Brillant game ends in Narrow Defeat but read on

Haverhill 210 all out

Wigan 104, Bradford 49.

Moriarty 8 for 38

H&CHCC 204 for 7

Roberts 50 Hodge 45 B Atkinson 42

H&CHCC lost by 6 runs.


On a very hot sunny afternoon the saying that this would be a great advert for the game would be so apt.

Captain Roberts won the toss and chose not to bat and with very little happening for the bowlers and a very quick outfield and a new Haverhill player who has joined recently and not got less that 70+ this season dominated the bowling in the early stages.

H&CHCC seemed destined for a long haul in the field and when after the first wicket did fall in the 19th over and the score on 126 it looked a difficult day.

The first wicket fell to the bowling of Moriarty who was the 5th bowler used but wow did he do well and bowling straight and consistent with N Rutter who was supporting a spinning role at the other end things began to happen.

Runs were still flowing but at a lesser rate and wickets began to tumble with career best figures for Moriarty securing the prize wicket of Wigan for a 104.

Nick Rutter who has the ability to spin the ball was proving difficult and got two deserved wickets and could have easily had more.

The last wicket fell in the 36th over and with a score of 210 all out was never going to be easy after a long shift in the field and three quick bowlers ready to knock H&CHCC down and out, not a bit of it.

Hodge and Hannan opened the batting and a steady start got the team to 18 before Hannan was bowled for 3. Hodge was joined by Vice Captain Bryant who in his own way got 14 quick runs and keeping everyone on there toes in the process.

Bryant and Ralling quickly were caught and bowled bringing together Hodge and Captain Roberts together at 44 for 4 when Hodge anchor roll was supported by the heavy hitting of Captain Roberts and a 66 partnership ensued with pay back for Haverhill being dispersed to all parts of the ground and cow corner.

Captain Roberts’s demise to a diving catch for 50 brought B Atkinson and Hodge together at 110 for 5 but with Haverhill thinking it was all over then think again the battling H&CHCC batsmen were carrying on in the heat which had not abated even though the early evening was fast approaching.

With Hodge taking more risks with young B Atkinson they moved on to 147 before Hodge was bowled by spinner Poole for 45 and that brought M Atkinson to the fray with the Son dominating the Haverhill bowling and supported by M Atkinson and chasing up to 10 an over managed to put on 52 before M Atkinson was caught and bowled with for 17 with 11 balls left and 11 runs required but new batsman coming in was difficult and all the fielders on the outfield the bowling hero Moriarty fell for 1 and the last hope went when B Atkinson was caught so deep on the boundary going for his second six the fielder was suspiciously close to the boundary but alas B Atkinson went for a superb knock for 42.

Gwatkin and Rutter could not get to the once thought impossible target and Haverhill huge relief of crawling over the line was evident in there cheers and how tetchy they were getting by the never say die H&CHCC and although beaten the clear winners were H&CHCC for a team to perform in that heat up against the odds but kept fighting was second to none.

H&CHCC also picked up 10 points which is a super figure to achieve and in some ways both teams knew that perhaps on the day the team that came out with all the credit were not the winners but the very gallant runners up.

Superb game and I believe most team members went off home smiling because of the great TEAM effort.

Well Done All

Markie the Webmaster