching.
9. Epic.

MOM - Vish. Diving around like a gazelle in the field and scoring 20 vital runs at #10. Shri was the same. Neither got a bowl (despite being bowlers), but with the bat they made the difference and turned 3 or 4 points into 20. Nomaan is Nomaan. Class.

3xi Match Report by Lownsy

HWRCC 3xi vs Old Hamptonians (Friendly)
HWRCC 1
Old Hamptonians DID NOT BAT

Ratnage, Lloyd, Hirsch, Oliver, Soppitt, Rudolph +, Bendall, Charlton, Donnelly, Linter, Lown*

The 3rd XI were given a week off league cricket due to Old Tiffs falling out of the league. With 5 wins on the bounce, all were keen to keep up the standard of cricket, and a friendly against local rivals Old Hamptonians was just the way to do so.

With heavy rain on the Friday, the pitch inspection from Del did not sound promising (“we are playing on that? You have got to be joking. Let’s not be nonsensical about this.")

Having lost the toss, Wick were put into bat into what was now a 20/20 match. Ratnage opened up and left the first ball which pitched on middle and sort of tennis ball bounced to the keeper. The second ball was a bit straighter so Sam played a solid looking forward defence back to the bowler who fielded the ball. The third ball was a bit too straight and hit the thigh pad. But with height and going down leg, there was no appeal. The ball ran off towards fine leg and they ran a leg bye. Lloyd faced the next ball and again played a solid enough looking forward defence. 1-0 off 0.4 overs. Then the rain came. It was a bit like that scene in Forrest Gump when he is out in Vietnam:

“One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night..”

Everyone went back into the clubhouse for 45 minutes whilst we waited for the rain to stop. Once it did, the pitch was unplayable, and with it being a friendly, it was decided it was not worth chewing up the square. So we all got back in the cars and headed back to the Wick.

In terms of tea report, we didn’t stick around long enough to get a tea. However after a stop off in Sainsburys on the way back, I had a really nice southern fried chicken wrap and bag of Doritos, Lloydy went for a Moroccan chicken and cous cous dish and Linter had a BLT sandwich. 7/10

MOM went to Dave Bendall for his signaling of the leg bye – struggled with the balance after lifting his leg up and almost fell over, but composed himself enough to give a tap on the thigh which allowed Ed to note down correctly.

Blog Eases to 20,000

The Blog has received more than 20,000 page impressions since its birth. Wickman is not entirely sure what this means for the future of Wick cricket but it seemed signficiant enough to mention. The magic number was reached during the team announcement for Saturday.

Post Match Beers - Saturday

Gents and Alison. The clubhouse has been hired out on Saturday evening so we need to make ourselves scarce post match. Celebratory Lash is at The Forresters in Hampton Wick. Riley - mind the furniture...

It's all for the greater glory of the Wick...

Directions...

Teams - Saturday 18th June

SAT 18TH JUNE

1xi vs Thames Ditton (a) Meet at 12.00
1 Ali, 2 Davies ©, 3 Day, 4 Raza, 5 O'Mahoney (+), 6 High, 7 Cronin, 8 Tughral Zo, 9 Tughral Zam, 10 Abeyrante, 11 Shinde

U: TBC
S: A. Whitcher

2xi vs Maori Oxshott (h) Meet at 12.00
1 Cole, 2 Rashid, 3 Fudge ©, 4 Singh, 5 Crowther, 6 Clements, 7 Weerakoon, 8 Copeland H (+), 9 Fahad, 10 Webster, 11 Goodwin

U: S. Riley

3xi vs Old Hamptonians (a) Meet at 12.00
1 Hirsch, 2 Ratnage, 3 Lloyd, 4 Rudolph (+), 5 Soppitt, 6 Oliver, 7 Charlton, 8 Donnelly, 9 Lown ©, 10 Linter, 11 Ilyas, Aqeel

Wick Folk in Cricket and Drink Shocker

A select group of individuals headed out to Old Deer Park last night to drink beer and watch cricket. It was a T20 game between Middlesex and Glamorgan. Well. What did you expect? The best (read least blurry - Riley lad you need to see a doctor) pictures here...

"Kilner and Bonay wait to see who will buy the first drink"

"Matty D's Emma Freuds were acting up so he stood throughout"

"Fudgey turns on the charm with Mummy D while Amooray listens in to pick up tips"

"Fudgey fills his boots while Pinball looks as if he already has"

West End Esher vs 1xi - Match Abandoned

But not before Kammy scored 82* out of 137...

Scorecard

1s still in the promotion spots... table