Fantastic Game at the Oval

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Stowmarket 288 for 7

J Mokonyama 212 Not Out

H&CHCC 261 All Out

Hodge 97, Roberts 54, Bryant 24, B Atkinson 19, J Armstrong 17


Wow what a game this cricket is but the one stand out thing a bone of contention is paid "coaching" or otherwise known as Professional players finding a loop hole as without exception H&CHCC fell foul to which was likely to be an easy win on a fair playing field however Stowmarket had in their ranks J Mokonyama opening the batting and scoring an incredible 212 not out out of a total 288 which 14 extras meant that the rest of the team scored 62 combined.

However what was on a hot afternoon and Captain Bryant winning the toss decided to put in the opposition due to professional player in the away team and early success from Gus Walton who had a very good ten overs capturing three wickets while Mokonyama continued steady progress and not giving any chances even though the ball was air bound a few times always in the gaps and after a while it was apparent that they were being placed to those parts of the ground.

Jack Armstrong toiled away and had very little joy even though bowling on a very well prepared track by Peter Richards who was out through injury with a calf strain was pleased he was not bowling on it as runs were flowing with a quick outfield once the ball had past the fielder or through the gap it usually went to the boundary.

David Hodge was bowling straight and in his ten over spell three Stowmarket players missed the ball and were bowled out in the mid session however Mokonyama was passing his 100 and 150 without a much by your leave although passing his 200 said he was not down to play but someone dropped out, yeah right, however he had hardly broken sweat and was a good player way to good for Sunday Division Three.

The only chance s he gave came quite late into the innings when Niall "safe hands" Hannon dropped one on the boundary and Ben Atkinson also running in from the deep only to possibly break his finger in the process plus M Atkinson dropped a difficult sprawling catch off Haynes a left hander who was not out two off the luckless bowling of Jack Armstrong.

After tea a mammoth task of chasing down 288 after 40 difficult overs in the field where it was no fun bowling to a professional however Bryant and Hodge led the way with some strong hitting off the opening pair and Bryant who was living dangerously from ball one was finally caught out for 24.

Roberts joined Hodge and together they played very well indeed with Roberts the more aggressive plundering the ball around the ground and giving Stowmarket something to think about expecting to believe that H&CHCC would lay down and die but none of that was happening and tensions grew within the Stowmarket team as the run rate was above required but just after a well deserved fifty from Roberts he was caught at Cow corner to a terrific catch on the boundary and out for 54.

Hodge was moving swiftly on with Hamish Fiddes and at the twenty over point H&CHCC were right up with the rate at 151 for two with the field back on the boundaries already scattered knowing that the chase down was very much on plus would be to great embarrassment to lose from a commanding position.

Fiddes was out and bravely Ben Atkinson went in with sprayed fingers to see if he could bat or not, if not get out quick and with the opening bowlers coming back on with a fair amount of pace dispatched him to a huge six in the corn field well no guesses another bouncer followed and again hooked in the corn field to great cheers from his teammates in the pavilion.

Catched win matches and although the catches dropped by H&CHCC did not effect the Stowmarket total the catch to dismiss Roberts earlier was surpassed as a one handed catch deep on the boundary in extraordinary circumstance ended the brave resistance of B Atkinson for a quick 19 plus leaving the score on 195 for 4 with 14 overs to go.

The tail was exposed as overs were running out Hodge tried and successfully kept the scoreboard moving but M Atkinson became the first H&CHCC player to be given LBW and Archie Fiddes became the firs run out victim before Hodge was to perish when he skied one for the wicket keeper to catch for a super 97 just short of an excellent ton considering he spent 40 overs in the filed in hot conditions bowling ten overs and taking three wickets a great performance should not go unnoticed.

The game had got away with batting points to achieve with Gus Walton and Jack Armstrong getting close to the 250 target but Walton was lost but Jack Armstrong batting has hit a purple patch scoring a very creditable 17 before he was last man out leaving his Dad not out but on a total of 261 just twenty seven runs short from a most amazing effort against a one man team.

Without a shadow of doubt a very hollow victory for Stowmarket they knew that H&CHCC would have won and been in the pub long before the 7.45 PM finish had they not had a professional playing for them but generally the Stowmarket team were gracious in their victory unlike another team we are led to believe which have been hauled up in front of the League for their very poor sportsman like behaviour as I have no actual proof this to be right I will not name the team but all of those who played in it will know straight away so sometimes what goes around come around.

Simply well done H&CHCC on reflection a moral victory picking up quite a few points along the way - next week another home game against Tendering Park.

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