H&CHCC Win First Double of the Season

MATCH SPONSORED BY AKRO - KELVIN PHILIPS


Mildenhall CC 159 FOR 5

J Taylor 55

H&CHCC 161 FOR 4

D Hodge 85 Not Out, M Hoadley 33, M Atkinson 18 Not Out


On another searingly hot day the toss was won by Mildenhall and duly decided to bat first in the heat and large first class pitch.

Gus Walton who has been very consistent and exceedingly good bowled the first over which was unplayable with five balls swinging past the batsman until a super last ball of the over bowled the unfortunate opener who could not quite believe what was happening.

Francis was joined by J Taylor and together set about starting again but Hodge bowling from the other end kept Mildenhall down to a very slow run rate but both batsmen were getting in to make a move to push the score on.

Walton was taken off after six overs of some sublime bowling and with the heat of the day it was a good decision from Skipper Bryant.

Dave Armstrong joined the fray and in his first over Francis chased a wide one clipped it at pace with Roberts in the slips instinctively stuck out his paw and it stuck to his surprise the batsman and his team mates were ecstatic as Francis trundled back a bit disbelieving that he was out for 16.

Taylor was nibbling a few runs but young batsman Lack was struggling to get off the mark and was getting tied down by the H&CHCC very good bowling although he did finally get three runs down to a long boundary skipper Bryant moved himself across the wicket and placed himself exactly where Lack put it and he was out to an ingenious bit of intuition by Bryant giving Hoadley his first wicket in his straight ten over spell.

Walton came back and his bad ball finally got Taylor who had just go his fifty with a top edge that went very high and down to 3rd man where Hoadley seemed to get underneath it a bit to much but somehow took a remarkable catch almost upstaging Roberts but both were top class.

Webb and Carter came out who were not youngsters but had plenty of experience between them and they put on a solid partnership but the H&CHCC bowling was tight and accurate including Jamie Gwatkin who had not bowled in three years came on and in his fiftieth year put every ball on the money one of which was a rather plumb LBW which he deserved bowling at the death.

H&CHCC did not take anymore wickets but on a good batting track and conditions the Mildenhall team ended up on 159 for five with Webb 35 and Carter 26 both not out but the score board did look a bit light however with H&CHCC nothing is ever simple.

Hodge & Roberts resumed the opening partnership but not for long as Roberts could not resist the trap set and he was caught in the deep by one of the three men out in the deep.

Hoadley joined Hodge and the pair started putting H&CHCC back on track with his straight ten over spell he was finding the boundaries with great frequency with his first four scoring shots all fours.

Hodge had a piece of good fortune when he was dropped twice one off a no ball but he was still in the middle in very hot sticky and numerous flies for company!

Hoadley was bowled by Mildenhall man of the match Taylor backing his fifty with three wickets as Captain Bryant stay at the crease was short lived being bowled in the same over allegedly playing forward defensive?

Sixty nine for three when making his first appearance this season was Ian Copping and he with Hodge who was beginning to find form and boundaries put together a 30 run partnership which again steadied the ship with a faster scoring rate overs was not an issue but Copping who was bogged down tried to hit his way out but was stumped for three.

Mark Atkinson joined Hodge who had just got his fifty but with 99 for 4 and a long tail very nearly exposed the game plan was simple, pick off singles but do not get out.

Hodge had forced back the fielders who then enclosed M Atkinson when on strike but with great patience both picked off singles and having plenty of time left nibbled the Mildenhall score down.

Mildenhall realised the game was slipping away and when Mark Atkinson smashed through the ring to find the boundary and pass the 160 required both he and Hodge who was man of the match with 85 not out had won the game in an unbeaten stand of 64 to secure the first double of the season and twenty points.

On reflection the bowlers can take great credit as the fielding to support the bowlers and the batting was helped with a small total to get so overall a very good team performance from everyone.

Mildenhall were very sporting in their defeat realizing their shortage of runs and not getting the top man David Hodge out early enough.

They laid on a very nice BBQ as there was a Ladies match on a subsequent pitch which I believe Mildenhall beat the Peterborough Ladies and generally a fair size crowd were pleased with the cricket on display.

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