H&CHCC Lose in Rain Affected Game Against Tuddenham

H&CHCC 115 All Out [in a 30 over match due to Rain.]

M Atkinson 31, W Bryant 19

Tuddenham 119 for 4

M Smith 53 Not Out


Relegation looms for a beleaguerd Hartest & Coldham Hall in a rain reduced match to 30 overs a side and winning the toss Captain Bryant decided to bat on a very green wet wicket.

Without star batsman Hodge, B Atkinson and Hannan opened the batting and first over got off to a flyer scoring 9 runs from it and the pitch seemingly behaving itself.

However the good start did not last and Hannan was caught behind off Parsons bowling for four.

Bryant joined B Atkinson and swiftly thinking it was 20twenty cricket hit two enormous sixes over the bowlers head but in the same over he tried again and your luck never lasts and was out for 19 and the score on 31 for 2 in only the 6th over.

Ten runs later and B Atkinson was caught and lasting 30 overs was looking unlikely with top three back in the hutch and Tuddenham could capitalise on there good fortune most of the dismissals were self inflicted.

M Atkinson joined Roberts in only his second game in 12 months recovering from two operations and being somewhat rusty in the rain but he and Roberts tried to steady the ship and see off the opening bowlers which they did.

However an ambitious shot from the first ball of Carter the spin bowler saw Roberts dismissed caught in the slips for 12.

Peter Richards joined M Atkinson and between them moved the score to 74 when the first rain break came and a twenty minute break in play with a heavy down pour.

After the break Richards was bowled on a rain affected pitch and now a slow outfield making scoring difficult.

Ian Copping came out also in his second game of the season and following the 18 and 22 partnership another one of 20 ensued with the resilience of M Atkinson finally coming to an end being caught behind for 31 including five 4's and leaving the score on 101.

Copping had only a small tail to play with when Walton went to a bouncing ball not a yorker for a golden duck and left David Armstrong facing the hatrick ball which he did. He went on to score a run in a strange way when he was backing up to then run back as the ball was coming his way only to do a full twist, tuck and pike with roll to the cheers and applause from the Tuddenham team. The result of the calamity was that somehow the scorers thought he got a run! He was out for one run very soon after.

Making there debuts [this season] were just married Michael Durrell bowled for 3 by Parsons who came back on after opening the bowling and Dan Thorp last man also making his first ever appearance in a H&CHCC shirt scored a boundary to end the day 4 not out as Copping finally was last man out for 14 leaving the total of 115 and well short of the required score.

After tea Walton and Richards opened and the openers of Smith and Preston got off to a very fast start and after six overs had got to 37 and continued in that vain sadly the first three catches were dropped a very familiar story this season however it was debatable if that was going to be costly as runs kept coming and 50 runs were on the board when Walton who had bowled well finally got Preston caught behind by B Atkinson for 18.

Two wickets fell quickly and some hope was raised but the batsman out were not the regular 3 and 4 so when the experienced Blows came in and played carefully and straight it was only a matter of time or more rain.

It did rain but fairly and after a 15 minute break the conclusion was swift after returning to the field of play and M Smith on the last ball hit a four to win the game in only the 22nd over and to remain 53 not out.

This plants H&CHCC firmly in the bottom two and relegation is staring the team well and truly in the face for the first time in a few years it will take a monumental change in fortunes and form to come back from this position however the mighty Hartest and Coldham have been in worst positions and come back from the dead lets hope this is soon otherwise Division Three is looming large.

Markie the Webmaster