Hartest and Coldham Hall CC 135 All Out

Hodge 36 Bryant 31

Bardwell 79 All Out

Wade 28

Hodge 4 for 13  Walton 3 for 17


   At last after many weeks a game of Cricket but again the outlook of finishing it was small with the forecast very poor with thunder lightening and rain due all afternoon.

   However with the greatest of thanks and lots of very hard work the legend that is Peter Richards with Jake, Nick Rutter, Captain Bryant managed to get the wicket, pitch and everything required to get a game on must get a huge pat on the back along with anyone I have missed in helping.

   The teas also was a thank you to Gus Walton Mum along Niall Hannon's Mum and Dad where Bill jumped in to become the eleventh man with a player dropping out earlier in the day at short notice what stars they all are with big compliments for the teas from Bardwell and many others during the season so far this I feel should be mentioned first in both pitch and teas a big thank you for that help support which keeps the club ticking over, now onto the game....

   Captain Bryant lost the toss and was surprised to be asked to bat by Bardwell as the black clouds loomed over the Richards Oval Hodge and Roberts went into the fray.

   Craig Nurse bowled with pace getting the ball to leap up bouncer style but Hodge and Roberts seemed secure and Roberts hit a six as his intent was clear to see which included a heavy down pour which saw the game have a fifteen minute break for heavy rain almost thinking  that was it for the end however it stopped and play was resumed.

   Roberts was on 17 when he mistimed another big shot and was caught with the score on 27, Hodge was joined by Ben Atkinson and between them moved the score onto 47 when Ben Atkinson was cleaned bowled by Nurse.

   Matt Hoadley came in and unlike Hodge who had the ball sneak under his bat and roll onto the stumps the bail did not fall off a similar thing happened to Matt and was out in an unlucky fashion.

   Dave Armstrong joined Hodge who was grinding out a score the outfield still damp with grass a tiny bit on the long side held the ball up with shots on the ground and in the air just plugged the score in dry July conditions would have been so much more and Bardwell were thinking that Hartest and Coldham were not getting away.

   Armstrong was surprised by the odd ball bouncing up and chipped back to the bowler giving Captain Bryant a bat like many the first of the season right towards the end of July.

   With the score on 80 Hodge good fortune ran out with a ball keeping very low bowling him out for 36 bringing Mark Atkinson in with Captain William Bryant who between them had the biggest partnership of the game of 33 until Mark Atkinson big shot went straight sown the fielder throat just in from the boundary.

   Gus Walton first game of the season and Bryant scrambled for every run which was hard graft but Skipper was given out LBW for a super 31 and Jim Marlow, Nick Rutter and super late stand in Bill Hannan contributed with a few runs between them until Nick Rutter played on in the 38th over Hartest had got to 135 all out on a dry day that score would have been much nearer 180 -190 still all to play for after tea.

   Within ten overs the game was up for Bardwell the Hodge and Hoadley combination destroyed the top order with a super catch from Captain Bryant dismissing the Bardwell hot shot M Collinge from Hodge bowling for 1 with three ducks which the Bardwell tea saw how hard it was to score runs and wickets were falling that 135 seemed a very long way off.

   Only batsman Wade held his end and he too had some luck but hung around with Firth for perhaps rain but the clouds had gone the sun was out the pitch was proving difficult for Bardwell and with Gus Walton returning to play plus finding a good line had three wickets to him name including that of the long stay Wade for 28.

   Nick Rutter spin was also keeping them guessing and he finally got the last man bowled with a few dark clouds looming the victory was complete and five out of five victories unbeaten going into August is probably unheard of for the mighty Hartest and Coldham Hall Cricket Club.

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