H&CHCC Win with a Struggle in Run Bonanza

H&CHCC 246 FOR 5

Hodge 127 Not Out, Roberts 47,


Lakenheath 232 for 6

Leech 125 Not Out


On a sunny and some dark clouds a very young Lakenheath team turned up with a couple of old heads and one guy just under 7 foot who was the skipper and won the toss and decided to put Hartest & Coldham Hall CC into bat first.

Hannan and Hodge opened the batting and a good steady start was developed with a very young bowling attack from Lakenheath and with a very fast and hard outfield added with a superb pitch provided by the Richards oval there was little in it for the bowlers.

A mix up lead to the first wicket falling of Hannan for 17 but a total of 46 when Hodge was joined by Billy Bad Boy Slogger Bryant who brimming with confidence from last week was brought down to earth with a bump but not before scoring another six but sadly that was all he troubled the scorers with.
Captain Roberts entered the fray and the biggest partnership of the innings of 85 with both Hodge and Roberts playing a very controlled innings and moved the score on swiftly with Hodge passing his fifty and odds on another for Captain Roberts but fell three short when he was caught for 47 and the score on a very respectable 168.

Ben Atkinson was in next and with only eight overs left and wickets in hand it was time for the onslaught lead by Hodge who was in superb form even though carrying a slight calf injury and the pair put on 29 before B Atkinson was out.

Peter Richards joined Hodge and a flourish of impressive hitting and the score moving on rapidly the great David Hodge reached the great landmark most of us dream about with a great ton including fifteen fours and two sixes as shortly after Richards with his best score of the season and looking fit was out for 21.

With the score on 212 Gwatkin joined Hodge and only four overs left again carried the fight to Lakenheath and when the final ball was bowled the score had reached 246 for 5 with Hodge not out 127 and Gwatkin also not out for 9.

After tea the young Lakenheath side with a mammoth task of overhauling the biggest score for H&CHCC of the season were to give the home side a very big shock in there start of the run chase and the equally impressive young player Leech who after losing his opening partner LBW of the bowling of Richards then ran out his number three for zero took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Leech was joined by Palmer who rode his luck but then used it with some decent shots and the persistence of Leech who got to his fifty with the total on 64 in the fourteenth over.

With a great batting track the bowlers toiled away and bowling well but Leech was driving them on and although just behind the run rate were very much still in the hunt and with batsmen still in the hutch to come out a tense game was going to be had if he remained to the end.

R Palmer was finally bowled by Moriarty for his only wicket after the four he got last week but this was a tough ten over spell and with the injured Hodge coming on and taking the wicket of C Palmer for 20 and then Warne for a duck in two balls the tide was turning towards H&CHCC but Leech was moving on swiftly to his hundred and the second one of the game.

Tobit came in and hit the ball hard and the fast outfield and players set deep runs were still coming but always slightly behind and Leech pushing hard that a good throw by wicket keeper B Atkinson ran out Tobit for 28 at 227 for 6 and with one over to go needing 20 to win and with Captain Roberts bowling the last over starting off with a five wide ball and for the first time Leech was unable to play but tried to slog everything and skipper Roberts bowled the next six balls as dot balls and from a seemingly comfortable victory turned into a real exciting tense game ending in victory for H&CHACC by 14 runs.

Immense credit must go to young Leech who finished 125 not out and from ball one carried the challenge to achieve victory and with nearly 500 runs being scored for a combined loss of only 11 wickets and two centuries played in good spirit which must get a note of Peter Richards catch that wasn’t but only he could tell and it was against Leech which probably changed the game and well done and fair play to him in not claiming it.

With a break from league action next week the mighty Hartest & Coldham Hall band wagon rolls on and unbeaten at home it is a great achievement in the first season in Division Two.