WSL
came into the game knowing that they needed to win to
climb out of the
bottom two places at the last opportunity. They had
bottom of the league
Hawley as opposition but a team of only 9 so we needed
to hit our straps
early. The toss was won which allowed us to bowl first
in overcast
conditions. Bridgeman and Woolford bowled with energy
and accuracy, keeping
the ball pitched up forcing the batsmen to play. It
was not long before
Dickinson discovered to his cost that he could not 'lob'
Chris Burge who
took a good catch above his head. Soon after the danegrous
Huntingford,
quick with both his tongue and his scroing rate, was
the first this year to
perish to the Woolford/Conner combination with Connor
taking a sharp slip
catch to the delight, and amazement, of skipper Woolford.
Hawthorne replaced Woolford after 15 overs, and for
the first real time
this season, began to find good rythmn, definitely something
he'll be
looking to build on next year. He clattered Miles' off-stump,
who was very
fortunate to still be at the wicket following a stone
cold caught behind
not given, and Woolford putting down an extremely
difficult return catch.
He then had Harris Mk1 caught behind.
The game settled down for a while with the stylish youngster
Brunswick watchful in defence and punishing the bad
ball. He began to cut lose with the overs disappearing
but failed to get one past the imposing figure of Nathan
Thomas at mid on. The youngsters Harris Mk2 and Adams
Jnr (definitely a family orientated team!) continued
to attack and with only 7 fielders WSL began to leak
runs. A flurry of runs was followed by a flurry of wickets
with Bridgeman taking another 2 in his second spell
to return excellent figures of 3 for 42 off 15, and
Thomas chipping in with a couple from his 3 overs. All
this left Waltham needing 176 to secure the win they
desparately yearned for.
The innings started brightly with Trudgill crashing
a couple of boundaries
in the opening overs. He was determined not to let 'Tweaker'
Marchant
settle. This was working until he chopped on a short
wide one that failed
to bounce. This visibily lifted the opposition who were
on the wrong end of
a ton the last time he faced them. Sharpe added his
name to the ever
expanding duck gallery before Connor was caught behind
off skipper Harris
(mk3!). Bridgeman, never one to lay down, launched his
assault on Marchant
with 2 huge consecutive sixes. But Harris was finding
his rythmn too and
soon cleaned him up with a superb yorker.
Woolford was struggling with Burge looking fluent from
the other end. Never one to be knowingly outscored,
Woolford started to open up trying to hit his way out
of trouble. It failed. Bowled for 11 by Harris again
trying to put a straight one back over his head. Thomas
took possession of Dabbles for the last time in the
season the same over in much the same way. At 80-6,
and with Thompson averaging 2 this year, things other
than the weather looked bleak. A change of bowling saw
24 in 2 overs though and Thompson found some form. He
and Bruge continued to score fluently, bringing up the
50 panership and Burge's own half century.
The opposition were getting nervous with Harris bowled
out but unfortunately for Waltham, Burge was undone
by a straight one. Thompson and Hawthorne continued
to push towards victory in the pitch dark with the opposing
captain refusing to go off, knowing how much this game
meant to us. Needigng over 5 an over, Thompson was bowled
by the returning Miles and the game was over though.
WSL were gutted to lose by 18 having recovered so well,
but in the end the handicap of 9 players came back to
haunt us. The two Hawley fixtures this year have been
superb contests with some great laughs between the players.
Hats off their skipper Harris and the way he conducts
his team and we already look forward to more keen competition
(and a beer) next year. League rules and movements will
now decide Waltham's opposition next season.
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