Close Finish at home to Melford

Hartest and Coldham Hall CC 181 for 8


B Atkinson 56, N Hannan 41 Not Out, J Armstrong 30.


Long Melford  168 all out


A Skeggs 44, M Hoadley 26, Wenborn 17


D Armstrong 4 -38


After the game being called off last week due to rain the last thing needed was rain most of the morning but Grounds man Peter Richards managed to get son Jake to cut and prepare the ground for today's fixture where 350 runs were scored. [Thank you Jake and the Team for hard work and effort]


Thankfully the rain stopped and the game went ahead with Captain Ben Atkinson winning the toss and batted first.


Peter Richards dropped out with an eye problem but then did umpire the entire game, well done Peter, good job! Jim Marlow made his season debut.


New man Richard Pearson opened the batting with stalwart regular David Hodge, both got their heads down and take the shine off the new ball and grind out some early runs.


I was not at the game and the score book didn't mark down when or who was out first or even the score at fall of wickets but Pearson backed up his good innings of last week with 17 runs, Hodge gritted out a 13 and the quick fire Roberts 8.


Captain Ben Atkinson stole the show moving the score in his quick fashion and a Captain's innings of 56 including three sixes in a row with great support from Niall Hannan who played the anchor role.


Charlie Long and Josh Borley scored the same and both had fines to pay, Dave Armstrong went in with Niall Hannan with the score on 104 for 6 after 28 overs, but he supported Niall Hannan as he went for some shots but mindful that wickets were tumbling fast.


Dave was bowled for 6 and son Jack "Beefy" Armstrong came in with a mission to hit the ball everywhere as he has done for most of the season scoring a super quick 30 supported with Hannan back playing the anchor role.


With overs passing quite quickly and the ball heading into the wheat field quite often plus the injury to S Hale while fielding [Back Injury] the boys were taking on everything and running for everything making two's into three's however in the last over Jack was run out but Niall had already joined the party scoring freely.


Jim Marlow went out for the last couple of balls but was not on strike and Niall managed to eke out another few runs very valuable as they turned out plus pushed the score up to a very competitive one, he remained unbeaten on 41 not out in the total of 181 for 8.


After tea which again I was told was superb from the opposition Long Melford started to chase down the runs set from the Hartest and Coldham Hall team.


Hartest and Coldham started very well with Hodge getting a wicket maiden in his first over but Kemp and the Melford skipper put on a decent partnership with some good bowling from Hodge and Jack Armstrong.


Throughout the game a plethora of catches were dropped up to about 7 and a couple of other maybe ones which didn't help the cause but the Captain led by example catching Kemp of Jack Armstrong bowling for 22, the score 34 at the time.


Captain Skeggs with S Henbury then took the score up to 97 in the 20th over and realistically in the box seat, the saying catches win matches was definitely going to be used, however Charlie Long got the third wicket a catch from Richard Pearson.


Captain Ben Atkinson seconds later caught out his opponents Captain Skeggs for 44 with old Hartest and Coldham player Matt Hoadley to the crease. 


Friendly banter throughout but Matt was scoring freely edging Melford to the target but Dave Armstrong was wobbling those balls and was proving hard to get away, perhaps Matt was being tied down took an unorthodox swing for Dave  Armstrong leap with joy as his middle stump was hit. [Hoadley 26]


Dave Armstrong who's mojo has come back after a couple of baron seasons was on fire took another wicket next ball, plus nearly getting his hatrick just whistling past the outside edge on the hatrick ball.


Hartest and Coldham felt the pendulum has swung back but Wenborn and Newman with some sloppy fielding plus extras we putting up a partnership which was making the fielding side twitch.


With the overs running out a diving catch from Hodge plus some sportsmanship from the home team allowing batsman Hale [injured back] to have a runner [certain league rule have now outlawed this season] to come in at number 11 where he tried to smack the ball out of the ground but Captain Ben Atkinson came on to bowl the penultimate over finally holed out to a good catch similar to one Pearson dropped early but this time clung onto win the game.


Good game in good spirit, could have gone either way but some good performances from the team managed to secure the victory.


The next game is away in two weeks at Woolpit the skipper is away but will hopefully try and get the team sorted out for in form man of the match Niall Hannan to lead in two weeks no doubt ably assisted with the help of senior players.


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